Technology

TELEMATICS and INFORMATICS

Vol. 7, No.2, pp. 151-162, 1990 Copyright © 1990 Pergamon Press pic. Printed in the USA 0736-5853/90 $3.00 + .00

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INDIA'S HIGH-TECH MICROELECTRONICS REVOLUTION *

Arvind Singhal Everett M. Rogers

Abstract - The microelectronics industry is one of the driving forces of an information society. Since 1984, the Indian government has promoted such high-technology industries as semiconductors, telecommunications, and com­ puters. High-technology industries in India are getting off to a promising start. But a higher degree of collaboration between research and development (R&D) institutes, private industry, and the national government are needed if the full potential of high technology in India is to be realized.

INTRODUCTION

The United States, Japan, and most Western European nations in recent decades have become information societies, countries in which information workers are more numerous than such occupational categories as farmers, industrial workers, or service workers (Rogers, 1986). In an information society, information is the crucial ingredient, much like energy was in the industrial society of an earlier era. The computer is the most important tool in the information society, just as the steam engine was the basic technology in the industrial society. The transition of the United States to an information society has been the focus of considerable scholarly research (Machlup, 1962; Bell, 1973; Porat, 1978; Beniger, 1986). A high-technology microelectronics industry is one of the driving forces of an infor­ mation society. A high-technology industry is one in which the basic technology under­ lying the industry changes very rapidly. A high-tech industry is also characterized by: 1. A high proportion of highly-skilled employees, many of whom are scientists and engineers; 2. A fast rate of growth; 3. A high ratio of research and development (R&D) expenditures to sales (typically about 1 : 10); 4. A worldwide, highly...