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India, France to boost co-operation in software

Krzytof de Breza in Paris

France and India have identified 10 key areas in the software industry in which the two countries will boost bilateral co-operation. These include software development, e-commerce, IT-enabled services like call centres, tele-medicine and exploration of joint development of third country markets.

To guide implementation of co-operation in these fields, the two countries have agreed to set up a working group which will meet at least once a year and review its progress and remove hurdles that the two experience.

These are highlights of a memorandum of understanding signed between India and France, following a meeting between Indian Information Technology Minister Pramod Mahajan and French Minister for External Trade Francois Huwart in Paris on Thursday.

The MoU, which goes into immediate effect, will last for three years, with a possibility of extension on mutual consent.

The MoU also identifies the creation of a task force for the implementation of key activities like setting up of IT incubators in India and France, harmonisation and cross-certification of digital signatures, increased internet connectivity and the tapping of institutes of higher learning in India.

Industry experts told rediff.com in Paris that the MoU could be the foundation of building up of significant co-operation between India and France in this sector, where France is lagging behind most of Europe.

"They need three basic things from us. They are very weak in e-commerce, an area where our strength has been recognised by the rest of the world. They also need IT-enabled services and development of microelectronic software, which is used for semi-conductors. We can be of tremendous help to the French in these areas," Dewang Mehta, president of the National Association of Software Services Companies (Nasscom) told rediff.com in Paris.

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