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The main objective behind any innovation in technology is to ensure that it provides comfort leisure, productivity and a better quality of life and built environment to its citizen. In India, the path towards technology induced development especially associated with ICT, was given a vent in 1984 by Rajiv Gandhi government. He adopted an effective route to development with massive programme of computerization, launched in the public sectors as well as in commercial and the public sectors undertakings and in administrative departments. By 1985, large sectors had announced computerization plans, which included railways, banking operations, schools etc.
Information & Communication Technology can be broadly viewed under two sectors,
♤ Information Technology and
♤ Communication
In 1998, National Task Force on Information Technology and Software Development prepared the blue print for making the adoption of IT as a national movement by establishing a wide network of empowered taskforce at all governmental & non-governmental level.
In 1999, the Ministry of Information Technology was established by bringing together government agencies involved in different aspects of IT for creating job to harness opportunities provided by convergence of communication technologies and to facilitate the use of IT in use of Electronic Governance.
ICT generates new possibilities to address problems of rural poverty, inequality and environmental degradation. In India, the growth of information technology and communications is very significant in the past two decades. IT Industry in India comprises of software industry and information technology enabled services [ITES] which also includes BPO industry.
India is considered as a pioneer in software development and a favorite destination for IT- enabled services (ITES). Many other countries look to India as a model for global outsourcing and try to imitate elements of this is their own strategies.
The Government of India and respective state government in India use ICT for delivery of government information and services to citizens (G2C), business [G2B], employees [G2E], and governments [G2G]. The Government of India initiated an e-government programme during the late 1990's by adopting the Information Technology Act in 2000. The major aims of this Act were to recognize electronic contracts, prevent computer crimes and make electronic filing possible. Later in 2006, Government approved the National e governance Plan [NeGP) to enhance e government initiatives in India. Almost all state governments and UTs have also implemented their own e government services to serve their citizens and business. Some of the prominent services include "Bhoomi" from Karnataka, "Gyandoot" from MP, "Smart government" from Andhra Pradesh, "SARI" from Tamil Nadu.