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`India must accord top priority to Internet'

Our Bureau

MUMBAI, Dec. 5

INDIA should make the Internet a national priority so that local companies can make achieve e-commerce hypergrowth, Mr John Miner, Vice-President and General Manager of Communications Products Group at Intel Corporation, said.

Speaking at a conference organised by Intel on Tuesday, he said that e-commerce worldwide is expected to grow to $7 trillion in the next four years, with Indian e-commerce transaction value expected to touch over $1.7 billion in 2003, up from $3.5 millio n in 1998.

Mr Miner said that the decisions made today on one's Internet-based business model would have consequences for decades.

``An open architecture creates unlimited possibilities to build the most flexible, scalable, cost-effective and innovative e-business solutions.''

He exhorted businessmen to increase their e-business implementation.

Intel's investments in India during the year 2000 amounted to $100 million, said Mr Avtar Saini, Director, Intel, South Asia, at a news briefing later.

This is ten times the size of last year's investments of $10 million. Investments for the year 2001 would be even higher, Mr Saini added. ``There would certainly be large-scale investments in India.''

Over the next two years, Intel plans to increase the number of engineers at its software development facility in Bangalore to 500 from the current 200.

Intel's plans include the creation of e-business networks in India to enable large, medium and small companies to avail themselves of new business opportunities.

Picture: Mr John Miner, Vice-President and GM, Communication Products Group, Intel Corporation, speaking at the Intel e-business forum in Mumbai on Tuesday.

Picture by Paul Noronha