Optimism Revitalized

The next millenium is going to be no different from the previous. The service providers, vendors, users, and subscribers will all remain the same. In all probability there will hardly be any change in their issues as well. Then what is this hue and cry all about?

First, technologies will continue to evolve at an amazing speed, bringing more and more products and services to the table. The last several years have seen labs coming out with new technologies for manufacturers and vendors alike. Today greater focus is on innovations for making them simple and user friendly. This is going to dramatically change the shape of the communication world. India has to ensure that it does not miss out on technology.

Second, all this hope about the 21st century has had an impact on our expectations, where there have been lot of belied hopes in the past. People across board, from users to vendors to foreign investors, at this turn of the millenium, expect and hope that things change for the



better. Also, once again the dream of India as an IT superpower seems to be achievable. Hope and expectations are motivation drivers, and if broken, take a lot to heal and build again. For India, not just keeping the hopes alive but also meeting expectations will be a big challenge.


Perceived opportunities in communications and convergence will be another major phenomena that will drive a lot of things from 2000 onwards.

Individuals, corporates, as well as many nations see a saviour in IT and its offspring, the Internet. They are going all out to adopt it. On the flip side is the fact that economic wars will revive again and the big guys will get even more aggressive. Smart guys, even if they are small, will make it big. Large guys, if they are weak, will be gobbled up.

In India, where are we on all the three fronts? As far as technology goes, we do not stand a chance. It is too late and we are too far behind. The best option would be to ensure that we have access to the latest and the best. Our policies should not come in the way of getting the best technologies. At the same time we must build our strengths somewhere. Let’s try applications and make that as our domain.

Thanks to some signs of revival in the economy, there is a general feeling of optimism today. In spite of all the uncertainties that one has gone through, hope and expectations are alive. Fast action is what is needed now for confidence building of Indians as well as foreign investors.

As far as recognizing the significance of the Internet or digital economy is concerned, the private sector has already taken the plunge. Irrespective of all

the difficulties, it is making big plans and investing huge amounts of money to bring leading-edge technologies. It seems it is only the Government, its

departments and PSUs, which are yet to get started. For a country like India, where a lot of things happen through Government, this laggard attitude is a



matter of great concern.