County Executive Ken Ulman's Blog from Bangalore, India

We began planning our trip to India nearly one year ago. From an economic development standpoint particularly, India has intrigued me as a country full of opportunities. Not simply as a place for outsourcing but as a partner where investment can and does occur in both Howard County and India--allowing for greater economic growth in each location.

We currently see the reality of this great country's strength demonstrated in the myriad of businesses benefitting from the strength of Howard County and India. Whether it is the Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Lab creating a specific instrument for India's first lunar launch, or Prism Communication's expanding software engineer work in Maryland and abroad, Howard County's business community is stronger with its ties to India.

In preparation for this mission, I met with a number of businessmen and women, many who have joined me on this trip. As the agenda crystallized, I became more and more excited for this journey.

Friday, February 22nd

At 7:30 p.m., Dick Story, President and CEO of the Howard County Economic Authority, Aaron Greenfield, our Chief of Staff and I left Baltimore Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport for London before connecting to Bangalore. I was geared up for the two flights - 15 hours worth - leading us to our destination.

The three of us spent a great deal of time discussing and reviewing many things: from our itinerary in India to revitalizing older neighborhoods in Columbia. When we weren't talking I began re-reading Tom Friedman's The World is Flat. It is amazing how quickly technology has changed our world. Friedman spends a great deal of time on Bangalore and how it has quickly become the "Silicon Valley of Asia". Bangalore is the Capital of the Southern state of Karnataka. Bangalore today is Asia's fastest growing city. It is home to some of the most high tech industries and scientific institutions in India.

I was sure to get some sleep given the significant time adjustment - Bangalore is 10 and a half hours ahead of Eastern Standard Time.

Sunday, February 24th

We touched down in Bangalore at 4:55 am. I was a bit tired and groggy but excited about what was to come.

After going through customs, we waited an hour to get our luggage. This gave me time to catch up with A N Ananth, President of Prism Communications. He has joined us on this trip and has been quite helpful in explaining the customs, culture and business climate in India.

Ananth assisted us in getting a car and we headed to the hotel. Today is a free day - a day for time adjustment prior to our busy week. We decided to take a tour of Bangalore after breakfast. Before breakfast, I decided to get in a quick workout where I ran into Mukesh Majumdar, CEO of Star Hotels, using the elliptical machine.

At 11 a.m., Dick, Aaron, Mukesh and I left the hotel and toured the City. Our first stop was Gopalogowda Circle where we walked the outskirts of the Bangalore Parliament Building. An enormous, architecturally amazing building, Dick pointed out a slogan on the front of the building which said, "Government work is God's work."

In continuing our tour, we quickly took note of what appears to me to be inconsistent and dangerous driving. I flinched many times as the driver nearly clipped a few mopeds, taxis and people. At one intersection, I noticed a government sign that said "speed thrills but kills." I doubt Bob Frances (the County's Director of Dept of Inspections, License and Permits) would allow such a sign...but it makes me appreciate our driving laws and orderly roads, although we could use that reminder that speed kills as often as possible.

After seeing Bangalore's Ulsoor lake front and Millenia Corporation's technology facilities, we headed to M.G. Road, the shopping district. We spent an hour walking and visiting the shops. I saw a beautiful Sari blouse I couldn't resist getting for my wife. (I've just blown the surprise.)

Following another half-hour walking through an Emporium, we headed back to the hotel. We all needed some rest before our 6 p.m. team dinner.

At 6:15 (yes, I was late and had to be woken by phone), the group gathered at the hotel restaurant for a traditional Indian meal. Since we touched down, most of the additional members of our delegation had arrived as well, including Jay Parekh, President of Jaypar, Inc. and Dr. Saurabh Naik, President of IEI, Inc.

Enjoying tandoori chicken, naan and lentils, we discussed the details of each of our upcoming meetings. From agenda and presentations to travel time between meetings, the group was totally engaged in preparation of the busy days ahead. We spent considerable time on our upcoming visit to Fast VDO, which is based in Howard County and has offices in Bangalore, the Indian Space agency, and Mindtree Consulting.

We finished eating and talking at 9:30 p.m. I headed to bed, still working to acclimate myself to the time change yet excited about our schedule tomorrow.

Monday, February 25th

Our first meeting began promptly at 8:30 a.m. at the hotel restaurant with the Department of Commerce's Commercial Services Division. We met with Leonard Roberts, a Commerce Specialist and veteran of the Department and Manjushree Phookan who is new to the service, having recently transferred from the Department of State.

Mr. Roberts explained the process of connecting U.S. companies looking to export products to Bangalore. We spent time learning how the Bangalore economy is moving into health care and biotechnology fields. Without question, however, infrastructure development is a central focus in the State of Karnataka. Roads, utilities, bridges, you name it, are necessary to keep up with the rapid growth here. Many international firms are involved in this work. For example, Bangalore is opening a new airport next month and a metro (subway) is being constructed now with the first phase to open in 2012. With all this growth and construction environmental services firms are also needed to upgrade air quality and waste water treatment facilities.

This division of the Commerce Department offers matchmaking services (Gold Key) between Indian and US companies and provides background information. Ananth from Prism expressed his interest in the program. We then delivered "qualifications" documents on four Howard County companies interested in partnerships EDA received from its survey query.

Now off to Fast VDO, a great Howard County based company with facilities here. At 10:30 a.m., the Delegation visited Fast VDO's Bangalore office. On route to the office, we were only stuck behind two bulls - one carrying sand and another carrying rocks.

We were greeted by Srinath Bagal and the Fast VDO team in Bangalore.

After introductions, we participated in a real-time teleconference with Dr. Pankaj Topiwala who was in Columbia. It was nice of him to stay up until midnight to brief us while we were in his Bangalore office at 10:30 am. He gave a PowerPoint presentation on the growth of the company.

Fast VDO was founded in Columbia in 2002 and opened its facility in India in 2003. Dr. Topiwala explained that this allows the company a 24 hour development cycle, taking advantage of the time difference between India and Howard County. This means the employees do their work in Columbia and then download the research and development work--then the group in India picks up in the morning and continues the process.

Fast VDO has developed leading technology in video compression, surveillance video and image enhancement. In fact, Fast VDO has created what Dr. Topiwala believes is the first Universal Serial Bus (USB, a standard connector for video) stick.

The video conference and discussion with Dr. Topiwala and the employees in Bangalore is a great opportunity to see first hand the synergy between the Howard County headquarters and the Bangalore office.

After the presentation, it was also interesting that one of the business people on our trip, Jay Parek who has a company located close by Fast VDO in Columbia and also has an office in Bangalore, expressed interest in partnering with Fast VDO. Jay did not know what Fast VDO did until today. Jay and Dr. Topiwala will be connecting in Columbia. So, one success story is already under our belt.

Next, we visited National Association of Software and Service Companies (NASSCOM). The Delegation met with Sucharita Eashwar, NASSCOM's Regional Director. Our conversation was quite enlightening. Ms. Eashwar began by saying that there is a "revolution occurring here."

NASSCOM represents 95% of the companies in the IT and BPO (business production offices). The Association has 1,300 members in India, 280 members in Bangalore alone.

India's gross domestic product has grown nearly twice the global rate over the past 20 years. According to Deutche Bank Research, India will continue to be the largest emerging growth market until at least 2020.

We spent considerable time better understanding the information technology climate in Bangalore and the growing sectors of health care, banking, aviation and insurance. India has the largest workforce in the world, more than twice the size of the entire US total population. In fact, Bangalore itself has 35,000 IBM employees. Ms. Eashwar focused too on the growing India market for imported goods and services from the United States. As the infrastructure develops in India, there will be more opportunities for US companies to consult here on things like environmental improvement, roads and other transportation infrastructure. In fact, Dr. Naik will follow-up with Ms. Eashwar on opportunities to build roads with some recycled material his company produces.

This is an area of fascination as I view - and here the experts highlight - the lack of infrastructure and regulations here.

For example, planning and zoning is simply not a part of the land use formula here. You can see a building as modern as any in Columbia Gateway, next to a dilapidated shack. You also can see construction sites with no fencing and dust and dirt blowing around. It is clear that the growth has outstripped the infrastructure and they are rushing to catch up.

One of the core purposes of our mission is to highlight the relationship between the Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory (APL) and the Indian Space and Research Organization (ISRO) and the anticipated July 2008 India lunar mission, the Chandrayaan-1. This is India's first lunar mission.

Previous to traveling to India, I visited the Mini-SAR instrument in Howard County, at APL, which will be a part of India's launch. The Mini-SAR will look for ice crystals on the moon. If there are ice crystals, then there will be water on the moon. This would be an enormous discovery.

Once we passed the soldier leaning on sand bags with his machine gun pointed at the entry gate, we were in. We went through security and were escorted to ISRO's Director's conference room. Mr. Annadurai, Project Manager for Chandrayaan - 1, greeted us with the Chandrayaan-1 team. The group consisted of systems engineers, a system integrator and literally, rocket scientists.

Following introductions, Mr. Annadurai began his presentation with definitions of science and engineering and how both "help the quality of life."

Mr. Annadurai outlined the policy question that was debated concerning whether to launch a lunar mission. "Can we afford to have the moon mission now?", he asked. The rhetorical response, Mr. Annadurai stated was clear, "can we afford not to have a moon mission now?" India, with its bright minds, must be active and in the game.

In its 40 years, India's space program has had 25 launch vehicle missions. But more can be done, Mr. Annadurai went on to say.

The Chandrayaan mission makes a great deal of sense. In its four years of development, the project has cost less than .2% of the national research and development expenditures.

The Chandrayaan-1 is built on international cooperation. While India is the lead, the United States, Germany, Bulgaria and Japan are all playing a role in the launch. The satellite will be in orbit for 2 years and data will be downloaded to India and APL.

Prior to venturing to the clean room to look at the equipment, one of the Indian scientists at the conference room table asked about my support of Senator Barack Obama. I explained my reasons for supporting me and he responded, "if Obama is elected, I believe he will transform the world." I agree.

Donned in our lab coats and hats, we went into the clean room and toured the actual satellite and instrument equipment. Absolutely incredible and enjoyable.

This was a fascinating visit with a wonderfully hospitable group of scientists who took the time to present to us the full mission and give us an in depth tour of the facility.

India is rightfully proud of this upcoming space mission and they should be credited with opening up the payload to the international community for inclusion in the mission. I am proud of the space group at APL (and all of APL for that matter) and Dr. Rich Rocca. His organization does a wonderful job of furthering science around the world. As Howard County's largest private employer, APL provides a critical engine for our community. I certainly came away from this tour with a deep appreciation for the value of space programs, not only for the scientific purpose, but for the economic development and for international relations as well.

Although part of our mission here is to encourage Indian businesses to do business in Howard County, I would be happy to never again see these yellow motorized rickshaws flying through traffic. I cannot imagine what our police traffic division would do with these things on our roads.

At 6 p.m., we met with M. N. Vidyashankar, Principal Secretary to Government, Department of Information Technology, Biotechnology and Science and Technology, Government of Karnataka. Bangalore is the capital of Karnataka.

The Secretary opened by highlighting the State of Karnataka's business strength in information technology, bio-technology and nano technology. The State has some 520,000 employed in information technology. Additionally, in 2007, Karnataka's information technology exports resulted in $14 billion last year with an expected $18 billion this year.

I discussed our interest in growing businesses in Howard County and in India. I turned it over to members of the Delegation to highlight their interests and challenges in India.

Ananth remarked that Prism Communication's work in Bangalore is primarily research and development but that they would be interested in the market in India. Ananth also asked about how Howard County can assist the State of Karnataka in the government's efforts to be more customer-friendly. I appreciated Ananth's question to the Secretary but was concerned Ananth would ask me to detail Ira Levy, our IT Director, to the Secretary here in Bangalore.

Dr. Naik spoke about his experience in recycling and solar energy and questioned how he can penetrate the market in Karnataka. The Secretary offered his assistance and said he will be in touch.

The Secretary also spent time discussing the creation of new townships in the State of Karnataka. His vision is that this area will allow for additional companies to enter the market, expand and have employees live and work within the same area.

I appreciated the Secretary's time and his candor. I am quite intrigued that the State is planning five new suburbs outside of Bangalore. The Secretary informed me that Karnataka is planning to develop 63,000 acres with some 750,000 people in each suburb. As someone who has spent time looking at redeveloping Columbia - the United States' first planned community and a suburb outside of Baltimore and Washington - I am interested in how this major progress develops.

After a brief 30 minute break, we are headed for a dinner near the hotel at restaurant called Bangalore International. I am looking forward to a debriefing with the Delegation and ready ourselves for a busy day tomorrow. In the morning, we have a scheduled meeting with the press followed by site visits to Prism Communications, Infosys, Mindtree and Tata Consultancy Services. Our reception with technology companies ends our day.

Tuesday, February 26th

Over breakfast, Dick Story (Chief Executive Officer of Howard's Economic Development Authority) and I prepared for this morning's press conference with the objective of highlighting the business strength and quality of life in Howard County and our visit to ISRO.

When we arrived at the press conference, I was surprised at the number of media representatives in attendance: The Economic Times, The Financial Express, The Times of India, India News Channel 6, Hindu Times, BBC, UNI, PTI and CNBC India.

Typically, I am graced by Sara Michael from The Examiner, Nate Sandstrom from The Howard County Times, Susan Deford from The Washington Post and Larry Carson from The Baltimore Sun.

I opened with an introduction of each member of our Howard County Delegation. I was extraordinarily proud to sit at the table with these Indian-American business leaders.

In my initial comments, I spoke about the Chandrayaan-1 mission and the importance and symbolism of India opening its payload to the international community. This worldwide collaboration will contribute mightily to space exploration for decades to come. India ought to be proud.

"We in Howard County and Maryland are open for business" I remarked as we transitioned into a discussion on the strength and diversity of the Howard County business community. As India prospers, our businesses back home benefit economically. We see that with Prism Microsystems, Jaypar and Fast VDO.

Next, Dick Story spoke of possible incentives. In Dick's well-known radio voice, "location is our biggest incentive."

We then turned to our business leaders for remarks. Ananth commented that "the world is indeed flat and Prism Microsystems is evidence of that." Jay Parekh followed with his thoughts on how strong the quality of life in Howard County is, and how it is also a great place for business. Jay should know, he has offices in India, California and Maryland.

We then took questions from the press. A reporter asked if information technology was the only sector we are focused on. I responded that based on our meetings so far, my belief is that there are several industries we should be pursuing with India, including infrastructure and planning and land use.

A number of press representatives asked questions regarding the global economy and the US and India relationship. I pointed out that we unquestionably have a global economy, one that depends upon businesses in the US and India partnering and working seamlessly. We have to acknowledge this and identify opportunities in both locations.

Our focus on Indian businesses locating and investing in Howard County raised questions about how we would assist those companies. Dick and I referenced specific incentives, the Neo-tech incubator and the opportunities for County support.

The press conference was a success. We were able to discuss the ISRO - APL partnership and the benefit our international space community will gain. Additionally, we conveyed the strength of our County, the quality of life and ways we can assist in developing future business opportunities.

Now, off to MindTree Consulting...

We arrived at MindTree at 12:30 pm. MindTree is located at Global Village Technology Center. Our arrival at MindTree was preceded by dodging and weaving on and off paved and dirt roads and in-between cows and large construction sites.

The Global Village is a pristine campus with well manicured trees and bushes, sidewalks, cricket fields and a putting green -- a stark contrast to our drive here and the area outside of the campus.

We are greeted at the lobby by Mr. Raju Dani, General Manager for IT Services. On our way to the conference room, Mr. Dani informed us that MindTree has 5500 employees across the globe with 3000 employees located here. The average age of the employee at this campus is 28. About 300 employees are in the US. My hope is to begin a dialogue with MindTree and convince them to locate in Howard County.

Mr. Dani went through a presentation about his company. Founded in 1999, MindTree is an international information technology consulting company with 2007 revenue of $178 million. Almost 50% of MindTree revenues come from manufacturing, travel and transportation. It has one several awards for 'most admired knowledge enterprise' and for being a great place to work.

MindTree, a mid-sized company, is proud of its values which include social responsibility, inclusiveness, learning and employee development. In fact, MindTree's logo came from a mentally and physically disabled student at a school the company supports.

Clients include ports, banks, Volvo, eBay, Pfizer, SAP, GE, Sony, Kraft and Johnson and Johnson. Mack Truck is also a MindTree client and a Howard County business.

Mr. Dani's last slide had a quote from an Anonymous author, "The best time to plant a tree is twenty years ago. The second best time is now." The lesson here is never sit still; take action.

We then headed to the MindTree Palm Breeze Terrace Cafeteria. Located on the deck of the building, we were amongst hundreds of MindTree employees enjoying lunch and playing ping pong. We sat down and feasted on a traditional Northern Indian lunch which included chole (chickpeas), bhatura (bread), wada (dumpling) and rice. The food was amazing!

We then toured the facility. MindTree's use of space suggests a team-focused environment. Small rooms are set up for collaboration. Paintings and open areas are designed around trees and seeds - suggesting support for personal and professional growth. The decor was open and colorful. It's clear from the top of the organization down, the company values creativity and stress management.

MindTree is clearly a creative culture in a competitive market. It appears to be a happy, fun and young work environment.

Also, Mr. Dani pointed out a photograph on a wall of a MindTree employee who the company lost on September 11, 2001 at the Twin Towers. All MindTree employees donated half a day's salary for the widow and his child.

I am particularly impressed with MindTree's focus on philanthropy. While corporate responsibility is accepted in our country, my sense is this is a new development in India's business community. MindTree is ahead of the curve.

Heading now to Prism Communications.

At 2:45 p.m we were greeted by a huge banner welcoming us. We arrived at this Howard County based Prism Microsystems for a groundbreaking at its new building site. We were greeted by 80 people, many of whom are Prism employees.

Ananth believes completion will occur in 7 months and will allow for 290 employees. The investment is approximately $3 million and the building will be state of the art.

Prism Microsystems is renovating and expanding onto an old fountain pen factory. From ink to wireless keyboards and mouses, Ananth said "I see this as an example of the transformation of the old economy into the new. These are the changes sweeping this nation and the world," Ananth remarked.

Along with Ananth, I was honored to plant an Indian Cork Tree at the property. The success and future job growth of Prism's Bangalore office will too result in success and future job growth at its Columbia office.


One major lesson learned - especially while I've been in India - is that US companies like Prism, Jaypar and Fast VDO no longer see India as a country for outsourcing. The issue for US companies isn't whether to outsource in India or not. Rather, investment in India can and does result in economic development in both India and, in this instance, Howard County, if one acknowledges and takes advantage of the global opportunities in countries like India.

I look forward to returning to Bangalore to see Prism's new building and the Indian Cork Tree. I truly appreciate Ananth and Prism's hospitality, and I am excited for their future.

We arrived early - yes I was early - for our 4 p.m. meeting with Tata Consultancy Services (TCS.) We were greeted by M. G. Jayaram, Senior Consultant, for TCS.

Mr. Jayaram spent 6 years in Atlanta and Chicago as a regional manager for TCS. In his presentation, Mr. Jayaram discussed the Tata Group, TCS' parent company. The Tata Group, with 85 subsidiary companies, is the largest conglomerate in India and has been in business since 1860. Covering a number of industries, the Tata Group has annual revenues of nearly $50 billion.

In 1968, the Tata Group started TCS primarily to enter into the data and business solutions market. Today, TCS has over 104,000 employees from 62 nationalities and annual revenue of $4.3 billion. Mr. Jayaram noted that TCS has 155 offices in 41 countries with some 45 offices in North America.

After the presentation, I briefed Mr. Jayaram on Howard County, our location, highly educated workforce and strong school system. He will be putting us in touch with TCS' East Coast manager to further explore TCS' interest in Howard County.

We thanked Mr. Jayaram for his time and began our ride back to the hotel.

I have 30 minutes now to relax before our reception. In partnership with the Indo American Chamber of Commerce, we are hosting a reception for companies interested in Howard County.

I was pleased to see some 80 business men and women at the reception. After meeting some of the attendees, the Chairman of the Indo-American Chamber Uday Kumar opened the meeting.

Chairman Kumar stated that in the "last 5 to 6 months, trade missions have come to Bangalore from Fairfax County Virginia, Montgomery County Maryland, Detroit, Minnesota and Pennsylvania and we are thrilled that Howard County has joined us." Chairman Kumar went on to stress the importance of the relationship between India and the United States. For India, the US is our most important trade partner, he said. India has invested some $26 billion in just the last 5 years.

Chairman Kumar then introduced me. After I made some brief remarks, each member of our Delegation introduced themselves and their businesses.

Dick then presented a power point focusing on Howard County's location, market, workforce profile and diverse industries. Dick highlighted the strength of the technology sector in the Baltimore-Washington corridor and proximity to higher education institutions. We concluded with Howard County's quality of life, the #1 public school system in the State, best public library system in the country and a number of accolades from Forbes, Sports Illustrated, Money Magazine and US Today.

Our presentation was well-received. The remainder of the reception was spent meeting and greeting dozens of Indian businessmen and women interested in penetrating the US market and identifying US partners who would like to work with them on projects in India.

I am exhausted but am headed to a casual dinner with our Delegation to summarize our day and prepare for tomorrow.

Wednesday, February 27th

I am pleasantly surprised by the attention we've received while here in India, and not so surprised by the wonderful hospitality we've been shown. I opened this morning's papers to find the Times of India and a picture of Ananth from Prism Microsystems, Dick Story and me with a headline that read "US Team Praises Chandrayaan-1." The article spoke about the APL - ISRO partnership and business opportunities in Howard County.

Off to the hotel gym... We must have brought Healthy Howard to Bangalore. Aaron had just finished running on the treadmill and Mukesh Majumdar was working out while on the phone - the consummate deal maker.

A group of us met at 8:30am for a quick breakfast and it was off to Infosys.

On our drive to Infosys, we traveled through another part of Bangalore. We passed staff headquarters for the Central Government, cows, flea markets, construction sites, the start of a new elevated highway, more cows, Honda and BMW dealerships and large corporate buildings like Bosch and Hewlett Packard. The contrasts are truly amazing.

Not afraid of the horn, Prakash, the driver, honked the horn some 211 times. Our trip to Infosys should have taken 30 minutes at most but given the lack of infrastructure and traffic, it took us an hour and 15 minutes.

I thought during the ride how impressive it is that companies like Infosys are so successful even without simple infrastructure like roads, stop lights, dividing lanes and pedestrian access.

Nandan Nilekani, the CEO of Infosys, helped coin the term "the world is flat." In Friedman's book, Mr. Nilekani said that the global economic playing field is getting leveled and Americans are not ready.

We were greeted by Ms. Rama, VP, Unit Delivery Head (Product Engineering) and DC Head (Bangalore) and Mr. Vinod, Associate Manager. They initially presented us with a short film about Infosys in the Management Council Hall. The Hall is one of its kind in India. It has the largest video screen in India allowing video conferencing at 24 locations globally.

Infosys started in 1981 and is a global leader in IT and consulting with revenues of over $3 billion. The company has 88,600 employees worldwide.

Ms Rama informed us that this entire campus is called Electronic City - with over 500 companies - managed by an association. We are told the association is responsible for getting the elevated highway approved.

Ms. Rama previously worked for the government run telecom organization. With great pride, Ms. Rama stated that awhile ago many of her colleagues left India for work in the United Kingdom and the United States but now they are returning to India. "This is a great sign of progress and prosperity for India and the rest of the world," Ms. Rama said. She went on, "the world is getting flatter everyday."

Bela Gupta, Lead - Corporate Planning for Global Academic Relations, then joined us. She discussed the paid intern recruitment program which has been in place for 9 years.

Infosys recruits from the top 15 Engineering and Liberal Arts Schools in the United States and from the top 10 business schools.

Interestingly, three years ago Ms. Gupta did a presentation at Stanford University in an effort to recruit interns. Only three students showed up. After Friedman's book was published and read, Ms. Gupta returned to Stanford and presented to 100 students. Now, she said, applicants recognize that in this day and age they need India and/or China experience on their resume.

While Ms. Gupta's group does not currently work with community colleges, she is interested in beginning the dialogue as Infosys continues to grow. I will connect Ms. Gupta with Dr. Kate Hetherington at Howard Community College.

Mr. Vinod then provided us a tour of the facilities. Infosys has 20,000 employees on the 88 acres. The campus is composed of 6 software technology parks. He showed us a putting green below some executives' offices, telling me that not many employees take advantage of this amenity--I couldn't understand why.

But then we walked through gorgeous, architecturally detailed buildings amidst basketball and volleyball courts, pool tables, state of the art fitness centers, a retail store and a pool and jacuzzi. Now I have a better idea why the putting green isn't all that popular. The campus even has a medical center with a doctor available at all times.

Infosys has some 250 buses to shuttle its employees throughout Bangalore. The company is focused on the environment, with trees and bushes throughout the campus (including magnolias planted by visitors like Bill Gates and Michael Dell). Ninety percent of the water consumed on the campus is recycled. Signs throughout the 88 acre-campus remind employees to conserve.

Not only does Infosys have office buildings throughout the campus, it also has an on-site hotel allowing customers to stay at Infosys. Infosys is building a convention center as well.

Revenue has grown at Infosys to nearly $4 billion. "It took Infosys 23 years to make its first billion and just 23 months thereafter to make the next billion," said Mr. Vinod. The success of Infosys is more than apparent. Infosys' growth in India has also spurred significant economic development in the US.

Given its culture and world-class talent, I am confident that Infosys' success will only continue. To say that I was blown away by my Infosys visit, would be an understatement. We will be connecting with Infosys' East Coast representatives to discuss opportunities for growth in Howard County.

We then headed to Jaypar's Bangalore offices.

At 12:30 pm, our Delegation was greeted by Vikas Pundreek, Director of Engineering at Jaypar.

The Bangalore office has 16 employees on-site. One of its interesting projects included streamlining the Paypal process for ebay. I asked how this office was able to compete with the larger companies. Mr. Pundreek responded that they can act faster, allowing them to take advantage of opportunities where clients require a quick turnaround time. This makes sense.

Mr. Pundreek explained that Jaypar's Bangalore operation is gaining more and more business from the US, which has resulted in Jaypar growing jobs in Howard County and India. Most of Jaypar's new jobs have been in the US.

Jaypar is an example of how companies in Howard County with offices in India can grow in both places.

We then stopped for a short lunch as we prepared to visit the JSS Academy of Technical Education.

For some time, I have been fascinated by the sheer size of India's population and its ability to produce employees prepared to enter the workforce. Even more interesting is how India produces engineers and scientists, something US businesses grapple with.

In preparation for this trip, I had this discussion with Kumar Rajasekhara, President and CEO of Marsili North America and a Columbia resident.

Kumar suggested we visit the JSS Academy of Technical Education located in Bangalore as an example of workforce success. JSS has schools all over India. I was excited to visit.

At 3pm, we arrived at JSS. The Bangalore school, a four year institution, has 1600 students and focuses on engineering, computer sciences and jewelry design.

We were greeted by JSS' senior leadership including Dr. A. N. N. Murthy, Principal of this institution. Dr. Murthy and his team led us on a tour of the campus. The first thing Dr. Murthy noted as we entered the server room was that the entire campus is wireless. No doubt, a huge benefit to its many students. I saw new computer labs with students diligently working.

Additionally, Dr. Murthy took us through the jewelry design center where I received a short lesson in concept, design and manufacturing of jewelry. Any more time there and Jaki would be quite happy.

Lastly, we viewed a relatively new bio-diesel project within the environmental engineering unit. This alternative fuel comes from a non-edible seed that falls from trees common in this arid climate.

For use in bio-diesel, India has a national ban on edible seeds and plants. Within the context of our national discussion on alternative energy sources, finding non-edible sources is important given the effect on the market place of ethanol driven corn price increases negatively affecting other areas of the economy.

Heading back to Dr. Murthy's board room, we discussed the bio-diesel initiative. I expressed my fascination with the project and the need for the US to rely less on foreign oil. Dr. Murthy responded that India must do the same and come up with creative ideas - this bio-diesel project being one of them. Next he said, "necessity is the mother of invention." I couldn't agree more.

Not only is JSS able to sell some of this alternative fuel but it is also using it to fuel JCC buses.

In the conference room, we spent some time discussing areas of joint interest, like technology incubation, environmental solutions and entrepreneurism. I plan on working with JSS to link it with HCC and businessmen and women in the County for possible collaboration.

Finally, JSS honored the Delegation with a ceremony before some 200 students and faculty. I was honored to speak to the student body and faculty about the global economy, the environment and Howard County. Dr. Murthy and his team could not have been more hospitable as they presented us with gifts followed by a traditional Indian Dance, called Bharatnatyam.

Throughout the institution, signs were displayed articulating the mission of JSS - to provide students an outstanding and innovative engineering education, research and personality development. Based on my tour and dialogue, it is safe to say that JSS is certainly meeting its charge. I look forward to working with JSS to identify projects and initiatives for collaboration. At JSS, I gained an important understanding of how the Indian people value education, culture and personal development.

Following our JSS visit, the Delegation, now including Kumar, Kirit Parmar and his wife Dr. Rashmi Parmar, went out for dinner to discuss our trip and next steps in furthering our relationship with India.

This trip to India is my first economic trade mission abroad. India presents great opportunities for Howard County. Chandrayaan-1 demonstrates partnership between ISRO and Howard County based APL. This relationship has resulted in greater development for APL and signifies important collaboration within the international space community. And, India should be commended for its willingness to open the payload to the international community.

Also, to find value in the relationship between Howard County based businesses and in this instance, Bangalore, we need not look any further than companies like Fast VDO, Jaypar and Prism Microsystems. Dr. Topiwala, Jay Parekh and Ananth are certainly a part of our flat world. They have taken advantage of the new economy and leveraging operations in India to grow in Howard County and Bangalore. I am immensely proud of Howard County's Indian-American community.

Today and in the future, there will be business opportunities in India and elsewhere around the globe. Bangalore, for example, will continue to grow and expand--especially the information technology sector. Companies like the Howard County based businesses, MindTree, Tata Consultancy Services and Infosys will have the advantage of solid, educated workforce and the ability to be more efficient. This can only result in greater economic development in the US -hopefully Howard County in particular -and elsewhere.

On a separate note, Howard County businesses could benefit from the significant needs Indian cities like Bangalore are grappling with. Infrastructure, land use, planning and zoning and transit and transportation appear to be obstacles in a place where success has outstripped infrastructure.

I truly appreciated my time in India. I gained an unbelievable perspective on the IT sector in Bangalore and the country's culture.

Finally, I must thank the Delegation that joined me in India and the Howard County Economic Development Authority for your support.

Hope you enjoyed this blog (this was all typed on a Blackberry).

County Executive Ulman