Tech cooperation the new glue in India-US ties, says Antony Blinken

Speaking at the Hindustan Times Leadership Summit 2026, the former US secretary of state highlighted semiconductors, AI and space as key pillars of the partnership.

New Delhi: Describing the India-US relations as an essential element of the 21st century, former US secretary of state Antony Blinken said on Saturday that technological cooperation will drive the next phase of bilateral relations between the two countries.

Speaking at the Hindustan Times Leadership Summit 2026, he described the India-US partnership is a global relationship dealing with global issues. He noted that the two countries can collaborate on semiconductors, AI and space, among other sectors.

"The relationship, partnership or the strategic convergence between the US and India is an essential element of this new century and one that we continue to pursue and to deepen," he said.

Referring to the improvement in bilateral ties in the past 25 years and the signing of the civil nuclear deal in 2008, he added, "What really flipped the switch was our ability to do nuclear cooperation. Now going forward it's technological cooperation. That should be the driving force..our ability to work together on producing semiconductors together, our ability to secure AI supply chains, our ability to work together on space, work together on quantum. All of these things are a kind of glue that continues to get stronger."

The statement comes at a time when India and the US are working on a bilateral trade deal. They are currently in talks to finalize the first tranche of a proposed trade agreement.

Calling for an off-ramp from the current conflict, the former secretary of state said, "The problem with the off-ramp..the acknowledgment of the off-ramp, is not sustainable, because that off-ramp requires some kind of accommodation with Iran, and that's what needs to be done to acknowledge it. If the off-ramp remains, I think it would be very possible to get an agreement and diplomatic resolution. But in that resolution, exactly what Iran does on its nuclear program may not look any different, or certainly not better, than the agreement that President Trump tore up. That's very hard for me to acknowledge."

The US launched the war against Iran on 28 February this year amid allegations of an imminent Iranian attack and after bilateral talks failed to contain Tehran's nuclear programme. The two sides signed a preliminary memorandum of understanding, or ceasefire agreement, in June, though the truce proved fragile and the conflict has continued on a smaller scale.

Iranian foreign minister Syed Abbas Araghchi has urged the United Nations and its nuclear watchdog to condemn a US reward of up to $20 million for information on Tehran's nuclear programme. The complaint follows a US State Department announcement offering the bounty, along with "possible relocation", for specific details on Iran's nuclear facilities and equipment, as well as the identities and movements of personnel linked to the programme, including scientists.

President Donald Trump has raised the prospect of bombing Tehran's nuclear facilities again, citing his determination to prevent the Islamic Republic from ever developing nuclear weapons as justification for the conflict. The US and Israel had previously carried out airstrikes on Iran's nuclear programme in June 2025.

But earlier this week, Trump indicated that further military strikes against Iran were not immediately necessary. While Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has been urging the US leadership to resume strikes and pursue regime change in Tehran, Trump has signalled reluctance to launch fresh military campaigns, favouring continued economic pressure and diplomacy instead.

The launch of the attacks on Iran and the killing of its Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, in a joint US-Israeli military strike on his residential compound in Tehran on 28 February 2026, prompted Iran to close the Strait of Hormuz, triggering a surge in global oil prices. The strait is a vital chokepoint carrying 20% of the world's oil and gas trade.

Blinken further said that Washington's bilateral ties with India and Pakistan must be de-hyphenated, noting that the US-India relationship is a global partnership focused on global challenges, whereas ties with Pakistan remain a regional partnership centred on regional issues.