New Delhi, Apr 27 (PTI) India is prone to ask the US to ease export controls and grant it entry to essential applied sciences on par with key American allies like Australia, the UK, and Japan underneath the proposed bilateral commerce settlement (BTA), sources mentioned.
They added that India could search these easing for sectors like telecom tools, biotechnology, AI (synthetic intelligence), prescribed drugs, quantum computing and semiconductors.
The nation can also be looking for responsibility concessions for labour-intensive sectors like textiles, gems and jewelry, leather-based items, clothes, plastics, chemical compounds, shrimp, oil seeds, chemical compounds, grapes and bananas within the proposed pact with America.
Alternatively, the US desires responsibility concessions in sectors like sure industrial items, vehicles (electrical autos significantly), wines, petrochemical merchandise, dairy, agriculture objects equivalent to apples, and tree nuts, they mentioned.
As a part of the proposed BTA, one of many sources mentioned, India could request the US to position it on par with different key US allies together with Australia, UK and Japan concerning entry to know-how by means of easing of export controls significantly in key areas like telecom tools, biotechnology, and AI.
Easy accessibility to cutting-edge applied sciences in these sectors would assist increase India’s innovation capabilities, improve its technological infrastructure, and additional push the nation’s financial development.
The commerce ministry, which is main the negotiations for the settlement, declined to remark when requested about these points.
In accordance with assume tank GTRI, the US has eased export controls to strengthen know-how partnerships with shut allies like Australia, the UK, and Japan. The modifications are designed to make collaboration simpler in essential sectors.
It mentioned that as a part of the AUKUS safety pact, the US has simplified guidelines for sharing defence and dual-use applied sciences with Australia and the UK. Starting September 1, 2024, about 80 per cent of defence-related exports to those international locations now not require particular person licences underneath revised US arms rules.
In September 2024, Washington additionally launched new world controls on exports associated to quantum computing and semiconductor manufacturing.
Nevertheless, trusted companions equivalent to Australia, the UK, Japan, and different G7 nations are largely exempt from these new necessities, serving to maintain analysis and commerce channels open, GTRI Founder Ajay Srivastava mentioned.
On India’s request, he mentioned, whereas Washington is keen to strengthen tech ties with India, particularly underneath the Quad framework, it might cease wanting providing full parity.
“American officers may level to ongoing issues about India’s export controls, mental property protections, cybersecurity requirements, and army relationships with Russia. Fairly than blanket exemptions, Washington could recommend mechanisms equivalent to trusted accomplice programmes, project-specific licences, or expanded licensing exceptions for choose Indian entities,” Srivastava added.
The phrases of references (ToRs) have been finalised by India and the US for the proposed settlement, which embrace round 19 chapters masking points equivalent to tariffs, items, companies, guidelines of origin, non-tariff boundaries, and customs facilitation.
To present additional impetus to the talks within the 90-day tariff pause window, an Indian official staff was there in Washington to iron out variations on sure points earlier than formally launching negotiations for the pact.
The US remained India’s largest buying and selling accomplice for the fourth consecutive yr in 2024-25 with bilateral commerce valued at USD 131.84 billion. The US accounts for about 18 per cent of India’s complete items exports, 6.22 per cent in imports, and 10.73 per cent within the nation’s complete merchandise commerce.
With America, India had a commerce surplus (the distinction between imports and exports) of USD 41.18 billion in items in 2024-25. It was USD 35.32 billion in 2023-24, USD 27.7 billion in 2022-23, USD 32.85 billion in 2021-22 and USD 22.73 billion in 2020-21. The US has raised issues over this widening commerce deficit.
