India-US turn tech partners to shape a free Indo-Pacific

Twenty-five years after India conducted its most significant assertion of military power and
technology in Pokhran - New Delhi's claim to a key global role came full circle with Washington
announcing an all-round bilateral partnership spanning "the seas to stars".

The musical words were carved in history in the joint statement issued during PM Narendra Modi’s
second State Visit to the US on 22 June 2023.

There was another unannounced history in the making this June – of the two top leaders of India and
the US clearly being on the same page about China.

Albeit, references in the joint statement - from critical minerals to supply chains, and stress upon
"empowering Quad…for global good", among multiple others, left no doubt about the China
challenge being a serious, shared concern.

The importance of the consensus on China can be gauged from the fact that 25 summers ago, after
then PM Atal Bihari Vajpayee mentioned it in his confidential missive to President Bill Clinton, the
White House leaked it to the media within hours.

To make matters worse, Clinton issued a stand-alone joint statement with his Chinese counterpart
Jiang Zemin on 27 June 1998 as if giving China a central role in maintaining peace and stability in
South Asia.

Four foundational agreements on defence and military exchange, three American presidents, and
two Indian PMs apart, Washington brought New Delhi on board the Initiative for Critical and
Emerging Technologies (iCET). A wide ranging high-technology exchange framework promise - in core
areas such as defence, space and semiconductor technology - with privileges reserved primarily for
US allies.

And, by inviting Modi as the first Indian PM to speak to the US Congress on a State Visit, and
recommitting to build a strategic technology partnership - Washington has come the closest to
recognising that the Indian century is here.

It would be fair to say that in its scope and substance, the joint statement is theoretically the most
crucial document in contemporary diplomacy. A new tech-driven promise of bilateral diplomacy
which could potentially influence the direction of geopolitics – on the lines of Marshal Plan and
China-US rapprochement.

The statement left no doubt about its substantiveness by promising to build a partnership which left
"no corner of human enterprise" untouched between the two democracies. The two willing to come
together as "trusted partners" to "contribute toward a free, open, inclusive, and resilient Indo-
Pacific."

With or without China, India never had any doubt about its critical role in shaping an inclusive world.
However, New Delhi was unwilling to play the ally or the enemy to any power or power bloc, a
nuance which took Washington decades to accept and assimilate.

Reasonably, if there was one country which should have understood India better than any Western
power, it was China. A fellow civilisational state with a shared past from colonialism to Buddhism,
Beijing had a huge advantage.
However, while the US evolved its understanding of the nuances involved in engaging India, China
stuck to the policy of curb, contain and control. That

From imposing economic, military and technology sanctions in 1998 to agreeing to shape the most
defining technologies of our times together with New Delhi, the US has also shown an evolved
understanding of the nuances involved in bringing India onboard.

One after another US leader over these two-and-a-half decades nudged the American people and
the country's top policy makers to get better of the Cold War laws and lobbies rooted in exercising
curbs and controls.

High-tech partners

The most substantive part of the joint statement happened to be the two underlining technology as
the new driver of bilateral diplomacy and that it "will play the defining role" in deepening their
partnership.

Within six months of the two countries inaugurating the Initiative on Critical and Emerging
Technology (iCET) in January 2023, the recommitment from the top leaders to build a strategic
technology partnership indicate the sense of urgency on their minds.

Almost an Ally

The two democracies willing to come together as "trusted partners" also promised to "contribute
toward a free, open, inclusive, and resilient Indo-Pacific."

In its scope and substance, the joint statement is theoretically the most crucial document in
contemporary diplomacy which could potentially influence the direction of geopolitics – on the lines
of Marshal Plan and China-US rapprochement.

It left no doubt about its substantiveness by promising to be a partnership which left "no corner of
human enterprise" untouched between two of the biggest democracies and foremost economies.
The China Factor

This time the two leaders also appeared to be clearly on the same page about the C-factor without
mentioning it explicitly.

Albeit, references in the statement from critical minerals to supply chains, and stress upon
"empowering Quad…for global good", among multiple others, left no doubt about the China
challenge being a serious, shared concern.

The importance of the consensus on China can be gauged from the fact that 25 summers ago, after
then PM Atal Bihari Vajpayee mentioned it in his confidential missive to President Bill Clinton, the
letter was leaked to the media within hours.

To make matters worse, Clinton issued a stand-alone joint statement with his Chinese counterpart
Jiang Zemin on 27 June 1998 as if giving China a central role in maintaining peace and stability in
South Asia.

Four foundational agreements, three American presidents, and two prime ministers apart,
Washington brought New Delhi on board the Initiative for Critical and Emerging Technologies in May
2022. Mr. Modi’s visit marked this fundamental recognition that the century of India is here.

were carved in History in the during PM Narendra Modi’s second State Visit to the US.

Our cooperation will serve the global good as we work through a range of multilateral and regional
groupings – particularly the Quad– to contribute toward a free, open, inclusive, and resilient Indo-
Pacific.

On its part, by bringing New Delhi on board the US Initiative for Critical and Emerging Technologies -
Washington has come the closest to offering due recognition to India.

With or without China, India never had any doubt about its critical role in shaping an inclusive world
order. However, New Delhi was unwilling to play the ally or the enemy to any power or power bloc, a
nuance which took Washington decades to accept and assimilate.

Reasonably, if there was one country which should have understood India better than any Western
power, it was China. A fellow civilisational state with a shared history of colonialism and

by inviting Narendra Modi as the first Indian PM to speak to the US Congress on a State Visit and -

From imposing economic, military and technology sanctions in 1998 to agreeing to shape the most
defining technologies of our times together with New Delhi, the US has also shown an evolved
understanding of the nuances involved in bringing India onboard.
One after another US leader over these two-and-a-half decades nudged the American people and
the country's top policy makers to get better of the Cold War laws and lobbies rooted in exercising
curbs and controls.

At the same time, the US showed consistent willingness to engage and understand India more. What
else explains inviting Indian PMs to address the US Congress for four times in these 25 years, unlike
three in the first 53. The first of it - by Atal Bihari Vajapayee in September 2000 - in just around two
years of the country conducting nothing short of a nuclear test.

The year 1998 was not the Operation Smiling Buddha of 1974 which the US intelligence, according to
records, characterised as 'near-failure'. It was the Operation Shakti under the gentle and firm
leadership of Vajapayee - which not only left no doubt about India's nuclear prowess but also gave
the US its first lesson in what it means to deal with a civilisational, democratic and responsible state
destined to global glory.

By inviting the Narendra Modi - as first Indian PM to speak to the US Congress on a State Visit -
Washington has come the closest among India's great power relations.

More importantly,

PM Modi's second address to the US Congress on June 22, marked the strongest and clearest
recognition on both sides that it was time to replace the hesitations of history with assertions for the
future.

The world is on the cusp of mastering the most defining technologies which will determine the lives
and the realities in which we live, believe and long for. The technologies which understand human
mind, technologies which can

Technology will determine the security, prosperity and leadership in the 21st century that is why our
two countries established a new Initiative for critical and emerging Technologies