Deodhar who is a former chairman of the Electronics Commission of India, told The Financial Express that a comprehensive policy should empower more people to get on to this vehicle to prosperity. India cannot make its industrial and economic infrastructure efficient and globally compatible without IT. Deodhar said that a well-knit policy supported by a carefully worked out strategy will help achieve the goal set by the centre to make India a global IT power by 2008.

The centre has also set a target of $50 billion for software exports and another $10 billion for hardware. He added that the task force has also identified 108 things to achieve in a short termgoal.

Leadership should ensure that the governments keep away from direct participation or "doing thing themselves.' The wish list of 108 "things-to-do" has plans for many white elephants. "Let the government agencies monitor and not control. Let the technocrats and administrators ensure that the rules of the game are adhered to by the industry and step impose laws and standards."

Deodhar said infotech would be the key to the future but deployment must be distinctly different from the way done in the west. "If we don't have a long term strategy for growth, we shall end up like the East Asian Pacific Rim nations."

Just as transport infrastructure was vital to generate industrial growth, growth in IT growth was impossible without telecommunications. "However, DoT's monopoly is an obstacle," he added.

Deodhar said that lack of careful thinking was reflected in the way Telecom Regulatory Authority of India was structured. According to him, the muddled approach had made TRAI a toothless body whoseauthority was challengeable in lower courts.

For the corporate world, Deodhar said that the major concerns were bandwidth and cost. "The present burning problem is the high telecom tariffs. A study has shown that if India joins the price war started by the Americans and slashes ISD rates, traffic will more than double the present level which will in turn increase the VSNL's profits."

The world population of personal computers is about 90 million against just about 2 million in India. The country does not have its own nationwide network besides ERNET and one by the DoT, both monopolised by the government and underused. "DoT disallows networking of networks that seals the fate of anything equivalent to an Internet in India."

Deodhar said that Internet must be put to better use like payment of utility bills and booking tickets for airlines and trains. Net will grow in India only if allowed to be used for services including banking. "Retail banking will experience profound transformations in the comingdecade and selling financial services will become more innovative as more secure ways evolve for Internet Payment service," he added.

NICNET developed by the National Informatic Centre can become a national information backbone and serve as Bharatnet. It can be multilingual and give Indians information in their own mother tongue, he said.