The United States and India will study the possibility of a joint missile defense system, US Defense Secretary Robert Gates said yesterday, stressing talks were only in their early stages.

"We're just beginning to talk about perhaps conducting a joint analysis about what India's needs would be in the realm of missile defense and where cooperation between us might help advance that," Gates told reporters.

Until now, India's policy has been to develop its missile shield domestically, closing a potential multibillion-dollar market to American manufacturers Boeing Co, Lockheed Martin Corp, Raytheon Co and Northrop Grumman Corp - the biggest players in the emerging ground, air, sea and space based US missile defense system.