Indo-US Endowment Awards Presented, Focus on AI Collaboration

New Delhi: Union Minister of State for Science and Technology, Dr. Jitendra Singh, emphasized the growing importance of AI-enabled collaboration between India and the United States while presenting the Indo-US Endowment Awards to 17 winning teams. The awards, part of the United States–India Science & Technology Endowment Fund (USISTEF), were presented at a ceremony that also saw participation from United States Ambassador Eric Garcetti.

The event marked a significant moment in the Indo-US strategic partnership in science and technology, with a focus on critical and emerging technologies. Dr. Singh highlighted that the Department of Science and Technology (DST) and its US counterparts are actively working together to expand the Indo-US technology partnership. This collaboration aims to connect scientists from both nations to co-develop emerging technologies such as Artificial Intelligence (AI), smart connected cities, and quantum technologies.

In his address, Dr. Singh congratulated the 17 winning teams for their pioneering work in AI-enabled technologies, decision support systems, GPT-powered AI, and quantum communication technologies. He emphasized that the collaborative projects under the Indo-US initiative on Critical and Emerging Technology (iCET) are poised to build a robust innovation ecosystem across both countries.

“As part of iCET, new implementing agreements have been executed to expand international collaboration in areas such as cyber-physical systems, computer science, and secure cyberspace,” Dr. Singh noted. He shared that 11 high-potential proposals have been awarded through a joint DST-National Science Foundation call for research in these fields.

Dr. Singh pointed out that India and the US are at a critical juncture in the global technological landscape, with AI, advanced manufacturing, blockchain, and quantum computing set to drive the biggest technology transformation of the century. He credited Prime Minister Narendra Modi for creating an enabling innovation ecosystem in India, citing recent reforms such as design-linked incentives for semiconductors, PLI schemes for automobiles, and progressive policies like the drone policy.

The Minister also lauded the phenomenal growth of India’s startup ecosystem, which has expanded from 350 startups in 2014 to over 1,40,000 startups today. India is home to more than 110 unicorns, with 23 of them emerging last year, underscoring the nation’s rapid rise in the global science, technology, and innovation (STI) ladder.

The USISTEF, established in 2009, has played a key role in fostering joint Indo-US entrepreneurial initiatives, supporting projects that co-develop products and technologies beyond the ideation stage. Over the years, the fund has significantly impacted both countries by fostering sustainable collaborations between inventors, and enabling the development of new products and technologies.