Excerpts from the interview
CT: Now that the association has competed two years, what are the targets for next year?
ASIRT: Generating business for every member and profitability by pushing price war into grave permanently is something that we are looking at. Bringing in more members to the fold and opening a couple of chapters is also on cards. ASIRT has met tremendous success in persuading vendors to create a level playing field by reining in online retail, so engagement with vendors is set to continue.
CT: What is the importance of an association that meets the end-customer?
ASIRT: Challenges are different and complex for end-user focused identities; notably retailers (most of them also provide support for products they sell) and system integrators (including solution providers, specialized technology integrators, service providers, system builders and value added resellers). IT traders face limited challenges of traditional brick and mortar businesses. Practically speaking there is no distinction between a trader selling computer hardware IT products and a grain merchant and a hardware shop. Obviously associations that are run by traders are practically oblivious or immune to challenges faced by end-customer focused companies.
CT: Within 2 years, you have become popular among the fraternity across the country. Is it because of the quality of the people or the activities or the regular marketing of your association?
ASIRT: It is both quality of members as well as the activities that add value to members and finally the board that listens to members and delivers what members want. Associations are built by members. It is they who decide what should be the value they desire from their members. We have no marketing ambitions for the association, but the funds are spent to create market for our members with www.mumbaiitstreet.com and www.indiaitstreet.com nationally.
CT: How do you make your members realize the importance of your forums?
ASIRT: Funnily, we don’t make them realize. They self-realize. They see ASIRT travelling towards its promises and see it being run like a community service initiative and not to build importance for the board. ASIRT Techdays are CEO and owners’ day for learning how to run their businesses better. ASIRT TechEDGE seminars are for members and their technical, techno-commercial and pre-sales heads to learn technology to enhance value of their business. ASIRT delivers what members have asked for. We provide sponsors access to quality members. When members see such values being delivered by events, they do not need extra motivation.
CT: There is a strong expectations from partners of other zones, especially from South to have an ASIRT’s chapter here. Will that be in your cards in this two years?
ASIRT: We are looking forward to sincere and selfless people from other zones who can abide by the same values to deliver ASIRT to their region and add value to members. They can get in touch with us.
CT: What are the procedures if anyone wants to join your association?
ASIRT: Apply for membership using ‘join now’ button on www.asirt.in . ASIRT new member evaluation committee will then interview the applicant over telephone to know if they fit in ASIRT model code for membership and if they do fit into that definition, association will ask them to submit statutory documents and references.
CT: Undoubtedly, you are a strong force behind the association and has it affected your social, professional and personal life?
ASIRT: First and foremost, I am a contributor, just like every other member of ASIRT. Everyone contributes in their own way. Some perform executive duty, some put in more time, some put in more efforts, but at the end of the day, I am just one and without everyone standing with each other and all of us this association would not have been what it is today. I may be the face of ASIRT, but I am not ASIRT. Member who attends ASIRT events is also an active contributor to ASIRT by devoting his time and efforts to attend the meetings and patiently learn or listen to sponsors’ pitch.
I consider ASIRT as my social life because it is for a cause, for a dream shared by few brave who started the association. Other social life has certainly taken a beating. Priorities have changed with ASIRT; professional life is a priority but if there is something compelling to be done for ASIRT that automatically becomes first priority and the rest waits. Having said that we are a strong team of 11 all of which contribute to ASIRT and take up duties willingly and proactively so the challenge has never been a crisis as there is always a friend on board who is willing to do my duty. Personal life for any IT professional in the industry has been laughable anyway as we are in a highly competitive business that needs knowledge refresh.
Also view: