In a joint statement issued by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and US President Joe Biden, the United States and India announced a $2 million grant program for artificial intelligence and quantum technologies.

Quantum technologies, based on the principles of quantum mechanics, are the manipulation and control of quantum systems to develop new ways of communicating, computing and sensing things in the world around us.

The grant comes just months after India approved a Budget allocation of Rs 6,003.65 crore for its own National Quantum Mission, with an objective of accelerating quantum-led economic growth and advancing healthcare.

The grant program is part of the U.S.-India Science and Technology Endowment fund and aims to foster collaboration between the two countries in emerging technologies.

In their statement, Modi and Biden encouraged public-private collaborations to develop high-performance computing (HPC) facilities in India and pledged to lower barriers to US exports of HPC technology and source code.

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President Biden and Prime Minister Modi also welcomed the establishment of a joint Indo-U.S. Quantum Coordination Mechanism to facilitate collaboration among industry, academia and government in the field of quantum technology.

Both countries will work towards a comprehensive Quantum Information Science and Technology agreement and sustain and grow quantum training and exchange programs.

The National Quantum Mission was first announced in 2020 and hopes to develop intermediate-scale quantum computers with 50 to 1,000 physical qubits by 2031. Also on India's list of objectives are magnetometers, atomic clocks, superconductors, novel semiconductor structures and quantum communications.

Signing the statement, Modi and Biden both acknowledged the opportunities and risks associated with AI and committed to developing joint and international collaboration on trustworthy and responsible AI.

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Furthermore, they highlighted the importance of bilateral cooperation on cutting-edge scientific infrastructure. The Indian Department of Atomic Energy has made a $140 million in-kind contribution to the U.S. Department of Energy's Fermi National Laboratory for the collaborative development of the Proton Improvement Plan-II Accelerator.

First Published:Jun 23, 2023 10:20 AM IST