Changing leadership in computer and information services: The emergence of India as the current world leader in computer and information services


Sunil Mani, Centre for Development Studies (India)

The paper analyses the changing leadership in Computer and Information Services (CIS). Leadership is measured in terms of export shares. The leadership appears to have changed from United States of America, United Kingdom and Germany to Ireland and subsequently to India. India has been trying to maintain her leadership through improvements in technological capabality and in that process has also become a base for MNCs to set up software development centres. These MNCs have been increasing their innovative activities in India as revealed through increased patenting and domestic Indian enterprises has followed although very slowly in improving their technological capability. Two conclusions can be drawn. Leadership in CIS is basically a function of the availability of highly trained software engineers. But the sustainability of leadership depends whether the industry is domestically or foreign owned

About the speaker
Dr. Mani, is Planning Commission Chair Professor in Development Economics at the Centre for Development Studies, Trivandrum. Until 2004, he was a member of the faculty at the United Nations University-Institute for New Technologies (now known as UNU-MERIT) at Maastricht in the Netherlands. His research interests include (1) Measurement of innovation; (2) Innovation policy instruments; and (3) Telecommunications industry

Venue: Conference Room

Date: 17 December 2013

Time: 15:30 - 16:30  CEST


UNU-MERIT