Was the Jump Start of Indian IT by Accident or Design: When N Vittal Wrote for Dataquest

Nagarajan Vittal, distinguished Indian bureaucrat renowned for his significant roles within the Government of India, passed away recently. Among his prestigious positions, he notably served as the central vigilance commissioner and held several other high-ranking positions during his career. He was widely recognised as the architect of India’s IT sector as he played an extremely crucial role in the Indian Government during the era marked as the inception of India's software export industry and the revolutionary evolution of telecommunications in the country.

From June 1990 to January 1996, he held the position of Secretary in the Department of Electronics. Additionally, he also assumed the role of Chairman of the Telecom Commission, serving from October 1993 to September 1994. Throughout this duration, he remained an active member of the Telecom Commission. “The success of India in IT is recognized universally today. In fact, the Government of India led by our visionary Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his digital India vision.How did IT get a jump start in India? Was it by accident or design?,” Vittal had written for Dataquest reminiscing the role he played during the IT revolution.

Read N Vittal’s Article Written for Dataquest Here

Vittal was awarded the coveted first ever Dataquest IT Person of the Year in 1993, and the Lifetime Achievement Award in the year 2004. In an interview with Dataquest in 2004, he said: “When you are a rebel and say something out of the box, you need to substantiate it with sound common sense. Even then it will pass through a process I call the RAMA method. Any radical approach would be met by: Resistance and rejections. Then people will get Annoyed. Ultimately then things will Mellow down and will lead to Acceptance and achievement. That is what I call RAMA.”

Also read: LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT

Vittal was awarded the Padma Bhushan in 2012. In a story published in 2010, Padma Awards: Better Late than Never,  Dataquest pointed out the fact that Vittal was awarded a little late by calling it “Conspicuous by His Absence”. 

Also read: Padma Bhushan for Vittal, Finally

N Vittal’s Achievements

The following are some of his achievements due to which he is widely acclaimed in the industry:

• As IT Secretary, sowed the seeds of technology exports. Accelerated STP scheme, and launched the EHTP scheme.
• Initiated industry-government interaction and became IT lobbyist within the government and garnered support for the industry.
• In the span of just one year, got the National Telecom Policy (NTP) 1994 approved. A major landmark and a starting point for the IT and telecom revolution in India
• Brought in the mindset “telephone on demand” through NTP 1994.

India Condoles the Passing Away of N Vittal

Immediately after the news of the unfortunate demise of N Vittal broke out, several prominent personalities took to social media platforms to recognise his immense contributions to the IT industry. “Mr Vittal was a strong administrator, a very learned person, contributed a lot to Gujarat and also a great supporter of India's IT business during its infancy.  India's Technology businesses is always grateful to him. Om Shanti,” said Keshav R Murugesh, Group CEO, WNS Global Services.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi also tweeted saying: “Shri N. Vittal Ji will be remembered as an outstanding civil servant, who enriched India’s growth trajectory across diverse sectors. He also played a pivotal role in Gujarat’s development during his career in the state. Pained by his demise. Condolences to his family and friends. Om Shanti.”