Indian Govt, firms spend over $10 mn for lobbying in US

With the US lawmakers holding key to a vast number of issues affecting India and its corporates, the Indian government and a handful of private entities have together spent over $10 million this year alone on lobbying activities in the power corridors in Washington.

With the US lawmakers holding key to a vast number of issues affecting India and its corporates, the Indian government and a handful of private entities have together spent over $10 million this year alone on lobbying activities in the power corridors in Washington.

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In efforts to push forward their case in the US Congress and the administration on issues such as nuclear deal in case of the government and those related to foreign trade, immigration and other regulatory matters as also individual business ventures in case of private Indian entities, nearly $5.6 million were paid to the lobbyists in the second quarter of 2009, according to the set of lobbying disclosure reports filed with the US Senate for this period.

Prior to this, India had already paid nearly $4.6 million in the first quarter ended March 31, 2009, taking the total for the year to over $10 million (Rs 50 crore).

Interestingly, the Indian government and the country's largest private sector firm Reliance Industries, which is run by billionaire industrialist Mukesh Ambani, together accounted for nearly three-fourth of the total lobbying spending by India and Indian companies among the US lawmakers.

Other entities having indulged in lobbying activities, as per the available disclosure reports for the latest quarter, include Tata Sons Ltd, software industry body Nasscom, Gujarat Flurochemicals, Sun Pharma and Orchid Chemical.