Nasscom to host India-Europe summit in London

NEW DELHI: National Association of Software and Services Companies (Nasscom)

in association with Financial Times is organizing an India-Europe IT Summit in

London on October 23, 2001.

The one-day summit would focus on identifying new business opportunities in

Europe and highlight India's outsourcing potential. Douglas Alexander, Minister

of E-commerce, department of trade and industry, UK, would inaugurate the

summit.

The theme is "Outsourcing to India: Setting a course for value" and

is aimed at highlighting the cost-effective IT outsourcing capability of India.

Some of the focus areas to be discussed at the summit include Europe's need for

IT solutions, India's advantage in terms of infrastructure and skilled human

resource, etc.

Phiroz Vandrewala, chairman, Nasscom, said, "Europe is the second

largest IT market with 29 per cent share after US and is growing at a pace above

the world average. There is huge untapped potential in IT and e-business that

can be outsourced to India as Europe is facing a shortage of skills in these

areas."

He said that with the recent liberalization of work permit regimes, the

India- Europe IT summit provided the right platform for Indian companies to

capitalize on opportunities and fulfill the growing needs of IT in Europe."

Over 200 delegates including key decision makers, bureaucrats, academicians

and business leaders would be present from all over Europe.

Kiran Karnik, president, NASSCOM, said, "Europe offers tremendous market

potential in the emerging areas of Internet, e-commerce, mobile and wireless

communications. Currently there exists a demand-supply gap because of

specialists not available in these areas. This is the right time for the Indian

software and service companies to fulfill the need."

Financial Times would publish a survey on outsourcing from India in its

October 17, 2001 issue as part of the initiative.

Louise Hunter, director, Financial Times Conferences, said, "We at

Financial Times, through this summit along with Nasscom, are providing a

platform for European companies to leverage India's competent outsourcing

capabilities."

Nasscom has planned a series of initiatives in Europe that include opening a

Nasscom chapter in Europe in 2002, commissioning special reports and research

papers on the emerging trends and opportunities on the European market, and

working with the Indian government and European countries to streamline visa,

work permits and social security issues faced by the Indian companies in Europe.