CA (formerly Computer Associates), the $4.27-billion global IT management and solutions major, sees growing demand for IT solutions in Indian mid- and small-sized enterprises based in the non-metros, with e-governance projects being chalked out for the smaller cities.

Industry sources said that the overall market potential in the e-governance space is in the range of $6 to $8 billion.

At present, CA’s Indian operations comprise solutions for the banking and financial services sector, telecom, IT and e-governance.

The government is pushing the e-governance initiative which is leading to increased need for IT support. A number of these initiatives are being rolled out in the non-metros. Thus, this is driving up technology adoption in non-metros, as local players have to invest in technology to get business.

For CA, the e-governance projects in the non-metros are seen as a major driver of growth for their IT solutions business in the smaller towns.

?We have a partner driven strategy, and hence we plan to tap these markets with our partners who have offices all over the country. We are already active in the government space, but plan to grow it aggressively as we see a huge potential there,? commented Ninad Karpe, managing director, India & SAARC, CA.

CA is also bullish about growing in markets like Sri Lanka and Bangladesh where they have plans of focusing into the manufacturing sector, other than telecom and banking.

?In Bangladesh and Sri Lanka, we are already operational in the telecom and banking sector. But we see opportunities in new sectors such as manufacturing. Thus we are planning to expand and grow in these regions,? commented Karpe.

For the Indian market, the company has identified much potential in verticals such as retail, pharma and healthcare, utilities, and infrastructure. Thus, going forward, CA plans to put a strong thrust on these new verticals.

CA also has an ambitious growth plan aimed at doubling its revenue from the Indian market every two years, terming the strategy as a ‘double-double’ strategy. CA’s growth in the last four years in India is estimated at around 18-20%.

The company also intends to grow its APAC-Japan revenue to 15% of its global revenues from the present around 12%, in which India will play an important role,

according to the company officials.