US could Lift Restrictions on Hi-Tech Exports.

New Delhi: The US is likely to ease restrictions on transferring high technology to India, especially in the country's closely guarded space weapon projects.

“Certain to be on the agenda is the removal of the last remaining export controls on US dual use technology and military hardware to India, including technology appropriate for development of space weapons,” says Mathew Hoey, founder Bostonbased Military Space Transparency Project and a former senior research associate at the Institute for Defense and Disarmament Studies.

Since President Obama pledged in 2009 to seek a ban on space weapons, it seems the US would not want to facilitate other countries  especially ones in dangerous regions, with hairtrigger nuclear weapons, and quiet but clear intentions in that direction  in development of those weapons. “But with the final hurdles of export control removed, that could well be the result, with so far little or no objection,” Hoey pointed out.

The relationship between India and the US has been extraordinarily close since 2001, the US viewing India as a rising democracy and ally in the fight against radical Islamist fundamentalism. Shortly after 9/11, sanctions in place against India since its 1998 nuclear tests began to be lifted. Subsequently in 2001, the number of Indian companies on the Commerce Department’s Entity List was reduced to just 2 from 159. Additionally, the US licensing policy with India for nuclear and missile related technology changed from “policy of denial” to caseby case review.

Source : financialexpress.com