Stop looking at IT industry as a cash-cow: Sibal

MUMBAI: Exuding confidence that the IT industry will scale the USD 225-billion mount by 2020, Telecom Minister Kapil Sibal on Tuesday called for the need to look at this sunshine industry differently and not just as a milking cow.

"The IT industry needs to be looked at differently and not as a milking cow, "Sibal said at the inaugural session of the three-day Nasscom India Leadership Forum 2011 that got off here on Tuesday.

The Minister said he is hopeful of the industry growing to the size of USD 225 billion by the turn of 2020 from USD 67 billion at present.

He further said it is about time that we begin to look at the IT sector as empowering the people and the society than as a mere source of good revenue collection.

"So far we have been looking at this industry only in terms of how much tax and revenue we can get. But we need to look at this industry as to how much it can empower the people," Sibal said.

The government plans to connect every taluka with broadband and increase the amount of content with optic fibre soon, he said, adding the USD 35-laptop is going to change both our lives as well as the community.