At least a dozen US-based entities, including giants like Boeing, Pfizer, Dow Chemicals and Morgan Stanley, have indulged in lobbying among the American lawmakers here regarding India-related trade issues since the beginning of this year.
The companies having lobbied with the US lawmakers on trade and other issues related to India during the first quarter of 2013 also include Corning Inc, Duke Energy and Applied Materials Inc, shows the latest Congressional records of lobbying disclosure filings here.
Besides, industry bodies like Telecommunications Industry Association, Aerospace Industries Association of India, PhRMA (which represents leading research-based pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies in the US), National Association of Manufacturers and National Electrical Manufacturers Association also lobbied on India-related issues.
These lobbying activities of the companies and industry bodies have been disclosed by their registered lobby firms in their mandatory quarterly filings with the US Senate for the quarter ended March 31, 2013.
Together, these companies and industry bodies have so far disclosed having spent more than $13 million on their lobbying activities during the first quarter of 2013, but they did not disclose the break-up of the expenses on lobbying on matters related to India and other issues.
Most of these entities have disclosed lobbying on a wide range of issues, with India-related matters being one of them.
late last year, disclosures about retail giant Walmart’s lobbying with the US lawmakers for its India entry had generated a political storm in India. The disclosure reports are currently being probed by a one-man probe panel in India, whose term was last week extended by one month till May 31.
As per Congressional records of lobbying disclosure reports, Walmart spent a total amount of $6.13 million (about `33 crore) on lobbying for various issues, including on “discussions related to FDI in India”, during entire 2012.