Of Japan & India

A nuclear agreement between India and Japan may still be some distance away, but a high technology relationship between the two Asian countries is taking off steadily. Japan, which used to refuse to do business with Indian entities in the strategic nuclear sector, is getting ready to open up to them. In its latest decision that could have a significant impact on India’s high-tech sector, Japan has taken seven Indian entities off its Foreign End Users List, which was issued by Japan’s METI on Thursday. Now, these entities can have transactions with Japanese companies on nuclear, dual-use and military technology and equipment. Japan brought down banned Indian entities to 19 last year. This year, they’re down to 12. They include Armament Research and Development Establishment (ARDE), Bharat Dynamics (involved in missiles and missile defence), Liquid Propulsion Systems Centre of Isro as well as the Satish Dhawan Centre. DRDO’s Solid State Physics Laboratory is also off the list as is Indian Rare Earths Limited, which is important after Japan and India agreed to collaborate on mining rare earths in India.