Seven companies from Technopark and Infopark have bagged deals in Australia with a potential of creating at least 200 new job opportunities back home. This represented first collective attempt by IT business, State Government and Technopark at cracking the Australian market.
MORE DEALS
The deals were struck during a visit of a delegation of IT companies Down Under organised by the Group of Technology Companies (GTech), a body of IT/ITES companies based in the State. Another 30 deals are expected to come through and create even more jobs over the next one-year period.
Technopark is all set to sign a contract with the incubation centre at the Australian Technology Park, Sydney, which would free up space for companies for six months, free of cost. The delegation also initiated talks with the R&D unit of Monash University in Melbourne.
DELIBERATIONS HELD
It also had deliberations with the Department of Trade and Investment, New South Wales; Department of State Development and Innovation, Victoria; and Department of Trade and Investment, Queensland. A few Australian companies have expressed interest to set up operations in Government IT parks in the State.
The delegation was led by P.H. Kurian, Principal Secretary-IT, Kerala and K.G. Girish Babu, CEO, Technopark. It also had on it chief executives of 17 small and medium IT companies, which had over 100 business-to-business meetings with companies in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane and the Gold Coast.
LARGE CONTINGENT
The team was also the single largest contingent at this year’s CeBIT Australia, the largest technology expo in the region. The GTech companies plan to make this an ongoing initiative named ‘Global Connect Initiative’ with support from State Government.
“It is the government’s policy to showcase and promote home-grown companies, there by promoting business and wealth creation in the State, said Kurian.
“Australia has been a region less explored by home-grown companies here,” said Anoop P. Ambika, Secretary of the technology grouping.
GLOBAL MELTDOWN
With the global meltdown severely affecting businesses in Europe, Australia is a promising market for Kerala companies. Showcasing successful young entrepreneurs to the rest of the world will be the best possible method to market our IT parks to potential investors, Ambika added.
Binu Jacob, convener, GTech Global Connect Initiative, said repeat visits overseas and Government to Government interactions would help optimise results. A five-year plan would be the key.
Girish Babu said that IT parks here could facilitate companies, especially the small and medium size ones, to make a global presence. This will in turn boost the industry in the State.
