Govt, IT heads to prepare digital economy roadmap

In a first, Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led NDA government has initiated a consultation process with the captains of Information Technology (IT) industry to prepare a roadmap for the promotion of digital economy in the country. The objective of the scheduled high-level round-table meeting with IT industry leaders is to fast-track the digitalisation of the Indian economy before 2019 parliamentary elections.

The meeting, which is scheduled to be held on June 16, would be chaired by Union Minister for Electronics & IT Ravi Shankar Prasad on the direction of PM Modi.

According to multiple sources in the government, every big name in the IT industry is expected to take part in the brainstorming session and discuss the challenges and solutions for the industry directly with the government.

"The meeting would also help in building confidence among IT industry players that the government is serious about the sector and ready to extend every support. The move would help in encouraging IT sector players to increase their investments in the sector," the source said.

"The platform would act as a bridge to resolve the apprehensions of the industry, if any, as they would directly discuss their issues with the government. The meeting would also be meaningful for the IT sector as the industry is sceptical about the implications of GST roll-out," the source said.

"Given the fact that the Digital India is fast changing the digital profile of the nation, the new digital initiatives would not only create new job opportunities for youth but will also create exciting business opportunities in the ICT and related sectors," the source said, adding that it's the time to take this partnership between industry and government to the next level.

"It's a move to develop the digital economy and bring it at such a level that it could be used to showcase that this government has really worked on its party's manifesto, which has digitalisation at top of the agenda," the source said.

"The meeting is also very important in the backdrop of recent fears of layoffs in IT industry. It's expected that a viable roadmap would come up from the high-level meeting, which will take care of not only the falling model of IT sector but also put India on the place they were formally on the digital map," the source said.

According to sources, heads of Microsoft, Google, Wipro, Tata Consultancy Services (TCS), Infosys Technologies, etc would be present in the first of its kind meet to develop a roadmap for the 1 trillion dollars digital economy of India.