India and the United Kingdom have announced a landmark technology security initiative that outlines a bold new approach to collaboration in several “priority” sectors such as telecom, critical minerals, semiconductors, and artificial intelligence, aiming to take their strategic partnership to the next level.
During the discussions, both sides praised the “substantial” progress made in the India-UK FTA negotiations and hoped for an “early conclusion” to reach a mutually beneficial agreement. The two sides agreed to improve defence and security cooperation in the Indo-Pacific and beyond, as well as to strengthen capacities to confront emerging threats from “non-state actors” during the meeting.
The MEA stated that the TSI collaboration will encompass the government, commercial sector, university, and research and development institutes. The plan was “spearheaded and agreed” upon by the two countries’ national security agencies. The TSI aims to expand on the ambitious collaboration agenda outlined in the India-UK Roadmap 2030.
The two sides discussed regional and global problems of common concern, including as the Russia-Ukraine conflict, the situation in West Asia, and the Red Sea. Aside from telecom, essential minerals, semiconductors, and artificial intelligence, quantum, biotech, and advanced materials have all been mentioned as potential areas for collaboration.
Under the critical minerals pillar, the two sides will collaborate to strengthen supply chain resilience and investigate potential research and technology partnerships across the whole critical minerals value chain, including exploration, processing, and manufacture.
The TSI would also serve as a platform for developing a wider UK-India semiconductor relationship that would capitalize on each other’s capabilities and incentives while also exploring mutually advantageous research and development and supply chain resilience opportunities.
In 2021, India and the United Kingdom agreed on a 10-year framework to strengthen ties in important areas such as commerce and economics, defence and security, climate change, and people-to-people connections.