Mid-tier IT company Sonata Software is preparing to enter Qatar, Turkey and China within the next two quarters. The idea is to not only address the growing markets in these countries, but also use them as springboards to get into the respective regions, Mr Sanjay Viswanathan, CEO of Sonata Software, told Business Line .

Sonata is betting big on Qatar. This gas-rich country in the Arabian Peninsula is spending $250 billion on sprucing up its infrastructure and offers a $2-3 billion market for software. Sonata's partnership with SAP and Microsoft for a foray into the country will give it credibility. For market access, the company will work with the Qatar Royal family and its current client, Qatar Airways, Mr Viswanathan said.

Turkey, he hopes, will get Sonata a foothold in both North Africa and the Balkans. Besides, Turkey leads on to Germany, given a huge Turkish diaspora there. The company is also looking at Turkey as a low-cost, near-shore centre for the German market.

“Turkey is a market that nobody has really looked at,” Mr Viswanathan said. Sonata is in the process of tying up with a local partner in Turkey and would begin operations there in January 2012. The company is eyeing a $10-billion market from these regions, with $2 billion coming from Turkey alone.

It also intends to find a local partner in China to address the $10 billion Chinese market. It also plans to use North-Eastern China as a platform to enter Japan. With the need to have local footprint in Turkey and Qatar, Sonata is also open to acquisitions in those markets.

Related Topics