The Hindu : Tamil Nadu / Chennai News : Israeli firms planning two desalination projects

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Wednesday, May 28, 2008
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Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu - Chennai

Israeli firms planning two desalination projects

M. Dinesh Varma

“Lowering costs, optimisation of technology key to projects”

Photo: S.R. Raghunathan

Daniel Zohar Zonshine —

CHENNAI: Two desalination projects are likely to come up in Tamil Nadu with the support of Israeli technology, Daniel Zohar Zonshine, Consul General, Consulate General of Israel has said.

With desalination technology already available in Israel, lowering costs and optimisation of technology would be central to the proposed projects, Mr. Zonshine told The Hindu on Tuesday.

Israel was also keen on building on the “encouraging results” of the series of visits in the last few months by high-level trade delegations, Mr. Zonshine said. The discussions centred on collaboration in agriculture, semi-conductors and renewable energy.

Alternative energy solutions would be a core component of future Indo-Israel collaboration, said Mr. Zonshine, who returns next month to Israel after a stint at the Consulate office in Mumbai. The scope of bilateral partnership would include solar, wind and bio-diesel sources, he said. “We propose to bring in another delegation focussing on partnerships in water and agriculture to India later this year,” said Mr. Zonshine. The Consul said a synergy of Israeli technology with India’s engineering capabilities was mutually beneficial. India’s insatiable consumer market was another compelling investment reason. “In fact, no Israeli business with a global outlook can ignore India,” said Mr. Zonshine.

The composition of the second trade delegation to India is likely to feature industrialists following up on the series of interactions they had at Delhi, Mumbai and Bangalore last year and those coming down for the first time. Importantly, Israeli investors have started up sizing up south Indian cities as potential launch pads for joint ventures and the next trade delegation would also visit Chennai among other cities, said Mr. Zonshine.

Investment climate

In the Consul’s assessment, the investment climate now in India in a way inhibits the smaller companies from coming good independently unlike larger companies with deep pockets. Smaller companies find it easier to collaborate with an established Indian partner. “Overall, investors are looking to India with optimism and a positive approach,” he said. Israeli investments in IT have already led to establishment of offshore offices across Delhi, Mumbai, Pune, Bangalore and Hyderabad, while entrepreneurship in Chennai has included real estate, townships and engineering of irrigation implements.

Israeli companies are also pursuing two desalination projects with the support of the Government of India and Tamil Nadu Government.

Tourism is slowly picking up between the two countries. Indian visitors to Israel during 2006-07 touched 20,000, representing a 20 per cent increase over the previous year while the number of Israeli tourists to India had remained steady at about 40,000 annually. The Consul said more events such as the ongoing film festival in Chennai would form part of efforts to promote understanding about Israel in India. Mr. Zonshine said he hoped to bring a cultural troupe to Chennai later this year.

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