New Delhi, 24 Jul: India and the UK on Thursday firmed up a mega technology security initiative that sets out a bold new approach for collaboration in crucial areas of critical minerals, clean energy, telecommunication, semiconductors and new technologies with a broader aim to elevate their strategic partnership to the next level.
The decision on the UK-India Technology Security Initiative was made public following wide-ranging talks between External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and his visiting British counterpart David Lammy. The two sides also deliberated on galvanising negotiations for a free trade pact.
The talks also focused on shoring up cooperation in areas of trade, defence and security, clean energy, digital domain and mobility of people.
“Recognising the increasing role of technology in national security and economic development, the prime ministers of India and the United Kingdom are launching a new ‘Technology Security Initiative’ (TSI) to elevate the strategic partnership between the two countries to the next level,” the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said.
The TSI builds upon the ambitious bilateral cooperation agenda set out in the India-UK Roadmap 2030, and will bring into sharper focus collaboration in critical and emerging technologies across priority sectors.
The MEA said the TSI will be coordinated by the NSAs of both countries through existing and new dialogues.
Under the TSI, India and the UK will collaborate in areas of telecommunication, critical minerals, semiconductors, artificial intelligence (AI), quantum, biotechnology and healthtech and advanced materials.
It is learnt that the Indian side, during the talks, flagged its concerns over activities of pro-Khalistan elements in the UK, while the British side raised the issue of Christian Michel, the key accused in the AgustaWestland VVIP chopper case, who is languishing in a jail in India.
Lammy is on a two-day visit to India primarily to reset the overall partnership between the two countries in crucial areas such as trade, defence and security, clean energy, new technologies, digital domain and mobility of people.
The British foreign secretary called on Prime Minister Narendra Modi who said India remains committed to elevating its ties with the UK and welcomes the desire to conclude a mutually beneficial free trade pact.
Lammy’s visit to New Delhi is the first high-level engagement between India and the UK after Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s Labour government came to power on July 5.
On the TSI, a British readout said it has been spearheaded and agreed to by the NSAs following negotiations between the countries to expand collaboration in critical and emerging technologies across priority sectors.
“It will set out a bold new approach for how the UK and India work together on the defining technologies of this decade – telecoms, critical minerals, AI, quantum, health/bio tech, advanced materials and semiconductors,” it said.
“This first-of-its-kind agreement — delivered by the foreign secretary on behalf of the prime minister — builds on a series of partnerships between British and Indian governments, industry and academia,” it said.
The readout said the NSAs will take this agreement forward to ensure the collective potential of UK-Indian critical technologies is harnessed.
“This will drive forward a bilateral partnership that is framed on boosting economic growth, deepening co-operation across key issues including trade, technology, education, culture and climate,” it said.
The readout mentioned that a new 7-million pound funding call for future telecoms research was also announced by UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) and India’s Department of Science and Technology.
“This government will put growth at the heart of our foreign policy.
“That’s why three weeks into the job, I am in Delhi announcing a new Technology Security Initiative to deliver on the promise of the UK-India relationship,” Lammy said.
“This will mean real action together on the challenges of the future from AI to critical minerals. Together we can unlock mutual growth, boost innovation, jobs and investment,” he said.
In a post on ‘X’, Jaishankar described his talks with Lammy as “productive and engaging”.
“Noted the immense potential to take forward the India-UK Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, building on close links in trade & economy, defence & security, education, IT, digital, space & high tech, culture, mobility and people to people ties,” he said.
“Welcomed the launch of the Technology Security Initiative that will open new avenues for collaboration. Also exchanged perspectives on regional and global issues and cooperation in multilateral forums,” he added.
In his opening remarks at the meeting, Jaishankar said the India-UK relationship has enormous possibilities and realising them meaningfully is the task at hand.
“I do believe that our relationship, it is a very important relationship at the enormous possibilities there,” he said.
“And how we explore those possibilities, how do we realise our potential in a more meaningful way, is one of the tasks that I look forward to undertaking with you,” he said.
“We are both countries that have a big global presence in different ways. So I think it’s also important that India and the UK work together on global issues and on global platforms,” Jaishankar said. (PTI)