By Arun Kumar

Washington, Mar 31 (IANS): India has suggested close partnership with the US in cyber security, particularly against cyber terrorism, as the two countries take their economic and technological collaboration to the next level.

Indian Minister of State for Communications and Information Technology Sachin Pilot made the suggestion in talks with senior officials at the White House and in the US Department of Commerce during a week long visit, Indian officials said Tuesday.

Highlighting the mutual advantages of establishing close India-US collaboration in the area of cyber security, in particular against cyber terrorism, he also emphasised the need for bilateral initiatives to be specific, result-oriented and time-bound.

Healthcare and skill formation were among other ideas that came up in talks on how to take the India-US economic and technological collaboration to the next level, including through fostering joint innovation with broad-based benefits.

Among the officials who called on him were the newly appointed Under Secretary for International Trade Administration Francisco Sanchez, Federal Chief Technology Officer Aneesh Chopra, Federal Chief Information Officer Vivek Kundra and Senior Adviser for Innovation to the US Secretary of State Alec Ross.

In interactions with trade and industry bodies, pilot described the opportunities that India presented in the field of Communications and Information Technology, not only for services but also in manufacturing.

In exchanges with the members of the US India Business Council (USIBC), and the National Association of Manufacturers (NAM), Tuesday, he spoke about the Indian government's commitment of the to use information technology as a platform for providing access to services to those who had not benefited so far.

Stressing the mutually beneficial nature of the bilateral economic relationship, Pilot pointed to the broadly balanced trade in services, the fast rate of growth of US exports to India and the rapid growth in Indian investments flowing into the United States.

He said that the two governments should work to provide an enabling environment in which goods, services and persons can move freely to utilize emerging opportunities from which both sides stand to gain.

Pilot who also visited New York and Philadelphia, met with senior executives from a number of US and Indian companies to discuss the potential for further collaboration between India and the US in the field of technology, particularly with regard to using Communications and Information Technology to promote inclusive growth.