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BIG STORY JUNE 21, 2024 | The Indian Eye 5

other national security-focused elec- laboration with Department of Ener-
tronics platforms,” read the fact sheet gy entities; Advancing Indian collab-
issued by the US and India. oration with U.S. organizations and
Semiconductors (essential for de- companies for carrying out research
fense, automobiles and telecommuni- studies for beneficiation of critical
cations sectors) have grown into a key minerals, including lithium, titanium,
geopolitical battleground, with the gallium, and vanadium,” added the
US, Japan and China investing heavi- fact sheet.
ly in developing domestic capabilities. The two countries agreed to build
“Celebrating the conclusion of a a collaborative program between the
joint Semiconductor Readiness As- Geological Survey of India and the
sessment through a partnership be- US Geological Survey on exploration,
tween the US Semiconductor Industry characterization and evaluation of
Association and the India Electronics rare earth elements and critical min-
Semiconductor Association, which eral deposits.
identifies near-term industry opportu- But there are still several hiccups
nities and facilitates longer-term stra- in India-US relations. One of the big-
tegic development of complementary gest problems is the conflict in Ukraine
semiconductor ecosystems,” the fact- and India’s refusal to join the West
sheet added. in criticizing or sanctioning Russia.
This engagement with Indian and In a further sign of India’s differ-
US investors in the semiconductor in- ences with the US, India on Sunday
dustry in India aims to continue build- refrained from associating itself with
ing India’s robust semiconductor and any communique emerging from the
information communication technol- Swiss summit on peace in Ukraine
ogy ecosystem. and reiterated its consistent approach
Notably, India in March ap- to facilitate a lasting and peaceful
proved three semiconductor plant resolution to the conflict through di-
proposals, aiming to bolster India’s alogue and diplomacy. “India did not
semiconductor manufacturing ecosys- associate itself with any communique/
tem. The projects entail an estimated document emerging from this Sum-
investment of Rs 1.26 lakh crore and mit,” read the Ministry of External
are expected to significantly contrib- Jake Sullivan meets NSA Ajit Doval in New Delhi on Monday (ANI) Affairs press release.
ute to India’s electronics manufactur- Pavan Kapoor, Secretary (West),
ing sector. tional laboratories, and private sector als Memorandum of Understand- Ministry of External Affairs, repre-
Tata Electronics and Taiwan’s researchers. ing between the US Department of sented India at the Summit on Peace
Powerchip Semiconductor Manufac- “Deepening industrial and com- Commerce and the Indian Ministry of in Ukraine, hosted by Switzerland at
turing Corp. (PSMC) will establish mercial coordination for critical min- Commerce and Industry and the Min- Burgenstock on 15-16 June 2024. The
India’s first semiconductor fabrica- eral supply chains under the India-US istry of Mines, and driving additional Indian delegation attended the Open-
tion plant (fab) in Dholera, Gujarat. Commercial Dialogue between the areas of cooperation in critical miner- ing and Closing Plenary Sessions of
Tata Semiconductor Assembly and US Department of Commerce and al supply chains such as for graphite, the Summit. “India’s participation
Test Pvt Ltd (TSAT) will set up a the Indian Ministry of Commerce gallium, and germanium. in the Summit, as well as in the pre-
semiconductor unit in Morigaon, As- and Industry, with private sector input “Exploring opportunities for col- ceding NSA/Political Director-level
sam. CG Power, in partnership with from the India-US CEO Forum,” the laboration in the critical minerals sec- meetings based on Ukraine’s Peace
Renesas Electronics Corp., Japan, fact sheet stated. tor like bilateral collaboration in tech- Formula, was in line with our consis-
and Stars Microelectronics, Thailand, They also committed to quickly nologies for Neodymium-iron-boron tent approach to facilitate a lasting
will establish a semiconductor unit in conclude a bilateral Critical Miner- metal, alloy and magnet making, col- and peaceful resolution to the conflict
Sanand, Gujarat. through dialogue and diplomacy,”
US and India also aimed to work added the release.
together to ensure a reliable supply Now the US has taken its diplo-
of critical minerals, which are essen- macy to India as Modi government
tial for clean energy technologies and begins its third term. The White
other important industries. House on Monday reiterated that the
“Promoting India’s vital role in visit of US National Security Advi-
the Mineral Security Partnership, in- sor Jake Sullivan to India will further
cluding through co-investing in a lith- deepen the already strong partnership
ium resource project in South Ameri- between the two countries and create
ca and a rare earths deposit in Africa, a more prosperous Indo-Pacific. “As
to responsibly and sustainably diversi- the world’s two oldest and largest de-
fy critical mineral supply chains,” read mocracies, the United States and In-
the fact sheet. dia share a unique bond of friendship.
The two countries agreed to es- Jake Sullivan’s trip will further deep-
tablish an India-US Advanced Ma- en the already strong US-India part-
terials R&D Forum on the margins nership to create a safer, more pros-
of the India-U.S. Joint Committee perous Indo-Pacific,” said John Kirby.
Meeting on Science and Technolo- Prime Minister Narendra Modi meets with Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on the side- It seems the phase of a mild fric-
gy to expand collaboration between lines of the G7 Summit in Apulia on Friday (ANI) tion in the India-US relations may be
American and Indian universities, na- coming to an end now.

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