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Our Bureau

Chennai , March 22

THE Centre will look at setting up incubation centres at various places to help small and medium sized software firms, according to Mr M. Madhavan Nambiar, Additional Secretary, Ministry of Information Technology.

Speaking to newspersons at the conclusion of the two-day IndiaSoft2005 today, Mr Nambiar said that the Centre would ask Software Technology Park of India (STPI) to provide physical infrastructure for the incubation centres.

For venture capital there is a fund called SIDBI VC Ltd. On the export front, the Electronics and Computer Software Export Promotion Council (ESC) can play a catalytic role.

The Centre would take efforts to help small and medium size business (SMB) software firms in all respects. "We would like to make ESC play an active role in encouraging SMBs," he said.

The Ministry plans to strengthen STPIs across country. In Chennai there is a proposal for the STPI to move to its own premises, which would also act as an incubation centre.

The premises are planned in a 1.5-acre land near Tidel Park, he said.

Mr Nambiar also said that an Indo-Japan ICT forum would be created for better collaboration between the two countries in R&D and embedded technologies.

On Indiasoft2005, a two-day international IT exhibition and conference organised by ESC, Mr Navin Kohli, Chairman of ESC, said: "We are happy with the response."

Most of the exhibitors were also happy with the response. This year, there were more serious buyers, he said.

According to Mr Kohli, about 1,100 business leads were generated in the event, which was aimed mainly at encouraging SMBs sell their products and services.

However, he could not put a value on business transaction at this moment. At the last year event in Delhi, business transactions worth Rs 45 crore were generated. This year, the value could be much more, he said.

Mr Deepak Sareen, Executive Director, ESC, said that Holool India Ltd signed an agreement with a Kenyan firm at the event.

The Chilean delegation expressed interest in having tie-up with Indian firms on BFSI (banking and financial services), management solution and business process outsourcing.

Similarly, the Tanzanian delegation was negotiating with Indian firms on healthcare solutions, and the Argentine delegation on banking software.

Earlier, Mr Brijesh Kumar, Secretary, Communication and IT, emphasised the need for setting up incubation centres to help SMBs across the country. He also asked ESC to hold events on a sustained basis and across the country.

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