Oracle to launch rural software solutions

Oracle India Pvt Ltd, the subsidiary of Oracle Corporation, is planning to tap the rural market in the country for its application software solution business.

"We will develop solutions for small and medium businesses in the rural sector such as diary, farm produce to make the sectors more productive, efficient and competitive through the introduction of technology," Shekhar Dasgupta, managing director, Oracle India, told reporters at a press meet to announce the forthcoming Oracle Open World in Mumbai next month.

Oracle is also planning to launch data hub solution and subsidy management solution in the country. While the data hub solution would be helpful for corporates and the government, the subsidy management solution would enable the government to provide claim-based subsidy, senior director at Oracle India SPS Grover said.

He said though many governments had shown interest in data hub solution, its adoption might take time.

Dasgupta said all expansion in the country would be across the two development centres of the company in Bangalore and Hyderabad.

"We will continue to consolidate these two centres and have no plans to start a development centre at any other location," He said. He did not quantify the investment planned for the expansion drive.

On raising headcount in the country, Dasgupta said, "We have been adding about 250 people a month for the last few months. We hope to continue with this growth rate." He said this recruitment would be across all functions of the company.

Oracle India is organising Oracle Open World in Mumbai on November 2 and 3, 2004. The company will unveil its latest applications software Oracle E-Business Suite 11I.10 at the 10 city conference, which is coming to India after five years.

The conference will focus on verticals such as banking, finance,, telecom, government and manufacturing. Apart from these, the conference would also have special focus on emerging sectors such as health and on emerging technologies such as RFID.

Oracle is world's largest enterprise software company. The company had started operations in India in 1987.

At present, it has two development centres at Bangalore and Hyderabad and offices across seven cities in the country. Some of its key customers in India include HDFC Bank, Bharat Petroleum, Tata Consultancy Services and Bharti Televentures.