Date:27/10/2005 URL: http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/2005/10/27/stories/2005102702400400.htm

Back We can be partners for Europe biz, says UK

Our Bureau

Bangalore , Oct. 26

THE UK is the natural bridgehead to enter the European market, and the 400 Indian IT companies in the UK grew 30 per cent last year, according to the British High Commissioner to India, Mr Michael Arthur.

"We are targeting Indian entrepreneurs to establish partnerships and operations in the UK, from which they can use their partners' sales and marketing network to enter the rest of Europe,'' he said.

The UK has a number of scientific and technology clusters that are also attracting a significant part of the venture capital in Europe, according to him. Mr John K. Davies, an ICT Consultant, said the innovation supply chain in the UK was full of SMEs.

The UK is seeing growth in packaged software, support software projects and outsourcing, according to Mr Julian Stretch, an India business consultant who is part of the UK Trade and Investment delegation at the Bangalore IT.in. Though the retail sector was facing a slow period, IT spend in the UK's public sector was growing, according to Mr Arthur.

May grant 4 lakh visas

IN its highest-ever approval to any country, the UK expects to grant about 4-lakh multiple-entry visas to Indians this year, up by from 3 lakh approved last year.

Announcing this, the Biritsh High Commissioner, Mr Michael Arthur, said the number would be the largest-ever approved to any single country. That the British Airways was planning to operate direct flights between India and the UK was welcome, he said, indicating that the move by Jet Airways also to do so was a sign of the times.