Conveying that there will be no let up in India's drive to modernise its energy and defence sectors, prime minister's special envoy Shyam Saran said on Tuesday this should encourage Washington to look at New Delhi as a source of demand for its goods and services.
Observing that the nuclear deal has opened up immense business opportunities between the two countries, Saran said: "India has already conveyed a letter of intent for up to 10,000 megawatts of US nuclear power reactors at sites that are currently under examination within our government."
"10,000 megawatts of nuclear energy may translate into $150 billion worth of projects, with significant business opportunities and potential collaboration for both Indian and US companies. This would also result in significant and high quality job creation in both our countries," he said.
Saran, who arrived in Washington on Monday on a four-day visit, met top officials of the Obama administration on climate change and exchanged views on the critical issue, which has been a major focus of the new US Government.
He met special US envoy on climate change Todd Stern and Nancy Helen Sutley, Chair, White House council on environmental quality. During the meetings, Saran emphasises on the Americans that if India maintains its current level of defence spending to achieve its medium and long-term goals of force up gradation, then a growing part of the expected 10 year acquisition plan of $20 billion could be reoriented towards the US.
This, he said, will require the US to overcome lingering Indian doubts about the reliability of US supplies.
Earlier in the day, Saran addressed the prestigious Brookings Institute on Indo-US civilian nuclear deal.
Delivering key note address at the day-long seminar organised by the Brookings on the issue, Saran said: "The Civil Nuclear agreement has opened up several areas of mutual interest that are worth pursuing and which should, therefore, remain within our sights in the days ahead."
