Iowa woos Satyam

The state of Iowa is trying to woo Hyderabad-based IT services and consulting major, Satyam Computer Services Limited, to establish its presence there. A 25-member delegation from Iowa, during its visit to Hyderabad, has put forth an invitation to Satyam in this regard.

Addressing the media here on Wednesday, Swati Dandekar, state representative of Iowa, said, "Satyam, which already has a presence in the US, is looking at expanding into a new location in the country. We hope that the company considers Iowa for its expansion."

Prior to Hyderabad, the delegation had visited Delhi, where it had met various political leaders. From Hyderabad, the team will be travelling to Mumbai and Pune where it will be interacting with representatives from Bajaj Auto Limited and John Deere respectively.

According to Thomas Vilsack, governor of Iowa, the delegation is on a visit to India to discover opportunities for collaboration between the two countries in various areas and promote Iowa as a destination for doing business in the Midwest.

Some of the companies from Iowa that have their representatives as part of the team are Integrated DNA Technologies (biotechnology), Fakespace Systems Inc (visualisation technology) and Dee Zee (truck accessories).

"There is a great opportunity for cooperation between India and the state of Iowa in sectors like agriculture, IT and education. There are also possibilities for Indian companies to set up their businesses in Iowa," Vilsack said.

In the field of education, Osmania University in Andhra Pradesh, G B University of Agriculture and Technology in Uttaranchal and Rajendra Agricultural University in Bihar have signed MoUs with the universities in Iowa for joint research and exchange programme facilitation.

With regard to agriculture, Iowa is eyeing collaborations in the field of soyabean farming. Dairy industry is another sector that interests the delegation.