2 bn Y2K business projected

quot;We are just six months away from Y2K bomb and we have to quickly act not only to be compliant but also get enough time to test the compliance status,quot; Mehta said.

NASSCOM, the apex body of computer software and services driven IT industry in India, said in government departments such as power, aviation, telecom and railways more work on Y2K needs to be done and it is necessary to ensure that they continue to deliver undisrrupted services in the year 2000.

quot;Banks and finance sector has already been able to achieve high Y2K compliance and are expected to be 95 per cent Y2K compliant by June 1999,quot; he said.

Meanwhile, NASSCOM today sought an early policy decision from the Government on establishment of call centres and said India had the potential to earn over Rs 81,000 crore through this business by 2008.

quot;There is an immediate need to simplify procedures as well as take a policy decision on setting up of call centres. This would also require providing reliable communication infrastructure in India at globally competitive rates and change in DoT policy,quot; told reporters.

With the setting up of call centres in the country, India had the potential to earn revenue of over Rs 81,000 crore and create an additional one million jobs in this sector by 2008, Mehta said.

Call centres are the new and growing opportunities for India and IT enabled services have become the new mantra in the Indian industry, he said.

There is an immediate need to push IT enabled services in India to provide global parity in telecom infrastructure and for this single window clearance at department of telecom DoT is necessary so that the entrepreneurs can set up call centres in India immediately.

Nasscom-call centres two last

Rationalisation of cost and international leased circuits are also necessary while creating call centres, mehta said.

Though the government has brought down prices of std/isd call and also domestic leased circuits, but at least 50 per cent of the cut in cost for international leased circuits especially for i.T. Enabled services is desirable, he said.

With regard to tele-working, mehta said government should allow internet leased circuits to be connected to epabx so that tele-working in its true from can take place.

quot;This can earn a lot of revenue to the government and at the same time would generate employment and can earn foreign exchange for the country,quot; he said.

Talking about the national it task force recommendations in its third report, mehta said, that the task force has suggested creation of a venture fund with an initial fund of about 100 million dollars towards funding start-ups and enterpreneurial efforts for catering to it enabled services market.