EXCLUSIVE! U.S trade mission to tap business including airports

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Neelam Mathews

Jan 1, 2012

U.S. Secretary of Commerce John Bryson will lead a senior-level business development trade mission to Mumbai, Jaipur and New Delhi from March 25-30 to focus on commercial opportunities for U.S. companies, including joint ventures and export opportunities.

The focus of the mission is to promote U.S. exports to India and discuss trade policy issues with respect to India’s goal of investing $1 trillion in infrastructure development during the next five years.

The International Trade Administration has a strong history of cooperation with India on airport infrastructure development through its participation in the Civil Aviation Subcommittee of the U.S.-India High-Technology Cooperation Group and the Airport Infrastructure Working Group.

During the November 16–18, 2011 U.S.-India Aviation Summit in New Delhi, Nicole Lamb-Hale, Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Manufacturing and Services, announced an agreement with the Indian Ministry of Civil Aviation on facilitating U.S. participation in the development of three regional airports, Puducherry, Tuticorin and Jharsuguda, which will be the focus of U.S.-India efforts to promote U.S. business participation in the development of India’s civil aviation infrastructure.

“The U.S.-India relationship in civil aviation is very strong and there are significant opportunities for U.S. firms in the area of airport development, consulting and equipment supply,” says a statement.

Investment opportunities of $110 billion are being envisaged up to 2020 with $80 billion in new aircraft and $30 billion in development of airport infrastructure, according to the Investment Commission of India. AAI plans to allocate $12 billion for airport infrastructure development in its next five-year plan (2012–2017), a 30 percent increase from its last five-year plan.

The mission will recruit companies from the following sectors: project management and engineering services, transportation (including road/ highways, rail, airports and intelligent transportation systems), and energy.

The delegation will be composed of 20–25 U.S. firms representing the mission’s target sectors. Representatives of the U.S. Trade and Development Agency (USTDA), the Export-Import Bank of the United States (Ex-Im) and the Overseas Private Investment Corporation (OPIC) will be invited to participate to provide information and counseling on their programs, as they relate to the Indian market.