Indian IT firms to rake in on smartcard projects

IT companies like TCS and Infosys have confirmed that they would
actively bid for the project. "The entire process including the
bidding process, deal negotiations and business evaluation, are
expected to be transparent. There will not be any conflict of interest
for us and therefore, we will participate in the bid,'' said a Senior
Official at Infosys Technologies.

TCS has already been working with the government on projects like
e-passport, Gujarat police and the Defence Ministry. "Since it is
going to be an open bidding process, we will be bidding for it,'' said
a Senior Official at TCS.

Around 27 large e-governance projects worth Rs. 40,000 crore are
currently in the pipeline. Having been badly hit by the economic
recession, many technology leaders have been urging the government to
accelerate these projects to induce economic buoyancy. The UIDAI comes
as a quick response to the industry's call.

Som Mittal, the President of IT industry body Nasscom, told Times of
India, "This is a transformational project for the country as it will
overlay many underlying projects, creating huge efficiencies for the
country leading to enhanced governance and reduced costs."

The global shipment of smart card surpassed an estimated five billion
units in 2008 and this figure is projected to surge at CAGR of nearly
11 percent through 2012, according to "Smart Card Market Forecast to
2012", a recent market research report.