Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to the United States in June last and President Joseph R. Biden’s visit to New Delhi to attend the recently concluded G-20 leader’s summit has added a new dimension to the close and enduring partnership between India and the United States.
The informal discussions between President Joseph R. Biden, Jr. and Prime Minister Modi on shared security issues and concerns – at the sidelines of the G20 Summit helped the two leaders lay the foundation of trust and understanding in the new era of Indo-US strategic partnership.
United States reaffirmed its support for India’s membership in the Nuclear Suppliers Group and committed to continue engagement with like-minded partners to advance this goal.
In a move with far-reaching consequences, President Biden reaffirmed his support for a reformed UN Security Council with India as a permanent member, and, welcomed India’s candidature for the UNSC non-permanent seat in 2028-29.
In yet another significant development, the United States reaffirmed its support for India’s membership in the Nuclear Suppliers Group and committed to continue engagement with like-minded partners to advance this goal.
Adding a new twist to the Indo-US Defence Partnership Prime Minister Modi and President Biden reaffirmed their commitment to deepen and diversify the cooperation in new and emerging domains such as space and AI, and accelerated defence industrial collaboration.
Space Exploration
President Biden congratulated Prime Minister Modi and the scientists at the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) on Chandrayaan-3’s historic landing at the south polar region of the Moon, as well as the successful launch of Aditya-L1 – India’s first solar mission.
One of the obvious and most important outcomes of this relationship is a growing cooperation in earth and space technologies. Both NASA and ISRO are working to develop the strategic framework for human spaceflight by the end of 2023. Towards this end, NASA will provide advanced training to Indian astronauts at the Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas to mount a joint effort to the International Space Station in 2024.
Welcoming India’s Space Policy-2023, President Biden, called for enhanced collaboration between the US and India to address export controls and facilitate technology transfer.
USA has delivered the NASA-ISRO Synthetic Aperture Radar (NISAR) satellite to ISRO’s U.R. Rao Satellite Centre in Bengaluru, India, and is looking forward to NISAR’s 2024 launch from India.
India and the United States also intend to increase coordination on planetary defence to protect planet Earth and space assets from the impact of asteroids and near-Earth objects, including US support for India’s participation in asteroid detection and tracking via the Minor Planet Center.
Welcoming India’s Space Policy-2023, President Biden, called for enhanced collaboration between the US and India to address export controls and facilitate technology transfer. President Biden deeply appreciated India’s signing of the Artemis Accords, which focuses on a common vision of space exploration for the benefit of all humankind.
Indo-US defence cooperation
The Indo-US defence cooperation has been strengthened in recent years. The two countries have been working together to develop new technologies, such as fifth-generation fighter jets and hypersonic weapons. They have also been increasing cooperation on maritime security and counter-terrorism.
The recently concluded G-20 summit provided an opportunity for the leaders of India and the United States to discuss their shared interests in these areas. In a joint statement, the two leaders reaffirmed their commitment to deepen and diversify the India-US defence partnership. They also welcomed the completion of the Congressional Notification process for the sale of F-18 fighter jets to India.
Prime Minister Modi and President Biden reaffirmed their commitment to deepen and diversify the India-U.S. Major Defence Partnership through expanded cooperation in new and emerging domains such as space and AI, and accelerated defence industrial collaboration.
The joint statement also highlighted the importance of cooperation between India and the United States in the Indo-Pacific region. The two leaders agreed to work together to promote a free, open, and inclusive Indo-Pacific. They also expressed concern about the situation in Ukraine and called for a peaceful resolution to the conflict.
The Indian MoD has issued a Letter of Request to procure 31 General Atomics MQ-9B (16 Sky Guardian and 15 Sea Guardian) remotely piloted aircraft and associated equipment…
In what seemed to be a marked departure from the past, President Biden reaffirmed the USA’s commitment to promoting policies and regulations for greater technology sharing, co-development, and co-production between Indian and US governments, industry, and academic institutions. Recently GE Aerospace has signed a commercial agreement with Hindustan Aeronautical Limited (HAL) to manufacture GE F-414 jet engines in India and to work collaboratively and expeditiously to support the advancement of this unprecedented co-production and technology transfer proposal.
Likewise, the U.S. Navy and Mazgaon Dock Shipbuilders, Ltd. signed a Master Ship Repair Agreement in August 2023 to develop India as a hub for the maintenance and repair of forward-deployed U.S. Navy assets and other aircraft and vessels. U.S. industry seeks to invest more in India’s maintenance, repair, and overhaul capabilities and facilities for aircraft.
The Indian Ministry of Defence has issued a Letter of Request to procure 31 General Atomics MQ-9B (16 Sky Guardian and 15 Sea Guardian) remotely piloted aircraft and associated equipment, to enhance the intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) capabilities of India’s armed forces across all domains.
Likewise relevant entities in India and the USA for facilitating Indo-U.S. collaboration in nuclear energy, including the development of next-generation small modular reactor technologies in a collaborative mode to meet each other’s energy transition, and energy security needs,
The leaders commended the India-U.S. Defence Acceleration Ecosystem (INDUS-X) team for establishing a robust collaboration agenda to harness the innovative work of the U.S. and Indian defence sectors to address shared security challenges. INDUS-X convened the inaugural Academia Start-up Partnership at IIT Kanpur, with the participation of Penn State University, and initiated the Joint Accelerator Program for Indian Startups, through a workshop led by U.S. accelerator M/s Hacking 4 Allies (H4x) and IIT Hyderabad in August 2023. Both sides also welcomed the announcement by the Indian Ministry of Defence’s Innovations for Defence Excellence and the U.S. Department of Defense’s Defense Innovation Unit to launch two joint challenges, which will invite start-ups to develop solutions to shared defence technology challenges.
The Indo-US defence cooperation is likely to continue to grow in the years to come. The two countries share a common interest in maintaining peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific region…
The G-20 summit was a success for India and the United States. The two countries reaffirmed their commitment to a strong and cooperative relationship. They also agreed to work together to address the challenges facing the world, such as economic growth, climate change, and security.
The Indo-US defence cooperation is important for both countries. For India, it provides access to advanced military technology that can help it to deter threats from its neighbors, such as China. For the United States, it provides a way to strengthen its presence in the Indo-Pacific region and to counter the growing influence of China.
The Indo-US defence cooperation has been criticized by some countries, such as China, which has accused the two countries of forming an alliance against it. However, the two countries have maintained that their cooperation is purely defensive and that it is not aimed at any third party.
The Indo-US defence cooperation is likely to continue to grow in the years to come. The two countries share a common interest in maintaining peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific region, and they are committed to working together to address the challenges facing the region.
Importance of the G-20 Summit for India
The G-20 summit is an important event for India for several reasons. First, it is an opportunity for India to showcase its economic and political leadership on the global stage. Second, it is a chance for India to build relationships with other major economies and to promote its interests in international forums. Third, the G-20 summit can be used to raise awareness of India’s concerns about global issues, such as climate change and terrorism.
The G-20 summit provides an opportunity for India to showcase its economic and political leadership, while the Indo-US defence cooperation provides India with access to advanced military technology.
India has been a member of the G-20 since 2009. Since then, it has played an active role in the forum, particularly in the areas of climate change and sustainable development. India has also been a vocal critic of protectionism and has called for free and fair trade.
The 2023 G-20 summit was a particularly important event for India. It was the first time that India had hosted the summit, and it was an opportunity for India to showcase its growing economic and political clout. The summit was also a chance for India to build relationships with other major economies, such as China and Russia.
Conclusion
The G-20 summit and the Indo-US defence cooperation are two important developments that are shaping the global order. The G-20 summit provides an opportunity for India to showcase its economic and political leadership, while the Indo-US defence cooperation provides India with access to advanced military technology. These two developments are likely to have a significant impact on the future of India and the world.
The writing on the wall is clear– both geopolitically as well as economically – India is an important player in the world affairs and cannot be ignored.
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