US India COMPACT Initiative

US-India COMPACT Initiative Latest News

Recently, the President of the USA and Prime Minister of India launched the U.S.-India COMPACT initiative.

About US-India COMPACT Initiative

• The Catalyzing Opportunities for Military Partnership, Accelerated Commerce & Technology (COMPACT) initiative will drive transformative change across key pillars of cooperation.
• It is a framework that will lay the foundation for deepening military partnerships, with a clear focus on technology, trade, and defence industrial cooperation.
• Under this initiative, they committed to a results-driven agenda with initial outcomes this year to demonstrate the level of trust for a mutually beneficial partnership. 

Key features of US-India COMPACT Initiative

• New Defence Procurements & Regulatory Reforms: A new ten-year Framework for the US-India Major Defense Partnership, with the US pledging additional defence sales and co-production initiatives.
• Advancing Defence Technologies & Military Collaboration: To accelerate cooperation in space, air defence, missile systems, maritime, and undersea operations. The launch of the Autonomous Systems Industry Alliance (ASIA) will spur innovation in AI-enabled counter-UAS and maritime defence.
• Economic & Trade Expansion: Under this component both countries aim to double bilateral trade to $500 billion by 2030 under “Mission 500.” They plan to negotiate the first phase of a Bilateral Trade Agreement by fall 2025, focusing on fair trade, national security, and job creation.
• Strengthening Technology & Innovation Ties: The launch of the US-India TRUST initiative will boost cooperation in defence, AI, semiconductors, quantum computing, biotechnology, energy, and space.
• Boosting Space Cooperation & Critical Minerals Partnership: To deepen space collaboration includes the introduction of INDUS Innovation, inspired by the INDUS-X platform, which will drive academic and industrial partnerships in space and emerging tech.
• Space Collaboration in 2025: NASA and ISRO partner via AXIOM to send the first Indian astronaut to the ISS and expedite the NISAR dual-radar satellite launch.

US-India COMPACT Initiative FAQs

Q1: What is the US India initiative on critical and emerging technologies?

Ans: United States–India Initiative on Critical and Emerging Technology, or iCET, is a collaborative framework established by the United States and India to enhance cooperation in developing fields of technology.

Q2: What is Axiom-4 Mission (Ax-4)?

Ans: Ax-4 is the fourth private astronaut mission to the International Space Station (ISS). It is organized by Axiom Space in collaboration with NASA. 

Source: FE