Technology content in manufacturing will go up significantly as India aims to grow at a rate of eight to 10 percent for decades. India needs access to technology, a critical enabler for growth, and join the global supply chain in all spheres.
In the process, India needs to assure its neighboring nations that technology was being handled responsibly and for it export control regimes will play a critical role, said Amandeep Singh Gill, Joint Secretary (DISA), Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), Government of India, here today at a roundtable on 'India's Membership to the Multilateral Export Controls Regimes: Implications and Challenges for Indian Industry' organized by FICCI in collaboration with IDSA.
Gill said that it has become necessary to capture the extent of high technology trade in India and it is the right time for India to harmonize its export control regimes with other nations. He added that India was no longer a passive recipient of framework in the arena but its experts were now an integral part of the groups that were framing the regimes.
Highlighting the benefits of strategic trade controls (STCs) to industry, Anandi Venkateswran, Under Secretary D and ISA, MEA, said that STCs have extra-territorial reach and prevents potential proliferation from international commerce and enables standard controls globally.
She added that STCs supports 'Make in India' and attracts FDI and improves access to high technology and would enable shift of industrial base to India.
Ambassador Jayant Prasad, Director General, IDSA, said that access to high-end technology was vital for India's development. Quoting the India-US High Technology Cooperation Group, he said, it promotes access to dual use items through easing of controls on exports of such goods to India and facilitates bilateral high technology commerce in its broadest sense with the US. There is a need for India now for regulatory framework which promotes transfer of high-end technology with ease.
In the presentation on Industry Survey conducted by IDSA for MEA on Industry Preparedness and Compliances to Export Control Regimes was made by Dr. Rajiv Nayan, Senior Research Associate, IDSA and Alisha Anand, Intern, IDSA.
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The survey recommended reforms in licensing regime, creation of a web portal, outreach and training programs for awareness creation about export control regime, creation of an online classification tool to identify goods that fall under the category of SCOMET, online system for tracking the application of licenses and creation of a help desk for industry players.
Dr. A Didar Singh, Secretary General, FICCI, said that the government needs to play the role of a facilitator to industry and create awareness among the stakeholders about export controls regimes. FICCI has been proactively working in this space as future of industry, trade arrangement and manufacturing will rest on technology.
Hence it becomes necessary for businesses to understand the export control regimes to functions seamlessly in future. He added that FICCI has been building awareness among industry about trade control regimes by using varied platforms.