‘Innovation handshake…’: Chandrayaan-3 paved way for strategic partnership between NASA, ISRO, says Indo-US Forum

The success of Chandrayaan-3 in 2023 has paved the way for a more strategic and deeper space collaboration between NASA and ISRO, US-India Strategic Partnership Forum (USISPF) said and highlighted that the two esteemed organisations will conduct further scientific research onboard the International Space Station in 2025.

“The priorities are towards development ecosystems as both countries have facilitated joint research opportunities between their leading scientific institutions, national laboratories, and private sector researchers, all of which will tie in to advance the Innovation Handshake,” it said

USISPF further added, “PM Modi recent visits to Ukraine and Poland and India's leadership at the G20 Summit show that Washington acknowledges New Delhi's role as both a voice for the Global South and one that can build bridges and de-escalate tensions, a much-needed approach at the moment.”

Modi, Biden built a defining partnership of the 21st century: USISPF

The USISPF thanked President Biden for strengthening ties with India, underscoring that whichever candidate wins the November 5 presidential elections in the US will continue to deepen the strategic relationship with New Delhi.

"In what is certain to be his last meeting with Prime Minister Modi as a sitting President, it’s clear, that whoever occupies the White House in January 2025, will continue to build on the strategic partnership and prioritise the Indo-Pacific as central to Washington’s geostrategic vision,” it said.

Noting that Biden and Modi reaffirmed that the US-India Comprehensive Global and Strategic Partnership is the "defining partnership of the 21st century", the USISPF said the two leaders underscored the shared interests that both democracies share.

"However, it’s important to elevate and expand those interests to shared priorities to address the urgent challenges of the 21st century," it said.

Asserting that the US-India Major Defence Partnership continues to be a vital pillar of security in the Indo-Pacific region, the advocacy group said the partnership was "fructified with the success of the initiative on Critical and Emerging Technology (iCET) and subsequently with the India-US Defence Acceleration Ecosystem (INDUS-X)".

These have been crucial in deepening and expanding strategic cooperation across key technology sectors, including space, semiconductors, artificial intelligence, quantum, biotechnology, and advanced telecommunications, as seen by the prime minister’s roundtable with tech CEOs on Sunday, it said.

The plans to establish a new semiconductor fabrication will rejig India’s manufacturing potential, boost the high-tech sector, and strengthen national security and supply chains while attracting American investors, USISPF said.