Venture capital and IT firms in India: vital issues

Abstract

To clarify what we mean by product and technology focussed firms, for the purpose of this discussion we define product firms as those that derive more than 60% of their revenue from sale of product and software licenses, as opposed to revenue from providing customised solutions or providing engineers and consultants for a periodic fee income. To illustrate, we would categorise Ramco systems (with its ERP solution MarshallTM) at Chennai, Tally solutions, Mumbai, which derive much more than 60% of their revenue from sale of products or implementation of solutions around these products, as product companies. Merill Lynch define 'core technology services' as offering technology services to technology companies. The Merrill Lynch definition does not lay emphasis on the extent of reliance of the firm in question on technology services. Our conception of technology businesses goes further to define technology firms as those that derive more than 60% of their current revenue from products and /or services based on cutting frontier technology paradigms in their respective areas. To illustrate, we would categorise the empedded systems design and licensing activity of Sasken communications, Bangalore as a technology business. Similarly we would categorise IndTeleSoft systems, Bangalore (ITS) which develops and licenses high end technology solution in the area of telecommunications as a technology firms, for the purposes of this discussion.