Aug 2010 / Volume 1 - Issue 1

COLLABORATE
TO
TECHNOVATE

magazine

C O N T E N T

Aug 2010
2
6
10
12
16
22

About ICT Academy

2010 2020 - A Decade

of Innovations

of Tamil Nadu

IT for Non IT Teachers - A Joint

Initiative of University of Madras
and ICT Academy of Tamil Nadu

Writing High Performance

.NET Code

Language & Communication Skills

Launch of ICTACT Educational

Portal & Release of ICTACT Journal
on Communication Technology

Employability-an Industry
Perspective

ICTACT - ORACLE Higher Education

Initiative For Tamil Nadu

The Value of Certification

for IT Professionals

CII NASSCOM ICTACT Event on

Role of ICT Academy for
the Industry

Eventz

Creative Industry is Indias Future

ICTConnect
A Quarterly Magazine from ICT Academy of Tamil Nadu
Volume I - Issue 1 - Aug 2010

5
9
11
14
19
23
Published By

ICT Academy of Tamil Nadu

ELCOT Complex, 2-7 Developed Plots
Industrial Estate, Perungudi, Chennai - 600 096

Editorial Board
Dr. J.G. Sheshasaayee

Ph : 91- 044 42906800

Fax : 91- 044 42906820

Dr. G. Sainarayanan

E-mail : ictconnect@ictact.in

Mr. B. Anbuthambi

Website : www.ictact.in

Dr. K. Narasimhan

Disclaimer : The text and other material on ICTConnect magazine are the views and opinions of the specific author and are not statements of advice, opinions, or
information of ICTConnect or ICT Academy of Tamil Nadu. All trademarks and/or registered trademarks are the property of their respective companies and /
or owners. Nothing may be reprinted in whole or in part without written permission from the publisher. Individuals are authorized to
photocopy items only for personal use and not for commercial use.
Published by ICT Academy of Tamil Nadu by its Editorial Board and Printed at Knack Media Solution, Chennai - 26. Website : www.knackmedia.in

ICT CONNECT MAGAZINE

magazine

About ICT Academy of Tamil Nadu

ICT Academy of Tamil Nadu (ICTACT) is a

ICTACT publishes peer-reviewed international

not for profit autonomous society, formed as a

journals every quarter. Currently ICTACT publishes

Consortium of Government of India, Government of

the following three journals.

Tamil Nadu and Confederation of Indian Industry

(CII) under the Private Public - Partnership (PPP)

ICTACT Journal on Communication

Technology (IJCT)

model that endeavors to create an industry relevant

ICTACT Journal on Soft Computing (IJSC)

knowledge eco system and the next level of talent pool.

ICTACT Journal on Image and Video

In the current scenario, the issue faced by both

Processing (IJIVP)

industry and institutions is addressing the gap between

University curriculum and industry requirements.
The need was felt by the Industry, Government and
Academia to create a platform to address this critical

Governing Board
Mr. Lakshmi Narayanan
Vice Chairman
Cognizant Technology Solutions

issue. This would enable to make Tamil Nadu an ICT

Mr. P.W.C. Davidar IAS
IT Secretary
Government of Tamil Nadu

hub.
ICTACT has associated with the leading
Universities and Academic institutions to understand
and cater to their requirements. Over 450 institutions
are now being serviced by the academy.
ICTACT has associated with Corporate bodies
like Cognizant Technology Solutions, Tata
Consultancy Services, Microsoft Corporation, Intel,
Hexaware Technologies, Oracle, National
Instruments, Cadence etc, to support this novel
initiative. Through this initiative, the Industry shall

Dr. Santhosh Babu IAS

Director & CEO
Tamil Nadu e-Governance Agency
Mr. K. Jayaramakrishnan
Vice President
Tata Consultancy Services
Mr. Som Mittal
President
NASSCOM
Mr. Gopal Srinivasan
CMD
TVS Capital Funds Ltd

benefit by the improved availability of quality talent

pool that is industry ready. This will help the industry
to cut down on training costs and reduce the lead time
required to deploy fresh talent in to productive work.
The need is also felt to have industry institute
interaction to share the ever changing industry
requirements in terms of technology and the skills
required for the future talent pool.
ICTACT is a platform for all the stakeholders of
the knowledge ecosystem to Innovate, Collaborate
and Educate.

Mr. M. Raghunandan
Director
Redington India
Mr. Sameer Garde
Country Head
Dell India
R. Nandini
Chairperson
CII TN State Council
Mr. M. Sivakumar
CEO
ICT Academy of Tamil Nadu

ICT CONNECT MAGAZINE

magazine

M E S S A G E

K Jayaramakrishnan
Vice President Global Alliances,
Tata Consultancy Services
Member of the Governing Board,
ICT Academy of Tamil Nadu

It gives me immense pleasure to share my thoughts for ICT Connect a magazine from the house of ICT
Academy of Tamil Nadu. The scenario around the globe is changing and the demand for quality manpower is
increasing. I am glad to inform you that ICTACT works towards the key objective of empowering the academia
and the industry through its bridging the industry academia gap thereby creating the new generation of industry
relevant talent pool.
ICTACT over the last one year has been associated with hundreds of colleges and all state Universities in
Tamil Nadu. The interest and enthusiasm shown by the higher education community has been great and found to
be increasing.
Corporate bodies such as Tata Consultancy Services, Cognizant, Microsoft, Intel, Oracle etc. have come
forward to support ICTACT in the PPP model. I take this opportunity to invite corporate in the IT, ITES,
Electronics and Telecom verticals to participate in ICTACT and support us to create the industry relevant
manpower for our industry, specifically in Tamil Nadu.
ICTConnect magazine is the outcome of our understanding from the academia and the industry on the need
to share the best practices and success stories in both sides.
The key aim of this magazine is to provide a platform for the corporate executives, teachers, students,
researchers and domain experts to share and learn technological advances in ICT, Best practices of the industry,
Career guidance for students, Skill development initiatives, Industry relevant Case studies, teaching and learning
methodologies, emerging areas in ICT, Industry expectations, Skill Gap Analysis and more. I am sure this
magazine would help all stake holders of the education eco system including the industry and academia.

With best wishes

K. Jayaramakrishnan

ICT CONNECT MAGAZINE

magazine

M E S S A G E

R. Nandini
Chairperson CII TN State Council &
Secretary, GRG Institutions

I am very happy to note that ICTACT is bringing out a new magazine ICT Connect as a platform for
students, researchers, teachers and working executives to share knowledge and experiences related to the latest
trends in ICT.
Since its inception, ICTACT has been rendering very high quality service to its stakeholders. Among its
many activities and programmes, it has focused on a critical need of educational institutions faculty
development. As we all know, there is an acute shortage of qualified and experienced faculty in many of the
institutions today. And, there is an undeniable reality of lack of readily-employable students for the industry. This
is an area that requires concerted efforts from all of us who are engaged in generating young, technology-enabled
leaders for tomorrow. Realisation of our dream for India 2020 depends on how technologically advanced we are.
It is in this context that the effort of ICTACT in bringing out ICT Connect needs to be seen and
commended.
I wish ICTACT all the success it deserves.

With best wishes

R. Nandini

ICT CONNECT MAGAZINE

magazine

2010 2020 - A Decade of Innovations

Dr. J.G. Sheshasaayee, President
ICT Academy of Tamil Nadu
Our Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh has
declared 2010 2020 as a Decade of Innovations during
his inaugural address in the 97th session of Indian
Science Congress held on 3rd January
2010 at
Thiruvananthapuram. The primary objective of this
declaration is to develop an innovation- based ecosystem, which aims at producing solutions for the
societal needs in terms of healthcare, energy, urban
infrastructure, water and transportation.
The Ministry of Science & Technology in its 11th
five year plan (2007-12) has made a plan outlay of 75,304
crores for promoting scientific and technological
advancements through research agencies and academia.
There are many areas which need innovation, especially
the agriculture sector for tracking monsoons, prediction
of natural disasters, guiding farmers with environment
changes, smart-water usage etc. and also in the areas of
personalized medicine which directly involves genebased products and services, biomarkers, development
of pharmaceuticals for gene-based diseases, replacing
surgeries and chemotherapy in the field of healthcare,
advanced manufacturing, nano technology, pervasive
computing, Bio-fuels, Water management, carbon
management, advanced transportation, energy
management, security and tracking.

appropriate government to support Public-Private

initiatives which facilitate and encourage innovation,
including in low cost technologies, products and services
for the benefit of common man whether in rural or in
urban India.
The corporate bodies like Biocon, Dr. Reddys
Laboratories, Ranbaxy Laboratories, Cadila Healthcare,
SmithKline specializing on low cost medicine and
affordable health care, TATAs, Mahindra

in

automobile segment, Aricent, HCL, TATA in the

telecommunication domain, TCS, Infosys, HCL in IT
sector and many more. In addition to India based R&D
companies, around 150 MNCs already have a presence in
Indian R&D industry. To list a few, Microsoft, SAP, Dell
and AMD in IT arena,

Daimler-Chrysler in the

automobile sector, LG, Nokia, Motorola and others in

the Telecommunication domain, Rolls-Royce in aerospace sector etc. These corporate have their own research
centers and collaborate with their research wing for
providing solutions favoring mankind.
At this point of time, it is imperative that the
corporate sponsored research departments, research
agencies like DST, CSIR, DRDO, ICMR, ISRO etc and

Technology and Innovation are two critical

factors for inclusive growth; hence collaboration
between academia, corporate and research institutions
become vital. This collaboration will be of mutual
benefit and hence would result in a win-win situation,
ultimately benefitting the society and increasing the
economic strength of the country.

academia need to collaborate and innovate newer

products, newer applications and newer technology
which would help India to emerge vastly as a global leader
by 2020.
Dr. JG Sheshasaayee, President, ICT Academy of
Tamil Nadu, is a Ph.D holder in Computer Applications and
Engineering Education. He has over 25 years of experience in

According to the draft version of The National

Innovation Act of 2008 the Government of India would
Promote finance for innovation and setting up of special
innovation zones for establishment of clustering
enterprises engaged in scientific, mathematical,
technological or engineering research or services, for the
purpose of innovation. There are also measures from
ICT CONNECT MAGAZINE

Software Development, Academia and Education Industry.

He has authored 18 books in the field of computer science and
authored over 45 research articles. He is currently responsible
for Business process management at ICTACT. His research
interests are e-Learning, User Interface and Educational
Technology.

magazine

Writing High Performance .NET Code

Milind P Hanchinmani, Sr. Application Engineer, Intel

Introduction
Since most day to day operations are moving

.NET Framework Components and CLR execution Model

Languages (C#, VB.NET, C#)

online (Core banking, Reservations, Shopping),

software performance has become vital to their success.
So many a times visits to a web site takes long time to
load, resulting in frustration and the migration to a
different site (similar business). For businesses this can be
fatal as they lose customers. Web sites often slow or even
go down when traffic increases. Performance/stress

Presentation Layers (Windows Forms / Web Forms)

Base Class Libraries (String, ADO.NET, XML)
Common Language Runtime
(GC, Threading, Object Manager, Security)

Windows Operating Systems

testing of your application can help avoid such

downtime. There are tools that tell you performance of

The .NET Framework provides a run-time

your application is bad but not necessarily why. But if

environment called the CLR, which manages the

you have information knowing what to look for, what is

execution of code and provides services that make the

good and what is bad, will put your application in better

development process easier. CLR provides features such

shape later.

as automatic memory management (GC), exception

handing, security, type safety, JIT (Just in time compiler

With Microsoft .NET Framework, developers

for converting msil to native code) and more. CLR is

can now build complete business solutions quickly with

implemented as a dll called mscorwks.dll. It also has

more functionality and robustness with its rich and easy

support for Base Class Libraries (BCL) which sits on top

to use features and functionality. But with this comes

of CLR, providing libraries for functionalities such as

increased opportunity for architects and developers to

String, File I/O, and Networking, Collection classes,

design and build poor, non scalable solutions because

Data Access (ADO.NET) and XML processing. On top

architecting and designing these solutions are not really

of BCL there are presentation layers (Web Forms and

very straight forward. This paper talks about the core

Windows forms), which provide UI functionality. Last,

performance related issues that one should be aware of in

one finds the languages that Microsoft provides for

.NET. It also focuses on some common mistakes which

.NET. Currently there are more than 15 different

one should avoid and provider few tips for writing high

languages that are targeted for .NET framework.

performance .NET code.

CLR Execution Model:

This paper will discuss:
.NET Framework components and CLR
execution Model
Threading support in .NET and tips for avoiding
common threading mistakes
Automatic Memory management Writing GC
friendly code
Briefly talks about performance tools available
for tuning .NET code

ICT CONNECT MAGAZINE

magazine

Each Language has a compiler which compiles and

Threadpool basically handles thread creation and

converts the code to msil (Microsoft Intermediate

cleanup. It recycles threads to minimize the thread

Language). There are multiple optimizations that are

creation and clean up overhead. Threadpool also sees

built into each of these compilers which produce

other threads running such as GC threads so it can adjust

efficient IL code. Then CLR takes over and it has the JIT

the thread creation logic. A developer may not consider

compiler convert this IL code into native code that CLR

the number of threads that should be used, critical to

can execute. The JIT compiler also has many

proper performance. Threadpool also has built in

optimizations built in which can produce efficient native

heuristics enabling it to adjust the number of threads. It

code for better performance. If the code is unmanaged,

is recommended to use thread pool when you are

then we bypass most of this and can directly run

thinking about threading your application. ASP.NET

unmanaged programs. Note that .NET provides

already uses Threadpool for processing web requests.

additional features by which we can use pointers to

access arrays etc through a feature called unsafe for
better performance.

Earlier, in this article it is mentioned that

Threadpool automatically decides how many threads are

Threading support in .NET and tips for avoiding

common threading mistakes:
Threading support in .NET is implemented in

needed for optimal performance. For ASP.NET (web)

applications, tune using the machine.config file to
reduce the contention. Tune using this method when the
following conditions are true (2)
You have available CPU

System.Threading namespace. This provides the classes

and functions such as creating/destroying threads,
synchronization primitives for atomic access that
needed to write multi threaded code. This namespace
also provides a class that allows us to use the pool of
system provided threads called Threadpool.

Your application performs I/O bound operations

and
The ASP.NET Applications\Requests in
Application Queue performance counter indicates that
requests are getting queued.

<system.web>
<!-<processModel autoConfig="true"/>

-> This default means it is adjusted automatically

-->
<httpRuntime
minFreeThreads="32"

-> Requests will be queued if total # of available threads falls below this number.

minLocalRequestFreeThreads="32"

-> Requests from the local host will be queued if total # of available

threads falls below this number.

/>
<processModel
enable="true"
maxWorkerThreads="12"
maxIoThreads="12"

-> maximum # of worker threads in a threadpool. This is per CPU.

-> maximum number of I/O threads in a threadpool. This is per CPU.

minWorkerThreads="40" -> minimum worker threads available in the system @ any time. This is for the
entire system
/>
Note: These values are not recommended values but just used for illustration purposes.
ICT CONNECT MAGAZINE

magazine

So, how does the formula work?

The number of worker threads =
maxWorkerThreads*# of CPU (Cores) in the system
minFreeThreads 16 = 12*4-32 (assuming you are
running a 4 core machine). The total number of
concurrent requests you can process is 16. But an
interesting question arises. How do you know that this
actually worked? Look at the Pipeline Instance Count
performance counter and it should be equal to 16. Only 1
worker thread can run in a pipeline instance count so
you should see a value of 16. You have to be very careful
when doing this as performance may degrade if you use
random values.
.NET threading APIs and Thread pool make a
developers life easier, but still there are many threading
related issues that can hurt performance and scalability.
Creating more or fewer number of threads than required
can impact performance. Use Thread pool to help you in
this instance. Ideally, the number of threads will equal
the number of cores, and will yield the highest
performance as each thread that can run concurrently on
a processor. Threading wrong portion of application:
This is by far the major problem in threading. Analyze
your application completely before deciding where to
thread. You have to thread the portion of your code
where you spend most time to get significant
performance. Multi threading also complicates
debugging and events such as dead locks and race
conditions. Have a good debug log (that you can enable
in debug mode) to solve some of these complex nature
bugs.
Threading Tips:
a) Distribute the work equally among threads If
the work is imbalanced, one thread will finish the work
quickly, but must wait till other thread(s) finish their
job, impacting performance.
b) Dont use too much shared data among threads
If any data or data structure is shared among threads,
then synchronization is required to update that data. This
increases the amount of serial code/paths in your
application hurting your scalability
c) Acquire Lock late and release it early. This is very
important as you must take a lock just before you

absolutely have to and release it first before doing anything

once the atomic region is executed. Here is an example in
.NET
void foo ()
{
int a, b;
. //some code
//Following code has to be atomically executed
{
}
. //Some other code
//End of atomic region
}
//WRONG: Increased atomic region. Lock will be held
longer thus hurting performance
void foo ()
{
int a, b;
Object obj ; //for synchronizati Monitor.Enter(); or
lock(obj) {
. //some other code
Monitor.Exit(); or }
//End of atomic region
}
//WRONG: Entire function is synchronized. Bad idea.
using System.Runtime.CompilerServices;
MethodImplAttribute(MethodImplOptions.Synchroniz
ed)]
void foo ()
{
int a, b;
. //some code
//Following code has to be atomically executed
{
}
. //Some other code
//End of atomic region
}
Milind P Hachinmani, is currently a Senior Application
Engineer with 13 years of industry experience with over 7+
years @ Intel. He joined APAC enabling team last year and
has been working with Enterprise ISVs and SIs to improve
their application performance on Intel Architecture. At
Intel, in his previous role for 6 years Milind worked as a
member of the Intel on-site team at Microsoft in driving
improvements in the quality and performance of three
generations of Microsoft .NET Framework for Intel
Architecture. His expertise includes performance
methodologies, benchmarking and .NET CLR internals.

To be Continued in the next Edition

ICT CONNECT MAGAZINE

magazine

IT For NON IT Teachers

A joint initiative of University of Madras and ICT Academy of Tamil Nadu
Making University of Madras with 100% eLiterate Faculty Members
A study among 500 teachers in Tamil Nadu
across various disciplines showed that 61.25 per cent
favored using ICT in teaching. Even among those
who were in favor of using the ICT, it was necessary
to study the extent of their awareness. Some of the
teachers were only using it for mailing and not for
teaching. There is a strong growing need to shift
from traditional teaching tools to new ones
primarily those that involve the use of technology.
Urging teachers to become e-literate, Dr. G.

Thiru.K.Ganesan, Principal Secretary - Higher Education, Government of Tamil Nadu

releasing ICTACT Newsletter and first copy received by Dr.G.Thiruvasagam,
Vice Chancellor of University of Madras

Thiruvasagam the Vice Chancellor of University of

Madras insisted that the use of information

in their teaching process. The participation in this program

communication technology could reduce cost and

encouraged use of technology in education. Technology

time and improve the productivity of teachers. All

tools can support and enrich the learning process by

communication from University of Madras to any

putting the students in centre of their quest for knowledge.

college from to be made will be paperless, Vice-

This learning process can only happen with the sustained

Chancellor has said.

guidance and thoughtful intervention of the teachers. The

teachers can become the mentor and guide, showing

This was set to change as the University of

students how technology can enhance learning. This

Madras, in association with the ICT Academy of

curriculum is designed to motivate the teachers get started

Tamil Nadu, offered a specific course on IT for Non

with technology.

IT Teachers to train all the Non IT teachers in the

university and its affiliated colleges to make them e-

In the first phase, 760 teachers of University of Madras and

literate.

its affiliated Colleges were trained. This course was cosponsored by Emerge Learning Services and the first batch

ICTACT involved in the Design,

launch was held at Bharathi Womens College, Chennai.

Development and Delivery of IT for Non-IT

Thiru.K.Ganesan IAS, Principal Secretary to Government

Teachers training program which aimed towards

of Tamil Nadu, Higher Education Department, was the

creating 100% IT literacy among the Non-IT

Chief Guest of the Valedictory function conducted at

Teachers of the University of Madras and its

Bharathi Womens College and issued the certificates for

affiliated colleges.

the teachers trained in the first batch.

The goal of this program is to enable teachers

use ICT technology tools to enhance teaching
learning process. This program will not only
empower the teachers with basic IT skills, but also
provide strategies and techniques to use technology

ICT CONNECT MAGAZINE

magazine

Language & Communication Skills

Nikhil Indrasenan
Business Head Ma Foi Academy
Why is it difficult to talk with some people and so
easy to talk with others? Is communication a skill or an
art? Whatever be the type, communication is a
competency every professional has no choice but to
master. To be a good communicator, do we need to have
sound social skills or will language proficiency suffice?
Well, both are important.
The four aspects of communication: reading,
listening, speaking and writing are equally essential and
important. In addition to these four dimensions of
language, body language is also a vital aspect. Conversely
body language is known as nonverbal communication.
Almost all job interviews are based on communication
and language competencies. A good presenter can make
an impression, a very positive one at that, even if he/she
does not demonstrate relevant domain knowledge. I have
heard employers state that role-based skills can be
developed but not language skills.
`Give me a candidate who can articulate well and
write with clarity; we can train him in work skills. With
communication getting briefer and quicker in this age of
speed, written communication, being the most popular
mode of business interaction, needs to be faultless.
Written English requires more care than spoken English.
Usage of simple and plain words instead of fancy phrases,
and short and concise sentences is a pre-requisite of the
global communication work culture. Brevity does not
imply brusqueness or abruptness. On the one hand, we
have to dispense with redundancy in words we do not
say `endeavour to ascertain and accomplish; we just say
`try to find out and complete. Jargon, trendy
buzzwords, sms-ese, acronyms are all, if featured in
written communication, read with impatience and
irritation! Mark Twain said, `I never use a word like
communication needs to be effective and impacting
getting the expected response to achieve results. Spoken
language is critical too, as it involves self confidence, non
verbal skills, active listening, expression and a good
vocabulary. More important, spoken communication
warrants earnestness, without which, the speaker can
sound shallow and pretentious. Spoken language is a habit
and needs to be cultivated consciously. If picked up and
practiced the wrong way, correction and unlearning takes

10

a long time. The reason why people think they can get
away with improper and incomplete verbal
communication is because the in-person interaction has
other aspects like body signs, expression, gestures,
interruptions, prompting from listener, and so on. While
all these are important for communication, the verbal
skills remain the primary focus. Many errors and gaps
occur in verbal communication. Verbal or speech tics are
those words which are habitually used by the speaker. Do
you recall your student days, when you noted down the
number of times your teacher uttered you know, do you
understand, okay?
Most of us are not aware of our speech tics and we
regularly use them to start a conversation, fill in the gap
and at times, as mere expressions. One of my colleagues
asked another colleague - so, basically, how are you doing?
My other colleague replied - thank you, I am naturally
doing well; but, fundamentally you should not be asking
me this, because you see me every day! Verbal tics can
cause not only annoyance but also fatigue to the listener.
The best way to get rid of this habit is to choose someone
who interacts with you closely and have that person give
you instant feedback. Like I said, unlearning or breaking a
long standing habit takes a while, but in due course of time,
with conscious effort, you will have achieved the desired
results. There are other conversational irritants such as the
hemming and hawing; in other words, hesitation and
fumbling in speech. The new age of speed and quickness
has no room for classic meeting addresses such as this: er
I attended, hmmm, a meeting with the VP, yes, the VP.
Okay? And, and I thought hummm I should share what,
uhh what we discussed, so that. The group members
by that time would have exchanged a few phone messages,
maybe made couple of quick calls and sent out some
emails. And, can we blame them? Clarity, articulation,
pace, choice of vocabulary, assertiveness and confidence
are the components that make verbal communication
highly effective and impactful.
A good communicator is a preferred business leader.
Nikhil Indrasenan possesses over 18 yrs of
entrepreneurial and HR experience in recruitment,
consulting & training. He has managed and delivered on
assignments across multiple industries / locations and found
career opportunities for over 5,000 professionals in his tenure.
He currently holds a dual responsibility of Head - Ma Foi
Randstad Academy and Country Manager and Director of
Ma Foi Randstad Sri Lanka.
ICT CONNECT MAGAZINE

magazine

Launch of ICTACT Educational Portal & Release of ICTACT Journal on

Communication Technology
To strengthen the training process, ICT
Academy of Tamil Nadu launched the Educational
Portal to benefit the learners. In the Education Portal,
the teachers have the technology and industryrelevant content available to them along with the
pedagogical tools for effectively training their
students. Further, the teachers can also benefit from
Simulations, Question Bank etc. which is a part of this
portal. This technology driven learning is a first of its
kind in India. This portal provides equal opportunity
for teachers to have access to industry-relevant
content. The teachers in the second and third tier
towns do not have access to knowledge about
industry requirements and relevant content or the
new teaching methodologies. ICTACT is creating the
environment for them to be on par with any other
teacher anywhere. This PortaI enables the teachers to
enhance their knowledge and use the e-content
available to train and mentor their students, which
would help the students to get employed in the ICT
companies.
Today, the number of research scholars in the
country is a matter of concern. The release of the
ICTACTs International peer reviewed Journal on
Communication Technology is a first step to provide
a platform to the academicians to publish their
research articles in the domain of ICT.
Asking Information Technology (IT)
companies to take note of the circumstances and
background of many students who are being rejected
by the industry on the basis of sub-standard verbal
skills, IT Minister Dr. Mrs. Poongothai Aladi Aruna
said,

ICT CONNECT MAGAZINE

Dr.Poongothai Aladi Aruna, Honorable Minister of Information Technology launching the ICTACT portal.
Mr.Lakshmi Narayanan Chairman ICTACT, Dr.Santhosh Babu MD ELCOT, Mr.Jayaramakrishnan Vice President of TCS,
Mr.Purushothaman Regional Director NASSCOM and Mr.Sivakumar CEO ICTACT were also present.

Merit is an important criteria but taking along students

from all segments of society is important too. While the
government will try and give as many students as possible to
the sector, she said that the industry must take not just the
icing, but the whole cake.
Mr. Lakshmi Narayanan, Chairman of the ICTACT
governing body, said, Technology has to be used as a
leverage at the school and college level if education has to
reach large numbers of students in the eligible age group.
He added that schemes like the Right to Education could be
successfully implemented if only the best teachers were
accessible to students, wherever they may be. According to
the estimates of the Knowledge Commission there would be
an additional 1500 colleges in the next four to five years and
hence apart from capacity addition, technology can provide
some solutions, Mr. Narayanan said.
Mr. Sivakumar, CEO ICTACT said As a first step,
we are here to witness the release of ICTACTs first Journal.
We believe that this initiative would open many spectrums
in theoretical, fundamental and applied issues in ICT
domain. This gives a platform to the researchers from
academia and industry to publish their research works.

11

magazine

Employability-an Industry Perspective

Vijayalakshmi Rao
COO & Director, Scope eKnowledge Center P Ltd.
President, Empowering Women in IT
Fact #1: Indians are among the youngest in the
world-about 60% of the population is below 25 years of
age.
Fact #2: India produces about 3 million engineering
graduates per annum, accounting for nearly 25% of the
global output.
Fact #3: Our state of Tamil Nadu alone produces
75,000 engineers-double of what the entire US produces
annually. These demographics are certainly impressive;
albeit, when reviewed superficially. The actual truth is
hardly as pleasant as these statistics.
According to HR experts, the nation is heading
towards a talent crunch. While millions graduate every
year, only a small percentage of them are immediately
employable. The rest need to be trained or retrained for
prolonged periods in various skills before they are fit to
take up employment.
Job-readiness is looming as a major issue across the
manufacturing and service sectors. This is especially true
of the ICT sector that depends almost completely on
human resources to largely meet the stringent
requirements of the global marketplace. While campuses
beckon, most companies are finding that they can recruit
only a small percentage of graduating students. The
majority, either do not meet the companies requirement
or companies envisage where a long drawn out training
process should be put in place to make the candidates
job-ready.
The biggest reason is that engineering colleges are
not yet fully attuned to the requirements of the industry.
While the faculty consists of good academicians, not too
many are constantly in touch with industry
developments. Also, the focus of the syllabus is on
textbook-based learning rather than on hands-on
knowledge. This results in a situation where we have
engineers who have a sound knowledge of the subject but

12

little idea as to how to actually apply it in the workplace. In

my company - for instance, we recruit engineers across all
disciplines, from colleges all over Tamil-Nadu for content
related work. We find most of these students very good in
their concepts and attitude. However, their application
orientation, communication skills and basic grooming
leave a lot to be desired.
Employability skills are the basic skills necessary for
getting and retaining a job and performing well in a given
role. ICT companies, necessitated as they are to constantly
keep an eye on margins and ROI tend to look for the best
value-for-money when it comes to employment. Once an
engineering graduate is recruited, he is required to
immediately start functioning in his/her role with very
little investment in training. Companies are quick to sizeup prospective employees. While the CV is a giveaway
more often than not, the test/interview is a sure indication
on the candidates job-readiness.
Academic and domain skills retain their slot as the
most important factor in determining employability.
These are the most basic hard skills, and reflected by the
marks scored, subjects/ electives covered, area of
specialization, etc. While the job may not necessarily
utilize that knowledge (for example, an IT firm may
recruit a non-IT engineering graduate for a programming
job), the candidates knowledge and comprehension skills
are likely to be assessed. Projects/internships undertaken
during the course, which are of relevance for the position
applied for, carry a premium.
Higher order thinking skills also play a key role in
employability. These include analytical skills,
lateral/creative thinking skills, etc. Companies typically
judge this by the nature of projects independently
undertaken, participation in technical competitions,
papers published, etc. Candidates with such skills are seen
to require less training than those that come with academic
credentials alone. They may also have the potential to

take up value-added roles faster.

ICT CONNECT MAGAZINE

magazine

Such skills usually get evaluated through advanced

tests that include logic and reasoning related questions. A
person who can think and act logically is expected to be
good at analyzing situations and solving problems. Such
employees can obviously be trusted to take the right
decisions in an organization.
Soft skills are assuming a significant role in todays
employment scenario. Positive attitude, good values and
habits which constitute the core of soft skills are
inherent or can be acquired by a person only over a
period of time. However, soft skills such as time
management, the ability to work as a team, leadership
qualities and simple language and communication skills
can be picked up and are critical for any job profile. To
assess these aspects of a candidate, companies often tend
to look for participation in extra and co-curricular

Fortunately, most employability skills, which

seem so crucial to job success, can be taught and learned
with some effort. To enhance employability, teachers
and students need to actually understand and appreciate
these skills, and do a skill-gap analysis. In-depth coverage
of the subject is required so that the student get a 360
view of his domain. Remote learning needs to be
substituted with application oriented training. Certain
ground values such as initiative, discipline and team
spirit can go a long way in making students job-ready.
Having overseen recruitment of a vast number of
engineers across Tamil Nadu for my organization over
the past ten years, my experience is that, on the job, a
candidate with a reasonably good academic background
and a holistic exposure and personality is far more
successful than a candidate with academic credentials
alone!

activities and assess such qualities during the interview.

For instance, a sports person is usually seen to be having
better team-spirit, and a good debater is considered to be
a good communicator. Again, a candidate who cannot
write 250 words in simple English on why he/she
considers himself/herself suitable for the job under
consideration will not be short listed.

magazine

Mrs. Vijayalakshmi Rao , COO of Scope e-Knowledge

services Pvt Ltd, is a post graduate in Management from
Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad.
Mrs.Vijayalakshmi has almost 27 years of experience in
Knowledge Management and consulting. She is in charge of
all project execution and oversees the Human Resource
Function in Scope.

Advertisement Tariff

S.No.

Advertisement space details

Amount

Front Cover Inside page in color (Size A4)

Rs. 20000

Back Cover Outside page in color (Size A4)

Rs. 25000

Back Cover Inside cover in color (Size A4)

Rs. 15000

Full page advt. in black (Size A4)

Rs. 10000

Half page advt. in black

Rs. 5000

To advertise in this magazine Contact

ictconnect@ictact.in or 044 - 4290 6800

ICT CONNECT MAGAZINE

13

magazine

ICTACT - ORACLE
Higher Education Initiative For Tamil Nadu
ICT Academy of Tamil Nadu (ICTACT) has
partnered with Oracle Academy to Support
Professional Development of Faculty and Help
Students Develop Critical IT Skills. The Oracle
Academy and (ICTACT), have signed a
memorandum of understanding to support more
than 400 colleges in Tamil Nadu through the Oracle
Academy program.
Under this agreement, the Oracle Academy
will provide software, technical support, and access
to curriculum and professional development
opportunities for the faculty of the enrolled
institutes to deliver Introduction to Computer
Science and Advanced Computer Science
programs. These programs will benefit around
250,000 students from the state in three years.
As part of the Introduction to Computer
Science program, the Oracle Academy will provide
the following to participating colleges:
300 hours of curriculum for database design,
programming with SQL and programming with
PL/SQL.
10 weeks of virtual training and 5 days of
instructor-led training for select 240 instructors by
July 2011.
Access for all faculty and students to a hosted

Mr.M Sivakumar CEO of ICTACT and Mr. Bhaskar Pramanik MD of Oracle India exchanging the
MOU in the presence of Dr.Poongothai Aladi Aruna, Honorable IT Minister of Tamil Nadu and
Mr.Lakshmi Narayanan Vice Chairman Cognizant.

on Oracle 11g, while all other faculty members will be

entitled to receive discounts on faculty training. The
students will also receive discount vouchers for their
certification exams.
The Oracle Academy is a cutting-edge program that
provides global education institutions with industryleading software, curriculum, support, and certification
resources that the faculty can integrate into their
classrooms. As a result, students gain hands-on experience
of the latest technologies and develop skills that help them
excel in the next-generation workplace.
At present, more than one million students in 91
countries are enrolled in the Oracle Academy program. In
India, over 58,000 students from more than 350 educational
institutions are currently benefitting from the Oracle
Academy program.

online environment to conduct their regular classes.

Under the Advanced Computer Science
program, colleges will receive software licenses for
Oracle 11g Database, Application Software and
Developer Suite; 24x7 technical support and access
to curriculum developed by Oracle. In addition, 200
select faculty members will be provided free training

14

ICT CONNECT MAGAZINE

magazine

INVITING EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTIONS

ICT Academy of Tamil Nadu (ICTACT) invites Technical Universities, Engineering Colleges and Arts &
Science Colleges in Tamil Nadu to be part of this initiative as institutional members thereby benefitting the teachers
and students.

Membership Benefits
Industry Specific faculty Training Programs

Research Collaboration

and Workshops

Link to ICTACT Portal

Industry relevant Content

Assessments & Certifications

Access to ICTACT Learning Portal

Technical support to selected final year projects

International Research Journals

Job fair opportunities to students

in ICT Domain

To Enroll as members please visit www.ictact.in or

Contact : Mr. S. Subramaniam DGM - Academic Initiatives - 95000 46709 - subbu@ictact.in

Activities of ICT Academy for Educational Institutions

We have successfully conducted 43 training programs to over 2400 teachers from 772 Engineering & Arts and
Science Colleges. These programs have given deep insights on the hands on application on various technologies that
are currently used by the IT Industry. We engage with the Technology Companies and bring in their content and
Industry experts as trainers to train the teachers. We also give them the content to be taken to the students. We are
currently working with Microsoft, Oracle, Intel, National Instruments, Cadence, TCS, Cognizant etc. There are
other programs in pipeline for ICT areas.
To take to the next logical step of reaching the students we have now initiated a pilot project with 5 colleges to
conduct certification programs to the interested students in their respective college. The teachers in those colleges have
been trained by us, the industry relevant content was given by us along with the course plan which includes theory, lab
modules and project work on the technology. The students are to be engaged in the college premises through the
Academy trained faculty and the Academy will have interventions during the program by way of guest lectures,
project evaluation and final assessment. This will lead to the joint certification along with the respective college.
Further, the certified students resume will be hosted in ICTACT Education portal for the Industry to look into,
when they hire freshers during their recruitment process.
Further, we are in the process of calling for Projects proposals from the Final Year students of ICTACT
Member Colleges from Engineering/Science disciplines in the areas of Information and Communication Technology.
These projects after its completion will be reviewed for its originality and select the best of them and award a trophy
along with a cash prize.
Our International Journals have been received well by the member institutions.

ICT CONNECT MAGAZINE

15

ICT Academy of Tamil Nadu is engaged in the process of training the teachers of Higher Education in the
domain of Information and Communication Technology on the Industry relevant content to top up with the regular
curricula of the various universities in Tamil Nadu.

magazine

The Value of Certification for IT Professionals

By Todd Thibodeaux
President and Chief Executive Officer, CompTIA

The rapid evolution of technology makes it

with computer science capturing the largest share (31

difficult to pinpoint the next big thing, but the outlook

percent). The study also confirmed that certification helps

for information technology (IT) employment remains

many individuals enter the IT field through a non-

promising. Technology permeates every sector of the

traditional path. For example, many with a business

economy. From manufacturing to retail, healthcare to

degree (21 percent) were able to boost their career

agriculture, and financial services to education,

prospects through complementary skills. These non-

technology helps to make products or deliver services

traditional path certification holders serve an important

faster, better and more efficiently.

role in the IT workforce.

Technology-intense industries require highly

Certification Drivers

skilled workers. IT training and certification serve a vital

role in helping to meet the demand for skilled technical

Like many career-related investments, economics

workers. This is further confirmed by the international

remains a key driver of IT certifications. Professionals

research firm IDC, which expects worldwide certification

investing time and money, not to mention the

revenues to grow by an average of around 5 percent over

opportunity cost of the investment, expect a financial

the next few years. In some critical areas, such as security

return. Eighty-eight percent of certification holders in the

and networking, growth rates will be much higher.

CompTIA survey indicated they pursued a certification to

Millions of individuals around the world hold IT

enhance their rsum. Additionally, 50 percent use

certifications. Collectively, IT professionals spend

certification to facilitate a job or career change.

millions of hours preparing for certification exams. In all,

Economics is important, but its not the only reason for

significant resources are devoted to IT training and

pursuing a certification. Personal growth also factors

certification. In 2009, CompTIA, the leading non-profit

heavily into the decision. An identical 88 percent indicate

trade association for the worlds IT industry conducted a

that personal growth is a major or minor reason in their

survey of more than 1,500 IT professionals worldwide to

decision to pursue a certification. This confirms that many

better understand their reasons for obtaining an IT

professionals are truly committed to the IT field and take

certification and how it has affected their careers.

pride in developing their skills and showcasing their

expertise. Perceptions of value are shaped by real world

The survey revealed that the typical IT professional

examples and firsthand experiences. In the area of

holds an average of 1.2 industry certifications, while 17

promotions, bonuses and other economic benefits, about

percent of those surveyed have three or more

half of certification holders have a positive firsthand

certifications. Workers employed by IT companies and

experience. Fourteen percent of certification holders

by government entities are most likely to be certified, but

receive a salary increase, while nine percent received a

individuals employed in other industries also reported a

promotion. Additionally, 19 percent receive some other

high level of certification.

type of recognition, such as acknowledgement among

peers for the accomplishment or other benefit such as time

The profile of certification holders reflects the

off.

diversity of IT jobs. Among workers in the CompTIA

study holding a certification, the data suggests that

IT professionals knowingly and in some cases

slightly over half of the holders have a four-year college

unknowingly use what they learn from certification

degree or higher. Among those with a college degree,

preparation long after the actual exam. Overall, 82 percent

about half of them majored in a science or math,

16

ICT CONNECT MAGAZINE

magazine

of the IT workers surveyed by CompTIA said the

expects to pursue additional training in the area of

certification materials they learned are relevant to their

security, and

job with 44 percent using the material on a regular basis

computer forensics. Given the growing reach of security

in the workplace.

(threats continue to become more pervasive and

related fields of ethical hacking and

dangerous). It makes sense that many IT professionals

Beyond the development of technical skills, IT
certifications often produce more well-rounded

view this as a must-have for career advancement or even

job maintenance.

employees. Nearly one in four certification holders

believe they have better customer skills. Thirty percent
of the holders feel certification enhanced their
productivity directly, but the bigger positive impact to
productivity stems from more insightful problem
solving (47 percent). This is a situation where the
employee may not fully realize the benefits of the
knowledge gained from certification preparation, but it
certainly has an impact on the workplace.

Interest in Pursuing Certifications over

the Next Five Years
Security - 37%
Ethical hacking - 18%
Forensics - 13%
Green IT - 7%
Healthcare IT - 5%
Mobile technologies - 5%
Software-as-a-Service - 2%

Top Ways IT Certifications Impact Job Performance

More insightful problem solving - 47%
Abilities to understand new or complex

Source : IT Training and Certification: Insights

and Opportunities, CompTIA, August 2009

technologies - 37%
Improved career advancement opportunities
- 31%
Higher productivity - 30%
Higher customer satisfaction - 23%
Better communication with co-workers and
clients - 23%

Technology demands people who possess the right

skills to make it work properly. Moreover, these skills
continually evolve. For economies to take full advantage
of IT, ongoing and widespread IT training and
certification must take place. This approach has a proven
track record of helping businesses and governments get
the most out of their IT making them more likely to

Source : IT Training and Certification: Insights

succeed no matter what the economic climate might be.

and Opportunities, CompTIA, August 2009

Just as IT itself has moved from the basement to the

Future Outlook

boardroom, the IT professional has the opportunity to

evolve into something that is much more integral and

With a rapidly changing technology landscape,

valuable to the business, as a whole. Businesses are

on-going training and education is not a luxury, but a

looking for, and are willing to pay for technology

necessity. This certainly applies to IT workers, but also

workers with skill sets that can be used to make the

to virtually any knowledge worker.

company more competitive and more productive. The

role of the IT professional is more strategic for

Interest in pursuing future certifications reflects

perceptions of usefulness, market demand and potential

organizations and technical skills alone are no longer

enough for most IT jobs.

ROI. The greatest number of IT certification holders

ICT CONNECT MAGAZINE

17

magazine

Individuals who are securing jobs in todays tech

certifications must be continually evaluated and updated

workplace are equipped with greater versatility and a

to keep pace with the changing requirements of the

broader skill set than was required in the past. Five years

workplace. Employers want IT certifications that cover

ago it was far easier to find a good-paying IT job. Now

both technology essentials and the specialized skills

people who want to be in IT need an edge; a means of

required in different job roles. For example, including

proving they can do the tasks assigned. Professional

some element of soft skills in the certification process

certifications are a step toward that proof.

demonstrates the need for IT workers to be able to

interact and communicate verbally and in writing in a

A certification makes an individual more

marketable. Unless the employer is familiar with the

clear and professional manner with co-workers,

customers, partners, and others.

school the job candidate had attended or the

organizations that candidate may have previously

More than ever, companies value employees who

worked for, he or she has no independent means of

can think strategically and communicate effectively, as

knowing how rigorous the program or experience is.

well as those who possess strong business fundamentals.

When a job candidate comes to an employer with a

IT workers who understand how to use technology to

professional certification degree which is recognized and

meet business goals, and who can articulate this

accepted globally, it gives the employer more to go on.

understanding, are golden in the eyes of employers.

For workers new to the employment market without a

great deal of past experience, the combination of an

Todd Thibodeaux is the president and chief executive

academic degree and an industry-recognized

officer of CompTIA, the leading non-profit trade

certification puts the worker in a stronger position when

association representing the business interests of the global

looking for a job. To maintain their relevance, IT

IT industry. He is responsible for leading strategy,

development and growth efforts for the association.

ICTACT PUBLICATIONS INTERNATIONAL JORNALS

CALL FOR PAPERS
ICT Academy of Tamil Nadu publishes peer-reviewed international journals quarterly. With the objective of
creating Indian-based Journals of International quality and to build up local research content, ICTACT
welcomes Scientists, Researchers, Academicians and Engineers to submit their original research papers which is
neither published nor currently under review by other journals or conferences.
Papers should emphasize original results relating to the theory and/or applications of the respective areas.
Review articles, focusing on multidisciplinary views are also welcome. The Journal will highlight the continued
growth and new challenges in both basic research and application development. ICTACT is publishing the
following International Journals (Quarterly issues)
a
ICTACT Journal on Communication Technology (IJCT)
a
ICTACT Journal on Soft Computing (IJSC)
a
ICTACT Journal on Image and Video Processing (IJIVP)
For further details, visit us at www.ictact.in/journal.htm

18

ICT CONNECT MAGAZINE

magazine

CII NASSCOM ICTACT Event on

Role of ICT Academy for the Industry
A joint event of the Confederation of Indian
Industry, NASSCOM and ICT Academy of Tamil
Nadu (ICTACT) was held on 21st July, 2010, at
Hotel Park Sheraton, Chennai. Honorable Minister
for Information Technology Dr. Tmt. Poongothai
Aladi Aruna was the Chief Guest and eminent
personalities including Mr. Lakshmi Narayanan,
Vice Chairman of Cognizant, Dr. Sandhya
Chinthala, Senior Director Education Initiatives of
NASSCOM, Ms.Nandhini Rangaswamy,
Chairperson of CII Tamil Nadu were the panelists
discussing the Role of ICTACT. The session was

Dr.Sandhya Chinthala- Sr Director NASSCOM, Mrs.Nandini Charperson CII Tamil Nadu,

Dr.Poongothai Aladi Aruna Honorable Minister for IT, Mr.Sanjay Pinto Executive Director NDTV Hindu
and Mr.Lakshmi Narayanan Chairman ICTACT during the CII-NASSCOM-ICTACT event.

moderated by Mr. Sanjay Pinto of NDTV- Hindu.

looking to recruit candidates. Ms. R. Nandini, chairperson,

The CEOS and top management of more than 70

CII-Tamil Nadu, said the ICTACT programmes enabled

ICT companies participated in this event.

students to take up industry-specific projects. she also

opined that the services of ICT Academy to the academia in

During the discussion the Honorable Minister

terms of offering industry relevant courses is excellent and

Ms. Poongothai urged the IT industry to give

strong participation of the academia with ICTACT is the

preference to rural candidates in recruitment. She

need of the hour.

mentioned that often intelligent students from rural

background lose out to their urban counterparts

ICTACT has associated with companies including

during interviews because of the lack of

Cognizant, Tata Consultancy Services, Microsoft, Oracle,

communication skills. The minister also urged IT

Intel, National Instruments, Cadence ect,. ICTACT

companies to increasingly participate ICTACTS

invites all companies in the ICT domain to participate in

initiative. She also mentioned that the ICTACT

this Private Public Partnership model which benefits both

which had a unique partnership model, had broken

the industry and academia.

the firewall of skepticism and cynicism normally

associated with public-private partnerships.
Lakshmi Narayanan, Vice-chairman,
Cognizant, said the ICTACT provided the muchneeded platform for the IT industry and academia to
work together and address common issues. It was
launched in the context of the calls getting louder
and louder from industry about the lack of
employable graduates.
Dr. Sandhya Chintala, Senior directoreducation initiatives, NASSCOM, said that quality,
capacity and scale were the key words for companies
ICT CONNECT MAGAZINE

19

magazine

INVITING CORPORATE
MEMBERSHIPS

ICTACT invites corporate bodies to be part of its initiative. As a corporate member of ICTACT, corporate
will have reach, networking and close linkage with the Academia in the state of Tamil Nadu,. ICTACTs
innovative approach has a focused objective of helping corporate to increase efficiency in terms of identifying right
entry level manpower, decreasing hiring costs, decreasing entry level training costs and improving effective
academia interaction for corporate.
Through this initiative, the Industry shall benefit by the improved availability of quality talent pool, which is
industry ready. This will help the industry to cut down on training costs and reduce the lead time required to deploy
fresh talent in to productive work. The need is also felt to have industry institute interaction to share the ever
changing industry requirements in terms of technology and the skills required for the future talent pool.
Benefits to Corporate Members:
Reach to Colleges across Tamil Nadu
Industry Institute Interaction
Vertical Specific Forum
Joint Seminars and Conferences
Campus Recruitment facilitation
Access to Educational Portal
Access to Assessment & Certifications for employees
International Research Publications
Advertisement Banner space in ICTACT Portal
Concessional rates for ICTACT seminars,
trainings, conferences and other joint programs
Free job postings of your requirements at ICTACT
Portal
Magazine

ICTACT is a platform for all the stakeholders of

this knowledge ecosystem to Innovate,
Collaborate and Educate
Visit us at www.ictact.in
Corporate Membership Form can be
downloaded from our website

20

Participating Corporate

Corporate interested in participating in this

novel initiative are requested to contact
Mr. B. Anbuthambi
DGM Corp & Govt Initiatives
anbu@ictact.in or 95000 46710.

ICT CONNECT MAGAZINE

magazine

Eventz

Chancellor of Noorul Islam University Dr. Majid Khan

distributing the Certificates for Participants
of the Faculty Development Program

Signing of MoU between ICTACT and Intel

Signing of MoU with Sona College of Engineering

as Associate Nodal Institution

MOU Signing ceremony between ICTACT

and PSG College of Technology

Inauguration of Faculty Development Program at

Jayam College of Engineering & Technology

Valedictory function of 8 day Faculty Development Program

at KLN College of Engineering

ICTACT official Mr.Raghav Srinivasan speaking

on the inauguration of the Computer Society at
Velammal College of Engineering

MoU signing with Muthayammal Engineering College

for being the Associate Nodal Institution

ICT CONNECT MAGAZINE

21

magazine

22

ICT CONNECT MAGAZINE

magazine

Creative Industry is Indias Future

A new revolution that has gone on without much

WHAT IS DRIVING THIS REVOLUTION?

public attention, very keenly watched by industry

experts across the globe, is taking place in the Indian

The very same factors that were behind the IT

media industry. The Indian Media & Entertainment

revolution in the 1980s and 1990s are propelling this

Industry, which is also called the creative industry is

digital revolution in India.

driving this present revolution. In fact, according to

most studies and industry projections, the Indian Media

Cost advantage for International projects executed in

and Entertainment industry as a whole is expected to

India

cross Rs. 1,052 billion by 2013. Hence a new business

opportunity, of developing mesmerising Digital Media

Unlike the IT industry, where outsourcing is the

content not just for Indian market but also for

predominant business model, global players are

international market, has evolved.

adopting other models like Foreign Direct Investments

(FDI), Co-production and Strategic Alliances.

Besides print and television media, this industry

also comprises, of subsidiary industries like Animation,

For the global animation industry, India offers

Graphic Design, and Video Gaming. Animation

significant cost advantages in terms of Real estate,

industry, which holds the key to this revolution, is

Infrastructure and most importantly the trained and

expected to grow from the Rs. 13 billion at present to Rs

competent workforce. The making of a full length

40 billion by 2013. Video Game industry, another

animated film, which might cost an estimated 100

important segment propelling the growth of media and

million USD to 175 million USD in the United States,

entertainment industry as a whole, is projected to reach

can be produced in India at only about 15 to 45 million

Rs. 300 million by the end of the decade. Graphic

USD which is actually a fraction of the cost. As a result

Design and Product Design industry is also witnessing

international animation giants are looking to India.

an extraordinary growth.
In 80s India identified the growing opportunities
The contribution of Animation and Gaming

in IT and established itself as a Super power by the

industries to this overall growth is evident from the fact

90s. Similarly, the opportunity in Animation,

that Global Entertainment majors like Walt Disney,

identified in the beginning of this century is all

Sony pictures, IMAX, Warner Brothers have signed up

set to repeat the IT success by the end of this

decade.

huge contracts with Indian animation companies.

Gaming Giant EA (Electronic Arts) and Microsoft have
set up their own shops in the country for production
and distribution of Computer Games. Chennai,
Bengaluru, Hyderabad and Mumbai have emerged as
major Animation production hubs not only for India,
but also as a source of content for Global Animation
Industry.

Companies like Rhythm & Hues, Electronic Arts (EA),

Imageworks etc., operate as Indian companies.
Thomson has formed a strategic alliance with
Dreamworks and invested in Bangalore based
Paaprikaas Animation Studios to produce world class
animation in India. Warner Brothers and Prasad
Corporation have formed a strategic alliance for Digital
Intermediaries and Digital Restoration for Hollywood

ICT CONNECT MAGAZINE

23

magazine

and Indian films. International investments are

Visual FX adding the success to Bollywood and

virtually pouring in. This growth is not merely driven

Kollywood Films

by global markets as there has been a significant increase

in demand in the domestic market. The domestic

Visual effects (Visual FX or VFX), which had

demand for Animation is due to various other factors.

already started playing a significant role in Advertising,

especially TV Ad Commercials, has also taken the

Increase in production of Indian Animated Films

Indianfilm industry by storm. The success of several

Bollywood and Kollywood films like Krissh, Dhoom 2,
Don, Shivaji, and Dasavatharam amongst many others,

The success of Hanuman Returns A fully

which had VFX as their USP, bears testimony to this.

animated movie has boosted the interest levels for

animated movies in the domestic market. Adlabs along
with Ocher Studios is producing a high-end CGI

Image Infotainment Limited is among the earliest

animation film titled Sultan - The Warrior on Indian

to identify the potential and opportunity that animation

Superstar Rajnikanth. The film will have music by A.R.

as an industry offered. An ISO 9001-2000 certified

Rahman. The film will be launched in Tamil, Telugu,

Knowledge Powerhouse, IMAGE Infotainment Ltd,

Hindi and English languages.

incorporated in 1996, is a pioneer in the field of

Multimedia Education and Digital Media content
development. Not to be left behind the Image College

Advertising companies add creativity

of Arts, Animation and Technology (ICAT), was

Pioneered by the Indian advertising industry,

established in 2004 realizing the need for well trained and

animation in India has been adding creativity to

qualified professionals in the field of Digital Media, a

commercial advertisements. The fully animated

pioneering institution offering campus based education

AMARON battery advertisement is a classic example.

culminating in Graduate degrees and post graduate

The list of commercial advertisements using animation

diplomas in Animation, Visual FX and Gaming. For any

is long, with products ranging from chewing gums and

information about the company, visit

soft drinks to mobile phones and services like insurance.

www.image.edu.in & www.icat.ac.in

ICT ACADEMY OF TAMIL NADU

(A consortium of Government of India, Government of Tamil Nadu and
Confederation of Indian Industry CII)

CALLING STUDENTS
INCREASE YOUR VISIBILTY

Create Your Resume

View Job posting by Companies

Register on www.ictact.in Student Corner for Jobs.

GET NOTICED BY
COMPANIES

Get Job Alerts

Register
Now!!

Apply for Jobs

www.ictact.in
24

ICT CONNECT MAGAZINE

ICT Academy of
Tamil Nadu
A consortium of Government of India,
Government of Tamil Nadu and CII

TOGETHER WE BUILD ..

T
I

Supporting Corporate