Vibrant Gujarat: Rogozin pitches ‘Safe City’ system for India

Russian Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Rogozin has offered India the latest technology to boost urban security. In a standalone meeting on Jan. 9 on the sidelines of the Vibrant Gujarat Summit in Gandhinagar, Rogozin and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi discussed the Russian ‘Safe City’ system, which is designed to help carry out surveillance to maintain safety by dispatching police teams more efficiently. The system compliments Modi’s smart city initiative.

Rogozin and Modi also spoke about an upcoming military industrial conference that will discuss a system to repair defence equipment that is exported to India.

India interested in Russian security system

The sides also agreed to hold the first meeting of the Russia-India Committee on Science and Technology, which will take place under the aegis of the Technoprom forum in June in the Russian high tech hub of Akademgorodok in Siberia.

Further details of the meeting, the first high level talks since the 2016 India-Russia summit in Goa, were not revealed to the press. Earlier this week, Indian publications reported that the issue of Moscow’s growing cooperation with Islamabad would figure in the talks. Indian officials are concerned over a series of reports that claim that Russia is mulling participation in the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC). Moscow has repeatedly denied any intention to take part in the corridor that passes through parts of Kashmir that are under Pakistani control.

Citing a source in Delhi, Kommersant said, India’s readiness to develop long-term trade and economic ties may largely depend on the ability of Moscow and Delhi to maintain common ground on geopolitical questions that concern India’s national interests.

Russian cooperation with Indian states

More than 10 Russian companies are attending the Vibrant Gujarat forum in Gandhinagar, including the Rosatom State Atomic Energy Corporation, Roscosmos State Corporation, gas processing and petrochemicals company Sibur and Russian Helicopters.

Russian companies and regions are eager to increase cooperation with Indian states.

Gandhinagar will also host a Russia-India Business Forum where representatives of Tatarstan and Astrakhan will offer projects for joint cooperation.

Russian companies, regions to participate in Vibrant Gujarat

According to Russian Trade Representative in India Yaroslav Tarasyuk, at least three joint documents may be signed at the forum. “We are entering the states starting with, one might say, the most developed one,” Tarasyuk told RIA Novosti. “This is a continuation of a trend that has started with (the then) Russian Minister of Industry and Trade Denis Manturov’s visit to four Indian states in October – Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Rajasthan and Delhi. Russian businesses are actively entering Indian states and Russian regions are supporting this endeavour.”

According to Tarasyuk there is a huge interest in Russia among Indian companies, mainly among chemical producers, pharmaceutical companies, manufacturers of fertilizers and agricultural producers. “Such active participation of the Russian delegation on a regional forum is not happening for the first time, but still it’s a rare event,” he told the news agency.

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