New Delhi: Close on the heels of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s maiden visit to Japan, industry body Nasscom will also lead a delegation of technology firms from India next month to engage in discussions on enhancing ties between the countries in the multi-billion IT sector.
The delegation, which will be in Japan between September 2 and 5, will consist of 20-25 companies, including Tata Consultancy Services and Wipro.
“We are going to Japan to build on the momentum that the PM visit will create. We will meet companies in Japan, industry associations and some of the companies that are seeking to invest in India, consumers of IT and media,” Nasscom President R Chandrashekhar said.
Japan accounts for two per cent of India’s over $86 billion IT exports revenues.
Talking about the challenges in the Japanese market, he said: “We have been knocking their doors for nearly 10 years. However, the traction has not been very large. The issue is in demand and need is there but the hitch is that the way the whole thing is structured is different in Japan.”
“A lot of needs of companies are met by other Japanese companies because of the structure and network of firms there. As a result, companies that serve those needs are Japanese firms. We are trying to understand the best way to connect with the market there,” he added.
Adding that Indian IT firms can provide a great value proposition for Japanese firms, Chandrashekhar said the delegation will make a strong pitch to Japanese corporations to adopt outsourcing and leverage more of Indian talent in their global sourcing model.
“The delegation will also work towards creating awareness among the local companies about India and the Indian IT capabilities, as well as identifying potential business opportunities for our members,” he said.
In April this year, Nasscom had launched the ‘Nasscom Japan Council’ to focus on the interests of Japanese GICs (Global In-House Centres) based in India and encourage a conclusive growth for both nations.
The aim of the Council is to gauge various dynamics that will encourage Japan GICs to grow in India and address various challenges at policy level as well as other matters that effect the growth of Japanese GICs in India as well as identify growth enablers and address various challenges for GICs.