Kalam exhorts IT czars to aim at $200bn exports by 2010

ez_01.jpg align=left>President A P J Abdul KalamIn a highly-charged address to Indian IT czars, President A P J Abdul Kalam put forth a gigantic task before them - garner 50% of the global offshoring market and increase the country's IT exports to $200 billion by 2010.

"I have certain differences in your projection of business, and would also like to indicate how to improve the business profile by at least three times," President Kalam said in his special address at the India Leadership Forum-Nasscom 2006 today.

IT services and ITeS-BPO sector accounts for 3.5% of the global market, which should be increased to 15% of the global business volume. "That means India should increase its marketshare to $200 billion in IT services," he said.

The global addressable market is around $400 billion, and the country should aim to garner at least 50% of this market by 2010.

Kalam Blueprint

---

• India has to aim to be competitive in quality of products and just in time delivery
• Nasscom and governments have to assist small enterprises in software to have a standing in the market
• A major drive has to be undertaken in capacity building of graduates to provide value-added IT services, IteS and BPO
• Encourage innovation and creativity among IT personnel
• Indian ICT firms should focus on APAC, ASEAN and African countries
• Focus on India, which has one billion people as a market with potential in education, healthcare, e-governance and e-business
• India has to have a Focus African policy - there should be a commitment to assist that country's development
• Expand BPO and IT activities to tier-II cities with a population of 1 million.
• Making a education and computer grid jointly with Singapore, the Philippines and Korea
• Set up village knowledge centers
• Develop domain services on the lines of Kisan centres that help farmers to use IT.

Globally, North America and Western Europe were the major markets accounting for more than three-fourth of the global IT and IteS markets.

"To reach $200 billion by 2010, India has to refine the overall available addressable market across the world, and create awareness among clients, produce competitive products and continuously aim high.

"Nasscom and governments have to assist small enterprises in software to have a standing in the market. This can be through a consortium approach for business processes. Stress on innovation and focus on APAC, ASEAN and African countries apart from creating a World Knowledge Platform to jointly design, develop and market knowledge products.

"The World Knowledge Platform would connect countries like India, Singapore, Philippines and Korea on the fibre optic broadband, which could also be used to foster education and culture. The platform, which would be the grid for computer education, should also look at jointly developing a tablet PC priced at around $100-150," the President said.

President Kalam concluded his speech by saying that these measures would also help in bridging the digital divide between urban and rural India and uplift people living below the poverty line.