D.V. Venkatagiri spent 12 years introducing U.S. and Indian companies while working at chambers of commerce, only to watch from afar when their deals were closed.

"It didn't really allow you to be a part of seeing the business happen," he told GlobalAtlanta.

Now the businessman from Chennai, India, is striking out on his own with a new consultancy, www.indousbiz.com, which provides information and advisory services to help U.S. companies navigate the Indian business landscape and smooth the way for Indian firms investing in the U.S.

Tapping into his background as a journalist, Mr. Venkatagiri's website will promote business between the two countries with articles and company listings. This informational component will complement his experience working with companies at the Indo-American Chamber of Commerce and the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce & Industry in Chennai.

Mr. Venkatagiri is focusing his initial American recruitment efforts in Georgia, which has a solid base of Indian companies and a strong appetite for building trade and investment with the country, he said.

Georgia exported $417 million in goods to India last year, up 34 percent from 2008. Major Indian companies such as NIIT, Wipro Technologies, Infosys Technologies, Mahindra USA and many others have divisions in the state.

Though he counts more than 1,000 American companies in India, Mr. Venkatagiri said smaller firms have trouble figuring out how to sell to India's growing consumer market, tap into its highly developed services sector or make use of its increasingly strong manufacturing capabilities.

Large companies like Coca-Cola Co. and NCR Corp. "are already present in India, and they are huge companies and have their own ways of doing things," he said.

"The potential is huge" for smaller U.S. firms selling medical devices, aviation electronics and other technology products.

India is also improving its manufacturing capabilities for labor-intensive products like textiles, automotive components and engineering goods, Mr. Venkatagiri said.

Mr. Venkatagiri aims to help them sell internationally.

"With a few right moves, Indian manufacturers can also attain global scale," he said.

Mr. Venkatagiri has many Georgia connections. He has helped Michael Kraus, a partner with Atlanta law firm Smith, Gambrell & Russell LLP, conduct seminars in Chennai.

He is also working as an authorized agent recruiting Indian companies for TransAtlantic Sales LLC, a Duluth-based incubator that helps mid-sized global companies establish a foothold in the U.S. market.

While working at the Indo-American chamber, Mr. Venkatagiri helped Michael Hartmann, president of TransAtlantic Sales, make connections with two Indian companies that now have a presence at the Atlanta incubator, Mr. Hartmann told GlobalAtlanta. Mumbai-based Prabhat Industries makes rubber gaskets, and Chennai-based Jumbo Bag Ltd., a publicly traded company, makes large bags used to transport substances ranging from food products to Georgia kaolin.

Many Indian companies are booming in their home market and could benefit from a U.S. presence, he said.

"There are a lot of interesting industrial products that have a market here in the U.S. and can be produced as competitively as in China but with different political aspects," Mr. Hartmann said, alluding to India's democracy, which he prefers, though he said can be both an advantage and a liability.

With Mr. Venkatagiri's help, Mr. Hartmann hopes TransAtlantic Sales can do for U.S. companies in India what it does for foreign companies in the U.S.

"My relationship with Georgia is special and I think it will continually be special and hope it will only grow further and further," Mr. Venkatagiri said.

For more information, visit www.indousbiz.com or email Mr. Venkatagiri at contact@indousbiz.com.  

For more on Mr. Hartmann's company, read: An International Business Incubator in Gwinnett

From the archives: Indian Chamber Official Visits Atlanta to Boost Business Ties

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