Knowledge nugget of the day: India-US relations under Biden’s Presidency

Key Takeaways :

1. US-India Initiative on critical and emerging technologies (iCET): The most significant development during the Biden administration is undoubtedly the initiative on critical and emerging technologies (iCET), which was launched in January 2023. While India has long sought deeper technology cooperation with the United States, iCET has elevated this collaboration to a new level.

Additionally, iCET has broadened the focus from just cooperation between scientific and technological agencies to fostering industrial partnerships. This expansion aims to enhance India’s capabilities in advanced sectors, such as semiconductor manufacturing and jet engine production.

2.SOSA and MOU ON LIAISON OFFICERS: India and the US have signed a Security of Supply Arrangement (SOSA) and Memorandum of Agreement regarding the Assignment of Liaison Officers, the latest in a series of bilateral military agreements that have enhanced defence and security cooperation between the two countries over the past decade.

Under SOSA, the US and India will provide reciprocal priority support to each other for goods and services that promote national defence. It will “enable both countries to acquire the industrial resources they need from one another to resolve unanticipated supply chain disruptions to meet national security needs”, the US Department of Defense (DoD) said in a statement. India is the 18th SOSA partner of the US.

The Memorandum of Agreement regarding the Assignment of Liaison Officers is a progression on a decision taken earlier to increase information-sharing between India and the US, and to post Indian armed forces officers in key strategic US Commands. India will deploy the first Liaison Officer to the US Special Operations Command headquarters in Florida.

3. Indo-Pacific Economic Framework for Prosperity: India on September 22 signed the US-led 14-member Indo-Pacific Economic Framework for Prosperity (IPEF) bloc’s agreements on a clean and fair economy. The agreements are aimed at facilitating development, access, and deployment of clean energy and climate-friendly technologies. They also aim to strengthen anti-corruption measures and promote tax transparency within member countries.

4. INDUS-X: The India-US Defence Acceleration Ecosystem (INDUS-X) — a network of university, incubator, corporate, think tank, and private investment stakeholders — was inaugurated on June 21, 2023. This programme will facilitate joint innovation on defence technologies and accelerate the integration of India’s private sector defence industry with the US defence sector.

5. India-US Clean Energy Agenda 2030 Partnership: In April, 2021, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and US President Joe Biden launched the India-US Clean Energy Agenda 2030 Partnership. In it the US pledged to cut emissions by 50 to 52 per cent of its 2005 levels by 2030. This is double the 2015 goal set by former President Barack Obama.

Later, in September, 2021, United States Special Presidential Envoy for Climate, John Kerry said that the US will assist India in attracting finance and technology to achieve its 450GW renewable energy target for 2030, as announced earlier by Prime Minister Modi.

6. Critical Minerals Partnership: In June 2023, India become a member of the Mineral Security Partnership (MSP), a US-led collaboration of 14 countries that aims to catalyse public and private investment in critical mineral supply chains globally. India’s inclusion assumes significance given that one of the key elements of New Delhi’s growth strategy is powered by an ambitious shift in the mobility space through the conversion of a large part of public and private transport to electric vehicles. This, alongside a concerted electronics manufacturing and semiconductor push, underlines the need to secure the supply of critical minerals.

7. Minerals Security Finance Network: In September, India formally became a part of the Minerals Security Finance Network, a US-led initiative aiming to strengthen cooperation among members to secure supply chains for critical minerals. The announcement, made by the US State Department on the margins of the United Nations General Assembly on September 23, involved a pact entered by 14 countries and the European Union. The Minerals Security Finance Network (MSFN) is a new initiative that stems from the MSP.

8. Advanced Telecommunications: India and the US have launched public-private Joint Task Forces on the development and deployment of Open RAN systems and on advanced telecoms research and development. India’s Bharat 6G and the US Next G Alliance will co-lead this public-private research. This work will reduce costs, increase security, and improve resiliency of telecommunication networks.

President Joe Biden and Prime Minister Narendra Modi, during their meeting in US in september, announced establishing a semiconductor fabrication plant in India. (Photo: AP)

9. Semiconductor fabrication partnership: In September this year, India and the US entered into an agreement to set up a semiconductor fabrication plant to make chips for use in “national security, next generation telecommunications and green energy applications”, according to the Indo-US joint fact-sheet.

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On September 9, 2024, the US announced a “new partnership” with India to explore semiconductor supply chain opportunities, which will include a “comprehensive assessment” of India’s existing semiconductor ecosystem, regulatory framework, workforce and infrastructure needs.

Given the critical importance of semiconductor chips in almost everything, from missiles to mobile phones and cars to computers, the partnerships with US have geo-strategic and geo-economic importance.

10. Bilateral cyber engagement: In September of this year, India and the United States issued a fact sheet outlining their commitment to advancing cooperation in several new areas. These areas include threat information sharing, cybersecurity training, and collaboration on mitigating vulnerabilities in energy and telecommunications networks. The statement said that both sides looked forward to the November 2024 bilateral cyber engagement to enhance the US-India cyber cooperation framework.

US President Joe Biden with Prime Minister Narendra Modi at his residence in Delaware ahead of their bilateral meeting in september. (@MEAIndia)

BEYOND THE NUGGET: Foundational Agreements of Defence Cooperation Between India and US

1. GSOMIA: In 2002, India and the US had signed the General Security of Military Information Agreement (GSOMIA) to facilitate sharing of military information. Between 2016 and 2020, the two sides signed four more agreements.

2. LEMOA: The Logistics Exchange Memorandum of Agreement (LEMOA) of 2016 established the basic terms, conditions, and procedures for reciprocal provision of logistic support, supplies, and services between the two militaries.

3. COMCASA: In 2018, the Communications Compatibility and Security Agreement (COMCASA), an India-specific version of the Communications and Information Security Memorandum of Agreement (CISMOA), was signed to secure military communication between the countries, facilitate access to advanced defence systems, and enable India to optimally utilise its existing US-origin platforms.

4. BECA: The Basic Exchange and Cooperation Agreement (BECA) of 2020 aimed to facilitate the sharing of military information including maps, nautical charts, and other unclassified imagery and data.

5. Industrial Security Agreement (ISA): It was signed in December 2019 to facilitate the exchange of classified information between the defence industries of both the countries.

(Sources: The two new US-India agreements, India and US to advance cooperation in threat info sharing, India to establish first national security semiconductor plant with US, India joins US-led critical mineral club)

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