Australia offers $70 million more for joint research projects in India

Australia has pledged an additional $70 million in funding for collaborative research with India in a host of areas, including energy, agriculture and environment.

Visiting Australian prime minister Kevin Rudd today said his government would invest an additional $50 million in an Australia-India Strategic Research Fund.

The Indian government will match the increased investment by Australia for funding bilateral research projects.

Rudd also offered $1 million to finance a joint solar cooling research project in India. The project between Australia's Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO) and The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI) aims to develop a zero emissions solar cooling system for use in remote areas.

Addressing reporters on the sidelines of a meeting with RK Pachauri, chief of TERI, Rudd also promised $20 million for research in dryland farming in India. The Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research will be supporting research into dryland farming in India.

Rudd said the Australia-India Strategic Research Fund, a joint initiative of the two governments, is already supporting 50 projects in various areas, including agriculture and biotechnology, water management, climate change and evolution, the impact of global warming, computing and astronomy and malaria vaccines.