US may relax export controls to India, says Obama

An end to US' technology denial regime in dual-use items may be in sight soon, with President Barack Obama announcing that his country was reforming the export control system."My commerce secretary Garry Locke will be leading another trade mission to India in the next few months. And we are reforming our export control system."So, even as we strengthen our national security, we make sure that unnecessary barriers do not stand in the way of hi-tech trade between our two countries," he said.The president said the US will work with India to fundamentally reform its control on exports, which will allow greater cooperation in a range of hi-tech areas.The US has clamped sanctions on institutions like Defence Research and Development Organisation and the Indian Space Research Organisation in the wake of the India's atomic tests in 1998.Although the two countries are working on a civilian nuclear agreement, cooperation has been stalled in the military space that bars India from purchasing dual-use technology that could be used for both civilian and military purposes.