Prime Minister Narendra Modi and US President Joe Biden held a bilateral meeting on the sidelines of the Quad Summit at the latter’s Wilmington, Delaware, home on Saturday (Sep 21). A US-India joint statement highlighted key areas of cooperation, including defence, clean energy, global health, and development.

Among the important topics, the two leaders discussed the setting up of a new semiconductor fabrication plant in Kolkata.

The new plant will be established with support from the India Semiconductor Mission as well as a strategic technology partnership between Bharat Semi, 3rdiTech, and the US Space Force. 

“President Biden and Prime Minister Modi hailed a watershed arrangement to establish a new semiconductor fabrication plant focused on advanced sensing, communication, and power electronics for national security, next-generation telecommunications, and green energy applications,” the White House said in a statement. 

In a fact sheet issued after the high-stakes talks, Biden welcomed the procurement of 31 General Atomics MQ-9B Sky Guardian and Sea Guardian drones which will help boost India’s surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) capabilities.

India has been in the process of acquiring the drones in a nearly $3 billion deal which will help it heighten the surveillance apparatus of the armed forces, especially along the frontier with China.

The two leaders signed an MoU between the Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises and Small Business Administration for promoting cooperation between US and Indian small and medium-sized enterprises.

The MoU provides for building economic ties through capacity-building workshops in areas such as trade and export finance, technology and digital trade, green economy and trade facilitation.

US-India Global Digital Development Partnership was also launched during the meet which aims to bring together US and Indian private sector companies, technology and resources to deploy the responsible use of emerging digital technologies in Asia and Africa.

A new regional Maritime Initiative for Training in the Indo-Pacific (MAITRI) has also been started to monitor and secure the waters in the tumultuous region and enforce the laws whilst deterring unlawful behaviour. India will be hosting the inaugural MAITRI workshop in 2025.

President Biden added that the US supports initiatives to reform global institutions to reflect India’s important voice, including permanent membership for India in a reformed UN Security Council.

(With inputs from agencies)