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Budget2016 Digital india - read breaking and trending Budget2016 news, stories, headlines. Business insider India is providing latest, handpicked stories related to the Digital india category.

Budget2016 Digital india - read latest and trending Budget2016 news and headlines

<a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=ravishankar+prasad">Ravishankar Prasad</a>, Union Minister for Communications and Information Technology, while addressing a sectoral seminar on opportunities in Electronics and Information Technology during the <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=make+in+india+week">Make in India week</a>, said that the government is implementing its <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=digital+india">Digital India</a> programme with a vision to transform India both into a digital society and a knowledge economy. 
 
Prasad also added that the demand of electronic hardware is expected to rise rapidly to $ 400 billion by 2020 giving India the potential to become an electronic manufacturing hub. 
 
Additionally, he explained that the <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=narendra+modi">Narendra Modi</a> government attaches utmost priority to promote the manufacturing of electronics in the country, which is also a sacrosanct pillar of the Digital India initiative. 
 
He concluded his speech by announcing that the target is to achieve net zero imports by 2020 by creating a level playing field and providing an apt environment for the industry. He added that a robust policy system and a friendly government are already in place in the country and appealed to investors to invest in the country. 
 
Image credit: Indiatimes

With Digital India initiative, government aims to transform country into a knowledge economy: Ravishankar Prasad

As part of Digital India initiative, railways has made e-auction mandatory for scrap auction, even as it made over Rs 3,000 crore from such sales in last fiscal. 
 
"We have switched over to 100% e-auction for sale of scrap. The e-auction has fetched above Rs 3,000 crore revenue in 2014-15," said a senior Railway Ministry official. E-auction has enabled prospective scrap purchasers to bid simultaneously on an all-India basis with digital e-payment facility.

	 
	Before making the e-auction mandatory, a pilot project was commissioned by the Southern Railway to sell scrap via online process. "Some lacunae were found in the e-auction which were addressed before opting for full-fledged e-auction," said the official.

	Railways sells thousands of tonnes of scrap, including about 15,000 wagons, 1,200 coaches, 80 to 100 locomotives, every year through public auction. Earlier practice was to sell scrap in open auction in the presence of concerned officials but the role of the mafia could not be ruled out.

	"After the introduction of e-auction not only the role of the mafia was eliminated but it has also brought complete transparency in the entire scrap trade," said the official.Encouraged by the response, e-auction is now proposed to be used for leasing of parcels and other commercials contracts also.

	Railways has also started paperless settlement of tenders by enlarging the scope of e-procurement. As per the new policy, now any procurement above Rs one lakh will be carried through e-procurement system. 
	 
	Image credit: Indiatimes

Under PM Modi's Digital India initiative, Indian Railways fetches Rs 3,000 crore from scrap e-auction

Prime Minister <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=narendra+modi">Narendra Modi </a>flagged off the <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=digital+india">Digital India</a> Initiative on July 1 last year, with the aim to make all citizens of the country digitally literate and bring e-governance and internet to all sections of the society. 
 
Additionally, it also aimed at inclusive growth of electronic services, products, manufacturing, job opportunities, etc. 
 
Thus, the vision of Digital India was centred on three key areas- 
 
-Digital infrastructure as a utility to every citizen. 
- Governance and services on demand 
-Digital empowerment of citizens. 
 
He also promised investments to the tune of Rs 4.5 lakh crore which would as a result add 1.8 million more jobs. 
 
A host of global investors also lent their unending support. Be it, Facebook’s <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=mark+zuckerberg">Mark Zuckerberg</a> or Microsoft’s Satya Nadella, everyone rallied behind Modi’s vision of a digitally connected India. 
 
Granted that TRAI’s recent ruling against Mark Zuckerberg’s Free Basics is indeed a huge win for Digital India, but that is definitely not enough. 
 
As it turns out, Digital India has a long way to go and a lot of hurdles to cross, which we hope would be addressed in Union Budget 2016. 
But, until then here’s a look at the two main hurdles facing Digital India- 
 
1. Broadband penetration in India 
 
Broadband penetration has always been a prime concern, considering how India is down the slippery slopes when it comes to this aspect. 
Additionally, The State of Broadband Report which was released by the UN Broadband Commission in October last year stated that India ranked 131 out of 189 countries on fixed-broadband subscriptions on 2014. The fact that it is a drop from the 15th rank a year before is an added worry. 
 
Then there’s India ranking 80 among 133 developing countries on percentage of internet in 2014 with a 15.3 percent penetration, which clearly proves that the need of the hour is to ensure that there is an increase in the online representation in India, a country with high linguistic diversity. 
 
 
 
2. Rural connectivity: 
 
The government has been trying to improve rural connectivity with the aim to connect about 2.5 lakh village panchayats by the end of this year. 
 
Taking broadband to such areas is going to be a tough task considering there needs to be special value-added services, questions raised on quality of services and if the lines will be laid down effectively. 
 
The fact that the total number of broadband-enabled households is a little over than 1.5 crore is no good news, considering that it translates to a penetration rate of mere 5 percent. 
 
Another major setback when it comes to fixed broadband is the fact that a low budget phone is way cheaper than a computer and even though government-run cyber cafes and post offices for e-services are a great solution, but it’s important to keep in mind that most of these villages are struggling with frequent power cuts. 
 
Thus, for the government to step up this numbers in such a short span of time is nothing short of a herculean task. 
 
The question thus is- Will the government be able to solve these hurdles in <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=budget+2016">Budget 2016</a>? 
 
Image credit: Indiatimes

Will the government solve these two hurdles facing
Digital India in Budget 2016?

Come February and the countdown to budget begins. With it every sector, big, medium and small, becomes busy preparing their report cards, going again and again over every minute detail with the hope that this year would bring good news. While some will be happy with their balance sheets, others will be filled with despair. And, then there are some who might put up a rosy picture out there but if you dissect it and examine, you will be filled with surprises. One such sector is the Technology sector. If the necessary is not done, this sector would face one of its greatest downfalls in the market soon. Irony is this is the age of technology.
 

	Though India is the top most software outsourcing nation in the world, when it comes to hardware manufacturing the performance is dismal. And, since we still import spare parts, the device costs increase too. Bhaskar Choudhuri, Marketing Director (India and South Asia), Lenovo talks about the problems and the expectations of the sector from Budget 2016
 

	Tax breaks- When we are looking at the whole Digital Literacy programme run by the government, one thinks about accessibility before anything else. Favourable tax breaks will allow the device to be far more accessible to the lower end of the population strata. Considering that India has the worst PC penetration among the BRICS nation, this step would increase PC penetration among the tier –III cities.
 

	Manufacturing in India- A favourable budget should be there to promote manufacturing in India. A favourable budget is mainly focussed on tax benefits one gets from manufacturing. 
 

	So, do we see a large scale PC manufacturing happening in India anytime soon with a good budget?
 

	“Favourable budget would incur a lot of inducement for us to manufacture, for sure. 2016 would be a year of PC revival to an extent,” he added.
 

	Hardware Manufacturing- Startups will play a major role for the growth of hardware manufacturing in India. 
 

	“We are an assembling nation, not a manufacturing nation. We shouldn’t be positioning us as a cheap labour nation.”
 

	The main question which the government should focus on is ‘How much are you investing in local innovation because otherwise you are inducing a local firm to set up in India?’ 
 

	India has the brains. One just needs to promote the local talent for the right growth of this sector. Proper fund allocation for hardware manufacturing start-ups will make the ball roll.
 

	Budget for R&amp;D- This is the most underserved demand in every budget so far. And, brain drain from the country is the result.
 

	It is high time the government stops ignoring the factors that would become the focal points of its growth in the future. Will Modi government’s first budget be a game changer for this industry?

	 
	 
	(Image credits: indiatimes)

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