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From: baparao@uscvax.UUCP (Bapa Rao)
Newsgroups: net.nlang.india
Subject: State of the Computer market in India
Message-ID: <166@uscvax.UUCP>
Date: Fri, 27-Dec-85 16:38:11 EST
Article-I.D.: uscvax.166
Posted: Fri Dec 27 16:38:11 1985
Date-Received: Sun, 29-Dec-85 05:37:19 EST
References: <1357@cwruecmp.UUCP> <1601@Shasta.ARPA> <1361@cwruecmp.UUCP> <1602@Shasta.ARPA>
Reply-To: baparao@usc-cse.UUCP (Bapa Rao)
Organization: CS&CE Depts, U.S.C., Los Angeles, CA
Lines: 60


I am excited to see the lively discussion in this newsgroup on this subject,
esp. the recent one between Messrs. Lakhotia and Sriram. I also find the
occassional postings regarding developments in this field in India to be
quite informative. However, I find that I am without the sources and
references needed to form a comprehensive, objective picture of the state of
industrial computing ( including hardware + software,
mainframes/minis/micros ...) in India.

I for one would be much obliged if someone would post the names and contact
addresses for books/reports/journals/conference proceedings/trade
publications, ... concerned with the Indian computer market, especially
software. Ideally, I would like to see an authoritative survey article
summarizing the state-of-the-art in India, which analyzes the strengths and
weaknesses, and provides a prognosis for the future, in the context of the
current "liberal" trade policy of the government. 

If no such survey article exists, perhaps some such thing can emerge from
the discussions on net.nlang.india on the subject? 

Now, let me summarize the impressions I gathered from the discussion between
Messrs. Lakhotia and Sriram:

1. There is essentially no system software (e.g., editors, compilers) being
developed by Indian software vendors. The standard way of obtaining system
software  is through hardware vendors, who copy and port packages that are
in varying stages of obsolescence in the West. However, some kinds of
application software, notably Devanagari editors and CAD/CAM software are
being indigeneously developed. (What is the quality of such software? Who is
developing it? The big hardware merchants? Independent software houses?
Government? Others?)

2.In general, end-users lack in-house expertise to develop their own
application software on top of the standard system packages and are heavily
dependent on the original vendor for this. These vendors are themselves not
in a position to make any radical innovations, and will only do low-level
tuning and adaptation work. Their use of the term "research and
development" in this context is inappropriate and misleading. 

3. (Extrapolating from 1 and 2) There is negligible interaction between the
software industry and the research divisions of the major universities and
the IITs, with the result that software developers have neither the
knowledge nor the confidence to design and develop state-of-the-art software
of competitive quality. Basically, they are satisfied with grabbing what
money they can in a protected market by selling second-hand, second-rate
software. 

4. The situation is expected to alter, given the more liberal trade policy
of the present government and the prospects of greater interaction between
industry and the university Computer Science departments that are being
started all over the place. (Are there any tangible effects and trends seen
in the short time the new trade policy has been in effect?)

I must emphasize that the above points constitute a "global" picture of the
situation, as I understood it from the postings I have read. My perspective
is that of someone in complete ignorance, groping around to get some idea of
the state of affairs.  I would like to see more critical analysis of the
issues in net.nlang.india in the near future. Thanks.


							--Bapa Rao.