The Hindu : Tamil Nadu / Chennai News : Malaysian firms seek bigger presence in ICT, biotech sectors

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Tuesday, Nov 03, 2009
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Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu - Chennai

Malaysian firms seek bigger presence in ICT, biotech sectors

Special Correspondent

Firms urged to develop infrastructure in Brazil, Sudan and Iraq

— Photo: K. Pichumani

Talking business: Datuk Mustapa Mohamed, Malaysian Minister of International Trade and Industry, addressing a meeting in Chennai on Monday. Dato Tan Seng Sung, Malaysian High Commissioner (left), and J.N.Amrolia, chairman, Task Force, CII-SR, are in the picture.

CHENNAI: Malaysian firms have completed 54 infrastructure projects worth $2.5 billion in India, and projects worth $2 billion are in various stages of implementation, Datuk Mustapa Mohamed, the Malaysian Minister of International Trade and Industry, said on Monday.

Addressing a roundtable on ‘Business opportunities in Malaysia’ organised by the Confederation of Indian Industry, he said that Malaysian firms had a big presence in India in construction and highways, and it was time to broaden it in the ICT and biotechnology sectors too.

Mr.Mohamed urged Indian and Malaysian firms to make use of their strengths and experience in engineering and construction for the development of infrastructure in countries such as Brazil, Sudan, Israel and Iraq.

An 11-member Malaysian business delegation, led by Mr.Mohamed, has been in India for the last five days. It has already visited Mumbai and Bangalore.

The delegation has discussed bilateral trade and business opportunities in the areas of automobile, renewable energy, ICT, healthcare, biotechnology, real estate, machinery and equipment, education.

Making a presentation on investment opportunities in Malaysia, Mr.Mohamed said: “My visit here is to strengthen business ties and raise the trade to higher level given the potential. I also met Shipping Minister G.K. Vasan and sought collaboration in shipping and related areas. India is the 12th largest trading partner for Malaysia and ranks ninth in the Foreign Direct Investment list. We want India to move up.”

According to him, Malaysia is ranked among the 12 mega biodiversity countries of the world. “Chennai is an important city for us and it is also known for its strengths in biotechnology. About 105 IT firms are present in Malaysia and we would like to have some biotech firms too,” he said.

Dato Tan Seng Sung, Malaysian High Commissioner to India, said: “Our aim is also to make Malaysia a preferred destination for Indian tourists. Last year we received 5,50,000 visitors from India and this year it would touch 6,00,000. So far this year we have received 4,20,000 visitors,” he told The Hindu.

Car manufacturing plant

Dato Zainal Abidin Syed Mohamed Tahir of Proton said talks were on with several players to set up a car manufacturing plant of the company in India.

It might come up in the Mumbai-Pune, New Delhi or Chennai region. Proton would set up a representative office in Chennai by the end of 2009.

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