Wilmington (US):US President Joe Biden and Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday hailed a watershed arrangement to establish a new semiconductor fabrication plant focused on advanced sensing, communication, and power electronics for national security, next-generation telecommunications, and green energy applications.
The fab, which will be established with the objective of manufacturing infrared, gallium nitride and silicon carbide semiconductors, will be enabled by support from the India Semiconductor Mission as well as a strategic technology partnership between Bharat Semi, 3rdiTech, and the US Space Force.
The 'Joint Fact Sheet: The United States and India Continue to Expand Comprehensive and Global Strategic Partnership' released by the White House after a meeting between PM Modi and the U.S. President noted 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.
The Leaders also highlighted additional cooperation being built across artificial intelligence (AI), quantum, and other critical technology areas.
They praised combined efforts to facilitate resilient, secure, and sustainable semiconductor supply chains including through GlobalFoundries' (GF) creation of the GF Kolkata Power Center in Kolkata, India that will enhance 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 centres.
They noted GF's plans to explore longer-term, cross-border manufacturing and technology partnerships with India which will deliver high-quality jobs in both of our countries. They also celebrated the new strategic partnership between the US Department of State and the India Semiconductor Mission, Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology in connection with the International Technology Security and Innovation (ITSI) Fund.
"The Leaders welcomed steps our industry is taking to build safe, secure, and resilient supply chains for US, Indian, and international automotive markets, including through Ford Motor Company's submission of a Letter of Intent to utilize its Chennai plant to manufacture for export to global markets," the Fact Sheet said.
The Leaders welcomed progress toward the first joint effort by NASA and ISRO to conduct scientific research onboard the International Space Station in 2025. They appreciated the initiatives and exchange of ideas under the Civil Space Joint Working Group and expressed hope that its next meeting in early 2025 will open additional avenues of cooperation.
"They pledged to pursue opportunities to deepen joint innovation and strategic collaborations, including by exploring new platforms in civil and commercial space domains," it said.
PM Modi and President Biden welcomed efforts to enhance collaboration between research and development ecosystems of the two countries. "They plan to mobilize up to over USD 90 million in US and Indian government funding over the next five years for the U.S.-India Global Challenges Institute to support high-impact R&D partnerships between U.S. and Indian universities and research institutions, including through identifying options to implement the Statement of Intent signed at the June 2024 iCET meeting."
The Leaders also welcomed the launch of a new U.S.-India Advanced Materials R&D Forum to expand collaboration between American and Indian universities, national laboratories, and private sector researchers.
The two leaders announced the selection of 11 funding awards between the National Science Foundation and India's Department of Science and Technology, supported by a combined over USD 5 million grant to enable joint US-India research projects in areas such as next-generation telecommunications, connected vehicles, and machine learning.
The Leaders announced the award of 12 funding awards under the National Science Foundation and Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology, research collaboration with a combined outlay of nearly USD 10 million to enable joint U.S.-India basic and applied research in the areas of semiconductors, next-generation communication systems, sustainability & green technologies and intelligent transportation systems.
NSF and MeitY are exploring new opportunities for research collaboration to enhance and synergize the basic and applied research ecosystem on both sides.
The Leaders celebrated that India's Department of Biotechnology (DBT) along with National Science Foundation of the United States announced the first joint call for collaborative research projects in February 2024 to address complex scientific challenges and innovate novel solutions that leverage advances in synthetic and engineering biology, systems and computational biology, and other associated fields that are foundational to developing future biomanufacturing solutions and advance the bioeconomy.
Under the first call for proposals, joint research teams responded enthusiastically and results are likely to be announced by the end of 2024, the Fact Sheet said.
The two leaders highlighted the second convening of the U.S.-India Quantum Coordination Mechanism in Washington in August and welcomed the announcement of seventeen new awards for binational research and development cooperation on artificial intelligence and quantum via the U.S.-India Science and Technology Endowment Fund (IUSSTF).
"They welcomed new private sector cooperation on emerging technologies, such as through IBM's recent conclusion of memoranda of understanding with the Government of India, which will enable IBM's watsonx platform on India's Airawat supercomputer and drive new AI innovation opportunities, enhance R&D collaboration on advanced semiconductor processors, and increase support for India's National Quantum Mission," the Fact Sheet said.
"The Leaders commended ongoing efforts to build more expansive cooperation around 5G deployment and next-generation telecommunications; this includes the US Agency for International Development's plans to expand the Asia Open RAN Academy with an initial USD 7 million investment to grow this workforce training initiative worldwide, including in South Asia with Indian institutions," it added.
The Leaders welcomed progress since the November 2023 signing of an MOU between the Commerce Department and the Ministry of Commerce and Industry to enhance the two countries' innovation ecosystems under the "Innovation Handshake" agenda.
"Since then, the two sides have convened two industry roundtables in the U.S. and India to bring together startups, private equity and venture capital firms, corporate investment departments, and government officials to forge connections and to accelerate investment in innovation," the Fact Sheet said.
