Russia Woos India IT firms
Russia yesterday said it wants to emulate India's success in information technology as it wooed Indian firms for joint projects and called on both nations to team up to tap global markets.
Dec 05, 2004
BANGALORE: Russia yesterday said it wants to emulate India's success in information technology as it wooed Indian firms for joint projects and called on both nations to team up to tap global markets.
The statement by Leonid Reiman, Russia's Minister for Information Technology, came before a visit by the country's President Vladimir Putin later today to Bangalore, known as India's Silicon Valley.
The high-tech industry was rolling out the red carpet for Putin's arrival from New Delhi where he began a three-day trip on Friday.
It planned to showcase its advances in information technology, space and defence.
"The development of IT is one of the top priorities of Russia," Reiman told reporters on the sidelines of a business conference in Bangalore.
Putin was due to meet heads of leading Indian IT companies such as Infosys and Wipro, aeronautics giant Hindustan Aeronautics, and defence specialists and space scientists at the Indian Space Research Organisation.
Russia was carefully studying the Indian IT experience along with that of other countries, said Reiman, accompanied by a 20-member Russian IT delegation who were scouting for potential tie-ups with Indian firms.
Bangalore is home to over 1,400 domestic and international technology firms.
"We think the experience of India is one of the most remarkable in the world. Today India is one of the leaders in software and IT.
This is something we want to implement in Russia," Reiman said.
The delegation arrived in New Delhi with Putin on Friday and travelled directly to Bangalore for talks before the president's visit.
"One important topic of co-operation is on establishing information technology parks. The other is to initiate discussions between the Russian and Indian software leaders to explore new projects," said Reiman.
Russia is touting its engineering and research skills while India is pitching its cheap, skilled and English-speaking manpower, the largest such workforce outside the United States.
"With the skills offered by Indian companies, we can go together to other markets such as Europe and the US," Reiman said.
He urged Indian companies to set up shop in Russia and said the domestic IT market in Russia was growing rapidly as state-owned oil and steel firms were using technology to cut costs.
Aleksander Kirilkin, business development director of IT firm Kvazar-Micro, said Indian firms needed new markets which Russia could supply.
"We need software expertise and marketing expertise," he said, adding Russia "offers the third largest science graduates pool after Japan and the US."
India's software exports jumped 30.5pc to $12.5 billion in the year ended March.
Putin was slated to depart from Bangalore for Russia tomorrow.
The statement by Leonid Reiman, Russia's Minister for Information Technology, came before a visit by the country's President Vladimir Putin later today to Bangalore, known as India's Silicon Valley.
The high-tech industry was rolling out the red carpet for Putin's arrival from New Delhi where he began a three-day trip on Friday.
It planned to showcase its advances in information technology, space and defence.
"The development of IT is one of the top priorities of Russia," Reiman told reporters on the sidelines of a business conference in Bangalore.
Putin was due to meet heads of leading Indian IT companies such as Infosys and Wipro, aeronautics giant Hindustan Aeronautics, and defence specialists and space scientists at the Indian Space Research Organisation.
Russia was carefully studying the Indian IT experience along with that of other countries, said Reiman, accompanied by a 20-member Russian IT delegation who were scouting for potential tie-ups with Indian firms.
Bangalore is home to over 1,400 domestic and international technology firms.
"We think the experience of India is one of the most remarkable in the world. Today India is one of the leaders in software and IT.
This is something we want to implement in Russia," Reiman said.
The delegation arrived in New Delhi with Putin on Friday and travelled directly to Bangalore for talks before the president's visit.
"One important topic of co-operation is on establishing information technology parks. The other is to initiate discussions between the Russian and Indian software leaders to explore new projects," said Reiman.
Russia is touting its engineering and research skills while India is pitching its cheap, skilled and English-speaking manpower, the largest such workforce outside the United States.
"With the skills offered by Indian companies, we can go together to other markets such as Europe and the US," Reiman said.
He urged Indian companies to set up shop in Russia and said the domestic IT market in Russia was growing rapidly as state-owned oil and steel firms were using technology to cut costs.
Aleksander Kirilkin, business development director of IT firm Kvazar-Micro, said Indian firms needed new markets which Russia could supply.
"We need software expertise and marketing expertise," he said, adding Russia "offers the third largest science graduates pool after Japan and the US."
India's software exports jumped 30.5pc to $12.5 billion in the year ended March.
Putin was slated to depart from Bangalore for Russia tomorrow.