A modified special incentive package scheme to promote electronic hardware manufacturing industry in the country is in final shape and will be announced soon, according to Government of India's IT secretary J Satyanarayana.
The electronic hardware sector took a backstage in the last decade with more focus being given to the booming software industry and this needed to be reversed now, he said while addressing IndiaSoft 2012 here on Wednesday.
The three-day IndiaSoft 2012, an international IT business platform is being organised by the Electronics and Computer Software Export Promotion Council (ESC).
He said the department of communication and information technology had incorporated electronics in its nomenclature last month as part of its efforts to bring the focus back on to the electronics industry, which was expected to have a $400-billion domestic market by 2020.
Complimenting the Indian IT industry on its success, Satyanarayana said the total software services industry was expected to clock $90 billion revenues, of which exports alone would be about $68 billion. IT companies would see huge business opportunities even from the government as the Centre has made an outlay of $8 billion to implement various IT-enabled initiatives in government departments, including online services to citizens across the country.
The proposed Electronic Service Delivery Bill would have all the citizen services from respective government agencies online and remove the tyranny of ink signature of a government authority currently required for various certificates, he said.
Broadband to boost e-commerce e-commerce is set to become a $20-billion opportunity next year, said J K Dadoo, joint secretary, department of commerce. The ongoing effort to convert the existing cable network into a digitally addressable system, initiative to provide broadband connectivity to 250,000 gram panchayats and growing Internet user base would provide huge business opportunities, he said.
According to S Radhakrishnan, chairman of ESC, there is a visible and growing trend wherein more and more IT companies are developing their own products rather than offering software services. About 60 companies were launching their products during the event, he said.