THIRUVANANTHAPURAM, INDIA: An extensive interaction that the Group of Technopark Companies (GTech) officials had with senior government officials and various industry chambers in Singapore recently, has given hopes of strengthening Kerala's cooperation in the IT sector with the city-state of Singapore.

GTech, the strategic grouping of IT companies in Kerala, has taken up this initiative to establish global linkages for the IT industry in Kerala to scout for business opportunities and also to provide first hand information on the advantages of Kerala to potential investors willing to set up technology development centres in the state.

The initiative of GTech has led to renewed interest among the business community in Singapore at a time when Singapore has emerged as one among India's top four investors, after the two countries signed a Comprehensive Economic Cooperation Agreement (CECA) in mid-2005 with bilateral trade between India and Singapore surging to $16.6 billion in 2008.

As part of the efforts, GTech held deliberations with the Government agencies like International Enterprise Singapore, Economic Development Board, Singapore Management University and Infocomm Development Authority. GTech also had discussions with organizations like Singapore Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (SICCI), Singapore Business Federation (SBF), Singapore Infocomm Technology Federation, IIT Alumni Association of Singapore, Global People of Indian Origin and Singapore Malayalee Association.

SICCI have extended an invitation to GTech to participate at the Business meet of the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Summit to be organized in Singapore in November 2009. Singapore Business Federation has also agreed to host a Business meet in Singapore for the IT companies from Kerala to network and to explore market opportunities.

GTech team was able to showcase to the Singaporean business community the larger picture of Kerala Growth Story outlined by the emergence of a vibrant IT Industry which is seeking a bigger role on the global stage and strategically building relationships with important players.

GTech team also held discussions with the Institute of South Asian Studies led by S Narayan, head - research and former Economic Advisor of the Prime Minister of India and Iftekhar Ahmed Chowdhary, visiting senior research fellow and former Foreign Minister of Bangladesh.

Institute of South Asian Studies expressed their keenness to partner with GTech on exploring opportunities for organizing Singapore Kerala interactions. Singapore business community have expressed their keenness to partner with GTech in students internship programme whereby engineering and the management students from Singapore are given the opportunity to undergo training in new cutting edge technologies in Technopark.

 GTech Secretary Satish Babu said the organization is developing a structural framework to build partnerships with institutions and business organizations in various countries to further fuel the growth of IT Sector in the state and added that GTech would consider positively the suggestions put forward by the business community in Singapore and these would be discussed and finalized at the GTech meeting scheduled later this month.