Technopark unaffected by IT slowdown in U.S.

By Our Special Correspondent

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM, APRIL 27. The U.S. slowdown in IT market has had very little impact on the companies in the Technopark here.

This is mainly because the Technopark companies are mostly doing business for European customers. And the European IT market is as yet unaffected by the current slump, which has its epicentre in the U.S.

While many IT companies in India, including the major players, are going in for cuts in software personnel, none of the 50 Technopark companies has such a compulsion for the time being. It is, however, another matter that the business being generated in Technopark is quite insignificant when compared to major IT centres like Bangalore, Hyderabad and Chennai.

Currently the Technopark companies employ over 5,000 professionals. According to Mr. Ajith Nambissan, president of the newly constituted forum of Technopark companies, GTECH, these professionals certainly do not face any kind of threat.

"I will not say that the companies here are totally insulated from the U.S. slowdown. There are cases where companies which had won orders being asked to wait for a few months before commencing work on the projects. But we are convinced that the trend will change before the end of this year," he said.

Mr. Nambissan said that, in a way, the current slowdown would be good for the industry. The hype about IT boom was getting a bit too spooky for the entrepreneurs. It was high time every one came down to earth. "Maybe this will make us all to be more realistic about our projections in future," he said.

Referring to the future of this sector in Kerala, he said none could find any fault with the IT policy announced by the Government. However, at the implementation stage, there was lot to be desired even now.

"What we are trying to do here is to market our State within India. And, I feel we have failed in it. Hardly any of the known Indian companies could be lured by our marketing efforts. If you look at the profile of the Technopark companies, almost every one of them had started from the scratch here. I feel we should do our marketing outside India and attract good foreign companies or expatriate entrepreneurs to this State. For this we should regularly participate in IT exhibitions in other countries, showcasing our Technopark, and do systematic follow-up," he said.

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