US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan is due to visit India next week. The visit marks the last big-profile trip to New Delhi ahead of the January 20 inauguration of President-elect Donald Trump. Sullivan’s visit is scheduled for January 6 and is aimed at discussing the India-US Initiative on Critical and Emerging Technologies (iCET), a flagship partnership that would facilitate cooperation on emerging technologies, such as artificial intelligence, semiconductors, biotechnology, and defense innovation.
He will address the nation after holding a four-hour meeting session with National Security Advisor Ajit Doval that is supposed to discuss at a length on working out iCET that began in May of 2022 between US President Joe Biden and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi by focusing on collaboration in technological domains that would spearhead growth over the years to come.
Sullivan’s visit is the follow-up to External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar’s visit to the United States recently and is expected to take forward some of the earlier discussions on building cooperation in sectors such as semiconductors, critical minerals, telecommunications, and defense space.
The visit will also give an opportunity to review the overall progress in India-US relations under Biden’s leadership, with both nations looking forward to deepening their strategic and technological cooperation. Sullivan is also expected to meet with Jaishankar and other senior Indian officials to further solidify the growing partnership. This will be Sullivan’s second visit to India, following his trip in June 2023.
