“Emerging opportunities for promoting gas sector joint ventures and strategic alliances came up for discussion during the meeting of GAIL's chairman and managing director Proshanto Banerjee with Britain's energy minister Michael O' Brien in London recently,” the company said in a release. The meeting was also attended by officials from the UK's Department of Trade and industry (DTI) and the first secretary from the High Commission of India in London. The release said UK companies could tap the significant business opportunities in manufacturing and commercialization of gas-based appliances in India, retail gas distribution projects, gas metering and other related services. In a separate presentation made to the members of the Society of British Gas Industries (SBGI), Mr Banerjee emphasized the importance of developing a two-way business relationship between Indian and British gas sector companies. A memorandum of understanding between GAIL and SBGI would also be signed in this regard, and the DTI would be the “nodal agency” for taking various initiatives forward.