Techno-Nationalism

Chapter 27India Rising?

Geopolitical good fortune and changing internal dynamics suggests that India faces a historic opportunity to transform into one of the world’s most important technology hubs.

In the Indo-Pacific, as a member of the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue (QUAD), along with the U.S., Japan and Australia, New Delhi is seen as an increasingly important counterbalance to China.

Consider how, in early 2021, the four countries committed to stockpiling billions of surplus doses of COVID-19 vaccinations for distribution throughout Southeast Asia and beyond—an action that was taken primarily in response to Beijing’s global vaccine diplomacy campaign.

Washington’s hopes are high for India yet again, this time regarding its partnership with the U.S. in building China-free, resilient supply chains and participating in new infrastructure and capacity building in the region.

In May of 2022, U.S President Biden and Indian Prime Minister Modi announced the U.S.–India initiative on Critical and Emerging Technology (iCET). Its purpose is to elevate and expand a strategic technology partnership and promote defence and industrial cooperation between the two governments, businesses and academic institutions.¹

About a year later, the two countries initiated the India-U.S. Defense Acceleration Ecosystem (INDUS-X), a bilateral defense collaboration in support of iCET. INDUS-X facilitates partnerships among U.S. and Indian defense companies of all sizes, incubators and accelerators, ...