The Hindu Business Line : PM tells IT sector to target $80 b exports

The Indian information technology industry should be looking at an export target of $80 billion by 2010, said the Prime Minister, Dr Manmohan Singh, addressing Nasscom's annual conference on Friday. This stretches Nasscom's own export target of $60 billion by 2010. "We must be more ambitious," said Dr Singh.

He said the Government would open up "the required spectrum" for the telecommunications industry. "The IT industry has greatly benefited from the telecom revolution in India," he noted. "We will continue to modernise the sector.

`Inclusiveness'

The Prime Minister also said that the IT industry must aim to reach out to the hinterland, to Tier II and Tier III cities, and even to villages. "Just as we have `inclusiveness' in banking, we need `inclusiveness' in IT, he said.

The industry must focus on solutions, which can benefit the farmer, the artisan, the weaver and the homemaker. Growth targets will not come easily, he noted. "Competition from around the world is growing. We need to work hard to retain our edge and even harder to increase our share of the world market."

On the Government's part, it is taking steps to e-enable the Government systems. Several large e-governance initiatives launched by the Government under the National E-governance Plan are expected to provide sustained growth in domestic demand for IT services over the next few years.

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