$3 billion drone deal, India’s UNSC bid: What PM, Biden discussed on Quad sidelines

A $3 billion drone deal, a new semiconductor fabrication plant, US endorsement for India to be permanent member of the UN Security Council, and bilateral support to build clean energy supply chains, reportedly constituted the key talking points of bilateral talks between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and US President Joe Biden on the margins of the Quad Summit in Wilmington, US.

Drone deal

India is all set to acquire 31 MQ-9B Sky Guardian and Sea Guardian drones from the US at a cost of around $3-$4 billion.

India is set to be in the process of buying the predator drones– 16 Sky Guardians and 15 Sea Guardians – to step up surveillance along its border with China.

According to reports, Biden has said that the drones will help in enhancing intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) capabilities of India’s armed forces across all domains.

The Defence Ministry in June last year had finalised its plan to procure armed drones with air-to-surface missiles and laser-guided bombs from the US under a government-to-government framework.

The drones, which will be acquired from US defence company, General Atomics, are high-altitude long-endurance and remotely-operated unmanned aircraft known for their exceptional ISR functions.

These drones can fly over the horizon for over 40 hours and in all types of weather and penetrate civil airspace to bring real-time situational awareness.

‘Talks extremely fruitful’

A joint statement issued by India and the US after the meeting said the two leaders had "extremely fruitful" talks and discussed ways to further enhance bilateral cooperation in areas of mutual interest and exchanged views on global and regional issues including the Indo-Pacific region and beyond.

Modi, who is in the US on a three-day visit, was on Saturday (September 21) welcomed by Biden at his residence in Greenville, Delaware, where the two leaders hugged each other. Biden held Modi's hand as he led him into the house where the bilateral talks took place.

"The United States' partnership with India is stronger, closer, and more dynamic than any time in history. Prime Minister Modi, each time we sit down, I'm struck by our ability to find new areas of cooperation. Today was no different," Biden said in a post on X after the meeting that lasted more than an hour.

In the course of the talks, the two leaders discussed ways to further enhance bilateral cooperation in areas of mutual interest and exchanged views on global and regional issues including the Indo-Pacific region and beyond, the Ministry of External Affairs said in a press release.

The two leaders reflected on a historic period that has seen the US and India reach "unprecedented levels of trust and collaboration", according to the joint statement. They affirmed that the partnership must be anchored to uphold democracy, freedom and the rule of law for all as India and the US strive to become "more perfect unions" and meet their "shared destiny", it said.

Biden lauds Modi for Ukraine, Poland visit

In the course of the meeting the US president lauded Modi for visiting Ukraine in August and extending humanitarian support to the war-ravaged country.

“US President Joe Biden commended Prime Minister Modi for his historic visits to Poland and Ukraine, the first by an Indian Prime Minister in decades, and for his message of peace and ongoing humanitarian support for Ukraine,” the joint statement said.

US bats for India’s UNSC bid

During the meeting, Biden said the US supports initiatives to reform global institutions to reflect India’s important voice, including permanent membership for India in a reformed UN Security Council. The two leaders “expressed unrelenting optimism and the utmost confidence that the tireless efforts of our peoples, our civic and private sectors, and our governments to forge deeper bonds have set the US-India partnership on a path toward even greater heights in the decades ahead,” the statement said.

They also commended the progress that has made the US-India Major Defence Partnership a "pillar of global security and peace", highlighting the benefits of increased operational coordination, information-sharing, and defence industrial innovation. They said that a closer US-India partnership is vital to the success of efforts to build a "cleaner, inclusive, more secure, and more prosperous future for the planet".

Semiconductor fabrication plant

The two leaders applauded the success of the Initiative on Critical and Emerging Technology (iCET) in deepening and expanding strategic cooperation across key technology sectors and highlighted ongoing efforts to strengthen collaboration with "like-minded partners", to build more secure and resilient supply chains for critical industries.

Modi and Biden hailed a watershed arrangement to establish a new semiconductor fabrication plant, which will be enabled by support from the India Semiconductor Mission as well as a strategic technology partnership between Bharat Semi, 3rdiTech, and the US Space Force.

Joint space mission

They also welcomed progress toward the first joint effort by NASA and ISRO to conduct scientific research on board the International Space Station in 2025 and appreciated the initiatives and exchange of ideas under the Civil Space Joint Working Group, pledging to pursue opportunities to deepen joint innovation and strategic collaborations.

Recognising the "remarkable" progress under the US-India Defence Industrial Cooperation Roadmap, the two leaders welcomed efforts to expand defence industrial partnerships, including the teaming of Liquid Robotics and Sagar Defence Engineering for the co-development and co-production of unmanned surface vehicle systems that strengthen undersea and maritime domain awareness.

Clean energy

Biden and Modi welcomed the US-India Roadmap to Build Safe and Secure Global Clean Energy Supply Chains, which launched a new initiative to accelerate the expansion of safe and secure clean energy supply chains through US and Indian manufacturing of clean energy technologies and components. In its initial phase, the US and India would work together to unlock USD 1 billion of multilateral financing to support projects across the clean energy value chain, said a joint statement issued after the meeting.

‘Defining partnership of 21^st century’

The statement said the India-US partnership is "decisively delivering on an ambitious agenda that serves the global good", calling it the "defining partnership of the 21st century".

Modi and Biden expressed confidence in the strength and continuing resilience of the relationship and their belief in its significance for all areas of human endeavour between the two countries, the MEA statement said.

Modi emphasised that India and the US today enjoy a comprehensive global strategic partnership that covers all areas of human endeavour, driven by shared democratic values, convergence of interests and vibrant people-to-people ties.

"My meeting with President Biden will allow us to review and identify new pathways to further deepen India-US Comprehensive Global Strategic Partnership for the benefit of our people and the global good," Modi had said in his departure statement in New Delhi.

Thank President Biden for hosting me: Modi

During the meeting, Modi also conveyed his appreciation for the unparalleled contributions made by Biden in giving impetus to the India-US partnership.

Recalling his State visit to the US in June 2023 and President Biden’s visit to India in September 2023 for the G-20 Leaders’ Summit, Modi said that the visits have imparted greater dynamism and depth to the India-US partnership.

"I thank President Biden for hosting me at his residence in Greenville, Delaware. Our talks were extremely fruitful. We had the opportunity to discuss regional and global issues during the meeting," Modi said in a post on X.

Modi was accompanied by External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri and Ambassador of India to the US Vinay Mohan Kwatra. The US team included Secretary of State Antony Blinken, Assistant to the President for National Security Affairs T H Jake Sullivan and Ambassador of the US to India Eric Garcetti.

The annual Quad summit hosted by President Biden in his hometown Wilmington is expected to roll out a series of new initiatives to boost cooperation in the Indo-Pacific and explore ways to find peaceful solutions to the conflicts in Ukraine and Gaza.

The four-member Quad, or the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue, advocates upholding a free, open, and inclusive Indo-Pacific. China claims that the grouping aims to contain its rise.