India is slowly emerging as a bridge between global liquid gas suppliers and the SAARC (South Asian Association for Regional Co-operation) region, with the country's largest player - Petronet LNG - spreading its wings in neighbouring Bangladesh and Sri Lanka.

Petronet, registered as a private company but owned by state-run oil companies, is working with Dhaka and Colombo for setting up terminals for importing gas in ships in their territory under the government-government route.

The company has suggested Kutbdia near Cox's Bazar as the location in Bangladesh, while it is yet to identify a spot in Sri Lanka. The Bangladesh project is being worked out with a capacity of importing and regassifying five million tonnes of liquid gas. The Sri Lanka project is envisaged with an initial capacity of 1 million tonne and would be built in a modular format for future expansion.

(Times of India)