By IANS
New Delhi : Indian IT companies are experiencing exponential growth and providing employment to over a million people, but it is time that the "backbenchers" of society also benefit from it and get jobs, Railway Minister Lalu Prasad said Monday.
"The IT (information technology) and IT-enabled service (ITeS) sector has been able to experience an exponential growth in India due to its huge talented pool of manpower and intelligence," the minister told a conference organised by National Software and Service Companies (NASSCOM).
"However, it's about time big IT companies realise that those who are regarded as the society's backbenchers are also taken care of," he said.
Lalu Prasad, who was attending the conference to give away awards to companies who have effectively been able to bring growth for their companies with the use of IT, got a 'special award' for converting the Indian railways into a profit-making entity.
"If India has to face challenges and competition posed by other countries, then it has to address issues like poverty and unemployment."
The companies winning awards included: Suprajit Engineering Ltd, Union Bank of India, Tata Power, ITC Limited, Andhra Pradesh government, Crest Animation Studios Ltd., Biocon Ltd. and Indian Airlines.