Kolkata to host INDIASOFT 2013
Kolkata, Mar 6 : INDIASOFT 2013, international IT exhibition and conference mainly focused on small and medium ICT companies, will be held in Kolkata on March 21 and 22.
The thirteenth edition of the IT exhibition is organized by the Electronics and Computer Software Export Promotion Council (ESC).
ESC is the rallying point for over 2000 ICT companies, mainly from the small and medium categories.
The event will bring together over 200 foreign delegates, across continents, to gather first- hand information about the Indian capabilities in the ICT sector , that can lead to clinching business deals, forming joint ventures and hand-holding that can lead to future businesses.
"This is the second time that we are organizing the event in Kolkata, with the State of West Bengal as the Partner State," said S Radhakrishnan, Chairman, ESC and Managing Director, Descon.
"While organizing this event, the objective is to develop the State industrially, with focus on small and medium enterprises, which are environmentally sound and can create sustainable employment," said Radhakrishnan.
"The timing of the INDIASOFT 2013 is coinciding with the Indian exports entering a positive zone, after a lapse of eight months and the expectation is that the ICT exports from the country will pick up in the next few quarters, thanks to lowering of intensity of the slowdown in many parts of the world, including the US," said D K Sareen, Executive Director, ESC.
"More important is that the Indian IT market is expected to grow close to 15 per cent, creating an additional window for software developers," he said.
INDIASOFT is one of the world's largest B2B ICT exhibitions focused on small and medium enterprises and is held in different parts of the country.
There will be close to 100 Indian IT companies, which will be displaying their products and solutions at the two-day exhibitions.
Foreign delegates will be visiting these stalls and hold parleys with the exhibitors, which can lead to clinching of businesses immediately or at a future date.
INDIASOFT 2013 will lay considerable focus on the State of West Bengal.
"The intellectual capital, particularly in the ICT sector, in the State is well recognized. Our effort is to showcase the facilities in the State and the rich intellectual assets that can motivate several more companies to set up their bases in the State," said Nalin Kohli, Chairman, Indiasoft organising committee.
"We will be working very closely with the State Administration to encourage more and more companies to come here and successfully carry out their business operations, so that thousands of gainful jobs are created," he said.
Significantly, INDIASOFT 2013, as was the case in the earlier years, will have "hosted buyers" program.
"We are sponsoring 30 delegates each from Latin America, Africa, CIS and ASEAN countries including Philippines, Indonesia, Singapore, New Zealand, Thailand, Brunei, Nigeria, Tanzania, Kenya, Botswana, Ghana, Zimbabwe, Cote D Ivoire, Mauritius, Chile, Peru, Brazil, Argentina, Colombia, Costa Rica, Honduras, Ecuador, Krygyzstan, Kazakhstan, Ukraine, Russia, etc," said Radhakrisnan.
"The rationale is that these relatively less developed IT markets in these countries are bound to pick up in the coming years, since they have embarked upon massive e-governance and e-learning programs. We hope that the hosted buyers from these regions will act as our brand ambassadors in promoting Indian products and solutions from India," he said.