Rural India needs a tech shot

Sanjay K Panigrahi CEO, Srei Sahaj e-Village LTD, speaks at the HT Conclave in Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh.

Information technology may conjure up images of online shopping, couriers and several other facilities in the minds of the urban populace.

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But for rural communities it implies a great saving of time and wearying travel for simple services, like getting train tickets or any kind of certificate, pointed out Sanjay Kumar Panigrahi founder and CEO of Srei Sahaj e-Village Limited, while emphasisng the need for the state to take IT to its villages.

"From data collection to skill development; and from citizen-centric service to education-IT means empowerment for rural masses. And so, its requirement can't be overlooked in rural UP," he said.

Srei Sahaj e-Village has made an effort to bridge this IT deficit in rural India by establishing nearly 28,000 common service centres (CSCs) in UP, Assam, Bihar, Odisha, Tamil Nadu, and West Bengal under the central governemnt's National e-governance Plan, of which 6,000 are in the state.