John Ribeiro

Indian outsourcer Satyam Computer Services Ltd. is expanding in China to address the local market and hire qualified staff for its global business, a company executive said Wednesday.

India's software and services exports are estimated to grow by 32 per cent to US$23.4 billion in the fiscal year ending March 31, according to data released Thursday by the National Association of Software and Service Companies (NASSCOM).

India

Microsoft Corp. announced Wednesday a new program in India, called Saksham, that aims to set up Internet kiosks that offer localized content and applications. The program's focus is rural India, where 70 per cent of the country's population lives.

Chip designer Conexant Systems Inc. plans to invest more than US$250 million in India over the next five years to expand its engineering centre in the country, it announced Thursday.

The "symbols and temples" of India's "knowledge society" are being targeted by terrorists, India's Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said Tuesday in Hyderabad in south India. Singh was referring to the attack last week by a gunman at the Indian Institute of Science (IISc) in Bangalore.

Microsoft Corp. chairman Bill Gates announced Friday a country-wide talent hunt, called Code 4 Bill, among Indian students, that would give the winner the opportunity to work with his Technical Assistants team.

Microsoft Corp. will invest US$1.7 billion in India over the next four years, Chairman and Chief Architect Bill Gates said Wednesday in Delhi. The funds will be spent on Microsoft's development operations in India and other areas in line with the company's strategic vision for India, Gates told reporters in Delhi. Microsoft joins several other multinational technology companies, such as Intel Corp. and Cisco Systems Inc., which are making large investments in India in anticipation of a boom in the country's IT and communications markets.