Putin: India-bound

Bangalore, Nov. 29: President Vladimir Putin?s visit on December 4 has set off much excitement in the silicon hub with Indian space scientists and information technology companies eyeing the prospects of forging partnerships.

The Indian Space Research Organisation (Isro) and Infosys Technologies Ltd have played hosts to several heads of state and CEOs. However, Putin?s visit is expected to facilitate formation of strategies on business opportunities worldwide and operations from new locations.

The spadework for partnerships in the infotech sector will be done by representatives of the Russian Software Association (Russoft) a day ahead of Putin?s visit. As many as 25 CEOs and presidents of Russian infotech companies will participate in a seminar to be organised jointly by the National Association of Software and Services Companies (Nasscom) and the Software Technology Park of India (STPI), followed by visits to some of the companies in Bangalore.

?We are keen to work with the Russians. It?s a seminar to look at the expertise of both countries, one that could lead to partnerships at a later date,? Kiran Karnik, the president of Nasscom, told The Telegraph.

The discussions would throw up new business opportunities, according to B.V. Naidu, the STPI director. ?The interaction will be followed by visits to companies for detailed discussions,? Naidu said.

At Infosys, chairman N.R. Narayana Murthy will lead Putin through a presentation on the company and its successful global delivery model.

?Putin perhaps wants to understand the knowledge business and look forward to collaboration with Infosys to break into the market in Europe. Infosys has set up a global development centre in China and will be looking for more locations to derive maximum benefit of the cost advantage (of development centres spread across the world),? said a source in Infosys.

?Moscow is attracting IT companies to invest in a big way in Russia and has been pressing for greater cooperation in this sector. Its expertise in software technology provides a good platform for tie-ups with Indian majors,? said the source.

Putin will witness Isro?s expertise in fabricating multipurpose satellites during his visit to the satellite centre in Bangalore.

Ahead of his visit, the Russian President will ink an agreement for Isro?s participation in the ambitious Global Navigational Satellite System (Glonass) project ? a constellation of satellites that help both military and civilian users to track air, naval and ground traffic.

Sources at Isro said such a satellite-based navigation system would provide Rus.sia and India an opportunity to vie for a slice of the $2-billion market.

The US has already put in place the Global Positioning System (GPS), while the European Union has planned one named Galileo.

?There?s a plethora of navigation-based businesses in military and civilian sectors. We can build a satellite and launch it for Glonass or put together a ground station. At a later stage, we can build the augmentation system (with expertise in software) for value-added products best suited for mobile telephony and other applications. We have started a technology demonstrator (in augmentation system) in Project Gagan,? a source said.

Such partnerships will be in line with the tradition of cooperation between the two countries.

During the early years of the Indian space programme, the USSR had built and launched a couple of satellites in the remote sensing series. The first Indian to make it to space, Wing Commander Rakesh Sharma, completed his odyssey in a Soviet Rocket in 1984.