The initiative will be coordinated by the National Security Advisors of both countries
In a significant move that aims to elevate the strategic partnership between the two countries to the next level, India and the United Kingdom have launched the UK-India Technology Security Initiative encompassing crucial sectors ranging from critical minerals and semiconductors to artificial intelligence and quantum computing. 
 
The Initiative was announced on Wednesday (July 24, 2024) evening after visiting UK Foreign Secretary David Lammy met Prime Minister Narendra Modi, National Security Advisor Ajit Doval, and External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar in New Delhi. 
 
According to an official statement, the TSI builds upon the ambitious bilateral cooperation agenda set out in the India-UK Roadmap 2030. It will bring into sharper focus collaboration in critical and emerging technologies (CET) across priority sectors. It will reinforce existing collaborative efforts in various technologies, broaden the mandates of existing mechanisms, and establish new mechanisms for cooperation.

The initiative will be coordinated by the National Security Advisors (NSAs) of both countries through existing and new dialogues. At the same time, a bilateral mechanism will be set up, led by India’s Ministry of External Affairs and the UK government for promotion of trade in critical and emerging technologies
 
Here are the key features of the UK-India Technology Security Initiative, according to the official statement that has been issued:
 
1. Telecoms - The UK and India will build a new and enhanced Future Telecoms Partnership. Under this, both sides will collaborate on joint research on future telecoms and launch a partnership between UK’s SONIC Labs, India’s Centre for Development of Telematics (C-DOT) and DOT's Telecoms Startup Mission.

2. Critical Minerals - The two countries will expand their critical minerals collaboration, driving forward policy exchanges on both countries’ critical mineral strategies, working together to improve supply chain resilience, exploring possible research and development and technology partnerships along the complete critical minerals value chain.
 
3. Semiconductors - The two sides will work towards a broad UK-India semiconductor partnership. Their activities will leverage the countries’ individual strengths and incentives; and explore mutually beneficial R&D focused on strategic issues such as supply chain resilience collaboration, skills exchanges and hardware security.
 
4. Artificial Intelligence (AI) - The UK and India will work towards safe, responsible, human-centric and trustworthy AI, which can promote global good and strengthen interoperability between their AI governance frameworks. 

5. Quantum - The UK and India will respond to the rapidly changing technological landscape by establishing a high-level dialogue to gain an in-depth understanding of their national quantum strategies, to shape the contours of possible future research and industry and collaboration opportunities between the two countries.
 
6. Biotechnology and HealthTech - The UK and India will strengthen biotechnology cooperation. They will launch a high-level partnership on engineering biology, with the aim of sharing knowledge to help facilitate research advances. Their cooperation will include genomics, genomic prediction and precision medicine, cell and gene therapy, biotherapeutics (including bio-manufacturing), smart bio-sensors and bio-electronics, biomaterials and bio-fabrication.

7. Advanced Materials - The UK and India will establish a high-level dialogue on advanced materials, to identify specific R&D collaboration on materials/composites and collaboration on research, responsible innovation and standards in Advanced Materials. The ambit includes collaboration on specific types of materials, such as novel alloys and powders.