Low-Cost Technology and India-Centric Solutions Will Drive SMEs Forward

NEW DELHI, India, December 2 -

    * The Path to Sustainability Lies in Cluster Creation and Collective
      Benefit

    * Customization of IT as a Business Solution, not as a Technology
      Solution

    * Need of the Hour is to Set up IT Training Institutes for SMEs

The issue of information technology usage and empowering of Small and
Medium Enterprises (SMEs) in India got another push in the recently held
'Envisioning the Wired SME conference', organized by The Indus Entrepreneurs
(TiE) and IndiaMART.com, at the Sheraton, Saket, in New Delhi on Saturday,
28th November '09.

"Despite having a contributive share of 40 per cent in total industrial
output, the SME sector has been lagging behind in the technology front," said
Mr. Mritunjay Kapur, Managing Director, Protiviti. "Unorganized transactions
are what need to be controlled, if the SMEs are to make themselves more
investor-friendly", he added. The need of the hour is in making businesses
transparent and risk-free to achieve sustainability, he said.

Mr. Rajive Chawla, President, Faridabad Small Industries Association,
cited the successful operation of the one-stop store established by the
association, which caters to all business-related activities and needs of the
members. Mr. Chawla emphasized the importance of transcending from
individualism to cluster creation to benefit one and all.

Commending India as a popular investment destination for UK businesses,
Ms. Sharon Bamford, CEO, UK India Business Council, reiterated that domestic
markets need finance and global investors

want healthy markets. So by identifying right business opportunities and
capitalizing innovation and talent, India can forge better relationships with
overseas investors, she added.

Citing affordability as the major concern for the SME sector not
embracing I-T in a big way, Ms. Neha Lobo, Marketing Manager, IBM Software
Group, advocated scalable and flexible IT solutions for SMEs. Businesses
today need to develop vision to reach out globally. And technology is the
bridge that can make domestic markets and global investors come on a common
platform. By bringing

SME-friendly software such as Lotus and packaging IT solutions into small
affordable units, IBM is constantly working in making this a reality. This
would cut down depreciation, she said on the issue of Leveraging technology
and innovation to achieve scale.

Elaborating on pocket-friendly IT solutions for SMEs, Mr. Rajiv Sodhi,
Director, Online Business, Microsoft India, advocated entrepreneurs to
consider pay-as-you-go-up and try-before-you-buy approaches when buying
software. Considering the high-price issue involved in the implementation of
software, cloud computing and renting of software through service providers
and vendors are two cheap options for small businesses, he advised while
discussing Microsoft's $2 per month low-cost solution for SMEs.

Also present at the occasion, Mr. Vipan Sawhney, Head Internet Data
Centre Services, Progression Infonet, highlighted the need of turning IT into
a business solution instead of a technology solution for SMEs. Renting IT
services through vendors is a great option as it cuts down the maintenance
costs, which is a big relief for SMEs. However, proper attention should be
paid in differentiating 'what is available' from 'what is needed' and in
finalizing user training plans to prevent post-deployment software problems,
he added.

The issue of wiring SMEs with the help of IT needs more than software.
Developing SME-focused software is not enough. Proper IT training is required
to enable entrepreneurs to leverage the technology for business growth,
stated Dr. Anil Wali, MD, Foundation for Innovation and Technology Transfer,
IIT-Delhi. Bringing to focus the need of setting up IT institutes to
encourage young entrepreneurs to come up with viable technology-driven
business ideas, Mr. Wali urged the government to establish more business
incubation centers across the country.

The journey from wireless to wired is an uphill task for SMEs. With
technology changing every day, smart planning can go a long way in cutting
down on unnecessary expenditure on soon-to-expire software,opined Dr. Mahesh
Taneja, General Manager Finance and IT, Munjal Showa Ltd.

The session on empowering the SME was chaired by Mr. Prasanto K. Roy,
President and Chief Editor, ICT Publications, CyberMedia, while the next
session on information technology was chaired by Mr. Rajeev Karwal, Founder
Director, Milagrow Business & Knowledge Solutions.

About IndiaMART.com

IndiaMART.com is India's largest online B2B marketplace
connecting global buyers with suppliers through business directories, online
product catalogs, buy-sell offers, industry specific marketplaces, printed
media and trade shows participation.

Founded in 1996, the company has a presence in over 100 cities
pan-India. With approximately 1000 employees, IndiaMART.com offers an
extensive range of value-added products and services to over 500,000 members
and over 5 million global buyers across industries and verticals.

IndiaMART.com has won numerous awards over the years including
Red Herring 100 Asia & Emerging India and the company has been widely covered
by media such as CNBC, BBC, BusinessMoney, CNN, Businessworld, Economic
Times, Financial Express, etc. Its existing investors include Intel Capital
and Bennett, Coleman & Co. Ltd (Times Group), India's largest print media
group.

For more information, please visit:
www.indiamart.com/press-section/

    Media Contacts:

    IndiaMART.com
    Arun Tyagi
    Marketing & PR
    M : +91-9711003832
    T : +91-120-3911000
    E : pr@indiamart.com

Media Contacts: IndiaMART.com, Arun Tyagi, Marketing & PR, M : +91-9711003832, T : +91-120-3911000, E : pr at indiamart.com