NASSCOM LAUNCHED THE “INNOVATE FOR INDIA CHALLENGE

NASSCOM LAUNCHED THE “INNOVATE FOR INDIA CHALLENGE”

Delhi, 4 March, 2015 - In a significant endorsement to the Indian IT-BPM industry‟s glorious journey over the past two decades, Hon’ble Prime Minister Shri. Narendra Modi today joined the National Association of Software and Services Companies(NASSCOM) in its ceremony marking the silver jubilee celebrations of the industry. Union Minister for Communications and Information Technology, Sh. Ravi Shankar Prasad and Minister of State for Finance Sh. Jayant Sinha, also joined the occasion along with IT-BPM industry stalwarts to envision the future of the industry and maximize its contribution to the growth of the Indian economy.

NASSCOM SPECIAL AWARDS WINERS :

• Awards to NASSCOM founding members – Harish Mehta, Ashank Desai, KV Ramani, Saurabh Srivastava
• Game Changers – N Vittal, Former Secretary- IT, Chief Vigilance Commissioner, Late Sh. Dewang Mehta
• Leading IT Company for 25 years – Tata Consultancy Services
• Entrepreneur who shaped the industry – N R Narayana Murthy
• Corporate Citizen – Azim Premji
• NextGen Entrepreneurs - Naveen Tiwari (InMobi), Kunal Bahl (Snapdeal), Ambiga Dhiraj & Vijay Shekhar Sharma (One97 Communications)

On the occasion, Prime Minister also facilitated NASSCOM‟s founding members and select individuals for their outstanding contribution in shaping NASSCOM and the industry over the past 25 years. The event was marked by in-depth insights of industry leaders with Shri. Ravishankar Prasad and Shri Jayant Sinha on the Union Budget 2015 highlighting the growth opportunities for the industry while discussing suggestions for implementation of policy matters, concerns on proposed provisions and issues to be addressed.

To mark the completion of 25 years and engage the citizens of the country to build solutions for India‟s challenges, NASSCOM launched the “The Innovate for India Challenge”. The initiative aims to enable India to become a country with the highest number of innovative ideas for the common people. The challenge will catalyze innovation, inspire the youth and help communicate the right solutions that will be channelized for adoption by government and corporates.

Speaking on the occasion, Hon’ble Prime Minister Shri. Narendra Modi said, “The IT industry in India has come a long way and NASSCOM has been at the core of this journey. According to me NASSCOM isn‟t just an organisation but a revolution, and I congratulate NASSCOM and the industry in playing a vital role in making India a technology powerhouse. However, times are constantly changing, and as we look ahead at the next 25 years, we all recognize that the future will be very different. Far reaching impacts of technology, the digital native workforce, the changing customer expectations and the burgeoning start-up revolution, will all ensure that the next technological revolutionary product will emerge from India. I am sure NASSCOM and the IT Industry will continue to spearhead this movement.”

Union Minister for Communications and Information Technology, Sh. Ravi Shankar Prasad said, “It is truly a momentous occasion for NASSCOM and I am honoured to join the Prime Minister to celebrate its successful journey over the last 25 years of NASSCOM. The IT-BPM sector and NASSCOM have played a vital role in creating a phenomenal impact on the Indian economy by evangelizing the aspiration of the youth in the country, demonstrating India‟s intellectual ability and entrepreneurship capability globally. I am positive that with NASSCOM‟s continued guidance and Industry‟s contribution towards government initiatives like Digital India, Make in India and Skill India, we will successfully build a renewed „Brand India‟ and take the industry to greater heights.”

This initiative by NASSCOM and the government will leverage innovation on a large scale and enable technology innovations to address India‟s untapped potential. The expansive vision that the government has chalked out, be it Make in India, Digital India, 100 Smart Cities, Skilling India, Digital literacy, Jan Dhan Yojna and the likes, all have IT at the core. The advancement in technology will continue to bind India‟s future and achieve audacious goals to change the world for the better. This is an opportune moment for the industry to work collaboratively with the government and assist in nation-building towards realizing the digital India dream.