HYDERABAD: The American Oil Chemists' Society (AOCS) is planning to collaborate with the Oil Technologists' Association of India (OTAI) in lipid research, vegetable oils and their derivatives.

The AOCS' interest in working closely with OTAI was indicated by Michael J. Hass, president, when he held discussions here recently on the possibilities of cooperation between the two organisations with R.B.N. Prasad, who heads Indian Institute of Chemical Technology's R & D of Lipid Science and Technology division, and was convener of the seminar.

AOCS is interested in close ties with OTAI since the vegetable oil industry in India is the second largest after petrochemicals and is worth Rs. 70,000 crores. The two organisations could work for mutual benefit in the related fields, he added.

Annual convention

Modalities of the proposed ties between the two organisations will be discussed when Dr. Prasad visits the US in March or April next to attend the annual convention of the AOCS. He told The Hindu that the meet was a major initiative of the society to be attended by about 2,000 delegates, including lipid scientists, at St. Louis.

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