India raises defence export licence concerns with US

India today raised serious concerns relating to defence trade with the US, including export licence restrictions on its PSUs and DRDO by including them in the American 'Entity List'.

During a meeting between Defence Minister A K Antony and US Defence Secretary Robert Gates here, India also informed the US that its bilateral defence relations should grow from seller-buyer to a comprehensive cooperation rooted in transfer of technology and co-production of equipment and weapons.

Indicating its hesitation in going ahead with three defence agreements, it stressed that these pacts, including Communication Inter-operability and Security Memorandum of Agreement (CISMOA), being pushed by US, would have to be studied for their benefits before signing them.

"Antony conveyed to Gates the Indian concerns regarding denial of export licences for various defence related requirement of the armed forces and also regarding the inclusion of some Indian defence PSUs and DRDO labs in the 'Entity List' of the US government," a Defence Ministry spokesperson said in a statement.

"Antony expressed the view that such restrictions were anomalous in the context of the steady improvement in the bilateral defence relations between both countries," he said.

Gates, during the meeting, referred to President Barack Obama's initiative on a comprehensive reform of US export control regulations and assured that it would involve facilitation in the supply of defence technology and equipment to India.