Skip to content
Search

Latest Stories

India and US commit to overcome trade, tech barriers

The commitment was made at a meeting between the national security advisers of the two countries, Ajit Doval and Jake Sullivan

India and US commit to overcome trade, tech barriers

INDIA and the US on Monday (17) committed to action to address barriers to bilateral strategic trade, technology and industrial cooperation.

The commitment was made at a meeting between the national security advisers of the two countries, Ajit Doval and Jake Sullivan, during Sullivan's two-day visit to New Delhi.


The US and India are forging deeper strategic ties, with mutual concerns about an ascendant China in the Indo-Pacific region, even though India has maintained its close relationship with Russia despite its invasion of Ukraine in 2022.

Sullivan and his Indian counterpart chaired the second meeting of the India-US initiative on critical and emerging technology, which they launched in January 2023.

Without naming any country, a joint fact sheet of the meeting shared by the Indian government said Sullivan and Doval "resolved to prevent the leakage of sensitive and dual-use technologies to countries of concern".

They also launched a new strategic semiconductor partnership between US and Indian companies for precision-guided ammunition and other national security-focused electronics platforms, it said.

They also agreed to co-invest in a lithium resource project in South America and a rare earths deposit in Africa "to diversify critical mineral supply chain" and committed to soon conclude a bilateral critical minerals pact for graphite, gallium and germanium.

Last year, during Modi's state visit to Washington, India had announced buying 31 MQ-9B drones from General Atomic, and the two countries had started discussions to jointly produce General Electric's fighter jet engines by Hindustan Aeronautics in India, which is yet to be finalised.

Sullivan and Doval also discussed possible co-production of land warfare systems.

The visit is the first by a high-ranking US official since prime minister Narendra Modi returned to office with the help of allies as his party failed to win a majority.

Modi met US president Joe Biden on the sidelines of the G7 Summit in Italy last week. Sullivan met Modi and foreign minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar earlier in the day.

The relationship between Washington and New Delhi has been tested after the US accused Indian government agents of plotting to murder a Sikh separatist leader on US soil last year, after Canada made similar allegations. India dismissed the Canadian accusations, but initiated an investigation into the US allegations.

The US has extradited an Indian national from the Czech Republic, whom it has indicted for the foiled assassination plot.

(Reuters)

More For You

Pakistan army-backed firm joins race for national airline
FILE PHOTO: Passengers board a Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) flight at the airport in Kabul on September 13, 2021. (Photo by AAMIR QURESHI/AFP via Getty Images)

Pakistan army-backed firm joins race for national airline

TWO of Pakistan's leading business groups and a company backed by the powerful military will bid for the country's ailing national carrier, a divestment the government hopes will kickstart the privatisations of state-owned enterprises.

The sale of Pakistan International Airlines will be the first major privatisation for around two decades, with the sale of loss-making state-owned enterprises a condition of last year's $7 billion (£5.5bn) bailout by the International Monetary Fund.

Keep ReadingShow less
Fugitive jeweller Mehul Choksi accuses India of kidnapping
Choksi, accused in a bank fraud case in India, has been arrested in Belgium and plans to appeal for release, citing medical grounds. (Photo: Getty Images)

Fugitive jeweller Mehul Choksi accuses India of kidnapping

FUGITIVE jeweller Mehul Choksi accused India of orchestrating his kidnapping to extradite him on fraud allegations, with his lawyers telling London's High Court on Monday (16) that only India had the motivation and resources to do so.

Choksi – who was arrested in Belgium in April – is wanted in India over his alleged involvement in one of India's biggest bank frauds at Punjab National Bank, which in 2018 announced it had discovered alleged fraud worth $1.8 billion (£1.29bn).

Keep ReadingShow less
UK Inflation

The Consumer Prices Index (CPI) stood at 2.6 per cent in March, down from 2.8 per cent in February, the Office for National Statistics (ONS) said. (Representational image: iStock)

: iStock

Inflation eases to 3.4 per cent in May, stays above forecast

UK INFLATION eased slightly in May but remained above expectations, according to official figures released on Wednesday, adding to speculation that the Bank of England will keep interest rates unchanged this week.

The Consumer Prices Index fell to 3.4 per cent in May from 3.5 per cent in April, which had marked a 15-month high, the Office for National Statistics (ONS) said.

Keep ReadingShow less
Indian entrepreneurs lead America's billion-dollar start-up boom

Jyoti Bansal (Photo: X)

Indian entrepreneurs lead America's billion-dollar start-up boom

A NEW study revealed that India has become the top source of foreign-born founders behind America’s most valuable start-ups, highlighting the country's growing influence in the global technology sector.

Research by Stanford University’s Venture Capital Initiative showed that Indian entrepreneurs have founded 90 "unicorn" companies - start-ups valued at over $1 billion - in the US.

Keep ReadingShow less
Arun Srinivas

Meta considers India a key growth market

Meta

Arun Srinivas steps up as Meta’s Managing Director for India

Meta has announced the appointment of Arun Srinivas as the new Managing Director and Head of its India operations. He will assume the role from 1 July 2025, reporting to Sandhya Devanathan, who was recently promoted to oversee Meta's operations in both India and South East Asia.

Expanded role for Srinivas

In his new position, Srinivas will be responsible for aligning Meta’s business, innovation, and revenue priorities to better serve partners and clients across India. His focus will include strengthening strategic relationships with advertisers, developers, and brands, as well as continuing to support Meta’s long-term growth in the region.

Keep ReadingShow less