The idea seems to begin the cooperation in co-development and co-production somewhere, and to ramp put the efforts towards bettering these technologies, for use by both their respective armed forces and for export market

THEATRICS RULED when Barack Obama visited New Delhi this January to become the first American President Chief Guest at India's Republic Day parade. The bonhomie and the camaraderie between Obama and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi became the talk of the town.

However, away from all the shutterbugs and the limelight, little business seems to have been done between the two leaders. The world today watches these two leaders expectantly to provide leadership and evolve solutions to global challenges.

If the two nations have to perform their destined roles in tackling global challenges as a team, it becomes imperative for them to move forward on all aspects of their bilateral relations first.

In the days since that visit, described by many as historic for the simple reason that Obama accepted the invitation within a short period of time, the details of the two leaders’ discussions are emerging.

If there is one aspect of the bilateral ties that is seen to have made some progress and forward movement, prospectively, so to speak, it is in the defence sector.

The nuclear ties between the two nations seem not to have taken off, although there were some positive noises that emerged soon after the meeting Modi had with Obama. Modi himself had said that the 2008 agreement was moving towards commercial cooperation.

But, just a fortnight later, came word that India’s liability laws that stifled the bilateral nuclear ties — the Civil Liability for Nuclear Damage Act or the Rules — will not be amended, thereby holding that the American firms would still be liable to be sued for claims in case of a nuclear accident at plants to which they have delivered equipment.

That, in a way, has limited the possibility of the nuclear agreement moving ahead into the commercial cooperation phase that Modi forecast.

That has left the defence sector to carry the weight of the Indo-US ties to the next level.

The two nations had taken baby steps, just ahead of the Obama visit, in agreeing to work together on four pathfinder military technologies under the Defence Trade and Technology Initiative (DTTI), though the assessment is that these are lowend technologies.

However, the idea seems to begin the cooperation in codevelopment and co-production somewhere, even if it is not that high-end, and to ramp up the efforts towards bettering these technologies, for use by both their respective armed forces and for the export market.

The four pathfinder technologies chosen are: