‘CONNECT 2010 IN CHENNAI
Posted on: 09/Sep/2010 2:26:05 AM
Intel India Managing Director Ramamurthy Sivakumar; Chairman of Cognizant Technology Solutions Lakshmi Narayanan; Chairman AT & T Global India V. S. Gopinath; and IIT-Madras Director M. S. Ananth participated in a panel discussion as a part of 11th edition of ‘Connect 2010` held here on Wednesday. It was announced in the event that diversification of IT was on the cards. The Information Technology industry plans to extend its services to various sectors such as automobile manufacturing, communication in rural areas, health services, entertainment and improving urban infrastructure.
S. Mahalingam chairman , ‘Connect 2010’said that the industry would follow “a holistic approach” in developing an “efficient ecosystem” by aiding the government in its efforts. It would focus on creating the next generation of products by strengthening the “innovation framework” and encouraging entrepreneurship.
Responding to questions on off shoring that has possibly increased the competitiveness of companies abroad, Infosys Technologies CEO & MD Kris Gopalakrishnan said it was important for India to keep its trade lines open to global opportunities. The industry faces a crunch in terms of talent, both globally and locally. It is essential to fill the gap with training manpower on required skills, he added.
The symposium also featured a panel discussion on ‘Smart sourcing — the future of India’.
Leading the discussion was Cognizant Technology Solutions chairman Lakshmi Narayanan, who stressed the need for India to deliver services at an affordable cost consistently accompanied by an innovative viewpoint in an increasing globalization.
Intel India Managing Director Ramamurthy Sivakumar said it would be a “potentially missed opportunity,” if India did not invest in electronic manufacturing units to anchor the domestic level of consumption, which would increase employment opportunities.
Pointing out that electronic manufacturing had the potential to create 28 million jobs in the next 10 years, he said: “We need to cut down on manufacturing costs and understand the criticality of who we are competing with.”
To realise the potential of smart sourcing, enterprises would have to concentrate on linking their platforms and technologies to ensure superior agility and acceleration of innovation.
IIT-Madras Director M.S. Ananth said that with the number of engineering graduates increasing every year, there was a need for outsourcing models that created a “knowledgeable workforce” and comprised people open to ideas and innovations.
