Technopark firms float IT forum

Aswathy V

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Exasperated over the total apathy shown by the Central

Government while formulating national IT policies, several IT firms have now

geared up to form a regional association, on the lines of Nasscom, to express

their views and lobby on their behalf to the concerned authorities.

As a first step in this direction, several IT firms in Kerala

Government-sponsored Technopark have floated an association called Group of

Technopark companies (GTECH) to highlight the problems and constraints faced by

the local IT industry at the national level.

"We decided to launch this forum because there is no one to lobby for us

both at the state and national level," said GTECH president and Case

Consult India Pvt. Ltd’s MD Ajit P Nambissan told Cyber News Service. There

are several state level and national level issues that will be taken up by the

forum at the appropriate level, he said.

In the next few months, GTECH will organize seminars, workshops, road shows

and meet IT Ministry officials to promote Kerala as the next best IT destination

in South India. Though the State Government has invested heavily in promoting

its IT talent, the state is nowhere on the national IT map. This can be reversed

only if the IT industry begins to work as a single entity and supplement the

State government’s effort, Nambissan said.

GTECH will focus on certain key issues such as improving the level of

interaction and coordination among the IT firms in Technopark. This apart it

will function as an effective PR agency to articulate the views of its members

to the government, regulatory agencies, media, the general public and foreign

community.