BENGALURU: In a significant move to strengthen global collaborations, India and the UK launched a ‘New Technology Security Initiative’, aimed at boosting economic growth and cooperation in critical areas like telecom, AI, and green energy on Thursday. The announcement comes during the visit of David Lammy, the UK’s newly elected Foreign Secretary, to India. The event was focused on building on a series of partnerships between the British and Indian governments, industry and academia. The UK’s Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office’s X handle put out a post of the first visit of foreign secretary Lammy, which said, “From Bengaluru to Birmingham, the UK-India partnership will drive growth and create jobs.”
A new 7-million Euro funding call for future telecom research was also announced by UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) and India’s Department of Science and Technology, under the India-UK science, technology, and innovation partnership. “This government will put growth at the heart of our foreign policy. That’s why three weeks into the job, I am in Delhi announcing a new Technology Security Initiative to deliver on the promise of the UK-India relationship. This will mean real action together on the challenges of the future from AI to critical minerals. Together, we can unlock mutual growth, boost innovation, jobs and investment,” said Lammy. He added that the joint work on the climate crisis will be accelerated to ensure a safe future for “Brits and Indians”.