The amendment bill was introduced by senior senator John McCain “to recognize the status of India as a global strategic and defense partner of the United States through appropriate modifications to defense export control regulations.”
“The Senate amendment (No 4618) was not adopted to the NDDA” a Congressional aide told Indian news agency PTI.
Amit Cowshis, former Finance Advisor to the Defense Ministry, said, “I think such hiccups are to be expected in Indo-US strategic relationship which carries the baggage of decades of cold war era trust deficit.”
The US defense firm Boeing and Lockheed Martin were very much keen on catering to the requirements of the Indian armed forces as ‘Major Defense Partner’ status could have helped them in transferring major defense technology to India.
India is keen to invite only those foreign defense firms which could set up a production line in the country under ‘Make in India’. It is widely reported in the Indian media that the Indian government formally expressed interest in purchasing predator drones.
A senior minister in the Indian government refused to accept this as a ‘setback’ for India.
Amit Cowshis stated, “eventually the outcomes will depend on a number of factors including wider political support and assessment in both the countries of how far the mutual interests are served by a particular step, as in the case of India being accorded the status of a strategic partner by the US or India signing the logistics agreement with the US.”
