This is good to hear. Look's like India is serious about being a first world power. These roads will increase the quality of life for the population of India.
National Network
India, US close to inking high-tech space pact
EXPRESS NEWS SERVICE
NEW DELHI, DECEMBER 1 Taking forward the agenda of civilian space cooperation, India and US are looking at soon finalising a technology safeguard agreement (TSA) on cooperation in the sector.
Both sides today agreed on an elaborate action plan. ‘‘Removal of some of the restrictions has made a difference to our trade in high-tech products,’’ Foreign Secretary Shyam Saran said today at a joint press interaction with US Under Secretary for Commerce and industry David H McCormick.
The discussions between the two officials came following the industry-to-industry interaction as part of the Indo-US High Technology Cooperation Group here. Emphasis was also laid on expanding cooperation in defence technology. Saran revealed that India had received a draft of the TSA. ‘‘We hope to be able to conclude that very soon,’’ he said.
Saran said all pending issues related to a US payload on Chandrayan, India’s first lunar mission set for launch in 2008, have been resolved.
It was also decided to set up a private sector working group on biotechnology and initiate an Indo-US Nanotechnology Collaborative Programme for long-term basic research and application. New Delhi has also suggested creating a joint fund for R&D in nanotechnology.
McCormick said he was confident that the discussions had provided an ‘‘excellent foundation’’ for moving forward in these critical areas. He said that bilateral trade had increased by about 20 per cent every year since 2002 when the HTCG was formed.
Only 1 per cent of total US exports to India, he said, needed licences; trade in dual-use items currently stands at $300 million.
URL: http://www.indianexpress.com/full_story.php?content_id=83093