Chinese and Indian entrepreneurs gathered in Shanghai Thursday to conduct panel discussions on the co-operation in the information technology field and other industries.

The Indian entrepreneurs who came to Shanghai with Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee on his three-day visit to Shanghai showed strong interest in co-operation in areas ranging from tourism, international trade, tobacco, energy, agriculture to chemicals, financial services, textiles, steel, machine production and pharmaceuticals.

Vice Chairman of the Indian National Association of Software and Service Companies Som Mittal believed that the business exchange will bear fruit with the communal efforts of the entrepreneurs from the two countries.

"More investment is expected to come, with more Indian entrepreneurs understanding the Chinese market,'' Mittal said.

Attending with the Indian delegation were representatives from Satyam Computer Services Ltd, which elbowed its way into China last year. The company plans to expand its market shares in the Chinese software market by establishing a research development centre in the city's Pudong Software Park.

Many multinationals from the United States, Japan and South Korea have set up their manufacturing centres in China, "creating a business environment for Satyam,'' said Virender Aggarwal, senior vice-president Asia-Pacific of the company.

Aggarwal said Satyam, the first Indian software company entering the Chinese market, has set up its solely-funded venture and its software research development centre in the park.

The centre employs 150 engineers with a Chinese staff of 20 and aims to develop software for its clients in China. But Aggarwal declined to give the investment amounts for the venture and the centre.

According to Hu Hongliang, President of Shanghai Pudong Software Park Co Ltd, India's four leading software companies -- Tata Consultancy Services, MphasiS, NIIT Ltd and Satyam -- have invested in the park. Infosys Technologies Ltd is expected to have a foothold in Shanghai soon, as well.

P. Rajendran, director and chief operating officer of NIIT, said the company has succeeded in conducting software education and training seminars in the city.

"We are considering establishing a software factory in Pudong in the near future,'' said Rajendran.

More than 30 companies led by the Confederation of Indian Industry visited the park's Satyam Computer Services branch on Wednesday, and found that "the park is a favourable place for them to invest,'' said Hu.

Some Indian companies immediately discussed the possibility of co-operation with park authorities, he added.

According to Som Mittal, Indian entrepreneurs believe that it is a good way to pool resources with their Chinese counterparts and develop the IT industry by using China's hardware manufacturing ability and Indian's software technologies.

"By co-operating with China, we can not only produce products for the huge potential Chinese market, but also the Japanese market and in neighbouring countries as well,'' Mittal said.

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