With Narendra Modi assuming office for the third term as the Prime Minister of India, the engagement between India and the USA is expected to further deepen with National Security Advisor Ajit Doval hosting US NSA Jake Sullivan to mark the second edition of the India-US Initiative on Critical and Emerging Technologies (iCET) on 17-18 June 2021.
The forthcoming iCET dialogue should prove to be the next major milestone in enhancing the bilateral strategic partnership with due emphasis on the factors determining the outcomes of the talks, with the generally agreed intention to assess the developments since the previous annual meeting in Washington in January 2023. The meeting also brings to the table several topics, such as the technological transfer of GE-414 jet engines that will give power to the new generation of Tejas Mark II fighter jets.
Even when Western and Chinese media try to dampen down India-US relations, the level of intimacy between Prime Minister Modi and President Biden, as seen during the G7 virtual meeting, has given further strength and depth to the relationship.
At the same time with the iCET dialogue, even a US team has arrived in India to finalize the agreement for the 31 armed MQ-9B Predator drones sale while a French team is also present in India for the discussion of 26 Rafale- Maritime fighters for Indian aircraft carrier IAT Vikrant for navy.
It has also been anticipated that Doval may be meeting Sullivan in the upcoming iCET meeting to discuss ongoing work and the new proposed Defence Industrial Cooperation Roadmap for both countries to fast-track in technological collaboration for the development of dual systems.
