An Indian-African entrepreneur has planned to use the ‘Digital India’ model of Prime Minister Modi as a global case study in South Africa to start a drive of innovative digital start-ups which will propel the continent towards faster growth. The entrepreneur is planning to execute his idea as an innovative step for mankind as well as his group also.
Over the last few years, the India’s Digital program has picked up a remarkable pace. The founder and chairman of iSON group, Mr. Ramesh Awtaney said that ‘Digital India’ is on its way to becoming a global case study that will inspire many other countries in the world. According to him, through his latest venture, iSON Innovation, he is contributing to a similar vision for a Digital Africa, wherein he wants to incubate innovative digital start-ups which will propel the continent towards faster growth. Awtaney has around 28 years of experience in global technology, market development, and business process outsourcing. He has highlighted the need for India to move up the “value chain” towards Knowledge Process Outsourcing (KPO) and this will offer a better price.
Ramesh Awtaney said, “I predict that South Africa can also replicate India’s growth story in IT sector in just 10 years. We saw this opportunity early and we are investing in new centers across Africa over the past 7 years, which have helped catalyze the ecosystems for growth”. His companies have a presence in twenty-five countries in sub-Saharan Africa alone. He also said, “I also believe in big scope in India and Africa collaborations in the IT sectors”
Mr. Awtaney said, “The IT and ITeS industry in India is very much evolved. India can export this Process Intellectual Property to South Africa, which will create capabilities and capacities. This will be a winning scheme for Africa too, which will benefit from employment opportunities”.
According to him, there is more hype than substance in this perceived threat. The industry has always followed the economics. While in the short-term and medium-term, there will be some noise but in the long-term, businesses will compel the logic to prevail and global IT sector will refocus on its growth trajectory.
It is very clear that according to his knowledge and experience, obviously, he is trying to innovate something for the mankind all over the world. Under his leadership, his Group has been on an expansion spree and has invested over 20 million dollars in Sub-Saharan Africa in the last five to seven years and plans to invest an additional twenty million dollars in setting up 4 new centers, which will create 4,000 more jobs.
