http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4f4Ffl9bs9Y

EU and India: Global Partners



By 2010, it is estimated that India will have the highest number of English speakers in the world. The country has had a sustained economic growth rate of over six percent. In 2004, India became a strategic partner of the EU, joining the club alongside the US, Russia, China and Japan. Last year an ambitious action plan was set in motion to bring forward co-operation between India and the EU on a range of issues including security, human rights, migration, culture, trade and investment and to forge a closer and more productive global partnership.

This video report examines some of the reasons why EU and India have become global partners. We begin the report with the morning journey of Guru Murthy, one of 150,000 IT professionals who work in Bangalore, the Indian equivalent of Silicone Valley. A well educated workforce with considerable spending power, young professionals like Guru make India an attractive prospect for European business investment.

The pharmaceutical industry too has contributed to India's growth and like IT has been an important focus of the EU -- India partnership. Amar Lulla, Managing Director of CIPLA explains the strengths of the Indian industry, and the developments which have been made in recent years 'We are way up on the learning curve, we are now able to participate on a different footing'

The partnership between the EU and India has been built on many cornerstones - the two hold strong beliefs in democracy and human rights and share mutual trade interests -- the EU is India's largest trading partner and the main source of foreign investment into India. As we approach the next EU-India summit, it is clear that close co-operation will see the two develop as 'global partners in the global village'.

The Video Report features key interviews with Nandan M. Nilekani CEO, President and MD, Infosys Technologies, Amar Lulla, Managing Director of Cipla Pharmaceuticals and G. Madhavan Nair, Chairman of ISRO.
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That's great news.

It's more of a sad thing, but perhaps it's inevitable that India becomes more closely aligned with America/EU. I really wish China would democratize and Japan would open up more(including past historic "failures" or whatever). There's too much disunity in Asia. A pretty diverse economic community could be formed along with Central Asia(oil baby, we don't need Arabs) and SE Asia.

Nice contribution SoCal. European Union is the strongest economic block in the whole world much bigger than the USA. India will definitely gain a lot by having good ties with the EU.

Totally. I was hoping for at least greater cultural exchange between China and India, but they both seem to be mixing with the West and not with each other. I know for sure that India and China are getting closer economically, just not culturally.

European Union is a declining regional power because it is turning into a socialist heaven. I believe its influence in international affair will steadily decline.