Download - Coordinates

HER COORDINATES
The
United States
and India
have been
collaborating
closely in the
civil aviation
space
says Leocadia I Zak, Director, USTDA in an interview
with Coordinates
Could you briefl y explain the
mandate of USTDA?
USTDA helps countries expand
economic growth by utilizing
U.S. expertise, technology, and
investment. The Agency’s objectives
are to help build the infrastructure
for trade, match U.S. technological
expertise with overseas development
needs, and help create lasting
business partnerships between the
United States and emerging market
economies.
USTDA advances these objectives
through its two key programs,
the Project Development Program
and the International Business
Partnership Program.
Through feasibility studies, technical
assistance and pilot projects,
USTDA’s Project Development
Program helps overseas project
sponsors identify technological
solutions and various sources of
fi nancing for priority infrastructure
projects.
USTDA’s reverse trade missions
(RTM) are the mainstay of its
International Business Partnership
Program (IBPP). Created in
2010 in response to the Obama
Administration’s National Export
20 | Coordinates November 2011
Initiative, the IBPP is USTDA’s
signature program for linking the
U.S. private sector to foreign buyers
with upcoming procurement plans.
These visits are carefully planned to
enable foreign decision-makers the
ability to observe the manufacture,
demonstration and operation of U.S.
goods and services that can help
them achieve their development
goals.
Of particular importance to
advancing our bilateral relationship,
USTDA and the Ministry of Civil
Aviation, in cooperation with the
U.S.-India Aviation Cooperation
Program, and the Federal Aviation
Administration, will sponsor the
U.S.-India Aviation Summit from
November 16-18, 2011, at the Taj
Palace Hotel in New Delhi, India.
Recently you were the part of
US India strategic dialogue.
Where does the collaboration
in satellite navigation fi t in US
India strategic alliance?
The United States and India have
been collaborating closely in the civil
aviation space for almost 6 years
with the signing of the landmark
bilateral Open Skies Agreement in
mid-2005. As you may already know,
collaboration in the area of satellite
navigation has been identifi ed as one
of the important tools for enhancing
the US-India bilateral relationship
which in turn is an important
pillar of the Strategic Dialogue.
Since the signing of the Open Skies
Agreement the two countries are
now closely collaborating in the area
of civil aviation and satellite based
navigation. Through collaborative
efforts, our two countries are
promoting compatibility and
inter-operability between the U.S.
Global Positioning System, India’s
navigation systems, and those of
other countries. The goal is obviously
to ensure safer skies and effi cient air
traffi c management which will help
lower costs and increase bilateral
trade between our countries.
The hallmark of USTDA
development assistance has
always involved building
partnerships between U.S.
companies and overseas project
sponsors to bring proven
private sector solutions to
developmental challenges.
Would you like to explain this
in the context of MoU signed
between USTDA and Airports
Authority of India (AAI) on
GAGAN?
In 2008, USTDA sponsored a reverse
trade mission consisting of technical
personnel from the Directorate
General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), the
Airports Authority of India (AAI),
and the Indian Space Research
Organization (ISRO) to travel to the
United States to assist in developing
a plan to certify GNSS technologies
for use in the development of
India’s GPS and Geo-Augmented
Navigation System (GAGAN) project.
The reverse trade mission promoted
increased cooperation between U.S.
and Indian aviation offi cials with
regards to the implementation of a
satellite-based augmentation system
(SBAS) in India and familiarized
Indian offi cials with U.S. aviation
technologies, approaches, and
standards. As a result of this visit,
Raytheon secured a contract for