US NSA Jake Sullivan set to visit India this month

US national security advisor (NSA) Jake Sullivan plans to visit New Delhi later this month, in what would be his second visit here since last year, with plans to focus on reviewing progress under the Initiative for Critical and Emerging Technology (iCET) with his counterpart Ajit Doval, said people with knowledge of the matter.

Sullivan's agenda includes participation in Raisina Dialogue, India's premier foreign policy dialogue, they said.

The proposed visit comes in the backdrop of the US government last week approving sale of 31 MQ9B drones to India. The Defence Security Cooperation Agency said the US state department gave the approval for drones and related equipment worth $3.99 billion. The agency said it had also delivered the required certification notifying Congress of the sale.


Last December deputy NSAs from both sides held a comprehensive review of iCET and agreed to broaden the scope of the initiative to biotechnology, critical minerals and rare earth processing technologies, digital connectivity and digital public infrastructure, and advanced materials.