President Biden and Prime Minister Modi of the Republic of India in Joint Press Conference

Washington, D.C. – June 22, 2023 – The White House – 1:41 P.M. EDT

PRESIDENT BIDEN:  Please, be seated.  Thank you.

Well, good afternoon.  The Prime Minister and I have just finished a very productive meeting.

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And the Prime Minister — I know you’ve got to get up to Capitol Hill very soon and — to address the Joint Session of Congress.

It’s a testament to the strong and enduring and thoroughly bipartisan support that exists all across the United States for the friendship and partnership between India and the United States that the — they’re anxiously waiting to hear you up on Capitol Hill.

A partnership that is among the most consequential in the world, that is stronger, closer, and more dynamic than any time in history.

Mr. Prime Minister, we’ve met many times over the past few years, most recently in Hiroshima at the G7 Summit.  And each time, I was struck by our ability to find new areas of cooperation.

Together, we’re unlocking a shared future of what I believe to be unlimited potential.

And with this visit, we’re demonstrating once more how India and the United States are collaborating on nearly every human endeavor and delivering progress across the board, for — from designing new ways to diagnose and treat illnesses like cancer and diabetes; to collaborating on human spaceflight including sending an Indian astronaut to the International Space Station in 2024; to accelerating the global clean energy transition and tackling climate — the climate crisis we face; to harnessing our shared expertise on critical and emerging technologies like quantum computing and artificial intelligence to ensuring they are not used as tools of misinformation and oppression.

We are doubling down on our cooperation to secure our semicondector [sic] — our semiconductor supply chains, advancing Open RAN telecommunications networks, and growing our Major Defense Partnership with the more joint exercises, more cooperation between our defense industries, and more consultation and coordination across all domains.

Our economic relationship is booming.  Trade between our countries has almost doubled over the past decade to more than $191 billion, supporting tens of thousands of good jobs in both India and the United States.

Add to that: One million American jobs across 44 states will by supported by the purchase of more than 200 — more than 200 American-made Boeing aircraft by — that Air India is announcing earlier this year.

And with this visit, Indian firms are announcing more than $2 billion — more than $2 billion in new investments in manufacturing — in solar in Colorado, steel in Ohio, and optic fiber in South Carolina, and much more.  Further proof that America’s manufacturing is back.

We’re expanding educational exchanges for our students, building on the record 125,000 student visas for Indians to study in the United States we issued last year and opening new consulates that’s going to make it easier for our people to travel, work, and collaborate together.

On the issues that matter most and that will define the future, our nations look to one another, including on critical regional and global issues.

And today, we also talked about our shared efforts to mitigate the huma- — the humanitarian tragedies unleashed by Russia’s brutal war in Ukraine and to defend the core principles of the U.N. Charter: sovereignty and territorial integrity.

We discussed our work through the Quad and how India and the United States, together with Australia and Japan, can ensure the vital Indo-Pacific region remains free, open, prosperous, and secure.

Through our new I2U2 groun- — grouping with Israel and the UAE, we’re building regional connections to the Middle East and spurring science-based solutions and — to the global challenges, like food security and clean energy.

And this year, under India’s leadership of the G20, we’re putting sustainable development at the center of the agenda.

We’re delivering meaningful action on low- and middle-income nations, including multilateral development bank reform, debt relief, and building resilient and equitable health systems.

The bottom line is simple: We want people everywhere to have the opportunity to live in dignity.

And let me be — close with this: Indians and Americans are both peoples who innovate and create, turn obstacles into opportunities, who find strength in community and family, and who cherish freedom and celebrate the democratic values of universal human rights, which face challenges around the world and each — and in each of our countries but which remain so vital to the success of each of our nations: press freedom, religious freedom, tolerance, diversity.
India now has the most populous country — is now the most populous country in the world.  It’s a democracy.  We understand that it is — has — it is the brilliance and the backbone of our people as diverse in talents and traditions that make us strong as a nation.  It’s democracies that do that.

We see that so clearly here in the United States where a vibrant Indian American community of more than 4 million strong contributes every single day to the writing of the future of our nation.

Indian Americans of every background and faith, representing the full diversity of India, are pursuing their American dream while maintaining deep connections for their Indian heritage and families.

That — that makes us all stronger.  That is a cornerstone
of this essential partnership between India and the United States.  And that is why I know the friendship between our nations is only going to grow as we face the future together.

Mr. Prime Minister, the floor is yours.

PRIME MINISTER MODI:  (As interpreted.)  Your Excellency, President Biden; delegates of both countries; friends from the media: Namaskar.

First of all, I thank President Biden for his warm words and for his positive views on India-America relations.

Friends, today is a day that has special importance in the history of India-America relations.  Our discussions today and the important decisions we have taken have added a new chapter to our comprehensive and global strategic partnership.  They have given it a new direction and a new energy.

Friends, a trade and investment partnership between India and America is important not only for our two countries, but for the global economy as well.

Today, America is India’s biggest trade partner.  We have decided to resolve long-pending trade-related issues and make a new beginning.

The initiative for Critical and Emerging Technologies, iCET, has emerged as an important framework for our technical cooperation.

By increasing our cooperation in fields such as artificial intelligence, semiconductors, space, quantum, and telecom, we are creating a strong and futuristic partnership.  The decision taken by American companies such as Micron, Google, and Applied Materials to invest in India symbolizes this futuristic partnership.

During this journey, I also had the opportunity to meet some other American CEOs.  And in my discussions with them, I could feel the enthusiasm and the positive views about India.

We both agree that to make a strategic technology partnership meaningful, it is very important that governments, businesses, and academic institutions come together.

In order to implement India and America’s shared vision on clean energy transition, we have taken several important initiatives.  These cover areas such as green hydrogen, wind energy, battery storage, and carbon capture.

We have also decided that in the midst of global uncertainties, India and America will, as trusted partners, create reliable, secure, and resilient global supply chains and value chains, as well.

The close defense cooperation between India and America symbolizes mutual trust and shared strategic priorities.  Moving away from the old buyer-seller relationship we had earlier, we have transitioned today to a relationship involving transfer of technology, co-development, and co-production.

The decision taken by General Electric to manufacture engines in India through transfer of technology is a landmark agreement.  This also opens up new job opportunities in both countries.  This will give our defense cooperation a new character in the times to come.

The defense industries and startups of both countries are important partners in this cooperation.  Bringing them together is the key objective of our defense industrial roadmap.

In the area of space, science, and technologies, we have had longstanding cooperation.

By taking the decision to join the Artemis Accords, we have taken a big leap forward in our space cooperation.  In fact, in short, for India and America partnership, even the sky is not the limit.

Friends, the most important pillar of our relations is our people-to-people ties.  More than 4 million people of Indian origin today make significant contribution to the progress of America.

In fact, just this morning, the large number of Indians that gathered at the White House demonstrates that the Indian Americans, in fact, are the real strength behind our relations.  In order to further deepen these relations, we welcome America’s decision to open consulates in Bengaluru and Ahmedabad.  Similarly, we will also open a new Indian consulate in Seattle.

Friends, in our meeting today, we discussed several regional and global issues.  Peace and security in the Indo-Pacific is our common priority.  We agree that the development and success of this region is important for the entire world.

We shared our views to enhance coordination with all countries in this region, along with our Quad partners.  India and America stand shoulder-to-shoulder in the fight against terrorism and fundamentalism.  We’re in agreement that concrete actions are needed in order to end cross-border terrorism.

The COVID pandemic and the Ukraine conflict have afflicted the countries of the Global South in particular.  We believe that in order to resolve these problems, it is absolutely imperative for all countries to unite.

From the very beginning of the events in Ukraine, India has laid emphasis on resolution of dispute through dialogue and diplomacy.  We are completely ready to contribute in any way we can to restore peace.

Under India’s G20 presidency, we are laying emphasis on the spirit of “One Earth, One Family, One Future.”  We are lending a voice to the priorities of the Global South.

I thank President Biden that he has expressed support to my proposal of giving the African Union full membership of the G20.

Friends, the core philosophy of all of our collective efforts is to strengthen democracy and democratic values and democratic order.

Two of the world’s largest democracies, India and America, can together make an important contribution to global peace, stability, and prosperity.  I’m confident that based on these values, we will be able to fulfill the expectations and aspirations of not only the people of our two countries, but of the entire world.

President Biden, thank you for the meaningful discussion today.

This year, during the G20 Summit, we are looking forward to welcoming you.  This is myself and all of India is looking forward to welcoming you to India.

And as the President has said, I do have another engagement after this.  I need to address the Congress.  So I do not want to take any more time.  And I am going to stop here.  Once again, President Biden, thank you very much.  (Applause.)

PRESIDENT BIDEN:  Well, the Congress is actually waiting to — and anxiously waiting to hear you.

I’m told there are two questioners: Sabrina from the Wall Street Journal and Kumar from the Trust of India.

And, Sabrina, you first.

Q    Thank you, Mr. President.  I have a question for the Prime Minister.  But first, a two-part question for you: Your comments at a fundraiser this week appear to be the first time in recent memory that a sitting U.S. president has called a Chinese leader a dictator.  Did those comments about President Xi undermine or complicate the progress your administration has made in maintaining a relationship with China?

And secondly, on India: As you raise these broader issues of human rights and democracy, what is your message to those, including some members of your own party, who say that your administration is overlooking the targeting of religious minorities and crackdown on dissent in Prime Minister Modi’s country?

PRESIDENT BIDEN:  The answer to your first question is: No.  You know, what — when we’re talking to our allies and partners around the world, including India, we let the — the idea of my choosing and avoiding saying what I think is the facts with regard to the relationship with India — with China is — is just not something I’m going to change very much.

I think we — I believe that — and I’ve said this for some time — that the hysteria about the relationship with China is collapsing and moving, et cetera, et cetera — we had an incident that caused some — some confusion, you might say.  But President — but Secretary Blinken had a great trip to China.  I expect to be meeting with President Xi sometime in the future, in the near term.  And I don’t think it’s had any real consequence.

And what was your second question?

Q    So, as you raise these broader issues of human rights and democracy, what is your message to those — including some members of your own party — who believe that your administration is overlooking the targeting of religious minorities and a crackdown on dissent in India?

PRESIDENT BIDEN:  Well, look, the Prime Minister and I had a good discussion about democratic values.  And — and there is a — there is the — that’s the nature of our relationship: We’re straightforward with each other, and — and we respect each other.

One of the fundamental reasons that I believe the U.S.-China relationship is not in the space it is with the U.S.- Indian relationship is that there’s an overwhelming respect for each other because we’re both democracies.  And it’s a common democratic candida- — character of both our countries that — and our people — our diversity; our culture; our open, tolerant, robust debate.

And I believe that we believe in the dignity of every citizen.  And it is in America’s DNA and, I believe, in India’s DNA that the whole world — the whole world has a stake in our success, both of us, in maintaining our democracies.  It makes us appealing partners and enables us to expand democratic institutions across — around the world.  And I believe this, and I still believe this.

Q    Mr. Prime Minister, India has long prided itself as the world’s largest democracy, but there are many human rights groups who say that your government has discriminated against religious minorities and sought to silence its critics.  As you stand here in the East Room of the White House, where so many world leaders have made commitments to protecting democracy, what steps are you and your government willing to take to improve the rights of Muslims and other minorities in your country and to uphold free speech?

PRIME MINISTER MODI:  (As interpreted.)  I’m actually really surprised that people say so.  And so, people don’t say it.  Indeed, India is a democracy.

And as President Biden also mentioned, India and America — both countries, democracy is in our DNA.  Democracy is our spirit.  Democracy runs in our veins.  We live democracy.  And our ancestors have actually put words to this concept, and that is in the form of our constitution.

Our government has taken the basic principles of democracy.  And on that basis, our constitution is made and the entire country runs on that — our constitution and government.  We have always proved that democracy can deliver.  And when I say deliver, this is regardless of caste, creed, religion, gender.  There’s absolutely no space for discrimination.

And when you talk of democracy, if there are no human values and there is no humanity, there are no human rights, then it’s not a democracy.

And that is why, when you say “democracy” and you accept democracy and when we live democracy, then there is absolutely no space for discrimination.  And that is why India believes in moving ahead with everybody with trust and with everybody’s efforts.

These are our foundation principles, which are the basis of how we operate, how we live our lives.  In India, the benefits that are provided by the government is accessible to all.  Whoever deserves those benefits is available to everybody.  And that is why, in India’s democratic values, there’s absolutely no discrimination neither on basis of caste, creed, or age, or any kind of geographic location.

PRESIDENT BIDEN:  Kumar.

Q    Yeah, thanks a lot, sir.  Sir, my question is on the issue of climate change.  Both countries have spoken strongly about the need to tackle the climate change.  But there’s a view —

PRESIDENT BIDEN:  Tackle what?

AUDIENCE MEMBER:  Climate change.

Q    Both —

PRESIDENT BIDEN:  Climate change.  I’m sorry, I didn’t hear you.

Q    Yeah.  Both countries have spoken about the challenge of climate change.  But there is a view that ambitious targets are set but implementation is found often lacking.  And there is also a criticism of lack of technological transfer, financial transfer from the developed countries to the developing nations.

How do you both leaders see the way ahead on this pressing issue?

PRESIDENT BIDEN:  Well, first of all, I think it is the existential threat to humanity: climate change.  It’s the most serious problem we face as human beings.  We have to keep it below 1.5 degrees Cel- — Celsius.

We’ve made enormous progress here in the United States on dealing with this issue by doing three things.

Number one, by insisting that we move our — every one of our industries into a position where they can take advantage of cheaper and more extensive and more available renewable energy, whether it’s solar or wind or hydrogen and green hydrogen.  There’s a whole range of things we’ve been working on.

In addition to that, we find ourselves in a position that — what we’ve done is that we have significantly reduced the — for example, I made a commitment that we are going to make sure that by 2030, 30 percent of all our land and sea and oceans were — are — were in conservation, could not be developed.

We’re well on our way to doing that.  And that’s also absorbing carbon from the air as a consequence of that, because of the conservation.

We are in a position, as well, by — we have provided for significant increase in funding for a whole range of issues, but not just for the United States, but for the rest of the world.

For example, we’re working with the G7 to provide for infrastructure work for commu- — for dealing with global warming on the continent of Africa: in Angola, building the largest solar project; moving ourselves — having railway to go all the way across the southern two thir- — the — from the Atlantic Ocean to the — to the Indian Ocean, in Africa, to be able to transport and do it cheaper and do it with less — less — how can I say it? — less carbon emissions.

We’re trying to work with other countries to maintain their — maintain their carbon sinks so they don’t have to develop them like we did and causing pollution.  And we’re trying to figure out how to work out to pay them not to develop certain areas, like the Amazon in Brazil.

But there’s a lot of technology that’s available that we’re sharing, and we share with one another.  We’ve learned how to do solar energy, which is considerably cheaper than it is to — for — for fuel — for fossil fuels.  The same way dealing with not just solar, but dealing with wind.

And so, there’s a lot of the technology that we’ve developed.  And — and we’re well on our way, I think, to meeting the commitment we made to — that we made in Paris.  And I — and we’re prepared to share all of that with India, that has a desire to do the same.

PRIME MINISTER MODI:  (As interpreted.)  Excellency, you said very rightly that, as far as India is concerned, the environment, climate, these are extremely important in our cultural traditions.  For us, the environment is an article of faith.  This is not just something that we need to do for convenience; we believe this.

We do not believe in the exploitation of nature.  In order for all of creation to work, we can make nature — but we cannot have exploitation of nature, and we have always believed this.

And on the basis of these values, we are not only doing things for ourselves, but are taking some global initiatives, as well.

You perhaps know that the G20 countries, the promises they made in Paris, of all the G20 countries, India is the only country that has fulfilled all the promises it made at the G20.

Not just that, in the area of solar energy, in Glasgow, we had set ourselves a target to achieve 500 gigawatts of renewable energy.  By 2030, we have set ourselves a target to make Indian railways net zero.

And you must understand the scale of Indian railways.  When we talk about Indian railways, it means that every day the entire population of Australia travels in our wagons — in our railway wagons, on our trains.  And we have set ourselves a target to achieve net zero for our railways.

We have also set ourselves targets for solar energy, for ethanol — 10 percent mix of ethanol.  We have completed this target before the set date.

We are also working in the area of green hydrogen.  We want India to be a green hydrogen hub, and we are working towards this.

And the International Solar Alliance has been launched by India, and many countries have joined it and are working with India.  The island countries, we have helped them in the area of solar energy so that they have now got a new confidence that we are with them in their efforts to fight climate change.  And we will not only fulfill our responsibilities, but we will also help you in the area of climate change.

We have seen that due to natural calamities — people talk about the death of people, no doubt, when there are natural disasters, but there is a lot of destruction of infrastructure as well.

And therefore, because of climate change, the kind of crisis we are feeling, we need to develop infrastructure that is resilient.  And therefore, we have created a global organization called CDRI.  And you perhaps know that in Glasgow I presented a subject to the world.   And recently, it was launched by the U.N. Secretary General and myself.  That is Mission LiFE.  And when I say “LiFE,” I mean “Lifestyle for the Environment.”  Therefore, every individual must live his life in a pro-environment, pro-development way.  And we are working towards this.

And I am sure that whatever work India has started in all these areas — not because India has adversely affected the environment of the world; we are doing this because we have a concern for future generations.  We do not want to give our future generations a world that make life difficult for them.

And therefore, as a global responsibility, India has not caused any problems to the environment.  However, we are playing a leading role in contributing in a positive manner.

As far as prosperous countries are concerned, there’s always been talk about technology transfer, financial support, and there are some countries that need to have technology transfer, financial support.  And we hope that as soon as we can move forward in this area, we will be able to solve this challenge of climate change.  Thank you very much.

PRESIDENT BIDEN:  Let me add one thing.  We — we have caused damage in the United States the way we developed over the last 300 years.  And that’s why I was able to convince my colleagues in the Congress to pass legislation — the largest climate fund ever in American — in the world history: $369 billion — $369 billion to deal with the climate crisis.

And we are doing it extensively now, and I think you’re going to see significant progress.

Thank you all very, very much.

2:14 P.M. EDT

 

FACT SHEET: Republic of India Official State Visit to the United States

. 1. A Technology Partnership for the Future:

• Strengthening Semiconductor Supply Chains:  Micron Technology, Inc. – with support from the India Semiconductor Mission – will invest more than $800 million toward a new $2.75 billion semiconductor assembly and test facility in India.  Applied Materials has announced it will build a Semiconductor Centre for Commercialization and Innovation in India to further strengthen our nations’ semiconductor supply chain diversification. And, Lam Research will train 60,000 Indian engineers through its “Semiverse Solution” to accelerate India’s semiconductor education and workforce development goals.  The U.S. Semiconductor Industry Association and India Electronics Semiconductor Association released an interim readiness assessment to identify near-term industry opportunities and facilitate the long-term strategic development of complementary semiconductor ecosystems.
• Critical Minerals Partnership:  The United States welcomes India as the newest partner of the Minerals Security Partnership (MSP), established to accelerate the development of diverse and sustainable critical energy minerals supply chains globally through targeted financial and diplomatic support of strategic projects along the value chain.  India will join 12 other partner countries, plus the European Union, in advancing our common objectives of diversifying and securing our critical mineral supply chains. The MSP was started in June 2022 with the expressed goals of exchanging information on critical mineral sector opportunities to enable diversified private sector investment and catalyze public sector financing, while adhering to high environmental, social, and governance standards to advance sustainable economic development opportunities.  India’s Epsilon Carbon Limited will be investing $650 million in a greenfield electric vehicle battery component factory, hiring over 500 employees over the course of five years. When approved, this synthetic graphite anode processing facility will be the largest Indian investment in the U.S. electric vehicle battery industry in American history.
• Advanced Telecommunications:  India and the United States launched public-private Joint Task Forces, one on the development and deployment of Open RAN systems and one on advanced telecoms research and development.  India’s Bharat 6G and the U.S. Next G Alliance will co-lead this public-private research.  This work will reduce costs, increase security, and improve resiliency of telecommunication networks.  With financing from the U.S. International Development Finance Corporation, and in partnership with USAID, India and the United States are also teaming up to launch Open RAN deployments in both countries to demonstrate the scalability of this technology to enhance its competitiveness in international markets.  The leaders also welcomed participation of Indian companies in the U.S. Rip and Replace Program.
• New Frontiers in Space:  India has signed the Artemis Accords, which advance a common vision of space exploration for the benefit of all humankind.  India joins 26 other countries committed to peaceful, sustainable, and transparent cooperation that will enable exploration of the Moon, Mars, and beyond.  NASA will provide advanced training to Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) astronauts with the goal of launching a joint effort to the International Space Station in 2024. Additionally, NASA and the ISRO are developing a strategic framework for human spaceflight cooperation by the end of 2023.  India approved a $318 million investment to construct a Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory in India—that will work in tandem with similar facilities in the United States, Europe, and Japan to look for ripples in space-time, known as gravitational waves, that provide insights into the physical origins of the universe.  Scientific payloads for the NASA-ISRO Synthetic Aperture Radar (NISAR) have been delivered to India and will be launched in 2024, and will measure Earth’s changing ecosystems like natural hazards and sea level rise.  The US Geological Survey and ISROare negotiating expanded bilateral data exchange that will enable greater insight about the earth, including for a range of applications, such as climate resiliency, sustainable development and management of natural resources, and disaster management support.
• Quantum, Advanced Computing, and Artificial Intelligence:  India and the United States have established a Joint Indo-U.S. Quantum Coordination Mechanism to facilitate joint research between the public and private sectors across both our countries. The United States also welcomed India’s participation in both the Quantum Entanglement Exchange and the Quantum Economic Development Consortium, which facilitates exchanges on quantum between nations. Additionally, India and the United States signed an implanting arrangement to further support joint research on quantum, Artificial Intelligence (AI), and advanced wireless technologies—building off of the U.S.-India Science and Technology Endowment Fund’s $2 million grant for the joint development and commercialization of Artificial Intelligence and quantum technologies. Through its AI Research Center in Bengaluru, Google is building models to support over 100 Indian languages, and working with the Indian Institute of Science to support open sourcing of speech data for AI models.  It has also partnered with IIT Madras to establish a multidisciplinary Center for Responsible AI.
• Cutting-edge Research:  The U.S. National Science Foundation announced 35 joint research collaborations with the Indian Department of Science and Technology and also signed a new cooperative arrangement with the Indian Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology on emerging technologies.  India’s Department of Atomic Energy (DAE) is making a $140 million in-kind contribution to the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE’s) Fermi National Laboratory toward collaborative development of the Proton Improvement Plan-II Accelerator, for the Long Baseline Neutrino Facility – the first and largest international research facility on U.S. soil.
• Innovation Handshake:  To support the U.S.-India Initiative on Critical and Emerging Technology (iCET), the U.S.-India Commercial Dialogue will launch a new “Innovation Handshake” to connect each country’s start-up ecosystems. This program will address regulatory hurdles to cooperation, promote job growth in emerging technologies, and highlight opportunities for hi-tech upskilling.
• Fiber Optics Investments:  India’s Sterlite Technologies Limited has invested $100 million in the construction of an optical fiber cable manufacturing unit near Columbia, South Carolina, which will facilitate $150 million in annual exports of optical fiber from India.

2. Next-Generation Defense Partnership:

• GE F414 Engine Co-Production:  The United States and India welcome a groundbreaking proposal by General Electric (GE) to jointly produce the F414 Jet Engine in India.  GE and Hindustan Aeronautics Limited have signed a MoU, and a manufacturing license agreement has been submitted for Congressional Notification.  This trailblazing initiative to manufacture F-414 engines in India—the first of its kind—will enable greater transfer of U.S. jet engine technology than ever before.
• General Atomics MQ-9Bs:   India intends to procure armed MQ-9B SeaGuardian UAVs. This advanced technology will increase India’s intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance capabilities.
• New Sustainment and Ship Repair: The United States Navy has concluded a Master Ship Repair Agreement (MSRA) with Larsen and Toubro Shipyard in Kattupalli  (Chennai) and is finalizing agreements with Mazagon Dock Limited (Mumbai) and Goa Shipyard (Goa).  These agreements will allow mid-voyage U.S. Navy ships to undergo service and repair at Indian shipyards, facilitating cost-effective and time-saving sustainment activites for U.S. military operations across multiple theaters.
• More Robust Defense Cooperation:   The United States and India advanced steps to operationalize tools that will allow us to increase our defense cooperation.  The United States and India resolved to strengthen undersea domain awareness cooperation.  The agreement to place three Indian liaison officers in U.S. commands for the first time– deepening our partnership and critical information sharing.  The United States and India have also commenced negotiations for a Security of Supply Arrangement and Reciprocal Defense Procurement Arrangement that will enable the supply of defense goods in the event of unanticipated supply chain disruptions.   The United States and India finalized a Defense Industrial Cooperation Roadmap that provides policy direction to defense industries and enables co-production of advanced defense systems as well as collaborative research, testing, and prototyping of the technologies that will determine the future of military power.
• Defense “Innovation Bridge”:  The India-U.S. Defense Acceleration Ecosystem (INDUS-X)—a network of university, incubator, corporate, think tank, and private investment stakeholders—was inaugurated on June 21, 2023.  This innovative program will facilitate joint innovation on defense technologies and accelerate the integration of India’s budding private sector defense industry with the U.S. defense sector.
• Defense Industrial Cooperation Roadmap:  A new defense industrial cooperation roadmap will provide policy direction to defense industries to enable and accelerate the co-production of advanced defense systems as well as collaborative research, testing, and prototyping of the technologies that will determine the future of military power.

3.  Shared Prosperity and Delivering for our Peoples:

• Domestic Visa Renewals:  The U.S. Department of State will launch a pilot this year to adjudicate domestic renewals of certain petition-based temporary work visas, including for Indian nationals, who will no longer be required to leave the country for renewal in eligible categories.  The Department of State will implement this for an expanded pool of H1B and L visa holders in 2024, with the aim of broadening the program to include other eligible categories.
• New Consulates:  The United States intends to open new consulates in Bengaluru and Ahmedabad.  India looks forward to opening its consulate in Seattle later this year, and to announcing two new consulates in the United States.
• Student Exchanges and Scholarships:  The United States last year issued 125,000 visas to Indian students, a record.  Indian students are on pace to become the largest foreign student community in the United States, with a 20 percent increase last year alone.  India and the United States have launched a new Joint Task Force of the Association of American Universities and leading Indian educational institutions, including the Indian Institutes of Technology.  Councils on each side have prepared interim recommendations for expanding research and university partnerships between the two countries.  Additional Fulbright-Kalam Climate Fellowships for research, administered by the U.S.-India Educational Fund, will advance cooperation between leading scholars in India and the United States on climate change.  The United States is enabling up to 100 additional U.S. undergraduate students to study or intern in India via the Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship Program. New funding for Department of State Study Abroad Engagement Grants will extend new study abroad engagement grant funding to bolster Indian academic institutions’ capacity to develop study abroad programming with U.S. colleges and universities.  India is also funding the establishment of a Tamil Studies Chair at the University of Houston and welcomes the appointment to the Vivekananda Visiting Professorship at the University of Chicago.
• University Research Partnerships:  Leveraging the talent and ambition of both our countries, India and the United States welcomed the launch of a university network of Indo-U.S. Global Challenge Institutes, which will help create more research partnerships and exchanges in agriculture, energy, health, and technology.
• Cultural Property: The United States and India are continuing negotiations for a Cultural Property Agreement which would help to prevent illegal trafficking of cultural property from India and enhance cooperation on the protection and lawful exchange of cultural property.
• Historic Aviation Deals:  Air India’s historic agreement with Boeing to acquire more than 200 American-made aircraft, announced in February 2023, will support more than one million American jobs across 44 states and contribute to the modernization of the civil aviation sector in India, which is among the fastest growing in the world.  Boeing has announced a $100 million investment in infrastructure and programs to train pilots in India, which will support India’s need for 31,000 new pilots over the next 20 years.  Additionally, Boeing has completed a C-17 aftermarket support facility and a new parts logistics center in India that allows the country to become a regional maintenance hub.
• Resolving Trade Issues Through Trust:  The United States and India have also taken steps toward deepening bilateral cooperation to strengthen our economic relationship, including trade ties. Underscoring the willingness and trust of both countries in resolving trade issues, the leaders welcomed the resolution of six outstanding WTO disputes between the two countries through mutually agreed solutions as well as their understandings on market access related to certain products of significance to the bilateral trade relationship.

4.  Leading on the Global Stage:

• Indo-Pacific:  The United States will join the Indo-Pacific Oceans Initiative, a regional initiative inaugurated by Prime Minister Modi in 2015 to promote a safe, secure, and stable maritime domain and promote its conservation and sustainable use. India will continue to participate as an observer in the Partners in the Blue Pacific.
• Indian Ocean:  The United States and India will hold an Indian Ocean Dialogue that convenes U.S. and Indian officials, with experts and stakeholders from across the Indian Ocean region to promote greater regional coordination.
• Global Cooperation:  Welcoming its relaunch in December 2022, the United States and India intend to hold another Global Issues Forum meeting this year to collaborate on global challenges such as human trafficking, food insecurity, and humanitarian disaster relief.
• Enhancing India’s Role in Global Governance:  The United States reiterates its support for India’s permanent membership in a reformed UNSC, has announced support for Indian membership in the International Energy Agency, recommits to advancing Indian membership in the Nuclear Suppliers Group, and President Biden has invited Prime Minister Modi to attend the APEC Summit in San Francisco in November 2023.
• Digital Partnership:  The United States and India will develop a U.S.-India Global Digital Development Partnership that will bring together technology and resources from both countries to address development challenges in emerging economies.
• “Triangular” Cooperation Partnership:  The U.S. Agency for International Development and Ministry of External Affairs of India are working together to train health care experts from Fiji in India in the third quarter of 2023 to share knowledge and best practices on post-disaster psycho-social and telemedicine services.

5.  Partnership for Sustainable Development and Global Health:

• Energy collaboration:  India and the United States will continue to work together to achieve our respective national climate and energy goals under India’s National Green Hydrogen Mission and the United States’ Hydrogen Earth Shot.  The United States welcomes India’s decision to co-lead the multilateral Hydrogen Breakthrough Agenda to make affordable renewable and low carbon hydrogen globally available by 2030.
• Investing in America’s Clean Energy Infrastructure:  India’s VSK Energy LLC will invest up to $1.5 billion to develop a new, vertically integrated solar panel manufacturing operation in the United States, including a 2.0 GW module-and-cell manufacturing plant in Colorado.  And, India’s JSW Steel USA announced a $120 million investment at its Mingo Junction, Ohio, steel plant to better support market demand for offshore wind labs.
• Investment Platforms for Green Technology:  India and the United States committed to creating innovative investment platforms that will lower the cost of capital and attract international private finance at scale for renewable energy, battery storage, and emerging green technology projects in India. This first of its kind platform will create a multibillion-dollar fund aimed at providing catalytic capital and de-risking support for such projects.
• Decarbonizing our Transportation Sector:  USAID signed an MOU with the Ministry of Railways to work together on Indian Railways’ target to become a “net-zero” carbon emitter by 2030.  The United States and India also announced plans to create a payment security mechanism that will facilitate the deployment of 10,000 made-in-India electric buses in India, augmenting India’s focused efforts in reducing greenhouse gas emissions, improving public health, and diversifying the global supply chain.
• Biofuels Initiative:  The Global Biofuels Alliance, established by India with the United States as a founding member, will facilitate cooperation in accelerating the use of biofuels.
• Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure Education Initiative:  USAID has committed up to $5 million toward the Infrastructure Resilience Academic Exchange (IRAX) to offer education, research opportunities, and professional development on disaster resilient architecture and develop a global network of academic institutions.  IRAX will facilitate new partnerships between American and Indian institutions of higher education across the world.
• Accelerating the Fight Against Cancer and Diabetes:  The U.S. National Cancer Institute will foster collaboration between U.S. and Indian scientists through two new grants to develop an artificial-intelligence (AI)-enabled digital pathology platform. This platform will be utilized for cancer diagnosis, prognosis, and prediction of therapeutic benefit, as well as AI-based automated radiotherapy treatment for cancers of the cervix, head, and neck. The U.S. National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases will also sign an agreement with the Indian Council of Medical Research to further basic, clinical, and translational research on diabetes. The United States and India will hold a U.S.-India Cancer Dialogue, hosted by President Biden’s Cancer Moonshot, to bring experts together from both countries to identify concrete areas of collaboration to accelerate the rate of progress against cancer.
• Counternarcotics Cooperation:  The United States and India are developing a broader and deeper bilateral counternarcotics framework to disrupt the illicit production and international trafficking of illicit drugs, including synthetic drugs, fentanyl, and precursors, and will showcase a secure, resilient, reliable and growing pharmaceutical supply chain as a model for the world.

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