March 28, 2000
Business Standard

indiamarkets to set up industrial cafes

BUSINESS- TO –BUSINESS (B2) infomediary, indiamarkets.com intends to set up industrial cafes in 70 industrial locations across the country.  These cafes would serve as customer support and e-commerce training centres.

The cafes, to be set in areas of high concentration of small and medium enterprises (SME), would be utilised by the Indian Institute of Material Management (IIMM) to conduct training sessions for its members and affiliates.

Meanwhile, IIMM and indiamarkets.com have announced their plans for Supply Chain and Logistics Exposition, Scale 2000, a three-day international business fair and a two-day technical conference built around the theme 'Supply Chain and Logistics Solutions for Business Optimisation'.

The exposition would be held between May 4-6, 2000, at International Technology Park, Bangalore.   indiamarkets.com will simultaneously host the virtual exhitionon its website.

The virtual exposition on the website will provide to businesses of of various sizes operating at numerous stages of the value chain, an insight into leading edge practices in supply chain management and logistics management, a company release.

According to a press release issued by the company, today SME's need greater access to national markets and large buyers for viable exploitation of specialist skills and services.  Also, they need new opportunities for partnership  and networking with other businesses and organizations across India.

The indiamarkets.com community of SME's and the buying fraternity of IIMM will benefit through exposure and interaction with each other at such forums, the release said.

Speaking to media about the exposition, G.D Bagri, chairman, Scale 2000 (IIMM) said that "Enterprises today are facing new challenges from competitors and customers and companies are increasingly using their supply chains as competitive weapons for market differentiation.  Supply chains are will fight the new battle for market dominance by any one individual company."

While stressing on the need for Internet specific training for SME's who were interested in e-enabling their businesses, Rohan Ajila, managing director, indiamarkets.com said "indiamarkets.com will continue to undertake initiatives with leaders in supply chain management, to help implement the best trade practices in the manufacturing sector.  This would be achieved through training provided at industrial cafes set up in strategic locations in the country".