Nasscom looks at France, UK to strike ICT El Dorado

According to Nasscom, while the US is the main market for IT and BPO sector contributing 61 per cent to total exports from IT sector, however, with recent developments, especially downturn in the US economy, European countries offer huge opportunities for Indian companies.

This, specially, in IT software & services, financial services, BPO & offshore product development space etc.

Buttressing this reasoning, Nasscom, is taking an emerging companies delegation to France (Paris) and UK. The delegation, comprising of Indian ICT companies seeking alliances and business from industry and government institutions in these regions, will visit the two nations between October 5-9 2009. The team will visit Paris in France and London and Cambridge in UK.

Incidentally, France, according to Invest in France Agency (IFA), with international clusters specialised in microelectronics, software and telecommunications technology, provides excellent opportunity.

Further, France’s ITC industries cover wide domain spectrum which includes electronics, information technology & telecommunications sectors as also hardware, software and services.

French software and IT services, according to IFA, today employs over 321,000 people and has turnover of more than Euro 40 billion. France, says IFA, is second leading country in Europe in terms of number of people holding ITC qualifications.

Likewise, according to UK Trade & Investment (UKTI), being home to largest ICT industry, UK has secured global reputation not only for ground-breaking research, but also for success in realising commercial returns on its investment in R&D – 38 per cent of all spin-out companies from UK universities are in ICT sector.

Software start-ups

Being home to over 100,000 specialist software houses, the UK, says UKTI, has more software start-ups than anywhere else in Europe. Further, while France ranks 19th in Network Readiness Index, UK is at 15, according to Global Information Technology Report and UK’s particular strengths lie in its e-business environment, availability of broadband and Wi-Fi et al. During its five-day mission France-UK, Nasscom, will be working closely with sister organisations like Intellect, IT association of UK and Syntec Informatique, IT association of France besides UKTI and Paris Region Economic Development Agency.

Intellect, formed in 2002, is Nasscom-like body with over 750 SME and multinational member companies and acts as single powerful voice for technology sector.

The French association, Syntec Informatique, set up in 1970, representing 700 groups and companies, generating over 85 per cent of country’s IT sector’s sales, represents the country’s software and computing services companies. According to Nasscom, the key objective is provide an opportunity for Indian companies to network with European companies and agencies which would help them gain access into Europe.

With healthcare and e-learning as key verticals of explorations, Nasscom is looking to strike SME-SME collaborations through alliances and business prospects in areas of IT software & services, financial services, new interactive media, niche BPO services, eLearning etc. The mission France-UK is, says Nasscom, also to understand local business culture, investment environment and ICT industry by liaisoning with local industry associations in these three cities.