US National Security Advisor's India Visit Highlights Tech-Driven Partnership

Last high-profile trip to India by Biden administration will focus on technology

US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan will visit India to discuss strategic technology cooperation, including defense, space, and AI. He will meet with Indian officials and highlight the significance of the US-India partnership. The visit builds on a 2022 technology initiative, strengthening ties amid regional tensions involving China.US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan will travel to India for a visit focusing on cooperation on strategic technology, including in defense, space and artificial intelligence. The Biden administration said Sullivan's visit on Sunday and Monday will include a speech at the Indian Institute of Technology in New Delhi in which he will stress that the outgoing administration sees the US partnership with India as central to its regional and global priorities, and one with support from both major political parties. It's expected to be the last high-profile visit to India by the Biden administration. Sullivan is expected to meet with Indian National Security Adviser Ajit Doval and Indian External Affairs Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar. India and the US launched a technology initiative in 2022 outlining collaboration on semiconductor production and developing artificial intelligence. The accord was critical in sealing a deal to allow US-based General Electric to partner with India's Hindustan Aeronautics to produce jet engines in India. India and the US have grown closer recently, in part in response to China's growing assertiveness in the Indo-Pacific region. Biden threw Prime Minister Narendra Modi a state dinner last year. But ties have also been strained by US prosecutors' accusation in 2023 that an official in Modi's government was involved in a foiled assassination plot against an activist of India's Sikh minority in New York, and the killing of another Sikh activist in Canada.

Tech it, don't leave it: Jake Sullivan's final India visit highlights tech-driven ties

In US NSA Jake Sullivan's final visit to India this week before Donald Trump is sworn in, he met his Indian counterpart Ajit Doval and the Indian leadership. This marked the denouement of the Biden administration's focus on tech as a centrepiece of the evolving bilateral ties. As Sullivan's trip represents one of the final high-level engagements between the two nations before the Biden administration concludes its term, it aims to impart a sense of continuity to the structural ties that have evolved significantly over recent years. The visit comes at an important juncture, as both nations navigate uncertainties and adapt, most notably the unfolding wars, intensifying great power competition, and India's rise as a global tech and strategic node. One of the key aspects of the Joe Biden administration has been its focus on tech-driven partnerships. Unlike in the past, most US great power relations under Biden witnessed a tech-led push. While the US' relationship with China saw a competitive turn in tech, its ties with India expanded to pack a more expansive and sophisticated spectrum in evolving technologies. The India-US relationship is reconfiguring against a rapidly evolving global tech landscape, foregrounding areas of tech, defence, space, biotech and AI. iCET has been one of the most important frameworks of cooperation under the Biden administration, which aims to enhance collaboration in semiconductors, AI, quantum computing, space tech and defence innovation. The partnership's technological focus is rooted in shared democratic values, mutual concerns over skewed digital governance, and the strategic imperative of countering China's growing technological dominance. Sullivan's visit was instrumental in advancing the existing cooperation. India and the US have expanded their collaboration in the tech sector, particularly in defence, clean energy and advanced computing. An important milestone in the defence-industrial partnership is the launch of an AI-powered multi-domain situational awareness product, developed by General Atomics and 114ai, aimed at enhancing joint all-domain command-and-control capabilities. In clean energy and critical minerals, the US has initiated steps to delist Indian nuclear entities, paving the way for strengthened civil nuclear cooperation and clean energy supply chains. Following an MoU on critical minerals, the partnership explored supply chain cooperation for essential materials like graphite, gallium and germanium, alongside co-developing processing technologies for lithium, titanium and vanadium. AI, quantum computing and advanced computing were also identified as key sectors. Efforts are underway to establish a G2G framework that facilitates reciprocal investments in AI technologies, while ensuring enduring protections against the unregulated diffusion of sensitive AI advancements. These measures align with broader US national security priorities, particularly following the National Security Memorandum on AI, and aim to curb China's access to critical AI hardware and technologies, thereby promoting the safe, secure and trustworthy development of cutting-edge innovations. While the Biden administration has emphasised institutionalised and broad-based engagement with India, Trump's return could reorient US-India relations in some ways. Trump's transactional approach to diplomacy and focus on bilateral trade imbalances could shift priorities within the partnership. For instance, issues like market access, tariffs and IP rights could gain greater prominence under him. However, strategic imperatives of countering China's rise are likely to ensure that tech and India remain central to US foreign policy. Trump 2.0 may seek to leave its imprint by doubling down on specific areas, such as defence tech transfers or energy trade. As the Biden administration imparts the final nudge towards institutionalising this relationship, the focus on tech, defence and trade should ensure that the partnership remains stable amid the possibility of a shifting US approach under Trump. The upcoming Quad meeting, scheduled to be hosted by India this year, could be an important point in bilateral advancements. Tech cooperation is likely to remain a core agenda for the Quad, with member-nations focusing on building resilient supply chains, enhancing maritime domain awareness and fostering regional connectivity through digital infrastructure. India's hosting of the Quad meet could spotlight its leadership in driving the grouping's momentum. As the Democratic Party mulls over an internal overhaul to reprioritise and identify its next-gen leaders, its relationship with India would be the continuity bridge that expands beyond present governments and leaders on both sides. In a world marked by great power competition, the convergence of US technological leadership and India's strategic ascendancy offers a compelling blueprint for navigating challenges.

The last high-profile trip to India by the Biden administration will focus on technology

WASHINGTON (AP) -- National security adviser Jake Sullivan will travel to India for a visit focusing on cooperation on strategic technology, including in defense, space and artificial intelligence. The Biden administration said Sullivan's visit on Sunday and Monday will include a speech at the Indian Institute of Technology in New Delhi in which he will stress that the outgoing administration sees the U.S. partnership with India as central to its regional and global priorities, and one with support from both major political parties. It's expected to be the last high-profile visit to India by the Biden administration. Sullivan is expected to meet with Indian National Security Adviser Ajit Doval and Indian External Affairs Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar. India and the U.S. launched a technology initiative in 2022 outlining collaboration on semiconductor production and developing artificial intelligence. The accord was critical in sealing a deal to allow U.S.-based General Electric to partner with India's Hindustan Aeronautics to produce jet engines in India. India and the U.S. have grown closer recently, in part in response to China's growing assertiveness in the Indo-Pacific region. Biden threw Prime Minister Narendra Modi a state dinner last year. But ties have also been strained by U.S. prosecutors' accusation in 2023 that an official in Modi's government was involved in a foiled assassination plot against an activist of India's Sikh minority in New York, and the killing of another Sikh activist in Canada.