Proper design of broadband can add 2 per cent to GDP: Sam Pitroda

NEW DELHI: Properly designed broadband can add 1-2 two per cent to gross domestic product of India, adviser to Prime Minister Sam Pitroda on Wednesday said.

"If we properly design broadband...I can assure you that we can add one to two per cent to our GDP," Sam Pitroda, adviser to the PM on public information, infrastructure and innovation, said at an IETE event organised to grant him Honorary Fellowship of the Institution here.

Pitroda added that fixing infrastructure issues namely transport, power and broadband can lead to up to 14 per cent GDP growth.

"The problem of poor can be only addressed if the countries growth is in double digit," he said.

Pitroda said in second era of telecom revolution around broadband, people need to change their mindset in using and adopt changes of new generation.

"Broadband is not only about connectivity bandwidth of application, it is about change in mindset, creating new paradigm, new busines model, products, services and delivery system," he said.

He mentioned that everything done today is being done in obsolete manner as it be done in better, faster and cheaper manner.

Citing example of change, Pitroda said that in education things have changed from the way it happened 60 years ago.

"I was told to focus but children today do not focus. They mutlitask. I have seen kids watching TV, listening to radio, sending sms, be on laptop still do their homework," Pitroda said.