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Follow UsSituated in Durg district of the state Chhattisgarh, Bhilai is located 25 kilometres west of the capital Raipur, on the main Howrah-Mumbai rail line, and National Highway 6. The city is famous for the Bhilai Steel Plant, which is the largest steel plant in India and known for being the only manufacturer of rails in the country used by Indian Railways.
Apart from steel industry, information technology sector also exists in the city. However from the past few months the market has remained dormant and sales have dipped marginally. Khshitij Singhai, owner, Computech Associates, said, "Market is dull this month. Corporate sales have dipped as Bhilai has an active steel/coal industry and because of the coal scams there is an impact on the demand from the corporates. However we are getting business from SOHO and home users." Agreed Ashok Sharma, partner, Onix Computer Services. He said, "The market is dull at present, because this is the exam time. These days we are getting business only from the education and SOHO segments."
Talking about the top-selling brands and products of the city, Sharma said, "Acer, Dell, HP and Lenovo are the top brands in Bhilai, while laptops and desktops sells most among products." While mostly dealers enjoy a healthy working relationship with their vendors, some issues still persists in the region. According to Sharma, warranty issues exist in the market and dealers mostly suffers because of that; while Singhai said, "As such there is no issue, but service policies are not clear and service focus is less on the state, which poses as a problem for dealers like us."
Durg Bhilai Computer Association (DBCA) is the local IT association functioning in Bhilai. Talking about the same Singhai said, "DBCA was active in the past, but from the last 3-5 years it has lost its sheen, as few senior people have left the association and the business. However we are looking at improving the association." Predicting the future market scenario Sharma said that the situation will improve after April, while Singhai said, "Usually the market improves during March-April, as it is the year-ending time. However because of the entry of new players in the market, there is cut-throat competition in the market with illegal import from neighboring cities adding to our woes, as it directly reflects in the pricing of the products which ultimately influences the buying behavior of the people."
Market Name: Bhilai
Market Location: Chhattisgarh
Surrounding Markets: Raipur, Nagpur, Indore
Computer Association: Durg Bhilai Computer Association (DBCA)
Prominent Dealers: Computech Associates, Onix Computer Services
Business Verticals: SOHO, education, home
Number of Active Dealers: 125
Interview 1:
Khshitij Singhai, owner, Computech Associates
How has the market been in the last 2 months?
Market is dull this month. Corporate sales have dipped as Bhilai has an active steel/coal industry and because of the coal scams there is an impact on the demand from the corporates.
How active is the IT association in the region?
DBCA was active in the past, but from the last 3-5 years it has lost its sheen, as few senior people have left the association and the business.
What are your market predictions for this year?
Usually the market improves during March-April. However because of the entry of new players in the market, there is cut-throat competition in the market with illegal import from neighboring cities adding to our woes.
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Interview 2:
Ashok Sharma, partner, Onix Computer Services
What are the primary growth verticals in the city?
Education and SOHO.
Which are the top selling brands in your city?
Acer, Dell, HP and Lenovo.
What is the approximate annual revenue of the Bhilai market?
Approximately Rs 25 crore annually.