Initiatives

Ten Point Agenda

Declared by Hon’ble Minister of Communications and Information Technology,
Thiru. Dayanidhi Maran on 24.05.2006

  DEPARTMENT OF TELECOM

1. Network expansion

• 25 crore connections by the year 2007 & 50 crore connections by the year 2010
  
• Provision of mobile coverage of 85% geographical area by 2007
  
• 45 MHz of additional spectrum from Defence to be made available for growth of mobile services in the beginning of the year 2007.

2. Rural telephony

• One phone per three rural households by the year 2007 (about 5 crore rural connections) and one phone per two rural households by 2010 (about 8 crore rural connections)
  
• Mobile access to all villages with population more than 5,000 by the year 2006 and more than 1,000 by the year 2007

3. Broadband

• Broadband coverage for all secondary and higher secondary schools by the year 2007
  
• Broadband coverage of all public health care centres by the year 2007
  
• Broadband coverage for all Grampanchayats by the year 2010

4. Manufacturing R&D

• Making India a hub for telecom manufacturing by facilitating more and more telecom specific SEZs.
  
• Providing platform for export promotion of telecom equipment and services by setting up Export Promotion Council
  
• FDI of US $2 billion in telecom manufacturing by 2007
  
• A Centre of excellence in telecom technology in PPP mode by 2007. It shall cater to the requirements of South East Asia region also.
  
• Mobile handsets will be made available at a price of about Rs. 1,000 with in one year.

  DEPARTMENT OF INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY

5. E-Governance

• E-Governance initiatives for transparency, accountability and simplification in government procedures
  
• State wide area Network over all the states of the country and one lakh Community Service Centres spread over 6000 blocks.

6. Technology for Indian Languages

• Software tools and fonts in 2 languages - Punjabi and Urdu are ready for release.
  
• 17 other Indian languages are expected to be covered by 2007.

7. Investment Policy to set up Semiconductor Fabrication – ATM and other High-tech industries

• To finalise the policy proposing special package of incentives to boost investment in Semiconductor fabrication, ATM and other high-tech industries.
  
• To make Indian hardware manufacturing industry globally competitive and ensure inflow of investment including FDI etc.

8. Growth of IT Software and ITeS

• To achieve growth of 32 percent in Software and ITeS exports during the year 2006–07.
• A special thrust would be given by DIT to tier 2 and tier 3 cities to ensure equitable growth of this sector and maintain global competitiveness.
• IT and ITeS sector is projected to provide employment to about 2.2 million software professionals by 2008.
  

  DEPARTMENT OF POST

9. Amendment of Indian Post Office Act for restructuring of India Post

• To address needs of competition, convergence and other new developments through various postal reforms.
  
• To reorient future business development with special emphasis on introduction of a Credit & Debit Card for Savings Bank Customers, electronic cash payment gateways & electronic cash on delivery.

10. Any where and Any time Banking

• Full computerization of Post Office savings banks & bringing them online.
  
• Creation of Post Bank to facilitate customers.
  
• Initiating computerization in Extra Departmental Post Offices in Public Private Partnership mode.