The Year 2000 Problem (Y2K) or the millennium bug, may have come as a bane for information technology users worldwide, but has turned out to be a bonanza for the Indian software industry. More than hundred Indian companies have focused on providing solutions for the Y2K business and India has already bagged business worth $700 million, says Devang Mehta, executive director, NASSCOM.

With an estimated global business opportunity worth US $ 60-100 billion, Y2K may also mean big business for small and medium software companies. With big companies subcontracting most of their coding requirements to smaller companies, the latter too can join the Y2K bandwagon, feels Mehta.

Nasscom estimates that India can corner around US $2 to $5 billion worth of business within the next three years.

Dusseldorf shoe fair

The 84th G D S International Shoe Fair will be held at the Dusseldorf Trade Fair Centre between September 11 and 14. Over 1, 600 participants from more than 50 countries will exhibit their wares.

The new spring/summer 1998 collections will be the main attraction of this fair. More than 80 % of the exhibitors will be from other countries. Italy is traditionally the largest exporter here followed by Germany, Spain, France,UK, the Netherlands and Portugal. Around 30 countries will also take part in joint stands including India , Argentina, Mexico, Taiwan and the US.

Stringent EU norms

Exporters to the European Union would in future have to mandatorily stick to `CE (Conformity with European) Standard' specifications. Various C E Standards have been specified for different goods and they will come into force on specified dates.

Soon, about 40 per cent of all industrial goods would be covered by the CE regime. C E Standards, which are product norms harmonised for all EU countries are different from ISO 9000 certification. Unlike ISO, which is a certification of the system, CE are product standards and are safety not efficiency parameters. While ISO certificates are voluntary, CE Standards are mandatory.

Alternative to azo dyes

The Centre for Promotion of Imports from Developing Countries has developed and released an indicative list that provides `safer alternative' to 29 of the commonly used harmful azo dyes/pigments. This step has been taken in the wake of more and more countries enforcing environmental trade barriers.

Initiated in Germany and adopted in the Netherlands, the ban on azo dyes/pigment, is likely to be enforced in other countries in the EU as well.

Sweden, Denmark, France and England are expected to implement the ban in the near future. For Indian exporters of textile and leather products, using the safer alternatives should help in overcoming any likely adverse impact on export performance.

Copyright © 1997 Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd.