Washington: National Security Advisor Ajit Doval and his US counterpart Jake Sullivan participated in the inaugural launch of the US-India Initiative on Critical and Emerging Technologies (iCET) aimed at strengthening partnership on the technologies that will drive global growth, bolster economic competitiveness, and protect shared national security interests.
“A unique and special reception in India House ! Delighted to host NSA Ajit Doval, US NSA Jake Sullivan, Commerce Sec Gina Raimondo, CEOs from India and US and leadership of prominent Universities. Insightful conversations on building bilateral cooperation in critical and emerging technologies,” tweeted Ambassador of India to the US Taranjit Singh Sandhu.
NSA Ajit Doval, who arrived here on Tuesday, also met US Chairman of Joints Chiefs of Staff General Mark Milley.
Embassy of India in Washington tweeted that “Fruitful discussion on various aspects of Indo-US bilateral cooperation” took place during the meeting.
The participants in the roundtable discussed opportunities to promote development of critical and emerging technologies such as quantum computing and artificial intelligence, with a special focus on how to increase academic and government research exchanges and strengthen their linkages with the private sector.
NSA Ajit Doval and Ambassador Sandhu highlighted India’s remarkable capacity for technology development and absorption and emphasized India’s use of technology not only as an enabler of economic growth but as an instrument of social inclusion.
US NSA Sullivan said that “iCET
is about much more than technology cooperation, it’s a platform to accelerate our strategic convergence and policy alignment.”
Highlighting the work ahead for both governments, Sullivan added that the United States and Indian governments want to establish a list of ‘firsts’- “firsts in removing barriers—on both sides—to enable greater ambition by all of you.”
Sullivan highlighted how iCET will accelerate the United States’ strategic technology partnership with India and advance the two countries’ shared democratic values.
NSA Ajit Doval is accompanied by a delegation comprising five prominent individuals- the Principal Scientific Adviser of India, the Chairman of ISRO, the Scientific Adviser to the Defence Minister, the Secretary of the Department of Telecommunications and DRDO’s DG.