Goyal, Raimondo lead Innovation Handshake to deepen India-US tech ties
Nov 15, 2023
San Francisco [US], November 15 : Union commerce minister Piyush Goyal and his US counterpart Gina Raimondo led an industry roundtable and officially launched the two countries' ambitious "Innovation Handshake" agenda, which President Biden and Prime Minister Modi previewed during the Prime Minister's historic June 2023 official State Visit earlier this year.
At the event, co-hosted by the US-India Business Council and the Confederation of Indian Industry, CEOs from major information and communication technology companies, executives from venture capital firms, and founders of startups in the critical and emerging technology space discussed how to enhance US-India technology collaboration.
"Through the Innovation Handshake, the United States and India are forging a critical tech partnership that will further strengthen our interconnected innovation ecosystems," said Secretary Raimondo.
"This is an important step to bolster the U.S.-India commercial relationship and I look forward to building on this progress with Minister Goyal to help U.S. and Indian workers and businesses succeed."
"The Innovation Handshake signals a joint commitment to strengthen the startup ecosystem and promote cooperation in Critical and Emerging Technologies between India and the United States," said Union Minister Piyush Goyal, who is on a four-day US visit.
"Signing an MoU to Enhance Innovation Ecosystems through an Innovation Handshake is an important step in growing the India-U.S. partnership for the 21st century" he added.
The announcement laid the groundwork for two future Innovation Handshake events scheduled to take place in India and the United States in early 2024, which include an investment forum aimed toward helping US and Indian startup companies take their innovative ideas and products to market and a "hackathon" in Silicon Valley where US and Indian startups will pitch ideas and technologies to help address global economic challenges.
The Innovation Handshake, a concept developed under the US-India Commercial Dialogue, will bring the two governments together with venture capital leaders, entrepreneurs, and other industry and institutional stakeholders in a series of frank discussions designed to open up opportunities and address challenges in the priority sectors identified under the US-India initiative for Critical and Emerging Technology (iCET).
The Innovation Handshake aims to connect the two countries' dynamic startup ecosystems, address specific regulatory hurdles to cooperation, and promote innovation and job growth, particularly in emerging technologies.
