USTDA Announces New Partnerships During U.S.-India Strategic and Commercial Dialogue

New Delhi,  Aug 30, 2016
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U.S.-India Strategic and Commercial Dialogue, the U.S. Trade and Development Agency announced new partnerships that will support infrastructure development in India.

“India has long been a key partner for USTDA. We have invested in over 130 project preparation and partnership building activities to develop sustainable infrastructure across the country, with the help of innovative U.S. solutions,” said USTDA Director Leocadia I. Zak. “We are proud to leverage that experience – and the expertise of U.S. industry – to support the priorities of our Indian partners.”  

Director Zak announced that USTDA will partner with India’s Ministry of Finance under the Agency’s Global Procurement Initiative. The GPI helps countries secure better procurement outcomes by promoting the use of value-based procurement mechanisms, including life-cycle cost analysis. Members of the U.S.-India CEO Forum endorsed the GPI partnership, recommending that the Indian government take a life-cycle cost approach to infrastructure and smart cities development. 

USTDA is also working with a long-time partner, the Airports Authority of India, to extend the use of the GPS Aided Geo-Augmented Navigation (GAGAN) system. KPMG LLP (McLean, VA), a member of the U.S.-India Aviation Cooperation Program, will help AAI develop a business case that encourages Indian airlines and airports to equip their aircraft and systems to utilize GAGAN. The widespread use of GAGAN will help aviation stakeholders manage airspace and increase safety, which is crucial as India’s air passenger traffic continues to grow. The feasibility study will also assess GAGAN’s ability to service other sectors in India such as agriculture, railways and disaster management.

USTDA’s newest partnership in the Indian energy sector will help India Power Corporation Limited (IPCL) implement smart grid technologies on its network, particularly at its Gaya Distribution Franchise in the Kolkata metro region. The use of smart grid technologies will ensure a higher degree of efficiency, reliability and customer service. This project – USTDA’s first with a distribution franchisee in India – will expand opportunities for private sector involvement in electricity distribution and network management. 

The opportunity to conduct the USTDA-sponsored technical assistance for IPCL will be competed through Federal Business Opportunities (FBO). A link to the FBO announcement will be posted to USTDA’s website at www.ustda.gov. Interested U.S. firms should submit proposals according to the instructions in the FBO announcement.

IPCL and USTDA representatives agree to work together to implement smart grid technologies on the utility’s network in Kolkata.