APJ Abdul Kalam

As the principal scientific advisor to the Indian government
during the BJP regime, Kalam was a strong votary of privatization of Internet in
India. He made specific suggestions to the government that ultimately resulted
in the introduction of private e-mail services and the ISP policy.

One of the components of Kalam's PURA initiative (providing
urban amenities to rural areas) is electronic connectivity through telecom with
high bandwidth. He has been vociferous in his views on rural connectivity and
has taken up the issue with the government. For example, he has put forth the
idea that all the fishing villages in the coastal areas should be linked with
the district HQ through broadband fiber and wireless connectivity.