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Vajpayee joins media in tribute to Mehta

Indian Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee joined the domestic media on Friday in paying tribute to Dewang Mehta, the country's premier technology lobbyist who died during a visit to Australia.

"I send my heartfelt condolences to the family of this young icon of India's software industry, whose promising life has been cut short," Vajpayee was quoted by PTI late on Thursday night as saying from Tehran.

Vajpayee is on an official visit to Iran.

The 38-year-old Mehta, the charismatic president of the National Association of Software and Services Companies, was found dead in his hotel room in Sydney.

Australian police are investigating the cause of death, which received wide coverage in the Indian press.

"IT evangelist Dewang Mehta passes away," was the headline on the front page of The Economic Times on Friday.

Other papers also lavished praise.

"India's tomorrow sees a young, untimely end as Dewang Mehta dies in a Sydney hotel," The Pioneer's banner headline read.

The Indian Express called him a one-man public relations army for the IT industry.

"Dewang's low-key yet unabashed style ... did wonders for the image of an industry known more for geeks than anything else," The Indian Express said.

Indian software services firms, whose cause Mehta relentlessly fought for, have grown over 50 per cent in recent years and are expected to top $6.0 billion in exports in the year ended March 2001, up 55 per cent from the previous year.

But the sector has recently been gripped by an economic slowdown in its key market, the United States, which accounts for about 60 per cent of sales.

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EXTERNAL LINKS:
An interview with Dewang Mehta
Dewang Mehta's Home Page
India's software leader dead

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