The bilateral talks between the Indian Prime Minister, Mr Narendra Modi, and the US President, Joe Biden have been nothing sort of optimistically buoyant for India’s defence prospects in the upcoming decade. The talks were held on the sidelines of the Quad Summit at the US president’s residence. Amidst a slew of topics, the ones that grabbed the most eyeballs are the MQ-9B Predator Drone Deal and the setting up of a semiconductor plant in Kolkata. The Indian PM emphasised the depth of the relationship shared between India and the US driven by shared democratic principles and convergence of interests. The Indian Minister of External Affairs highlighted that the talks focused on improving the Indo-US bilateral relationship in areas of mutual interest. The talks also touched upon the viewpoints on the Indo-Pacific region. The Whitehouse in its official statement cited, “President Biden and PM Modi expressed unrelenting optimism and the utmost confidence that the tireless efforts of our people, our civic and private sectors, and our governments to forge deeper bonds have set the US-India partnership on a path towards greater heights in the decades ahead”.
The US had approved the sale of 31 MQ-9B drones to India at an estimated cost of $3.99 billion in February. Of the 31 drones, the Indian Navy will get 15 drones, while the Army and the Indian Air Force will get 8 each. The drone’s salient feature is its ability to operate in pin-drop silence. It can fly as close to 250 metres above the ground without the target knowing its presence. It can fly higher than a commercial aircraft at 50,000 feet with a maximum speed of up to 442kmph. The drone’s speciality is its ability to be deployed on lengthy missions amid varying weather conditions and can carry a payload of 1700 Kg with 4 missiles, and 450 Kg of bombs and travel 2000 km without refuelling.
The Indian PM and the US president also discussed the setting up of a new semiconductor fabrication plant in Kolkata. This decision will enable India’s Indigenous capability on advanced sensing, communication and power electronics for national security. The plant will be established with support from the National Semiconductor Mission of India, with strategic partnerships between Bharat Semi, 3rdiTech and the US Space Force. The Whitehouse highlighted that the GlobalFoundries Kolkata Power Center will enhance mutually beneficial linkages in R&D in chip manufacturing and enable game-changing advances for zero and low-emission connected vehicles, IoT devices, AI and data centres.
The Indian PM was on a 3-day visit to the US to further strengthen India’s comprehensive Global Strategic Partnership.