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Shri Dayanidhi Maran, Minister of Communications & Information Technology has said that the strategy of regular interaction by the IT industry and academician will enable India to grow into a global hub for outsourcing skilled manpower in the IT-ITES Sector. He said, "Regular industry-academia interactions, focused on understanding existing and future ICT manpower needs are a must, if we have to build a surplus of IT-ITES human resources". In order to ensure that the Government remained a facilitator and catalyst in the growth of the Indian IT-ITES industry, it must be ensured that the Policy framework reflects the dynamism of the sector and its rapidly changing requirements. Shri Maran said this while inaugurating the Electronics & Information Technology Exposition "ELITEX-2005", an exhibition-cum-seminar organised by Department of Information Technology, here today.
Speaking further on the occasion, Shri Maran said that there is still much more ground to cover and miles of concealed potential to be tapped before the Indian IT-ITES industry can truly mature and sustain its edge in the competitive global marketplace. As regards the digital divide, Shri Maran said that the benefits of IT are presently enjoyed by the folks of metros and First-tier cities only, while the need is to spread the benefits equally over the rural masses also. In order to bridge the gap, Shri Maran said that he had announced a 10 point agenda to maintain India as world's preferred provider of IT services, encourage the growth of domestic market with legitimate social goal.
Delivering his keynote address, Dr. Montek Singh Ahluwalia, Deputy Chairman, Planning Commission, in his keynote address said that the Department of Communications & Information Technology have exceeded the targets during the first three years of the Current Five Year Plan. He said in Information Technology applications the country has taken a leading position and become a competitive supplier. He said India has one of the largest sets of field experiment for grass root applications using ICT and many countries are looking towards India for sustainable and replicable modal of ICT for development. The Commission is giving focused attention to the introduction of e-governance action plan as it can reduce transaction cost, introduce transparency and reduce time lag. As part of National e-Governance Programme, 25 mission mode projects are in the process of being launched. The Commission has taken up the project of digital mapping of major urban cities. In the first phase digital mapping of basic civic services in Ahmedabad, Kolkata, Chennai, Mumbai and Bangalore will be taken up. The programme will be part of major national initiative announced in this budget. The government has set aside Rs.5500 crore for the project for national urban renewal mission.
In his welcome address Shri Brijesh Kumar, Secretary Department of Information Technology said that ELITEX is an effort to catalyse the process of transfer of technology for large scale applications. While the experts working on the R&D take care of the need of the Industry, the Industry on its part, pick up the right products which effect the life of large sections of the society.
ELITEX-2005, the two-day exhibition-cum-seminar with the theme "Grassroot Applications using ICT" will provide special focus on Grassroot Technologies, Applications and Developments. The scope of the ELITEX-2005 has been enlarged to include official participation from all countries. Delegates from 18 countries including USA, UK, Japan, China, Thailand, Pakistan, Spain, Egypt and Israel are taking part in this event. The Forum, besides serving as a platform for sharing experience and interaction with experts, will provide an opportunity for the industry to pick a product/technology for commercial exploitation as also the R&D institutes and academics to identify industry needs. The seminar will also focus on the e-Governance initiatives of the Government of India. The important elements of the National Action Plan on e-Governance will be presented. The exhibition will focus on the technologies/know-how developed at various institutions under DIT.
RM/NNK/AMA- 250405 ELITEX
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