How old is PCAIT? Please share the details of the Governing Body of PCAIT?
PCAIT’s legal age is five years (Registered on March 09, 2005). However, it was conceived in May 2004 itself when NCR’s well-known business men in the field of IT, Channel Business and Media joined together to form a group of persons to be later registered as Progressive Channels Association of Information Technology (PCAIT).

The Governing Body of PCAIT is known as the Executive Council which is the supreme decision-making body, but its decisions are always unanimous. It is elected by the General Body members of PCAIT. The Election Council, in turn, elects from among themselves the office-bearers, viz. President, Vice-President, General Secretary, Treasurer and Joint Secretary. The Executive Secretary, also an office-bearer, is appointed and is an ex-officio member of the Executive Council.

Please elaborate the election system and current size of PCAIT?
The election of a new Executive Council which is going to take over from the outgoing Executive Council with effect from April 2010 has already been announced. The election process is like this. All the members are sent a circular electronically as well as by snail mail, with nomination form and list of member detailing the procedures of nomination, other important rules etc. such as:
• All the outgoing members of the Executive Council are eligible for re-election.
• Only Life Members may be elected to the Executive Council either by nomination ad election or by cooption.
• Candidates shall ensure that she/he is nominated only once.
• Only Life Members are eligible for nomination.
• Only a maximum of 15 members may be nominated the minimum being 7.
• The Constitution of PCAIT allows a maximum of 23 members for the Executive Council. The extra members are inducted into the EC by cooption by the existing members.

An Election Committee constituted with one or more member from the outgoing EC and the Executive Secretary will oversee and conduct the election. The dates for nomination, scrutiny, withdrawal of nomination, actual election if there are more nominations than 15.  The newly constituted Executive Council consisting of these newly elected members will choose from among themselves, the new office-bearers as mentioned previously.

How do you tackle the channel-vendor issues? Please share some details, if possible?
The Constitution of PCAIT allows it to arbitrate and settle disputes and issues between channel partners and vendors. These could be any issue like settlement of incentives, dumping, bundling etc. It has resolved many issues in the past involving Microsoft, Samsung. Even at present it is handling an incentive-related issue and is sure of resolving it to the satisfaction of all concerned.

Are fraudulent and “fly-by-night” kind of activities prevalent  more in metros? What measures do you adopt to minimize them?
This has come down drastically. Thanks to PCAIT’s efforts in 2006 when it could bring to justice a trade who duped the members of PCAIT to the tune of several lakhs. Fifty per cent of the dues have been recovered and deposited with the Court. Once the case pending in the court is over, same will be given to PCAIT for distribution among the affected members.

Still, the situation is always better in smaller towns than in metropolis because in smaller towns, the traders are well known to each other and chances of fraud are minimal.

Do you come across more of vendor-channel issues or channel-channel issues?
PCAIT comes across both the types and has been always successfully handling all these issues without causing grievous hurt to anyone.

Since all vendors have started focussing on smaller towns or non-metros, does that mean there is less of opportunities in the metros?
This is not completely true. While due to growth and increased awareness and use of IT there is increased scope for business in smaller towns, what can be said is that the growth in Metros is quite steady (There is more migration of people to Metros than ever)

What kind of support you have from the IT vendors?
The support we get from the vendors is mostly in the form of sponsorship for PCAIT’s events. Microsoft, Samsung, Trend Micro, Intel, Telexcell, Unistal Group, etc. have been our sponsors so far.

How do you take the voice of the channel to the principals?
Approaching the top brass of the Principal directly and talking in a straightforward manner, highlighting the problems of channel partners. This mostly helps in resolving any dispute successfully and also amicably.

Do you organize any IT fair or exhibition to bring the IT community together?
We ourselves have not conducted any IT fair so far, though it is one of the objectives of PCAIT. We have, however, associated ourselves with many other organizations who organized such IT fairs. In 2010 also, there is one such event that we are looking forward to be a part of.

What is your target for 2010?
As mentioned, PCAIT will help in the successful conduct of the IT Expo Fair being organized by the Economic Times with whom PCAIT has tied up.

One major target for PCAIT is to help in every possible way in the success of the “NEHRU PLACE CHAMKO” project. PCAIT has already done a lot, right from the year-end of 2009 till date. Its office-bearers have met top officials in the Lt. Governor’s office like the OSD, Additional Secretary to LG, quite a number of times. PCAIT had arranged for the submission of a memorandum signed by the representatives of the Nehru Place Association as well as some of its office-bearers, to the Lt. Governor stressing upon the need for the following in respect of Nehru Place District Centre.
• Removing all unauthorized encroachments
• Facelifting of Nehru Place.
• Infrastructure Development including lighting etc.
• Ensuring proper security for all occupants as well as visitors
• All these are needed to be completed before the start of the Commonwealth Games

As a consequence of this representation, the DDA, which is administered by the Lt. Governor, has sanctioned budgets for carrying out all the required activities. The plan is to give a complete facelift to Nehru Place, North India’s major IT Hub, so that it can fairly compare itself with any international commercial centre.

We, at PCAIT, are also enabling the formation of a Federation of Nehru Place Associations (FONA) so that the entire upkeep of Nehru Place can be taken over by this Federation on a public-private participation basis.