Channel partners should evolve alongside the technology they sell

With advanced technologies, including robotics and artificial intelligence is emerging, the channel partners should try to utilise all the advanced technologies to stay relevant in the changing times, said Mano Thangaraj, Minister for Milk, Dairy Development, and Former Minister for Information Technology and digital services, Government of Tamil Nadu.

Mano Thangaraj was the special guest of the recently concluded Confed-ITA summit. He shared how the new-age politics and governance in India are slowly moving away from the conventional methods of approaching people. He was known for his remarkable works in the  ‘e-sevai maiyams‘ [Centre for e-service], where every village is e-Governed through certified organisations, and in digitising the legislative assembly.

India has been facing a sharp decline in the conventional way of approaching both governance and elections. From basic social media campaigns to having data-driven insights, the Indian political and governance mechanism is undergoing a huge transformation across the country.

E-Budgets and Digital Payments:

Mano Thangaraj was instrumental in bringing the first e-budget in the Tamil Nadu legislative assembly, as the Members of Legislative Assembly [MLA] were receiving the budgets in their seats that were equipped with personal computers and gadgets. “That has helped not just avoid papers but also help us to archive all the announcements made in the previous proceedings. Sharing his concerns over India being far behind on e-governance compared to Western nations, he said it is the duty of the Government to ensure the common citizens receive all the schemes and policies, breaking all socio-economic barriers.”

The Minister also rejected the claims when asked if the acceptance of technology among the citizens is lower. “Digital services in a government have nothing to do with the citizens. Any Government should see them as pure beneficiaries. It is the duty of the respective state and central governments to ensure that the departments are equipped well, and it is our [government’s] duty to see to that no citizen should be left out”, he said.

In the context of elections in India, the minister feels that most political parties in India have started becoming digitally savvy, which they feel is a must to win over the young voters. “The very first digital adoption a political party or politician does is having an active social media page. Not just to update the voters about the poll promises or day-to-day routines, every politician wants to understand the pulse of the audience. Next is audience segmentation.  As data gains prominence, many political leaders feel that having the right technology would help them segment the voters based on location, age and all other factors. And moreover, in the age of smartphone adoption, even in villages, technology becomes inevitable that politicians cannot think of staying away from a data-driven strategy”, the Minister further added. It also has to be noted that political strategy and consulting is one of the most happening start-ups in India. From individual politicians to organisations, everyone is appointing consulting agencies and individuals at their levels to ensure that innovative ideas come to place. On his personal level, he had experienced the merits of proper data in place, which had avoided duplication.

Cyber Security:

Expressing concerns over the increasing cybercrimes in India, especially after the introduction of mobile payments, he said the Central Government has to create more awareness and allocate budgets dedicated to cyber fraud. “I welcome the concept of digital payments. However, even citizens with minimal technology knowledge have a smartphone. The Government of India not just needs to increase awareness but also needs to spend more money to stop it.”

Mano Thangaraj feels that to implement proper e-governance, the policies have to be in place so that the citizens can follow with ease. “I am amazed by the way Dubai has implemented technology for its citizen initiatives. There are no big natural resources present. Being a minister for dairy development, he shared his experiences in visiting the dairy farms in nations like Sweden, Denmark, where thousands of cows are managed by just one staff and an owner. He feels India should take such innovation. Aavin, a milk cooperative union from Tamil Nadu, which comes under his ministry, is planning to introduce a technology where the quality of milk is measured instantly, and the rate is fixed based on the metrics. This helps predominantly in eradicating adulteration in milk."

However, their policies are well placed in such a way we the most important aspect in implementing any technology for common citizens shall start from healthcare. “We have robotics-based surgeries which can detect cancer even at the initial stage, that too, avoiding hard testing methods like X-ray or MRI scans. The real success is when a Government makes such advancements available even for the economically weaker sections of the society.”, he averred.

Suggestions for a better E-Governance:

At a preparatory stage, any Government should keep e-governance through the SMART formula. “Swift, Measurable, Accessible, Responsive and Transparent. These are the five elements that would make any e-initiatives successful. India is a developing nation. We are moving towards a tech-first approach. While there are many opportunities ahead, the role of tech in easing the life of citizens is the need of the hour”, he concluded.

ConfedITA, the largest channel partner association in Tamil Nadu, is one of the oldest forums in India. The AGM and summit is their flagship event that brings close to 600 odd members across the state in one forum. The event was sponsored by HP, AMD, Dell, Kodak Alaris, Lenovo, Flash, Image King, Compstore, Bloom, Techie, Ecaps, Retail Solutions, Lapcare, Smart Station, Epson, HP Commercial Laptop, TVSE, Numax, Gobbler Brush, HP Printer - Supreme Computer, Posiflex, Quick Heal, BenQ, Eyeplus, Brother, CP Plus, Kayathri Infotech Acer, Pantum, Neotouch, TeachmintX, PowerX, Canon, Frontech, Tiron, Honeybill, K7, IRQ, Computer Waves, Websol, Specktron, EVM, Trilogic MSI, Tracknew.

The association also announced the names of the next leadership during the event.

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