TRUST replaces iCET: New brand, old spirit

BOTH ICET AND NOW TRUST HAS REPLACED SUSPICION WITH GROWING TRUST. THE US IS WILLING TO DO MORE, AND INDIA IS WILLING TO ALIGN ITSELF MORE

- Prashant Jha

WASHINGTON: The initiative on critical and emerging technologies (iCET), a legacy of the Joe Biden administration, has given way to Transforming Relations Utilizing Strategic Technologies (TRUST) as the governing framework of tech ties under the Donald Trump administration. But TRUST is based on the same spirit of trust that governed iCET. And therein lies the true achievement.

Like ICET, TRUST envisages a role for governments, academia, and private sector "to promote application of critical and emerging technologies in areas such as defence, artificial intelligence, semiconductors, quantum, biotechnology, energy and space", while specifically mentioning the need to use "verified technology vendors and ensuring sensitive technologies are protected".

Commenting on the shift, Rudra Chaudhari, director of Carnegie India, which has played a key role in Track 1.5 negotiations on the tech partnership, said, "It is a welcome development. iCET set a fundamental platform for both countries to get to know each other and set the foundations for true strategic transformations. With the TRUST conceptualization, the Trump White House wants to go further in deepening tech ties in areas where India has invested in national missions such as critical minerals, deepening trusted supply chains and even in areas such as quantum which saw little traction in the Biden years. There is optimism on both sides."