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Mahajan leads IT delegation to China

Our Bureau

NEW DELHI, July 16

A high-level Indian official delegation led by the Minister for Information Technology, Mr. Pramod Mahajan, is visiting China to explore possible joint ventures in the IT hardware sector, research and development and collaborations in critical areas of k nowledge sharing.

The five-day visit of the team, beginning Monday, includes meetings with Mr. Shi Guang Sheng, Chinese Minister for Foreign Trade and Economic Cooperation and Mr. Wu Jichuan, Minister for IT, for discussions on possible bilateral collaborations.

Mr. Mahajan and team will visit Zhong Guancun, the hi-tech development zone in Beijing and hold discussions with the Legend Group of Industries and the Computer Software and Technology Service Corporation.

In Shanghai, he will visit the Pudong Software Park and Huadong Computer Hoding company, while in Shenzhen, he will have discussions with the Huawei Technologies Companies Ltd and the China Great Wall Computer Group. These visits are primarily directed t owards striking strategic business alliances.

China has emerged as a major hub for multinationals for setting up their manufacturing facilities, while India has made a significant mark as a software developer. The visit therefore would centre around forging important partnerships that would mutually benefit both the countries.

Mr. Mahajan will elaborate the Chinese counterparts on the recent initiatives taken by the Indian Government, especially in the areas of e-commerce, legal and regulatory framework, and in building communication technology infrastructure.

For the Indian IT Minister and his entourage, this would be the second major international exercise in hardselling Indian IT wares as well as seeking out crucial alliances for the rapid growth of the IT industry. His visit to the US last month, saw sever al Indian IT chiefs also accompanying him there. Though this time around to China, he would be taking his IT secretary and other officials from the Ministry.