Describing know-how because the power multiplier for the Indo-US partnership, India’s Ambassador to the US Taranjit Singh Sandhu stated tech is the “master key” to unlocking the actual potential of the connection.

Sandhu’s feedback come forward of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s go to to the US subsequent week. Modi has been invited by President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden for an official State Visit, which is able to embrace a State Dinner on June 22.

“If you ask me, what I would bet on the most, what is that one force multiplier for this relationship, and for global well-being indeed, it is tech. It is that master key to unlock the real potential in the relationship,” Sandhu stated on Monday.

“There is a lot of synergy and complementarity between us in the tech space. Tech, to me, is powered by trust. It is as much strategic as (it is) commercial,” he added.

Sandhu was addressing the annual India Ideas Summit of the US-India Business Council.

“It was simply four-and-a-half months in the past that we had launched the iCET Industry Roundtable at this very location within the presence of each the NSAs (National Security Advisor) and (Commerce) Secretary (Gina) Raimondo.

“And we have (US) NSA (Jake) Sullivan in Delhi today, including for the follow-up to the first round of iCET discussions,” he stated.

Biden and Modi introduced the US-India Initiative on Critical and Emerging Technology (iCET) in May 2022 to raise and develop strategic know-how partnership and defence industrial cooperation between the governments, companies, and tutorial establishments of the 2 international locations.

The two sides are finalising the joint assertion, which is being described as a strong end result doc and as one thing that might form the character and contour of the Indo-US relationship for many years, in line with a number of individuals acquainted with the matter.

Sandhu additional stated, “Under every iCET vertical, our groups have been in common contact. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin was in Delhi final week when India’s Foreign Secretary Vinay Kwatra was in (Washington) DC.

“We launched the inaugural India-US Strategic Trade Dialogue, another game-changer dialogue, to discuss export controls. Delhi-DC depth has never been better.” Referring to Modi’s go to, the Indian envoy stated there may be nice pleasure on either side.

“My prime minister is only the third Indian leader in our independent history to be accorded the honour of a State Visit by the US President. He also becomes the only Indian leader to address the US Congress twice,” he stated.

According to the White House Historical Association, this would be the eleventh State Dinner {that a} US President is internet hosting for an Indian chief. However, within the final 75 years, solely two different Indian leaders have been given the honour of an official State Visit.

The earlier two State Visits included the one for President S Radhakrishnan in June 1963 after which for Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in November 2009.

When Modi addresses a joint assembly of the US Congress on June 23, it should make him solely the third world chief, exterior of Israel, to make such an tackle twice.

The different two are Winston Churchill in 1941, 1943 and 1952 and Nelson Mandela in 1990 and 1994. Modi earlier addressed the US Congress in 2016.

Sandu stated, “While I cannot spill the beans, I can inform you with confidence that the ceremonial and substantive components of the go to will totally complement one another and might be unparalleled.

“This is not just because the governments have been working hard, this is because all of you have been working hard.” Asserting that the pace and the size within the transformation of the connection between the 2 international locations have been phenomenal, Sandhu stated India in the present day has a cell subscriber base of over 1.2 billion and 825 million Internet customers.

This means, within the final seven years, India has added one cell subscriber and three Internet customers each second. The price of knowledge has been reduce by 98 per cent — one of many lowest globally. It is about inclusion, innovation and empowerment, the Indian envoy stated.

“While we’re eager to draw US corporations to spend money on India and step-up R&D (analysis and growth), given our personal strengths and skills, we’re delighted that Indian corporations are investing and creating new jobs within the US.

“Our companies are actively involved in skilling initiatives here and are contributing to local neighbourhoods, just as US companies are doing in India,” Sandhu added.