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provide a conducive environment for hardware manufacturing. Until 2003, when
zero duty is removed on all IT products, it is important to keep an adequate duty
differential, so that IT manufacturing flourishes.
Income tax incentives should continue, including the zero duty software regime.
The government should aim for 100 percent literacy through various IT applications.
This could also include the use of tele-medicine in rural India.
In the urban areas, the IT-enabled industry has the potential to provide one million
jobs and earn foreign exchange of US $ 17 billion in the next decade.
Mr. Mahajan must create an open environment for this industry. At the same
time, there is a need to encourage idea-rich young students and professionals with
angel investments, seed capital and venture capital. Here, the private sector can
play a vital role. Localization of software should be promoted, so that a cross-
section of the Indian population can gain from the IT revolution.
Realization of the goal of “IT for all by 2008” will require the spread of awareness
among citizens, propagation of IT literacy, a networked government; IT-led
economic development, rural penetration of IT applications; training citizens in
the use of day-to-day IT services like tele-banking, tele-documents transfer, tele-
library and electronic commerce.
If he is armed with these ideas, Mr. Mahajan can turn them into lethal weapons to
make India an IT superpower.
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