B Swaminathan
Mumbai, May 4: India’s leading association dedicated for system intergrators and retailers in technology, ASIRT has enhanced their digital presence with strengthening their Youtube channel.
ASIRT signed up a coup of sorts signing up Dr Radhakrishnan Pillai, leadership guru and author of several best-selling books on Chanakya to speak at ASIRT Techday as management coach.
“A manager can be a good leader but a leader should not become a manager” and “A small business is not a small business by its turnover and size of workforce, but small business is small because the owner thinks small about the business”.
A ‘Swami’, a leaders job is to lead, an Amatya, a manager’s job is to manage the business. It is good to start the business from backyard or garage, but bad to be at the same garage after 20 years of business, and that is how Dr Pillai took the members through a whirlwind journey of what is expected of a good amatya or manager, and how to get the manager to be really competent and dependable.
ASIRT Gold Sponsors Vodafone came up with a different kind of presentation, instead of speaking about Vodafone services, the team presented case studies on how Vodafone made difference to business of jewellery store, food chain and services companies making an instant connect with members who offer services to businesses in the verticals.
“This novel approach would go a long way in building mutually beneficial relationship between system
integrators and Vodafone”, said ASIRT president Arvind Singh welcoming the refreshing change.
Vodafone also gave a live demonstration of how prospective customers can make use of gap analysis and competitive cutting edge technologies to employ for businesses to rise to next levels. Manoj Kotak, a pioneer in digital mobile adoption was the last speaker of the day who spoke to members of importance of digital presence and the way business engagement is moving to mobility world with examples of innovations at Google, Microsoft and the rest.
President Arvind Singh also announced availability of Techday videos on ASIRT YouTube channel.
In an exclusive chat with B Swaminathan, Kshitij M Kotak, Chairman of the association tells the road ahead for the association.
B Swaminathan (Swami): ASIRT had earned reputation in the industry for the innovative approach. However, what is new other than Tech Day?
Kshitij M Kotak (Kshitij): The primary purpose of ASIRT is to improve business and profitability for system integrators, retailers and resellers in IT industry. We are now providing members with platform to build consortium so that they can bid for business with combined turnover criteria fulfilled. Enhancing the scope of association we have already started engaging with authorities and intend to take this further to protect our members – details cannot be divulged due to obvious reasons.
ASIRT will shortly have legal cell too.
Swami: What is the situation of ASIRT plans for expansion?
Kshitij: ASIRT currently has 196 members and will soon cross 200. The strength has been increasing year after year. With focus on end-customer focused companies where CEO and owners attend ASIRT events, we are prudent in processing member applications.
We are launching a platform for SI and Retailer ecosystem across the country to grow and deliver services and solutions across the country – today resellers and system integrators have to let the order pass if they are unable to deliver products and services at locations across the country.
We are setting up collaboration mechanism with associations across the country so that members from across the associations in the country can exchange business, as the primary purpose of ASIRT still remains improving business environment and profitability of end customer facing entities technology companies across the country.
Swami: How can associations outside Mumbai can become a chapter of ASIRT?
Kshitij: Associations outside Mumbai are now engaged with ASIRT to for members to collaborate across the country just like it is happening. Like Mumbai, now IT fraternity across the country can exchange business and competencies thus delivering to end-user requirements.
We do not want to open chapters at the moment, but are engaging more and more associations to join this movement to create a countrywide ecosystem for wider reach, improved business and profitability for members of their respective associations and for the industry as a whole.