What Indian IT industry expects from the new government

With the incoming government led by Narendra Modi set to take the charge at the Centre, expectations among Indian IT industry are at an all-time high. To understand the reforms and policies IT sector expects from the new government, we spoke to executives from leading IT companies. Excerpts: Ninad Karpe, CEO and MD, Aptech “The BJP manifesto is very holistic & wholesome where vocational education & employment generation is concerned. Skilling the youth and employment generation is a virtuous circle and the manifesto has given enough attention to this element. I believe these two points are what the country needs the maximum today. I also believe the strong mandate given by the people of India to BJP will further bolster the new government to laying emphasis on developing the human skill infrastructure. The human skill infrastructure involves access & availability of financing, particularly to the under-served, creating an institutional framework, recognition of skills, improving the quality of present vocational delivery mechanism, social acceptance and interface with the industry for acceptance from the jobs perspective.”

Krishnakumar Natarajan, CEO & MD, Mindtree “The expectations from the new government will be to provide support to the ecosystem’s growth through progressive policies that help Indian IT companies to maintain their global market leadership, while enabling Small and Medium size companies to scale up and become globally competitive. Simplifying tax policies and governance process, while creating a robust infrastructure network will also help to create a frictionless business environment that is conducive to growth. Another expectation from the new government would be to create a strong foundation for entrepreneurship to thrive. This requires the right framework and infrastructure, and would generate more employment opportunities. Leveraging technology to address civic and social issues will also be important for sustainable growth. Focus of the new government should also be on reducing the Digital divide so that the benefits of Technology reach all segments of the society. The need of the hour is for a stronger collective will from the political leadership to address these issues and create a roadmap for inclusive growth and progress.”

Anil Valluri, President, NetApp India & SAARC “Hopes are high from the new Government, and l believe the immediate focus should be towards providing better governance and creating an infrastructure and policy environment that will not just make India a great country for business, but also more attractive to investors. I wish that the new government will work closely with the IT industry, which is so key to economic growth, to create new jobs, open up new markets and also increase India’s presence in the global market. The economy needs resurrection. Narendra Modi has recently said that IT (India Talent) + IT (Information Technology) = IT (India Tomorrow), and this is exactly the vision that I hope will be realized in the coming years.”

Ashishkumar Chauhan, MD & CEO, BSE "BSE welcomes the absolute majority mandate given by Indian public to Shri Narendra Modi led Bhartiya Janta Party (BJP) and National Democratic Alliance (NDA). The win comes at a time when India needs a stable, pro development and a decisive government. It is apparent that such a result has increased the confidence in the country’s Future Prospect with the S&P BSE Sensex crossing the 25000 mark.

This Election was only a small hurdle for the Bhartiya Janta Party (BJP) and National Democratic Alliance (NDA) who is now tasked with the monumental job of reviving the Investment cycle. BSE has played a huge role in job creation in India over last 140 years by making funds available to more than 5,300 companies and is hopeful of adding greater value to the Indian growth under the new and able leadership.” Debjani Ghosh, Vice President – MAIT We are hopeful that the BJP will significantly alter the way technology adoption is approached. Technology should not be treated in a silo but should be made an integral part of all national agendas be it education, healthcare, infrastructure, financial inclusion or even governance because only this way will it truly bolster national growth.

In the past, Narendra Modi has spoken extensively about increasing technology penetration in India and increasing digital literacy. While these two areas gain thrust, we would also like the government to focus on promoting the use of technology in schools, enabling MSMEs with the necessary ICT tools and setting the agenda in e-government services. The new government should set the ball rolling by providing infrastructure and connectivity in areas which has low proliferation of technology while addressing initiatives to lead devices and connectivity by providing tax waivers, VAT reduction/exemption and USOF sponsored subsidies and easy bank loans. Ensuring last mile connectivity for the National Optical Fibre Network should take utmost priority. Today, the increase in the import bill for electronics stands at USD 16 billion, third highest after oil and gold and the BJP can help encourage manufacturing by focusing on market growth as well as driving enabling policies for sprucing up hardware manufacturing. We are optimistic that the new government would work towards facilitating investments in manufacturing bridging about an electronics hardware revolution. The government should ease inverted duty structures which make manufactured goods competitive and exempt SAD on all components.”

Rajat Jain, MD, Xerox India “Election this year has been unprecedented and people have given their mandate for a strong and stable government. Corporate India is looking forward to a decisive government that can fast forward the process of reforms. These reforms are to do with simplifying the processes in doing business in India- easing fiscal situation and tax issues, FDI in multiple sectors, more banking licences and creating an ecosystem that makes India an investment friendly destination as well as create more jobs for the youth. The present vibes and signals look positive with stock markets at an all-time high, Rupee appreciation and the sentiment of business community which is optimistic as the new government seems to be steering in the right direction and already has a clear agenda in place. In total, we all look forward towards a scam free, corruption free socio-economic and political environment that promotes businesses and makes India a developed super power by 2020.”