Modi connects with businessmen during Russia visit

Gandhinagar, Oct 29: Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi during his four-day visit to Russia held talks with the top brass of 60 Russian companies as well as representatives of other international companies, an official said Thursday.

"We have identified areas for partnership and worked out a road map for the future," he added.

D. Rajagopalan, chief secretary, Gujarat government, exuded confidence that the visit of the chief minister would result in tangible benefit to the state in terms of the number of joint operations in the oil and gas sector.

"The executive chairman of Gazprom, Alexander Medvedev, was among those who called on the Gujarat chief minister and evinced interest for joint development of oil and gas fields in India and also for partnering with the state public sector undertaking, Gujarat State petroleum Corporation (GSPC), for similar effort in oil and gas fields in Russia," he said.

According to Rajgopalan, among the projects identified were an alliance for EPC contracts, supply of LNG and expanding capability of GSWAN. "We expect delegations from key companies like Gazprom, Sistema and Itera as a follow up of the visit and to carry it forward," he added.

The state chief secretary said as a result of the visit, several Russian companies involved in telecommunication, oil and gas and other sectors are to send technical delegations to work out plans for joint operations in oil and gas exploration and setting up units to manufacture telecommunication and other appliances.

"By the next Vibrant Gujarat summit in January 2011, we expect a number of Memoranda of Understandings (MOUs) for joint operations with their companies," he added.

The Gujarat delegation was in Russia to participate in the fourth International Energy Week and ninth Russian Oil and Gas Week Conference in which Chief Minister Modi was invited to deliver the keynote address.