The Hindu Business Line : Microsoft CEO to meet PM, top industry honchos

THE Microsoft CEO, Mr Steve Ballmer, is slated to meet the Prime Minister and the IT and Communications Minister, besides top honchos of India Inc, including Mr Mukesh Ambani, Mr Ratan Tata and Mr Azim Premji, during his three-day visit to India starting Monday.

Mr Ballmer's first stop will be Hyderabad, where he will inaugurate the first phase of the company's new 28-acre campus that will house the India Development Centre.

Mr Ballmer, who comes to India after about nine years, is also scheduled to meet Mr Ramalinga Raju, Chairman of Satyam Computer Services.

He will head for Bangalore the same day where he will share his vision and Microsoft strategy with IT CEOs.

His itinerary includes meetings with the Wipro Chief, Mr Azim Premji, and the Infosys President and CEO, Mr Nandan Nilekani. Mr Ballmer will also meet IT professionals, developers and dealers to discuss Microsoft's `.Net strategy' and integrated innovation platform.

On November 16, Mr Ballmer will be in New Delhi, where he is scheduled to call on the Prime Minister, Dr Manmohan Singh, as well as the IT and Communications Minister, Mr Dayanidhi Maran, and discuss how India can adopt Information Technology for sustained economic development.

Later that day, Mr Ballmer will fly to Mumbai where is slated to address top 100 CEOs, sources said.

India is becoming an important market for Microsoft globally. About two weeks back, a team of 20 executives from Microsoft Corporation had visited India to understand the market better, including social and eco<147,1,7>nomic factors.