Facebook, HP and Cisco Seeking to Invest Further in India: Prasad

Leading technology companies Facebook, Cisco and HP are looking to boost their investments in India and engagement in the education space, Telecom Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad said on Thursday.

"This is an indication of excitement which new government has provoked. I had meeting with Cisco, now HP, then Facebook CEO had come. All of them are very excited about investments, opportunity and also involvement in education etc. Facebook and Cisco in particular," Prasad told reporters after his meeting with foreign delegates.

The Minister on Thursday met a delegation of US-based HP led by HP WorldWide executive Vice President Stuart Pann and HP's Printing and Personal Systems organization Executive Vice President Dion Weisler.

He said that HP has informed him that they have about 40,000 employees in India and their business here is the "biggest beyond USA."

"I said if that is the case, then I have again a natural request to you to invest more in India in electronics manufacturing sector. What they told me that they outsource their work to a lot of companies, I asked them to get those companies here to which they have very favourably inclined," Prasad said.

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The Minister on Thursday also met Japanese delegation led by Japan's Economy, Trade and Industry Minister Kazuyoshi where both sides discussed cooperation in the field of electronics manufacturing and use of solar energy for mobile towers.

Prasad that India and Japan will soon sign a memorandum of understanding on using solar power for mobile towers.

"The meeting was on to strengthen cooperation between India and Japan, particularly in the field of electronics.

Also, they are keenly pushing for installation of solar powered generators around BTS (mobile towers). We welcome that and we will be shortly executing an MoU with them," he said.

The Japanese delegation raised concern regarding recent mandatory certification of certain electronics products issued by Bureau of Indian Standards, the Minister added.