Surat Diamond Association (SDA), a successful representative of the local gem and jewelry industry, and 
Microsoft have come together to enable 20,000 Small and Medium Enterprises (SMBs) in Gujarat with cloud technology. With support from Microhard IT Solutions, one of Microsoft’s leading partners, SMBs can adopt modern technologies easily to expand the reach of their business and make it more profitable and productive. When modern technologies like cloud, businesses will be able to connect better with suppliers, distributors, government agencies and grow their business.
Gujrat, one of the most progressive states in the country, is home to close to [1]two lakh SMBs, with over a lakh of them residing in Surat. This provides an opportunity for technology providers like Microsoft to educate and help them adopt the latest technologies to expand their business. A recent study by Zinnov states that SMBs can enhance their performance by 75% due to technology adoption.
With an expansive network of 10,000+ partners, Microsoft understands the needs and challenges of SMBs and is working closely with them to support them in their cloud journey. MicroHard IT Solutions, well known as Trusted IT Solution Provider, has registered a 30% year-on-year growth in its business, riding on high adoption of Microsoft Office 365, Azure and CRM amongst its customers. It aims to extend this success to more SMBs in the state.
Manohar Hotchandani, Director – Business Development, Microsoft India said, Technology provides significant opportunities for SMBs to achieve their business goals and make use of self-provisioned cloud solutions to meet their IT needs. With the recently launched Windows 10 on PC and phone, devices like the Lumia 950 and our cloud-based services, businesses can access new markets, engage with customers more efficiently, and manage their costs better. We are excited to be associated with Surat Diamond Association (SDA) and our partners like MicroHard IT. This further fuels are vision of enabling the mobile-first, cloud-first world with the most modern solutions and helping SMBs across the country to grow with technology and accelerate their business.”
Dinesh Navadiya, President, Surat Diamond Association (SDA), “We are living in a technology enabled world and it is important for organizations of all sizes and sectors to adopt technology if they wish to succeed. Our association with Microsoft is the first major step in this direction. The need for this transformation has prompted us to work closely with Microsoft and we are happy that they are supporting our members in their business journey. “
Snehal Shah, General Manager, Ingram Micro said, “Technology, today, is basis necessity for businesses, entrepreneurs and education institutions, of all sizes. It empowers them to transform and scale up their businesses at a minimum cost and accelerate growth. The adoption of technology is no longer an IT agenda, but a key success metric for a business.”
Speaking about the technology landscape in Surat, Dhaval Pancholi, General Manager-Sales, MicroHard IT Solutions, said, “We see immense potential in South Gujrat in terms of technology adoption and it is encouraging to see prominent industry bodies, such as SDA, come forward, understand the power of modern technology and encourage its adoption. We look forward to working closely with SMBs in the state and help them drive efficiency and business growth with Microsoft’s cloud offerings.”
Microsoft Office 365 helps SMBs collaborate, communicate, and connect better in their ecosystem and expand to more markets and customers. The combination of online applications and always-on customer support gives SMBs the desired competitive edge and helps open newer business opportunities. This initiative will not only help SMBs expand their business, but also help the country progress toward the “Make in India” vision of transforming itself into a global leader.
As per a study by global consulting firm, Boston Consulting Group (BCG) states that SMBs that embraced IT solutions grew faster than the ones that lagged in terms of IT adoption. The study also shows that SMBs that decided to take the IT plunge created more new jobs and more revenue growth over the past three years compared to SMBs that trailed in this regard. The BCG study, ‘Ahead of the Curve: Lessons on Technology and Growth from Small Business Leaders’ found that if more SMBs in India adopt the latest IT tools, there is potential for this sector to grow revenues by $56 billion and create as many as 1.1 million new jobs.
