Source: The Times of India
To be frank, when the new government came to power in AP, there were concerns about the continuation of the policy framework that had been so encouraging to IT. But we are very happy today that the industry continues to get the required support from the government.
It is gratifying to see that Hyderabad has learnt lessons from cities like Bangalore. The city should continue to progress along the learning curve avoiding the pitfalls being encountered by the other cities. For instance, Bangalore is already having a hard time dealing with its traffic problem. Driving on Bangalore roads has become extremely difficult. Hyderabad is fortunate that it still has the time to plan for such contingencies and can get into shape for such challenges.
When something goes wrong, it can’t be rectified overnight. So, instead of tackling problems when they arise, Hyderabad should plan its infrastructure to support the IT industry. The new airport is going to considerably boost Hyderabad’s potential. I hope the airport will be ready in time, unlike Bangalore where the project has been delayed.
The policy support being extended by the government to the IT industry in Hyderabad is very encouraging. But we can’t depend on the government for everything. The industry should also play its role too. The only issue of major concern for Hyderabad is the quality of engineering graduates that are available to the IT industry. This is an area for improvement. The quality of some of the engineering colleges needs immediate improvement. I am not sure how many of their graduates meet international standards.
The model of business the IT industry in Hyderabad has chosen is alright. People talk about moving up the value chain. Instead, I think it is the pyramid analogy that holds good in this case. While making software products adds a lot of value to what we are doing, the services model including ITeS operations are creating a lot of jobs, which is very important for society today. While reaching the top of the pyramid is important, the industry should also focus on the base of the pyramid.
As part of the effort to move up the value chain, it is important to patent ideas and protect intellectual property. The AP government, for instance, can on its own create a fund to support and protect ideas. The state need not wait for the Centre to act on this. From Nasscom’s side, we have already initiated a dialogue with the Centre to create such a fund.
