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Czech Republic is hopeful to strike a major defence deal with India “running into billions of dollars,” according to Miloslav Stasek, Czech ambassador to Delhi.
“Don’t ask me in which area. Our companies participated in the tender. But I am expecting the good news any time,” he told Business Line in an interview on the side lines of International Mining and Machinery Exhibition (IMME) in Kolkata, on Thursday.
The former Russian block country is a leading player in nuclear biological chemical NBC) in NATO. It also trains foreign experts in using such weapons. A member of EU, Czech Republic is also a major producer of small arms, automatic machine guns, ammunitions and radars.
Railways Stasek is also bullish about Czech companies playing a role in modernising Indian Railways and developing metro rail network in India.
The Czech national passenger operator, CD, and supply industry association ACRI entered a three-year pact with the Rail ministry for technical co-operation in August. CD is credited with running one of the most dense rail networks in Europe.
Potential areas of co-operation include the development of automotive traffic, raising the speeds of Indian passenger trains to 200 km/h, and modernisation of stations, depots, rolling stock, signalling and telecoms.
“We are now approaching the Rail Board and the Rail ministry to identify the core areas of cooperation,” the ambassador said.
Energy ties One of the largest exporter of electricity (along with France) in Europe; the country is keen to enhance its energy ties with India. The focus is on sale of coal mining gears and civil nuclear energy technology. Coal is the single largest energy source in Czech Republic contributing over over 50 per cent of electricity. Nuclear stands second at 34 per cent.
Eleven out of 14 Czech mining gear companies entered India in 2010. Some of them already won contracts from Coal India.
Meanwhile, Stasek is keen to attract more Indian investment in pharmaceutical and IT sectors in Czech Republic.
“In the last two years we have started receiving investments from Indian pharma companies. We are expecting the trend to strengthen,” he said.
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