In a move that indicates their resolve to focus on futuristic development, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Donald Trump have agreed to collaborate on critical and emerging technologies in areas like defense, artificial intelligence (AI), and semiconductors.
 
According to the joint statement issued after their meeting in Washington DC on Thursday (February 13, 2025), Prime Minister Modi and President Trump announced the launch of the U.S.-India TRUST (“Transforming the Relationship Utilizing Strategic Technology”) initiative, which will catalyze government-to-government, academia and private sector collaboration. 

This is aimed at promoting application of critical and emerging technologies in areas like defense, artificial intelligence, semiconductors, quantum, biotechnology, energy and space, while encouraging the use of verified technology vendors and ensuring sensitive technologies are protected.

U.S.-India Roadmap on Accelerating AI Infrastructure

As a central pillar of the “TRUST” initiative, the two leaders committed to work with U.S. and Indian private industry to put forward a U.S.-India Roadmap on Accelerating AI Infrastructure by the end of the year, identifying constraints to financing, building, powering, and connecting large-scale U.S.-origin AI infrastructure in India with milestones and future actions. 

According to the joint statement, the U.S. and India will work together to enable industry partnerships and investments in next generation data centers, cooperation on development and access to compute and processors for AI, for innovations in AI models and building AI applications for solving societal challenges while addressing the protections and controls necessary to protect these technologies and reduce regulatory barriers.

Prime Minister Modi and President Trump also announced the launch of INDUS Innovation, a new innovation bridge modeled after the successful INDUS-X platform, that will advance U.S.-India industry and academic partnerships and foster investments in space, energy, and other emerging technologies to maintain U.S. and India leadership in innovation and to meet the needs of the 21st century. 

The leaders also reinforced their commitment to the INDUS-X initiative, which facilitates partnerships between U.S. and Indian defense companies, investors and universities to produce critical capability for our militaries, and welcomed the next summit in 2025.

Cooperation on Critical Minerals, Emerging Technologies

Recognizing the strategic importance of critical minerals for emerging technologies and advanced manufacturing, India and the United States will accelerate collaboration in research and development and promote investment across the entire critical mineral value chain, as well as through the Mineral Security Partnership, of which both the United States and India are members. 

According to the joint statement, both countries have committed to intensifying efforts to deepen cooperation in the exploration, beneficiation, and processing as well as recycling technologies of critical minerals. To this end, the leaders announced the launch of the Strategic Mineral Recovery initiative, a new U.S.-India program to recover and process critical minerals (including lithium, cobalt, and rare earths) from heavy industries like aluminum, coal mining and oil and gas.

Meanwhile, as part of the TRUST initiative, the two sides have also resolved to build trusted and resilient supply chains, including for semiconductors, critical minerals, advanced materials and pharmaceuticals. As part of this effort, the leaders plan to encourage public and private investments to expand Indian manufacturing capacity, including in the U.S., for active pharmaceutical ingredients for critical medicines. 

“These investments will create good jobs, diversify vital supply chains, and reduce the risk of life-saving drug shortages in both the United States and India,” the joint statement said.