RT team
Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Donald Trump reaffirmed their commitment to advancing U.S.-India cooperation in space exploration, naming 2025 a “pioneering year for civil space collaboration.” The leaders held comprehensive talks on February 14, 2025, emphasizing defense, energy, space, and critical technologies, alongside the launch of the INDUS Innovation Bridge to bolster partnerships.
The joint statement highlighted plans for expanded collaboration in long-duration human spaceflight, planetary protection, and space safety. Modi and Trump emphasized professional exchanges to share expertise and foster innovation in emerging space technologies. Additionally, the leaders unveiled the U.S.-India ‘TRUST’ initiative (Transforming the Relationship Utilizing Strategic Technology), aiming to catalyze partnerships across government, academia, and the private sector in defense, AI, quantum computing, biotechnology, and space.
The statement announced key milestones, including the NASA-ISRO partnership through AXIOM to send the first Indian astronaut to the International Space Station and the upcoming launch of the NISAR mission. This mission, a joint NASA-ISRO effort, will leverage advanced radar technology to map Earth’s surface, aiding applications such as agriculture and disaster management.
As part of TRUST, the roadmap for accelerating AI infrastructure in India will address financing, connectivity, and technology integration, fostering large-scale U.S.-India collaboration in emerging technologies. The INDUS Innovation Bridge, modeled on the successful INDUS-X defense platform, will expand cooperation in space and energy to strengthen innovation leadership.
The leaders reaffirmed their commitment to INDUS-X partnerships and announced a 2025 summit to advance defense and innovation objectives.
