Page 389 - Week 02 - Thursday, 8 March 2007
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I participated, whilst in Mumbai, in the NASSCOM Leadership Forum—the National Association of Software and Services Companies—and delivered a paper on Canberra’s experience in building knowledge communities. With most of the Indian ICT industry in town for NASSCOM, it also provided a convenient opportunity to meet with a number of Indian ICT companies. Individual meetings were held with Tata Consulting Services, Datamatics, HCL Technologies and Patni Computer Systems, some of the biggest companies in the Indian ICT sector.
Each of these companies has expressed a strong interest in visiting Canberra during this year, and I believe there is a very real prospect of direct investment at this level in Canberra. Indian ICT companies are looking for partnering opportunities with SMEs in technology leadership positions and Canberra’s credentials in this regard are significant. NASSCOM also provided a unique window into the future of the global IT industry. I can report that NASSCOM is bringing a delegation to Sydney’s CeBIT ICT trade show in May and is now likely to extend this mission to Canberra.
In Mumbai I also met with two major industry organisations, the Bombay Chamber of Commerce and Industry and the India Merchants Chamber. Both organisations have offered to arrange introductions for Canberra businesses to help promote further trade.
In Pune, the Mahratta Chamber of Commerce, Industries and Agriculture is one of India’s most influential business bodies. The chamber responded directly to my address and visit by proposing a return trade mission to Canberra. The chamber and ACT government have agreed to progress ideas on the reciprocal mission over the coming months with a view to bringing it together some time later this year.
In Bangalore I met with the Chief Minister of the State of Karnataka, Mr Kumara Swamy, who holds a number of business related portfolios and is a significant political figure in India. Outcomes of this meeting included a proposed reciprocal visit in 2007 to be led by the Chief Minister. Educational partnerships between Canberra and Bangalore institutions were also discussed. In Bangalore I also met with the Director of the Indian Institute of Science, India’s most prestigious research organisation. I also met with the Antrix Corporation, the commercialisation arm of India’s space sciences industry.
In New Delhi I met with the Chief Minister of the National Capital Territory of Delhi. We discussed a range of issues pertaining to urban development, but notably opportunities for Canberra to provide educational services to Indian companies. The Chief Minister was also interested in our sports sciences and administration capacity, stemming from New Delhi’s hosting of the 2010 Commonwealth Games.
The delegation met the Secretary for the Union Ministry of IT. This discussion also focused on education partnerships, particularly in the area of middle management training of ICT graduates, an area of significant untapped demand in the Indian ICT sector.
Further meetings were also held with the New Delhi operations of Tata Consulting Services and HCL Technologies, two of the large ICT companies with a strong interest in Canberra’s ICT research capabilities and our position in the
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