MAIT focuses on external market development

MAIT, the apex body representing IT Hardware and associated services; R&D
and Design; and IT Training sectors of the IT Industry in India, has announced
that it will be signing an MoU with FITIS (The Federation of IT Industry, Sri
Lanka) on July 26, 2002 in Colombo, Sri Lanka. The MoU, a significant step from
MAIT towards putting the Indian hardware industry on the global map and aimed at
fostering business ties between the Indian IT Industry and their Sri Lankan
counterpart, will be signed during MAIT's visit to Sri Lanka later this week.

A high-powered 10-member MAIT delegation, comprising heads and CEOs of
leading Indian IT companies, led by S Devarajan, President-MAIT, will be
visiting Sri Lanka to explore market development and export opportunities.

On the upcoming MoU, Devarajan said, "This is a humble first step
towards globalizing MAIT. India is a signatory to the ITA-WTO and there is an
increased need for integrating the Hardware Industry in India with the global
business. Sri Lanka, as an emerging market, holds immense business potential for
IT manufacturers in India. Some of the IT players in India have already started
exporting to Sri Lanka and it will be MAIT's endeavor to grow this
significantly."

Apart from business development initiatives, the MoU aims at regular exchange
of industry and market information between the two countries, cooperation in
organizing and supporting events, facilitating contact with Government and
Regulatory bodies and exchange of best business practices.

"We need to strengthen our relationship with our counterpart
associations across the globe to explore opportunities in other countries to
reach the potential of IT Hardware exports to $ 25 billion by 2010 as delineated
by the recently concluded MAIT-Ernst & Young Study", remarked Vinnie
Mehta, ED, MAIT.

Cyber News Service