Vivendi group's head of international affairs division Thierry de Beauce said the group was negotiating with Indian companies for a venture capital tie-up for investment in Internet and Internet-related companies. ``We have vision of Internet in India,'' he said.

Vivendi, the biggest company in the environment business in the world, has already bagged a contract for collection of about 1,100 tonnes of garbage in Chennai covering two million people per day. The seven-year contract is worth Rs 27 crore per annum. Its environment services business contributes as much as 48.6 per cent to the group's total turnover. Some of the group companies include global giants such as Compagnie Generale des Eaux, CGE Australia, General Utilities UK, Connex Rail and Sithe Energies.

Beauce, a former French minister, said at a press conference that the group was also looking at developing partnerships and alliances with State Government for water supply. The second biggest activity of focus for the company in India would be management of industrial waste. The company is working on some projects in Tamil Nadu to handle industrial toxic waste and hospital waste.

Beauce said the construction business, which accounts for 32 per cent of the global turnover of Vivendi group, would not be a focus area in India.

India offers tremendous business opportunities in the areas Vivendi specialises in, a senior company official based in Delhi said. Vivendi opened its India office in April last year. ``We are still relatively new in the Indian market. We are studying the business opportunities and have already met with some success here,'' the official said.

Vivendi group has three business divisions - environment services, communications and construction. Its environment services business includes water treatment and supply, waste management, energy management and transport.

Vivendi's communications business comprises of telephone services, multimedia and audio-visual activities and publishing. The communications business accounts for 18.8 per cent of the group turnover. The group owns the well known television channel Canal plus.