Second edition of CeBIT begins

The second edition of CeBIT India, a leading IT event, organised by Hannover Milano Fairs India, opened here on Thursday.

Various small and medium industries, large IT companies, start-ups and other States are participating in the three-day event that will bring digital solutions marketplace under a single roof.

Around one-fourth of the total participants are from Karnataka. As many as 21 States, including Odisha, Kerala, Jammu and Kashmir and Telangana, are participating in the event. The organiser said that he got overwhelming participation from the Union government.In the first edition of the event last year, CeBIT had partnered with State government’s ITE.biz. However, this year, the government has decided to organise ITE.biz separately. When asked about the government’s absence, Mehul Shah, Managing Director, Hannover Milano Fairs India said, “The disagreement with the government over CeBIT India 2015 participation was purely on clash of interests, and there is nothing more.”He said, “CeBIT India is a purely business-to-business meeting and the State government wanted the event to be an investors’ meet for which CeBIT said it was not their strategy.”

Replying to a query on not inviting government’s representatives, Mr Shah said, “CeBIT India sent an invitation to Ministers, department heads and other officials.” To a query on the venue next year, he said, “That will be discussed after getting inputs from the participants and business community with whom CeBIT India is associated.”