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Come on Kerala
A recent study conducted by the National Council for Applied Economic
Research on the IT hotspots in the country clearly demarcates the
leaders from the laggards. While all the expected states were there
in the top slots it was a shock to find that highly literate states
like Kerala come only towards the end of the list. This, despite
the fact that the state has been promoting IT in a big way—at
least that’s the impression one gets after reading the coverage
in the press. While the state makes huge contributions in terms
of software engineers and developers, who have done the country
proud, it’s a shame to find it lagging behind in terms of e-readiness.
Kerala provides the country with a highly skilled professional workforce
but is way behind in terms of industrial development. IT is one
opportunity that the state can’t afford to miss out on. Also,
if India’s dreams of becoming an IT superpower has to ever
achieve fruition then at least states with the capability should
take proactive steps to set up the infrastructure to provide the
much-needed boost.
— Prem Pampthottil
Kochi
More war
I totally agree with the views expressed in the article ‘Will
India Software Inc. get caught in US-Iraq crossfire?’ in the
April 7, 2003 issue of Express Computer. The Indian IT industry
is likely to see some times ahead in the likelihood of a long drawn
war. The industry should have take steps to deal with the emergency
as soon as war bells began to ring. This would have put the industry
in a better position. IT companies should have encouraged their
clients to visit India to initiate projects that were dependent
on face-to-face interactions by citing the vast distance between
Iraq and India and should have also stressed on the importance of
the Indian IT market for offshore clients and companies. If such
plans were made, the Indian IT industry wouldn’t have to face
the effects and the after-effects of the war. The government too
should have invested some time and effort to protect one of its
most productive sectors from being affected by the war. This would
have greatly helped the IT sector in India.
— Jonathan Sreekumaran
Vasai
More on the Budget
Indian software companies have been performing rather well in the
past few quarters due to the offshore outsourcing momentum. In the
past three quarters, the IT sector has recorded better sequential
growth than previous quarters. Now Indian software exports constitute
nearly 20 percent of Indian exports as against 5 percent five years
ago. This growth underlines the importance of the IT industry. The
Budget has addressed two major demands of the IT industry by amending
section 10A/10A and restoring the tax exemption benefit to 100 percent
of export earnings instead of 90 percent in 2002-2003. Thus, the
Budget has been a boon for the IT industry. The growth of this industry
has been phenomenal and the Budget has paved the way for companies.
— C K Subramaniam
Vashi
Kudos to EC!
Wishing everyone at Team Express Computer all the very best on your
13th birthday. The anniversary issue as usual provides an excellent
perspective on the Indian IT industry, albeit a lot heavier to carry!
Keep up with the good work. Cheers to the EC team!
—Prasanna Kotian
Mumbai
And the fight
goes on...
The fight between cellular operators and basic service providers
appears to be never-ending. The negotiation meeting called by the
minister of communication and IT could not find a solution. The
CDMA (code division multiple access) technology is capable of taking
over the GSM (global system for mobile communication) technology.
The multiple registration scheme proposed by Reliance is an alternative
way out. But GSM is about to touch down on the provision of WLL
(Wireless Local Loop) in cities. This situation is going to push
co-operators into the red. The long distance optic fibre cables
laid by Reliance and Bharati is going to change long distance tariff
rates. But by forcing operators to reduce tariff rates the whole
scenario becomes one of competition and will ultimately result in
the fittest monopolising the whole situation. The regulators should
redress the situation.
— Khushima
Shillong
The PC dream
This is with reference to the article ‘Getting to India 3.0’
published in the edition of February 3, 2003. I wish to thank Rajesh
Jain for making an attempt to bring computers to the common man
for as low a price as Rs 5,000. I wish to pursue a career in computers,
which wouldn’t be possible without a PC. There are hundreds
of others across the country interested in owning a computer. But
their dreams never see the light of the day due to the prohibitive
cost. A low cost PC like the one suggested by Jain would be a boon
not only to me but to other middle class people as well. I wish
him luck and hope that his attempts bear fruit quickly.
— Geetanjali Mehra
Varanasi
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