BigBadBrian
08-02-2005, 04:24 PM
Get set to jet set to Uncle Sam
PRIYA RANJAN DASH
TIMES NEWS NETWORK[ FRIDAY, AUGUST 06, 2004 12:03:18 AM ]
Surf 'N' Earn -Sign innow
NEW DELHI: India seems to have finally acquired some trade chutzpah. It is all set to offer a free trade agreement on services to the champion of free trade, the US.
The offer has already been discussed between prime minister Manmohan Singh and commerce minister Kamal Nath and will be brought to the cabinet shortly.
New Delhi feels the FTA deal would be a win-win for both the countries.
While American banks and insurance companies can open as many branches as they wish in India, get into travel, hospitality, telecom and other service industries, Indian companies can render unhindered services in the US to American companies.
Moreover, Indian professionals like software engineers, accountants and doctors can take up jobs in America without worrying about H1B quotas.
Indeed, if the deal materialises, it could open the door to the vast US market for India's large pool of service professionals, particularly in the IT and health sectors, and boost business process outsourcing from the US to India.
The quid pro quo would be that the US businesses would have the freedom to operate in the growing Indian market in financial services, banking, insurance, telecom and in retail trade. New Delhi would have to roll back the existing licensing and investment restrictions for US companies.
Commerce minister Kamal Nath confirmed the move towards an Indo-US FTA, exclusively for services. He told The Times of India that the India-US Joint Business Council has already done some preliminary work on the proposal. “We are working on it. If there is progress, I will take it to the Cabinet for an in-principle clearance,” he said.
The start of the bilateral FTA negotiations, however, seems unlikely before the November presidential election in the US, trade analysts said.
Thereafter, much would depend on the policies of the administration that takes charge in January next.
As of now, there is little clarity about the trade policies the US would pursue in case the Democrats win the election. John Kerry, who is seen backing the backlash against outsourcing to India, has been ambivalent about free trade.
If the US administration is lukewarm to India's suggestion, it would, however, show up the US as being double-faced on free trade issues.
So, while at best there is considerable gain for Indian companies and professionals if Washington plays ball, at worst New Delhi would be scoring a telling political point.
Link (http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow/804642.cms)
Westward ho! More jobs, less visa pains
KG NARENDRANATH AND MK VENU
TIMES NEWS NETWORK[ THURSDAY, AUGUST 05, 2004 09:44:39 PM ]
Surf 'N' Earn -Sign innow
NEW DELHI: Go abroad — and don't worry about the visa. It can't get better for you to take that mega leap of faith and make the great global crossover.
Indian professionals wanting to pursue a career overseas will get qualitatively improved offers by May 2005 from the US and other developed countries, thanks to the just-concluded framework agreement for post-2005 WTO talks.
Three, nay make that four, rousing cheers. On the ground, this could mean expanding the domain of services that are on offer in the West for professionals from the developing countries to take advantage of, and relaxing the rules for transnational movements.
Also, visa regimes could become less discretionary and more norm-oriented.
So if you've got rejected after sweating it out in long queues outside the US embassy, get ready to take on the West.
And this time, it's not only IT services where the demand is going to come from.
Westward ho! More jobs, less visa pains
KG NARENDRANATH AND MK VENU
TIMES NEWS NETWORK[ THURSDAY, AUGUST 05, 2004 09:44:39 PM ]
Surf 'N' Earn -Sign innow
NEW DELHI: Go abroad — and don't worry about the visa. It can't get better for you to take that mega leap of faith and make the great global crossover.
Indian professionals wanting to pursue a career overseas will get qualitatively improved offers by May 2005 from the US and other developed countries, thanks to the just-concluded framework agreement for post-2005 WTO talks.
Three, nay make that four, rousing cheers. On the ground, this could mean expanding the domain of services that are on offer in the West for professionals from the developing countries to take advantage of, and relaxing the rules for transnational movements.
Also, visa regimes could become less discretionary and more norm-oriented.
So if you've got rejected after sweating it out in long queues outside the US embassy, get ready to take on the West.
And this time, it's not only IT services where the demand is going to come from.
Westward ho! More jobs, less visa pains
KG NARENDRANATH AND MK VENU
TIMES NEWS NETWORK[ THURSDAY, AUGUST 05, 2004 09:44:39 PM ]
Surf 'N' Earn -Sign innow
<<Previous|
The agreement binds Washington and Brussels to make offers that are truly gainful to professionals from developing countries, besides liberalising the visa regime.
A provision introduced in the agreement to this effect is expected to give a big boost to India's export of professional services.
Healthcare, R&D components like clinical trials and education are reckoned among the 15 non-IT services in which India apparently holds huge potential.
In return for the proposed improved offers by the West, India may need to relax the controls on foreign investment in sensitive sectors like telecom and insurance, although this is not enshrined in the agreement, sources said.
The healthcare services sector alone has an estimated global size of $17 trillion.
It cuts across all four Modes of trade, namely:
• diagnosis/clinical consultations and tele-medicine (Mode 1),
• health tourism and education & training (Mode 2),
• establishment of hospitals/diagnostic centres/clinics etc (Mode 3)
• and movement of doctors and nurses, consultants and health management personnel etc (Mode 4).
The new provision mandates the WTO members to achieve progressively higher levels of liberalisation with no a priori exclusion of any service sector or mode of supply, and to give special attention to sectors and modes of supply of export interest to developing countries.
Link (http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow/804440.cms)
PRIYA RANJAN DASH
TIMES NEWS NETWORK[ FRIDAY, AUGUST 06, 2004 12:03:18 AM ]
Surf 'N' Earn -Sign innow
NEW DELHI: India seems to have finally acquired some trade chutzpah. It is all set to offer a free trade agreement on services to the champion of free trade, the US.
The offer has already been discussed between prime minister Manmohan Singh and commerce minister Kamal Nath and will be brought to the cabinet shortly.
New Delhi feels the FTA deal would be a win-win for both the countries.
While American banks and insurance companies can open as many branches as they wish in India, get into travel, hospitality, telecom and other service industries, Indian companies can render unhindered services in the US to American companies.
Moreover, Indian professionals like software engineers, accountants and doctors can take up jobs in America without worrying about H1B quotas.
Indeed, if the deal materialises, it could open the door to the vast US market for India's large pool of service professionals, particularly in the IT and health sectors, and boost business process outsourcing from the US to India.
The quid pro quo would be that the US businesses would have the freedom to operate in the growing Indian market in financial services, banking, insurance, telecom and in retail trade. New Delhi would have to roll back the existing licensing and investment restrictions for US companies.
Commerce minister Kamal Nath confirmed the move towards an Indo-US FTA, exclusively for services. He told The Times of India that the India-US Joint Business Council has already done some preliminary work on the proposal. “We are working on it. If there is progress, I will take it to the Cabinet for an in-principle clearance,” he said.
The start of the bilateral FTA negotiations, however, seems unlikely before the November presidential election in the US, trade analysts said.
Thereafter, much would depend on the policies of the administration that takes charge in January next.
As of now, there is little clarity about the trade policies the US would pursue in case the Democrats win the election. John Kerry, who is seen backing the backlash against outsourcing to India, has been ambivalent about free trade.
If the US administration is lukewarm to India's suggestion, it would, however, show up the US as being double-faced on free trade issues.
So, while at best there is considerable gain for Indian companies and professionals if Washington plays ball, at worst New Delhi would be scoring a telling political point.
Link (http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow/804642.cms)
Westward ho! More jobs, less visa pains
KG NARENDRANATH AND MK VENU
TIMES NEWS NETWORK[ THURSDAY, AUGUST 05, 2004 09:44:39 PM ]
Surf 'N' Earn -Sign innow
NEW DELHI: Go abroad — and don't worry about the visa. It can't get better for you to take that mega leap of faith and make the great global crossover.
Indian professionals wanting to pursue a career overseas will get qualitatively improved offers by May 2005 from the US and other developed countries, thanks to the just-concluded framework agreement for post-2005 WTO talks.
Three, nay make that four, rousing cheers. On the ground, this could mean expanding the domain of services that are on offer in the West for professionals from the developing countries to take advantage of, and relaxing the rules for transnational movements.
Also, visa regimes could become less discretionary and more norm-oriented.
So if you've got rejected after sweating it out in long queues outside the US embassy, get ready to take on the West.
And this time, it's not only IT services where the demand is going to come from.
Westward ho! More jobs, less visa pains
KG NARENDRANATH AND MK VENU
TIMES NEWS NETWORK[ THURSDAY, AUGUST 05, 2004 09:44:39 PM ]
Surf 'N' Earn -Sign innow
NEW DELHI: Go abroad — and don't worry about the visa. It can't get better for you to take that mega leap of faith and make the great global crossover.
Indian professionals wanting to pursue a career overseas will get qualitatively improved offers by May 2005 from the US and other developed countries, thanks to the just-concluded framework agreement for post-2005 WTO talks.
Three, nay make that four, rousing cheers. On the ground, this could mean expanding the domain of services that are on offer in the West for professionals from the developing countries to take advantage of, and relaxing the rules for transnational movements.
Also, visa regimes could become less discretionary and more norm-oriented.
So if you've got rejected after sweating it out in long queues outside the US embassy, get ready to take on the West.
And this time, it's not only IT services where the demand is going to come from.
Westward ho! More jobs, less visa pains
KG NARENDRANATH AND MK VENU
TIMES NEWS NETWORK[ THURSDAY, AUGUST 05, 2004 09:44:39 PM ]
Surf 'N' Earn -Sign innow
<<Previous|
The agreement binds Washington and Brussels to make offers that are truly gainful to professionals from developing countries, besides liberalising the visa regime.
A provision introduced in the agreement to this effect is expected to give a big boost to India's export of professional services.
Healthcare, R&D components like clinical trials and education are reckoned among the 15 non-IT services in which India apparently holds huge potential.
In return for the proposed improved offers by the West, India may need to relax the controls on foreign investment in sensitive sectors like telecom and insurance, although this is not enshrined in the agreement, sources said.
The healthcare services sector alone has an estimated global size of $17 trillion.
It cuts across all four Modes of trade, namely:
• diagnosis/clinical consultations and tele-medicine (Mode 1),
• health tourism and education & training (Mode 2),
• establishment of hospitals/diagnostic centres/clinics etc (Mode 3)
• and movement of doctors and nurses, consultants and health management personnel etc (Mode 4).
The new provision mandates the WTO members to achieve progressively higher levels of liberalisation with no a priori exclusion of any service sector or mode of supply, and to give special attention to sectors and modes of supply of export interest to developing countries.
Link (http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow/804440.cms)