|
Separated from each other by a mere eight kilometers, Bharuch is situated at
the mouth of river Narmada. Like several other Indian cities, the original name
of this city was 'Bhrigukachba', which later got shortened to Bharuch. The
city is known for its
textile mills and long staple cotton.
On the other hand, Ankleshwar has come to be recognized for the large number
of corporate factories that it houses. It has plants of pharmaceuticals like
Lupin, and paint manufacturer- Asian Paints. There are chemical plants as well
as textile industry thrives here.
 The
IT industry in both these cities is developing and has a lot of scope for
growth. As Paresh Mathukia said, "The home segment here has been growing
very well for the past one year and channel partners are targeting this segment
as it is lucrative."
Another beneficial aspect for customers as well as partners is the setting up
of service centers of vendors like HP and LG. But service centers of other
vendors are yet to arrive in these cities. Owing to this, one problem that
channel partners face is that of replacement or repair of faulty products.
"We have to take the PCs or printers or other products to Baroda or
Ahmedabad to sort out the problem. This is where the problem of octroi and
transportation arises," felt Paresh.
Further, it so happens that vendors on their side also cannot send the
product on time in case a replacement has to be made. This is because the
service centers are several hundred kilometers away.
 Another
drawback the twin cities face is that of being overshadowed by comparatively
larger cities like Baroda and Ahmedabad. Larger national distributors generally
have their presence in the mini-metros and not in Ankleshwar or Bharuch and
channel partners feel that the presence of distys in their cities would make a
difference to them.
Manish Shah, President, Ankleshwar Bharuch Information Technology Association
(ABITA) pointed out that penetration of Internet in these cities is low. He
feels that if this area is given a boost, the PC penetration will automatically
rise. "Currently, broadband services are provided by only one local service
provider, known as Narmada. If other players come in this field, it would be
beneficial in several ways," explained he.
Mahesh Sabalpara, another channel partner commented that since the cities are
small, the competition is intense. He added that one has to compete not just
with the local players, but partners from neighboring cities as well.
To counter all these problems that the cities are facing, ABITA tries to sort
them out collectively by bringing all members on one platform. It also educates
partners on various new technologies that hit the IT scenario and also on
aspects that would make their business profitable.
AMISHI SHAH
Next Page : ASSOCIATION PROFILE: Ankleshwar Bharuch Information Technology Association Page(s) 1 2
| 
