The Hindu : Kerala News : Japanese city scouting for Indian IT talent

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Friday, May 06, 2005

Kerala

Kerala

Japanese city scouting for Indian IT talent

Staff Reporter

KOCHI: It was an IT mission of the Japanese kind. Those who participated were no experts in information technology. In fact, they were searching for expertise from India in general and Kerala in particular.

There were five of them, all hailing from the Iizuka City in Japan. Led by the Mayor of the city, Tohru Okabe, they were on the lookout for IT professionals. It was after paying visits to New Delhi and Bangalore that they reached the God's Own Country.

The mission, of course, is to set up an IT centre in their city with a population of about one lakh. Japan has advanced technology, but not in IT. So the tour was the right step in the right direction.

"We are keen to have good contacts with Asians," says the Mayor. The Iizuka city has been declared as an IT centre by the Government. The infrastructure has already been constructed. An IT incubation centre is ready for occupation.

There is no problem for getting family visa for a period of five years initially, explains the Mayor. There is no restriction on employing personnel. But the salary may be slightly on the high in comparison to the Indian standards. A junior engineer may start with a salary Rs. 80,000 per month.

The Japanese team explained that they were planning to organise an IT fair in which about 20 medium size companies would participate.

Masato Tamura, an entrepreneur, was all praise of the Japanese City. "I had approached the authorities seeking some changes in the rules. They gave a patient listening and acted in accordance with my wishes. Where else will you have such people at the helm" he asks.

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