Pratiksha Computer Centre, Calicut (Kozhikode) — started by Saji Kallat — was Kerala’s first private computer training institute.
Early phase: Training at Pratiksha Computer Centre began with the Sinclair ZX Spectrum in the mid-1980s, operating with BASIC and audio cassettes (Compact Cassette) as storage media, where students learned BASIC programming and used audio cassettes for saving programs . One of the most famous computers of that era was the Sinclair ZX Spectrum, released in 1982 in the UK and later brought to India by enthusiasts. At that time, the Spectrum was a rare machine in Kerala, and many students experienced their very first exposure to computers through this platform. Transition phase: By the time Personal Computers (PC) first became available in Kerala through sellers in Ernakulam, Saji Kallat immediately brought them to the institute. The centre introduced IBM PCs and compatibles, starting with Intel 8086 processors that used 5.25-inch floppy disks for storage. Students learned to boot the systems using floppy disks and practiced commands in text-only DOS environments...