US scouts solar-energy opportunity

A United States trade mission will tour three Indian cities over the next three days to identify business opportunities in solar energy generation business and solar energy generation equipment manufacturing.

The mission, consisting of representatives from 14 US energy companies and government departments, will visit companies and sites in New Delhi, Jaipur and Ahmedabad to explore and identify opportunities in making investments and forming joint ventures with Indian corporations, William Zarit, US deputy assistant secretary of commerce for international operations said on Monday.

“Some companies are looking at investing money into manufacturing of solar power generation equipment and are exploring where they can manufacture,” Carmine D’Aloisio, minister-counselor for commercial affairs at the US embassy, said, adding others are looking at forming joint ventures and licensing technologies. Touring companies include AES Solar Energy, Applied Materials, Holtec International and SHEC Energy Inc. The solar photo-voltaic cells and other power equipment to be manufactured in India will mostly be sold domestically and would not be exported to the US, D’Aloisio said.