(20 March 2007 5:30 pm)

NEW DELHI: Former Indian ambassador to the United States Abid Hussain said today that India had emerged as a power by breaking the aristocracy of knowledge once confined to a few countries. But he said while inaugurating the 15th Convergence India 2007 here this morning that India was a powerhouse of knowledge and not a vindictive power.

He said wealth is now being determined as the knowledge base that a country possesses. The meet, arguably the largest International Exhibition and Conference in South Asia, will be held for three days till March 22 at Hall No. 8 to 12A in Pragati Maidan here. Jointly organized by Cellular Operators Association (COAI) and Exhibition India (EI), the expo is showcasing convergence of telecommunications, voice and data networks, fixed and mobile networks, internet, computing, delivery of content, satellite communications, television and entertainment applications, etc.

COAI director general TV Ramachandran said: "Today's ICT marketplace is shaped by the integration and convergence of information processing, telecommunications, networking, Internet solutions and services, IT security, bank and card technology, as well as research and technology.

Convergence India focuses on the trend towards integrated solutions and applications by covering the entire range of information and communications technology. The exhibition is arranged thematically with groups of products and services located logically to provide an extensive array of almost every type of equipment, systems, stand-alone solutions, integrated solutions and concepts. This comprehensive array distinguishes Convergence India from all other trade fairs in the ICT industry." A special feature is the theme pavilion to be set up by the International Security Industry Organisation being set up for the first time as part of this fete.

EI Managing Director Prem Behl said: "The year 2007 is touted to be the year of ICT - rural connectivity, Broadband, 3G, enterprise and entertainment bulge, mobile content, e-governance, increase in PC penetration, Information Security and telemedicine, On-line education, telemedicine, IT applications in financial services, e-commerce and 15th Convergence India reflects a surge in industry confidence, wherein visitors get to experience the convergence of telecommunications, information technology, media and entertainment at one platform. Techno enthusiasts will get to see the latest products and services that are expected to change the way consumers and businesses will use and interact with new age gadgets".

The 15th Convergence India International exhibition and conference spread over an area of 20,000 sq meters, with over 450 participants from over 30 countries with 1500 delegates is the third such gathering in recent weeks.

After the international Convergence Exhibition and Conference organized by the Broadcast Engineering Society (India) in Delhi from 1 to 3 February, the Fourth International Converging World 2007 Exhibition and Seminar was held at the Netaji Indoor Stadium in Kolkata from 9 to 11 March, organized by the Delhi-based Zeal Broadband Solutions.

The first Convergence India had been organized 15 years earlier jointly by Exhibitions India and BES (I) but the two had parted ways after two shows and have been organizing separate events.

The panel discussion today was on 'Convergence: The Future - Fuelling the Indian Economy'. Panelists included former Telecom Regulatory Authority of India Chairman Pradip Baijal, Software Technology Parks of India Director-General S N Zindal, Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited Director (finance) S D Saxena, Qualcomm Chief Techno logy Advisor Nikhil Jain, UTStarcom Vice-President Brian Caskey, Alcatel-Lucent Worldwide CMO John Giere and a panelist from Ericsson.
There will be a workshop on e-governance, and the conference will bring together industry leaders, investors, government officials and users on a single platform to discuss all aspects of the ICT industry. Subjects include 'Next Gen Telecom', 'Wireless Delivery: Broadband for all', 'Services on
Demand: Business and Infotainment', 'Towards Mobile Information Society', 'Security Challenges for the Enterprise ', "Enabling SMB's and SME's for tomorrow's growth", and a round-table on 'Broadband Revolution and Rural Connectivity'.

The meet will also see participation from Korea, Taiwan, China, Japan, Thailand, Singapore, Hong Kong, Australia, United Kingdom, Germany, Hungary, Portugal, Switzerland, the Netherlands, France, Russia, Latvia, Israel, the United Arab Emirates, Canada, and the United States.

Exhibitions India also publishes the monthly 'Convergence Plus' journal to publicise the advantages of convergence of information communication, telecom and broadcasting.