Indo-US Initiative for Critical and Emerging Technologies
(iCET)/Global Challenge Institute (GCI)
About iCET/GCI
India and the United States have taken a significant step towards strengthening their strategic partnership and have unveiled a roadmap for enhanced collaboration in high-technology areas. A unique initiative called "iCET - Indo-US Initiative for Critical and Emerging Technologies" was announced by the Indian Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi and U.S. President Mr. Joe Biden in Tokyo in May 2022 and was officially launched in January 2023. It is led by the National Security Council of both countries.
The "iCET" is a collaborative framework to expand strategic technology partnership in critical and emerging technologies, enhance economic growth, constant industry outreach, intragovernmental management, foster innovation and even harmonization across both nations. It lays the groundwork for enhancing bilateral ties through cooperative research, technology transfer, and strategic trade. Under iCET, India is prepared to give access to its essential technologies with US and anticipates that Washington will also share their core technologies.
The MoU is executed for the establishment of an “Indo-US Global Challenges Institute (GCI) ” to catalyze increased university research collaborations between the council of IITs and Association of American Universities (AAU) on 07.09.2023. Click here for details
The institute will serve as:
An Intellectual hub to facilitate high-impact bilateral university research collaborations and develop networks of researchers and students in 5 thematic areas.
Provide a knowledge sharing platform to leverage existing and promote new programs. projects, and cooperative arrangements that can foster collaborative research efforts between US and India.
Identify and help connect researchers and research institutes in both countries with govt. research agencies, bilateral organizations, nonprofits, and industry partners to better integrate both nations innovation ecosystems.
GCI in future will act as a nodal point for all the information related to previous, present and future Indo-US collaborations and funding. India and the US are exploring ways to set up joint research institutes focused on energy and environment, public health and pandemics, agriculture and food security; a joint seed fund to boost higher education collaboration; share each other’s research infrastructure including labs; translate research into commercial opportunities; student exchange; joint degree program to deepen the knowledge partnership.