Releasing the 20-point action plan for boosting e-commerce at a seminar on `E-biz India'99', Mehta said that the National Association of Software Companies (Nasscom) is at present working with the government to develop an implementation framework for these action points.

The 20-point action plan includes early passage of cyber laws, three-year tax waiver on e-commerce sales, establishment of a national digital certification authority, providing global parity of telecom infrastructure and tariffs in India and allowing private gateways to ISPs.

Mehta said, "e-biz is emerging as the new mantra for India. We do not see a business surviving without adopting e-business in the next five years. However, for e-business to proliferate in India, we would require establishment of global telecom infrastructure and tariffs accompanied by acomprehensive regulatory framework."

If these action points are implemented at the earliest, especially those relating to cyberlaws and telecom infrastructure, India could emerge as an e-business hub, he added.

Inaugurating the conference, Ravindra Gupta, secretary, department of electronics, hoped that that the bills on cyberlaws would be introduced in the winter session of Parliament and the new government would pass these bills at the earliest. "E-business would cut through the functioning of governments, corporates and individuals and it is important that we recognise the opportunity offered by it for global competitiveness."