NEW DELHI: External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar on Sunday said that critical and emerging technologies (CETs) are going to emerge as important metrics of power.
Addressing the SemiconIndia conference virtually, Jaishankar said, "It is not surprising that CETs should now emerge as one of the important metrics of power. Who invents, who manufactures, what are the market shares, where are the resources, who has the skills, where is the talent pool -- these are increasingly the crucial questions."
He noted: "The depiction of a Chip War may be somewhat overstated, but it has more than a fundamental kernel of truth. To a considerable extent, concerns in the CET field are influenced by how market shares and production dominance was leveraged in other areas".
The external affairs minister said that technology trade is not just trade, it is as much as about political science. "The truth is that we are seeing the re-emergence of export controls as a response to assertions of economic strength," Jaishankar observed. There have been a wide range of global interactions as well on this very subject, he said. "Notable among them is the MoU on Semiconductor Supply Chain and Innovation Partnership that was concluded between India and the United States during US commerce secretary Gina Raimondo's visit in March 2023 to India. It sought to establish a collaborative mechanism that would represent a productive intersection of America's CHIPS and Science Act and India's Semiconductor Mission," Jaishankar informed.
During Prime Minister Narendra Modi's state visit to the US in June 2023, semiconductors was also a focus of the talks with US president Joe Biden and his team, he said further. "As you would be aware, the two leaders chaired a technology round-table with the brand names of industry. The Joint Statement highlighted this aspect of our cooperation. Three US companies – Micron Technology, Lam Research and Applied Materials – made specific commitments that have been the subject of your deliberations as well," Jaishankar told the gathering.
He said that it was essential that these developments are viewed from the larger perspective of India and the United States building a technology partnership for the future. "India's entry as the latest member of the Minerals Security Partnership is worth noting, given the importance today of diversifying and securing supply chains in that area. Similarly, cooperation between the two countries has been a visible tailwind in the sphere of advanced telecommunications," Jaishankar said.
India's Semiconductor Mission is not just about meeting domestic requirements. It is also about contributing to a global demand for trusted manufacturing. Indeed, it is truly a powerful case for Make in India and Make for the World, Jaishankar explained. IANS
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