VZCZCXRO3868
RR RUEHBI RUEHCI RUEHNEH
DE RUEHCI #0308/01 3241106
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 201106Z NOV 09
FM AMCONSUL KOLKATA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 2498
INFO RHMFISS/DEPT OF ENERGY WASHINGTON DC
RUEHCG/AMCONSUL CHENNAI 1010
RUEHBI/AMCONSUL MUMBAI 1013
RUEHNEH/AMCONSUL HYDERABAD 0076
RUEHNE/AMEMBASSY NEW DELHI 2388
RUEHCI/AMCONSUL KOLKATA 3114

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 KOLKATA 000308 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPT FOR OES/STC, SCA/INSB, VO/L/C, EEB/ESC 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: TPHY TRGY TSPL CVIS ECON IN
SUBJECT: KOLKATA'S VARIABLE ENERGY CYCLOTRON CENTER SEEKS ACCELERATED 
U.S.-INDIA SCIENTIFIC COLLABORATION 
 
¶1.       (SBU) Summary:  The Variable Energy Cyclotron Center 
(VECC) in Kolkata, a premier institute of the Government of 
India's Department of Atomic Energy, commissioned India's first 
superconducting cyclotron in May 2009.  In a September 16 
meeting with PolOFF, VECC's Director, Dr. Rakesh K. Bhandari, 
discussed past, and enthused about future, collaboration with 
U.S. educational institutions, particularly in light of the 
U.S.-India civilian nuclear deal.  He noted the center's 
continued difficulties with procurement and travel, despite the 
recently concluded U.S.-India civilian nuclear deal.  He 
emphasized the growing strategic importance of helium, its 
usefulness in predicting natural disasters and intention to 
domestic source the element. 
 
 
 
Existing Collaboration with U.S. Institutions 
 
 
 
¶2.       (SBU) The Variable Energy Cyclotron Center (VECC) was 
established in 1977 as a premier research institute working in 
the field of advanced accelerator technology development for 
basic and applied research.  The center is part of the 
Government of India's Department of Atomic Energy.  VECC built 
the first large cyclotron in India, and in May 2009 commissioned 
the first superconducting cyclotron in the country, both 
according to plans received from Texas A&M and Michigan State 
universities.   Research utilizing the new superconducting 
cyclotron will begin by September 2010.  In addition to the two 
educational institutions named, VECC also works closely with 
Brookhaven Laboratory in New York and the Department of Energy's 
Fermilab in Chicago. 
 
 
 
Continued Difficulties with Procurement and Visas 
 
 
 
¶3.       (SBU) Bhandari noted the center's continued 
difficulties with procurement and travel, despite the recently 
concluded U.S.-India civilian nuclear deal.  VECC prefers to 
source critical components from the U.S., given the cyclotron's 
U.S. design.  However, according to him, U.S. suppliers continue 
to face export restrictions in this area.  VECC recently 
purchased equipment from Ion Beam Applications in Belgium to 
manufacture radio-isotopes for nuclear medicine diagnostics as 
it was unable to locate a U.S. supplier.  According to him, each 
year a dozen VECC scientists travel to the US for conferences 
and meetings, with an equal number of U.S. scientists paying 
reciprocal visits.  He expressed concern about the inordinate 
delays with U.S. visa issuance for Indian scientists. 
 
 
 
Domestic Sourcing of the Strategic Element Helium 
 
 
 
¶4.   (SBU) Bhandari predicted an increasing worldwide demand for 
Helium as an important element for the application of cryogenics 
technology research.  VECC currently imports liquid helium from 
the U.S. and Russia, however, is looking for domestic sources 
either from hot springs or natural gas wells.  In southern 
India, VECC has partnered with a U.S.-based scientist to 
separate helium from natural gas.  VECC also plans to establish 
a helium separation laboratory in the Bakreshwar hot springs, 
about 230 kilometers northwest of Kolkata.  One of the benefits 
of the lab has been the observation of a positive correlation 
between an increase in helium concentration and earthquakes. 
For instance, before the December 2004 South Asian tsunami, the 
center noted unusual increases in helium concentration. 
 
 
 
Comment 
 
 
 
¶5.   (SBU) Director Bhandari was friendly, yet measured, in the 
center's first interaction with post in several years.  While 
relaxed export and visa restrictions may not have been part of 
the U.S.-India civilian nuclear deal, scientists at the VECC had 
hoped that they would be accompanying measures.  What struck 
 
KOLKATA 00000308  002 OF 002 
 
 
post's PolOFF, no scientist himself, was the amount of 
U.S.-India collaboration, whether at the institutional or 
individual level, that had already gone into VECC's work.  The 
center is open to further collaboration and would welcome the 
opportunity to engage with scientists in the field. 
PAYNE