Global IT sales pitch at Bangalore show

Monday, 28 October 2002, 20:30 IST
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BANGALORE: Be it Britain, Mauritius or Andhra Pradesh, everyone's making a sales pitch at Asia's largest IT show, BangaloreIT.com, that seems to have become a hot location to network. The five-day, fifth edition of BangaloreIT.com, inaugurated by President A.P.J. Abdul Kalam, provided an opportunity for political representatives to point out the business sense it makes for IT investments and partnerships in their regions. "Our presence underlines the importance that the British government attaches to our relationship with India," said Stephen Timms, the British e-commerce minister. He pointed out that a large British delegation was available to facilitate business relationships. Deelchand Jeeha, the Mauritius minister for IT and telecommunication, said efforts were being made to convert his island country into a "cyber island" serving as a "cyber bridge" between India and Europe. He said Indian IT major Infosys Technologies had decided to invest in Mauritius "in a software development and disaster recovery centre. I would like to invite others to Mauritius." Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu said: "In Andhra Pradesh, we are focussed on IT-enabled services (ITES) which grew by 325 percent last year. In the first two quarters of this year, it has already reached 385 percent. The National Association of Software and Service Companies (Nasscom) has rated Hyderabad as the number one ITES destination, he said. Karnataka Chief Minister S.M. Krishna expressed similar views. He said the potential of IT in every sector of the economy was tremendous. "India is being recognised globally. Indian names are wanted as address references to many foreign companies. (But) as long as we don't take technology to rural India and the poor, it will have little relevance. "This is what has made Karnataka come out with a policy to take IT to the common man," said Krishna. But a sales pitch in India's tech capital has not come as a surprise to many. As B.V. Naidu, director, Software Technology Parks of India (STPI), put it: "It is a place for networking. That is the biggest advantage that has made BangaloreIT.com popular." As in the past, the show has attracted 17 countries and 11 states, with over 250 companies participating.
Source: IANS