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.