Information Technology has made possible information access at gigabit speeds. It has created a level playing field among nations and has made positive impact on the lives of millions who are poor, marginalised and living in rural and far flung topographies. Internet has made revolutionary changes with possibilities of e-filing Income Tax returns or applying for passports online or railway e-ticketing.
Today a country’s IT potential is paramount for its march towards global competitiveness, healthy GDP, improving defence capabilities and meeting up the energy and environmental challenges.
The Indian Information Technology- Information Technology-Enabled Services (IT-ITES) industry has continued to perform its role as the most consistent growth driver for the economy. Service, software exports and BPO remain the mainstay of the sector. Over the last five years, the IT & ITES industry has grown at a remarkable pace. Consider some of the significant indicators for these remarkable achievements. The IT/ITES exports have grown to a staggering US$ 46.3 billion in 2008-09, the IT sector currently employing 2.2 million professionals directly and another 8 million people indirectly accounts for over 5% of GDP, a majority of the Fortune 500 and Global 2000 corporations are sourcing IT/ITES from India and it is the premier destination for the global sourcing of IT/ITES accounting for 55% of the global market in offshore IT services and garnering 35% of the ITES/BPO market.
The Indian IT-BPO sector including the domestic and exports segments continue to grow from strength to strength, witnessing high levels of activity both onshore as well as offshore. The companies continue to move up the value-chain to offer higher end research and analytics services to their clients. India's leadership position in the global IT and BPO industries are based primarily on the following advantages.
India accounts for around 28 per cent of IT and BPO talent among 28 low-cost countries. It has a rapidly growing urban infrastructure fostering several IT centers in the country. Offshore service centers are spawning in the country due to operational excellence with low delivery cost, quality leadership and a conducive business environment. Favourable policy interventions, enabling infrastructure and augmenting a wide skill base from the government has further enhanced India’s brand image.
The Department of Electronics and Information Technology is coordinating strategic activities, promoting skill development programmes, enhancing infrastructure capabilities and supporting R&D for India’s leadership position in IT and IT-Enabled services.