NEW DELHI: On ‘Talking Point‘, Ambassador Arun K. Singh, Former India Envoy to the U.S., France, Member, National Security Advisory Board(2021-22), Non Resident Senior Fellow, Carnegie India in conversation with StratNews Global Associate Editor Amitabh P. Revi. Ambassador Arun Singh discusses National Security Advisor Ajit Doval’s meetings in the U.S. with his counterpart Jake Sullivan, Secretary of State Antony Blinken, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Mark Milley, Acting Secretary of Defense Kathleen Hicks, the inaugural meeting of the initiative on Critical and Emerging Technologies (iCET) at the White House, the outcomes including the “U.S. committing to an expeditious review of the application from General Electric to jointly produce jet engines that could power jet aircraft operated and produced indigenously by India”, reports of France’s Safran being willing to transfer technology for fighter engines, the signing of an implementation arrangement “to expand international collaboration in a range of areas — including artificial intelligence, quantum technologies, and advanced wireless”, the “aim to address regulatory restrictions, export controls and mobility barriers through a standing mechanism”, “the U.S. assuring support to ease export barriers to India in a few critical areas, including through efforts towards legislative change”, a task force “to identify near term opportunities and facilitate longer term development of semiconductor ecosystems”, the “launch of a public-private dialogue covering 5G/6G”, the “strengthening of cooperation on human spaceflight that will include advanced training for an Indian astronaut at NASA Johnson Space Center”, renewed reports of a $3 billion MQ-9B predator drone deal and the possibility of Prime Minister Narendra Modi making a state visit to Washington, D.C. in the summer.
