Kerala IT delegation gets 500 enquiries from EU

A 35-member IT delegation from Kerala that visited the European Union (EU) last week has generated more than 500 enquiries for IT products and services.

Led by PH Kurian, Principal Secretary for Industry and Information Technology, the delegation featured top executives of IT companies from across the state.

Among them were KG Girish Babu, CEO, Technopark; Hrishikesh Nair, CEO, Infopark; and Renjith Ramanujam, CEO, GTech (Group of Technology Companies in Kerala).

Third in series This was the third in the series organised as part of the Global IT Connect initiative launched by the GTech, industry body of IT companies in Kerala with government support.

A GTech spokesman said here that the 12-day visit started with participation in CeBIT-Hannover, the largest technology expo in Europe.

The European market is showing good signs of recovery after a quiet period of close to five years, he added.

The visiting delegation had business meetings in Amsterdam, Brussels, Luxembourg and Munich.

Several delegate companies have come back with ‘hot-prospects’ which they hope to convert into business in the next three to six months.

“It used to take six to nine months to build a business relationship with our European counterparts,” said Rajesh Mathachan, Chief Operating Officer, Confianz IT, based in Technopark here.

The first three months is required for building trust through frequent communication, next three for discussing business and the other three to enter into a contract.

“I see that this cycle shrinking to a three-to-six-month-period and this is a good sign,” Mathachan said.

Shrinking cycle The European business community is still not fully aware of Kerala’s IT industry is and how it can benefit them. Delegations from here can create awareness about our capabilities, he added.

“European companies take a more collaborative and less process-driven approach,” says Shihabuddin, CEO of Nuevalgo Solutions, a start-up based out of Infopark in Koratty, Thrissur. “Hence there is a need to look for partnerships and joint ventures,” he said.

Binu Jacob, Convener of Business Development Focus Group of GTech, said that there was good participation from companies in Kerala.

The best way to enter tough markets is through collective efforts with the support of the government, he added.