Doval meets Sullivan, says need to convert ideas into actions

Announced during US President Joe Biden and Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s bilateral talks in Tokyo in May last year, the iCET is spearheaded by the National Security Councils of both countries.

It focuses on strengthening US-India partnership on technologies that will drive global growth, bolster both countries’ economic competitiveness and protect shared national security interests.

Ahead of the meeting, the two NSAs participated in a roundtable organised by US-India Business Council (USIBC) of the US Chambers of Commerce.

“iCET is about much more than technology cooperation; it’s a platform to accelerate our strategic convergence and policy alignment,” Sullivan said.

During the roundtable, attended among others by Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo, Sullivan highlighted the work ahead for both governments.

He said the US and Indian governments want to establish a “list of firsts”, “firsts in removing barriers — on both sides — to enable greater ambition by all of you”. “Secretary of Commerce @GinaRaimondo and NSAs Ajit Doval and Jake Sullivan @JakeSullivan46 met reps from industry, academia & thought leaders at RoundTable on Critical and Emerging Technologies hosted by USIBC @USChamber. Detailed disc.on building a India-US trusted partner ecosystem,” the Indian embassy in the US tweeted.

Sullivan highlighted how iCET will accelerate the US’ strategic technology partnership with India and advance the two countries’ shared democratic values. He also recognised the pivotal role that businesses, educators, and investors play and urged the attendees to be ambitious in deepening bilateral business and academic ties. He asserted that he would work with Doval to remove barriers on both sides.

Sullivan and Doval are scheduled to meet at the White House on Tuesday, along with their high-powered delegations, for the inaugural iCET dialogue.

A USIBC statement said Doval and India’s Ambassador to the US Taranjit Singh Sandhu highlighted India’s remarkable capacity for technology development and absorption, and emphasised India’s use of technology not only as an enabler of economic growth but as an instrument of social inclusion.

Both Doval and Sandhu commended the launch of the iCET, given the natural complementary strengths of the Indian and American economies and the growing strategic convergence between the two countries.

Doval also met US Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Mark Milley and held a “fruitful” discussion on various aspects of India-US bilateral cooperation.

(With PTI inputs from Washington DC)