“This is my humble request to you,” said Mr P. Chidrambaram, Union Minister for Home Affairs, to the leaders of the Indian information technology sector present at the Nasscom Leadership Award function.
Mr Chidrambaram said, “please address the problems of India as you had addressed the problems of global companies and countries. I humbly request you to do to India what you did for other countries.”
He drew the attention of the industry to the major qualities - energy, coherence, intimidation, network and speed - that was used to transform and restructure various processes in many countries and companies.
“It is now time to look inward with these issues and do the same in India,” said Mr Chidambaram who gave away the awards to various companies and individuals associated with the IT industry.
Mr Chidambaram gave a few examples of where IT can play a key role in the transforming in India. Find out how IT can be used to distribute foodgrain to reach the poor homes; distribute water without creating differences or conflicts; how to use the help of a doctor in public health centre deal with nearly 200 patients located in remote locations.
“There is so much of opportunity here. Please look at India,” he said.
The Minister's request also comes in the backdrop of revenue earnings from the domestic market being a mere $2 billion out of the $100-billion revenue that the industry is likely to touch this year. Lauds the industry
Mr Chidambaram was in full praise of the Indian IT industry.
With $100 billion in revenue of which nearly 70 per cent is exports, and employing nearly 2.8 million people, is a matter of pride for the country. No other industry has achieved this in a short span of two decades.
The IT industry has taken to the global stage India's ‘soft power' and made India as a knowledge power.
“Indians are looked upon by global companies for leadership. You have kindled among millions of young Indians the power of using knowledge as a passport to the future. You are the youngest industry to reap the benefits of the demographic dividend; tapped the talent pool in tier II and III cities,” he said.
Reacting to Mr Chidambaram's suggestion on Indian IT companies to ‘look inwards,' Mr N. Chandrasekaran, Vice-Chairman of Nasscom and CEO and Managing Director of Tata Consultancy Services, said “yes, I agree with him and it is a genuine problem. However, everybody in the entire chain should work together. IT alone cannot solve the problem.”
The Award Winners
Nasscom Global Business Leader: Mr Kumar Mangalam Birla, Chairman, Aditya Birla Group
Nasscom Business Transformation Leader: Mr Paul Coby, IT Director, John Lewis
Nasscom Global CTO: Ms Padmasree Warrior, Senior VP, Engineering, Chief Technology Officer, Cisco
Nasscom Innovative Leader Award: Ms Darcy Antonellis - President, Technical Operations, Warner Bros.
