The India-US Defense Acceleration Ecosystem, known as INDUS-X, has marked its first anniversary, highlighting the strengthened defense partnership between India and the US. It was launched on June 21, 2023, during Modi’s visit to Washington, DC. INDUS-X is a joint initiative by the US Department of Defense and the Indian Ministry of Defence. Its goal is to create a defense innovation bridge under the Critical and Emerging Technology Initiative (iCET).
In its first year, INDUS-X has made significant progress in fostering collaboration between the two nations in defense innovation. The initiative launched by Modi and Biden during the QUAD summit in Tokyo on May 24, 2022, aims to enhance cooperation in critical and emerging technologies.
According to a recent press release, INDUS-X has successfully promoted private-sector cooperation between India and the US by bringing defense for technology companies, investors, and researchers together. This collaboration has paved the way foe innovative defense solutions and strengthened the strategic partnership between the two countries.
Since 2008, defense trade has become a key element of the U.S.-India security partnership, with regular bilateral military exercises across all services. India was designated a “Major Defense Partner” by the U.S. Congress in 2016, granting it specific defense trade and security cooperation privileges.
As defense relations between the two countries gain prominence in U.S. foreign policy, the Biden Administration is planning new technology-sharing and defense co-production agreements with India.
This may necessitate adjustments in U.S. laws and regulations, with potential future arms sales or collaboration on advanced military technologies requiring congressional approval. Legislation introduced in the 118th Congress aims to enhance India’s eligibility for arms sales.
The third INDUS-X Summit is scheduled to take place in Silicon Valley in September 2024. This event, co-hosted by the US-India Strategic Partnership Forum (USIPF) and Stanford University, will focus on leveraging private capital for defense innovation.
India and US have deepened their defense and strategic ties over the past few years. Key agreements include the Logistics Exchange Memorandum and Agreement (LEMOA) in 2016, which allows their militaries to use each other’s bases for repairs and supplies, and the Communications and Compatibility and Security Agreement (COMCASA) in 2018, which enables interoperability and high-end technology sales.
In October 2020, both countries signed the Basic Exchange and Cooperation Agreement (BECA), further boosting their defense relationship by allowing the sharing of advanced military technology, logistics, and geospatial maps.
