Nasscom to push for stringent cyber laws

Kiran Karnik President, Nasscom

Keeping in view the ongoing trends in the global IT market and drawbacks in IT security systems, Nasscom is working on a new cyber laws framework to make it a foolproof mechanism. To allay fears of MNCs, the new draft proposal would address issues related to the stringent laws in operation in the EU and the US.

According to Nasscom’s president Kiran Karnik, “We have gone through the first round of amendments to be made in the cyber laws. Now, we are in the second stage and a draft should be ready soon. The suitable and much-needed amendments in the IT Act and Contracts Act would restore confidence among MNCs.”

The software organisation is concerned about the current level of infrastructure facilities and the quality of human resources in the country given that there are tremendous opportunities for outsourcing in areas such as healthcare, credit cards, processing income returns etc. The government is very positive and working on these issues, but we are not happy with the pace of implementation, say software companies.

International airports have not been completed even after six years of getting a clearance for projects. The construction of roads is taking an inordinately longer period. “Can’t we do these things on time, when we can build a million square feet of space in six months? The budget allocation of two percent for e-Governance projects was not implemented properly. We request the Centre to enhance the budget allocation and implement it post-haste,” said Karnik.

Nasscom’s figures indicate that the domestic software industry would achieve 30-32 percent growth in exports to surpass $16 billion (Rs 70,000 cr) mark during the current fiscal as against $ 12.5 billion in 2003-04. Last fiscal, the software sector faced difficult market conditions such as lower IT spending, recession in the US economy, outsourcing backlash, and the fluctuation in the dollar / rupee exchange rate.