New Delhi: India and the United States today jointly launched a call for proposals on ‘Critical and Emerging Technology: Quantum Technologies and Artificial Intelligence (AI) for Transforming Lives’. The call will remain open till August 31, 2023, and will invite promising joint Indo-U.S. technology innovation and entrepreneurial proposals that are commercially viable and socially relevant. It will provide a significant boost to the domestic as well as the US priorities looking at various facets of Sustainable Development Goals (SDG).
The Indo-US Science and Technology Forum (IUSSTF) and the Secretariat for the United States–India Science and Technology Endowment Fund (USISTEF) have designed the programme. Through this competitive grant programme, the USISTEF selects and supports promising joint U.S.-India technology innovation and entrepreneurial initiatives that are commercially viable and socially relevant.
Dr Jitendra Singh, Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) Science and Technology, today had a meeting with a high-level US delegation led by US Secretary, Department of Energy, Jennifer M. Granholm to discuss bilateral collaboration between the two countries.
He said these joint initiatives can originate from US and Indian entities including StartUps, government, academic, or commercial endeavours, and any combination thereof provided they focus on applied Research and Development, incorporate a business plan and proof of commercial concept, and have significant sustainable commercial potential.
Dr Singh said, the move comes in the wake of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s recent visit to the US, where he stressed a new chapter to bilateral comprehensive and global strategic partnership. Noting that both the Indian and US sides have positioned themselves quickly to take up the decision of the leaders to the implementation level, the Minister pointed out that the engagement has charted a Technology Partnership for the future with a new direction and a new energy in the AI (America – India) relation in the AI (Artificial Intelligence) era.
He also referred to the launch of a $2 million grant programme under the US-India Science and Technology Endowment Fund (USISTEF) for the joint development and commercialization of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and quantum technologies, and the encouragement to public-private collaborations to develop high-performance computing (HPC) facilities in India. He further informed that India has recently approved the National Quantum Mission (NQM) with an aim to seed, nurture and scale up scientific and industrial R&D and create a vibrant & innovative ecosystem in Quantum Technology (QT).
– global bihari bureau
