- Govt’s have since long pitched technology and IT to boost growth and development. Technology-aided growth not only feels the right way forward, it also boosts growth and creates jobs for its building and development.
- Often govt implements technology for the sake of looking tech savvy, but fails to follow up sufficiently hoping that growth will follow by itself.
- Consider govt projects such as Aakash tablets or the proposed plan to connect 2.5 lakh gram panchayats via broadband which have remained as buzzwords but were poorly constructed and implemented with no substantial results.
- Even the national optic fibre network (NOFN) overshot its budget and has remained incomplete.
- The failure is largely due to insufficient broadband penetration and the govt’s negligent behavior towards these start ups.
- The e-commerce industry has grown thanks to foreign capital. Lack of proper infrastructure and security concerns have dampened their penetration into rural India.
- Steps that govt should take in this regard:
- Modernize small traders and retailers.
- Encourage rural entrepreneurship and establish massive open online courses (MOOCS) to help working class people and housewives further their knowledge and qualifications.
- Set up digital infrastructure and enhance digital literacy.
- Read at: http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-business/the-namo-factor-in-the-digital-economy/article6023503.ece
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