The United States remains one of the most popular countries for business travel from India, even as the debate on the impact of ‘protectionism’ by America on the Indian IT sector continues, according to American Express Global Business Travel (GBT) data.
“Strong links between India’s technology and engineering sectors and the U.S. appear to be driving an increase in business travel to San Francisco and New York, which have both overtaken Singapore to move to second and third most popular respectively,” according to the report based on air bookings made with GBT for India-based travellers between June 2016 and May 2017.
While London tops the list for international business travel, Delhi remains the top destination for domestic business travel.
Softening sentiment
Seemingly reflective of softening business sentiment locally, Singapore has dropped from number two to number four in annual rankings, the report said, adding that the rise of New York and San Francisco in India’s business travel rankings appears to be a result of growing links between India and the U.S.’s technology and engineering industries.
The top 10 international destinations for Indian business travellers are London, New York, San Francisco, Singapore, Amsterdam, Seattle, Dubai, Chicago, Bangkok and Hong Kong, driven largely by the technology sector.
The report highlighted that if only travel outside APAC (Asia Pacific Region) is considered, seven of the top 10 destinations for India’s business travellers are U.S. cities, with Boston, Dallas and Los Angeles finding a place in the list.
“U.S. dominance is likely to continue. Despite changes in U.S. immigration regulations, Indian travel to the U.S. for business will likely remain strong, particularly in outsourcing and IT, where skilled Indian workers are in high demand,” it said.
Elyes Mrad, managing director, International, American Express Global Business Travel said, “India is progressing up the international value chain and has expanded from traditional outsourcing to advanced technology and product development, alongside many other areas of business.” He added that many Indian companies were growing internationally, acquiring companies and creating jobs.
Start-up culture
India’s thriving start-up culture is driving many innovative technologies. “This is evident in Silicon Valley, where entrepreneurs of Indian origin now make up a significant percentage of the community.”
