{"id":4908,"date":"2015-02-24T05:25:02","date_gmt":"2015-02-24T05:25:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.digitalcreed.in\/?p=1366"},"modified":"2015-02-24T05:25:02","modified_gmt":"2015-02-24T05:25:02","slug":"what-i-learned-at-nasscom-india-leadership-forum-2015-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.digitalcreed.in\/what-i-learned-at-nasscom-india-leadership-forum-2015-2\/","title":{"rendered":"What I learned at NASSCOM India Leadership Forum 2015"},"content":{"rendered":"
<\/a>As a journalist, I’ve been attending the NASSCOM India Leadership forum (NILF) for many years. I have fond memories of the early editions with the late Dewang Mehta exuding his charm and suave, and with enthusiastic audiences holding on to his every word. After filing our stories in the media room, we’d later unwind at the fashion show, which was conducted by the National Institute of Fashion\u00a0Design, and at the networking after-party. But with the passing away of Dewangji, the event gradually began to lose fizz. NASSCOM saw a series of changes at the top. And each Chairman and President left his own unique mark on this illustrious institution. However, I did see a big change at this year’s event.<\/p>\n Before I go on, let’s not forget that NASSCOM has done some extremely commendable work for the India IT-BPM and services industry.<\/p>\n To quote figures from a NASSCOM press release: The IT industry in India contributes 9.5% to the national GDP, by far the highest among industries. It is also the largest employer in the sector, and created 3.5 million jobs; it employs 2,30,000 people every year. More than 1.2 million IT-BPM workers are women, so the industry is an ardent promoter of diversity. And it holds the largest share in total services exports revenue, in excess of 38 percent. It is a leading global sourcing destination with a global market share of 55 percent. There are over 3,100 startup companies here, making India the fourth largest startup hub in the world. And India attracts PE\/VC investment, which has grown 53% year-on-year, amounting to USD 6 billion in investment.<\/p>\n In the early days, the late Dewangji ran from pillar to post lobbying for the causes of the industry. and he was once rebuked\u00a0though not discouraged: a government babu<\/em> told him, “You industry is smaller than the bucket industry in India!”<\/p>\n I distinctly remember NASSCOM talking about industry targets of $50 billion within a period of 8 – 10 years. That was in the 90s. Today, \u00a0we can achieve $50 billion much sooner! Aggregate industry revenues for 2015 are estimated to grow at 13 percent at $146 billion. The export revenue is expected to grow at 13 percent to reach $100 billion revenues. After factoring in currency shifts and economic challenges (to the tune of 0.8 percent), growth is estimated to be 12.3 percent.<\/p>\n The IT industry has won deep respect from the Indian government. Globally, India is considered the leading IT outsourcing destination. And India’s IT success story has been written about in books like The World is Flat<\/em> authored by Thomas Friedman.<\/p>\n NILF 2015<\/strong><\/p>\n That said, I would now like to tell you about my experiences at NILF this year. As journalists, our NILF experience begins with a press conference a day before the NASSCOM show. It is called the NASSCOM Strategic Review. A report is released and the media is briefed about the industry’s performance during the year. The NASSCOM executive committee members also offer their guidance for the next financial year. And you can read my report about this briefing here<\/a>.<\/p>\n This year I saw a marked improvement in various areas. Great speakers, big brands, good content, and world-class event management\/production. I also noticed many international visitors.<\/p>\n This year NASSCOM introduced the Digital Experience Zone<\/strong>, which showcases the latest products and technologies from NASSCOM members. I think this was a highlight of the event. And it was nice talking to some of the startups about their innovations. Perhaps NASSCOM could build on this a bit more and with the\u00a0help of Mr. Ravi Gururaj and his team from NASSCOM 10,000 Startups (they have a separate show in October called the NASSCOM Product Enclave).<\/p>\n