"India and the United States recognise that there is a vast scope for bilateral high technology commerce, including civilian space commerce," Singh said in a speech read out by junior minister Prithvi Raj Chauhan at the start of an India-US Conference on Space Science, Applications and Commerce.

"Strong economic ties in high technology based on mutual trust can greatly supplement our shared values and political interest."

He said the conference, held in the southern IT city of Bangalore, would help identify and generate awareness about markets opportunities.

Singh noted that "Indian origin scientists work in substantial numbers across a spectrum of American space establishments including at NASA."

"As two space-faring nations, the sky is no longer the limit of our cooperation."

The conference is a follow-up to a landmark meeting between former Indian prime minister Atal Behari Vajpayee and US President George W. Bush in November 2001.

More than 500 Indian and foreign delegates are attending the meeting, among them 150 US officials and industry representatives.

Discussions are expected to include earth observation science, satellite communications, satellite navigation and applications, space science, natural hazards research and disaster and space commerce.

The US-based National Aeronautics and Space Administration, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Federal Aviation Administration and the US Department of Agriculture are taking part as are private corporations including Boeing, Raytheon, Intelsat and Northorp Grumman.

Relations between India and the United States have warmed dramatically in the past few years after Washington lifted sanctions slapped on India's nuclear and space programmes following New Delhi's nuclear test blasts in 1998.

The sanctions, which resulted in a freeze on exchanges in nuclear and other high-tech sectors, were withdrawn after the Bush administration took office in

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