| |June 20209A comprehensive plan of unicode and uniform keyboard layouts specifically developed for Indian languages will go a long way in technology outreachwould be able to exercise their right from anywhere in the world and participate in the most important democratic process.RPA & BPM: RPA can drive huge efficiencies and cost savings. Logistic and distribution operations consisting processing of bills, invoic-es and automated Business Process Management will bring a faster and process-oriented approach.BI & Analytics: The sheer volume of India as a country cannot go with-out the inclusion of Big Data initia-tives which will drive faster decision making. While it is easy to get lost in this space, a phase by phase ap-proach will drive big benefits. Start with basics like essential commodi-ties, medical outcomes, geographical data consolidation, and others.Education & Learning: Avail-ability of online and interactive e-learning can greatly help in in-creasing literacy levels across the length and breadth of India. Mobile enabled learning modules will drive faster and eager adoption. Use tech-nology to make the dream of 100 percent literacy closer to reality.Mobility, Smart Devices & Inter-active Media: Technology will drive great benefits for the Media, Infra-structure, Services, Travel and Tour-ism industry. Bringing information at fingertips including kiosks with AR/VR enabled commentaries and simulations, will also drive participa-tion from younger technologists.Blockchain: Whether it is KYC Forms, secure transfer of medical re-cords or patient history, space pro-grams, the opportunity is huge. Artificial Intelli-gence: Innumerable use cases for AI in bettering supply chain, researches in farming, agriculture, medical field, education, fraud investigation ­ the list is endless, and this is by far one of the most important technologies to implementManufacturing, Services & IoT: Traditional manufacturing of goods and consumption of services can-not survive without IT innovations. Technology will bring-in completely new dimensions in delivery of goods and services, particularly essentials. Security: No technology can sur-vive without an able security and governance framework, and prin-ciples including and not limited to cyber security, counter intelligence, breaches of data, confidentiality of information, and others.Suggestions/RecommendationsAppoint a Dedicated Ministry for In-formation Technology: Today, the Information and Broadcasting Min-ister assumes the responsibility of Information Technology along with few other portfolios. With growing relevance of technology, a dedicated `CIO' for the country is required to drive policy decisions, budgets and roadmaps. This includes strategic planning for short and long term. Reduce Technology Dependence on Other Countries: It is quite paradoxical that although most major technological giants are led by Indians, India has not led manu-facturing and innovations in technology. There is no dearth of talent and resources; but more policies and subsidies are required for India to reach this stage. One cannot forget `Data is the new Oil'.Dedicate a Separate Slot in the Union & State Budget for IT: Just like Railways is tabled as a sepa-rate budget, it is imperative to ta-ble a separate budget for Informa-tion Technology. This will bring-in more focus.Address Environment & Health Impact: Finally, one cannot ignore the fact that every piece of technol-ogy is adding-up to the clutter of e-waste, and continuous exposure to digital devices leads to health issues, mental or physical. There has to be focused government and public-private partnerships to bring about a sustainable approach to disposal, reuse and recycling of waste. Fur-ther, technological innovations need to be approved only after definition of its waste disposal and power uti-lization/renewal energy capabilities. Similarly, a mandatory `Digital De-tox' may be needed to be made im-perative in the long run as a policy enforcement to assure overall health and well-being. Shobhana Lele
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