Despite global slowdown, 10L job created: Prasad

NEW DELHI: In a befitting reply to all those who had raised doubts over job creation in the country, Union Minister for IT & Electronics Ravi Shankar Prasad has claimed that about 10 lakh jobs have been created in the last four years.

“Despite a global slowdown, 10 lakh jobs have been created in the country, which has contributed to the 8 per cent of GDP and 45 per cent of service sector experts in 2017-18. With this, the country has become the fastest growing technology market in Asia-pacific,” said Prasad while addressing the IPF on ‘India: A Land of Digital Opportunities.’ Prasad is on an official visit to the United Kingdom.

“The size and scope of India’s Digital Sector are now well established. It is a matter of great pride that 200 IT companies of India are working in 80 countries of the world and providing service to one-third of the Fortune 500 companies. It is a matter of great assurance that despite global uncertainties, India’s IT exports are growing,” the minister said.

While calling on British companies to take advantage of an open foreign direct investment (FDI) regime in the IT sector to tap into one of the world’s ‘biggest markets’, Prasad said, “India’s digital economy is poised for great growth. It is a land of digital opportunities and we are working towards making digital empowerment a mass movement.”

Recalling the visit of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to the UK, Prasad said, “During the last visit of PM Modi to the UK, the relationship was given a boost with a renewed focus on technology and increasing cooperation in trade, investment and finance.”

He further added, “The Ukindia relationship is politically neutral. It is very robust and stable, with a new ecosystem laid by the last visit of Prime Minister Modi to the UK with the Uk-india Tech Alliance.”

The number of IOT devices in India is expected to increase from 200 million currently, to 2.7 billion by 2020, showing exponential growth, he said.