The Hindu Business Line : `Barriers to Indo-US defence trade could be reduced'

THERE could be further reduction in the barriers to trade to take the US-India defence trade relationship to unprecedented levels, said the US Under Secretary of Commerce for Industry and Security, Mr David McCormick.

Addressing the inaugural plenary of the High Technology Cooperation Group (HTCG) `Dialogue on Nano Technology, Defence Technology and Biotechnology', organised by FICCI, US India Business Council and CII, Mr McCormick said that the future of HTCG hinges on concentrating on achievable results and the focus should be on lowering barriers to trade, increasing access to high-technology goods, enhancing non-proliferation measures and encouraging private industry participation in the dialogue.

In biotechnology, Mr McCormick underlined the need for increasing opportunities in areas such as supply-chain integrity of biological and pharmaceutical materials and expanding clinical research capacity in India.

The potential areas of cooperation in nano technology were development of metrology and appropriate nomenclature to enable further international development. He hoped the deliberations of the HTCG would produce an action plan for both industry and Government in each of the hi-tech areas.

Dr R. Chidambaram, Principal Scientific Advisor to the Government, expressed confidence that India's growth rate was sustainable at 7.5 per cent, as it was likely to be driven by knowledge-based industries. "I want India to become a hot spot for innovation across the board, including high-technology areas," he said.

Foreign Secretary Mr Shyam Saran said, "We have largely fulfilled our regulatory responsibilities and created an enabling structure for high-technology commerce to expand.

Our focus should now be on promotional and outreach activities design to ensure that industry takes full advantage of the opportunities that we have created for them."

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