PM Modi, Biden Bat For MQ-9B Predator Drone Deal, Building Chip Plant In Kolkata

Prime Minister Narendra Modi met US President Joe Biden to discuss several topics, including the MQ-9B Predator drone deal and setting up of a semiconductor fabrication plant in Kolkata, with focus on advanced sensing, communication and power electronics for national security, next generation telecommunications and green energy applications.

As per a statement from the White House, this arrangement will be established with the objective of manufacturing infrared, gallium nitride and silicon carbide semiconductors, and it will be enabled by support from the India Semiconductor Mission (ISM) alongside a strategic technology partnership between Bharat Semi, 3rdiTech, and the US Space Force.

The leaders held the bilateral talks on the sidelines of the Quad Summit.

PM Modi and President Biden reaffirmed the US-India comprehensive global and strategic partnership, under which they charted various technological partnership initiatives together, the statement added. 

The leaders also hailed combined efforts to facilitate resilient, secure, and sustainable semiconductor supply chains including through GlobalFoundries’ (GF) creation of the GF Kolkata Power Center in Kolkata that enhances mutually beneficial linkages in research and development in chip manufacturing and enable game-changing advances for zero and low emission as well as connected vehicles, internet of things devices, AI, and data centers.

This development comes weeks after Modi chaired the semiconductor executives’ roundtable at his residence in New Delhi, where he assured that the Indian government will follow a predictable and stable policy regime.

Followed by that, he also said that the Centre has set up a special reserve fund with an outlay of INR 1 Lakh Cr to drive innovation in the semiconductor and science & technology sectors.

The leaders of both countries also noted GF’s plans to explore longer term, cross-border manufacturing and technology partnerships with India which will deliver high-quality jobs in both countries.

On the spacetech note, the leaders acknowledged the progress toward the first joint effort by NASA and ISRO to conduct scientific research onboard the International Space Station in 2025. 

The next meeting in early 2025, will open additional avenues of cooperation, to pursue opportunities to deepen joint innovation and strategic collaborations, including by exploring new platforms in civil and commercial space domains, as per the statement from the White House.  

Modi and Biden also welcomed the launch of a new US-India Advanced Materials R&D Forum to expand collaboration between American and Indian universities, national laboratories, and private sector researchers.

AI advancement is acting as a spine to the global economy today, and it is highly essential for the governments to aid research and development across fields to sustain the market in achieving AI’s full potential.

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