The Hindu Business Line : Intel waiting for semi-conductor policy, says Barrett

The Intel Corporation Chairman, Mr Craig Barrett, on Friday said that they were currently waiting for the incentive package of the proposed semi-conductor policy to take a final decision on its assembly, test and manufacturing facility in the country. "We are talking to the Government and are currently awaiting their final decision," he said at a press meet here.

Elaborating on Intel's expansion in the domestic market, he said that Information Communication Technology penetration in India was low and like the cell phone market, would also increase.

Mr Barrett, who chairs the United Nations Global Alliance for Information Communication Technologies, said that cheap hardware was not the only solution for ICT penetration, but must be accompanied by broadband connectivity, rich local content and education.

Training teachers

The company announced that it planned to donate 10,000 PCs to State Governments and teacher training institutions, as well as train one million teachers on the application of technology to improve classroom learning.

Commenting on feasibility of Wimax, Mr Barrett said that while it was expensive, it promised long-range connectivity and hence a broader way to reach people. On the Government's spectrum policy, he recommended that international standards for spectrum allocation be followed.

Later in the day at a CII seminar, he emphasised the role of technology in bringing inclusive growth. He said that India had a great potential to be realised in areas of education, health care and e-governance through greater penetration of ICT.

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