Ajay Banga Applauds PM Modi’s Strategic Focus on US-India Collaboration in Critical Technologies

World Bank President Ajay Banga praised Prime Minister Narendra Modi for his consistent focus on strengthening ties with the United States, both through bilateral relations and the Quad security alliance. Speaking over it during the 79th United Nations General Assembly, Banga noted that this approach has been central to PM Modi’s strategy since taking office.

Banga highlighted the Prime Minister’s meetings with top CEOs as part of an effort to secure India’s role in future manufacturing opportunities, especially in sectors like semiconductors. “PM Modi has been working on building a strong relationship with the US, both bilaterally and via the Quad. His engagement with CEOs is aimed at ensuring India stays a key partner in potential manufacturing sectors like semiconductors,” Banga said.

PM Modi recently concluded a three-day visit to the United States, during which he participated in the sixth Quad Leaders’ Summit. Hosted by US President Joe Biden, the summit was attended by Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Japanese Prime Minister Kishida Fumio.

During the trip, PM Modi interacted with the Indian diaspora at the ‘Modi and US’ event in New York and addressed the United Nations General Assembly at the ‘Summit of the Future.’ Additionally, he participated in a roundtable with leading US tech CEOs, hosted by MIT’s School of Engineering. The Prime Minister reassured business leaders of India’s strong commitment to protecting intellectual property and fostering technological innovation.

The roundtable featured prominent figures like Adobe CEO Shantanu Narayen, Google CEO Sundar Pichai, IBM CEO Arvind Krishna, AMD CEO Lisa Su, and NVIDIA CEO Jensen Huang. Discussions focused on enhancing US-India collaboration in cutting-edge fields like artificial intelligence, quantum computing, semiconductors, and biotechnology.

According to a statement from the Prime Minister’s Office, the talks covered the global technology landscape and the role of innovation in human development and economic growth. The CEOs shared how their companies are driving innovation and expressed a strong interest in partnering with India.

PM Modi also underscored the significance of the India-US Initiative on Critical and Emerging Technologies (iCET), emphasizing that cooperation in technology between the two nations would bring mutual benefits and growth.