National Association of Software and Service Companies on Sunday inaugurated its third largest event in the country, with the theme of "IT enablement for sustainable competitive advantage" and called 'Infocomm 2003' in Kolkata.

The three-day long conference will provide a platform for policy-makers and industry to discuss progressive measures for boosting the sector in eastern region.

Nasscom: Advantage India

Kiran Karnik, president of apex body, told the media, "Nasscom has been increasingly focusing on expanding and diversifying the presence of Indian IT industry domestically and across the globe.

"Nasscom, through this technology conference with specific focus on the eastern region, aims to provide an image makeover to eastern India, especially Kolkata, to attract both Indian and foreign investment in this sector, enhance employment and improve standard of living and work environment."

West Bengal's initiative of granting IT and ITES companies the status of 'public utility service' providers and the political parties keeping 'public utility' outside the purview of bandhs will drive IT vendors to look at Kolkata as an attractive destination, Karnik added.

One highlight of the event would be the round table of chief ministers for seven eastern states - Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, Meghalaya, Nagaland, Manipur, Tripura, West Bengal and Sikkim. The chief ministers will discuss ICT progress and issues like IT as a tool to bridge digital divide, proliferation of IT across the Eastern region, implementation of E-governance issues and ICT infrastructure and perception issues.

The eastern region has key qualities like English-speaking manpower, low real estate cost, good infrastructure and favourable government policies, which are needed for an IT destination, especially for ITS-BPO industry. The event will offer an overview of the ICT landscape and outline the vision that is expected to drive the IT Industry forward in the eastern region.

According to agency reports Nasscom said the Indian IT exports were expected to witness a jump in the second half this fiscal due to recovery of the US economy, and register a 26-28 per cent growth in 2003-4.

"The picture looks good. As the US economy is picking up, the IT export growth in 2003-4 is likely to be around 26-28 per cent irrespective of the first half performance," Nasscom president Kiran Karnik said. The total IT exports in 2002-3 stood at about $9.5 billion.