New Zealand eager for tie-ups with India

Wednesday, 20 October 2004, 19:30 IST
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BANGALORE: New Zealand is keen on collaborating with Indian information technology (IT) industry to benefit from the latter's high-end skills. New Zealand Prime Minister Helen Clarke told reporters here Monday Indian global IT firms could help incubate IT start-ups in her country. "We see an enormous opportunity to collaborate with the Indian IT industry, which has achieved a global scale of operation," Clarke told reporters. "With large ideas from India global firms, we too can incubate start-ups. There is every possibility of collaboration." Clarke, who is on a five-day visit to India since Saturday, visited Infosys Technologies Ltd, India's leading IT bellwether, and Biocon Ltd, the country's leading biotechnology firm. "We are highly impressed by what Infosys has achieved and is doing. Representatives of our IT firms are staying back to discuss collaboration with the Infosys management," Clarke said. Before leaving for Mumbai, Clarke had a luncheon meeting with top brass of major IT companies based here. National Association of Software and Services Companies (Nasscom) president Kiran Karnik and Digital Globasoft top executive Som Mittal attended the meeting. "We are excited to see the phenomenal growth of the Indian IT industry over the last decade," she added. On her ensuing discussions with the central government in New Delhi Wednesday, Clarke said there was a genuine effort by both the countries to take their relations forward from where they have been since the 1950s. "There is a lot of activity happening in the education and IT sector. We have also some agricultural issues on the agenda for discussion with the Indian leaders," Clarke said. Asked about the prospects of India being admitted to the UN security council as a permanent member, Clarke said New Zealand was part of the group of countries led by Mexico to consider admission of countries like India, Germany and Japan. "We are looking for a UN Security Council that reflects the 21st century and not that of 1945," she added. Clarke hoped to see an enhanced role for India in the region. "We will like to see India playing a bigger role in world affairs," she said.
Source: IANS
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