Boeing offers cutting-edge space technologies to India

New Delhi: With the United States department of commerce taking the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) and the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) off its Entity List, American aerospace and defence giant Boeing has now offered ISRO partnership on a number of space related programmes, including manned space missions, and the supply of 'composite cryogenic tanks' used in the launch of rockets.

The Entity List prohibits the transfer of so-called dual use high technology items to specified companies and organisations.

Boeing's Defence, Space and Security vice president in India, Vivek Lall, has been quoted as saying in a report that given the company's long experience with the American space programme it was felt that it could ''provide value-added assistance to India's space programme''.

In an interview to India Strategic defence magazine he let it be known that the company had the necessary clearance to initiate discussions with India, 'but how the two countries go forward would depend upon what India wants and the bilateral agreements between the two governments'.

'At the moment, we have indicated the intent to cooperate. It is up to ISRO now to tell us what it wants, and we will do our best,' Lall said, adding that he had recently called on ISRO chairman K Radhakrishnan to make the offer.

''We have submitted a formal request to the US department of state to enable us to proceed down this path should our services be accepted. Our initial discussions focus on ISROs requirements for the future,'' he added.