Taking a foot forward in the export of dual-technology items, India and the US today inked an agreement on setting up the first-ever high technology cooperation group that will ready a roadmap to turn the ‘‘desire of greater cooperation into reality’’.The high technology group will draw officials from several key departments in both countries and examine ways to do away with licences, besides facilitating use of dual-technology products. US Under-Secretary for Commerce Kenneth Juster spoke of cooperation in civilian applications of nuclear and space technology, areas that formed a part of the dreaded Entity List. The American Bureau of Export Administration’s list had banned over 300 Indian government and private companies. This has now shrunk to less than 16.The group is likely to meet early next year in Washington and the Satellite Launch Vehicle programme could benefit from it. Sources say that the group could also offer several benefits to the Light Combat Aircraft programme, advanced computing, navigational equipment, satellite imagery, high resolution devices and critical components for remote sensing satellites.
