Maiden INDUS-X investor meet held ahead of 2+2 ministerial dialogue
- November 9, 2023
- Posted by: OptimizeIAS Team
- Category: DPN Topics
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Maiden INDUS-X investor meet held ahead of 2+2 ministerial dialogue
Subject: IR
Section: Military exercises
Context: India’s Ministry of Defence and the US Department of Defence, organized the first ever INDUS-X investors’ meet
More about the news:
- Before the 2+2 Indo-US ministerial dialogue, an event called INDUS-X investors’ meet was organized by India’s Innovations for Defence Excellence (iDEX) and the US Department of Defense.
- During the event, the INDUS-X Educational Series (Gurukul) was launched.
- Additionally, two defense innovation challenges related to underwater communications and oil spill detection were launched under INDUS-X, with applications currently under review from startups of both nations.
- INDUS-X aims to enhance strategic technology partnerships and defense industrial cooperation between India and the US.
What is INDUS-X:
- It is a major upcoming initiative under the Initiative on Critical and Emerging Technologies (iCET), with the aim to promote partnerships and collaboration between the defence innovation ecosystems of both countries.
- INDUS-X is focused on advancing high-tech cooperation and exploring opportunities for joint research, development, and production in the defence sector.
- INDUS X event aimed to foster collaboration between Indian and US start-ups in deeptech innovations especially in the domains of Space and Artificial Intelligence.
What is iCET:
- The Initiative on Critical and Emerging Technologies (iCET) is a framework agreed upon by India and the U.S. for cooperation on critical and emerging technologies in areas including artificial intelligence, quantum computing, semiconductors and wireless telecommunication.
- It was first announced in May 2022, alongside the QUAD meeting in Tokyo, Japan.
- Under iCET, both countries have identified six areas of cooperation which would include co-development and co-production, that would gradually be expanded to QUAD, then to NATO, followed by Europe and the rest of the world.
- Focus Areas of the Initiative:
- AI research agency partnership.
- Defense industrial cooperation, defense technological cooperation, and defense startups.
- Innovation Ecosystems.
- Semiconductor ecosystem development.
- Cooperation on human spaceflight.
- Advancement in 5G and 6G technologies, and adoption of OpenRAN network technology in India.
What is Open RAN:
- Open Radio Access Network, or Open RAN, is a key part of a mobile network system that uses cellular radio connections to link individual devices to other parts of a network.
- It comprises antennae, which transmits and receives signals to and from our smartphones or other compatible devices. The signal is then digitised in the RAN-base station and connected to the network.
- O-RAN uses software to make hardware manufactured by different companies work together.