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f i v e
F
rom a situation where the Internet was a
little-known phenomenon to one where the Net is virtually a household name, India
has come a long way in its cyber voyage. Activity on the Internet front has suddenly
shot up, owing of course in large part to the opening up of the ISP market and
the creation of a competitive environment in this sphere. Not only is the
Internet being viewed in India today as a key resource for information and entertainment,
it is also increasingly becoming a crucial conduit for the conduction of e-commerce.
India in fact has finally crossed an important milestone in its quest to conquer the
Internet skies. The country’s Internet log book 2000 accounts for over 1.8 million
subscribers (and more than 5.5 million users)! Besides, the prognostications for the
future reveal a potential Internet access figure of a mammoth 30 million by
December 31, 2003. A recent survey by NASSCOM, conducted over 68 cities and
towns across India (that accounted for over 92 percent of the total Internet users in
the country) has indicated the following:
l
More than 320 cities and towns in India have Internet connectivity as of
December 2000. The PC base crossed five million PCs. Out of these, there were
more than 3.7 million machines which had Pentium chips and above (i.e.
machines which could be effectively used for the Internet).
l
More than 120 private ISPs would be fully operational by March 31, 2001 (out
of the projected 500 licenses to be given by that date). In addition, at least 12
private International gateways are already operational.
l
Over 81 percent of PCs sold during financial year 1999-2000 were driven by the
need to access the Internet.
l
More that 86 percent of top 100 corporates (who responded to the survey)
endorsed the Internet and electronic commerce as being an integral part of their
corporate strategic framework for the next year.
The Asian Age February 28, 2001
Knowledge Economy Riding on Industry-Savvy Policies
Tax on IT and Related Services Not Welcome
