Govt, private cos spend $10 mn on lobbying in US

NEW DELHI: The Indian government and private companies have spent over $10 million this year to lobby the US Congress on a wide variety of issues.

After the Indo-US civilian nuclear deal, the government has continued to use the services of lobbyists to lobby on issues of Indian interests. But apart from the government, some private Indian entities have also hired lobby
firms to lobby the US Congress on specific issues.

According to the set of lobbying disclosure reports filed with the US Senate for the second quarter of 2009, around $5.6 million was spent by the government and these private entities. Before this India had already paid nearly $4.6 million in the first quarter of this year, which ended on March 31, 2009. This means India has spent over $10 million till now on lobby firms.

According to the disclosure reports, the Indian government and Reliance Industries account for three-fourth of the total lobbying expenditure by India and Indian companies among the US lawmakers.

According to the disclosure reports of lobby firm BGR, the Indian petrochemicals major has paid $1,90,000 in April-June 2009 while the Indian government, which also uses BGR, spent $1,80,000 for the same period. BGR is lobbying on ���trade (domestic/foreign)������ issues for RIL and on foreign policy issues for the government.

Both the Senate and the House of Representatives are debating bills that would allow the Obama administration to put penalties, including a ban on doing business in the US, against companies that are supplying petroleum products to Iran.

For the government, BGR is lobbying on ���foreign relations��� and specific issues related to the ���bilateral US-India relationship and... to civil nuclear agreement���.

BGR has been lobbying with the US House of Representatives, Senate, Departments of Commerce, Defence, Labour and State, Executive Office of President, National Security Council (NSC) and US Trade Representative, according to reports. The government has retained lobbyists to get advice on relations with the Obama administration and also to lobby the US Congress on various issues.

Interestingly, in 2008, the Indian government had spent $6,30,000 on BGR while in 2007 the expenditure was $6,40,000, according to the lobby records. The government���s expenditure was higher in 2006 at $7,20,000 in 2006, the year the nuclear deal was signed by then president George W Bush and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.

Apart from the nuclear deal, the government has also used lobbyists to ensure that a re-hyphenation of India and Pakistan does not take place after the Obama administration took over.