India joined the Missile Technology Control Regime (MTCR) and becomes the 35th member of the MTCR. India’s efforts to get into the MTCR also got a boost after it agreed to join the Hague Code of Conduct, dealing with the ballistic missile non-proliferation arrangement, earlier this month.
IMPLICATIONS FOR INDIA
• It will boost India’s non-proliferation credentials;
• It will help India trade more effectively in critical high tech areas and to earlier restricted high-end technologies; to buy high-end missile technology;
• MTCR membership will enhance its joint ventures with countries like Russia, U.S.A;
• MTCR aims at restricting the proliferation of missiles, complete rocket systems, unmanned air vehicles and related technology for those systems capable of carrying a 500 kilogramme payload for at least 300 kilometres, as well as systems intended for the delivery of weapons of mass destruction (WMD).

ABOUT MTCR
1. The Missile Technology Control Regime is an informal and voluntary association of countries.
2. The MTCR was originally established in 1987 by Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom and the United States. Since that time, the number of MTCR partners has increased to a total of thirty-five countries, all of which have equal standing within the Regime.

3. It share the goals of non-proliferation of unmanned delivery systems, complete rocket systems (to include ballistic missiles, space launch vehicles (SLVs), and sounding rockets) and unmanned air vehicle (UAV) systems (to include cruise missiles, drones, UAVs, and remotely piloted vehicles (RPVs), capable of delivering weapons of mass destruction.
4. It seeks to coordinate national export licensing efforts aimed at preventing their proliferation.
5. The aim of the MTCR is to restrict the proliferation for those systems capable of carrying a 500 kilogram payload at least 300 kilometres, as well as systems intended for the delivery of weapons of mass destruction (WMD) i.e., nuclear, chemical and biological weapons.
6. The current Chairman of the Regime is Ambassador Piet-de Klerk of the Netherlands.