Soon, people working in Technopark Thiruvananthapuram will be able to join a car pool to commute to work.
The Group of Technopark Companies (GTech), an association of the IT companies operating in Technopark, is setting up a Web site to facilitate car pooling among people working in the park. GTech is promoting this Web site in association with Palnar Transmedia, a Technopark-based company, as it wants to encourage the concept of car-pooling, Mr Satish Babu, Secretary, GTech, told Business Line. This project is part of GTech’s commitment to the Green Computing initiative.
Currently, there are no formal car pooling arrangements in Technopark, Mr Babu said. “The plan is to launch a Web site where registered users, especially IT professionals, commuting from the city and other areas within Thiruvananthapuram can find travel mates,” he explained. A user can search the Web site to zero-in on people who live in the same area as he or she does and commute to Technopark. Once a prospective travel partner is found, a user can contact him or her by sending in a request through the Web site’s administrator. Once two or more users are in touch, they can decide how their car pool will work; GTech will help them fine-tune the arrangement, if needed, he added.
Palnar Transmedia is developing the Web site and will also maintain it. The site is likely to be launched by the middle of April.
Developmental role
The car pooling project is one of several ventures that GTech is embarking on this year. All these activities are intended to establish GTech’s position that it is not just an industry organisation but also a catalyst for socio-economic development in Kerala, according to Mr Babu. So, besides looking after the interests of its members, the organisation will also play a developmental role. “In particular, GTech would like to highlight the need to be environment-friendly and society-friendly,” he added.
It is, for instance, planning to develop a corporate code on climate change, Mr Babu said. This code will be developed with an emphasis on practical measures to fight climate change at the individual and business levels. Similarly, the organisation plans to host a ‘development summit’ to craft strategies on how IT can be used for social and economic development. Also on the cards are ventures such as a study to understand how Kerala can be developed into a knowledge hub and the second edition of the Kerala Venture Capital Summit. Earlier this year, GTech held workshops on ‘a health lifestyle in IT workplaces’ and ‘food quality and nutrition’.
Thursday, April 23, 2009
Thursday, March 5, 2009
Kerala- The New Emerging destination for Entrepreneurs
Kerala is now emerging as the ideal investment destination for potential entrepreneurs. The World Bank revealed this in a recent policy Research Working paper submitted to the multilateral agency by its Finance and Private Sector Development Group headed by Mr. Giuseppe Iarossi. The Group has created a new Investment Climate Index (ICI) to study and map the Investment scenario in 16 Indian States. The concept of Investment Climate Index or ICI is based on the pretext that Entrepreneurs look at and compare a wide range of features of the business climate in each state when deciding on investing. More specifically the paper assume and also inks to the fact that investors take into account a host of factors closely related to the production process such as quality and reliability of infrastructure services, availability of finance, level of corruption, etc. The paper was prepared by collecting data from 4000 Entrepreneurs through face-to-face interviews and focused group Discussions. The researchers have identified 46 variables pertaining to the 16 states and categorized them into 3 namely- Inputs, Institutions and Infrastructure and later these were classified into six sub indices based on objective values (cost) and Subjective Indicators (perception). These sub indices are combined to form the Investment Climate Index.
Investment Climate Index also gives an abstract on other parameters associated with factors conducive for attracting investors to a state. They are the following
A better ICI pertains to a higher level of domestic private investments
A better ICI means a higher growth and reduced poverty.
A better ICI means a climate for better investments.
Based on the ICI the 16 states ranked are as follows
Karnataka
Kerala
Gujarat
Andhra Pradesh
Haryana
West Bengal
Maharashtra
Delhi
Tamil Nadu
Punjab
Jharkand
Orissa
Madhya Pradesh
Bihar
Uttar Pradesh
Rajesthan
According to the ICI ranking of Figure 3the states with the best investment climate are Karnataka and Kerala, followed by Gujarat, Andhra Pradesh, Haryana, West Bengal Maharashtra and Delhi. The worst investment climate is on the contrary found in Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, and Rajasthan. While it is not surprising to see Karnataka as one of the states with the best investment climate in India the ranking of Kerala within the top tear appears a bit unexpected. A closer examination of the data shows that Kerala consistently scores better than average on most objective and perception indicators, although it appears that Kerala manufacturers and retailers perceive their state as having a better business climate than those in the other 15 states in almost all
categories of perception questions.
Nevertheless perception and objective questions do not contradict themselves in almost all dimensions of the investment climate. Hence although Kerala appears among the most optimistic Indian states, its high-ranking does not appears to be driven solely by their perception rankings. As a matter of fact Kerala performs very well on all the 3 categories of indicators, infrastructure, institutions and inputs. More specifically for both objective and perception measures of infrastructure Kerala performs better than average. In objective measures only Karnataka and West Bengal performs better than Kerala in all five indicators. Punjab also performs above average in all indicators but not as much as Kerala. Within the perception variables Kerala performs above average for all indicators as does Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, and Orissa.
In conclusion, it seems that firms in Kerala tend to complain less about constraints than in other countries. However Kerala is not the only state with above average perception on all indicators. Furthermore the perception and objective data do not contradict themselves. So, it is both perception and objective data that make Kerala second in the ranking.
Investment Climate Index also gives an abstract on other parameters associated with factors conducive for attracting investors to a state. They are the following
A better ICI pertains to a higher level of domestic private investments
A better ICI means a higher growth and reduced poverty.
A better ICI means a climate for better investments.
Based on the ICI the 16 states ranked are as follows
Karnataka
Kerala
Gujarat
Andhra Pradesh
Haryana
West Bengal
Maharashtra
Delhi
Tamil Nadu
Punjab
Jharkand
Orissa
Madhya Pradesh
Bihar
Uttar Pradesh
Rajesthan
According to the ICI ranking of Figure 3the states with the best investment climate are Karnataka and Kerala, followed by Gujarat, Andhra Pradesh, Haryana, West Bengal Maharashtra and Delhi. The worst investment climate is on the contrary found in Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, and Rajasthan. While it is not surprising to see Karnataka as one of the states with the best investment climate in India the ranking of Kerala within the top tear appears a bit unexpected. A closer examination of the data shows that Kerala consistently scores better than average on most objective and perception indicators, although it appears that Kerala manufacturers and retailers perceive their state as having a better business climate than those in the other 15 states in almost all
categories of perception questions.
Nevertheless perception and objective questions do not contradict themselves in almost all dimensions of the investment climate. Hence although Kerala appears among the most optimistic Indian states, its high-ranking does not appears to be driven solely by their perception rankings. As a matter of fact Kerala performs very well on all the 3 categories of indicators, infrastructure, institutions and inputs. More specifically for both objective and perception measures of infrastructure Kerala performs better than average. In objective measures only Karnataka and West Bengal performs better than Kerala in all five indicators. Punjab also performs above average in all indicators but not as much as Kerala. Within the perception variables Kerala performs above average for all indicators as does Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, and Orissa.
In conclusion, it seems that firms in Kerala tend to complain less about constraints than in other countries. However Kerala is not the only state with above average perception on all indicators. Furthermore the perception and objective data do not contradict themselves. So, it is both perception and objective data that make Kerala second in the ranking.
Arbrit Safety Solutions
Arbrit Safety solution is the country’s leading Fire and Safety solutions Consultant. With the headquarters in Cochin Arbrit Safety solutions have been training people and placing them in multi national companies across the Globe. With a strategic tie up with NIFE in Kerala, Arbrit Safety solutions have been anchoring and offering solutions for the Fire and Safety Industry in India. Arbrit safety solutions have also been closely working with the top and middle level managements of some of the well known Private sector and public sector units offering them tailor made courses to suit their business requirements and help them to stay competitive in the Industry.
Over the course of time Arbrit have also diversified into Aviation courses to train personnel in all aspects in aviation safety.
Arbrit values its relationship with customers and people who are getting trained at Arbrit. Arbrit is unique in the sense Arbrit has been able to carve out an Arbrit community consisting of a loyal community of brand ambassadors.
Having reached an unassailable pole position in Kerala, Arbrit is constantly working towards consolidating its position in the market place. Arbrit believes that changing demographic profile of India with global ambitions, increasing urbanization and the empowerment of rural India will add responsibility to Arbrit to train them and help them embark on a global safety career. This would provide the growth ballast that would sustain Arbrit in the years to come.
Arbrit has a modern and well-equipped state-of-the-art training centre in Cochin, built with sizable investment. It is manned by an array of qualified and certified safety professionals, with a combined experience both in the Industry and academia.
Arbrit is now all geared up to tap the Global Market. Arbrit believes in building long-term sustainable partnerships with like-minded Institution and organisations through out the world. Our long-term vision is to be the leader in Fire Safety and Aviation Training in Asia. Arbrit is working on the Global vision titled Vision 2.0 to be one of the top players in the Fire Safety and Aviation training segment in Asia.
With a strong vision supported by determination and hard work Arbrit has delivered value to every aspect of the businesses.
Over the course of time Arbrit have also diversified into Aviation courses to train personnel in all aspects in aviation safety.
Arbrit values its relationship with customers and people who are getting trained at Arbrit. Arbrit is unique in the sense Arbrit has been able to carve out an Arbrit community consisting of a loyal community of brand ambassadors.
Having reached an unassailable pole position in Kerala, Arbrit is constantly working towards consolidating its position in the market place. Arbrit believes that changing demographic profile of India with global ambitions, increasing urbanization and the empowerment of rural India will add responsibility to Arbrit to train them and help them embark on a global safety career. This would provide the growth ballast that would sustain Arbrit in the years to come.
Arbrit has a modern and well-equipped state-of-the-art training centre in Cochin, built with sizable investment. It is manned by an array of qualified and certified safety professionals, with a combined experience both in the Industry and academia.
Arbrit is now all geared up to tap the Global Market. Arbrit believes in building long-term sustainable partnerships with like-minded Institution and organisations through out the world. Our long-term vision is to be the leader in Fire Safety and Aviation Training in Asia. Arbrit is working on the Global vision titled Vision 2.0 to be one of the top players in the Fire Safety and Aviation training segment in Asia.
With a strong vision supported by determination and hard work Arbrit has delivered value to every aspect of the businesses.
GTECH organises a Session on Food Quality, Safety and Healthy Nutrition
Regular Training and Knowledge transfer among the hotel and the restaurant staffs are the two foundations for ensuring Food quality and Safety standards worldwide. This was the bottom line of a session on Food Quality, Safety and Healthy Nutrition organised by the Group of Technopark Companies (GTECH) in association with Technopark. The session brought together Food Quality and Safety Experts, Select CEO’s, Human Resource Professionals and the Restaurant owners in Technopark on a common platform and deliberated the importance of adopting highest Food Quality and Safety standards in Technopark and also to set up benchmarks for Healthy Nutrition within Technopark. The speaker dwelt on the need for creating an enabling environment to deal with issue of Food Safety and Quality and suggested the need for coming together of key stakeholders in addressing this crucial issue.
Dwelling on the need to provide a balanced and healthy diet, Mr. Anil Thricovil, CEO of Technopark based Alamy Images suggested that adding more Fruits and salads and cutting down the intake of high fat food would help the IT professionals in preventing the onset of life style diseases and requested the Food vendors in Technopark to publish calories of each kind of food which is sold at their respective outlets. Mr. Sunil Somarajan, Training Manager, KTDC suggested the need for Restaurants to adopt scientific practises in Food Safety and to ensure the highest quality to the customers. Ms. Katty Verrill, Manager Quality Assurance, Hotel Muthoot Plaza spoke on the need for restaurants to train their staff on the Food quality, Safety and hygiene aspects. She further added that adopting good hygiene practices would lead to higher productivity, higher customer satisfaction, reduced risk of food poisoning and higher profits. Ms. D Grace Gideon, Principal, Institute of Hotel Management and Catering Technology, Kovalam said that Food Safety and quality standards can only be attained if the entire supply chain from the basic washing of materials for cooking to the final stage of preparation and consumption is scientifically managed.
Mr. Satish Babu , Hon . Secreatry of GTECH moderated the discussion and Mr. S Rama Rao president delivered the inaugural address.
In a Press Release GTECH said that based on the discussion with the Food quality experts, GTECH would establish a Food quality committee in consultation with the Technopark authorities comprising of all the stakeholders to implement some of the suggestions that came out of the session.
Dwelling on the need to provide a balanced and healthy diet, Mr. Anil Thricovil, CEO of Technopark based Alamy Images suggested that adding more Fruits and salads and cutting down the intake of high fat food would help the IT professionals in preventing the onset of life style diseases and requested the Food vendors in Technopark to publish calories of each kind of food which is sold at their respective outlets. Mr. Sunil Somarajan, Training Manager, KTDC suggested the need for Restaurants to adopt scientific practises in Food Safety and to ensure the highest quality to the customers. Ms. Katty Verrill, Manager Quality Assurance, Hotel Muthoot Plaza spoke on the need for restaurants to train their staff on the Food quality, Safety and hygiene aspects. She further added that adopting good hygiene practices would lead to higher productivity, higher customer satisfaction, reduced risk of food poisoning and higher profits. Ms. D Grace Gideon, Principal, Institute of Hotel Management and Catering Technology, Kovalam said that Food Safety and quality standards can only be attained if the entire supply chain from the basic washing of materials for cooking to the final stage of preparation and consumption is scientifically managed.
Mr. Satish Babu , Hon . Secreatry of GTECH moderated the discussion and Mr. S Rama Rao president delivered the inaugural address.
In a Press Release GTECH said that based on the discussion with the Food quality experts, GTECH would establish a Food quality committee in consultation with the Technopark authorities comprising of all the stakeholders to implement some of the suggestions that came out of the session.
Tuesday, February 24, 2009
GTECH reaction to the Kerala state Budget
GTECH welcomes and appreciates the move of the Government for the deferrement of 50% of rent to the financial year 2010-11. However, considering the impact of the recession on the Knowledge Industry in Kerala, the move may not be of substantive help to the affected companies, as they would still have to provide for this rent, though this would help in cash flow management.
It is also not clear how this deferred rent would be recovered from the year 2010-11. A 12-installment recover would lead to a severe burden in the financial year 2010 – 2011. On the other hand, a 50 % rent waiver for the period of the recession would have brought the much-needed relief to the IT Industry. In addition, a waiver of the additional electricity charges for the 25% excess consumption over the previous year would also significantly benefited the IT Industry.
It is also not clear how this deferred rent would be recovered from the year 2010-11. A 12-installment recover would lead to a severe burden in the financial year 2010 – 2011. On the other hand, a 50 % rent waiver for the period of the recession would have brought the much-needed relief to the IT Industry. In addition, a waiver of the additional electricity charges for the 25% excess consumption over the previous year would also significantly benefited the IT Industry.
Tuesday, February 17, 2009
Technopark to adopt a Healthy Life Style
Technopark is all set to adopt a healthy life style at the Workplaces. This was reverberated at the session on Healthy Life style at IT Workplaces organised by the Group of Technopark Companies (GTECH) in association with the Kerala State IT Mission and Technopark. The session brought together the Human Resource Professionals, Health Experts and Health organisations on a common platform and discussed the concept of maintaining a healthy life style at the workplace and sensitised the Technopark Community on Health and Wellness at the IT Workplace. The session included discussions and presentations on the foundation of creating a healthy workforce, which dwelt on prevention of life style diseases, Healthy Nutrition and Stress Management.
Stressing on the need for a healthy life style, speakers stressed on the need to balance the different components of life style like the workspace, family space, Social Space and personal space. Dr L Vijayalekshmi, HOD, Applied Nutrition, Trivandrum Medical College, stressed on the need for IT professionals to re-engineer the life style on a regular exercise and healthy diet.
Dr. V Mohanan Nair, State Nodal Officer, National Programme for Prevention of Diabetes, Cardiovascular Diseases and Stroke stressed on the responsibility of the IT firms to provide healthy food options at the cafeterias and also on the importance of taking precautionary measures to fight the onset of Non-communicable diseases.
Mr. R Narayanan, Chief Mentor, Faith Infotech spoke on the need for the professionals working in the IT Sector to embark on a personal mission to be healthy.
Other speakers at the session included Mr. Mohan Kumar, Industrial Psychologist, Tiger India, Mr. Anil Thricovil, CEO, Alamy Images, Mr. S Rama Rao, President GTECH and Mr. Satish Babu, Secretary, GTECH.
In a Press statement, GTECH stated that such sessions would be an ongoing activity and will strive for creating a platform in Technopark to regularly communicate with the medical fraternity in the state.
Stressing on the need for a healthy life style, speakers stressed on the need to balance the different components of life style like the workspace, family space, Social Space and personal space. Dr L Vijayalekshmi, HOD, Applied Nutrition, Trivandrum Medical College, stressed on the need for IT professionals to re-engineer the life style on a regular exercise and healthy diet.
Dr. V Mohanan Nair, State Nodal Officer, National Programme for Prevention of Diabetes, Cardiovascular Diseases and Stroke stressed on the responsibility of the IT firms to provide healthy food options at the cafeterias and also on the importance of taking precautionary measures to fight the onset of Non-communicable diseases.
Mr. R Narayanan, Chief Mentor, Faith Infotech spoke on the need for the professionals working in the IT Sector to embark on a personal mission to be healthy.
Other speakers at the session included Mr. Mohan Kumar, Industrial Psychologist, Tiger India, Mr. Anil Thricovil, CEO, Alamy Images, Mr. S Rama Rao, President GTECH and Mr. Satish Babu, Secretary, GTECH.
In a Press statement, GTECH stated that such sessions would be an ongoing activity and will strive for creating a platform in Technopark to regularly communicate with the medical fraternity in the state.
Tuesday, February 10, 2009
Recession Proof: Spirit and Spirituality in Kerala
An interesting article appeared in Indian Express which is truly a thought provoking one- A peice of Economics.
The intoxicating industries of spirit and Spirituality in Kerala seem to have beaten the economic downturn.
Liquor sales registered a robust growth in the last three months, though the period had been marked by the loss of employement for many and crash in the prices of agricultural produce. Spirituality too seems to be on a high in recent months if the record revenue at pilgrim and retreat centres is anything to go by.
The Kerala State Beverages Corporation (KSBC), the sole distributor of Indian Made Foreign Liquor (IMFL) in the state, has registered a 29 per cent increase in the sale of liquor for the quarter ended December 31 compared to the corresponding period last fiscal.
Managing Director Shanker Reddy said the economic downturn has had little impact on the sale of IMFL. Total IMFL sales in the last fiscal stood at Rs 3,669.49 crore. The figure likely to touch Rs 4,500 crore in the current fiscal, added Reddy.
Compared to IMFL sales of Rs 971.27 crore from November 2007 to January 2008, KSBC had sales of Rs 1175.83 crore from November 2008 to January 2009.
One of the highest liquor-consuming districts is Kottayam, also the largest grower of natural rubber in the country. Though rubber prices have plunged from Rs 140 per kg to Rs 65 in last five months, the mood is still upbeat in the IMFL outlets and bars in this Christian heartland.
Bacchus isn't the only God on people's minds either. Though the flow of tourists has come down due to the recession, pilgrim and retreat centres are still doing roaring business.
Sabarimala Ayyappa temple, one of the most famous pilgrim centres in India, had an all-time record revenue from its two-month annual festival season which ended in the third week of January.
According to the temple governing body, the Travancore Dewaswom Board, this season's revenue was Rs 112.22 crore, while the figure of the last season stood at Rs 83 crore. This is the first time in the history of the hill shrine that the collection has crossed Rs 100 crore. A major chunk of the revenue came from pilgrims' offerings at the temple.
The picture is also rosy at the Christian spiritual centres. The Catholic Church has 89 affiliated retreat centres in the state, which run five-day meditation camps every week throughout the year.
The Divine Retreat Centre at Chalakkudy in Central Kerala is one of the most popular. At least 3,000 people attend the weekly retreat session here. "We have not reported any drop in attendance," said A B Mathews, accountant at the centre. Coincidentally, Chalakkudy is also the leader in IMFL sales in Kerala.
We expect more people to turn to God during the economic crisis. Hence, a heavy turnout is expected in the coming months," said a spokesperson of the Sehiyon Retreat Centre, Palakkad.
"In Kerala, people have a tendency to heavily depend on God and liquor during a crisis. The trend is likely to go up when the impact of recession becomes more severe," says Dr C J John, a consultant psychiatrist in Kochi. "The state has a migrating community which moves from one retreat centre/pilgrim centre to another in search of panacea for their problems. That group keeps the spiritual centres filled throughout the year," added John.
Liquor sales registered a robust growth in the last three months, though the period had been marked by the loss of employement for many and crash in the prices of agricultural produce. Spirituality too seems to be on a high in recent months if the record revenue at pilgrim and retreat centres is anything to go by.
The Kerala State Beverages Corporation (KSBC), the sole distributor of Indian Made Foreign Liquor (IMFL) in the state, has registered a 29 per cent increase in the sale of liquor for the quarter ended December 31 compared to the corresponding period last fiscal.
Managing Director Shanker Reddy said the economic downturn has had little impact on the sale of IMFL. Total IMFL sales in the last fiscal stood at Rs 3,669.49 crore. The figure likely to touch Rs 4,500 crore in the current fiscal, added Reddy.
Compared to IMFL sales of Rs 971.27 crore from November 2007 to January 2008, KSBC had sales of Rs 1175.83 crore from November 2008 to January 2009.
One of the highest liquor-consuming districts is Kottayam, also the largest grower of natural rubber in the country. Though rubber prices have plunged from Rs 140 per kg to Rs 65 in last five months, the mood is still upbeat in the IMFL outlets and bars in this Christian heartland.
Bacchus isn't the only God on people's minds either. Though the flow of tourists has come down due to the recession, pilgrim and retreat centres are still doing roaring business.
Sabarimala Ayyappa temple, one of the most famous pilgrim centres in India, had an all-time record revenue from its two-month annual festival season which ended in the third week of January.
According to the temple governing body, the Travancore Dewaswom Board, this season's revenue was Rs 112.22 crore, while the figure of the last season stood at Rs 83 crore. This is the first time in the history of the hill shrine that the collection has crossed Rs 100 crore. A major chunk of the revenue came from pilgrims' offerings at the temple.
The picture is also rosy at the Christian spiritual centres. The Catholic Church has 89 affiliated retreat centres in the state, which run five-day meditation camps every week throughout the year.
The Divine Retreat Centre at Chalakkudy in Central Kerala is one of the most popular. At least 3,000 people attend the weekly retreat session here. "We have not reported any drop in attendance," said A B Mathews, accountant at the centre. Coincidentally, Chalakkudy is also the leader in IMFL sales in Kerala.
We expect more people to turn to God during the economic crisis. Hence, a heavy turnout is expected in the coming months," said a spokesperson of the Sehiyon Retreat Centre, Palakkad.
"In Kerala, people have a tendency to heavily depend on God and liquor during a crisis. The trend is likely to go up when the impact of recession becomes more severe," says Dr C J John, a consultant psychiatrist in Kochi. "The state has a migrating community which moves from one retreat centre/pilgrim centre to another in search of panacea for their problems. That group keeps the spiritual centres filled throughout the year," added John.
Technopark gets Healthier
Concerned with the rising health issues among the young professionals working in the IT Industry, the Group of Technopark Companies (GTECH) in association with the Kerala State IT Mission, is organising a Session on ‘Healthy Life style at IT Workplaces’ on 12th February 2009 at the Technopark Campus. Represented by CEO’s of all companies in Technopark Trivandrum, GTECH is an apex organisation founded in 2000 to promote the cause of the community of IT companies in Kerala.
According to Binu Sankar, CEO of GTECH, “The main objective of this session is to bring together the HR professionals, Health Experts and select health organisations on a common platform, and to discuss the concept of maintaining a healthy life style at the workplace. I hope we will be able to sensitise the Technopark Community on Health and Wellness at the IT Workplace”.
The session on ‘Healthy Life style at IT Workplaces’ will include discussions and presentations on the foundation of creating a healthy workforce, which will dwell on prevention of lifestyle diseases, Healthy Nutrition and Stress Management. The half day programme will see a leading Cardiologist, Diabetologist and also an Industrial Psychologist, among others, making presentations on preventive strategies to the Techies.
Spreading the awareness on preventing lifestyle diseases associated with the IT industry seems to be the best HR initiative which companies can offer. After all, prevention is better than cure!
Friday, February 6, 2009
The Global Economic Slowdown and Kerala's IT Industry
The Global Economic Slowdown
and Kerala’s IT Industry
The Urgent Need for a Stimulus Package
Kerala IT Industry
An annual turnover of about Rs. 1,500 crores
Direct employment to about 60,000 people
30-35,000 Technical workforce, of which 20,000 are in
Technopark and 8,000 in Infopark
10,000 non-technical workforce estimated conservatively
A much larger number of indirect jobs
A “high-quality” employer
Still much smaller than Karnataka, AP and TN which are
Each over 30 times Kerala’s IT industry
With the right blend of policies, Kerala can attract a higher Share of the industry
Conversely, if the policy regime is uncompetitive, the Industry will experience poor growth
Technopark
The first IT Park in the country
The prime destination for IT in Kerala, and a centre of
Excellence in the country
A major share of IT industry in Kerala (80% of IT turnover)
Largest IT employer (70%)
GTECH
A charitable society registered under the 1955 Act.
Members are Technopark companies
Has a full-time CEO and programmes for members as well as community
Companies have direct programmes for CSR and joint programmes for the larger community through GTech
GTECH Recent Programme
Some recent programmes include:
SafeDrive@Technopark (Dec 2007)
Investment opportunities in Germany (May 2008)
Green Computing Initiative (July 2008)
Employability Enhancement for People with Disabilities (7 Aug 2008)
Interaction with Venzuelan Minister (24 Aug 2008)
Session on TerraCotta (12 Sept 2008)
Venture Capital Summit (10-11 November 2008)
HIV/AIDS Awareness (12 Dec 2008)
GTECH Programme Planned for 2009
Programmes planned for 2009 include:
Healthy Livestyles in IT (12 Feb 2009)
Session of Food Quality in Technopark
Session on Corporate Governance
Social Conclave: IT in Development
Conclave on Changing Role of HR Professionals
Session on CSR and Global Reporting Initiative
Vision 2020: Kerala As a Knowledge Hub
Kerala Venture Capital Summit 2009
The Slowdown
steep drop in GDP throughout the world
Negative growth in many parts of the world
India, however, expects to retain growth at about 6-7%
Most target countries of Indian IT exports are hit
The impact on Indian companies will be differential—some companies will continue to grow, while others may scale down
Overall, the Indian IT Industry’s growth may come down to around 10
Expected to last until end of 2009
Impact on Kerala
Many export-oriented industries in Kerala (including Tourism, IT, spices, seafood and rubber) may be hit
For firms in the IT Industry, survival depends upon Retaining global competitiveness
Cost control becomes an imperative for the IT industry, and this requires operational flexibility
Response from the Industry
During this period, IT Companies may have to resort to Serious cost cutting, through steps such as:
Reduction of operating costs
Reduction or stagnation of remuneration
Reducing recruitment
Enhancing productivity
As a last resort in protecting the remaining employees,
Termination of services of some employees
Government Response
All over the world, governments are supporting their Industry to cope with the slowdown
GTech fully understands the concerns of GoK such as Equity and social justice in employment
However, GTech maintains that operational flexibility and Freedom is of paramount importance competing in global Markets
In any case, no company likes to get rid of people that they have invested in
This is the time
We stress that the GoK should take immediate action that is decisive and substantive
We enumerate below some steps that could make a Positive difference
Specific Measures
Incentivize new companies for infrastructure (for example, a 6-month rent holiday)
For existing companies, immediately stop rent escalation
Rentals are rapidly falling in different parts of the world. IT
Parks should also consider reduction of rental to the tune of about 30%
Ease restrictions on the use of power
Treat Technopark as an Essential Service to minimize Disruption
Clarify the legal frameworks that companies are requested to comply with
Where laws are anachronistic, amend them, re-legislate, or provide exemptions for the IT Industry
Be more sensitive in dealing with companies so as not to Hurt their reputations. In particular, directly going to the Media without a due process should be avoid
Have a dispute resolution mechanism within Technopark, with industry participation, so as to resolve internal issues
Have an out-placement mechanism for placing people in Other companies
To protect local jobs, modify the IT policy guidelines to Permit Technopark companies to take up e-governance Projects for the GoK and quasi-government agencies
Based on clearly stipulated criteria Persuade the Government of India to extend the STPI Framework for another three years
Withdraw sales tax on software products and services
Technopark Administration
Companies are the primary stakeholders within the Technopark Community
It is strange and undemocratic that the Technopark Governance systems completely keep out the primary Stakeholder
For this reason, Technopark companies request that there is representation in the Technopark administration from the Companies
In Summary
The worldwide economic scenario is grim
Kerala’s fledgling Software Industry is facing serious Threats that may set it back substantially
However, it is also clear that once the downturn is over, the IT Industry will bounce back
Starting immediately, and for the duration of the downturn, IT Industry seeks a stimulus package
This will protect the Industry, protect jobs, and ensure that the Industry is still robust when the downturn is over
and Kerala’s IT Industry
The Urgent Need for a Stimulus Package
Kerala IT Industry
An annual turnover of about Rs. 1,500 crores
Direct employment to about 60,000 people
30-35,000 Technical workforce, of which 20,000 are in
Technopark and 8,000 in Infopark
10,000 non-technical workforce estimated conservatively
A much larger number of indirect jobs
A “high-quality” employer
Still much smaller than Karnataka, AP and TN which are
Each over 30 times Kerala’s IT industry
With the right blend of policies, Kerala can attract a higher Share of the industry
Conversely, if the policy regime is uncompetitive, the Industry will experience poor growth
Technopark
The first IT Park in the country
The prime destination for IT in Kerala, and a centre of
Excellence in the country
A major share of IT industry in Kerala (80% of IT turnover)
Largest IT employer (70%)
GTECH
A charitable society registered under the 1955 Act.
Members are Technopark companies
Has a full-time CEO and programmes for members as well as community
Companies have direct programmes for CSR and joint programmes for the larger community through GTech
GTECH Recent Programme
Some recent programmes include:
SafeDrive@Technopark (Dec 2007)
Investment opportunities in Germany (May 2008)
Green Computing Initiative (July 2008)
Employability Enhancement for People with Disabilities (7 Aug 2008)
Interaction with Venzuelan Minister (24 Aug 2008)
Session on TerraCotta (12 Sept 2008)
Venture Capital Summit (10-11 November 2008)
HIV/AIDS Awareness (12 Dec 2008)
GTECH Programme Planned for 2009
Programmes planned for 2009 include:
Healthy Livestyles in IT (12 Feb 2009)
Session of Food Quality in Technopark
Session on Corporate Governance
Social Conclave: IT in Development
Conclave on Changing Role of HR Professionals
Session on CSR and Global Reporting Initiative
Vision 2020: Kerala As a Knowledge Hub
Kerala Venture Capital Summit 2009
The Slowdown
steep drop in GDP throughout the world
Negative growth in many parts of the world
India, however, expects to retain growth at about 6-7%
Most target countries of Indian IT exports are hit
The impact on Indian companies will be differential—some companies will continue to grow, while others may scale down
Overall, the Indian IT Industry’s growth may come down to around 10
Expected to last until end of 2009
Impact on Kerala
Many export-oriented industries in Kerala (including Tourism, IT, spices, seafood and rubber) may be hit
For firms in the IT Industry, survival depends upon Retaining global competitiveness
Cost control becomes an imperative for the IT industry, and this requires operational flexibility
Response from the Industry
During this period, IT Companies may have to resort to Serious cost cutting, through steps such as:
Reduction of operating costs
Reduction or stagnation of remuneration
Reducing recruitment
Enhancing productivity
As a last resort in protecting the remaining employees,
Termination of services of some employees
Government Response
All over the world, governments are supporting their Industry to cope with the slowdown
GTech fully understands the concerns of GoK such as Equity and social justice in employment
However, GTech maintains that operational flexibility and Freedom is of paramount importance competing in global Markets
In any case, no company likes to get rid of people that they have invested in
This is the time
We stress that the GoK should take immediate action that is decisive and substantive
We enumerate below some steps that could make a Positive difference
Specific Measures
Incentivize new companies for infrastructure (for example, a 6-month rent holiday)
For existing companies, immediately stop rent escalation
Rentals are rapidly falling in different parts of the world. IT
Parks should also consider reduction of rental to the tune of about 30%
Ease restrictions on the use of power
Treat Technopark as an Essential Service to minimize Disruption
Clarify the legal frameworks that companies are requested to comply with
Where laws are anachronistic, amend them, re-legislate, or provide exemptions for the IT Industry
Be more sensitive in dealing with companies so as not to Hurt their reputations. In particular, directly going to the Media without a due process should be avoid
Have a dispute resolution mechanism within Technopark, with industry participation, so as to resolve internal issues
Have an out-placement mechanism for placing people in Other companies
To protect local jobs, modify the IT policy guidelines to Permit Technopark companies to take up e-governance Projects for the GoK and quasi-government agencies
Based on clearly stipulated criteria Persuade the Government of India to extend the STPI Framework for another three years
Withdraw sales tax on software products and services
Technopark Administration
Companies are the primary stakeholders within the Technopark Community
It is strange and undemocratic that the Technopark Governance systems completely keep out the primary Stakeholder
For this reason, Technopark companies request that there is representation in the Technopark administration from the Companies
In Summary
The worldwide economic scenario is grim
Kerala’s fledgling Software Industry is facing serious Threats that may set it back substantially
However, it is also clear that once the downturn is over, the IT Industry will bounce back
Starting immediately, and for the duration of the downturn, IT Industry seeks a stimulus package
This will protect the Industry, protect jobs, and ensure that the Industry is still robust when the downturn is over
Friday, January 23, 2009
Kollam to get a New Information Technology Park
February 10th will be a stepping-stone for the Kollam District. The Chief Minister of Kerala will lay the foundation stone for setting up a Technopark on a 40-acre land on the outskirts of the city. Truly in a sense the development of the park will herald a new age of inclusive development in the state. Researchers often pointed out that, two industries, which can co-exist in Kerala, are Tourism and the Knowledge Industry. This particular move from the Government can change the economic landscape of the district by providing opportunities for the youth to embark a career in the IT/ITES space. The toughest thing in the entire framework of the development of the park would be to market the park to potential investor. One plausible thing, which could lure potential investors, would be the rentals, which can come as cheap as Rs 10 per square feet. And also clubbing the IT/ITES Industry with the tourism Industry would go a long way in marketing the parks to potential investors. The proposed park can be a hub for Entrepreneurship by creating an enabling mechanism through which young Entrepreneurs are nurtured and supported by the Government with the necessary market linkages being established. And also many companies operating in Technopark can outsource a part of their operations to these new build parks. In the era economic recession and global meltdown companies keen on cutting cost can pursue this option.
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