We want to build a strong organization: RK Malhotra

The recently formed PCAIT (Progressive Channels Association of Information
Technology) is rapidly emerging as the voice of Delhi's channel community. In
an interview with The DQ Week, his first-ever to press, RK Malhotra, the first
President of PCAIT, shared his views.

What prompted the formation of PCAIT?

Our industry, particularly the channel community, has a vast pool of
managerial, technical & entrepreneurial skills. Most of them are educated,
ambitious and highly successful in their own domain. It would not be an
exaggeration to say that as a businessman, if you are successful in north, you
can virtually succeed anywhere. Therefore, a dire need was felt to channelise
such immense resource for the mutual benefit of the industry and organizations
with a predominant focus on growth and integrate them nationally as well as
globally.

How did you go about the formation of the association?

The initiative to form such an organization was taken in an informal meet
held in May last year, which was attended by close to 70 prominent channel
partners of Delhi. This meeting requested voluntary participation of about 15
members who went on to form the core team.

This core team went about the entire formation process in a very systematic
way. Firstly, the broad agenda of the association was set up. Then Saurin Shah
of TAIT Mumbai was invited to give his feedback and sugge-stions. Thirdly, the
core team held around 18-20 meetings in a period of eight months to sort out
various issues inc-luding-vision and mission, objectives and organiza-tional
structure of PCAIT.

The help of outside consultants was taken to arrive at a definite con-clusion
with regards to registering the association as a Section 25 company or a Society
and discussion on Memorandum & Association to incorporate special clauses.

Lastly, we defined the working culture, which included points like-as far
as possible decision will be by consensus, membership will by invitation, focus
will be on working committees, special focus to be on growth & association.
integration with national & global IT scenario, and finalization of logo.

As the first President, what's your primary agenda for PCAIT?

I have lined up several things, which I feel are important at this early
stage of PCAIT.

• Redefining the Culture.

• The vision created by core team must per-colate at each
  member's level and eventually in channel community as a whole.

• Involvement of each member in our objective and tasks.

• Making a discernible and visible impact in IT industry by
  delivering concrete results within 12-15 months.

• Building a strong organization at grass root level for
  long term sustainability and growth.

Why is the membership by invitation only?

The membership of PCAIT is only by invitation so that only those members are
inducted who think alike, are in sync with the association's objectives and
are willing to contribute to the same.

What are the long-term plans of PCAIT?

 If I were to define the long-term plans (which summarizes the vision,
mission and objectives of the association), I would say that-what CII is to
the Industry, what NASSCOM is to the software industry, PCAIT is going to be for
the Channel community.