Will the Minister of SPACE be pleased to state:-

(a) whether the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) and Defence Research and Development Organization (DRDO) had been blacklisted by United States of America (USA);

(b) if so, the details thereof and the reasons therefor;

(c) whether the said organizations have recently been taken off the blacklist by USA;

(d) if so, the details of the transactions/partnerships with US agencies, thereafter?
ANSWER: MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRIES OF PARLIAMENTARY AFFAIRS, PERSONNEL, PUBLIC GRIEVANCES & PENSIONS AND IN PRIME MINISTER’S OFFICE (SHRI V.NARAYANASAMY):

(a) & (b) “Entity List” is a list of certain foreign entities, like organizations, industries, etc., which is maintained by the Bureau of Industry and Security of USA. The organizations in the “Entity List” are subject to specific licence requirements for export, re-export and/or transfer of specified items. The following Centres were under the “Entity List” until recently.
1) Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre (VSSC)
2) Liquid Propulsion Systems Centre (LPSC)
3) Satish Dhawan Space Centre (SDSC)
4) Solid Propellant Space Booster Plant (SPROB)

Four laboratories of DRDO as listed below, were also under the entity list of USA.

1) Armament Research & Development Establishment (ARDE)
2) Solid State Physics Laboratory (SSPL)
3) Research Centre Imarat (RCI) and
4) Defence Research & Development Laboratory (DRDL).

The reasons for such restrictions by USA have been mainly due to denials associated with high-technology trade in strategic sectors.

(c ) & (d) Following the joint statement of Prime Minister of India and President of USA made during November 2010, the US Department of Commerce has made a formal pronouncement through a notification on January 25, 2011 removing the above ISRO Centres and DRDO laboratories from the “Entity List”.

ISRO and DRDO are yet to start transactions/ partnerships with US agencies, based on this pronouncement. However, it is expected that these removals from the Entity List would be advantageous to ISRO and DRDO in their work in high-technology areas.

http://164.100.47.132/LssNew/psearch/QResult15.aspx?qref=103422

Space Technology

Strategic Technologies