India has created an elaborate structure to facilitate secure trade in high-technology, including dual use technology and equipment, with the US, a senior official said here Tuesday.

The framework for such trade was put in place over the past year and its viability had been proven by the fact that the US had denied very few licences for hi-tech items during the period, said S. Jaishankar, joint secretary in the external affairs ministry.

Jaishankar was speaking at a seminar on strategic trade controls for US-India hi-tech trade organised by the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI). Top US officials dealing with trade controls are also participating in the two-day meet.

"The Indian government has put in place an enabling framework to source higher levels of technology (from the US)," Jaishankar said, noting there was effective communication between the two sides.

At the same time, the external affairs ministry was working with other ministries, like the commerce ministry, to make India not only a safe destination for technology imports but also a safe and reliable re-exporter to third countries, he said.

But Jaishankar said he had a "complaint" - India's trade and industry were not taking complete advantage of the framework created by the government. He noted that despite greater restrictions imposed by the US on China, trade between those two nations was greater than India-US trade.

The seminar will deliberate on issues such as Indian export controls, US dual use export controls, export administration regulations, product classifications and licence determinations, foreign policy controls, export enforcement and licensing of defence articles by the US Department of State.

Steven Goldman, director of the US Office of Non-proliferation and Treaty Compliance, gave an overview of his country's export control regime. He noted the system was not based strictly on national security concerns but also on foreign policy controls as well as terrorism and human rights concerns.

Goldman also noted that many of the US controls "don't apply to India" and that it was a "misperception" that American controls were difficult to navigate through.