Ravi Pandit, Chairman and Group CEO, KPIT Cummins Infosystem

 

Ravi Pandit, Chairman and Group CEO, KPIT Cummins Infosystem

 

These are extraordinary times. The world is going through a paradigm shift- global recession, shift in the balance of economic power in the world and a possible increase of India’s role in the emerging world. In addition to this, it would be the first budget of the newly invigorated and inducted government.

 

The government also has several challenges because of the legacy of high deficits so it’s a tight rope walk to deliver much more with constrained resources.

 

Here is what we would like to recommend:

1. Increase in investments in urban and rural areas, but investments with a change from the past. The changes that need to be brought in:

     o Significant usage of technology to plan, execute and monitor infrastructure investment. In addition to this, public participation in investment monitoring through use of web technology also should be invited.

     o Encourage public private partnership to make investment execution more efficient.

 

2. Sharp focus on education. However this too with a twist:

     o Greater use of technology in both classroom and distance education

     o Public and private partnership to increase efficiency of delivering education at school and university levels.

 

3. Short term adjustments to help specific industry to strengthen its global position. E.g. extending STPI benefits for the software industry beyond 2009.

 

We expect Budget 2009 to include positive steps in the above mentioned areas.