Semiconductors, AI, critical minerals top agenda in India-US talks

India and the United States discussed ways to deepen bilateral technological cooperation, with a focus on semiconductor manufacturing, artificial intelligence (AI), trusted supply chains and critical minerals, during a high-level meeting in Washington, it was announced on Thursday.

In a post on social media platform X, the Embassy of India in Washington said that Secretary of the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY), S. Krishnan, met US Under Secretary of State Jacob S. Helberg to explore avenues to expand cooperation in key technology sectors.

"MeitY Secretary S. Krishnan met with US Under Secretary of State Jacob S. Helberg to deepen bilateral technological cooperation," the Embassy said in the post.

The two sides discussed opportunities for collaboration in building diversified and trusted supply chains, particularly in semiconductor manufacturing and AI adoption.

"They discussed avenues for cooperation in building diversified and trusted supply chains, particularly in semiconductor manufacturing, AI adoption and securing access to critical minerals," the post further said.

In addition, the officials deliberated on measures to secure access to critical minerals, which are increasingly seen as critical for advanced manufacturing, clean energy technologies and other strategic industries.

The discussions come amid growing India-US cooperation in critical and emerging technologies, with both countries seeking to strengthen supply chain resilience and reduce dependencies in strategically important sectors.

Earlier this month, Union Minister for Electronics and Information Technology Ashwini Vaishnaw said the global semiconductor industry is facing a shortage of nearly one million professionals, presenting a significant opportunity for India to emerge as a key supplier of skilled talent for the sector.

According to the minister, the global semiconductor industry is currently valued at around $800 billion and is expected to cross the $1 trillion mark within a year.

"By 2032, around one million jobs are expected to emerge in the semiconductor sector globally. At the same time, the industry is facing a shortage of nearly one million skilled professionals," Vaishnaw had said.