United States: The US Chamber of Commerce’s US-India Business Council, in collaboration with the US Department of Defense and India’s Ministry of Defense, organized the inaugural INDUS X Summit and a startup-focused defence exhibition titled “Catalyzing Indo-US Defense Innovation.” The event took place from June 20th to 21st 2023 at the US Chamber headquarters.
The INDUS X Summit, a significant outcome of the US-India initiative on Critical and Emerging Technology (iCET), conducted its industry track discussions earlier this year at the US Chamber. This summit and startup exhibition serve as crucial platforms to enhance defence co-development and co-production between the United States and India. They also hold the potential to assist India in achieving its goal of $5 billion in defence exports by 2025 while promoting diversification in India’s defence supply chain through partnerships with the United States.
The two-day event featured a range of activities, including speeches, panels, and open and closed-door discussions. Distinguished speakers and participants included the US Ambassador to India Mr. Eric Garcetti, India’s Ambassador to the US Ms. Sripriya Ranganathan, US Secretary of the Air Force Mr. Frank Kendall, and Congressman Mr. Ro Khanna.
The INDUS X Summit and defence exhibition aimed to foster collaboration, knowledge-sharing, and innovation in the defence sector between the US and India. By bringing together key stakeholders, the event provided a platform for exploring opportunities, addressing challenges, and advancing mutual defence interests.
The partnership between the US Chamber of Commerce’s U.S.-India Business Council, the US Department of Defense, and India’s Ministry of Defense reflect the commitment of both nations to strengthen their defence ties and promote technological advancements in the sector. Such initiatives contribute to the broader US-India strategic partnership and have the potential to foster economic growth, job creation, and technological advancement in the defence industry for both countries.
We’re thrilled to see INDUS X working for peace and preparing coordination in a way that we’ve never experienced between India and the United States.
US Ambassador to India Mr. Eric Garcetti remarked.
“This launch is just the beginning. Expect to see opportunities for startup companies to participate in government sponsored joint challenges [and] find technological solutions to our most pressing problems. Expect opportunities for startups to partner with established defense industry leads. I’m so excited in the coming months to work with folks both in India and here to have a mechanism to matchmake those startups,” US Ambassador further added.