Scottish companies are talking to major Indian oil & gas firms, including Reliance Industries and ONGC, to seek equipment supply and maintenance contracts. Scottish Development International (SDI), a business promotion agency, is in India with a delegation of six institutions to understand the business requirement of local oil & gas players.

In the last meeting with ONGC director (exploration) D K Pande, and officers of RIL, Essar Oil and L&T in 2008, SDI officials had asked them to submit a list of technology and products they need from Scottish companies. ?Based on the list, we contacted the relevant companies back home and brought some of them in this delegation for further discussions,? SDI country manager (India) Mark Hallan told FE.

The delegation met Pande on Monday to share the business plans and future prospects in India. ?There were a number of areas that are clearly of interest for ONGC,? Hallan said without specifying the areas he was referring to.

SDI is associated with Enterprise Ministry of Scottish Government and assists business relationships between Scottish and foreign companies. It has representative offices in Delhi and Mumbai.

The visiting institutions are Online Electornics Ltd, a pipeline pig monitoring equipment manufacturer; OPITO, which identifies the key skills required to handle the equipment used in the sector and facilitates training of workforce; Mooring Systems Limited, provider of mooring services to the offshore industry; Nautronix, a marine technology solutions provider; Production Services Network, a service contractor to oil and gas exploration and production industry; and Stevenson College.

?Indian firms have just started their venture in offshore oil & gas exploration and we think this provides a great opportunity to us,? Nautronix sales manager Chris Milner said. SDI has also met representatives of Indian Oil Corp and Director General of Hydrocarbons V K Sibal on Tuesday and will talk with RIL, Essar Oil and Great Easter Offshore in the next few days.

?Some business has already taken place with RIL, and we are still talking with ONGC and L&T to generate the opportunities present in the country,? SDI?s senior executive (energy and engineering) Alan Henderson said.

Brand issue: Scotch whisky body hope for solution

The Scotch Whisky Association, which represents European distillers and exporters of whisky, is optimistic of reaching a resolution on the dispute over the use of term ?Scotch? on whisky brands in India, business promotion agency Scottish Development International (SDI) said on Tuesday.

In 2007, Bangalore-based distiller Khoday India Ltd was barred from using the ?Scot? or ?Scotch?, which is said to represent whisky made in Scotland, by Madras High Court. The company appealed to Supreme Court against the order and won the case. Unhappy over this, Scotch Whisky Association decided to file for a geographical indication (GI) status of Scotch whisky in India. GI status is used to attach the qualities of a product to its origin, for example Darjeeling Tea.

?The association?s chief executive (Gavin Hawitt) had discussion with the Indian government and the regulatory authorities on the issue. The group is positive about a resolution,? SDI?s country manager (India) Mark Hallan said.