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IDS Infotech Ltd. is one of the top regional IT/ITES firms to get Software Export Awards

IDS Infotech Ltd. is one of the top regional IT/ITES companies to receive the Software Exports Award, instituted by the Software Technologies Parks of India (STPI), at the curtain raiser of e-revolution 2006 this evening.

While Infosys Technologies, Quark Media House and Second Foundation India bagged the top three awards in the Software Exports Category. Dell International Services, IDS Infotech Ltd. and Universal Cyber Infoway were the  winners in the IT/ITES Exports Exports Category. Lalit Sharma, Advisor to the UT Administrator, gave away the awards.

Partap Aggarwal said,"It feels great to be on the same platform as Dell and Infosys". He claimed that IDS Infotech which began functioning in 1989, is the oldest IT company in Chandigarh.

Source: Indian Express, Chandigarh (20/07/06)

Software, ITES experts awarded
Lalit Sharma, Advisor to the Administrator, UT, Chandigarh, on Wednesday gave away prizes for Software Development Exports and Information Technology Enable Services Exports (ITES) at Hotel Taj, Sector 17, Chandigarh. In Software Development Exports category, Infosys Technologies Limited, Quark Media House and Second Foundation (I) Pvt. Ltd. bagged first, second and third positions, respectively. In ITES Exports category, Dell International got the first prize, while second and third prizes went to the IDS Infotech and Universal Cyber Infoway respectively.

Source: HT, Chandigarh (20/07/06)

4 companies get built-to-suit sites

FOUR COMPANIES have been allotted the built-to-suit sites at the Rajiv Gandhi Chandigarh Technology Park. The companies included Virsa Systems, a US-based company, IDS Infotech, the largest software exporter from Chandigarh, FCS Technologies, a Noida based MNC and Second Foundation, a US based company.

SOURCE-HTC, Chandigarh

Third Annual Software Exports Award
Chandigarh is moving fast on the IT path and will soon be Destination Next for the industry. This was the sentiment at the third annual IT Awards, given by the Administration based on the overall performance and turnover of city-based companies.

Experts present at the ceremony give the city three years to make its presence felt in a big way on the IT map. Going by the figures, the IT companies have increased six fold in the past three years. "And this year will see an even greater change in the IT industry," predicted UT Finance-cum-IT Secretary S.K. Sandhu. "Efforts would be made so that people will not have to come to us for information, but can just log on to the Web instead,” said Sandhu. 

Speaking about the increasing opportunities in the field of IT, Managing Director of IDS Infotech Ltd Partap K. Aggarwal, who bagged the first prize at the awards ceremony, commented, "There is no shortage of knowledge and expertise in the city. Besides, the conditions are just ripe for the IT sector to boom."

UT Director of Information Technology Vivek Attray agreed stating, "Chandigarh is emerging as a big destination on the IT map of India." UT Administrator Gen S.F. Rodrigues (retd) gave away the prizes to the five leading software exporters of Chandigarh at the CII Headquarters in Sector 31. He mentioned in his speech on the occasion, "The problem with the city is that despite having the knowledge, people here do not think big. They should strive to do things more innovatively." 

First Annual Software Exports Award

ITs Forcing Chandigarh to Reboot
Many of its current denizens may shrug, but Chandigarh had its cosmopolitan days once. In early the '80s, the city was abuzz with students from Africa and South East Asia. 

However, at some point in time, the African students began relocating to Pune. The times are changing once again. Until even a year back, it was rare to find someone from Bangalore working in a Chandigarh IT firm. Today the picture is different. 

Take the case of IDS Infotech Limited. With 1,200 employees in its rolls, it was distinctly skewed towards the region in terms of its employees' origins. 

However, finding that the region was not throwing up enough qualified software engineers, IDS brought in 28 engineers from Bangalore. Ask the engineers and they’ll tell you that Chandigarh is a good place to live in. Plus, the learning opportunity here is greater due to a greater premium and consequently, greater responsibilities being placed on employees. 

Software Technology Parks of India (STPI)
Software Technology Parks of India (STPI), an autonomous society under the Ministry of Information Technology, Govt. of India has been mandated to provide a conducive environment for the software exporting companies. STPI operates through its centers located in various part of the country, which provide facilitation to the Software Industry in that region. STPI presently has 21 centers in the country including one in Mohali. STPI contributed more than 75% export revenue on national basis and has more than 8000 Software Companies operating under the STP Scheme, covering an entire spectrum of Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs), Major Indian Companies (MICs) and Multi-National Companies (MNCs).

With the proactive help and support of the Govt. of Punjab, STPI has set up a KU Band Type E-3 Satellite Earth Station at SAS Nagar (Mohali) to provide state-of-the-art wide band data communication facilities (64 Kbps to 2 Mbps) to Software Exporters. The Earth Station, which is in fact an International Gateway for the Software Exporters, will connect the software units in and around Mohali to any destination on the Globe. The commissioning of this facility has been accomplished in the record time of less than four months after the allocation of land. It may be noted that this is the first Ku Band Earth Station established by STPI; however STPI-Mohali center is the eighth International Gateway operated by STPI in the Country.

Earth Station is fully operational and is in a position to provide the services like SoftPoint - Point to Point Leased Line, SoftLink - Shared Internet Connection comprising of services like World Wide Web (WWW), Remote Login and File Transfer Protocol. Earth station also possesses  state-of-the-art technology two way Video Conferencing with MPEG grade quality video. International Gateway of STPI Mohali was inaugurated by Hon'ble Chief Minister of Punjab, Sardar Parkash Singh Badal in the Video Conferencing facility. 

STPI has also established a High Speed Data Communication Node at Punjab Engineering College, Chandigarh which is linked to Mohali Earth Station. It has been inaugurated by the Hon'ble Secretary, DoE, Shri Ravindra Gupta on the 10th of  November 1998, and the node has been fully operational since then.

The setting up of the STPI Office at Mohali sends the positive signal to the Software Industry operating into the different part of the country and they decided to expand their operation to Mohali (Punjab). In the last two years of operation STPI has registered, so far, 170 nos. of the units which will contribute to the tune of Rs. 100 Crores Software Export in the coming Financial Year. The Software giants like Infosys Technologies Ltd., Quark Media House (I) Pvt. Ltd., IDS Infotech Ltd., Tata Interactive Systems, SamrtData Enterprises, eThreeR Infosystems, Net Solutions, Rana Informatics Ltd. and several others have already been operating from this region.

Why Mohali/Chandigarh
Mohali/ Chandigarh is such a good choice that it has to be seen to be believed. That's why the Top Management of Quark came all the way to check it out and easily made the decision to locate their R & D center in Chandigarh. It is targeted to reach a size of 1000 Software Engineers.

Chandigarh's/ Mohali Strong Points Include :

• Availability of the Datacom Facility through International Gateway of STPI.
• STPI- A Regulatory Authority provides single window mechanism for all type of clearances such as the following :
  
  
  1. Approving the establishment of units under the STP Scheme
  2. Providing day to day permissions such as Import and Export Certifications
  3. Issuing RCMC and Green Cards etc.
  4. Existence of hi-tech telecom and electronic industries in the vicinity.
  5. Availability of 7 Universities and 24 Engineering Colleges in the `Catchment Area'.
  6. Availability of Training Institutes like CEDTI, TTTI and a proposed IIIT.
  7. The Best Quality of Life in India - much sought after as a good place to live in.
  8. Relatively Pollution Free - India's Cleanest City.
  9. Relatively Good Power Supply availability.
  10. Excellent and relatively Low-Cost Housing (less than half the rates in Bangalore or Hyderabad)
  11. Excellent Recreational facilities like Sukhna Lake, Golf, Discos and Clubs. These are augmented by the unique proximity of tourist destinations and the hills (50 Kms away) including Shimla, Kufri, Chail, Kasauli, Morni Hills, Pinjore Garden, Chhatbir Zoo etc.
  12. Friendly, Supportive Government and Administration

Apart from the above, this well laid out city has the best infrastructure in India. The following are among the city’s featured conveniences:

• Roads
• Shopping and Commercial Centers
• Educational Facilities
• Medical Facilities
• The State of Punjab, of which Chandigarh is the capital, has the best quality and Industrial and Social Infrastructure in India.

opportunities for Software Exporters
About 50 acres of land adjoining the Earth Station have been earmarked by the Punjab Government  for an I.T. Park which would ultimately consist of a Software Technology Park (STP), an Electronic Hardware Technology Park (EHTP) and an Indian Institute of Information Technology. The Punjab Government has decided to provide an industrial plot to the Software Industry who wants to start  operations in Mohali. The rate of these plots will be Rs. 700/- per Sq. Meter. Moreover, there is enough space available in Mohali which is very cheap and the rent of the premises lies between Rs. 5 per Sq. Ft. to Rs. 15 Sq.Ft. as per the location.

The Chandigarh Administration has also earmarked a 10,000 Sq. Ft. area @ Rs. 15.70 per Sq. Ft. as monthly rent at Punjab Engineering College for the allotment of 100% Export Oriented Software Units under STP Scheme. They have also been building up an IT Park at Kishangarh.