Information Technology must focus on Agri-Business and Agri-Markets : Vice President

Hyderabad, July 28 2018  :  The Vice President of India, M. Venkaiah Naidu has said that the Information Technology must also focus on Agri-Business and Agri-Markets to improve the farmer’s income because they are un-remunerative. He was addressing the gathering after giving away IT/ITES Industry Summit Awards at the 26th Annual HYSEA Summit 2018, organized by the Hyderabad Software Enterprises Association (HYSEA), in Hyderabad on 27th July.

The Vice President said that we must ensure that the skill deficit is addressed and rural youth should become active stakeholders in India’s inclusive growth endeavor. He further said that the software engineers should think of ways to bridge the digital divide in the country and asked them to ensure that the skill deficit is addressed and rural youth should become active stakeholders in India’s inclusive growth endeavor.

The Vice President said that the only way to stay on top of the tech wave is to constantly innovate and develop new technologies and solve business problems in multiple verticals using these newer technologies. This requires regular upgradation of skills, he added. The Vice President said that the IT knowledge should ultimately help the poorest of the poor, promote literacy, digitally literacy and skill the skilled in our country. He further said that the IT industry to increase its focus on innovation and developing new technologies, apart from skilling the youth to provide gainful employment.

Saying that innovation and Intellectual Property are the main reasons for the success of global IT giants, the Vice President asked companies to stay invested in Intellectual property and continue focus on innovation. The Vice President appreciated the government of Telangana’s initiative T-Hub for promoting entrepreneurship and complemented the government for implementing industry-friendly policies and creating the necessary eco-system and infrastructure in the state.

The Vice President said that India can become a leader in innovation and developing cutting edge technology. He called for collective and coordinated efforts from all the stakeholders, including the government and IT companies for creating the ecosystem and the environment for the IT sector to flourish.

The Vice President expressed concern over the increasing lifestyle diseases in youth, including those in the IT sector and said that it is not uncommon to hear about heart related and orthopedic problems. He further said that depression is also becoming common among youngsters, which is not a good sign. This calls for a huge focus on ensuring the physical and mental wellness of employees and I am sure, the corporate sector will accord top priority to this aspect, he added.

The Vice President said that the atrocities against women must be stopped and for this, there should be a change in the mindset. He further said that the another challenge the country is facing is the urban rural divide and this gap has to be bridged. The Government alone cannot do it, even the society should also pitch in, he added. “In the fast-changing digitally-driven era, India has to not only remain abreast of the global trends but must try to stay ahead of others by leveraging the vast human resources available in this sector.  These days, there is lot of focus on Internet of Things, Block Chain Technology and Artificial Intelligence, among others. In a bid to bridge the digital divide in the country, the Union Government has launched an ambitious BharatNet project to provide high-speed broadband services in rural areas by connecting over 2.5 lakh villages and benefit more than 200 million people. I am glad that the first phase of the project has already been completed.

The Vice President said that the Hyderabad has been a major hub of IT in the country and I am happy to note that there has been a significant growth in Hyderabad’s IT exports, which stand close to Rs.97,000 crore as against Rs.55,000 crore in 2014. I am aware that the growth is in line with the Government’s vision to reach Rs.1, 20,000 crore by 2020. The growth in exports would not have been possible without the consistent support of government. I must commend the Telangana Government for implementing industry-friendly policies and creating the necessary eco-system and infrastructure. It is good to see that there has been lot of focus on products, design and start-ups and also heartening to see Hyderabad emerging as a product/start-up hub and a haven for IT entrepreneurs. T-Hub in particular is a great initiative by the Government of Telangana. It should be remembered that innovation and Intellectual Property are the main reasons for the success of global IT giants. They have invested in Intellectual property and focused on innovation.

While large IT services companies, no doubt will continue to play a significant role in the growth and sustenance of the industry, the future lies in creating IP and generating value for end-customers. Coming out with innovative new products must be accorded top priority. I am glad that the Government of Telangana, HYSEA and the local industry leaders are encouraging this aspect and moving in that direction. The IT industry in India has generated tremendous number of jobs and gainfully employed lakhs of youth in our country. I understand that about 4.75 lakh people are employed by the IT industry in Hyderabad directly and about 3 to 4 times that number indirectly he added.

The Vice President also said that, I would like the IT industry to increase its focus on innovation and developing new technologies, apart from skilling the youth to provide gainful employment. There is also a need to infuse an entrepreneurial spirit among the youth and give a fillip to start-up ecosystem. I am happy to note HYSEA is organizing annual CSR summit and recognizing top CSR efforts by corporates and also driving its own program for digital education in schools. But I feel the potential is much more and the scale should increase significantly. The qualities of philanthropy, charity and giving back to society must be inculcated from a very early age. I feel Indian entrepreneurs and successful business leaders – with a few exceptions – are still way behind their global counterparts in this aspect. I request them to give it a serious thought and act on it, he added.