Indian Priorities for IT Sector
India is facing acute shortage of IT brainpower to solve its own problems and they are plenty. Education, Health, Agriculture, Industry and Environment need huge and all out efforts from IT sector in field of conceptualization, planning, design and implementation of development projects. Unfortunately, the government seeks foreign help in terms of finance and expertise in many such mega projects, which ironically are being managed by Indian IT resource on subcontract basis. The major share of pie goes to international firms.
The international firms are bent on grabbing such projects in India and are busy in capturing large client base India for growth of their empire. The money power with which they overpower small businesses in India is enabled not by their own investment of money, but manipulation of finance raised through Indian banks.
This entire exercise is smoothly managed by elaborate mechanisms of project feasibility, financial return possibilities and strong business proposal developed through IT programs. The heavy reliance on BOT concept is an escape from responsibility of project management which provides opportunity to big players to intrude Indian business. The specifications and conditions formulated in award of project contracts is generally heavily biased towards companies with international linkages. The small deserving Indian firms are not allowed to compete with these firms on the basis of financial assets. The actual job is again carried out by the same rejected companies but as a subcontractor to main bidder. This situation must change and the change can be achieved if both government and Indian IT companies come together in spirit and action.
Induction of Nandan Nilekani in government administrative sector for Aadhar project is good step in this direction. Cooperative formed by small pharmacy vendors to fight against big companies also is a sign of new hope. Such initiatives will help India immensely rather than depending on multinationals for solution of our discrete and all pervasive problems created by population, lack of education and poverty.
There is an urgent need for development of web based multimedia resources in regional languages for creating awareness and effective dissemination of knowledge at much lower cost as a first step towards real IT revolution for development of India. Sector wise priorities for development of suitable simple and decentralized IT solutions in education, health, agriculture and industry can be worked out. However, these solutions must be easy for operation by small agents of change like teachers, doctors, individual professionals , experts and small businesses in various fields. Then only the development will become more harmonious and sustainable.