India pushes US to lift tech transfer ban

India has pitched for taking firms such as DRDO and ISRO off the US list of foreign entities slapped with technologies' transfer ban during National Security Advisor Shiv Shankar Menon's meeting with American counterpart James Jones on Wednesday.

India has pitched for taking firms such as DRDO and ISRO off the US list of foreign entities slapped with technologies' transfer ban during National Security Advisor Shiv Shankar Menon's meeting with American counterpart James Jones on Wednesday.

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Jones is in India to lay the groundwork for US President Barack Obama's visit in November. Sources said Menon and Jones discussed regional security issues, including the changing power equations in Afghanistan and the US sanctions on Iran that India feels can hurt its energy security designs.

The US also took up the issue of the Nuclear Liability Bill, passage of which is a must for the American private sector to engage in nuclear trade with India.

Menon is learnt to have conveyed that the lifting of sanctions is necessary for the full-realisation of the India-US strategic partnership and also for greater cooperation between US and Indian companies.

Sources said Jones assured Menon that the US was "looking at ways"to remove these sanctions within ambit of US domestic laws.

Jones was updated about the "domestic process under way"on the passing of the civil nuclear liability bill.

Menon is also learnt to have conveyed Indian view that the US imposed sanction on Iran for its nuclear programme can hurt India's long-term energy security plans. India has consistently maintained that sanction can be counter-productive.