Pundi Srinivasan Raghavan, Ambassador of India to Russia: We have long-time ties in cinema and pharmaceuticals
Podmoskovye Segodnya, 08.04.2015
By Alexei Andreev
The general turn of our country’s external economic policy to the East has induced Russian regions to be more active in the Asian direction. There is a return movement as well – Russia’s old friends and partners express big interest in cooperation. Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary Ambassador of the Republic of India to the Russian Federation, Pundi Srinivasan Raghavan, spoke in an interview to “Podmoskovye Segodnya” about the most important aspects of mutually beneficial cooperation with the Moscow Region.
Beyond a mere buyer-seller relationship
- Mr. Ambassador, in October last year, you met with the Governor of the Moscow Region, Andrei Vorobyov. What would you identify as the priority areas for the development of closer relations between your country, the regions of India and the Moscow Region?
- When I met with the Governor of the Moscow region, we agreed that the promotion of trade and investment cooperation has great potential. At the Summit meeting between President of the Russian Federation and the Prime Minister of India in New Delhi in December 2014, the two leaders agreed that economic cooperation is and should be a vital pillar of the strategic partnership between our two countries. The two leaders also agreed on the importance of direct links between the regions of our two countries. The Moscow region is industrially advanced and we see great opportunities for developing cooperation in a number of industrial sectors, including pharmaceuticals, metallurgy, food & chemicals and mechanical engineering.
- India’s achievements in the sphere of pharmaceuticals are well known in Russia, Indian medicines are widely sold in our country. In the Moscow Region scientific towns of Protvino and Pushchino research and production companies are being developed that specialise in the pharmaceutical sector, in the field of biotechnology. Is it possible to establish closer cooperation between Indian companies and those of the Moscow Region?
- Pharmaceuticals has been a traditionally strong area of cooperation between India and Russia. There is considerable scope for strengthening this cooperation because of developments in this field both in India and in Russia. We need to promote collaborations between pharmaceuticals research and development facilities, so that we go beyond a mere buyer-seller relationship. One of the ways we are trying to do this is by bridging the information gap. We need to make businesses and research institutions in each other’s countries aware of opportunities such as in Protvino or Pushchino. We are already encouraging our companies to establish closer cooperation with Moscow Region.
- During your meeting with the Governor of the Moscow Region, you also discussed issues relating to the supply of Indian agricultural products to the Moscow Region. Could there be other forms of cooperation, such as joint ventures, in this area?
mechanism for resolving all regulatory matters governing trade in the agriculture and food sector. We expect to see concrete results in the coming months. We recently started supply of egg powder from India to Russia. In case of bovine meat, we are in process of starting the first exports from India. FSVPS inspectors are in India to oversee the first despatch now. Similarly, both sides have agreed on Indian producers for the supply of dairy products from India to Russia. Once Russian consumers become more familiar with these products from India there may be a prospect in the next step for joint ventures in agro and meat processing in Russia.
Getting to know each other better
- What needs to be done to establish closer cooperation between the business communities of our two countries at the regional level? Business councils, forums, and business alliances already exist. How can we help them stimulate their efforts in the regions, particularly in the Moscow Region?
- In the Vision Document adopted during the visit of President Putin to India in December 2014, the two countries have agreed to strengthen regional cooperation. We have a huge knowledge gap on the potential for cooperation at the regional level. We are taking mutual efforts to bridge this gap. I have visited several regions of Russia with a view to increase cooperation between our regions. I take Indian business delegations with me during such visits. Regional governments have been visiting India more often recently with a view to forge trade and economic relations. In the recent ‘Vibrant Gujarat’ Summit in the Indian State of Gujarat, five Russian regions were represented. It would be good if a government and business delegation from the Moscow region could visit India with a view to establishing trade and economic connections with relevant Indian companies as well as with appropriate regions of India. Our Embassy will be happy to extend assistance to such delegations to India.Culture, education, science
-Do you not think that our cooperation in the sphere of culture occurs mainly at the federal level, and the regions are lagging far behind? Meanwhile, new Indian cinematography is becoming increasingly popular here.
- Following my meeting with the Governor, we have held cultural events in Moscow Region such as in Korolev. In the course of this year when we are celebrating the festival of Indian culture in Russia, we plan to cover more cities of Moscow Region. As you have rightly pointed out, contemporary Indian cinema is growing in popularity in Russia. Every month, we hold Indian films shows in Moscow movie theatres. It would be a good idea to extend this to Moscow Region this year. We plan to have yoga events in Moscow Region this year to commemorate the first International Yoga Day on 21 June 2015.
- How would you comment on the prospects for our cooperation in the spheres of education and science? For example, we know that the Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology (MIPT), based in the Moscow Region in the town Dolgoprudny, has close contacts with its Indian counterparts.
- India and Russia enjoy a very healthy and long standing bilateral scientific cooperation. An array of bilateral linkages and inter-governmental mechanisms has been instituted for promoting and supporting collaborations, in all areas of research and at all levels ranging from idea generation to technology development and commercialization.
MIPT has close linkages with Indian Institute of Information (IIIT) Technology, Allahabad. They have jointly organized a Summer School in Russia at Nalchik in 2013. Faculty and students of MIPT have been participating in the annual Science Conclaves being organized by IIIT-Allahabad. At the Annual Summit 2014, it was agreed to support establishment of institutional linkages between universities and academic institutions of the two countries such as between MIPT and IIIT. Concerted effort is being made to set up a network of educational and research institutions of India and Russia; institutions in the Moscow region should be active in this effort.
- Have you ever been in the Moscow Region? What would you like to wish our readers?
- Being located in Moscow city, I have of course travelled around in the Moscow region. It is a vibrant region from all perspectives: economy, industry, education, S&T and culture. I have enjoyed visiting historical sites and cultural relics. I extend my warmest greetings to people of this region and look forward to our continued close friendship and cooperation which have been the hallmark of the relationship between our two countries and peoples over the past many centuries.
