Welcoming the bipartisan support to the initiative taken by Representative George Holding to institutionalise the Indo-US defence relationship through an amendment to the National Defence Authorisation Act, which the House passed on May 18, FICCI Secretary General Dr. A. Didar Singh on Wednesday said it would not only fast track congressional approval of licenses but also give access to state of the art technologies of today.
"This elevated status will not only fast track congressional approval of licenses but also give access to state of the art technologies of today, that would kick start co-production and co-development activities thereby realising the objectives of both 'Make in India' and DTTI," said Singh.
"Over the years, FICCI (Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry) has been engaging with all the stakeholders through Track II diplomacy and outreach initiatives to boost high-technology trade", Singh added.
This amendment recognises India's status as a trusted defence partner of the United States, and calls for a dedicated official in the executive branch and an official in the Department of Defence to focus on the Indo-US defence cooperation, including the transfer of advanced defence technology.
FICCI is hopeful that these encouraging steps by U.S. legislators towards elevating India's status as a defence partner to a level equivalent to that of a North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) ally will further deepen the "B2B" engagements between US and Indian private sectors.