Russian President Vladimir Putin is wooing India to create a strategic partnership in Information Technology, the Moscow Times said Monday.

Looking to cash in on India's success in creating a rival to Silicon Valley, Putin on Saturday called for a bilateral effort to develop information technology and tap new markets during his state visit to India, the newspaper said.

I see the foundations of a strategic partnership in high-technology projects, Putin told business leaders and government officials during a tour of India's high-tech hub of Bangalore. We could jointly develop new high-technology products and market them to third countries.

India is the world's leading IT outsourcer, with more than 20 percent of the global market, compared with less than one percent for Russia. Market watchers say Russia will continue to fall further behind unless the government provides tangible support for the industry soon, the Moscow Times said.

The Russian government occasionally expresses verbal support, but specific actions have yet to be seen, Joseph Feiman, vice president of research at Gartner, a global IT consulting firm, in Connecticut told the newspaper.