CONNECT 2007 starts in Chennai from Sep 14

The seventh edition of CONNECT 2007, a premier information, communication and technology event promoted jointly by CII and Tamil Nadu government, will be held in Chennai from September 14 to 17.

Announcing this at a press meet in Chennai, CII Tamil Nadu Chairman Gopal Srinivasan said India's IT industry had grown 31 per cent from 2006 and this expansion was expected to continue at a rate of 18 per cent for the next five years to become a $100-billion plus industry by 2011.

Stating that 15 per cent of India's IT services were from Chennai, he said CONNECT in the past had seen Tamil Nadu emerge as the destination of choice for knowledge-based industries and had projected the state as the leading electronics manufacturing hub of Asia.

The event, which would bring together all stakeholders of ICT industry, would have the theme 'Innovation Through Integration-Building an Inclusive Ecosystem,' this year.

Besides Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M Karunanidhi and Union Minister for IT and Communication A Raja, NASSCOM President Kiran Karnik, TCS CEO S Ramadorai, Satyam Computer Services Managing Director B Rama Raju, IIT-Chennai Director M S Anand and McKinsey and Company partner Noshir Kaka are some of the key speakers scheduled to address the conference.

CONNECT Chairman S Mahalingam said 'Taitronics India,' an exhibition organised by the Taiwan Trade Centre, would be held concurrently with CONNECT 2007 and would showcase electronic components and auto parts and accessories.