TCS' mKrishi on pilot run in Maharashtra

Kolkata: Tata Consultancy Services’ (TCS) mobile-based advisory platform mKrishi has started pilot projects in Maharshtra. The information system for farmers will help them access localised information and advice on agricultural issues through graphic and voice formats in local languages.

S Ramadorai, vice chairman of TCS, said: “We have to scale them up but the pilots are very successful. There are real clients who are trying out on the ground and we are trying to ascertain how effective that is.”

According to him, with 3G being rolled out, a lot of applications will go through hand-held devices. “Localisation of content is one of the biggest opportunities in the country going forward in the next few years,” he said.

mKrishi has been developed to provide personalised information and expert advice to rural farmers in their local language using sensor technology. It is also adaptable to illiterate farmers who can make a query from a cell phone using voice-specific functions.

Present at the national conference on leadership at the CII-Suresh Neotia Centre of Excellence in Kolkata, Ramadorai said TCS is looking for recruiting people from various parts of the country. “We make sure they understand building localisation of the content," he added.

Talking to reporters, Ramadorai said the deal pipeline for Indian IT companies is good and there are growth prospects in the international markets like the US as well as in India. While there are opportunities in Europe, they are a bit slow.

According to him, while recruitments by various companies have started happening and there is an overall momentum, the industry has to take a serious look into utilisation of the workforce.

Pointing out potential sectors for future growth he said outsourcing of knowledge services have come to stay. “Legal profession, drug discovery and pharmaceuticals, telecommunications and engineering are some such areas,” he said.