Menlo Park to Help US Companies Establish Operations in Kochi

The mayor of Menlo Park, a global technology and financial hub in the heart of US Silicon Valley, Monday evening said her city will play a lead role in bringing US companies to Kochi and developing infrastructure facilities in the city.

"Kochi is emerging as a global player in IT and startup culture. We are really impressed by the kind of ecosystem being created by the government. We will help the US companies to establish their operations in the city and in turn also help the start-ups in Kochi to grow," said Catherine Carlton at the Infopark campus in Kochi.

She also added that up to 100 technology startups from Kerala could be given a chance to travel to the Silicon Valley to learn about the nuances of building a billion dollar tech company.

Menlo Park in California is home to a number of technology giants including Facebook, and is known as the "capital for venture capital".

InfoPark CEO Hrishikesh Nair said that the tie-up with Menlo Park would further boost the growth of IT and start-ups in the state.

The delegation is in Kochi ahead of the signing of the twin city agreement between Kochi and Menlo Park establishing social, cultural and economic tie-ups.

The signing will take place in the state capital on Wednesday in the presence of Chief Minister Oommen Chandy.

It will be the first such agreement between an Indian city and Menlo Park.