Kakinada, March 31: Providing good software services at a competitive price in a short time was the secret behind the success of the Indian information technology industry, said former chairman of the National Association of Software and Services Companies (NASSCOM) Kiran Karnik on Wednesday. He called upon young software professionals to be different from others and focus on innovative thinking to become successful.
“The magic formula implemented by the Indian IT industry, to become the global market leader, is ‘cheaper, better and quicker’. In the future, this is going to be a common formula, and the industry may have to face new challenges. To address the challenges, the younger generation needs to work with passion and focus on innovation,” Mr. Karnik said, delivering the 14th foundation lecture on ‘Technology: Empowering or Exploitative,’ organised by the city-based Kuchibhotla Vasanthi Foundation here.
Mr. Karnik said that use of technology helped develop dairy industry and agriculture in the early 70’s, and this resulted in dairy and agriculture revolutions in the country. “To address the problem of shortage of food grain, agriculture scientists invented new methods of cultivation. But the focus was to benefit from the fruits of research. In the days when literacy rate was very low, we were given a satellite by the NASA, which helped telecast agriculture-based programmes for one year. We had arranged television sets in remote villages and powered them with the help of car batteries,” he recalled.
Pilot project
The success of the yearlong programme was an example to showcase how technology could be used to better the interests of the common man, he said. Mr. Karnik said that setting up of community service centres in village panchayats was a good idea as it would help make technology accessible to the common man. “Every citizen has access to information, provided he or she learns to use a computer, printer and other accessories. I am happy to say that Andhra Pradesh is a pioneer in this project,” he said, referring to the e-Seva centres in rural pockets.
Mr. Karnik said that at a time when all the information pertaining to the administration was computerised, the Right to Information (RTI) Act, promulgated by the government, has come as a boon to citizens who wish to contribute their mite to the society. “Now, citizens need not remain mere recipients from the Government. They can become a part of the governance,” he said. Exuding confidence that the future of India would be strong and bright, Mr. Karnik said that resources like knowledge and energy would help the country flourish.
Educationist P. Chiranjeevini Kumari presided over the session. District Collector M. Ravi Chandra, chairman of the foundation K.S. Kameswara Rao, and founder K. Jyothirmayi were present.
-Agencies