United States-India Initiative on Critical and Emerging Technologies (iCET)

• Launched in 2023 by India’s National Security Advisor (NSA) Ajit Doval and the U.S. NSA Jake Sullivan.

• The areas covered by the iCET range from creating quantum coordination mechanisms and collaborating on high-performance computers to creating a defence industrial cooperation roadmap.

• It includes a task force to “identify near-term opportunities and facilitate longer-term strategic development of a complementary semiconductor ecosystem.”

• iCET is an upgraded version of the U.S.-India Defence Technology and Trade Initiative (DTTI).

Defence Technology and Trade Initiative (DTTI) 

• The DTTI was launched in 2012.

• It was designed to overcome and reduce impediments in bilateral defence cooperation.

• Four Joint Working Groups focused on land, naval, air and aircraft carrier technologies were established.  

• It tried to move away from the  traditional “buyer-seller” dynamic toward a more collaborative approach but flopped due to technology transfer issues.

Tejas Mk-II

• It is a single-engine Medium Weight Fighter (MWF).

• It is a multirole combat aircraft designed by the Aeronautical Development Agency (ADA) in collaboration with Aircraft Research and Design Centre (ARDC) of Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) for the Indian Air Force (IAF).

• The indigenous content of the fighter will be 82% initially and will cross 90% after the licensed production of its engine.