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Ahead of US President Barack Obama’s visit, India and the US on Friday signed a joint declaration for the next five years to support each other in the field of information and communications technology and electronics (ICTE).
This is also in line with the bilateral meeting held in Washington DC last week (January 14-15), where it was agreed to continue to explore opportunities for collaboration on implementing India’s Digital India initiative.
More tie-ups likely“This is likely to increase partnership for the ‘Digital India’ programme, electronic manufacturing, cyber security and several other related fields,” Ram Sevak Sharma, Secretary, Department of Electronics and IT, told reporters here.
The declaration also aims to develop and strengthen industrial, technological, research and innovation and economic co-operation between the countries.
Benefits for the USIt will help US companies explore opportunities for collaboration among private and public entities in a focused manner under the umbrella of the ongoing India-US ICT Dialogue, he said.
“India provides a huge amount of support in the service sector of the ICT. How do we take it forward? This is the document which sets a tone for partnership for the next five years and this partnership is important from both countries’ point of view as we share a common vision in many areas,” Sharma said.
Asked about visa issues faced by many Indian companies’ employees in the US, Sharma said that visa issues relating to Indian IT professionals should be treated as an issue relating to trade in services and not as an immigration issue.
The declaration was signed between the Ministry of Communications and IT and the Department of State of the Government of the US. It was signed between Sharma and the US Ambassador to India, Richard Verma.
“Governments and private sectors in this area are huge and I am glad that we are talking and coming up with such constructive ideas…especially on the eve of visit of the President (Obama). I know the President will be pleased that we have signed it today,” Verma said.
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