CeBIT to Debut at Bangalore ITE Trade Fair

World's leading information and communication technology (ICT) event CeBIT will debut in India at the country's flagship IT trade fair Bangalore ITE.biz 2014 on Wednesday.

"We are partnering with the Karnataka government and the state-run Software Technology Parks of India (STPI) to co-host Bangalore ITE.biz for the first time in the country," Hannover Fairs India Ltd. managing director Mehul Lanver-Shah told IANS in Bangalore on Tuesday.

Germany-based joint venture firm HMG (Hannover Milano Global) had earlier this year formed the Indian subsidiary to host every year its premier international IT/ICT trade event 'CeBIT' in the Indian sub-continent.

"We are here to give India's ICT sector a big thrust and serve as a common platform for global connectivity," Shah said ahead of the three-day joint trade fair at the Bangalore International Exhibition Centre (BIEC) on the city's outskirts.

Touted as Asia's largest IT/ICT expo, the event will feature diverse tech firms, including global brands, micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) and startups and showcase latest technologies and innovations.

"The trade fair will also serve as an ideal platform for thought leadership and networking With plenary sessions on key IT trends such as cloud computing, big data analytics, enterprise mobility and social business," Shah said.

HMG's strategic tie-up with STPI will enable about 100 MSMEs from across the country to showcase their technologies, products and services.

"Mentoring sessions focused on the MSME sector at the event provides an opportunity to MSMEs for interacting with industry peers and key players in the ecosystem," Shah pointed out.

As part of the CeBIT India-STPI partnership, 10 MSMEs will be chosen to represent the country at CeBIT Hannover 2015 to be held in January.

"We believe that strengthening the MSMEs ecosystem is key to make India a global manufacturing hub. For a country that has rung out the 'Make in India' mantra, our platform is ideal to tap the potential of its MSMEs and explore opportunities in the global electronics and software ecosystem," Shah added.

The MSME sector also contributes 90 percent of the industrial output and 45 percent of the manufacturing output through over 6,000 diverse products.

"Taking cue from Prime Minister Narendra Modi's 'Make in India' campaign, we are committed to develop our technology parks and catalyse the MSME growth story," STPI director general Omkar Rai said on the occasion.

Besides Infosys chief executive Vishal Sikka, IBM India subsidiary managing director Vanita Narayanan, Vodafone India chief executive Marten Pieters, Accenture managing director Mark McDonald and Intel India president Kumud Srinivasan will participate in the inaugural session and address the gathering.

The organisers have also roped in about 60 experts from diverse user industries to speak on modern technology and its impact on their operations in the plenary sessions, which will focus on ERPA(enterprise resource planning) & data analysis, IT infrastructure and data services, enterprise content management, web and mobile solutions, IT hardware and peripherals.

About 600 exhibitors from 35 countries the world over will showcase their technologies and products at the sprawling expo along with about 90 start-ups from IT, IT-enabled services and electronics.

"As part of the event, we are holding a session on Karnataka as the IT capital of India and a meeting of state secretaries on 'eGov and mGov' for facilitating maximum use of ICT to deliver public services and address their grievances," Karnataka IT minister S.R. Patil told reporters at a briefing on the event in Bangalore.