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Rukmini Priyadarshini

BANGALORE, Aug. 6

KARNATAKA State Electronics Development Corporation Ltd (Keonics) is planning to achieve 20 per cent growth in revenues from its commercial activities, up from Rs 10 crore in 2001-02, while its training division aims to offer revenue-generating computer training in private schools in the State.

Speaking to Business Line, Mr Abdul Jaffer, Director (Operations), said that the corporation was drawing up an action plan for expanding its programme while a research and development wing was being created for in-house software development.

"The R&D wing will also focus on hardware and networking. Keonics, which is participating in State Government tenders for offering computer training in Government schools, is well in the running,'' Mr Jaffer said, adding that the 42 Yuva.com training centres being run by Keonics would start generating revenue this year.

These training centres offer rural and unemployed youth the opportunity to acquire various useful IT skills that will increase their employability and their ability to earn an income, he added.

As part of the State Government's initiatives to develop other IT centres in the State, Keonics played a central role in setting up the Rs 35-crore IT park at Hubli and is also evaluating the idea of `Destination Gulbarga'.

A seminar being planned in Bangalore on Destination Gulbarga is also under consideration, according to sources.

"Since the IT focus has increased in the Sate, our role too has increased,'' Mr Jaffer said.

Keonics's network of 27 training centres in Karnataka, together with the 46 franchisees, has been enhanced to provide quality IT training in the State, he added. The corporation is also planning to step up its marketing and commercial activities.

"We are taking up optical fibre cable-laying and underground network laying for Defence purposes, while also providing software installation and service for State Government departments, boards, corporations, Defence organisations and some private sector companies.''

The NORAD training programmes that Keonics conducts for the Centre's Department of Women and Child Development have been operational in 20 districts and have turned out over 24,000 trained personnel.

This programme is being extended to seven more districts, according to Mr T.R. Kulkarni, Divisional Head (Training).

Keonics has identified technical experts in taking up new training programmes in Web designing and hosting, data mining and data warehousing, e-CRM/call centre training and telecom equipment maintenance training, he added.

"We have implemented a quality improvement programme to offer more value,'' Mr Jaffer said.

This programme includes need-based syllabus for the courseware, and conducting periodic tests and frequent inspections of the training centres.

The corporation has so far trained 850 officers from the Revenue Department, MLAs and MLCs, over 5,000 police staff, officers from the Education and Industries Department and others.

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