On July 18th, AMCHAM met with Mr. Lekhan Thakker, Joint Secretary, National Security Council Secretariat (NSCS), Government of India. Ms. Ranjana Khanna, Director General CEO welcomed the Joint Secretary and requested members to introduce themselves. Joint Secretary Thakker briefed members on the discussions of the second meeting of the U.S.-India initiative on Critical and Emerging Technologies (iCET) held between U.S. National Security Advisor (APNSA) Jake Sullivan and Indian National Security Advisor (NSA) Ajit Doval last month in New Delhi. The focus of the second iCET meeting was to set the vision for the next phase of the strategic technology partnership. Both NSAs emphasized the importance of co-production, co-development, and R&D to maintain a leading edge in innovation. Additionally, they underscored the need to protect sensitive technologies and address barriers to bilateral trade. Joint Secretary Thakker shared specifically in telecom on promoting Open RAN technology, 5G and 6G R&D, and secure telecommunications products; in defense on expanding defense industrial cooperation, including co-production and technology sharing; in space – collaborating on projects like joint astronaut missions, satellite launches, and lunar exploration and in semiconductors – securing semiconductor supply chains through strategic partnerships and investment.