Kottayam: Oscillating business

Located in south-central Kerala, Kottayam is a city which boasts of 100% literacy rate. The city is an important trading center of spices and commercial crops, especially rubber. Rubber trees are extensively cultivated in central Kerala, especially in vast areas of Kottayam district. The city of Kottayam is also known as Akshara Nagari (city of alphabets) in honor of its contributions to print media and literature. Kerala print media major Malayala Manorama is also headquartered in the city. Tourism is a major contributor to the economy as many tourism related businesses thrive in the town.

Apart from its rubber and tourism industry, Kottayam has also got a flourishing information technology market, garnering a revenue of around Rs 300 crore annually. However, the IT market has been fluctuating between better and worse since the past few months. Bobus Varghese, owner, Brass Digital System said, "There is a slight up down in the market. Sales had gone up last month, but this month it has come down. There is no stagnation in the market." Agreed Simpson V Joseph, CEO, IOVA Computers. He said, "The market is doing an average business since the past few months and there are uncertainties in sales." Attributing sales downfall to the closure of the schools and colleges, Varghese said, "Laptop sales will go up only after June-July, as the schools/colleges will reopen and people will get back to purchasing IT products and laptops."

Kottayam market mostly witnesses the sale of laptops, which accounts for nearly 80% of the total sales; while desktop comprises the remaining 20%. Talking about the top-selling brands in the city, Varghese said, "Samsung laptop sells the most. They have got the least complaint ration. Next is Toshiba and Acer." Adding to it, Joseph said, "Toshiba, Lenovo and Acer are the top-selling brands in the city." Vendor-dealer relationship is also going smooth for the city partners. While Joseph shares good relation with his vendors, Varghese said, "I do not face any problem with my vendors. These days replacement issues are also going smooth, except a few vendors."

All Kerala Information Technology Dealers Association (AKITDA) is the local IT association in the region. It is a strong organization of IT sellers in Kerala with 13 districts having thousands of business units since April 2004. Talking about AKITDA, Varghese said, "AKITDA is very active in the region. It always stands for the welfare of its partners. It is very regular and active in the region. Eighty-five percent of Kottayam dealers are AKITDA members. It is a strong association." Joseph added, "AKITDA is doing a great job in the city. It is really very active."

Market Name: Kottayam

Market Location: Kerala

Surrounding Markets: Kollam, Theni, Chennai

Computer Association: All Kerala Information Technology Dealers Association (AKITDA)

Prominent Dealers: Brass Digital System, IOVA Computers, Omega Technologies, Ozone Computers

Business Verticals: SOHO

Number of Active Dealers: 170