Lok Sabha Question No. 1596 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2024-07-31
Subject: Growth of IT Industry
Ministry: ELECTRONICS AND INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY
Asked by: Shri Rajesh Verma

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF ELECTRONICS  ANDINFORMATION TECHNOLOGY

## LOKSABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.  1596

TO BE ANSWERED ON: 31.07.2024

## GROWTH OF IT INDUSTRY

## 1596. SHRI RAJESH VERMA:

Will the Minister of ELECTRONICS AND INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY be pleased to state:

- (a) whether the Government has taken any key initiatives to promote the growth of the IT industry in the country;
- (b) whether India is the major exporter of IT services in the world;
- (c) if so, the details thereof;
- (d) the details of the key achievements of the Government during the last decade in the field of expanding digital infrastructure including broad band connectivity, mobile networks and data centres;
- (e) the details of the National Optical Fibre Network (NOFN) project undertaken by the Government; and
- (f) the manner in which it will benefit the connectivity in the country, particularly in the rural areas?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF STATE FOR ELECTRONICS AND INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY (SHRI JITIN PRASADA)

(a) to (f): The Government has come up with various initiatives to promote Information Technology (IT)/ IT enabled Services (ITeS) industry across the country which include setting up of 65 centres of Software Technology Parks of India, 100% Foreign Direct Investment (FDI), BPO Promotion Schemes for small towns/cities,  National  Policy  on  Software  Products-2019  (NPSP  2019),  various  skill  development program  through  52  centres  of  National  Institute  of  Electronics  &  Information  Technology  (NIELIT), FutureSkills  PRIME  for  re-skilling/  up-skilling  of  IT  professionals,  promotion  of  Start-up  ecosystem through Technology Incubation and Development of Entrepreneurs (TIDE 2.0), Startup Accelerator of MeitY  for  Product  Innovation,  Development,  and  Growth  (SAMRIDH),  Domain  Specific  Centres  of Excellence (CoEs), Gen-Next Support for Innovative Startups (GENESIS)etc.

As  per  National  Association  of  Software  and  Services  Companies  (NASSCOM),  India's  technology industry revenue is estimated to reach $254 Bn in FY2023-24 including exports of around $200 Bn.

As per telecom subscription data as on 31 st May, 2024, there are 116.895 Crore wireless subscribers and 93.513  Crore  broadband  subscribers.  As  per  report  by  JLL  Research,  data  centre  industry  in  India  is expanding and has an installed data centre capacity of 854 MW in 2023.

As per Department of Telecommunication, BharatNet (earlier known as National Optical Fibre Network) project  is  being  implemented  in  a  phased  manner  to  provide  broadband  connectivity  to  all  the  Gram Panchayat  (GPs)  and  villages.  The  infrastructure  created  under  BharatNet  project  is  a  national  asset, accessible on a non-discriminatory basis to the Service Providers, and the same can be utilized to provide broadband services, such as Wi-Fi Hotspots, Fibre to the Home (FTTH) connections, leased lines, dark fibre,  backhaul  to  mobile  towers,  etc.  On  04.08.2023,  the  Union  Cabinet  has  approved  the  Amended BharatNet  Program  ('ABP'),  for  providing  connectivity  to  2,64,554  GPs.  Execution  of  Amended BharatNet  Program  (ABP)  has  already  started;  and  as  of  30.06.2024;2,13,398  GPs  have  been  made service ready under BharatNet project in the country.

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