India and Information Technology: A Historical & Critical Perspective

Abstract

This article uses a historical and critical perspective to analyze the growth of India's IT industry. India's quest for technology development in the pre- and post independent period of its history is analyzed. Its history, colonial past, culture, entrepreneurship climate, educational facilities and IT diffusion are all examined within this umbrella. The study uses historical data starting from the turn of the twentieth century as it tries to identify the factors and then go beyond those factors to understand the strong historical and cultural roots that have affected the gradual 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.