industry perspective
Public - Private Partnership the Strategic Lever for e-Governance www.cisco.com
CISCO SYSTEMS INDIA
Governments, across the world, are under pressure to deliver services to citizens effectively and efficiently. IT systems are a critical foundation as governments seek to be more connected to citizens, businesses and partner agencies. In the words of Sandeep Raina, Senior VP - Government and Defence, Cisco India & SAARC, “In eGovernance, the whole infrastructure is electronic, data resides in one place and network moves the data around. This electronic infrastructure will ensure that citizen services are delivered seamlessly and cohesively.” But the Government cannot build this electronic infrastructure alone. Solutions enabled by partnerships between government agencies and private companies are key to successful eGovernance implementation. Complementary strengths Shankar Aggarwal, Joint Secretary, Department of Information and Technology (DIT), Government of India explains the advantages of this powerful partnership, “There are delays and unmet goals in projects envisioned and implemented by the government due to lack of financial resources. The private sector brings these resources. Government provides the much needed sustainability and
scalability. Also, efficiency takes a back seat in purely government run initiatives because of rules and regulations. Private participation brings efficiency along with funding.” Naresh Wadhwa, President and Country Head, Cisco India and SAARC, feels that Public Private Partnerships are the key to ensure e- Governance
“The common man in distant villages will be benefitted as he would access all citizen services available in a city. And, for this vision to be realized, huge investments are required, that are not possible for the government to deploy alone, without private participation.” Naresh Wadhwa President and Country Head, Cisco India and SAARC 18
www.egovonline.net
spreads wide, to the nook and corners of the country. “The common man in distant villages will be benefitted as he would access all citizen services available in a city. And, for this vision to be realized, huge investments are required, that are not possible for the government to deploy alone, without private participation.” Some success stories in 3 Ps (Public Private Partnership) The National e-Governance Plan (NeGP)’s vision is to extend affordable citizen services to all Indian citizens, including those in distant villages. Private involvement has a role to play in all components of NeGP, be it creating infrastructure, delivering services in the form of mission mode projects or creating awareness.