[Federal Register Volume 76, Number 40 (Tuesday, March 1, 2011)]
[Notices]
[Pages 11203-11205]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2011-4555]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

International Trade Administration


Water Technology Trade Mission to India

AGENCY: International Trade Administration, Department of Commerce.

ACTION: Notice.

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Mission Description

    The United States Department of Commerce, International Trade 
Administration, U.S. and Foreign Commercial Service (CS), is organizing 
a Water Technology Trade Mission to India from February 28 to March 4, 
2011. The purpose of the mission is to expose U.S. firms to India's 
rapidly expanding water and waste water market and to assist U.S. 
companies to seize export opportunities in this sector. The trade 
mission participants will be comprised of representatives from leading 
U.S. companies that provide state-of-the-art water and waste water 
technologies ranging from hydropower and desalination plants to 
appliances and purification systems. The mission will visit two cities: 
Bangalore and Mumbai, where participants will receive market briefings 
and meet with key government decisions makers and prospective private 
sector partners on a one-on-one basis. During the Mumbai portion of the 
mission delegates will use Aquatech India 2011, a leading international 
water technology show, as a platform for business meetings and 
networking with the option to exhibit either on their own or in a 
shared CS exhibition area that will be offered separately as a 
supplemental service to Trade Mission participants.

Commercial Setting

    India faces a critical shortage of reliable, safe water for 
personal consumption and for industrial use. In recent years rapid 
industrialization and a growing population have placed increasing 
demands on the country's limited water resources. Although India 
receives substantial amounts of annual rainfall, the monsoon season is 
unpredictable and much of the rainfall is not captured. Furthermore, 
most of India's water resources are allocated to the agricultural 
sector, leaving little or

[[Page 11204]]

no resources for other uses. To address this issue, the government of 
India and the private sector have made commitments to invest in water 
and wastewater treatment technologies. To explore these and other 
opportunities, the trade mission will visit two cities: Bangalore and 
Mumbai.
     The city of Bangalore, located in the state of Karnataka, 
receives 70 percent of its water supply (714 million liters per day) 
from two rivers: The Cauvery and the Arkavati rivers, and the balance 
from groundwater systems (bore wells, lakes, etc.), yet demand still 
outstrips supply. The Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board (BWSSB) 
and the Karnataka Water Supply and Sewerage Board (KWSSB) are the two 
main government agencies that provide drinking water and sewerage 
disposal systems to Bangalore and other villages throughout the state. 
The BWSSB and KWSSB are looking to the private sector to initiate 
projects on a public-private partnership basis to conserve, recycle, 
improve operation and maintenance of water treatment plants, and to 
improve management of water and wastewater utilities. In addition, 
private real estate developers are creating small residential/
commercial townships and are looking for water technologies for 
conservation and reuse.
    Mumbai, in the state of Maharashtra, is the commercial capital of 
India and a rapidly growing metropolis with a population nearing 20 
million people. Mumbai has six lakes serving as freshwater resources, 
yet the city faces a chronic water shortage. The city does not have 
adequate supplies of safe drinking water as much of the groundwater is 
polluted due to sewage and industrial waste. Furthermore, given the 
Mumbai region's position as an industrial hub, industry needs for 
highly purified water are large and growing.
    The Municipal Corporation of Greater Mumbai (MCGM) is responsible 
for water purification, supply, sewage treatment and disposal. The MCGM 
has proposed two recycling plants to be constructed to recycle 250 
million liters of water every day. Also, the MCGM is exploring the 
feasibility of establishing a desalination plant with a capacity of 100 
million liters. Private sector water players are looking for community-
based wastewater treatment systems that would allow them to bypass the 
inadequate municipal system. Efforts are also underway to improve 
citywide rainwater harvesting systems, which creates opportunities for 
U.S. companies that have expertise in these technologies.

Mission Goals

    The goals of the Water Technology Trade Mission to India are to 
help U.S. water and waste water technology companies initiate and/or 
expand their exports to India by providing introductions to industry 
representatives and potential partners, networking opportunities, 
current market information and a platform for policy discussions with 
the local Municipal Corporations. U.S. companies will find the best 
opportunities in sanitation, urban water supply improvement, rainwater 
capture, and municipal waste treatment. Additional opportunities exist 
in providing consulting and design services to the Indian water 
industry.

Mission Scenario

    The mission will start in Bangalore, where participants will meet 
with officials from the state of Karnataka, the local Municipal 
Corporation and potential private sector partners. Next, the 
participants will visit Mumbai where they will meet with private water 
companies and officials from the state of Maharashtra. In Mumbai the 
participants will have the option to attend Aquatech India 2011, a 
leading international water technology show in India. The participants 
will also attend policy, market and commercial briefings by the U.S. 
Commercial Service as well as networking events offering further 
opportunities to speak with local business and government 
representatives. U.S. participants will be counseled before and after 
the mission by CS India staff. Participation in the mission will 
include the following:
     Pre-travel briefings on subjects ranging from business 
practices in India to security;
     Pre-scheduled meetings with potential partners, 
distributors, end users, or local industry contacts in Bangalore and 
Mumbai;
     Airport transfers in Bangalore and Mumbai;
     Meetings with state government and local Municipal 
officials; and,
     Participation in a networking reception in Bangalore.

For trade mission recruitment efforts CS India will work in conjunction 
with the Global Environmental Team, which will serve as a key 
facilitator in establishing strong commercial ties to the U.S. water 
industry. The Global Environmental Team will play an active role in 
promoting U.S. water technology exports, broadening the identification 
of NTE/NTM clients, deepening internal CS industry expertise, and 
contributing to relevant commercial diplomacy successes.

Timetable

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Sunday, February 27, 2011.......................  Bangalore
                                                  Delegates arrive in Bangalore/check-in and rest overnight.
Monday, February 28, 2011.......................  Bangalore.
                                                  Briefing.
                                                  Meetings with State Government officials.
                                                  Meetings with local Municipal officials.
                                                  Business matchmaking sessions.
                                                  Networking reception.
Tuesday, March 1, 2011..........................  Bangalore/Mumbai.
                                                  Site visit.
                                                  Travel to Mumbai.
                                                  Arrive in Mumbai/check-in and rest overnight.
Wednesday, March 2, 2011........................  Mumbai.
                                                  CS Mumbai briefing.
                                                  Aquatech India 2011 inauguration and exhibition (optional).
                                                  Business matchmaking sessions.
Thursday, March 3, 2011.........................  Mumbai.
                                                  Meetings with State Government officials.
                                                  Meetings with local Municipal officials.
                                                  Business matchmaking sessions.
                                                  Aquatech India 2011--conference and exhibition (optional).
                                                  Delegates may depart for U.S. or stay for optional Friday activities.
Friday, March 4, 2011...........................  Mumbai.

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                                                  Site visit (optional).
                                                  Aquatech India 2011--conference and exhibition (optional).
                                                  Departure for the U.S.
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Participation Requirements

    All parties interested in participating in the Water Technology 
Trade Mission to India must complete and submit an application package 
for consideration by the Department of Commerce. All applicants will be 
evaluated on their ability to meet certain conditions and best satisfy 
the selection criteria as outlined below. The mission will open on a 
first come first served basis for up to 15 qualified U.S. companies.

Fees and Expenses

    After a company has been selected to participate in the mission, a 
payment to the Department of Commerce in the form of a participation 
fee is required. The participation fee will be $3,000 for large firms 
and $2,400 for a small- or medium-sized enterprise (SME), which 
includes one representative.* The fee for each additional firm 
representative (large firm or SME) is $250. Expenses for travel, 
lodging, most meals, and incidentals will be the responsibility of each 
mission participant.
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    * An SME is defined as a firm with 500 or fewer employees or 
that otherwise qualifies as a small business under SBA regulations 
(see http://www.sba.gov/services/contracting opportunities/
sizestandardstopics/index.html). Parent companies, affiliates, and 
subsidiaries will be considered when determining business size. The 
dual pricing reflects the Commercial Service's user fee schedule 
that became effective May 1, 2008 (see http://www.export.gov/newsletter/march2008/initiatives.html for additional information).
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Conditions for Participation

     An applicant must submit a completed and signed mission 
application and supplemental application materials, including adequate 
information on the company's products and/or services, primary market 
objectives, and goals for participation.
     Each applicant must also certify that the products and 
services it seeks to export through the mission are either produced in 
the United States, or, if not, marketed under the name of a U.S. firm 
and have at least fifty-one percent U.S. content.

Selection Criteria for Participation

     Suitability of the company's products or services to the 
market or markets targeted by the mission.
     Consistency of the applicant's goals and objectives with 
the scope and design of the mission.
     Applicant's potential for business [in the target markets/
in the mission country(ies)], including likelihood of exports resulting 
from the mission.

    Diversity of company size, sector or subsector, and location may 
also be considered during the review process.
    Referrals from political organizations and any documents containing 
references to partisan political activities (including political 
contributions) will be removed from an applicant's submission and not 
considered during the selection process.

Timeframe for Recruitment and Applications

    Mission recruitment will be conducted in an open and public manner, 
including publication in the Federal Register, posting on the Commerce 
Department trade mission calendar (http://www.ita.doc.gov/doctm/tmcal.html) and other Internet web sites, press releases to general and 
trade media, direct mail, notices by industry trade associations and 
other multiplier groups, and publicity at industry meetings, symposia, 
conferences, and trade shows. Recruitment for the mission will begin 
immediately and conclude no later than January 15, 2011. The mission 
will be open on a first come first served basis. Applications received 
after that date will be considered only if space and scheduling 
constraints permit.
    Information can also be obtained by contacting the mission contacts 
listed below.

Contacts

U.S. Commercial Services India, Mr. Kamal Vora, U.S. Commercial 
Services, Mumbai, Tel: 91-22-22652511, E-mail: [email protected].
Mr. Leonard Roberts, U.S. Commercial Services, Bangalore, Tel: 91-80-
2220-6403, E-mail: [email protected]. U.S. Commercial Services 
Export Assistance Centers, Ms. Julia Rauner Guerrero, Senior 
International Trade Specialist. U.S. Commercial Service, San Diego, 
Tel: 858-467-7038, E-mail: [email protected].
Mr. Bill Cline, Director, U.S. Commercial Service, Reno, Tel: 775-784-
5203, E-mail: [email protected].

Lisa Huot,
Trade Promotion Programs, International Trade Specialist, U.S. 
Commercial Service.
[FR Doc. 2011-4555 Filed 2-28-11; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-FP-P