Broadband In India

Broadband to Put Rural India on Global IT Map

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MUMBAI, Oct 11 Asia Pulse - Broadband will help rural India in becoming the outsourcing destination for the urban sectors in the country, and in a course of time would even start processing backoffice jobs for global players, according to WorldTel chief executive officer Sam Pitroda.

"The advent of broadband into rural areas will take the load off the urban sectors, as backoffice processes of credit cards and financial services like insurance will be conducted from these areas," Pitroda said.

Over 30,000 villages in the country are connected with fibre optic network and this is proposed to be doubled in a couple of years time, resulting in financial gains to major companies in outsourcing due to low labour charges, he said.

Village sectors gaining importance in IT and becoming hubs for outsourcing would help in decongestion of cities, most of which are bursting at the seams, he added.

On outsourcing from India, the telecom industry expert said that medicine and health would be the next important verticals for the sector and added that the country should explore the potential of alternative medicines like Ayurveda to contain costs and improve efficiency of treatment.

Pitroda, who was of opinion that E-governance is yet to pick up in the country, also said government should permit foreign investments in the construction industry.

"This will help in building the nation and making it even better than Shanghai. Moreover, the investments (building and infrastructure) cannot be taken away from the country," he said.

(PTI)