DATE=2/11/2000
TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT
TITLE=INDIA - HIGH TECH (L-ONLY)
NUMBER=2-259046
BYLINE=ANJANA PASRICHA
DATELINE=NEW DELHI
CONTENT=
Intro: In India, preparations are underway for
President Clinton's visit next month. (March 20 to
25th). The visit will not be confined to politics.
President Clinton is also expected to stopover at one
of the two high-technology cities in southern India -
Hyderabad or Bangalore. Anjana Pasricha reports from
New Delhi, both cities are competing to be included in
the President's itinerary.
Text: Bangalore in the southern Karnataka state is
called India's Silicon Valley. It was the first city
to attract international attention as a booming
software center in the developing world.
But in recent years, another southern city, Hyderabad
in Andhra Pradesh state, has begun competing with
Bangalore to attract top information technology
companies. Both cities are now in a race to be called
the center of India's cyber industry.
American officials say President Clinton wants to see
the best of India's cyber cities. An advance team (of
American officials) preparing his trip recently
visited Hyderabad, which is headed by Chief Minsiter
Chandrababu Naidu - a techno-savvy politician who has
won praise for his efforts to modernize his poor
state, and promote an open investment climate.
Bangalore is not giving up its claims easily for a
Presidential stop-over. The Karnataka state government
points out this is the better-known and more-
established cyber center.
Sidharth Padam is a spokesman for one of India's
leading information technology companies, Infosys. He
is not surprised at the interest being shown by the
U.S President in India's cyber-industry.
///Insert Padam act///
As far as countries like U.S are concerned, their
whole economies are booming because of the IT
(Information technology) industry, the IT revolution,
the internet-- the US has got some eight years of non-
stop growth, being driven purely by the hi-tech
industry. And Hyderabad and Banagalore in India are
being seen as the high-tech centers. These are the two
centers which are really making news.
///end padam act///
India's huge pool of English-speaking engineers are
greatly in demand in American high-tech companies
which need technical workers. Mr. Padam says Indian
software companies are also attractive because the
cost of hiring employees is much lower.
///Insert padam act///
Companies abroad either look for people from countries
like India and China to work on their projects, or
they outsource entire IT requirments to companies in
India which they feel will be able to do a good job.
///end padam act///
The federal government is happy that President Clinton
wants to spend some time having a look at the heart of
India's cyber-industry. In recent months, the
government has identified information technology as
one of the key areas that could fuel Indian economic
growth, and is pulling out all the stops to encourage
the development of cyber-industries. (signed)
NEB/AP/PLM
11-Feb-2000 07:03 AM EDT (11-Feb-2000 1203 UTC)
NNNN
Source: Voice of America
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