Third INDUS-X Summit to take place in Silicon Valley in September: Pentagon

Washington, DC [US], June 26 (ANI): The third INDUS-X summit will take place in Silicon Valley in September, Pentagon Press Secretary Pat Ryder said on Tuesday (local time).

While addressing a press conference on Tuesday (local time), Pat Ryder stated that the US Department of Defence (DoD) along with India's Ministry of Defence together are facilitating dynamic partnerships among defence technology companies, investors and researchers.

US Department of Defence Press Secretary said, "Last Friday, marked one year since the launch of the India-US Defence Acceleration Ecosystem, or INDUS-X. INDUS-X is one of the ways DOD continues to help advance the initiative on critical and emerging technology between our two countries."

"Together with the Indian Ministry of Defence, we're facilitating dynamic partnerships among defence technology companies, investors, and researchers. We've already convened two INDUS-X summits, one here in Washington and another in New Delhi. And the White House just announced that a third INDUS-X summit will take place this September in Silicon Valley. We're very proud of what this initiative has achieved in just one year, and we're excited for what's ahead," he added.

On June 21 last year, the US Department of Defence (DoD) and Indian Ministry of Defence (MoD) launched the India-US Defence Acceleration Ecosystem (INDUS-X) during Prime Minister Narendra Modi's official state visit to Washington, DC. This year, the US-India INDUS-X initiative marked one year.

In a press release, US Department of Defence said, "In its first year, INDUS-X has advanced both countries' commitment to build a defence innovation bridge under the initiative on Critical and Emerging Technology (iCET)."

Since its inception, INDUS-X has strengthened robust private sector cooperation between the United States and India, paving the way for partnerships among defence technology firms, investors, and researchers.

The US Department of Defence stated that the White House recently announced that the third INDUS-X Summit will take place in Silicon Valley with a focus on harnessing private capital for defence innovation. According to the press release, the summit will be co-hosted by the US India Strategic Partnership Forum (USISPF) and Stanford University.

The second edition of the INDUS-X Summit was jointly organised by Innovations for Defence Excellence (iDEX), the Ministry of Defence, India and the US Department of Defense (DoD) in New Delhi on February 20-21, 2024.

The event was jointly coordinated by the US-India Business Council (USIBC) and Society of India Defence Manufacturers (SIDM), according to the Ministry of Defence press release. The Summit emphasised the key role of technological innovation in defence within the broader context of the US-India Strategic Partnership. (ANI)