By Arun Kumar
Washington, Sep 23 (IANS) Executives from leading US clean energy and environmental companies will visit India next month to identify commercial opportunities for clean and green US technologies in India.

The role of the upcoming mission and how the private sector can help India develop and deploy low-carbon technologies to combat climate change was discussed at a meeting with Minister of State for Environment and Forests Jairam Ramesh.

Hosted in partnership with the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII), the meeting was another event in the US-India Business Council’s (USIBC) “Green India” initiative, launched last year to promote the development of India’s clean energy infrastructure.

During Oct 26-30, the initiative will bring executives to India from leading US clean energy and environmental companies for the USIBC-CII Green India Executive Mission.

The mission will help executives identify the best commercial opportunities, meet Indian stakeholders and prospective partners, and advocate for policies conducive to clean energy development.

“The opportunity for synergy is enormous, and builds on the Obama administration’s priority to advance collaboration in science and technology,” said USIBC President Ron Somers. “We are committed, together with our partners in India, to play a major role in this very important effort.”

Ted Jones, USIBC director for policy advocacy, added that the upcoming Green India Executive Mission would focus on clean energy and water infrastructure. “India has made important domestic commitments to deploy low-carbon-technologies,” said Jones.

The National Action Plan details plans to deploy 15,000 megawatts of renewable power by 2012; 20,000 megawatts of solar power by 2020; saving 10,000 megawatts through energy efficiency by 2012; and increasing nuclear capacity to 40,000 megawatts by 2032.

“These commitments will be met only with broad private-sector participation, and that represents massive opportunities for US trade and investment,” Jones added.