Indian IT delegation visits Hong Kong

April 15, 2002

An Indian information technology (IT) delegation visited Hong Kong and had networking session with local IT associations today (April 15).

Led by Mr Rajeeva Ratna Shah, Secretary, Department of Information Technology, Ministry of Communications and Information Technology of India, the Indian IT delegation comprised members from six Indian IT bodies.

Secretary for Information Technology and Broadcasting, Mrs Carrie Yau, welcomed the delegation's visit to Hong Kong, which was organised under the aegis of the Memorandum of Understanding on information technology and services co-operation between Hong Kong and India. The Information Technology and Broadcasting Bureau gave a briefing to the delegation on the latest IT development in Hong Kong. The two sides also discussed issues of mutual interest including the Cyberport project, mutual recognition of digital signature, IT manpower training, investment by IT companies in both places, Indian capabilities in IT software including IT enabled services, business process outsourcing, and institutional linkage between IT related organisations and associations in Hong Kong and India.

Views were also exchanged on Hong Kong acting as an interface in bringing together Mainland China's capabilities in hardware and Indian capabilities in software, including total solutions, systems integration and embedded software.

The delegation also met with Hong Kong IT associations during a networking session, which sought to facilitate IT bodies in Hong Kong and India to establish contact and develop collaboration. Mrs Yau said: "The exchanges between IT bodies of Hong Kong and India had facilitated mutual understanding. With the contact established this time, substantive collaboration programmes between IT bodies of the two places could be developed."

"With Hong Kong's institutional strengths and our competitive edges in the Mainland market, we can help our Indian counterparts to establish or expand their businesses here, and to explore the massive opportunities in the Mainland, especially when China is now a member of the World Trade Organisation," she added.

The delegation today also visited the Cyberport, the IT flagship project in Hong Kong. Mr Shah said: "With the provision of the state-of-the-art facilities and many useful services, the Cyberport should be capable of providing a first class infrastructure for clustering of IT and IT-related companies. We note that Indian companies have shown interest in applying for office space in the newly completed Cyberport building. I believe that the Cyberport will play a key role in facilitating the collaboration between India and Hong Kong. An interface between the Cyberport and our technology parks, for example, can also be set up."

India is a one of the world leaders in software development and IT manpower training. More than 280 of the Fortune 500 companies outsourced their software requirements to India. India has the second largest pool of English speaking technical personnel in the world today.

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