Under BJP, India's IT sector facing threat: Dr Manmohan Singh

Bengaluru: Describing Bengaluru as the cradle of science, IT, and innovation, former prime minister Dr Manmohan Singh on Monday warned that the country's position as an IT superpower is under threat and the situation could get worse if the Modi government fails in its duties to protect H1, H4 and L1 visas in the United States. Speaking to reporters here, Dr Singh appealed to the Prime Minister to utilise every possible channel to ensure that India's professionals continue to work in the US, which benefits both America and India.  

"The growth in export of software services has declined nationally, touching a record low in 2015-16 at 7.3 per cent. India's position as an IT superpower is under threat," he said. Hailing Bengaluru for being labelled the Most Dynamic City of the world, Dr Singh said that  this is a well-deserved title for this city. "Bengaluru provides us with examples of how a turnaround is possible. The entrepreneurial spirit of Bengaluru made the city a hub for information technology. In the last two years, Bengaluru has moved from 12th to first position and is ranked as the most dynamic city in the world," he said.

He said youngsters and graduates all over the country head to Bengaluru as this is the startup capital of India. "Development of our cities should be a priority for every government. This requires sustained efforts funds and innovation. Instead, the Modi government has been content to simply come up with catchy tags like AMRUT and Smart Cities, which have under performed spectacularly.