Bangalore : Even as a debate rages on in the U.S. on outsourcing, San Francisco-based investment and management advisory firm Sand Hill Group will be organizing a conference here on Sept. 13 to help Indian companies further penetrate the U.S. market.

The conference, entitled ‘India Inc. 2004,’ for about 200 top Indian information technology (IT) companies, will focus on how the software, services and BPO firms can transform themselves to a strategic value-based partnership from cost-based leadership. It will also address issues related to marketing and serving the U.S. customer and how to be successful in the highly competitive American market.

“Though the U.S. continues to be the main market for Indian IT vendors and account for about 70 percent of their total export revenues, they are yet to penetrate a host of areas –– especially the small and medium enterprises segment which remains untapped,” M.R. Rangaswami, co-founder and managing director of Sand Hill, said here on July 6.

Organized in association with the Software Technology Parks of India, the conference will be attended by a high-level delegation from the U.S. and Silicon Valley, including Siebel Systems founder Pat House, and Wilson Sonsini & General Council partner Raj Judge.

“The U.S. market will continue to be the main destination for Indian IT vendors in the next five to 10 years,” Rangaswami said. “Even in the face of a backlash on loss of jobs due to offshoring and outsourcing, U.S. firms have factored the long-term cost and operational benefits of partnering with Indian vendors for their software development, services and solutions.”

The conference will also focus on the emerging competition from countries such as China, Russia, Canada, Ireland and Mexico

as hot destinations for offshoring and outsourcing for American companies, he said.