Rohtak IT association lies dormant

The district of Rohtak is located in the state of Haryana, and thus falls under the National Capital Region. The name is supposedly a correction of Rohtashgarh, a name still applied to the ruined sites of two older sites. Agriculture is the primary occupation here. The city's Rewri and Gajjak are famous all over India as well as abroad.

Located on the National Highway, it is well-connected to the neighboring cities and states. The city being the educational hub of Haryana, is home to Maharishi Dayanand University, Indian Institute of Management, and some specialized engineering and medical colleges. Besides, Industrial Model Township and the International Cargo Airport are being developed by the government of Haryana in this district.

Delving into the Information Technology sector of the area, it has come to light that the city dealers are facing shortage of funds. Anil Gupta, CEO, Anil Enterprises says, "The market is not faring well as enough funds are not there. The vendors work at the distribution level only; sometimes, tier-3 channel partners face problems in terms of billing. Same is felt by Karan Tayal, CEO, Anil Zone. He says, "Market is slow due to funds issue." However, Satish Kumar Mittal, CEO, Computer World, has witnessed smooth sales. "The market has been fair. I have observed a sale of 50+."

The education segment is the biggest revenue generator for IT dealers, followed by corporate. Says Mittal, "Rohtak is an education hub with numerous schools and colleges. Majority of buyers are students, followed by corporate houses." Gupta and Tayal acceded with similar views.

In terms of sales, laptops from brands like HP and Dell are the top-selling items. While Tayal says that HP is high on demand in his business, Mittal feels that the variety of colors offered is limited. "Dell products are undoubtedly always in demand. But Acer scores high when it comes to after-sales services. It provides the best and timely services," says Mittal. Channel partners are also happy with the rewards that Dell offers on meeting sales targets.

Surprisingly, the local IT association of the city, Rohtak Information Technology Association, has been defunct for some time. "The association has turned completely inactive due to some chaos. No meetings are conducted," informed all three dealers in accord. Sadly, there have been no initiatives so far to revive the association. Amidst all these circumstances, Mittal is optimistic about the future market scenario. "At least a minimum growth of 20-25% is expected. I suppose Dell and Acer will continue to fare better," he says. On the contrary, Tayal maintains that the figures will be same as last years'.