Catalonia eyes Indian investment in Internet, mobile space

NEW DELHI: Catalonia, an autonomous community of Spain, is eyeing investments from Indian firms in the Internet and mobile space.

"Catalonia has fantastic avenues for investment in the mobile and Internet space. It will be wonderful to see Indian Internet and mobile firms leverage the opportunity which could also open doors to the European market," President of Catalonia, Arthur Mas I Gavarro said at an event here.

Speaking at the Mobile Internet Conference organised by the Internet and Mobile Association of India (IAMAI), Gavarro said Catalonia leaded the Industrial Revolution in Southern Europe on the back of the skills and entrepreneurial mind-set of its citizens.

Catalonia has a population of 7.5 million of which 16 per cent are Spanish. The country accounts for 20 per cent of the Spanish GDP and has about 5,100 foreign companies.

Catalonia is an autonomous community and exercises its self-government in the Spanish state in accordance with the Constitution of 1978 and the new Statute of Autonomy, approved in 2006.

Admiring the growth trajectory of the Indian IT firms, Gavarro said: "We admire the track record of India in ICT. It is impressive how the country has become an international benchmark within this sector."

Catalonia is the main ICT cluster in Southern Europe and hosts more than 3,500 ICT companies.