A group of like-minded men came together to start a software company with an aim to educate youth in the IT sector. Saima Bhat talks to some of the founders of Srinagar Technology Consultancy to map their growth story.      

STC-Srinagar

It is the only software company that has its clients based in Kashmir. Founded in 2002, Srinagar Technology Consultants (P) Ltd’ operates from Karan Nagar in the heart of Srinagar city.

It was started as a total IT infrastructure solutions provider with an aim to offer a spectrum of services like consulting, design, implementation, integration and a whole host of outsourcing services.

Parvaiz Sheikh, CEO of the company, and his friends wanted to become entrepreneurs. As IT students they dreamed of starting a software company which will impart education to locals as well.

Parvez Sheikh, CEO of STC
Parvaiz Sheikh, CEO of STC

“STC was actually started to impart specialized IT education to the students in Kashmir at an affordable price,” says Sheikh.

He says six like-minded people, with experiences in hardware, software, network security and field work, came together and became the founders of the STC.

 “The Idea behind starting a software company was to take advantage of the IT sector and assist locals for better growth in their businesses,” says Sheikh. “Kashmir still has a long way to go when it comes to IT sector. It is better to nurture our own backyard first then to move outside.”

Local businesses in Kashmir are yet to invest, embrace and realize information technology for high productivity and growth. “STC wants to make local businesses realize IT’s potential,” says Sheikh.

According to NASSCOM, a trade association of Indian Information Technology and Business Process Outsourcing industry, revenue from software product segment currently stands at $2.2 billion and is expected to reach $10 billion by 2020. “Our roadmap is to equip local businesses with software & web solutions at the same time touch new markets worldwide,” says Sheikh. He adds, “Our business is to make your business grow. STC Consultancy is focused on helping you through all the facets of having a solid, robust, scalable IT Infrastructure for any business.”

STC was founded by Aijaz Wani, the Chairman of the STC and Parvaiz Sheikh, CEO, who had experience in IT industry and knowledge of network and security technologies. He has also been a former IBM senior executive.

With over 10 years of experience in IT, the chairman of the STC is based in Saudi Arabia. Earlier he has held the position of IT Consultant for Jeraisy Group Saudi Arabia for 9 years and has the knowledge of Microsoft and Cisco technologies.

Aijaz Wani, Chairman STC
Aijaz Wani, Chairman STC

STC started with an aim to provide IT education and IT consultancy but gradually the founding members thought of expanding the company and they started with services like Software & Web Development, Internet Service Provider, Operation & Maintenances, Network Infrastructure, Fiber Roll Out, and Surveillance Solutions and recently participation in e-governance projects.

The company started its functioning with 10 employees and now STC is a 160 employees company. After working for five years in Karan Nagar, the STC shifted to SIDCO Complex Rangreth. In India, its branch office is at Delhi and outside India, it has clients based in the Gulf States like KSA (Riyadh and Dammam) and Bahrain.

In J&K STC caters to clients like Bharti Telecom, Vodaphone, Tata Tele Services, Huwaei, Nokia Siemens and Reliance Infocom. And for them, they provide services like web & software development, networking & security solutions, surveillance systems etc.

STC is the only company in Jammu and Kashmir which maintains the fibre of all telecom companies in Kashmir from Kupwara to Pathankot. Outside the state, the company offer enterprises consultation and software products in the enterprise endpoint security domain.

Sheikh says the company has client ratio of 30: 70 from Kashmir and outside the state. And the total turnover of the company is between 2 and 4 crores annually.

Besides these services, STC was authorized by Department of Telecommunications (DoT) in 2005 for providing internet services. It provides internet to corporate users throughout the state. The internet is provided through fibre optics or Radiofrequency on fixed leased lines.

The company has so far trained around 300 youth who are all working in different MNC’s.

With all other software companies in Kashmir, STC too faced many problems during its startup. “From non-conducive situations to government apathy everything contributed towards late stabilization. From basic infrastructure requirements like space, water and power to getting financial assistance everything was very hard to get,” shared Sheikh.

Apart from the usual initial industrial registration, government support has been minimal. “It is very difficult to run and sustain a company in Kashmir as there is no clear cut policy in place for the service sector in J&K.”

The main problem faced by STC was to get quality manpower. Sheikh says that in Kashmir most of the talented youth prefer to move outside the state and of those who stay back wait for the government jobs. “Irony is that talented engineering and MBA graduates are swallowed by cashier-cum-clerk posts where possibilities to innovate and prosper seize.”

He adds, “I don’t oppose government jobs but where are government jobs or where will government generate these vacancies from. The need of the hour is to join hands and strive for excellence, success stories in our neighbouring states are numerous if we don’t start today then we will be always lingering behind.”

4 COMMENTS

  1. I think this article does reveal all the information about STC competencies..they have lot more to show, Try to get in touch once again with them and get more information about their competencies, i am sure you will get new dimensions of IT knowledge from them…

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