IT industry needs to innovate to grow, says Kalam and Kris Gopalakrishnan

18 Oct 2011

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The information technology (IT) industry should look beyond traditional software business to new areas backed by research and development speakers, including former President A P J Abdul Kalam and executive co-chairman of Infosys Ltd Kris Gopalakrishnan said today.

They were addressing delegates to the 14th BangaloreIT.biz, which opened in the country's IT capital today.

Kalam, who inaugurated the event, said the software industry should concentrate more on knowledge. "The decade from 2011 to 2020 should be one when the industry takes on the challenge of convergence of technology, which leads to national economic development," he said.

While the IT industry in India has helped to create jobs, Gopalakrishnan said, "We need a new model for development. We should improve the lives of citizens." The IT industry needed to do more, he said.

"With 23 lakh IT professionals, we have the second largest collection of IT professionals in the world and Bangalore is home to 40 per cent of them," he said.

The sector has helped to create 1.5 million jobs (directly or indirectly) in the country, since October 2008. "This is five times of what has been created by industries such as mining, textiles, auto, and other industries," he said.

Speaking on the occasion, Karnataka chief minister D V Sadananda Gowda said his government was looking to boost the Rs10,000 crore animation and gaming industry. "We are working on a policy for this industry," he said.

"The state," Gowda stated, "will soon come out with a policy on animation and gaming to enhance this promising sector, having prospects of reaching Rs10,000 crore by 2012-13 and escalating the IT competence of the state."

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