CHENNAI, Dec 25: Sybase Inc, a leading US-based information-technology firm, is planning to harness local software talent to come out with packages with broad applications in industry and trade that can also be exported.

"These packages developed with local talent, comparable with the best in the world, will help cut costs by at least one third of the suites offered by other multinational infotech firms," Ramana Gogula, country manager of the Indian unit of the California-based Sybase Inc said.

To be called "Made in India," these packages will find applications in sectors ranging from manufacturing, healthcare, telecommuncation, banking, finance, insurance, government and even the entertainment business, Gogula, who has been with the company for the last 14 years, said.

If found effective, these solutions will also be exported but at American prices to earn valuable foreign exchange for the country, Gogula said.

Sybase, the world's sixth largest computer-software company with a turnover of over one billion dollars, made its presence felt in the country by opening up a liaison office in Bangalore a year and a half ago. It has now applied to the Foreign Investment Promotion Board (FIPB for launching its operations in the country.

Gogula said Sybase is not offering packages made in the USA, but would bring together local software professionals to evolve applications suited to the country's business models.

"It is better to evolve applications to suit business models rather than moving top down to build business models to suit applications," he said.

Elaborating on this point, he said many of the local firms were fond of spending enormous sums to buy solutions from computer firms abroad that might be more suited to the environment overseas rather than the country.

Gogula said it was better to pool together local talent to evolve software packages more relevant to the domestic business conditions using the already established "tools" of the foreign companies. "This will save time and money," he said.

The Sybase chief said his company had already a customer base of over 4000 installations in the country and was now looking for localised infotech solutions that specifically met the domestic needs. "My personal goal is to encourage local talents to cater to the needs of domestic customers and create a "made in India" brand for solutions built on Sybase technology".

To encourage the "Made in India" programme, he said Sybase was willing to offer its Rs 15-lakh package for just one lakh rupees as he felt this would generate tremendous business as the applications would be very varied with exports' prospect.

Copyright © 1997 Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd.