Context:
National Security Adviser Ajit Doval and his U.S. counterpart, Jake Sullivan, discussed opportunities for closer collaboration through the Initiative on Critical and Emerging Technology (iCET)
Initiative on Critical and Emerging Technologies (iCET):
- Announced by India and the U.S. with the aim of enhancing collaboration in critical technologies.
- Officially launched in January 2023
- Managed by the National Security Councils of both countries.
- 6 Areas of Cooperation –
- AI Research Agency Partnership – Collaboration in artificial intelligence research and development.
- Defence Industrial and Technological Cooperation, and Defence Startups – Joint efforts in defence technology and supporting startups in this field.
- Innovation Ecosystems – Building ecosystems that foster innovation in critical technologies.
- Semiconductor Ecosystem Development – Developing and strengthening the semiconductor manufacturing ecosystem.
- Cooperation on Human Spaceflight – Joint initiatives and collaboration in human space exploration.
- Advancement in 5G and 6G Technologies – Progressing in next-generation communication technologies and adopting OpenRAN networks in India.
- Recent Inclusions – Biotechnology, critical minerals, rare earth mineral processing, and digital technology have recently been added to the focus areas.
India – US Defence Ties:
- India conducts more bilateral exercises with the U.S. than with any other country –
| Key Military Exercises | Participants |
| Vajra Prahar | United States Army Special Forces (SF), Indian Para SF |
| Yudh Abhyas | Indian and U.S. armies |
| Cope India | Air force units from India and the U.S. |
| Malabar Exercise | Naval forces from India, the U.S., Japan, and Australia |
| Tiger Triumph | Indian Army and Navy, U.S. Navy |
- Defence Technology and Trade Initiative (DTTI) – Promotes co-development and co-production efforts in defence technologies.
- In 2016, U.S. acknowledged India as a Major Defence Partner, facilitating technology sharing to a level commensurate with that of U.S. closest allies and partners.
- Strategic Trade Authorization (STA) Tier I (2018) – India’s elevation to Tier I of the STA license exception, facilitates interaction in advanced and sensitive technologies.
- Foundational Agreements –
- GSOMIA (2002) – Military information agreement; Ensures protection of classified information and technology shared between the two countries.
- LEMOA (2016) – Logistics exchange agreement; Framework for sharing military logistics, including refuelling and replenishment.
- COMCASA (2018) – Communications security agreement; Allows the U.S. to supply India with encrypted communications equipment for secure communications.
- BECA (2020) – Basic Exchange Cooperation Agreement; Provides India with real-time access to American geospatial intelligence, aiding in navigation, targeting, and the accuracy of automated systems and weapons.
Source: The Hindu
Previous Year Question
Recently, the USA decided to support India’s membership in multilateral export control regimes called the “Australia Group” and the “Wassenaar Arrangement”. What is the difference between them?
1. The Australia Group is an informal arrangement which aims to allow exporting countries to minimize the risk of assisting chemical and biological weapons proliferation, whereas the Wassenaar- Arrangement is a formal group under the OECD holding identical objectives.
2. The Australia Group comprises predominantly of Asian, African, and North American countries, whereas the member countries of Wassenaar Arrangement are predominantly from the European Union and American continents.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
[UPSC Civil Service Exam – 2011 Prelims]
(a) 1 only
(b) 2 only
(c) Both 1 and 2
(d) Neither 1 nor 2
Answer: (d)