The ongoing US-led aggression on Iraq will help India's information technology industry in the post-war scenario, Union Disinvestment, IT and Communications Minister Arun Shourie said on Tuesday.

Talking to newspersons in Bangalore, he said the post-recessionary trends would see the US companies cutting costs and looking to India for outsourcing their IT requirements.

''IT industry has better opportunities'' in the post-war situation, he said when asked about the impact of the War on the Indian IT industry.

On the series of events impacting the IT industry and software professionals in various countries, Shourie said each of these incidents were not related to one another and necessary action was being taken to protect the industry.

On the latest event of i-flex Solutions CEO being arrested in London following Visa violations by i-flex software professionals in the Netherlands, he said the external affairs ministry was actively involved in taking necessary steps.

Though it was still unclear whether visa conditions had been violated, he assured that the ministry was in constant touch with the country's ambassador in the Netherlands and the high commissioner in London.

Shourie said these episodes have enabled the country to learn a few lessons. ''We should be scrupulous and careful while following Visa regulation,'' he said, adding that the IT Ministry and Nasscom would jointly provide some escort service to IT professionals on the nature of Visa required while traveling abroad.

The ministry also suggested to the IT companies to work closely with their customers abroad. ''It is the customers who are gaining from the work of Indian professionals. If those countries did not avail the services of Indian software professionals then they are harming their own competitiveness in the future,'' he said, adding that Indian companies should make this clear to its customers abroad without any inhibition.

Stating that the IT industry should also recognise free trade in the sector, Shourie said being a ''top'' country in software, India was bound to impact the jobs in other countries due to movement of Indian software professionals. Just as India was resorting to measures such as anti-dumping violations, other countries would also resort to some measures.

Stressing the need for free trade movement, he said measures by other countries had already affected India's Marine product and textile exports.

UNI

Govt to provide escort visa service to IT firms: Shourie