Confed-ITA's SOUL project materializes

CHENNAI, INDIA: Finally, the Confed-ITA's SOUL (Stand On Your Own Leg) project has materialized. However, there is an alteration in the model. Now, it will be implemented at tier-3 level, wherein there will be an increase of 0.1 percent in product price and the amount thus collected will be transferred directly to Confed-ITA's SOUL account, at the end of every month. The funds will be used towards carrying out various welfare schemes for association members across Tamil Nadu.

Earlier, Confed had proposed a model, wherein the vendors were asked to increase the MOP by 0.1 percent, the amount being credited directly to Confed-ITA's SOUL account, within 30 days of the month completed.

In Tamil Nadu, Karthikeyan, CEO of Bloom Electronics, was the first one to implement the project from August 1, in the memory of Late Ponnarasu of Addons Computers. Canon and Samsung have agreed in-principle to the initiative. ACDC, Canon Premium Partner, has started implementing SOUL project from September 1. Dilip Kumar, CEO, ACDC, said, “This is a very good initiative taken by Confed-ITA. No association across India has taken such a step to safeguard the welfare of the channel partners.”

Flake Agencies, the sub-distributor for HP Procurve products in Tamil Nadu, has also started the implementation from September 1. Lauding PN Prasad and his team for their hard work, Somenath Chatterjee, Managing Partner, Flake Agencies, said, “It is an excellent initiative from Confed-ITA. It will be of great help to the partners in the long run.”

PN Prasad, President, Confed-ITA, said, “With full support of our members we have started rolling out the project. It is one of the turning points in the history of channel community in India. As a project, SOUL will work to increase bonding within the channel. It will help build healthy relationships among the four pillars of the channel community—dealers, distributors, vendors and re-sellers.”