Under 10% of Guj IT grads crack interviews

ICT industry needs state government’s support for growth, say new office bearers of state’s industry body, GESIA

The 1,500 company-strong information and communication technology (ICT) industry in Gujarat with a combined turnover of `5,500 crore, is seeking the Gujarat government’s support for enhanced growth. The industry, which had remained self-sustained for nearly a decade, now needs the state government’s support. The newly-appointed office bearers for state’s ICT industry association, Gujarat Electronics & Software Industries Association (GESIA), believe that Gujarat is not on the radar of any Indian or multi-national ICT giants. “Gujarat does not have good IT engineering colleges or institutes. From around 100 interviews carried out at local engineering colleges, less than 10 graduates are hired. The institutes are still teaching a very old syllabus. We need to upgrade the curriculum of engineering colleges here to bridge the gap between industry’s demand and the rising number of engineering graduates from Gujarat,” said re-elected president of GESIA, Sunil Kakkad on Monday. Further, many state governments in the country have introduced policies under which around 80% of their ICT requirements are fulfilled by local companies.

“However, in the case of e-governance for Gujarat, the state government is outsourcing the job to ICT companies outside the state. These MNCs, after taking up the business from the government, outsource the same work to some local company from the state,” he said. “We do the donkey work,” said Kakkad. “And the MNCs take away the cream. In many states including Karnataka, local companies get 95% of the business from their state government, while in Gujarat, under 10% is localised. The state giving business to local SMEs would help them grow faster,” he added. The year 2006-2011 IT policy for the state expired last year, and GESIA believes the state government should lend more support to the industry with the new one.

“The new policy is still being framed and we are expecting that the Gujarat government supports the local ICT industry. Through the new policy, the state government will focus more on attracting employment. However, without any capital investment, a rise in employment numbers is unlikely,” believes secretary of GESIA, and CEO of Azure Knowledge Corporation Ltd, Jay Ruparel. He further said that the ICT industry in Gujarat is seeking proactive policies from the state as well as central governments. “Two years back, STPI benefits were discontinued and simultaneously, MAT was levied on SEZs. This has resulted in a 20-30% loss for the struggling IT industry of the state. In the US and China, governments offer a red carpet to industries which generate employment. Similarly, we expect both the governments to announce better policies which will push the sentiments of the IT industry to expand and generate more employment,” Ruparel said.

15th AGM of GESIA - Election Result of New Executive Committee Members

The 15th Annual General Meeting (AGM) of GESIA held on 1st August 2012 at Pride Hotel, Ahmedabad. The AGM was attended by 50+ GESIA member companies from various parts of Gujarat.

The Agenda of the 15th AGM included adoption of the financials of GESIA for the year 2011 – 12. The AGM was chaired by Mr. Sunil Kakkad – President, GESIA. In his speech, Mr. Kakkad highlighted the role of GESIA in the State and emphasized on how the Industry is fairing in today’s competitive world. An interaction between the Executive Committee Members and Members of GESIA was helpful in gathering the information which shall lead to futuristic planning of GESIA. The 15th Annual General Meeting elected following four Executive Committee (Board of Directors) Members in Governing Board of GESIA:

• Mr. Jaimin Shah - Dev Information Technology Pvt. Ltd.
• Mr. Pankaj Shah - GlobalTech (India) Pvt. Ltd.>
• Mr. Jay Ruparel - Azure Knowledge Corporation Pvt. Ltd.
• Mr. Vipul Thakkar - Silver Touch Technologies Ltd.

In the 1st Executive Committee Meeting, post the 15th Annual General Meeting, the Executive Committee Members re-elected Mr. Sunil Kakkad of Sai InfoSystem (India) Ltd. as the President of GESIA for the year 2012-13.

Excellence in ICT

The Times of India, Ahmedabad | Wednesday, February 22, 2012

An Informed Move

Qualified manpower and focused research will go a long way towards engendering intellectual property for the ICT sector, says SUNIL KAKKAD, President, GESIA and CMD, Sai InfoSystem (India) Ltd

As the president of GESIA, how do you feel has GESIA mattered in the state's ICT development?

GESIA has acted as a bridge between the industry, government and other national and international platforms like industry associations and trade bodies. GESIA has contributed to the development of ICT sector in the state by way of inputs in policy making, inviting distinguished personalities and international delegations for sharing their thoughts and wisdom, thus motivating the industry by instituting the awards and encouraging mentorship, etc.

It is difficult to summarise what GESIA has done over years since every stage of development demands different inputs from a body like GESIA. But over the years, GESIA has kept pace with times and such demands have really mattered when it was required.

GESIA Awards has successfully positioned Gujarat as the most favourable destination for investments in the ICT sector. What course of action do you foresee for the association in the next decade?

Yes, GESIA is targeting at getting associated with international platforms, particularly educational and research institutes in the near future. We need to address the problem of qualified and industry-ready manpower on priority, coupled with thrust on research and development to create wealth in terms of intellectual property. This will be done through positioning Gujarat as the dream investment destination with the best of class infrastructure, willingness to learn and welcoming the knowledge workers with open arms, while offering them a world-class lifestyle.

In Gujarat, which has been one of the front line states in the implementation of key egovernance infrastructure, policies and projects, how optimistic is the wave for getting employed in this sector?

Yes, we have started attracting talent from other states like Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh now. Knowledge workers have started taking notice of the developments happening in the state and shown willingness to settle here.

At Sai InfoSystem (India) Ltd, what kind of employee-focused initiatives are planned?

Yes, it is a collaborative and continuous exercise. We have an excellent and a committed team and "Share and Care" is our basic philosophy at SIS. Our people strategy is completely aligned to meeting and exceeding business strategic objectives. The levers of change are focused on creating a culture of performance and engagement within the organisation for taking it to the next level. We will continue building a lean, mean and scalable people model to address our present and future needs. The HR policies and systems designed are simple and employee-friendly and provide a motivating and delightful experience to our employees.

SAM PITRODA Advisor to the Prime Minister of India on Public Information, Infrastructure and Innovation "GESIA has a unique opportunity to provide needed leadership in Gujarat to develop new markets and business models related to novel ICT applications for governance, education, health, delivery of public services, financial services, disaster management, urban development, panchayats and a lot more. I hope that through these awards, GESIA will be able to encourage young talent in Gujarat to hone global leadership skills."

RAVI SAXENA IAS, Additional Chief Secretary, Department of Science and Technology, Government of Gujarat "Year on year, the awards given away by GESIA have set an increasingly higher benchmark for excellence in the field of innovation, efficiency and productivity in the information technology industry. It has helped develop a competitive environment for the member units, and is paving way for making Gujarat an attractive destination for ICT industry from across the globe now."

S D SHIBULAL Co-Founder & CEO, Infosys Ltd "It is my privilege and pleasure to be part of the Annual GESIA ICT Awards ceremony. The initiatives taken by GESIA to encourage the growth of ICT industry in Gujarat are commendable. I congratulate the winners for their achievements in their respective domains."