The iCET was launched on the sidelines of the Quad Summit in Tokyo in May 2022. Both U.S. President Biden and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi welcomed the launch of this initiative, which was to be spearheaded by the National Security Councils of the two countries to expand partnership in critical and emerging technologies. Is the iCET more than just a deal? What is the case for comparisons between the iCET and the landmark India-U.S. Civilian Nuclear Deal? What makes the iCET different from earlier initiatives between India and the United States? Does Prime Minister Modi's upcoming state visit to the United States put the iCET under pressure to "deliver" something? What is the importance of export control measures in India-U.S. tech ties?

In this episode of Interpreting India, Arun K. Singh joins Konark Bhandari to discuss these questions and more.

Episode Contributors

Arun K. Singh is a nonresident senior fellow at Carnegie India. Mr. Singh has extensive experience across the globe, including as India’s ambassador to the United States, Israel, and France. Throughout his distinguished career in the Indian Foreign Service spanning thirty-seven years, he has served during pivotal periods in key global capitals and was instrumental in shaping India’s policies, notably the continued progress in the U.S.-India relationship, India’s closer ties to Israel, and the formulation and implementation of India’s policies related to Afghanistan, Pakistan, and Iran, including in the period following 9/11.

Konark Bhandari is an associate fellow with Carnegie India. Konark is a lawyer who has researched on certain areas in the digital economy, focusing primarily on approaches to antitrust regulation of companies in the digital realm.

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Key Moments:

(0:00); Chapter 1: Introduction

(2:00); Chapter 2: iCET vs. India-U.S. Civilian Nuclear Deal

(10:10); Chapter 3: Private Sector Involvement in the iCET

(14:26); Chapter 4: An AUKUS-like Carve-Out for India?

(17:48); Chapter 5: The Pressure to "Deliver" Under the iCET

(21:25); Chapter 6: Likely Deals and Expectations During PM Modi's Visit

(24:15); Chapter 7: Indian Tech Talent and U.S. Immigration Reforms

(26:47); Chapter 8: Arriving at a Consensus Under the iCET

(29:11); Chapter 9: The Key Factors Making the iCET a Great Bet

(32:17); Outro

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Additional Reading

India and the United States’ Good Bet: One Year of the U.S.-India Initiative on Critical and Emerging Technology (iCET) by Konark Bhandari, Arun K. Singh, and Rudra Chaudhuri

To Compete With China on Tech, America Needs to Fix Its Immigration System by Eric Schmidt

America’s Bad Bet on India by Ashley J. Tellis

Forging a High-Technology Partnership Between the United States and India in the Age of Export Controls by Konark Bhandari

What is the United States-India Initiative on Critical and Emerging Technologies (iCET)? by Rudra Chaudhuri

The U.S.-India Initiative on Critical and Emerging Technologies (iCET): The Way Forward by Rudra Chaudhuri, Konark Bhandari, and Ashima Singh

How Washington and New Delhi Can Further Tech Ties by Rudra Chaudhuri, Priyadarshini D., Konark Bhandari, Arjun Kang Joseph, and Shatakratu Sahu

India-U.S. Emerging Technologies Working Group

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Every two weeks, Interpreting India brings you diverse voices from India and around the world to explore the critical questions shaping the nation's future. We delve into how technology, the economy, and foreign policy intertwine to influence India's relationship with the global stage.

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