Infy bags e-biz govt contract

Infosys Technologies today said it had bagged an order from the Union commerce ministry to set up an e-business platform which will give companies easy access to government information and services. The company will design, implement, maintain and expand it for 10 years.

Financial details of the project, awarded by the department of industrial policy and promotion, were not disclosed. The eBiz Project announced today is among the 27 central, state and integrated mission mode projects under the National e-Governance Plan of the Department of Information Technology. Under it, Infosys will also do training, workshops, promotion and awareness campaigns.

Through this project, the government intends to expand almost 200 government-to-business services and value-added services for businesses to start and expand in India. The web portal will offer regulatory clearances and licences to investors and businesses through the day. The project will require an investment of Rs 15 crore in the first three years.

Infosys, the country’s second largest information technology company, has of late increased its focus on business originating within the country, an area where it substantially lags Tata Consultancy Services, the largest.

It has won four deals from the government in the past two quarters, pushing up India’s share in its total revenue from 1.3 per cent to 2 per cent. It has just bagged a pilot project to roll out an Integrated Coach Management System for Indian Railways and is eyeing another in the same area. It has also bid for a deal with state-owned telecom behemoth Bharat Sanchar Nigam Ltd and an ERP implementation project for the Indian Air Force.

In a falling market, the company’s stock closed 1.5 per cent lower today on the Bombay Stock Exchange.

Infosys has been working in the government services area in India for the past one and a half years. It is also active in the Accelerated Power Development and Reform Programme.