The Hindu : Karnataka / Bangalore News : U.S. delegation is visiting Bangalore

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Wednesday, Dec 06, 2006
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U.S. delegation is visiting Bangalore

Special Correspondent

`The city is an important destination for technology companies'

TRADE TALK: Venkat Kedlaya (left), president, BCIC, Mark A. Russell, commercial consul, U.S. Consulate, Chennai, T. Ramappa, Secretary General, BCIC, and Patrick Kirwan (right), director, Trade Promotion Coordination Committee, U.S. Department of Com merce, in Bangalore on Tuesday. — Photo: K. Gopinathan

Bangalore: The trade delegation from the United States now travelling across five Indian cities has made a stopover in Mumbai. But enough numbers out of the 262 delegates representing 200 companies have found their way to Bangalore.

Speaking to the media here on Tuesday, U.S. Department of Commerce Director Patrick Kirwan said 60 per of the delegates were from small and medium enterprises. More than one third represented the information technology, healthcare and power sectors where collaboration with Indian companies was seen as the most beneficial to both sides.

"The other industry sectors represented include pharmaceuticals, logistics and financial services where too Indian tie-ups exist and more are expected. Some of the U.S. companies that have come here have been started by Americans of Indian origin.

"Bangalore is considered an important destination for the technology companies, looking both for joint venture partners and local distributors," Mr. Kirwan said.

Besides Mumbai, Delhi, Chennai, Hyderabad and Kolkata are on the itinerary.

"A little over 22,000 U.S. exporters deal with India while the potential exists for five million exporters. The exchange rates favour India and the business environment is better than ever before,'' he said.

Bangalore Chamber of Commerce and Industry President Venkat Kedlaya referred to the fact the UNDP had named Bangalore the fourth ranking in the world in regard to technology innovation and related products and services.

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