Bangalore: The United States would launch a dialogue with India to make "further inroads" in hi-tech area in view of the balance of trade tilted in favour of India, US Under Secretary of Commerce for Industry and Security Kenneth Juster said.

"Indian exports are steadily rising but US exports are relatively flat", Juster told reporters at the end of his discussions with representatives from the Indian and US high technology community on high-technology trade matters in Bangalore.

Juster, who is on a visit to India to discuss ways to enhance high-technology trade between the United States and India, said during discussions with Indian side in New Delhi, they discussed "a basket of activity" to reduce obstacles to high technology trade between the two nations.

"We do not believe our export control is holding back the high technology trade", he said. The US, he said, had a "much more restrictive" export policy towards China.

Juster said the US and India had signed an agreement to create a High Technology Co- operation Group to build a "robust" relationship. Prevalence of significant tariff and non-tariff barriers in India were coming in the way, he said.

A statement of principles to advance the high-technology relationship following the decision to create the group would be prepared, he said.

India, he said, had been invited to send a delegation to the US early next year to continue the discussions.

PTI