Ohio outsourcing ban won't impact Indo-US business ties: Envoy

ROEMER-OUTSOURCING

New Delhi, Sep 10 (PTI) The US today sought to downplay
the ban on outsourcing clamped by the government of its Ohio
state, saying similar actions in the past have not affected
Indo-US ties which have grown to a far greater level.
US ambassador to India Timothy Roemer said Ohio banning
outsourcing of IT related work would not have any bearing on
Indo-US business ties and asserted that the partnership
between the countries was "indispensable".
"I would refer you to statements by Infosys and other
Indian companies which recently had said about Ohio action
...that they had very little, if any, impact on US-Indian
business," he told reporters here when asked to comment
on the ban.
The ambassador said Indo-US relations have reached to a
new stage which now includes counter terrorism, green
partnership, apart from trade and commerce.
"We are talking today about the indispensable
partnership between the United States and India. We are
talking about global cooperation between the United States and
India on terrorism, counter terrorism, on economics and
commerce, on job creation in both places, on green partnership
and next green revolution.
"We are making considerable progress. India has moved
from 21st largest trading partner to the 14th largest trading
partner (of US) over the last five or six years. That is the
real progress in this relationship," the envoy said.
Roemer said some similar actions from certain other
states in the US -- passing resolutions banning outsourcing in
2005 -- also did not affect Indo-US relations.
Last month, Ohio Governor Ted Strickland of Democratic
Party banned outsourcing arguing that this undermines economic
development and has unacceptable business consequences for his
state.
The move follows a controversial legislation that
increased H-1B and L1 visa fees, hitting India's over USD 50
billion IT industry. PTI ACB RET
MRD