Indian IT companies cash rich

[DimPrawn]

The number of overseas acquisitions made by Indian IT companies has risen sharply in the last four years and is set to increase further, according to a new report.

Since 2002 Indian corporates have acquired 101 international companies across all industry sectors in deals worth a total of more than £2.9bn - with £1.1bn of the deals in the first four months of 2006 alone.

International manufacturing companies are the biggest acquisition target for Indian companies, followed by technology, IT support services and business process outsourcing, according to the report from corporate finance house Close Brothers.

One example of this was the acquisition of UK software company Incat International for £53m by India's Tata Technologies last year.

Factors that have contributed towards Indian corporates turning their targets on international assets include the fact that many of them are cash rich. This coincides with a period marked by liquid debt and buoyant private equity markets.

Companies in the UK and the US are the main acquisition targets, accounting for more than half of the 101 deals since 2002.

This trend is unlikely to abate any time soon, according to Alka Bali, director at Close Brothers.

He said in a statement: "Even if there are global market corrections in the coming months, we do not expect this level of Indian acquisitions to abate. The momentum in the growth of the Indian economy is too advanced for this trend to reverse."


It seems they buy their way into markets. Get the company and replace the staff with Indians. A bit like body snatchers.

[Clog II The Avenger]

Bought by Indians… run by cowboys.

Bought by Indians… run by cowboys.

[Tex]

Yeeee-haaaa!

Plus, of course, the UK gives India £250m in aid money per year. Every little helps.

[DimPrawn]

It's only fair

[Fungus]

Past colleagues and myself have been predicting this for years. They start by outsourcing, learn the skills previously kept in-house, and then move to producing the goods proper. Software is relatively easy. The hard part is the hardware, but they'll get there. But, is there an alternative?

I'm retraining as a Chai Waller. I hear that there are opportunities in India.

[eternalnomad]

for anyone that has worked with large groups of these "highly educated, experienced and skilled" people - do you concur with my opinion that 99.9% of them have no idea what the feck they are doing.

I have had the pleasure of working with a very large number of them for the past 9 months and the vast majority are really nice people. When it comes to IT systems, basic logical thought processes and problem solving they havent got a fecking clue.

[The Lone Gunman]

Past colleagues and myself have been predicting this for years. They start by outsourcing, learn the skills previously kept in-house, and then move to producing the goods proper. Software is relatively easy. The hard part is the hardware, but they'll get there. But, is there an alternative?

I'm retraining as a Chai Waller. I hear that there are opportunities in India.

The alternative is to beat them at their own game and level the global playing field. Be willing to work hard for little profit for the benfit of the world.
Outbid the Indian (insert other country as required) companies then outsource the work to India. Then pay the Indians a European wage.
This will force the competition to raise wages or lose their best staff. Thus negating the offshore advantage and massively boosting (but possibly destroying) the Indian economy.

Stupid? expand and discuss.

[AtW]

If Indian (or local) staff was here, then they'd be subject to the same rip off taxes and regulations as everyone else - this is pretty much as level field as it can get.

[Churchill]

I've heard that some project managers reject CVs of people with Indian sounding names...

It's a bugger for me trying to get a contract with a name like "Dog with two dicks"!