Victoria sends ICT trade mission to India

Over half the firms are SMEs such as Business Intelligence Technologies, Morpheum and Polaris Communications. Big names include EDS and LogicaCMG, as well as -- in a 'coals to Newcastle' scenario -- Infosys and Tata Consultancy Services.

The delegation will also include Minister for Information and Communication Technology Marsha Thomson and representatives of the AIIA, the city of Ballarat, and Deakin, Swinburne, Melbourne, Ballarat and Victoria Universities.

In addition to Bangalore, the mission will visit Mumbai, Hyderabad, Chennai, and New Delhi. Events include visits to major Indian ICT companies and chambers of commerce, plus networking functions arranged by the Victorian government.

Many participants have received AU$2,000 grants from the government towards the cost of the 12-day trip.

"Over the past three years, we've supported more than 265 companies to attend technology trade fairs such as Comdex Fall in Las Vegas, Milia in Cannes and CeBIT in Hannover," said Thomson. "As a direct result of attending these trade fairs, Victorian companies have gone on to secure export sales of AU$300 million".