“TECHNOLOGY HAS BEEN A GREAT LEVELLER”
Shri Ravi Shankar Prasad, Minister for Communications, Electronics & Information Technology and Law & Justice, Government of India calling technology a great leveler for the Indian society, presented his thoughts on the transformations at work places. Union Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad speaking at an industry event emphasized that technology has not only changed the way we work and the places we work but on a lighter note, the IT sector has even changed the way we dress for work. “The digital world is a borderless world. At the click of a button, what is happening far away in Latin America is known to a person in a small town in India. The young boys and girls are working from homes and handling backend operations of MNCs. While, those working in IT &ITeS organizations are dressed casually and working in offices designed to offer home comforts,” he made a comparison. Expressing his concern on bridging the gap between the ‘digital haves’ and ‘digital have-nots’, he said the government as well as private organizations must work together to usher digital inclusion for empowering people of all strata of the society. He stated, “The government has set a target of setting up 1,00,000 digital villages out of which 700- 800 have already become operational. Corporates should to adopt Digital Villages as part of their CSR where the government can pitch-in by "god-fathering" them.” Minister gave an example of booming E-commerce segment in India. ”The e-commerce is riding on the wave of aspirations of smaller town’s population and is garnering its maximum business from tier-II & III cities. With smartphones they can buy the goods not available in their hometown and vice versa, the local manufacturers can sell their crafts and goods to international buyers. The role of technology is undeniable in the growth story of India.” “In India majority of startups are technology based. Out of these 24 are unicorns, valued at over $1 billion. IIT toppers do not want to join leading companies anymore, they would rather start their own. They want to be job providers not job seekers.”
Tags : Interviews e-commerce India tier-II Union Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad Ravi Shankar Prasad tier-III cities IT sector