The Hindu : Karnataka / Bangalore News : Move towards developing IT products, says Kalam

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Move towards developing IT products, says Kalam

Special Correspondent

‘Excel in producing specialised software design indigenously’

— Photo: V. Sreenivasa Murthy

The best way forward: Former President A.P.J. Abdul Kalam (third from right) with the award winners of Technovation-2008 in Bangalore on Thursday.

Bangalore: Former President of India A.P.J Abdul Kalam said here on Thursday, that the country must move from being a leader in Information Technology related services to excel in developing indigenous IT products such as specialised software designed right here.

ISA awards

Speaking after presenting the annual Technovation awards of Indian Semiconductor Association (ISA), Mr. Kalam said, “The semiconductor policy announced by the Union Government last year offers liberal concessions till 2010. This is encouraging because the semiconductor industry is capital intensive and has to make products of exacting standards to meet global market demands.”

Skill aplenty

The former President suggested the example of other industry sectors like automobiles, which showed Indian businesses could fast mature to attract venture capital from overseas. The fact that 23 out of the top 25 semiconductor companies of the world had located development centres in India showed that persons with skills were available here in large numbers. Our own industries could attract the young workforce, potential researchers among them, he said.

On the research front, he said that the Defence Research and Development Organisation and its labs had been engaged in semiconductor design for decades, for uses ranging from satellites to railway traffic control. “We now have the technology to develop sub micron level chips and enter a large market, estimated to reach $ 7.2 billion by 2011, as our IT sector grows,” he said.

J.M. Vasi, Deputy Director, Indian Institute of Technology-Bombay; Indian Institute of Technology-Madras among institutions; and scientists and young researchers were presented awards on the occasion.

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