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Agriculture/Energy

Agriculture and agro industries remain crucial to India's growing economy. Agriculture and allied sectors contribute nearly 22 per cent of GDP, while about 65-70 per cent of the population is dependent on agriculture for their livelihood.
Thirty years ago, India saw a landmark "green revolution" that led to the introduction of new technologies and the high-yield variety of seeds, resulting in higher productivity and a dramatic improvement in the living standards of a large number of farmers.

Bangladesh agrees to tri-nation gas pipeline

Utpal Bhaskar, Mint

New Delhi, Feb 28 (IANS) Bangladesh has lifted its opposition to a gas pipeline linking India and Myanmar and running through its territory, paving the way for the establishment of a regional gas grid that will feed India�s growing energy hunger.

African nations offer great opportunities to us: Indian Oil minister

Rajeev Jayaswal, Economic Times

New Delhi, Feb 8 (IANS) Oil-rich Africa has been attracting the attention major global economies in the last couple of decades. India has been criticised for ignoring the mineral-rich continent for long. Now, with China having made great strides in Africa by developing close diplomatic and economic ties with some key nations, India is also making an effort to get its African safari going. For India, which is dependent on West Asian nations for its energy needs, Africa�s estimated 16 billion metric tonne proven oil reserves and about 500 trillion cubic feet gas reserves present a great opportunity. Oil minister Murli Deora, who is at the vanguard of India�s diplomatic efforts in Africa, talks to ET�s Rajeev Jayaswal on his five-day visit to the continent. Excerpts:

Uganda seeks Indian help in developing hydrocarbon sector

New Delhi, Jan 28 (IANS) Uganda has sought Indian assistance in developing its oil and gas sector.

India asks Sudan for more exploration acreage

New Delhi, Jan 25 (IANS) India has asked Sudan to increase the acreage of petroleum exploration and offered help in building up the downstream sector of the North African sector.

Gail to buy 4% in Myanmar-China project

Economic Times

New Delhi, Jan 19 (IANS) State-run gas transportation company Gail India will pick up a four percent stake in the $2-billion Myanmar-China gas pipeline project, company chairman and managing director BC Tripathi said on Monday. OVL, the overseas arm of oil and gas major ONGC, will pick up another 8-8.5% stake in the pipeline project that will link two gas producing blocks A1 and A3 in Myanmar with consuming centres in the mainland China.

India sanctions OVL's investment in 2 Nigerian blocks

New Delhi, Jan 14 (IANS) India has sanctioned funding of $359 million to ONGC Videsh Ltd, overseas arm of ONGC Ltd, for the execution of the first exploration phase in two Nigerian deepwater blocks.

Nigerian gambit signals India�s Africa strategy

Utpal Bhaskar, Mint

New Delhi, Jan 5 (IANS) India is offering help to oil- and gas-rich Nigeria to build infrastructure, especially power plants, emulating China�s strategy to secure access to oil and gas blocks in energy-rich Africa.

India eyeing oil production opportunities in Africa

New Delhi, Dec 7 (IANS) India is looking to participate in "exploration and production opportunity" in Africa and to be a part of the continent's natural gas market, Petroluem Minister Murli Deora said Monday.

ONGC planning to build refinery in Nigeria

New Delhi, Dec 7 (IANS) ONGC Videsh Ltd, the overseas arm of India's state-run oil exploration major Oil and Natural Gas Corp (ONGC), is planning to set up a greenfield refinery in Nigeria.