Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Joe Biden have reaffirmed their unwavering commitment to strengthen and diversify the India-US Major Defence Partnership. This strategic alliance is set to enter uncharted territories, marked by expanded cooperation in cutting-edge domains such as space and artificial intelligence (AI), alongside an accelerated collaboration in the defence industry.
One of the most significant milestones in this partnership is the recent completion of the Congressional Notification process on August 29, 2023. This milestone paved the way for negotiations on a groundbreaking commercial agreement between GE Aerospace and Hindustan Aeronautical Limited (HAL). This agreement aims to manufacture GE F-414 jet engines within India’s borders. In a joint statement issued on Friday evening at the end of the bilateral talks, both leaders underscored their shared resolve to support this remarkable co-production and technology transfer proposal, emphasizing the importance of expeditious progress.
Furthermore, a second Master Ship Repair Agreement has been applauded by both sides, with the latest agreement signed by the US Navy and Mazgaon Dock Shipbuilders, Ltd., in August 2023. This agreement strengthens India’s position as a key hub for the maintenance and repair of forward-deployed US Navy assets, as well as other critical aircraft and vessels.
Both leaders also hailed increased commitments from US industries to invest in India’s maintenance, repair, and overhaul capabilities, bolstering the nation’s infrastructure for aircraft maintenance.
A notable highlight in the partnership is the India-US Defence Acceleration Ecosystem (INDUS-X) initiative. This collaborative effort is aimed at harnessing the innovative potential of both the US and Indian defence sectors to tackle shared security challenges. In a groundbreaking move, INDUS-X organized the inaugural Academia Start-up Partnership at IIT Kanpur, with participation from Penn State University. This initiative reflects the commitment to fostering innovation in defence.
Moreover, the Joint Accelerator Program for Indian Startups, led by US. accelerator M/s Hacking 4 Allies (H4x) and IIT Hyderabad in August 2023, is set to invigorate the startup ecosystem in the defence sector. The joint challenges announced by the Indian Ministry of Defence’s Innovations for Defence Excellence and the US Department of Defence’s Defence Innovation Unit further underscore the commitment to collaborative innovation. These challenges will provide a platform for startups to develop solutions to shared defence technology challenges, fostering a culture of innovation and partnership.