Volume 15, Number 1 Article by N Lakshminarayanan March, 2003
Niche is Where the Prospects Lie :
The real challenge currently confronting the Indian IT industry, according to N Lakshminarayanan, President and COO, Cognizant Technology Solutions, is the dearth of multiple tiers that could sustain the momentum and growth notched by the leaders. For the Indian IT industry to grow apace in the global context the spotlight must shift to the growth of SMITs.
The growth inhibitors for SMITs have been scale and size, which in addition to being critical for survival and growth, have become instrumental differentiators as well and are sine qua non given present deal sizes. The current fourth generation offshoring model calls for companies to have their key people closer to the customers, providing end-to-end transformational solutions to business problems and leveraging technology. This in turn demands a high degree of financial muscle and deep pockets for investing and researching across technologies and solutions, something that SMITs currently lack. A concerted effort by apex industry and government bodies is necessary to give SMITs the impetus they need.
Reprint No 03108b
