MOSCOW--Two PR firms have inked a new partnership that aims to capitalise on rising trade between Russia and India.

Russia's AGT Communications and Indian firm Torque Communications are hoping the new deal will help improve the communications and PR efforts of companies in both countries.

Bilateral trade between Russia and India is expected to reach $20bn by 2015, up from $6.4bn in 2011. For Russian companies, key Indian industries include energy, natural resources, defense and aviation. Over 300 Indian companies, meanwhile, are engaged in Russian sectors ranging from pharmaceuticals to textiles, trade and services. 

The partnership will focus on the communication and marketing requirements of Russian and Indian companies doing business in each other's countries.

"Working outside the country is connected with new challenges for the company, and [a] significant part of them can be solved by right communication policy," said AGT chairman Viacheslav Lashchevsky. "Our partnership allows us to talk about not only significant geographical but also commercial scale."

“India sees Russia as a strategic partner and a large market," added Torque MD Supriyo Gupta. "We see a large potential in helping companies reach out to their mass and special audiences.”