If you go by public pronouncements, our policymakers are fully seized of the opportunities presented by new, transformational technologies like big data analytics, cloud computing, robotics and artificial intelligence. The prime minister has talked about the potential of new technologies to bring inclusive growth and reduce inequalities. And different ministries and the NITI Aayog have detailed reports and plans on their benefits and potential to change India’s future.
But they all seem to be oblivious to the fact that getting the act right in two other technologies one rather old and one that can be termed middle-aged is crucial to fully utilising the potential of the new ones. The old technology is electricity. The middle-aged one is the internet. In both, the gap between what is theoretically available and what is reliably provided is vast. The inability of successive Indian Union and state governments to ensure that everyone has access to reliable, uninterrupted electricity an