India, Indonesia to cooperate in making textile machinery

"They have expressed interest in several fields. Meanwhile we are now just restructuring our textile machinery and we have problems there. We are not yet focussed on machinery. So we have invited them to set up a joint venture to manufacture textile machines," Industry Minister Fahmi Idris said after receiving an Indian business delegation here on Thursday.

He said a follow-up meeting would be held later to discuss the technicalities in the development of the capacity of textile machines such as for spinning, weaving and dyeing.

Besides in textile machinery production, India would also cooperate in the building of turbines for 10,000 MW electricity generation the project of which is expected to last until 2015, he said.

"In 2015 we hope we will develop the third phase of the 10,000 MW project. What remains a problem is turbines. Ours is only capable for generating 2MW electricity," he said.

The minister said the Indian delegation led by Rajiv Kaul welcomed the cooperation plan as India had the capability to produce the machines needed by Indonesia.

"The industry ministry hopes it can cooperate to make turbines for 7-100 MW capacity," he said.

The director general of metal, machinery, textile and miscellaneous industries, Anshari Bukhari, said next month the 10-member delegation would return to the country to discuss in detail the plan.

"India seems very interested in establishing the joint venture in the two projects," he said.

The minister said he hoped Indian businessmen would not only come to market their products but invest in the country.

The businessmen who attended the meeting came from among others NICCA Corp, Tata International Ltd, Jetline Group Companies that operate in transportation equipment, electronic devices and instruments, software, chemical field, hydro-power and small-scale, medium and large infrastructure development.

India is one of the country's important trade partners and total trade between the two countries reached US$9.5 billion in 2008. Indonesia's exports to India reached US$7.16 billion while its imports from that country US$2.9 billion.

In January-April 2009 the country's exports to India reached US$2.86 billion, down from US$2.97 billion recorded in the same period last year.

Several other Indian companies have also expressed their interest to invest in the country such as Bajaj Auto Limited, Reliance Industry and National Aluminium Company (Nalco).