India, Malaysia Forge AI & Defence Alliance as Modi, Anwar Boost Ties

The discussions took place during Prime Minister Modi's official visit to Malaysia from February 7 to 8, undertaken at the invitation of Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim.

The two leaders reaffirmed their commitment to further consolidate and expand bilateral ties rooted in centuries-old civilisational links, shared democratic values and strong people-to-people connections.

Artificial intelligence and the digital economy featured prominently in the talks. Both leaders welcomed the formalisation of the Malaysia-India Digital Council (MIDC), which is envisioned as a key platform to advance collaboration in emerging technologies, including AI, fintech, cybersecurity, digital public infrastructure, and e-governance.

The official MEA statement read, "The Leaders applauded the formalisation of the Malaysia-India Digital Council (MIDC), recognising its potential as a key platform to advance digital cooperation, foster innovation, and explore collaborative projects in areas such as fintech, e-governance, cybersecurity, artificial intelligence, Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI), and emerging technologies. Both Leaders emphasised that MIDC will serve as a strategic mechanism to strengthen bilateral digital engagement and support the digital transformation agendas of both countries."

"The Leaders welcomed the collaboration between NPCI International Limited (NIPL) and PayNet Malaysia to establish bilateral payment linkages. They noted that this integration will significantly enhance the ease of doing business and provide seamless, low-cost remittance and payment solutions for tourists, students, and small businesses, thereby enabling closer economic and people-to-people connectivity between Malaysia and India," it further read.

Prime Minister Modi highlighted India's growing role in shaping global digital governance and noted that India will host the upcoming AI-Impact Summit, which aims to promote responsible, inclusive and development-oriented applications of artificial intelligence.

The two sides underlined the importance of leveraging technology to drive innovation, economic growth and public service delivery.

Semiconductors emerged as another key pillar of future cooperation, with both sides recognising the strategic importance of the sector to global supply chains and technological resilience. The leaders underlined the need to strengthen bilateral collaboration across the semiconductor value chain, including in innovation, workforce development and supply chain security. They welcomed ongoing cooperation between academic institutions and industry bodies from both countries, viewing these initiatives as building blocks for a resilient and competitive semiconductor ecosystem.

The official MEA statement read, "In the energy sector, the Leaders noted the significant strides made by PETRONAS and Gentari in India's renewable energy and green hydrogen landscape. In this regard, both Leaders emphasized the vast potential for further collaboration in large scale solar energy initiatives, leveraging Malaysia's expertise to drive clean energy solutions and achieve mutual net-zero ambitions. Malaysia appreciates India's initiative in establishing the International Solar Alliance (ISA)."

"The Leaders acknowledged the strategic importance of the semiconductor industry to the global technology landscape and underlined the mutual benefit of strengthening bilateral synergy in this sector. They emphasised the importance of deepening cooperation to strengthen the semiconductor value chain focusing on technological innovation, workforce development, and supply chain stability to build a resilient and competitive ecosystem. The Prime Ministers commended the cooperation initiatives underway, including cooperation between IIT- Madras Global and Advanced Semiconductor Academy of Malaysia and between the Indian Electronics and Semiconductor Association (IESA) and Malaysia Semiconductor Industry Association (MSIA)," the statement read further.

Prime Minister Modi expressed gratitude for the warm hospitality extended by Malaysia and invited Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim to visit India in the near future, underscoring the shared commitment of both countries to elevate their Comprehensive Strategic Partnership to new heights.

- ANI