Institute For The Future

Technology Sells

The Indian goverment is convinced that the path to development is through IT. Cities around the country are competing to be the next Bangalore. The government of Noida, a satellite town near New Delhi is developing a new city--Greater Noida--with this aim in mind. The city has a knowledge park, an ecotech park, and a biotech park to name just a few. Big multinational companies have been given tax breaks to relocate to the knowledge park. Efforts are being made to ensure that the companies have good infrastructure--satellite uplink, a steady supply of power, and the like. It is interesting to note that although India is seen as an IT powerhouse, infrastructure is still poor in the country to support IT services. India Today, a weekly magazine published in India, did a nationwide poll to find out what Indians think about quality of life in the country. Barring telephone connectivity, Indians believe that infrastructure and public services are dismal.