Bimal Jalan

It was Bimal Jalan, a career bureaucrat, who first laid the
framework of privatization of Internet services in India. The ISP policy was
announced as a result of the recommendation of Jalan Committee. Another path
breaking recommendation Jalan made, which was later accepted, was the permission
to government agencies like the railways, state electricity boards and power
grid corporations to create a network to provide bandwidth.

The fact that Jalan committee accepted most of the
suggestions made by the stakeholders goes to show the commitment to the growth
of Internet in India. The most remarkable recommendation, which was accepted by
the committee (which was earlier opposed by DoT), was the permission to ISPs to
approach Software Technology Parks of India for international connectivity as an
alternative to the Internet gateway of the VSNL.