MCCIA & Microsoft to help SMBs adopt IT & cloud computing for growth

Mahratta Chamber Of Commerce Industries & Agriculture (MCCIA), an apex industry body in Maharashtra and Microsoft will help small- and medium-sized businesses (SMBs)  in the state adopt information technology and cloud computing to connect better with suppliers, distributors, government agencies and reach out to more customers across India.

Maharashtra is home to thousands of SMBs. Microsoft’s partners are gearing up to advice and guide SMBs in the state and help them through their cloud journeys. One Microsoft partner, Genie InfoTech (GITPL), has registered a 150% growth in business in the last 12 months in the cloud computing area especially Office 365.  - , GITPL aims to extend this success to more SMBs in Maharashtra.

Anant Sardeshmukh, Director General, Mahratta Chamber of Commerce Industries & Agriculture (MCCIA) said, “In a competitive environment, businesses of all sizes must embrace technology if they are to transform and scale at a minimum cost. We believe that technology will drive the next wave of growth for organizations across Maharashtra. To this end, it is crucial to make technology more accessible for faster adoption."

Speaking at the event, Niraj Prajapati, CEO, GITPL said: “It is heartening to see prominent industry bodies, such as MCCIA, understand the power of new technology and encourage its adoption. We look forward to working closely with SMBs and help them drive efficiency with Microsoft Office 365.”

Microsoft Office 365 helps SMBs collaborate, communicate, and connect better in their ecosystem and expand to more markets and customers. The combination of online applications and always-on customer support gives SMBs the desired competitive edge and helps open newer business opportunities. This initiative will not only help SMBs expand their business, but also help the country progress toward the “Make in India” vision of transforming itself into a global leader.

As per a study by by global consulting firm, Boston Consulting Group (BCG), SMBs that embraced IT solutions grew faster than the ones that lagged in terms of IT adoption. The study also shows that SMBs that decided to take the IT plunge created more new jobs and more revenue growth over the past three years compared to SMBs that trailed in this regard. The BCG study, ‘Ahead of the Curve: Lessons on Technology and Growth from Small Business Leaders’ found that if more SMBs in India adopt the latest IT tools, there is potential for this sector to grow revenues by $56 billion and create as many as 1.1 million new jobs.