The Philippines need not be considered as a serious threat for the Indian information technology sector, said Mr Amit Dasgupta, Ambassador-Designate to Philippines. “The Indian IT industry is far greater than just business process outsourcing and call centre businesses. Our IT industry can go way beyond, and hence there is no need for any worry,” he said.

Speaking at an interactive session with businessmen organised by the Confederation of Indian Industry, Mr Dasgupta said, “India and Philippines can work together in the area of agriculture. For instance, while pineapples are wasted in north-eastern parts of India, in Philippines fibres are taken out of that fruit for making traditional clothes.” He pointed out that there is a joint research going on in coconut farming to root out a cause for a common disease found in coconuts grown in India and the Philippines.

Declining to give out the name, he said an Indian Union Cabinet Minister is expected to lead a business delegation to the Philippines in the next few months to explore trade opportunities.

Mr Dasgupta, who is expected to take charge as the Indian envoy to the Philippines by the end of this month, said India’s relation with the Philippines is two-pronged. First, India relates to the Philippines as an individual nation, and secondly, as part of the Association of South East Asian Nations group.

Earlier, Mr J.N. Amrolia, Director, Chairman of CII Sub-Committee and Adviser to Ashok Leyland, said the current liberal trade regime followed by the two countries has positively impacted economic relations. He said trade with the Philippines was at $1,312.12 million in 2010-11 with exports to the country at $882.74 million and imports at $429.39 million. He said there is potential to increase trade between the two in the drugs and pharma sector because of the cost competitiveness enjoyed by Indian industries.

> rravikumar@thehindu.co.in

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