Guest blog post by Dr. Tonghuo Shang, Vice President, Technology Development and Asia Operations at Kulite Semiconductor Products, Inc.

Ed Note: Kulite is the world leader in pressure transducer technology, serving several high technology industries such as Aerospace, Flight Test, Automotive, Motor Sports and Industrial Processes.

Today I just concluded my portion of the journey with the India High Tech Mission. While I regret that I won’t be traveling to Mumbai with fellow delegates, the fact that most Kulite customers are in the Bangalore area necessitates that I stay here and meet them individually. This trip is a memorable experience for me, in what Kulite has achieved, as well as in the friendships with other delegation members.

At the start of the mission Secretary Locke asked delegates to evaluate the mission, and to identify the factors that made it a success. I think the most important factor is the elevated profile that a government delegation brings. With Secretary Locke we were able to listen to several key Indian Ministers and hear their ambitious plans for India, and their upbeat economic outlook. The US Commercial Service, being a government entity, is also a valuable and effective resource. Case in point - on Tuesday, the delegation met with the General Managers of Hindustan Aeronautics Limited. After listening to their presentation I requested a follow-on meeting with one of the HAL divisions. The in-country staff located the contact point and developed a meeting plan within two hours!

This mission brings tangible benefits to Kulite. I am able to evaluate the market potential in a very short amount of time, and sees clear business growth in the next two years. I would like to thank the entire DoC team for their tireless effort putting this together. The seamless planning and personal attention to each company is remarkable. Trade missions like this are highly recommended, especially for small and mid-sized companies when resources are limited.

Good luck to my fellow delegates in Mumbai.