State targets Middle East IT markets

Thiruvananthapuram: The Kerala government will devise a new strategy to support small and medium IT companies in the state to tap into the Middle East markets more effectively, a senior IT official said on Wednesday.

For this the government along with the industry body, Group of Technology Companies (GTech), is mulling over funds to support companies to create prototypes that have market potential.

IT Secretary M. Sivasankar, who is in Dubai attending the five-day GITEX Technology Week, also held a series of discussions with a team of high level IT officials to cement the basics.

Most often, small and medium companies face constraints of funds while trying to make innovative products, Sivasankar said.

"Apart from addressing the gap between the buyer and the company entering the co-ownership model, the government will now consider a fund to support companies to create prototypes that have market potential," he said.

Sivasankar pointed out that the relationship between TECOM Group -- a strategic business enabler of 11 communities in Dubai and Smart City Kochi -- IT Special Economic Zone, would benefit both the United Arab Emirates and Kerala.

GTech feels that the current economic environment in the Gulf presents huge opportunities for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in Kerala and it should be tapped.

"Corporates are moving from expensive solutions provided by large conglomerates to cost effective ones offered by SMEs," GTech's Business Head Rafeek K Mohammed said.

"If our companies are able to deliver economic and scalable solutions, there will be takers," he added.

Twenty eight IT companies from Thiruvananthapuram, Kochi and Kozhikode are currently participating in the GITEX that concludes on Thursday.