WASHINGTON: Promising to provide a level playing field to US companies on civilian nuclear deal, visiting Foreign Secretary Mr Ranjan Mathai has said India is willing to address their specific concerns within the framework of the law in this regard passed by the Parliament.

“We will provide a level playing field to US companies, and are prepared to address specific concerns of US companies within the framework of that law,” Mr Mathai said in his address at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS).
“We have the reality of our law passed by our Parliament,” Mr Mathai said in his remarks on “Building on Convergence: Deepening the India-US Strategic Partnership” at the eminent Washington-based think tank.
“We have just had a round of discussions between our legal experts. The commencement of discussions between the Indian operator, NPCIL, and US companies in regard to an Early Works Agreement is an encouraging development,” said Mr Mathai, who is currently on his first visit to America after assuming the charge last year.
“We are committed to translating the success of our diplomatic partnership in changing the global nuclear order into an equally productive commercial cooperation in civil nuclear energy,” he said.
He expressed hope that the economic challenges in the US would not lead to protectionism and concerns of the Indian IT industry will be addressed.
“We do hope the current economic challenges in the US would not lead to protectionism and that concerns of Indian IT industry will be addressed quickly,” Mr Mathai said.
“Most Indian companies are setting up development centres. Indian IT industry contributed $ 15 billion in taxes over the last five years. This success story should not be set back by stringent visa regulations which act as a non-tariff barrier,” he said.
“According to a back of envelope calculation – Indians paid over $ 200 million in visa fees. Perhaps $ 30-50 million has been taken from young aspiring Indians working in businesses whose US visas were rejected. The pink slip has become a greenback!” Mr Mathai said.
“It needs reiteration that the targets of these discriminatory actions are precisely those who have contributed intellectually to the climate of reform in India, and who have been votaries of strong India-US relations,” said the Foreign Secretary.