Knowledge Series reaches Noida

ICICI Bank in association with CyberMedia conducted another edition of the
nationwide SME CEOs Knowledge Series program in Noida to address IT and ITeS
cluster. The event got an overwhelming response with over 150 SMEs attending the
sessions.

The event started with the Finance Clinic where entrepreneurs were offered
customized expert advice on how to raise capital for business depending on the
stage of business and the optimal level of capital mix that their business
needs, through a discussion on a wide array of topics, like debt financing,
private equity, IPO, M&A, Forex Advice and other risk management products.

This was followed by a one-on-one mentoring session with the marketing and
branding experts from IIM Kolkata; taxation from Deloitte; HR and finance from
ICICI Bank; voice and data solutions from Airtel and business solutions from
SAP. The program concluded with a panel discussion, where the panel, in addition
to the experts also included successful entrepreneurs like Col HS Bedi, Chairman
and MD, Tulip IT and Rajendra Kumar, Executive VP, HCL Systems to share their
experiences and knowledge with the aspiring SMEs.

Pradeep Gupta, CMD, CyberMedia addressing the audience during the SME CEOs Knowledge Series that was held in Noida

Speaking on the occasion, Sanjeev Mantri, GM, ICICI Bank said, “SME is one of
the key focus areas for us. We have taken various initiatives, which go well
beyond banking to positively influence the ecosystem. Emerging India Awards, SME
Toolkit (India), SME Dialogue, SME Expo are some of the initiatives in this
direction. Noida, the epicenter of IT revolution in India, with its abundance of
skilled and professional manpower is ideal for SMEs in this sector to thrive.
Therefore, Noida was a pertinent choice for us to host our SME Knowledge Series
in this sector. This will offer us an opportunity to cater to the entrepreneurs
at the root level with specific knowledge and guidance, thereby strengthening
the industry as a whole.”

Commenting on the occasion, Pradeep Gupta, Chairman and MD, CyberMedia Group
said, “Our entrepreneurs have a great hunger for growth. The SME CEO Knowledge
Series will prepare these entrepreneurs for a growth momentum that will propel
them into the next stage of development. In present day and time, a knowledge
economy demands knowledge-intensive enter-prises, which alone can survive the
ongoing process of globalization and international competition. IT and ITeS
SME's, particularly of Noida have great potential to grow; they just need little
guidance. We hope the series facilitates this process.”

The Knowledge Series will reach over 26 cities across India. It is an effort
towards promoting an entrepreneurial culture in the country and provide a
platform wherein problems faced by the SMEs will be analyzed, discussed and
workable solutions will be offered. The Knowledge Series is telecasted on CNBC
TV 18 and CNBC Awaaz on alternate Saturdays at 4.00pm and Sundays at 5.00pm,
respectively.

ICICI Bank has initiated several programs like the SME Dialogue, Emerging
India Awards and SME Toolkit to help SMEs interact and transact among
themselves, thereby providing a complete ecosystem to the SMEs to scale up to
the next level of growth.

DQC NEWS BUREAU