The two countries want to bid jointly for oil and gas blocks in regions such as the Caspian, Central Asia, Africa and Latin America – areas where they have competed in the past, the Indo-Asian News Service reports.

Indian Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas additional secretary (international cooperation) Talmiz Ahmad is in China exploring opportunities for cooperation in building energy assets.

Ahmad said cooperation in exploration and production of oil and gas in their respective countries and related downstream activities like refining and natural gas would also be explored.

"The petroleum minister (Mani Shankar Aiyar) will pay a visit to China in early-November and this visit is to prepare ground for his visit," he told Indian reporters.