Broadband revolution in the offing

Mumbai: Even as India is stepping into a future, which is poised to be digital across all platforms, a lot of questions face the media and entertainment industry. For starters questions like does India have the talent pool for digital content creation? Are the digital platforms able enough? In which year will digital content see a boom in India? Addressing the industry at the ASSOCHAM Focus conference in New Delhi, Planning Commission member secretary Raajeva Ratna Shah disclosed the 11th Five Year plan for 2008-2012. The plan is in keeping with digital content production and distribution in India. Shah said, "The government along with Nasscom and private industry associates will set up 20 IIIT's (Indian Institute of Information Technology) in various parts of the country for which the Planning Commission has already made a provision of Rs 100 crores. The government will ensure broadband accessibility to almost every citizen in countryside, covering 97% of its geographical area by 2012." Elaborating further on the IIITs, Shah said, "Relevant industry associates have to come forward with a blueprint. The government will not encourage any particular industrial house to take initiative for setting up IIITs. The industry associations having a clear cut vision of such institutions would be entitled to receive a part of allocations out of Rs 100 crores in which education would be imparted for skill contents relating to nano IT/computing content, bio- IT/computing content, information security, telemedicine, telebanking and finance." Source: i4d and Business of Cinema

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