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American officials were wary of Indian sentiments on cooperation in high technology areas such as aerospace and military aviation affecting potential business opportunities, a fresh cache of US Embassy diplomatic cables released by WikiLeaks has revealed.
In two separate dispatches from the US consulate in Chennai dated October 14, 2005 and September 13, 2007, US officials, following interactions with senior Indian officials at the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) and Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL), conveyed reports of local concerns.
The October 14, 2005 unclassified cable titled ISRO frustrated by slow pace of space cooperation which followed a meeting between the then US consulate principal officer and ISROs then assistant scientific secretary Rajeev Lochan and then director of international co-operation Jacob Ninan says that ISRO reiterated its frustration with the lack of a framework for cooperation on space exploration and research with the US.
The ISRO officials spent most of the hour-long meeting politely but very firmly renewing their complaints about the perceived slow pace of Indo-US space collaboration and the lack of a proper framework or mechanism for cooperation, says the cable. They went so far as to question whether a certain group (unnamed) in the US actually opposes cooperation, the cable states. ISRO officials told the US consulate official that Indias maiden moon mission Chandrayaan-1 still in the works at the time would be a real test of collaboration with the US. (The United States was finally a partner on the mission that occurred in October 2008 through university payloads). ISRO officials complained during the meeting about slow and circuitous route for communications on space issues with the US.
They claimed that on the Indian side ISRO is empowered to deal directly with foreign entities and need only keep the MEA and Prime Ministers office informed. The officials also contrasted their frustrating dealings with the US with the less bureaucratic European Space Agency, the cable noted. While observing that ISRO may be overstating its concerns on space cooperation, the cable suggested opportunities in the signing of a Science and Technology Umbrella Agreement and a High Technology Cooperation Group meeting to promote space collaboration with India.
The September 13, 2007 cable from the US consulate in Chennai also refers to a meeting between US officials and the chairman of Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd Ashok Nayak where Nayak suggested that US restrictive licensing and visa procedures may have a bearing on the $10.4-billion contract for a multi-role combat aircraft for the Indian Air Force that was in the works at the time.
Slow pace of work by US frustrated ISRO, HAL - Indian Express
In two separate dispatches from the US consulate in Chennai dated October 14, 2005 and September 13, 2007, US officials, following interactions with senior Indian officials at the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) and Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL), conveyed reports of local concerns.
The October 14, 2005 unclassified cable titled ISRO frustrated by slow pace of space cooperation which followed a meeting between the then US consulate principal officer and ISROs then assistant scientific secretary Rajeev Lochan and then director of international co-operation Jacob Ninan says that ISRO reiterated its frustration with the lack of a framework for cooperation on space exploration and research with the US.
The ISRO officials spent most of the hour-long meeting politely but very firmly renewing their complaints about the perceived slow pace of Indo-US space collaboration and the lack of a proper framework or mechanism for cooperation, says the cable. They went so far as to question whether a certain group (unnamed) in the US actually opposes cooperation, the cable states. ISRO officials told the US consulate official that Indias maiden moon mission Chandrayaan-1 still in the works at the time would be a real test of collaboration with the US. (The United States was finally a partner on the mission that occurred in October 2008 through university payloads). ISRO officials complained during the meeting about slow and circuitous route for communications on space issues with the US.
They claimed that on the Indian side ISRO is empowered to deal directly with foreign entities and need only keep the MEA and Prime Ministers office informed. The officials also contrasted their frustrating dealings with the US with the less bureaucratic European Space Agency, the cable noted. While observing that ISRO may be overstating its concerns on space cooperation, the cable suggested opportunities in the signing of a Science and Technology Umbrella Agreement and a High Technology Cooperation Group meeting to promote space collaboration with India.
The September 13, 2007 cable from the US consulate in Chennai also refers to a meeting between US officials and the chairman of Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd Ashok Nayak where Nayak suggested that US restrictive licensing and visa procedures may have a bearing on the $10.4-billion contract for a multi-role combat aircraft for the Indian Air Force that was in the works at the time.
Slow pace of work by US frustrated ISRO, HAL - Indian Express
