Maran Woos Uk Bio-Tech Companies

British companies could profit by teaming up with Indian companies and scientists for research into bio-technology and bio-informatics, minister for commerce and industry Murasoli Maran said in London.

"India is rich in its bio-diversity and our scientists and engineers have world-class skills," the minister said at a Confederation of Indian Industry seminar, "India and UK _ Economic Partners 2000".

UK and India could also work together in other burgeoning hi-tech industries, the minister said. "There is a rich pool of scientific and technological manpower in the country (India) and British companies would find it beneficial to source intellectual capital for R&D work in India," he said.

 

Maran praised the long-running Indo-British partnership and said it had become a model for cooperation with other countries. The two countries should deepen ties and work together on multilateral issues, he said.

Industries secretary Ajit Kumar and CII president Arun Bharat Ram also spoke at the seminar.

Maran outlined the changes that have taken place in the last one year and indicated that the Vajpayee government is moving swiftly on economic reforms. He pointed out that the Foreign Exchange Management Bill has been introduced to replace the Foreign Exchange Management Act.