Chinese apps ban will give opportunity to Indian tech: Ravi Shankar Prasad

The ban on Chinese apps will give a great opportunity to Indian technocrats to develop Indian mobile applications, which will be in line with the government's Clarion Call of Atma Nirbhar Bharat, Union minister for Electronics and IT Ravi Shankar Prasad said on Wednesday.

Speaking at an event commemorating five years of Digital India, the Minister asked the IT industry to encourage start-ups and young talent to build good apps which can be an alternative to Chinese apps.

The Minister was speaking the first time after the government's decision on banning 59 Chinese apps on the charges that threaten to national security and privacy concerns.

In the online event, which was attended by Infosys’ Non-Executive Chairman, Nandan Nilekani, and Nasscom President Debjani Ghosh, the Minister said the government will encourage from its end to develop indigenous app but they also need a helping hand from organisations like Nasscom and industry veterans like Nilekani.

The emergency powers were exercised by the Centre to address the issue of apps leaking user information and that all required legal processes were being followed, the Minister said.

The dependence on these 'foreign apps with their own agenda for a variety of reasons' must stop he said adding that it was remarkable how the domestic app economy had risen in the last few days following the ban on Chinese apps.

The Minister also said that Cabinet's approval will be sought soon for a policy to provide broadband through landlines. India is one of the largest markets for landlines and cable operators can also use it to give broadband connections to apartments.