India-US Relations: A Burgeoning Partnership

The recent decision by the United States to upgrade India from Strategic Trade Authorization (STA)-2 to STA-1 category has come as a huge shot in the arm for ties between the two countries.

- Ambassador Ashok Sajjanhar

In STA-2, India was in company with seven other countries including Israel, South Africa, Singapore, Hong Kong, Albania etc. This implied that only a limited number of dual-use technologies could be imported by India. By its inclusion in STA-1, India can import more than 90 percent dual use technologies whose export is severely restricted by USA and is permitted only to its NATO allies and some other trusted partners with robust export control systems.

UPGRADE OF INDIA TO STA-1 CATEGORY 

Inclusion in category STA-1 meets one of the original demands of India when it signed the US-India nuclear deal in 2008 to access sensitive technology from USA. India realizes that if it has to move up the ladder of economic advancement it is essential for it to have access to cutting edge technologies which were denied to it during the cold war period.

India becomes the 37th member of STA-1 which includes most members of NATO (not all, as Albania which is a member of NATO, does not find a place in STA-1). India is the first country from South Asia and only the third country, after Japan and Republic of Korea, from Asia. The current up-gradation brings India at par with NATO allies of USA.

There is also going to be a hotline between the Indian Defence Minister and the US Secretary for Defense.