The $50b Pai-Naidu Plan: too much, too late

Bengaluru: A group that was set up six mon­ths ago to recommend ways to spur the growth of information and communication technology in Karnataka has come out with a report that does what the government itself has never done: panel chair T.V. Mohandas Pai and co-chair B.V. Naidu have made a co­m­prehensive development plan for the state, including investments that need to be made in basic infrastructure and ame­n­ities – water, roads, power – over the next 15 years, along with the nuts-and-bolts of how to go about it. If the state did all that, the panel says, state could become the “undisputed global leader in ICT”.
There are just two small problems: It was already too late for the BJP gov­e­rnment six months ago to be setting up a panel of this nature after ha­ving spent four years in inte­rn­ecine political warfare. Now, it is hea­ding for the exit. Two, the plan re­quires Rs 2,50,000 crore (approx. $50 billion) of investments in basics – this at a time when the government and BBMP are struggling to find even Rs 10,000 crore to do up city’s roads!       
Another plan to drive IT city into the future
The Karnataka ICT Group 2020 (KIG), set up six months ago under the chairmanship of Mr T.V. Mohandas Pai and co-chairmanship of Mr B.V. Naidu, presented a detailed report on Tuesday to Chief Minister Jagadish Shettar with recommendations and a framework that is expected to take Karnataka to a position of  “undisputed global leadership in information and communication technology (ICT)” by 2020.
“We have done a lot of work and presented the recommendations with specific numbers on investments to be made, methodologies to be adopted and a framework with targets, and initiatives to be taken up by the State government”, said Mr Mohandas Pai. “Bengaluru alone will require Rs 2,50,000 crore of investments from the government over the next 15 years for its water, roads and power requirements, including 250 kms of Metro covering the length and breadth of the city” said Mr Pai, when asked about how much the government would be required to invest to make the KIG proposal work.
The KIG recommendations include a plan for continuing the growth of the Rs 1,35,000 crore ICT industry along four major dimensions, said co-chair Mr B.V. Naidu.  These are: Innovation and IP creation; increased entrepreneurship; creating eco-friendly integrated infrastructure; and re-branding Tier 2 & 3 cities as Emerging ICT cities.
Stating that this is the first time that such a comprehensive report has been drafted, Mr Naidu said, “The report targets three major goals to be achieved by 2020. First, take the ICT industry revenues from the current Rs 1,35,000 crore to Rs 4,00,000 crore; second, take direct employment generated by the ICT industry from 8,30,000 to 20,40,000; and last, help incubate 1,000 start-ups”.