COMPUTER PENETRATION IN INDIA
In India the number of computers procured is more than that in the US, but only 30% of Indians know the use of computers.
The development of computer and information technology has scaled tremendous heights. But, more than science and technology and anything else, the poor people need food, water and electricity. The level of technical expertise available in India is increasing now at a high rate like US and other developed countries. It has been found that the total number of computers procured in India is high but the only the 30% of Indians are computer literate. There can be many interesting answers to this question.
A-In India we need more computers as we have started computer literacy programmes.
B-Perhaps people of the US are already having much computers so they don’t need to buy again.
C-Also the price of computers is much lower in India than that in USA.
There can be many factors that play a major role in the Indian context. Let us take into account the following few:
1-The literacy factor :
The primary information to analyze the problem is literacy. The literacy percentage is 75% expected in 2007 whereas the US is having a literacy of more than 99%. Nearly 70% of Indians living in villages have no computer knowledge. When the matter of computer literacy directed towards the world, then the result is really disheartening. The no of PCs around the world is 670million now and expected to reach 1.2billion by 2010, which is still very low for a population of 6,606,776,673. (World population at: 1:23pm, July 22, 2007)
2-The population factor :
About 70% of the Indian population lives in rural and in backward regions where there is poverty and lack of suitable living conditions. The per capita income of India ($831) is merely 3.3% of USA. The per capita GDP is also far behind at 8.6% of USA. Further most of our people depend on agriculture and similar business for their earnings as a result they don’t feel it is necessary to use computer in their life.
3-The investment factor :
The capital investment required providing knowledge about computer is quite high. Therefore although India’s procuring rate is high but the using rate is quite low. People mainly of tribal and rural regions are not ready to accept it and use it as a part of there life.
4-The market factor :
The U.S software market dominates the Indian software market because it is the world’s largest software market. Software companies are not distributed evenly thoroughly India but are mainly located in a few of our major cites like Bangalore, Hydreabad, Bhopal, Indore and Gwalior Chennai and Kolkata. These centers are focused on innovation and launching new products in the global market.
This information suggests that we need grow very fast to accompany the top countries like USA. Not just by buying some more computers than USA that too negligible for the large population of more than 1.12billions. The works of some companies, NGOs and government regarding computer literacy programme are praiseworthy and commendable like the computer based functional literature (CBFL) by Tata.
As a matter of fact, India is still living in its villages. We need to bring about a revolution in the rural economy by creating economically viable, units and growth engines. We need to open up new horizons with the promise of a better tomorrow. Dr. Kalam rightly said - Transforming rural India is a challenge that should focus the best of Indian minds.
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