LET US NOURISH IT

LET US NOURISH IT
FUEL FOR BANGALORE’S GROWTH
The Times of India


The power-packed panel comprising top IT and non-IT execs at the Times of India panel discussion on Monday, has brushed aside the argument that IT has been receiving undue importance from governments.
IT, all felt, keeps the city and most of its other businesses kicking and growing. Many argued that IT had got Bangalore and India an address in the global market.
There was a consensus across bigwigs from the industry domains like liquor, aviation, realty and IT.
"It's not the monuments of Delhi that have taken India's reputation to where it is, but Bangalore's IT. We must massage what's good,'' says Vijay Rekhi, president, McDowell & Co. IT has been an amazing growth driver for the city. It has also grown a large ancillary industry around it, with realty being one of the key ones. "Any slump in IT will have a direct impact on my business. In fact, people in construction are worried about that,'' points out Irfan Razack, CMD of real estate development group Prestige.
"It's IT that branded Bangalore and put it on the global map. What other industry would have done that to the city?'' asks brand expert Harish Bijoor.
Air Deccan MD Capt G R Gopinath and BCIC president Venkat Kedlaya say there is no harm in the government promoting IT growth. However, the government should not rest on the success of the sector; IT has to be channelled to fuel the growth of other businesses in the state.
Speaking for the industry, Infosys director (HR) T V Mohandas Pai says the industry has not got anything out of its way, no special incentives. "We are in a sunrise industry. So there's a tax benefit. That's one great thing the government has done in the past 50
years. We pay all our taxes, and collections from these are huge. Many other industries have taken shape and flourished in Bangalore, thanks to IT," he adds.