GESIA set to expand operations in state

Having already attracted over 250 IT companies from Ahmedabad and Gandhinagar, the Gujarat Electronics & Software Industries Association (GESIA) now intends to expand its operations in the state. 

According to Jaimin Shah, the newly elected president of GESIA and founder director, Dev Information Technology Pvt. Ltd., the association intends to begin operations in other cities like Vadodara, Surat and Rajkot.   

“We are growing positively in Gujarat but we need to constantly change our strategies. And in order to attract more IT companies from other areas of Gujarat, we are expanding GESIA by starting a Vadodara chapter. Once set up, we will follow up with more number of chapters in other cities like Surat and Rajkot,” said Shah. 

Apart from expanding by opening more number of chapters, GESIA is also taking steps to attract IT companies from outside Gujarat. “We will also meet IT players that are not in Gujarat and invite them to the state. We hope to attract some of them in the near future,” said Shah. 

Having pegged IT exports worth Rs 800-900 crore, GESIA is expecting an average growth of 20 per cent for the financial year 2010-11. 

In addition to that, the association is also intending to go global. Recently, GESIA signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with ICT Davao Inc of Philippines for sending delegations to assist in trade fairs and buyer-seller meets, organize and participate in seminars and provide advisory support for projects. 

The association also hosted a delegation of IT buyers from Asean countries like Australia, Malaysia, Singapore, and Philippines, among others.

On the domestic front, GESIA is also working on robust curriculum in technical institutes and colleges. 

Shah, who recently took the mantle from his predecessor Nirav Shah, said, “We will be engaging with technical institutes, colleges and students to promote new areas and opportunities in IT sector in Gujarat. There is a growing need to generate employable manpower in the industry and such collaboration is one of the steps to meet it.”