The 2nd edition of Innovations in India U.S. Defence Summit concluded in New Delhi on Wednesday, February 21. Speaking at the event, Defence Secretary Giridhar Aramane stressed that navigating the complex dynamics of the Indo-Pacific region, India and the United States are key stakeholders in the region, bound by shared values and common interests.
“Today, we are witnessing a pivotal moment in the history of the Indo-Pacific region. The Indo-Pacific, with its vast expanse of oceans and strategic waterways, stands as the crossroad of global commerce, geopolitics, and security,” he said.
Highlighting the robust defence partnership between the two countries, Secretary Aramane mentioned Initiatives on Critical and Emerging Technologies (iCET), launched jointly by PM Modi and President Joe Biden in 2022.
He said, “A pivotal aspect of our burgeoning relationship is the iCET that aims to establish ‘Innovation Bridges’ across key sectors, including defence, through expos, hackathons, and pitching sessions.”
He also highlighted the Defence Innovation Bridge, a significant outcome of iCET, serving as a catalyst for collaboration between US and Indian startups in the defence sector.
The Defence Secretary mentioned that the introduction of Joint IMPACT Challenges was a distinctive initiative aimed at collaboratively advancing defence and aerospace co-development and co-production initiatives.
Touching the bilateral partnership in the aerospace and defence sectors, Giridhar Aramane said that the bilateral relationship is flourishing, with India increasingly turning to the United States for cutting-edge equipment and technology.
The United States, in turn, sees India as a key partner in its Indo-Pacific strategy, leveraging India’s growing defence capabilities, he further added.
He also called upon the India-US industry representatives and other stakeholders present in the Summit to further deepen the strategic bilateral partnership and harness the full potential of the cooperation. “By leveraging our respective strengths and capabilities, India and the United States can play a pivotal role in shaping the geopolitical landscape of the Indo-Pacific, promoting peace, stability, and prosperity in the region,” he said.
The second edition of INDUS-X Summit was jointly organised by Innovations for Defence Excellence (iDEX), Ministry of Defence, India and US Department of Defense (DoD) on February 20-21 in New Delhi.