Panel to push for hardware on infotech agenda

Ashu Kumar in New Delhi

Pramod Mahajan

The development of the hardware sector and creating more demand for information technology (IT) in the local market, are seen by the industry and the government, as an effective way to counter the slowdown impact.

This is evident from the fact that the development of the hardware sector and local infotech market are on top of the agenda of the forthcoming meeting of the National Advisory Committee on IT on August 11. In the meeting, the industry leaders including Mr N Narayana Murthy, Mr Azim Premji, Mr Sunil Bharti Mittal and the minister of Information Technology, Mr Pramod Mahajan along with senior ministry officials would discuss the ways and means to promote local infotech market, according to a source in the ministry.

“The committee members will review the health of the software and hardware sector in light of the global recession and would discuss measures to develop the Indian market as an alternative to boost growth,” said a ministry official.

The development of the hardware sector is also crucial to balance the infotech industry mix in India, said the official adding that the issue had been discussed in earlier advisory committee meetings and would be taken forward in the next meeting.

The ministry has said that the hardware industry needs to a have more conducive environment in terms of basic infrastructure, export-import policy and tariff structure. The improvement in environment will attract a good amount of investment in the sector, he added. Hardware production has grown only by 9 per cent in year 2000-01 as compared to 55 per cent growth of the software sector.