Trump team sees India as key player in future tech, says US official

INDIA is a trusted partner of the US on technology, supply chains and emerging technologies, an official of the Trump administration said on Tuesday (10).

Sarah B Rogers is under secretary of state for public diplomacy and was recently on a two-week visit to India, Nepal, Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan.

Rogers said her trip focused on commercial diplomacy, cultural preservation and connectivity through digital freedom and innovation. She highlighted the US-India TRUST initiative, aimed at strategic technologies and research collaboration.

“In India, I joined ambassador (Sergio) Gor at IIT New Delhi to highlight the TRUST, and that’s an acronym for Transforming the Relationship Utilizing Strategic Technology, the Trust Initiative. That’s our partnership with India and Trusted Technology, AI, and the Critical and Emerging Technologies,” she told a virtual press briefing.

Rogers said the initiative was one of several efforts aimed at advancing US strategic interests in the region.

“Sergio Gor and I spoke together at IIT Delhi on this trust initiative, and this is one of many concrete deliverables that advance some of our really important strategic interests in the region,” she said.

“India is one of our trusted partners on things like quantum computing and supply chains, and that is an example of a concrete implementation of Trump administration priorities in south and Central Asia.”

Rogers also noted cooperation through the Quad and discussions on digital infrastructure. “On the heels of secretary (of state Marco) Rubio’s successful Quad meetings, days later, I actually visited with some of our exchange participants in the Quad Framework to talk about fiber optic cables and other kind of critical technological initiatives in the region.”

On the possibility of greater US-India cooperation on technology policy and innovation, Rogers pointed to the “already substantial” existing collaboration.

“There are already several lines of collaboration between the US and India on tech. India is a giant tech market, and we’ve seen a lot of productive symbiosis,” she said.

“One line of collaboration that I actually mentioned in my opening remarks, the Trust Initiative, is a great example, and we’re seeing productive collaboration through the Quad as well, and I am confident there will be future productive lines of collaboration on tech, too.”

Rogers said the broader south and central Asia trip reflected Washington’s focus on strengthening partnerships across the region.

In Nepal, Rogers met American Chamber of Commerce members and senior government officials and discussed investment climate reforms linked to a $550 million Millennium Challenge Corporation compact.

In Uzbekistan, she signed a joint statement launching a new Fulbright program focused on critical minerals and energy. In Turkmenistan, she met young entrepreneurs participating in a US-backed English-language and professional development initiative.

She said the visit reflected president Donald Trump’s commitment to deeper engagement with the region and highlighted cooperation across economic, technological and educational sectors.

“The US is not just present in south and central Asia. We are invested in the people, the partnerships, and the shared future we are building together,” she said.