US industry affirms commitment to India in ICT sector: USIBC

NEW DELHI, INDIA: The US-India Business Council (USIBC) concluded a five-day mission to New Delhi to participate in the US-India Information and Communications Technology (ICT) Dialogue, holding bilateral discussions with key Government of India officials.

Chaired by Ambassador Phillip Verveer of the US Department of State and Secretary R. Chandrashekar of the Indian Ministry for Information Technology, the ICT Dialogue is a crucial industry-government vehicle for addressing a range of issues regarding information technology, media and broadcasting, and telecommunications.

USIBC led one of its largest delegations ever, representing 20 of the top IT and telecom companies operating in India, to participate in the Dialogue. The meetings provided a unique opportunity to identify barriers to doing business in these sectors and develop specific recommendations and action items for both governments to address obstacles to trade and investment.

One of the top priorities of the Government of India currently is to increase ICT manufacturing and drive high-tech innovation. In meetings with Government of India officials, USIBC reaffirmed its commitment to help India to develop non-discriminatory policies based on global standards and best practices that will encourage the in-flow of investment to India and incentivize companies to develop local manufacturing.

In partnership with the Telecommunications Industry Association (TIA) and the Information Technology Industry Council (ITI), USIBC members held four days of consultations with key Government of India officials to discuss a range of issues including local manufacturing, innovation, standards and testing certification, telecommunications infrastructure security, e-waste and environmental protection, tax policy, and incentives for technology companies to invest and grow in India. All of these issues are crucial to the strength and competitiveness of India in the global economy and to the long-term health of US companies.