Maharashtra ahead of K’taka in Internet- ready states list
New Delhi, Feb. 10: Maharashtra ranks at the top in terms of Internet readiness with a strong position in areas likeeinfrastructure, eGovernance, IT services and consumer participation, a report by industry body IAMAI today said. Karnataka, Gujarat, Telengana and Tamil Nadu followed in the tally.
The report, titled ' Index of Internet Readiness of Indian States', said Delhi has emerged as the leader among the smaller states, followed by Puducherry and Goa.
"The report highlights the performance of the states regarding different measures of Internet readiness index.
Given the rapid advancement in e- services and ecommerce, it is essential to understand the strengths and weaknesses of the states," Internet and Mobile Association of India ( IAMAI) President Subho Ray told reporters here. While this would help the business and governments to leverage the strength, policy measures can also be taken where improvements are required, he added.
Ray said various key parameters like mobile subscriber base, share of private players in internet service providers, percentage of households using computer/ laptop with internet connection and number of e- transactions were taken into consideration.
In terms of e- infrastructure, Kerala topped the list of states, ahead of Punjab, Tamil Nadu and Maharashtra.
"In Kerala, more than 90 per cent of the schools have computer facilities. Household Internet penetration in these states is in the range of 4- 6 per cent above the average internet penetration of other large states," the report said.
On the parameter of participation, Gujarat topped the index, followed by Maharashtra and Tamil Nadu with high levels of Internet- enabled transactions.
"States that need to improve in this category are Bihar, Jharkhand, Odisha and Uttarakhand, recording exceedingly low number of e- Transactions across all categories. These states fall behind in the basic minimum requirement of participating in an e- Ready environment," the report said. Karnataka led the IT sector sub- index, while Maharashtra topped the list for measures taken towards as well as uptake of eGovernance services.