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Renaissance in North-East

Renaissance in North-East

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DQW Bureau
New Update

During my travel across the country in various forums over the last few months, wherever I have been and whoever I have met, I have often been posed with one question, to which unfortunately I have neither any answers nor any excuses. From vendors to large distributors to channel partners, almost everyone asks me that the North-East being the fastest growing IT market in the country since the last two years, they are surprised at the lack of coverage of this region in The DQ Week. As the editor, I fully accept the blame and admit to this oversight on behalf of the entire team and the need to redress this shortcoming at the earliest.

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Especially, in light of the recent incidents in Delhi and elsewhere with people of North Eastern origin, I feel our lack of foresight in neglecting the North East for so long in our publications. While I know any excuses will sound flimsy, let me still put forward a few reasons why we had previously desisted from extensive coverage of the various markets in the north-east. In fact, these are the issues that have till now plagued growth in this region.

Law and order has definitely been the biggest bugbear. The seven sisters of the North East (eight if you add Sikkim) has long been troubled by the unrest created by various militant outfits. In fact, when we compile our annual premier reseller directories, many of the partners from the region have requested us either not to include them; others have not been willing to share their turnovers with us. Their logic; the moment their revenues are published in print, these militant outfits turn up at their doorsteps and ask for monetary donations. Refusal often, more than anything, lead to violent threats. As a result, the channel partners are willing to rather not come to limelight or may not project their true wealth, lest they receive these threatening calls.

What this has meant is though many partners are now doing roaring business, thanks to several government initiatives leading to extensive IT purchases as well as a growing middle class with strong aspirations, that picture has not got reflected properly in the national media-The DQ Week and DQ Channels to be more precise, which is unarguably the strongest and most well-known national media for this community.

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We had all along tried to respect these sentiments, though having said that I will admit we have failed to adapt ourselves to the changing times. Various peace initiatives has now meant that many of the militants have now laid down arms and trying to come back into the mainstream and this has reflected in a more peaceful environment in the overall region which is conducive towards business. And ours still not being able to reflect this change means that we failed the partners there, as well as the overall region.

The whole scenario was really sad since this region in general has always encouraged entrepreneurship-as a result many of them, especially the younger generation, has come into IT channel business. Plus the growing market, particularly in the government segment, is translating into a thriving market. Perhaps, this is the time, that many of the partners too will be willing to share additional information about their businesses. Times are changing, for sure, and there is no excuse for The DQ Week and DQ Channels to anymore ignore this region.

We will start extensive coverage of North-East from now. And that's a promise.

(rajneeshd@cybermedia.co.in)

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