Chennai: Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) jointly with government of Tamil Nadu is organising the 15th edition of CONNECT 2016, a premier annual conference and exhibition on Information and Communication Technology (ICT) on 27 and 28 September, at ITC Grand Chola, in the city.
The two-day conference with the theme, “Building the Digital State: Fostering the Ecosystem” aims to boost the Information and Communication Technology ecosystem in the country.
Aligned with the central government’s digital India initiatives, Connect 2016 will feature exclusive sessions and panel discussions hosted by eminent industry leaders including ministers M.C. Sampath and M. Manikandan.
The idea is to showcase the fast paced growth of ICT sector in the country and in the state and highlight the state’s potential in IT and ICT Industry. The conference will also emphasize on the importance of favorable policies to streamline the growing start-up ecosystem and the need to encourage disruptive innovations, which further strengthens the growth of ICT industry.
Addressing a press conference, Mr. Ravi Viswanathan, Chairman, CII Connect 2016 said, “Connect has played a pivotal role in building industry - government engagement which has paved the way for key initiatives like new IT policy, IT parks in the tier 2 & tier 3 cities, IT Corridors, developments of SEZ’s and many more. Apart from Chennai, the growth of ICT segment in tier2 regions of the state like Madurai, Coimbatore and Trichy has been a key differentiator that has contributed significantly to the overall development of the state.”
Tamil Nadu accounts for more than 10 per cent of the total IT exports carried out from India. Being the fourth largest software exporter in India, the state’s software services are the highest contributor to the exports accounting for more than 40 per cent. Government is establishing an IT investment region near Chennai covering an area of 1,600 sq km with a total investment of USD 1.7 billion, he added.
The two-day conference will also felicitate eminent industry leaders with the prestigious “CII Connect 2016 Entrepreneurs Awards” in recognition of their tremendous dedication and contribution to the growth of ICT industry in the state.
