The canvas for growth in the IT industry is getting bigger, with a rejuvenated economy and the IT-friendly February Budget incentives opening new growth opportunities for the channel.
p____p The potential for growing the domestic market to develop skill sets is right now. And as economists laud India as the “Land of Tomorrow”, it is certain that the IT industry will also take a big leap forward globally.
p____p Traditionally, PC sales in India have been low because of high domestic and import tariffs, which further depressed the already-low average purchasing power of consumers. But now free of the old shackles, the channel is already witnessing a host of vendors slashing its product prices, thereby passing on the benefits of the Budget concessions to the consumers. And in the process making the products affordable to the masses.
p____p Just as the telecom market witnessed an explosive growth because of its policy rationalization, a similar result can also be duplicated in the PC segment if the same kind of rationalization policy is implemented for the IT hardware industry. It also becomes the duty of competitors in the hardware section to set a discipline in the pricing arena.
p____p Since the market is continuing to prosper, sellers would do well to build on their existing market segments and at the same time look to foray into new segments by building domain expertise.
p____p It sure will be an exhilarating year with diverse growth on the technology front. The giants of consumer electronics and the PC industry are set to roll out their next-generation products for a better tomorrow with a better profit margin. Even as Intel and AMD jostle for space on the 64-bit extensions, smart phones with computing capabilites will become more affordable. Also with the resurgence of Wi-Fi, the channel will need to gear itself to meet the challenges that lie ahead.
p____p In keeping up with the changing trends, channel partners will do well to be dynamic without being reckless. The paradigm change in the offing will certainly be challenging for VARs and partners alike. But then it also presents a unique opportunity to scale greater heights, which India Shining has ushered in this year.