Meeting with Mr. Montek Singh Ahluwalia, Deputy Chairman, Planning Commission – 8th August 2011

A delegation of the American Chamber of Commerce in India (Amcham) comprising Mr. Zubin Irani, Chairman, U.S.-India Energy Cooperation Program (ECP), and Senior Managing Director, United Technologies Corporation; Mr. Pratyush Kumar, Chairman, Amcham’s Committee on Infrastructure and Energy, and President & CEO, GE Transportation; Mr. John D. Triplett, Co-Chairman, Amcham’s Committee on Infrastructure and Energy, and Director Metro & Rail Asia, CHG2M Hill; Mr. Gautam Khanna, Executive Director, Health Care Business, 3M India; Mr. Ajay Singha, Executive Director, Amcham; and Ms Madhvi Kataria, Deputy Executive Director, Amcham, called on Mr. Montek Singh Ahluwalia, Deputy Chairman, Planning Commission, on 8th August 2011. Mr. Gajendra Haldea, Adviser to Deputy Chairman, Planning Commission (Infrastructure), also participated in the meeting.

Mr. Zubin Irani briefed Mr. Ahluwalia on the activities and progress of the U.S.-India Energy Cooperation Program (ECP) as Mr. Ahluwalia was the signatory from the Indian side when the program was launched during President Obama’s visit to India in November 2010. Mr. Irani said that ECP had set up the following five Working Group:

·  Working Group on Buildings/Commercial and Industrial Energy Efficiency
·  Working Group on Biofuels and Renewables
·  Working Group on Smart Grid Applications
·  Working Group on Unconventional Gas
·  Working Group on Solar Power development

In response, Mr. Ahluwalia said that the Government is also keen to promote energy efficiency and there should be a nationwide debate on green building and rationale for energy pricing. He suggested that ECP members should speak to Mr. Sam Pitroda, Adviser to Prime Minister on Public Information Infrastructure and Innovation, on Smart Grid.

Mr. Pratyush Kumar spoke about the need for investment in India’s infrastructure sector. He covered railways and water (recycling of water) and options for financing of infrastructure, particularly NBFC route.

Mr. Gautam Khanna spoke about the need for a predictable, transparent and non-discriminatory regulatory framework for medical devices and equipment which would harmonize guidance requirements, and the need for a single window to coordinate all branches of Government. He also spoke about education and training for doctors in the use of medical devices. There was also need for capacity building to make the medical devices manufacturing viable. A policy to promote local manufacturing of medical devices and incentives for promotion of R&D activities within the indigenous medical devices industry were the other important issues.