The Hindu : Business : Itinerant fair reaps rich dividend

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Mar 23, 2005

Business

Business

Itinerant fair reaps rich dividend

By Our Staff Reporter

CHENNAI, MARCH 22. The decision of the Electronics and Computer Software Export Promotion Council (ESC) to take the annual IndiaSoft exhibition series out of New Delhi has paid off with the event conducted here generating a good response and serving as a platform for an estimated 1,100 foreign business enquiries for small and medium IT (information technology) companies.

"The experience was very good," said Nalin Kohli, Chairman of the Council, about IndiaSoft-2005, even while other leaders of the ESC estimated the value of the orders booked to be in excess of Rs.45 crores recorded at last year's exhibition.

Briefing press persons at the end of the two-day exhibition and conference, they said business enquiries would be more than Rs. 250 crores.

Listing some of the agreements signed at the exhibition, Deepak Sareen, the ESC executive director, said the Hyderabad-based Holool India, engaged in providing IT solutions in the areas of strategic business consulting and enterprise applications, signed a memorandum of understanding with Microhouse of Kenya.

While the team from Chile expressed interest in banking and finance (IT) solutions and management of BPO, the delegation from Tanzania was keen on forging agreements for IT solutions for healthcare, and professionals from Argentina scouted for banking software.

The conferences added value for the participants and 170 overseas visitors. Stating this, Veer Sagar, chairman of the conference committee, quoted the head of an IT company in Israel as saying that India with its capabilities in providing IT support and services would do well by teaming up with Israel, whose core strength was designing products.

Encouragement to SMEs

On the measures initiated for encouraging small and medium firms, the Additional Secretary to the Union Ministry of Communications and IT, M. M. Nambiar, said the exhibition provided them an exposure to foreign buyers. The Ministry also planned to establish a 90,000 square feet facility on 1.5 acres near Tidel Park in the city for the Software Technology Parks of India to serve as an incubation centre for the companies.

The STPI, he added, was also in talks with a college in Coimbatore to get land and create requisite infrastructure for the companies.

The Ministry was in the process of setting up an ICT forum to strengthen business ties with Japan, he added.

Deriving confidence from the success of IndiaSoft in other cities, Mr. Kohli pointed out that the participation of nearly 50 small and medium IT companies from Chennai at the exhibition was noteworthy. "We are very happy to be in Chennai and will come back again some time."

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