The U.S. and India are launching a new alliance for autonomous systems, which builds on bipartisan groundwork laid by previous administrations and could be a stabilizing force for the democracies’ future tech exchanges.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi joined President Donald Trump in Washington on Feb. 13 to discuss tariffs, technology, and energy and defense initiatives.
The new Autonomous Systems Industry Alliance builds on existing bilateral defense agreements and framework between India and the U.S., with the goal of increasing production of AI-driven autonomous systems in the Indo-Pacific region, according to a joint India-U.S. statement.
“America plays an important role in India’s defense preparedness. As strategic and trusted partners, we are moving forward actively towards joint development, joint production, and transfer of technology. In the times to come as well, new technologies and equipment will enhance our capacities,” Modi said during a joint press conference at the White House on Thursday.
The countries will also work together in several tech areas, including artificial intelligence, semiconductors, quantum, and biotechnology, Modi said.
Lindsey Ford, former deputy assistant secretary of defense for South and Southeast Asia, said America’s relationship with India is a relatively steady and bipartisan one.
“I expect more continuity than discontinuity when it comes to defense industry and technology cooperation,” Ford told Defense One following an Observer Research Foundation America event Feb. 10. “The largest conversations thus far have been around jet engines, armored combat vehicles, and munitions. I think there is still more work to be done bilaterally to sort of realize those agreements, but I’m expecting them to move forward.”
The U.S. and India have already set up tech challenges for startups to compete in the maritime domain, intelligence and surveillance, and space—all areas that Ford, who left her post in January, expects to see grow in the next two years.
“I think those are going to be areas where we’re going to actually see enhanced cooperation going forward…on ISR, on drones and counter drones, commercial space cooperation, and then unmanned maritime systems,” she said. “Those are areas where both the United States and India are looking to accelerate the capabilities that the private sector is able to produce…there’s a large global market for a lot of those capabilities that the U.S. and India and their companies are interested in being able to capture more of.”
Additionally, the U.S. and India announced plans to expand the India-U.S. Defense Acceleration Ecosystem, or INDUS-X, initiative launched under the Biden administration to tighten collaboration between the countries’ defense industrial bases and research institutions. The Trump administration’s follow-on effort, called INDUS Innovation, will continue that work with an emphasis in space, energy, and other tech areas, according to the joint statement.
During the media event, the leaders also agreed to resolve trade and tariff disputes: Modi agreed to buy more U.S. oil and gas, and Trump said the U.S. will increase its foreign military sales to India and lay groundwork to provide the country with F-35 stealth fighters. Tech billionaire Elon Musk, a special advisor to the White House, also spoke with Modi about tech, space, and innovation efforts during the visit Feb. 13.
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