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After some local companies tried their hands at PC production in West Bengal,
it's now time for the more recognized and nationally acclaimed companies to do
the same. In a bid to promote hardware manufacturing in the state, Videocon is
all set to launch their PCs. “There has been a growth in the software segment
in West Bengal and adjoining areas. We feel a growth in the hardware segment is
also very essential in order to have a well proportional development in
information technology,” said Biswajit Mohinta, Head-IT and Personal
Computer Division, Kitchen Appliances India Ltd. “We are one of the leaders in
electronics business, which is in synergy with the IT business. Naturally this
diversion is very much justified and we have big plans for our upcoming IT
venture,” he added further.
Videocon is known for its efforts in overtaking plants that were not doing
well and starting their own production in a rejuvenated way. “Our first such
effort started with the takeover of the Philips plant in Salt Lake in 1998. The
plant, which was at that time on the verge of closure, has been performing very
well from its first year of operation. It was a great leap for us in West Bengal
as the Philips plant used be one of the best and modern plants in Asia. We have
since then been manufacturing our display devices here,” said Mohinta. In 2005
the company once again took over the second unit of Philips lamp manufacturing
plant in Taratala (Kolkata) and revamped it to start the production of Videocon
appliances. “These activities gradually attracted the confidence of the
state government and they approached us to do something for the development of
the IT industry in the state,” he said.
Videocon is coming out with five special economic zones (SEZs) in West
Bengal, two at Siliguri and three in and around Kolkata. “Our first IT park,
coming up at sector five, will start its construction work within the next two
months,” informed Mohinta.
“We will start selling our PCs in West Bengal followed by northeast which
is an extremely potential, yet highly neglected market. Then we will spread our
business across the eastern region within this fiscal before we launch our PCs
in the national market,” said Mohinta, adding that by February Videocon PCs
would start its full-fledged marketing activity in the region.
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