Exploring Potential Cooperation between India and AUKUS Partnership in Emerging Technologies

Title: India in Informal Talks with AUKUS Partnership on Advanced Technologies

New Delhi: India and the AUKUS partnership of Australia, UK, and US are engaging in informal exploratory conversations on emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence, electronic warfare, and cyber technologies, according to sources familiar with the matter. The AUKUS partnership, formed in 2021, is a military alliance aimed at deterring China, notably through cooperation on nuclear-powered submarines.

The AUKUS nations are interested in collaborating with India on emerging technologies due to New Delhi’s strong scientific research and development capacity. While Indian authorities have shown initial interest, no formal dialogue has taken place.

The focus of the AUKUS partnership is on transferring and jointly developing crucial defense and emerging technologies, with two main pillars. The first pillar involves transferring sensitive nuclear submarine technology from the US and UK to Australia, while the second pillar concentrates on advanced capabilities like artificial intelligence and quantum computing. The current discussions are centered on potential India-AUKUS cooperation under Pillar 2.

Although India has not taken an official stance on the AUKUS partnership, it voted against a Russian and Chinese attempt to undermine the alliance at the International Atomic Energy Association last year. India’s support helped thwart the attempt and may pave the way for future cooperation with AUKUS.

Recently, US President Joe Biden, Australian PM Anthony Albanese, and UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak announced a detailed roadmap to assist Australia in acquiring and operating nuclear-powered submarines, which is expected to enhance the military capabilities of the US and its partners in countering China’s ambitions in the Indo-Pacific region.

Formal cooperation with AUKUS in the future could be a significant move for Indian foreign policy, aligning with the group’s role as a deterrent to Chinese military aspirations in the Indo-Pacific. While some experts believe this collaboration could benefit India’s technology sector, others argue that participation in a formal military alliance goes against India’s traditional stance of opposing such alliances.

Overall, the discussions between India and the AUKUS partnership underscore the evolving dynamics of international security cooperation and technology sharing in the Indo-Pacific region.