VZCZCXRO9359
OO RUEHAST RUEHBI RUEHCI RUEHDBU RUEHLH RUEHNEH RUEHPW
DE RUEHNE #2166/01 2990244
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 260244Z OCT 09
FM AMEMBASSY NEW DELHI
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 8364
INFO RHEHAAA/WHITE HOUSE WASHDC IMMEDIATE
RUCNCLS/ALL SOUTH AND CENTRAL ASIA COLLECTIVE
RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC
RUCPDOC/DEPT OF COMMERCE WASHDC
RUEATRS/DEPT OF TREASURY WASHDC
RUEHRC/DEPT OF AGRICULTURE WASHDC
RUEHCP/AMEMBASSY COPENHAGEN 0247

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 NEW DELHI 002166 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR SCA, OES, SECC, AND EEB 
NSC FOR FROMAN, LIPTON 
USDA FOR USDA/FAS/OCBD/SHEIKH/LYONS/MIRELES 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PREL SENV ETRD EINV EAGR BEXP IN
SUBJECT:  U/S BURNS MEETS WITH PLANNING COMMISSION DEPUTY CHAIRMAN 
MONTEK SINGH AHLUWALIA 
 
Summary 
------- 
 
¶1.  (SBU) On October 15, U/S Burns met with Deputy Chairman of 
India's Planning Commission Montek Singh Ahluwalia for a 
wide-ranging discussion of the U.S.-India Strategic Dialogue and 
Prime Minister Singh's November State Visit to Washington. 
Ambassador Roemer, A/S for South and Central Asia Bob Blake, and NSC 
Acting Senior Director for South Asia Anish Goel accompanied.  The 
discussion reinforced a shared interest in moving existing dialogues 
toward more concrete outcomes; a "Green Initiative" as a means to 
link a range of projects on energy/climate change and food security; 
and the need to connect more closely inter-government-to-government 
dialogues with private sector input through the CEO Forum.  The 
discussion also touched on managing expectations for Copenhagen. 
End Summary. 
 
Green Initiative 
---------------- 
 
¶2.  (SBU) U/S Burns told DCPC Ahluwalia that the USG was eager to 
leverage the five pillars of the U.S.- India Strategic Dialogue for 
progress toward a fulsome agenda for the PM's November visit.  In 
addition to an MOU on Law Enforcement and Security Cooperation, he 
described a Green Initiative that linked over-arching energy, 
climate change and food security concerns into a coherent package. 
The Ambassador noted that the Green Initiative could have broad 
popular appeal in both countries.  U/S Burns emphasized that support 
for technological innovations in these areas could stimulate greater 
private sector investment in the fields in question. 
 
Energy/Climate Change 
--------------------- 
 
¶3.  (SBU) Ahluwalia shared his concern that the energy and climate 
change dialogues should produce more concrete outcomes.  He agreed 
that there were numerous private sector entities working on 
renewable energy projects whose efforts would benefit from 
intensified bilateral collaboration.  India, as proposed in its 
draft Energy and Climate MOU, was prepared to create a 
public-private fund that was impartially governed and which would 
ensure that projects would be supported through a rigorous 
peer-review process.  U/S Burns expressed his hope that during their 
November meetings, the leaders would embrace such a concept. 
 
India's Solar Mission 
--------------------- 
 
¶4.  (SBU) Ahluwalia noted that the GOI was on the verge of releasing 
its much-anticipated National Solar Mission, which will complement 
India's National Action Plan on Climate Change and National Energy 
Efficiency Plan.  While he was not exactly sure of the scope of the 
individual projects, Ahluwalia suggested that two or three 100-300 
MW solar thermal plant projects would soon be put up for competitive 
bid, and that bids from U.S. companies would be welcome.  He noted 
that the GOI was planning to provide subsidies on a declining basis 
for the first 1,000 MW of solar power. 
 
Copenhagen 
---------- 
 
¶5.  (SBU) U/S Burns raised the Danish PM's recent call for the 
Copenhagen talks to produce a short political statement accompanied 
by a mechanism for identifying and linking national climate change 
commitments.  Ahluwalia said it would be important to ensure that 
Copenhagen not appear to fail, even in the absence of a spectacular 
success.  Ahluwalia expressed regret that India had recently 
appeared to have struck a more strident tone in the press, as the 
L'Aquila Declaration reflected a more genuinely cooperative 
approach.  Speaking personally, Ahluwalia said he hoped that the 
Declaration would provide a basis for preserving a positive and 
forward-looking outcome in Copenhagen, even if a breakthrough was 
not close.  For India, Ahluwalia said, an equitable outcome was the 
bottom line; meanwhile, it would move ahead with national and 
bilateral plans including new technology and cleaner coal.  U/S 
Burns suggested that Copenhagen might well involve linking loose 
multilateral commitments to more specific national objectives. 
Ahluwalia noted that until developed economies show that cleaner, 
more efficient technologies offer a viable model for economic 
growth, skeptics will continue to believe they must defend 
 
NEW DELHI 00002166  002 OF 002 
 
 
development from climate change policies. 
 
Food Security 
------------- 
 
¶6.  (SBU) Ahluwalia referenced a recent conversation with 
Agriculture Secretary Vilsack on India's potential cooperation on a 
global food security initiative.  Ahluwalia noted that India's 
experts were more than willing to contribute their expertise to any 
such initiative, noting that they had already done work in Africa. 
He added, however, that Indian technical assistance could best be 
leveraged with U.S. funding support.   Ahluwalia proposed that India 
could benefit greatly from capacity building in the area of monsoon 
and weather forecasting and that such a deliverable would resonate 
very well in India.  Noting the work of new retail distributors in 
Amritsar, A/S Blake spoke of private sector efforts to overcome 
supply chain blockages. 
 
CEO Forum 
--------- 
 
¶7.  (SBU) Ahluwalia said he looked forward to seeing the U.S. 
representation to the CEO Forum.  U/S Burns noted that the selection 
process, requiring notification in the Federal Register, would 
likely be finalized soon.  Deputy National Security Advisor Froman 
would be providing follow-up and would work with Ahluwalia and the 
CEO Forum to help ensure a productive meeting.  Ahluwalia said that 
although the U.S. CEO selection-process might appear cumbersome, he 
had received suggestions from Indian CEOs that the GOI should adopt 
a similar, more transparent process. 
 
¶8.   (SBU) Ahluwalia concurred that it would be useful to solicit 
from CEO Forum members joint recommendations.  He further proposed 
that such recommendations could be shared with bilateral 
inter-ministerial groups following PM Singh's U.S. visit and before 
a visit to India by President Obama.  A/S Blake suggested the CEO 
Forum could be fruitfully linked with ongoing 
government-to-government dialogues to stimulate public-private 
engagement.  Ahluwalia noted that there was significant interest in 
India for doing so, notably in the areas of education, clean energy, 
investment and infrastructure.