Bangladesh:
An MoU in the field of IT&E signed between MeitY and Bangladesh on April 8,2017 during the visit of PM of Bangladesh to India for the period of 5 years. MOU intends to promote cooperation in the areas of e-governance, m-Governance, e-Public Services Delivery, cyber security, software technology parks, start-ups etc. The Hon. Prime Minister of India launched the 1 Gbps link between Bangladesh and theNational Knowledge Network (NKN) in March 2019. Bangladesh is expected to gain a lot from the peering, which has made it possible for BdREN to be connected to NKN's international networks. Currently NKN giving them both International REN access as well as traffic for content network providers. A Meeting was held between the Hon'ble MEIT and MP for MOS ICT of Bangladesh on April 26, 2022. Discussed ways to improve cooperation in the start-up ecosystem, cyber-security, emerging technologies, Fintech Sector (particularly UPI), and tech-skilling.
Bhutan:
The Prime Minister of India Shri Narendra Modi made a State Visit to Bhutan during 15th - 16th June 2014. Hon'ble Prime Minister announced Government of India's assistance for establishment of E-Library/ Digital Library. The e-Library Bhutan project was successfully implemented by CDAC as per Project Implementation Plan. The e-Library setups were created at 49 Schools, 12 Colleges across Bhutan, 01 Central repository at Thimphu Tech Park Data Centre and 01 e-Library Studio at Ministry of Education, Royal Government of Bhutan (RGoB).
The EU:
India and the European Union have long standing relationship in the field of technology. Ministry of Electronics and IT (MeitY), Government of India and the Directorate-General for Communications Networks, Content and Technology (DG CONNECT), European Commission signed an Intent of Cooperation on High Performance Computing (HPC), Weather Extremes & Climate Modeling and Quantum Technologies at a virtual ceremony held simultaneously on 21st November 2022 at MeitY, New Delhi and at DG CONNECT, Brussels. A meeting was held between Hon’ble MEIT with H.E. Ms. MargretheVestager, Executive Vice President of the European Commission for a Europe Fit for the Digital Age on 16th June 2022 in Brussels. India-EU ICT JWG meeting is an annual event since year 2000 along with Business Dialogue. The 13thmeeting of the India-EU Joint ICT Working Group took place on 19th April 2021. The 1st EU-India Digital Business and Investment Roundtable under the aegis of “Digital Investment Forum” (DIF) was held on 23 July 2021.
France:
Hon'bleMEIT visited Paris to attend VivaTech 2022 on 15th June 2022. Hon’ble MEIT delivered the keynote at main session and presided over the signing/exchange of the various agreements. India-France Innovation in Information Technology (InFinity) was organized by Embassy of India in Paris on 24-25th November 2021. The event had an aim to connect the French and Indian ecosystems to promote cooperation and highlight cross-border opportunities between the two countries. Also, Indo-French Roadmap on Cybersecurity and Digital Technology was announced during the visit of Hon'ble PM to France in August 2019. The aims of the Roadmap are to enhance cooperation in the field of cybersecurity, digital governance, build Indo-French digital partnership and Economic exchanges through Business and innovation.
Germany:
India and Germany have both acknowledged the importance of digital transformation and Indo-German Digital Dialogue is an important instrument to facilitate cooperation on topics such as Internet Governance, emerging technologies and digital business models. The India-Germany Joint Statement of 6th India/Germany Inter-Governmental Consultations (IGC) held on May 02, 2022 has laid down where both sides agreed that digital transformation is a major area for cooperation. Annual Meeting 2022 of the Indo-German Digital Dialogue held on 21-24 June 2022 in Berlin. The overarching goal was to agree on key cooperation areas. The delegation visited Germany's digital association Bitkom, Siemens, the German Indian Startup Exchange Program (GINSEP), AI Campus and the German Association of the Automotive Industry (VDA).
Japan:
India-Japan Digital Partnership: A Memorandum of Cooperation (MoC) on India-Japan Digital Partnership (IJDP) was signed between MeitY and METI during the visit of Hon’ble PM Shri NarendraModi to Japan in October 2018. The MoC envisages cooperation in startup initiatives, corporate partnerships, ESDM, Digital talent exchange, R&D and strategic issues. The MoC stands extended for another 3 years. The existing Joint Working Group (JWG) between MeitY and METI in IT & Electronics was subsumed under this broad MoC. Regular JWG meeting are held on IT & Electronics/Digital Partnership. The Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry of Japan (METI) had organized a Symposium webinar titled “India-Japan Digital Corridor Partnership” on February 28th 2022. The event saw participation of Hon’ble MEIT. Possibilities of digital cooperation, recruitment of skilled Indian IT talents, cooperation in IT-ITeS, startups and ESDM were explored. NASSCOM had signed anMoU during March 2021 with Advanced Telecommunications Research Institute International (ATR), XBorder Innovations, Inc. (XBI)and Keihanna Research Complex to promote and nurture Indian startups.
Singapore:
- A meeting took place between Hon’ble MEIT and Dr. Vivian Balakrishnan, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Singapore in June 2022 at New Delhi. Discussions took place on Singapore’s experience with public ducts project for optical fiber and semiconductor industry.
- A courtesy call between Hon’bleMoS and Sh. Tan Kiat How, Hon’ble Minister of State (Communications and Information), Singapore was held on 25th April 2022 during the former’s visit to Delhi.
- A meeting was held between MeitY and Singapore delegation led by Dr. Francis Chong, Sr. Director, Emerging Market Division & Singapore in March 2022 to explore possibilities of cooperation in executing projects related to Digital Platform, regulatory sandboxes and Data innovation.
- Hon’ble PM of India Shri NarendraModi visited Singapore in 2018. His official Visit in May-June 2018 witnessed over 35 concrete outcomes in the forms of MoUs, agreements and new initiatives. Several MoUs were signed including in the areas of technology, innovation and start-ups. Fintech emerged as the new areas for bilateral engagement. The 2 governments agreed to set up a JWG on Fintech. Hon’ble PM was witness to the first international launch of India’s financial products - RuPay Card, BHIM-UPI App and UPI-based cross-border remittance App.
United Kingdom:
- Terms of Reference of India-UK Strategic Tech. dialogue are currently under negotiation. The objective of the strategic tech dialogue is to provide an overarching framework for implementing the digital and tech elements of the 2030 roadmap. On 14th April 2022 a meeting was held betweenMeitY and DCMS to discuss the Terms of Reference on UK-India Strategic Tech Dialogue along with future cooperation on the roadmap.
- Several rounds of negotiations have taken place on India-UK Free trade Agreement. Both sides maintain a shared ambition to conclude negotiations by end of 2022.
The USA:
During the visit of the Hon’ble PM to US in July 2005, both sides agreed to set up the Indo-US ICT Working Group ICT dialogue. This forum presents a unique opportunity for the two countries to exchange ideas and experience on all aspects in ICT. The last annual meeting of the India-U.S. ICT Working Group (ICTWG) was held on January 20th2022. The Hon’ble MEIT had suggested that technical cooperation and information exchanges on various ICT issues be conducted with the USA in order to foster mutual understanding in the fields of 5G, ESDM, UPI, and digital trade.
Russia:
Under the framework of Russia-India Intergovernmental Commission on trade-economic, scientific-technical and cultural cooperation, the 6th meeting of the Joint Working Group on Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) was held on January 22-24, 2020, in Moscow. The meeting was held under the chairmanship of Secretary, Ministry of Electronics and Information Technologyand Deputy Minister of Digital Development, Communications and Mass Media of the Russian Federation.
A Joint Declaration of Intent (JDI) was signed between SAMEER and JSC National Radio Technical Bureau (NRTB) on Januray 23, 2020 for conducting R&D within the framework of Make in India initiative.
