Indian firms generate 1,100 business leads at Indiasoft '05

Indian small and medium enterprise (SME) software companies that are looking for a global footprint have found an answer in countries like Russia, Egypt, Israel, Tunisia, Kenya, Argentina, Australia and Ukraine.

At Indiasoft 2005, an exhibition-cum-conference organised by the Electronics and Computer Software Export Promotion Council (ESC) on March 21-22, the 80-odd companies which had set up stalls have generated 1,100 business leads from delegates participating from 40-odd foreign countries.

The business leads are estimated to be converted into business worth Rs 250 crore. Over 70 per cent of Indian IT companies fall in the SME segment.

Only one Indian company "� Holool India "� has managed to sign a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Kenyan company Microhouse, to market and distribute its IT products.

Holool has also generated 12 leads and a spokesperson for the company said that they were confident of converting at least six of them.

Indiasoft 2005 was organised as a buyer-seller meet to facilitate business transactions between the Indian IT companies in the SME segment and countries like Tunisia, Tanzania, Israel, Brazil, Egypt, Chile and Ukraine.

It was organised so that Indian IT companies in the SME segment can market their products and services to these countries which shy away from approaching the Indian software majors for IT solutions.

The focus regions for the fifth edition of Indiasoft 2005 were Latin America, Africa, CIS and the ASEAN countries. The Indian software companies that participated in Indiasoft 2005 included Accel ICIM, Hurix Systems, Bahwan Cybertek, CCS Technologies, Intellinet Systems, Kwick Soft Solutions, Axes Technologies and Global Software Solutions.

Besides the enquiries generated through the Indian IT companies, interest has been shown by delegates from Chile for software assistance in banking, financial software and insurance, management solutions and BPO. Tanzania has displayed interest in healthcare and Argentina in banking software.

ESC is also planning to assist the IT companies in the SME segment through Software Technology Parks India (STPI) where they will have the required infrastructure and will be provided with VC funding through Small Industries Development Bank of India Venture Capital.

Through events like Indiasoft, ESC will assist them to market their products and services globally.

Addressing a press conference on the concluding day of Indiasoft 2005, M Madhavan Nambiar, additional secretary, ministry of communications and IT, department of IT, said, "We are planning an ICT forum with Japan that will have representation both from the government and the industry."