Odishatv Bureau
New Delhi: India on Monday said its high technology ties with the U.S. have underperformed, particularly in commercial sectors, and pitched for promoting cooperation in R&D, design, commercialisation and production.

“There is a shared perception that the HTCG has in a sense underperformed and underachieved, especially in commercial sectors,” Foreign Secretary Nirupama Rao said at the Opening Plenary of the Indo-U.S. High Technology Cooperation Group (HTCG) here.

For the commercial sectors, the forum was expected to facilitate tangible and concrete steps within a bilateral framework to expand commercial ties in identified sectors.

“While the focus has been on conventional trade and market access, we must now focus equally on promoting cooperation in research and development, design, commercialisation and production,” Ms. Rao said.

She said the two sides must not only focus on barriers to trade, but also on commercial opportunities in the broadest sense.

In the defence sector, India would lay emphasis on building national capacity through joint production, joint research and development and transfer of technology, Ms. Rao said, adding that such collaborations would create the same kind of mutual benefit that we see in other economic sectors.

“Regulatory framework in both countries should evolve in a manner that facilitates trade and expands opportunities for collaboration in defence equipment and services,” she said.

Ms. Rao said the two sides should look at innovative models to harness opportunities in aviation sector, aircraft and aircraft components, air traffic management, repairs and maintenance, aviation safety and security and capacity building.

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