E-Revolution 2011: Policymakers Speak

content="text/html; charset=ISO-8859-1"
http-equiv="content-type">



“We are trying to help them in R&D, getting grants
from the centre, and giving them the land and money they need to
grow”, said Dr. SS Channy - Principal Secretary, Department
of Industries, Government of Punjab, in relation to SMBs in the region.
The first session of e-Revolution 2011 (Day2) — Tech
Framework for e-Inclusion - saw policy makers explain their
limitations, taking time to understand the needs of SMBs and look at
ways to help entrepreneurs in the best possible way. Among the
panelists were Dr. Channy, SC Aggarwal - Chief Secretary, Government of
Punjab, KK Sharma — Advisor to Administrator, Chandigrah
Administration, Prakash Kumar- Director-IBSG, Cisco Corp, Yogesh Kumar-
Director IT, Chandigarh, Vijoy K Singh- Secretary IT and finance,
Chandigarh Administration and MP Arora- MD, Punjab Infotech. The
discussion was moderated by Manish Verma, President, Sufi. Dr.Channy
also stressed on the need for entrepreneurs to get together and learn
from each other. “To share is to gain”, he advised.



On behalf of the UT of Chandigarh, Sharma assured that complex issues
of SMBs which needs government's help will be taken to the
centre if needed and will be resolved in the fastest possible manner.
The policy makers also highlighted the fact that there's lack
of understanding (about the expectations of government) among the
people from the IT field who bid for government contracts. Their bids
are often way off the mark. They therefore stressed on the need to
develop maturity on both sides — the government who invites
bidders and the people who bids.



The panelists unanimously agreed to the fact that putting IT process in
place within the government is a challenge, as the procedures are long
and the implementation is longer. “We cannot do it all alone.
It has to be done in public-private partnership mode, which is why we
welcome SMBs to come and participate with us”, said Singh.
When asked what is the USP of this region and why should technical
invertors invest here, he brought into notice that the enterprising
capabilities of this region is huge, and so are its international
connections, which can prove to be of great help in making businesses
big.



Overall, while the policy makers urged the IT sector to understand
government's needs, requirements and limitations, it also
welcomed inputs from them for the development of the region and assured
continuous support to the entrepreneurs.