Washington, D.C. [U.S.], September 8 (ANI): India has joined the United States and 24 other nations in a global initiative to guide the development and deployment of next-generation 6G telecommunications networks, the U.S. Department of Commerce announced Monday.
In a post on X, the department said the agreement was finalized following a bilateral meeting between U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick and Union Minister of State for Commerce and Industry Jitin Prasada on the sidelines of the G20 Innovation Ministerial.
“Secretary Lutnick met with Indian Minister of State for Commerce Jitin Prasada on the sidelines of the G20 Innovation Ministerial to discuss the future of 6G. Today, we are pleased to announce that India has joined the U.S. and 24 other countries in the effort to ensure that next-generation networks reflect our shared security interests, strengthen our competitiveness, and drive innovation in 6G,” the U.S. Department of Commerce wrote.
The development comes as Union Minister of State Jitin Prasada led the Indian delegation at the G20 Innovation Ministers’ Meeting held September 1 and 2 in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, hosted by the U.S. Department of Commerce and the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP).
According to the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY), Prasada was accompanied by Ajit Kumar, Joint Secretary at MeitY; senior officials from MeitY, the Department of Science and Technology (DST) and the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT); as well as officials from the Embassy of India in the U.S.
At the conclusion of the ministerial, G20 ministers released the Innovation Ministerial Statement, recognizing that “emerging technologies have the potential to unlock prosperity, enhance productivity, and expand opportunity for all our peoples.”
On the sidelines of the G20 Ministerial, Prasada held several bilateral discussions.
During his bilateral meeting with Lutnick, the U.S. Secretary of Commerce, both sides exchanged views on strengthening cooperation in semiconductors, artificial intelligence and data centers.
Prasada also encouraged greater U.S. investment in ISM 2.0, proposed strengthening the AI technology partnership and shared a mechanism for AI safeguards.
Highlighting his meeting with Lutnick, Prasada said in a post on X that the discussion focused on advancing critical sectors that form the foundation of the modern technological landscape.
“Semiconductors. AI. Data centers. These are critical building blocks of the emerging digital economy,” Prasada stated on X.
He further noted that both sides examined avenues to deepen practical collaboration.
“In my bilateral discussion with Mr. Howard Lutnick, U.S. Secretary of Commerce, we exchanged views on strengthening cooperation across these areas and advancing technology-led opportunities between India and the United States,” he added. “Thanked the U.S. G20 Presidency for the warm hospitality.”
The engagements during the visit underscored India’s growing role in shaping the global technology and innovation agenda and reaffirmed its commitment to building strategic partnerships that translate advances in AI, semiconductors, digital public infrastructure, robotics and other emerging technologies into greater opportunities for innovation, economic growth and an improved quality of life for its citizens. (ANI)
About The Author
