Iris Computers to expand channel base

Close on the heels of bagging the national distribution for
Xenitis Infotech, Iris Computers is set to expand its channel base in India. The
distribution-focused company is looking at expanding the number of its resellers
from 1,100 to 2,000 by the end of this year. "This expansion will fuel the
company's growth as we plan to target a turnover of Rs 400 crore this
fiscal," informed Sanjiv Krishen, Chairman, Iris Computers.

SANJIV KRISHEN: Targeting a turnover of Rs 400 crore this fiscal

Having worked with global brands like IBM, HP, Acer and BenQ,
Iris has just entered for a national distribution partnership with Kolkota-based
Xenitis Infotech. "As part of this distribution agreement, we would be
pushing the Xenitis brand with our presence in 22 cities. We have identified 210
resellers who would be working specially for Xenitis and in addition to this we
would be taking 20 additional resellers," he added.

With an established base in 22 A- and B-class cities, Iris is
now eyeing rural India to expand its perimeter in the region. "When it
comes to offering products like the Xenitis PC, there is a huge potential in
rural India. So we would be expanding our efforts in upcountry markets and
cities gradually. Ideally, we would be adding at least 10 cities every
year," Krishen explained.

As part of this initiative, the company started doing
business in Jammu, Guwahati and Bhubaneswar last year and has elicited a good
response from the market. "We just started our operations in Jammu three
months ago and the response was tremendous. In the first month alone, we got
orders worth Rs 1 crore. That is really more than encouraging, especially since
Jammu is not considered to be a big market," he noted.

With changing market conditions and pricing dynamics, Krishen
is betting that digital convergence is likely to further boost the importance of
rural markets within the country. "There is a lot of convergence that has
already happened. But a lot more still needs to be done. Convergence and falling
prices will further strengthen the upcountry market scenario of India. We
already have a lot of vendors targeting the upcountry region. A lot more will
follow in the coming months and years," Krishen explained.