AGARTALA, August 11 (TIWN): The recently held Tripura Conclave that focused on the prospects of the state's IT industry has already elicited enthusiastic response.Not only are entreprenuers in the Northeast fired up with the prospects of going for Internet start-ups, but even IT majors have started enquiries about Tripura as an investment destination.Guwahati-based Kunal Saikia saw the report about the Conclave in 'Economic Times' and wrote back to Conclave convernor Subir Bhaumik ."My dream of going for an Internet start-up in the region was looking like falling through when I read the story about the Conclave. This has rekindled my hopes to set up an Internet start-up," said Saikia in a e-mail to Subir Bhaumik.Bhaumik directed him to his co-convenor Saumen Sarker, who is Vice President (IT) in Bank of America. Saikia has sought Sarker's advice after that.Like Saikia, many small to medium businessmen in Northeast want their exclusive products to reach a larger market through e-commerce which will only be possible if fast internet becomes a possibility . Remote Xinjiang in China's troubled northwest has been marketing its special wines through Internet -- so that can happen in Northeast with Agartala likely to emerge as an IT hub.Besides such ventures, IT majors like Hinduja are taking interest after the Tripura Conclave.

Writes Ardhendu Saha of Deloitte Consulting of Hyderbad : " My name is Ardhendu and I work for Deloitte at Hyderabad. I wish to be with you on this journey on making Tripura next IT Hub. Please let me know how can I join hands in this revolution and can walk extra mile to make this mission a successful one. "" If we can turn this dream into into reality, it will be our biggest achievement of life. "

Obviously , Ardhendu is a Tripura boy and many like him are already in big national IT companies -- just the kind of people the state government needs to tap into for turning Tripura into an IT hub.

Even though Tripura has enough potentials as IT hub but Tripura's unfit IT Minister Tapan Chakraborty and Chief Minister Manik Sarkar yet to show any interest on IT industry.

Unfortunately Tripura Ministers, most of the political leaders remain IT allergic, which is hampering State's footsteps into IT Industry.