3-day visit to the United States on September 21, 2024, which will include a meeting with US President Joe Biden. His schedule features participation in the Fourth Quad Leaders’ Summit in Wilmington and an address at the 'Summit of the Future' during the UN General Assembly (UNGA). This visit seeks to enhance diplomatic ties and collaborative efforts between India and the US. The meeting took place on the sidelines of the Quad Leaders' Summit, with President Biden hosting PM Modi at his home, highlighting the significance of the bilateral relationship.

KEY HIGHLIGHTS

  • Appreciation for Leadership:
    • PM Modi's Acknowledgment:
      • Expressed gratitude for President Biden's exceptional contributions to strengthening the India-U.S. partnership.
      • Recalled both leaders’ previous visits: PM Modi's State visit to the U.S. in June 2023 and Biden's visit to India in September 2023 for the G-20 Leaders' Summit. These visits were seen as pivotal in enhancing the partnership's dynamism and depth.

COMPREHENSIVE GLOBAL STRATEGIC PARTNERSHIP

  • Comprehensive Global Strategic Partnership:
    • Areas of Cooperation:
      • The Prime Minister highlighted that India and the U.S. share a comprehensive global strategic partnership including various fields, including:
        • Economic Cooperation
        • Defense Collaboration
        • Technology and Innovation
        • Cultural Exchanges
      • This partnership is underpinned by shared democratic values and a convergence of interests, alongside strong people-to-people ties.

Strategic Alignment and Commitment:

  • Historic Period: The leaders reflected on a historic period of unprecedented trust and collaboration between the United States and India.
  • Shared Values: The partnership is anchored in upholding democracy, freedom, the rule of law, human rights, pluralism, and equal opportunities.
  • Global Security: The U.S.-India Major Defense Partnership is a pillar of global security and peace, with benefits from increased operational coordination, information-sharing, and defense industrial innovation.

Global Leadership and Collaboration:

  • India’s Leadership: President Biden appreciated India’s leadership on the world stage, particularly Prime Minister Modi’s role in the G-20 and the Global South, and his commitment to strengthening the Quad.
  • Global Challenges: India is at the forefront of efforts to address pressing challenges, from the COVID-19 pandemic to global conflicts.
  • Ukraine Support: President Biden commended Prime Minister Modi for his historic visits to Poland and Ukraine and his message of peace and ongoing humanitarian support for Ukraine.
  • Maritime Security: The leaders reaffirmed their support for the freedom of navigation and the protection of commerce, including critical maritime routes in the Middle East. India will co-lead the Combined Task Force 150 in 2025.
  • UN Reforms: The United States supports initiatives to reform global institutions, including permanent membership for India in a reformed UN Security Council.
INITIATIVE FOR CRITICAL & EMERGING TECHNOLOGIES (iCET)
  • Success: The iCET has deepened and expanded strategic cooperation across key technology sectors, including space, semiconductors, and advanced telecommunications.
  • Future Engagements: The leaders committed to enhancing regular engagements in fields such as artificial intelligence, quantum, biotechnology, and clean energy.
  • Quad and Trilateral Initiatives: Collaboration with like-minded partners through the Quad and a S.-India-ROK (Republic of Korea) Trilateral Technology initiative to build secure and resilient supply chains.
  • Export Controls and Technology Transfer: The leaders directed their governments to redouble efforts to address export controls, enhance high technology commerce, and reduce barriers to technology transfer.

INDUSTRIAL COOPERATION

Semiconductor Chip Manufacturing
  • New Plant: A watershed arrangement to establish a new semiconductor fabrication plant focused on advanced sensing, communication, and power electronics for national security, next-generation telecommunications, and green energy applications.
  • Support: The plant will be supported by the India Semiconductor Mission and a strategic technology partnership between Bharat Semi, 3rdiTech, and the S. Space Force.

GlobalFoundries and Ford Motor Company:

  • GF Kolkata Power Center: GlobalFoundries’ creation of the GF Kolkata Power Center will enhance mutually beneficial linkages in research and development in chip manufacturing.
  • Ford Motor Company: Ford’s submission of a Letter of Intent to utilize its Chennai plant to manufacture for export to global markets.

Space Cooperation:

  • NASA and ISRO: The leaders welcomed progress toward the first joint effort by NASA and ISRO to conduct scientific research onboard the International Space Station in 2025. They are also launching NISAR.
  • Civil Space Joint Working Group: The next meeting in early 2025 will open additional avenues of cooperation.

Research and Development:

  • S.-India Global Challenges Institute: Mobilizing up to $90+ million in U.S. and Indian government funding over the next five years for high-impact R&D partnerships.
  • Advanced Materials R&D Forum: A new forum to expand collaboration between American and Indian universities, national laboratories, and private sector researchers.
  • Funding Awards: Selection of 11 funding awards between the National Science Foundation and India’s Department of Science and Technology, and 12 funding awards under the National Science Foundation and Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology.

Artificial Intelligence and Quantum:

  • S.-India Quantum Coordination Mechanism: The second convening in Washington in August and the announcement of seventeen new awards for binational research and development cooperation on artificial intelligence and quantum.
  • IBM and Government of India: New private sector cooperation on emerging technologies, including IBM’s recent conclusion of memoranda of understanding with the Government of India.

5G Deployment and Next-Generation Telecommunications:

  • Asia Open RAN Academy: The U.S. Agency for International Development’s plans to expand the Asia Open RAN Academy with an initial $7 million

Defense Partnership:

  • General Atomics MQ-9B: Progress towards India concluding procurement of 31 General Atomics MQ-9B remotely piloted aircraft.
  • Defense Industrial Cooperation Roadmap: Remarkable progress under the S.-India Defense Industrial Cooperation Roadmap, including ongoing collaboration to advance priority co-production arrangements for jet engines, munitions, and ground mobility systems.
  • Liquid Robotics and Sagar Defence Engineering: Efforts to expand defense industrial partnerships, including the co-development and co-production of unmanned surface vehicle systems.
  • Security of Supply Arrangement (SOSA): Recent conclusion of the SOSA, enhancing the mutual supply of defense goods and services.
  • INDUS-X Initiative: Growing defense innovation collaboration between governments, businesses, and academic institutions fostered by the INDUS-X initiative.
  • Joint Challenges: Launch of "joint challenges” designed by the U.S. DoD’s DIU and the Indian MoD’s Defence Innovation Organization (DIO).

Cyber and Space Cooperation:

  • Cyber Engagement: The leaders welcomed ongoing efforts to deepen military partnership and interoperability, including the November 2024 bilateral cyber engagement to enhance the U.S.-India cyber cooperation framework.
  • Advanced Domains Defense Dialogue: The second U.S.-India Advanced Domains Defense Dialogue in May 2024, which included the first-ever bilateral defense space table-top exercise.

PARTNERSHIP FOR CLEAN ENERGY

  • S.-India Roadmap: The U.S.-India Roadmap to Build Safe and Secure Global Clean Energy Supply Chains aims to accelerate the expansion of safe and secure clean energy supply chains through U.S. and Indian manufacturing of clean energy technologies and components.
  • DFC Partnership: The U.S. International Development Finance Corporation’s partnership with India’s private sector to expand clean energy manufacturing and diversify supply chains.
  • Strategic Clean Energy Partnership (SCEP): Strong collaboration under the SCEP to strengthen energy security, create opportunities for clean energy innovation, address climate change, and create employment generation opportunities.
  • National Center for Hydrogen Safety: Collaboration on a new National Center for Hydrogen Safety in India and the Renewable Energy Technology Action Platform (RETAP) to enhance collaboration on clean energy manufacturing and global supply chains.

CRITICAL MINERALS & ENERGY PARTNERSHIP

  • Minerals Security Partnership: The leaders reaffirmed their commitment to accelerate the development of diverse and sustainable supply chains for critical minerals.
  • IEA Membership: Progress made on joint efforts for India to work toward IEA membership in accordance with the provisions of the Agreement on an International Energy Program.
  • Green Transition Fund: Ongoing progress between India’s National Investment and Infrastructure Fund (NIIF) and the U.S. International Development Finance Corporation to provide up to $500 million each to anchor the Green Transition Fund.

AGRICULTURE & DIGITAL DEVELOPMENT

  • U.S.-India Global Digital Development Partnership: Aims to bring together U.S. and Indian private sector companies, technology, and resources to deploy the responsible use of emerging digital technologies in Asia and Africa.
  • Triangular Development Partnership: Strengthened trilateral cooperation with Tanzania through the Triangular Development Partnership to jointly address global development challenges and foster prosperity in the Indo-Pacific.
  • Cultural Property Agreement: The July 2024 signing of a bilateral Cultural Property Agreement that will facilitate implementation of the 1970 Convention on the Means of Prohibiting and Preventing the Illicit Import, Export, and Transfer of Ownership of Cultural Property.