Beijing: In a rare honour, Chairman of Tata Group of Companies, Ratan Tata was today (Feb 11, 2004) made honorary economic advisor to the booming East Chinese city of Hangzhou.

The title was conferred on Tata when he called on the mayor of Hangzhou city, Mao Linsheng.

Tata and Mao discussed issues of common interest and ways to further promote business relations between the Tata Group and Hangzhou city as well as between India and China.

Hangzhou is the capital of Zhejiang province, one of the main engines of China's near-double digit economic growth.

Tata, now on a visit to China, also toured the state-of-the-art software facility of Tata Information Technology (Shanghai) Co Lt, a wholly-owned foreign entity (wofe) of Tata Consultancy Services (TCS), located in the high-tech zone in Hangzhou, company sources said.

Tata yesterday (Feb 10) called on the vice mayor of Shanghai, Zhou Yupeng, who is in charge of foreign trade and investment in the gleaming East Chinese metropolis, which is also the communist nation's largest city and financial hub.

He then had an hour-long meeting with Consul General of India in Shanghai, Sujan Chinoy, who gave him a detailed briefing on China's economic development, the business environment in East China and opportunities in India-China bilateral trade and economic engagement.

Tata also had a luncheon meting with Hou Wigui, chairman, ZT, a leading Chinese telecommunications firm, followed by a meeting with the head of General Electric (China), Steve Schneier.

He is accompanied by the CEO of TCS, S Ramadorai and CEO, Asia Pacific headquarters, TCS, Girija Pande and other senior company officials.