Artificial Intelligence, Defence, Nuclear Energy: Highlights of Modi, Biden Joint Statement

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and US President Joe Biden held a bilateral meeting in Delhi on the sidelines of the G20 summit and discussed various topics such as technology, artificial intelligence, nuclear energy, defence to further strengthen India-US ties.

From collaborations on nuclear energy to commencing commercial agreements for manufacturing GE F-414 jet engines in India, nothing was left untouched.

The leaders meticulously discussed working together to bridge the gender digital divide, along with welcoming Indo-US major defence partnerships.

President Biden also reaffirmed his support for a reformed UN Security Council with India as a permanent member.

A joint statement issued after bilateral talks between the two leaders also said that PM Modi looked forward to welcoming the US President to the next Quad Leaders’ Summit to be hosted by India in 2024.

Here are highlights of bilateral meet between PM Modi and US President Biden:

• Modi and Biden reaffirmed the close and enduring partnership between US and India.
• In terms of G20, both the leaders expressed their commitment to the summit and expressed confidence of its outcomes. They also said that it will our greatest common challenges of the two countries.
• US and India re-emphasized that the shared values of freedom, democracy, human rights, inclusion, pluralism, and equal opportunities for all citizens are critical to the success our countries enjoy and that these values strengthen our relationship.
• India welcomed the US decision to co-lead the Indo-Pacific Oceans Initiative Pillar on Trade Connectivity and Maritime Transport, further to the US decision to join IPOI in June 2023.
• They also discussed technology’s role in deepening Indo-US partnership and to build open, accessible, secure, and resilient technology ecosystems and value chains, based on mutual confidence and trust.
• Biden also congratulated PM Modi and scientists and engineers of the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) on Chandrayaan-3’s historic landing as wekk as India’s first solar mission, Aditya-L1.
• The two leaders welcomed the signing of of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between Bharat 6G Alliance and Next G Allianc.
• The United States reiterated its commitment to working together with India in the quantum domain. It was also recognized that the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Bombay joined the Chicago Quantum Exchange as an international partner.
• The leaders hailed the signing of an Implementation Arrangement between the U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF) and India’s Department of Biotechnology to enable scientific and technological research collaborations in biotechnology and biomanufacturing innovations.
• The leaders affirmed the importance to close the gender digital divide in the digital economy. They noted the G20 commitment to halve the digital gender gap by 2030 and expressed support for the Women in the Digital Economy Initiative.
• Apart from this, the two reaffirmed their commitment to deepen and diversify the India-US Major Defence Partnership through expanded cooperation in new and emerging domains such as space and AI.
• They also welcomed the beginning of negotiations for commercial agreement between GE Aerospace and Hindustan Aeronautical Limited (HAL) to manufacture GE F-414 jet engines in India.
• The leaders applauded the conclusion of a second Master Ship Repair Agreement, with the most recent agreement signed by the US Navy and Mazgaon Dock Shipbuilders, Ltd in August this year.
• They also spoke about the India-US Defence Acceleration Ecosystem (INDUS-X) team to address shared security challenges.
• President Biden also welcomed the request of India’s Defence Ministry to procure 31 General Atomics MQ-9B (16 Sky Guardian and 15 Sea Guardian) remotely piloted aircraft.
• They both also discussed the need to expand opportunities in terms of nuclear energy for climate, and energy transition purposes, and also new collaborations of renewable energy.
• The leaders lauded the settlement of the seventh and last outstanding World Trade Organisation (WTO) dispute between India and the United States.
• The two leaders welcomed efforts to develop an ambitious “Innovation Handshake” agenda under the India-US Commercial Dialogue, to include two anchor events in the fall (one in India and one in the United States), in which our two sides will collaborate to bring together start-ups, private equity and venture capital firms.

The joint statement was issued after “productive” talks between Modi and Biden to further economic and people-to-people bilateral linkages with the PM asserting that the friendship between India and US will continue to play a great role in furthering global good.

This is President Biden’s first visit to India as US President. The last US President to visit India was Donald Trump in February 2020.