EAM Jaishankar : India, US collaboration has extended to new initiative

The External Affairs Minister said at the SemiconIndia Conference on Sunday that the collaboration between India and the US in Micron Technology, Lam Research, and Applied Materials deals with New Delhi extended to a new initiative and additional domains and can be expected to grow steadily.

Jaishankar said that during Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to the US, specific commitments were made with regard to Micron Technology, Lam Research and Applied Materials, and they have been the subject of deliberations as well. “During Prime Minister Modi’s State visit to the United States in June 2023, semiconductors were also a focus of the talks with President Biden and his team. As you would be aware, the two leaders chaired a technology round-table with the brand names of the industry. The Joint Statement highlighted this aspect of our cooperation. Three US companies – Micron Technology, Lam Research and Applied Materials – made specific commitments that have been the subject of your deliberations as well. It is essential that these developments are viewed from the larger perspective of India and the United States building a technology partnership for the future,” Jaishankar said.

“India’s entry as the latest member of the Minerals Security Partnership is worth noting, given the importance today of diversifying and securing supply chains in that area. Similarly, cooperation between the two countries has been a visible tailwind in the sphere of advanced telecommunications. Even as India’s 5G rollout starts to gather momentum, it is noteworthy to seek Bharat 6G and the American NextG Alliance co-lead research. Launching Open RAN deployments and participating in the US Rip and Replace Programme is also worth noting. This collaboration today extends to new initiatives and additional domains and can be expected to grow steadily,” he added.

In terms of space cooperation, the EAM stated that India supported closer ISRO-NASA cooperation and signed the Artemis Accords. There is a lot of potential in the Innovation Handshake between Indian entities and the National Science Foundation (NSF). The INDUS-X innovation bridge for defense technologies operates similarly.