More needs to be done to improve EoDB in tech

More needs to be done for improving ease of doing business, especially change in the mindset of revenue authorities which continue to be unfriendly at times, a top official of mobile phone industry body said on Wednesday.

During a panel discussion at Convergence India, India Cellular and Electronics Association (ICEA) chairman Pankaj Mohindroo said that there have been transformations on the ground and the question now is asked who is not manufacturing devices in India.

He said that the growth has been limited to the mobile sector and other segments like IT hardware, wearables etc has not picked up yet.

When asked about the status of ease of doing business in India, Mohindroo said, ”There has been a lot of change. We would be a middle nation in terms of clarity, in terms of ease of doing business. There is a lot to be done.

”The mindset of revenue authorities continues to be shrill and very unfriendly at times. If India has to be a great nation then there has to be trust and deep patriotism. That is required in each and every person.” Lava International chairman and managing director Hari Om Rai said that the government is the largest company of the nation.

”Every single business is like a branch manager of the government. The only way the government can earn money is by making businesses earn money and make citizens employed in the businesses and therefore it (EoDB) is a necessary condition,” Rai said.

Telecom Sector Skill Council CEO Arvind Bali said the kind of focused work happening, especially on education and skilling in the last five years is totally unmatched.

”The central and state governments themselves are working on that and that is going to bring a lot of change. And I’m not talking only about the telecom sector, I think the way the government is covering all the 39 sectors and focusing. So, there is a big change in the last five years,” Bali said.

C-DoT executive director RK Upadhyay said that the political leadership is giving free hand to the industry and backing it completely to become self-reliant.

He said that there has been a change in attitude from being dependent on cheap imported technology to becoming self reliant with the development of indigenous technology. PTI