INDIA AND INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY: A HISTORICAL & CRITICAL PERSPECTIVE

Ramesh Subramanian

This study uses a historical and critical perspective to analyze India’s quest for technology development in the pre and post independent periods of its history. Its history, colonial past, culture, entrepreneurship climate, educational facilities and IT diffusion are examined. The study uses historical data from the turn of the twentieth century as it tries to identify the factors and go beyond to understand the strong historical and cultural roots that have affected the evolution of the IT industry in India. The study shows that India's current position is a result of almost eight decades of sustained efforts by its political leaders and intelligentsia – aided by social, cultural, and historical factors that have driven public policy – to build a strong technology-infrastructure and to achieve self-reliance.