MADRAS, India - An Indo-Malaysian Chamber of Commerce is set to be launched in the southern Indian state of Tamil Nadu in an effort to boost cooperation mainly in information technology, an official said today.

"The launch is slated for January 2003. The two countries can work together not only in the field of infrastructure, IT and bio-technology but also in several other sectors such as steel and telecommunication," said IMCC president Muguntha.

He added a high-level business delegation consisting of a hundred Malaysian businessmen would visit India to explore the possibilities of setting up joint ventures.

"After visiting Madras, the Malaysian team will visit Hyderabad, Bangalore, Bombay and Delhi. The IMCC will give a new thrust to bilateral trade between the two countries," added Muguntha, a Malaysian of Indian origin.

He said the "time was ripe" for greater IT cooperation between the two countries with over 4,000 Indian software professionals migrating to Malaysia in the past three years.

"The IMCC will provide technical and legal assistance to professionals in both the countries," said IMCC vice president S Iyer.

Largest trading partner

India's Foreign Minister Yashwant Sinha said during a visit to Kuala Lumpur in September that Malaysia is India's largest trading partner in the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean), with bilateral trade worth US$1.9 billion.

Malaysia's exports to India consist mainly of palm oil and gas, while it imports food and agricultural products.

Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad also visited India last month where he met business leaders in Hyderabad, a historical Muslim city that is one of India's fastest-growing high-tech hubs.

"Indians are famous for their software expertise and we have a shortage so there is great scope for IT cooperation between us," Mahathir had said during his visit. AFP