US agrees to take ISRO, DRDO off banned entities list

NEW DELHI - The United States Government on Monday announced that it would lift the ban on high-end technology exports, particularly in the defence and space research areas.

The decision was taken during the meeting between Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and US President Barack Obama at Hyderabad House in New Delhi and announced at the joint press conference of the two leaders.

The move will benefit Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) and Hyderabad-headquartered Bharat Dynamics Limited (BDL).

The Prime Minister, Dr. Manmohan Singh, welcomed the decision, saying that both countries have agreed on steps to deepen cooperation on nuclear, defence and other high-end spectrum.

President Obama said that the US would also support India’s full membership in the 45-member Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG) and three other multilateral export control regimes.

He said that the US and India can take their “partnership forward to a new level”.

“We have to see how the US and India can take the partnership forward to a new level. The trade and investment deals signed in Mumbai are important to take the Indo-US partnership to a new level. We have to keep working to remove protectionism and trade barriers,” Obama said. (ANI)