Multimedia 12 of 15

Sam Pitroda IDRC Photos: tecklesphoto.com

 

 

Advances in information and communication technologies have transformed India, giving rise to “a great deal of confidence, global respect, recognition, and a large talent pool,” said Sam Pitroda during a public lecture at IDRC’s head office in Ottawa on September 16.

 

“As we look to the future we realize that we need talented people. If we are to continue this growth we need to focus on education and knowledge,” said Pitroda. “We really don’t have enough skill sets available in the country, in spite of the fact that we have 550 million people below the age of 25.”

 

To address these gaps, the Indian government created the National Knowledge Commission in 2005, which Pitroda heads. The commission advises the prime minister, guides policy, and identifies the institutions and infrastructures India will need to transform itself into a knowledge society.

 

Pitroda, an internationally respected inventor, entrepreneur, and policymaker, has spent four decades working to bridge the global digital divide. He was recently named head of India’s National Information Highway Authority, the agency that coordinates and expands such online government activities as e-learning and e-health.

 

In the 1980s, as an advisor to Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi, Pitroda helped lay the foundation for India’s telecommunications revolution. His efforts brought telephones to some of the world’s most isolated regions. He holds close to 100 global patents and has published and lectured widely in the United States, Europe, and Asia.

 

The India Lectures highlight the wealth of eminent thinkers and stimulating ideas emanating from this rising global power. The series marks the 25^th anniversary of IDRC’s regional office in New Delhi and celebrates IDRC’s enduring and valued collaboration with its Indian research partners.

Multimedia 12 of 15