A Special Report by SCSP & ORF America

The AI century connects Washington and New Delhi.

Now is the moment to anchor the U.S.–India partnership in the artificial intelligence (AI) and emerging technology fields that will shape the future of the world. The U.S.–India AI and Emerging Technology Compact charts four pillars and eighteen recommendations to strengthen the partnership in the technologies that will define the global order.

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FOUR PILLARS · EIGHTEEN RECOMMENDATIONS

The strengths of one nation directly complement and de-risk the priorities of the other.

What America Brings

01 Frontier AI research

02 Advanced semiconductor design

03 Foundational models

04 Trusted compute

What India Brings

STEM talent at scale 01

Vast data reserves 02

A rapidly growing market 03

Population-scale deployment 04

A Strategic Exchange

How complementary strengths reinforce one another

CAPITAL, COMPUTE & GOODS Expanding trusted capacity

TALENT Connecting expertise and opportunity

CO-INVESTMENT Building shared capabilities

The Economic Stakes

The baseline is already profound. AI multiplies it.

$0B invested by Indian companies in the United States MANUFACTURING · LIFE SCIENCES · IT

~0K American jobs created and supported in 2025 ACROSS ALL 50 STATES

0% India’s forecast real GDP growth in 2026 +0.2% FROM THE 2026 TRADE DEAL

0% of U.S. real GDP growth through Q3 2025 was driven by tech & AI investment CENTRAL TO ECONOMIC MOMENTUM

$0B AI’s projected addition to India’s economy by 2030 $2.6T POTENTIAL IN EDUCATION BY 2047

0% of Indian business leaders say AI investment will move national GDP SURVEYED BUSINESS LEADERS

Recommendations

Pillar A — HARNESS THE POWER: APPLICATIONS

Deploy beneficial AI at scale — and make U.S.-India platforms the global standard, outcompeting adversarial alternatives.

A1 - Establish a U.S.-India AI Coalition for Application and Adoption Establish a public-private body chaired at the cabinet level to prioritize the development, adoption, and use of commercial and dual-use AI applications in both nations — and carry them to the Global South.

A2 - Streamline AI Cybersecurity Cooperation Develop real-time threat-sharing protocols and common incident frameworks for AI-related cyber threats ranging from CISA to CERT-In.

A3 - Strengthen Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) Linkages Create an innovation portal for U.S. firms to deploy trusted security solutions atop India’s identity, payments, and data stack.

A4 - Integrate AI into Defense Dialogues, Capabilities Development, and Joint Exercises Add AI to the 2+2 Ministerial agenda, launch joint R&D projects, and integrate AI into joint exercises including Tiger Triumph, Yudh Abhyas, Cope India, and Malabar.

Pillar B — BUILD THE BASE: AI INFRASTRUCTURE

Connect the digital and industrial foundations of the U.S.- and Indian AI tech stacks — compute, connectivity, energy, and cloud.

B1 - Establish a Comprehensive U.S.–India Full-Stack AI Infrastructure and Technology Program Identify and export integrated U.S.–Indian AI infrastructure, including data centers, cloud, edge, models, and connectivity.

B2 - Synchronize U.S. and Indian Semiconductor Policies Align policy for supply-chain resilience and co-develop de novo semiconductor technology with trusted procurement.

B3 - Mobilize a Joint AI Infrastructure Financing and Investment Program Create the joint AI infrastructure financing program to deploy financing by mobilizing public capital from DFC, the EXIM Banks, and NIIFL for trusted, high-impact AI infrastructure projects.

B4 - Create a Single-Window Clearance Mechanism for AI Infrastructure Projects Establish a single-window fast-track mechanism under Invest India to expedite land, water, power, and construction approvals.

B5 - Create and Integrated Supply and Deployment Chain for Refurbished U.S. GPUs Institute a program for certified refurbished U.S. GPUs to power India’s population-scale AI, providing affordable compute while generating less e-waste.

Pillar C — TRAIN THE FUTURE: TALENT

Link the world’s two largest pools of AI expertise — not just engineers, but ethicists, educators, and domain experts.

C1 - Conduct Joint AI Labor-Market Mapping Conduct an annual joint forecast of AI workforce needs to effectively align education and training with real demand.

C2 - Create a Standardized Certification Process for AI Talent Implement globally recognized and mutually trusted benchmarks for core AI competencies that are directly linked to talent exchange.

C3 - Create a Binational AI Training & Apprenticeship Network Build hands-on AI training and apprenticeship hubs that link universities, community colleges, and vocational colleges across borders.

C4 - Launch a Joint U.S.-India Research and Innovation Accelerator Launch aligned funding, seed capital, and intellectual property protections for joint R&D modeled on the U.S.–Israel BIRD Foundation.

Pillar D — Policy & Standards

Speak with one voice on global AI governance — and define the rules of the road for the century’s most consequential technology.

D1 - Establish a U.S.–India AI Standards Council Form a bilateral council where NIST and the Bureau of Indian Standards can synchronize standards and build mutual certification pathways.

D2 - Develop a Dataset Quality and Sharing Frameworks Establish secure, privacy-preserving, and interoperable bilateral data sharing, starting with a joint climate-forecasting pilot program.

D3 - Negotiate a Joint Intellectual-Property Compact Draft clear rules for the ownership, licensing, and benefit-sharing of co-developed AI components and datasets.

D4 - Launch a Public Trust and Transparency Campaign Launch a data-led communication campaign focusing on jobs, safety, and the reality that AI augments, rather than replaces, human intelligence.

D5 - Create a Unified U.S.–India AI Compliance and Information Portal Create one authoritative, unified source for export controls, investment screening, and AI regulation in both countries.

The Compact

Together, an AI ecosystem more resilient and innovative than either nation could achieve alone.

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DEVELOPED BY THE SPECIAL COMPETITIVE STUDIES PROJECT & ORF AMERICA