DSQiTL is an exclusive distributor of Mapics software in India. The software, designed for discrete manufacturing industries, has about 30 customers in India and Sri Lanka. However, DSQiTL is hopeful of stepping up the base to 50 by the end of the current fiscal, said A Balachandran, SBU - head, domestic marketing.

The Asia-Pacific region offers the second largest customer base for Mapics software globally, said Steve Shorten, Mapics South Asia regional director. The move to form joint venture marketing firms is with a view to incrementing these numbers, he said. With the availability of ample resource for software development, there is a possibility of involving the Indian JV firm into ERP development activity in future, he added.

DSQiTL already handles a portion of software development in connection with the customisation work of the software in India.

However, with an objective of enhancing the training base for Mapics in India, DSQiTL and Mapics have decided to launch a training programme called Mapics Business Academy (MBA). For this purpose, they have entered into a formal agreement with local training companies in Chennai, Bangalore, Mumbai and Pune.

In Chennai, they have entered into a tie-up with Dynamic Software Solutions to offer the MBA programme. The company will conduct a 10-week training course on ERP management with special focus on Mapics software. Apart from the supporting the local Mapics customers, the academy will also train at least 10 students per batch.