NEW DELHI (Reuters) - India is ready to sign long-term gas purchase deals with Qatar provided that Doha agrees to acquire stakes in power plants which have been hit by gas shortages, oil minister Dharmendra Pradhan said on Tuesday.
Pradhan told Reuters India was open to granting stakes to Qatar in local oil and gas companies and liquefied natural gas (LNG) terminals, should the Gulf emirate make such a proposal.
Qatar's RasGas is the biggest LNG supplier to India, where a lack of gas supplies has forced many plants to cease operations or function below capacity.
(Reporting by Neha Dasgupta; Editing by Douglas Busvine)