Government and the industry need to come together: Debjani Ghosh

In a recent past, two words – ‘trust deficit’ and ‘failure of PPP’ – were frequently used for government and its relationship with the India Inc., however with renewed focus on technology to improve social and physical infrastructure, things are changing now. In an exclusive interview, Debjani Ghosh, Vice President, Sales and Marketing Group, Managing Director, South Asia, Intel tells EC’s Mohd Ujaley that government and the industry need to come together and collaborate through robust public private partnerships like never before. “The good news is that the industry is extremely willing to play a role and a strong PPP framework with clear expectations will help channelise that energy and enthusiasm into real action,” she said, adding that industry can help not only create the solutions needed for the digitisation of India, but also in building the skill-sets and talent needed to create a sustainable change.

Connecting the length and the breadth of the country under the Digital India programme seems to an extremely bold and bodacious task. What role do you see private sector playing in this?
The Digitisation of India is a must for development. India cannot develop without inclusive growth – where every citizen has access to the basics like education, healthcare, financial services etc. And the only way that can be done is by digitising India and leveraging technology to close the last mile gap. So, yes, it’s a very bold vision, but also a must do for India. And it cannot happen without a very effective public private partnership. To fully realise the potential of this vision, the Government and the industry need to come together and collaborate through robust public private partnerships like never before. The good news is that the industry is extremely willing to play a role and a strong PPP framework with clear expectations will help channelise that energy and enthusiasm into real action. Industry can help not only create the solutions needed for the digitisation of India, but also in building the skill-sets and talent needed to create a sustainable change.

For instance at Intel we have picked up ‘Skills and Innovation’ as two areas where our strengths lie, and where we can contribute effectively towards the realisation of the Digital India. Intel has been working with the government and ecosystem to scale digital literacy throughout the nation under our Digital Skills for India initiative. We are now taking the same Public Private Partnership approach to help increase technology adoption in India and have collaborated with the Department of Science and Technology to launch the Intel & DST – Innovate for Digital India Challenge.

In a recent article, Former Chairman of TRAI, Rahul Khullar argued that ‘Digital India is not doable by 2019’. Do you agree that the programme is little over ambitious?
Nothing about a country as large and diverse as India is going to be easy. That should encourage and challenge us even more to think out of the box and find innovative solutions to the problems. As I said before, if India has to get back on a sustainable growth track, it needs inclusive development and that will not happen without technology. So we need to collectively figure out how to make Digital India a success. With respect to its deployment, the Government needs to act fast to drive policy level reforms that will make it easier for industry to execute on the key projects.

One of the main obstacles to industry participation is the archaic procurement processes in place.  We urgently need these to change to enable a solution led deployment and transparent processes. Another industry ask that will speed up execution is for a one point Digital India Program Office that will work across central and state government departments to drive execution.
Yes the Digital India vision is a bold and complex vision, however it has to be done and can be done with the right structural reforms in policies and processes to increase ease of business.

As we understand, Digital India is not new. It is an amalgamation of three ongoing programs: the National Optical Fibre Network (NOFN), the National Knowledge Network and the e-governance initiative. Isn’t it a challenging task to get going, given the fact that NOFN and NKN have many issues?
The legacy programs that are a part of Digital India come with their sets of advantages and disadvantages. The good thing is that the current government has a fresh pair of eyes and is finding new solutions for old problems. Also they are much more open to taking inputs from the industry on how we can overcome the barriers that had earlier slowed down some of these programs in the first place. Bringing about the right structural and policy changes and putting in place a framework for fostering healthy Public Private Partnerships will ensure the realisation of the Digital India vision in a timely manner.

Intel has been working with the Government on a number of projects, some of which are concerned in improving the reach of education in the country. Are you satisfied with the performance of these education related projects?
Yes, absolutely we are very satisfied with the performance of these projects and with the impact that they’ve delivered in the country. Education is the most powerful tool we have for unlocking economic opportunity and building a successful future.

Since 1999, Intel has been directly involved in providing young people with access to technology and education across India. Aligning with national priorities, Intel has been working towards faster, more inclusive and sustainable growth, by accelerating digital access, promoting quality learning, and advancing innovation and entrepreneurship. This year marks the 15th anniversary of Intel’s education initiatives in India and the success of each of our endeavours in bringing about technology enabled transformation through education has reiterated our commitment in strengthening our offerings year after year.

The industry can work actively on transforming the education landscape in the country by collaborating closely with the academia in defining and shaping curriculum development and the research agenda for the nation. Not only will this ensure that the education system is geared towards contributing to the nation’s development agenda but it will also create a globally competitive skilled workforce.

With Make in India program, the Government of India is looking at making India a global manufacturing hub, on the lines of China. Do you think this is possible in the current set-up?
Even though, ‘Make in India’ program is steadily working towards transforming India into a global manufacturing hub, we still need to collectively work towards developing the whole ecosystem to accelerate this growth. There have been some remarkable steps towards this direction by the Government, from allowing more FDI in various sectors to doing away with the inverted duty structure for several products, the government is continuously working towards opening avenues for manufacturers to invest in the Indian market.

However, to accelerate the pace of India’s transformation into a global manufacturing hub, we need to address some basics first. We have to create a culture of driving innovation that’s focused on solving India’s problems. In order for Make in India to succeed, we should equally promote both Design in India and Innovate in India. A lot of electronic manufacturers are willing to manufacture in India and this will definitely fructify if Digital India succeeds and thus the success of Make in India and Digital India are interdependent on each other.

Besides that the Government still needs to bring forth some critical tax reforms, increase ease-of-doing business in India and ensure that there are no infrastructural bottlenecks hindering the progress of this transformation. If we can ensure that the positive momentum keeps pace, the industry and the government work together to remove hindrances, we will succeed in making India a global manufacturing hub.

What is your advice for companies considering India as a potential investment destination?
IMF Chief Christine Lagarde recently said that, among emerging economies, if there is any growth, it is in India. She mentioned that India is among the few bright spots in the global economy. Such positive outlook about India’s economy showcases the trust that the developed economies have in the investment opportunities that India presents to the world.

With its favorable banking regulations, affordable skilled labour and a rise in purchasing power, India is fast becoming one of the most attractive investment destinations in the world. Conducive government agendas like Digital India and Make in India have also been pivotal in steering investments, infrastructure development, employment generation as well as financial inclusion, thereby emerging as one of the most transformational initiatives to augment India’s economic development. With such encouraging business opportunities, India looks poised to enter a secular growth phase in the coming years.