IoT Booster Needed for Digital India: Union Budget 2018

The government of India has made it very clear in last few years that digital is the way forward. Now, the Union Budget 2018 will be an opportunity for the technology industry to experience something game changers. Here are the latest updates on SMEStreet's Pre-Budget Conversations with Industry.

Internet of Things commonly known as IoT is having a great potential to transform the entire tech ecosystem of the country.

Here are some IoT experts who expressed their desires from Mr. Arun Jaitley to consider their line of expectations from the perspective of giving a booster to the IOT for the bigger game plan of Digital India.

Sharing his opinion on enhancing the approach towards the bigger game plan of Digital India by focusing on IoT, Dr. Rishi Bhatnagar, Chairman, IET-IoT India Panel and President, Aeris Communications, India says, “As far as IoT deployments are concerned devices form a key input. To bring down capital investments, we need seriously look at lowering tax on hardware from 18 to 5 percent. This will give a flip to IoT projects in the country. Another area that needs attention is the need to rationalize the spectrum license fees so that more MVNOs can enter and reduce connectivity bottlenecks. Banks should look at relaxing their norms for start-ups (as a subsidy or by offering soft interest rates for loans). This will improve access to working capital for vendors and eco-system participants involved in IoT projects.”

Dr. Bhatnagar also added, “In order to provide a steady impetus to initiatives such as Make in India and Digital India, our manufacturing sector needs to ramp up. Towards this, we need to work towards providing tax sops and liberalize norms to ensure greater access to working capital. Nowhere is it more relevant than in the field of IoT as we are right now in the initial adoption stages and this is the right time to set the right vision and goals.”

IoT for Ganga Rejuvenation

The National Mission on Clean Ganga has been sanctioned Rs 20,000 Cr and out of which only Rs 2958 Cr has been spent, although lot needs to be done. Sharing a hands-on expert view on this subject, Prof. Dr. Pradeep Srivastava, Chairman, Ganga Rejuvenation Working Group IET India IoT Panel, “The Pollution level of Ganga and not only Ganga but Yamuna and many such rivers are very high. At least for Ganga rejuvenation attempts should be at monitoring, and evaluation of Pollution levels using IOT tools at least across 56 points at Haridwar, Agra, Kanpur, Varanasi, and Patna so as to efficiently design discrete methodologies for water treatment and also treatment plants using real-time cloud data. Suggestions should include support for the design of Common Treatment Plants at least in Kanpur and Varanasi. The budget should include such provisions and support such activities.”