Bangalore: The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) today (Sep 30, 2004) welcomed lifting of US sanctions on seven of its units, saying this would help triple the quantum of business in high-tech equipment with American firms.

"We welcome the decision to remove ISRO units from sanctions. This was under discussion for quite some time," ISRO Chairman G Madhavan Nair said in Bangalore.

Taking forward the Next Steps in Strategic Partnership (NSSP) between India and US, the US Commerce Department in Washington lifted sanctions against seven ISRO units and Department of Atomic Energy entities, which would ease export of some high technology items to India.

"We were keen to do high technology business with US companies. Now, we expect two to three times growth in volume of business with American high technology companies," Nair said.

India's space agency had remained silent on the US Bureau of Industry and Security's announcement early this month of lifting sanctions on ISRO head quarters while keeping other units under the scanner, but America said, "It has corrected some mistakes" made earlier and added for some items there is a case by case review and for others there is a presumption of approval."

The US sanctions were imposed after the 1998 Pokhran nuclear tests, impacting American firms more, but it did not significantly affect the projects of ISRO, which sourced high tech items from other countries.