Montgomery County economic development officials say their 10-day trip to India last month is already paying dividends in jobs and investment.
The nearly 30-member delegation, which included representatives from 18 businesses, focused on the biotechnology and high-technology industries, especially information security for education and defense, according to a statement by county officials.
“It’s a very good fit — both Maryland and India have a biotech and a high-tech corridor,” said Elisha Pulivarti, executive director of the Maryland-India Business Roundtable, a group founded in 2004 to increase economic cooperation between the distant locales. Forming partnerships between the two regions, he said, could cut business costs by 30 percent because of lower wages in India.
Five representatives from Montgomery College also took part in the trip to help set up a broader community college system in India, according to Pulivarti. Expansion of higher education has been a top priority within the Indian government, he said.
Montgomery County’s expedition was not a first for the region. In April 2006, county representatives joined colleagues from neighboring Prince George’s County on a similar mission. Several Prince George’s businesses now partner with Indian companies in the biofuel and information technology industry, Pulivarti said.
Montgomery County Executive Ike Leggett was initially scheduled to accompany the group, but stayed home to lobby lawmakers considering tax increases in the General Assembly’s special budget session in November. In a statement, Leggett praised the mission as directly responsible for several investment opportunities and business relocations to Montgomery County.
The county is planning another business development to China in 2008.
Indian connection
Montgomery County businesses with Indian ties
» Triton E-Ready Solutions Ltd.
» Truehart Systems International
» Optimal Networks Inc.
