US and India deepen defence and tech ties, as Biden team eyes China, Russia
- The US-India Initiative on Critical and Emerging Technologies fits into Washington’s bid to boost military, tech and supply chain links with partner countries
- One area of interest for India would be domestically producing General Electric Co jet engines, which it uses in its combat aircraft
The US and India are building out their partnership to share advanced defence and computing technology as the Biden administration seeks to shift New Delhi away from Russia and accelerates efforts to counter China.
Details released Tuesday of the plan, known as US-India Initiative on Critical and Emerging Technologies and initially launched in May 2022, fit into Washington’s broader agenda of strengthening military, technology and supply chain links with partner countries.
US National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan said Tuesday that the framework won’t be solely driven by the geopolitical challenge China poses, but noted that Beijing’s aggressive military moves and economic practices have had “a profound impact on the thinking in Delhi” and other capitals around the world.
“The China-Russia factors are real, but so is the idea of building a deep, democratic ecosystem of high technology,” Sullivan said Tuesday, previewing the partnership with reporters. “So, geopolitics doesn’t sit off to the side, but it’s not a comprehensive explanation for what’s at work here.”
Sullivan met his Indian counterpart, Ajit Doval, on Tuesday and both attended an event with executives from American and Indian tech firms and university presidents on Monday.
Biden is expected to travel to India for the Group of 20 leaders’ summit in September and see Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Australia at a summit of the so-called Quad security partners, which includes Japan.
