SAM PITRODA

SAM PITRODA 

1.Where did he start is career in digital technology? OR 2.What are the efforts did Pitroda invested in the advancement of Telecommunication and Rural Automatic Exchanges?

Sam Pitroda was born in Titlagarh, Orissa on 4th May 1942 in a large family of seven brothers and sisters. His father had studied just fourth grade, but he believed in educating his children. Pitroda did his Masters in Physics and Electronics from Baroda. He moved to the United States of America to study Electrical Engineering. He was always fascinated to connect, spread telecommunication in small, remote and rural cities. Sooner, he had an opportunity to work on digital switching technology at GTE Inc., Chicago, USA that connected him in digital technology. After working in GTE for ten years, he started a telephone exchange company called Wescom switching in 1974. Later he sold Wescom switching to Rockwell for 10 million dollars.

In 1984 Sam Pitroda visited Saudi American Bank in Jeddah and introduced himself as a venture capitalist. At that time a few understood what this term meant. He had vision to set up cheap rural exchanges. Now his dream had become into reality. When the then Indian Prime Minister Mr. Rajiv Gandhi made him his Chief Scientific Advisor and requested him to start a new public sector venture called centre for the Development of Telematics (C-Dot). It started exporting the telephonic equipments in bulk to countries such as Vietnam, Bangladesh, Nepal, Ethiopia, Ghana, and Uganda. It sold its design licences to about 20 different Indian equipment manufacturers. He successfully implemented the creation and launch of Rural Automatic Telephone Exchanges (RAX) designed and manufactured by him and his team of Indian engineers. As a result about 40,000 exchanges totaling about 20 million telephones equipped with SS7 Intelligent Networking Signaling systems - the systems which are used to find out if a number is busy or available and to check up the database of telephone numbers. These exchanges also provide toll free information services and see to it that the main telephone network does not get overloaded. All these systems could also interconnect mobile and landline telephone numbers and many changes had taken place in business, administration, education, information, media etc.

The important feature of this new communication network system is that all the switches operate without air-conditioning even in warm environments. Sam Pirtoda became the chairman of National Technology Mission during Rajiv Gandhi’s government and thus became the first chairman of India’s Telecom commission.

Sam Pitroda wished that nation has to provide basic amenities like clean water, adequate shelter, communication food, sanitation, literacy and health, for this IT and advanced methods had to be exploited to make our nation as a self-reliant. He also focused that universities, colleges has to train students to create jobs but not job seekers, but our present system doesn’t meet the challenging aspects. Sam Pitroda thoughts, mission, and approaches are high. He always wanted to see our nation to be a self-sufficient.

Pitroda’s determination helped to create the concept and technology behind the network of STD/PCO, phone booths in every nook and corner of the villages. This idea generated self employment opportunities to many physically challenged people. The basic technology used to this network is simple and cheap, was created by Pitroda and his team at the Centre for Development of Telematics, which is found in 1984. He designed a simple device which displays phone number, call costs and duration of the call and generates an instant bill at the user’s end. Along the way he notched up over 50 patents, for digital switching, synchronization, tone generation, tone receiving and conferencing. He was also largely responsible for shaping India’s telecom policy and for all aspects of telecom legislation and development in the country. The fiber optic mechanism worked out by Pitroda made high-speed connectivity possible in telecommunications. Without Pitroda’s and his team efforts, we couldn’t have seen such progress in telecommunication.

Pitroda says that – India has a large pool of highly talented people, software talent, mathematicians, all this manpower has to be used in a best possible way to make our nation a self-reliant. Unfortunately, most of the talents are used for the progress of the other nations.

SAM PITRODA

4.How according to Pitroda can IT impact the nation?

Pitroda was focusing much stress on the enhancement of IT to speed up the process of progress and to use the resources to solving people’s problems in order to advance the Nation. Pitroda’s vision could be grasped in his own words, “IT solutions can help us tackle problems in core areas of governance, commerce, finance, education, health, agriculture, environment, legal issues and employment. From opening a bank account to getting admission to a university, we are forced to fill innumerable forms and this puts bureaucratic hurdles in the way of people. Information Technology is used to simplify life and enable people to get things done with less hassles. He believed that IT is the best solution to realize the dreams of Mahatma Gandhi’s to see India as a self-sufficient village community. Through IT application by connecting every village in India with every other part of the country and the world. Our national agenda must reflect the multiple dreams and cultural diversity of India and every citizen must work towards this common agenda. We need to create a sense of urgency, hasten the process of development, build consensus by public debate, create a climate for a new order and new ideas, and set priorities. We must encourage innovation and encourage people to think differently and give wild ideas a hearing”.
Internet will be a key tool in shaping many of these changes in the country. Through the backbones and the Internet Community Centres (ICC) the vision of developed India will be within the gasp of many more people than it is now and hopefully can become like the STD/ISD booths that have now become, an integral part of the Indian landscape following the telecom mission. With ICC, the access to computers will be available for public use, which will pave way for e-governance. “We do not need experts to tell us what the problems are. We need experts who will come up with solutions and will to make them work. And IT can provide us with solutions. Indians are highly talented in mathematics and we have large pool of software talent. Let’s cash in on these”.

SAM PITRODA

5. What are the best outstanding associations in Sam Pitroda’s life?

Sam Pitroda associated with the international forums and was an advisor. In 1995, Pitroda founded World Tel – global organization to develop telecom infrastructure in third world countries and became the CEO and subsequently the Chairman. He was also an advisor to Kofi Annan, the United Nations General Secretary Citizen’s Award for his tremendous innovations and contributions in telecom. In 1993, he was awarded the IIT Alumni Medal, and in 1995 the international Distinguished Leadership Award. Apart from providing phone access to a billion people, he built a foundation for a wired India’s future as an information industry powerhouse. For this, Dataquest has presented the IT Lifetime Achievement Award for 2002 to Sam Pitroda.

SAM PITRODA

6. What was his idea of an electronic wallet?

The Electronic Wallet that Sam Pitroda is working on is like a magic box. It is designed to contain all kinds of cards - credit card, debit card, health care, insurance card, even the driving license. These cards facilitate electronic payment. This would be the latest mode of payment over the existing systems of payments. “The future lies in electronic payment system. The payment systems that exist are outdated. It would make such good sense for the Indian government to deposit the salaries of its employees in a bank straight away, cutting out the long process of writing out cheques and waiting in queues to deposit them. The same goes for the payment of electricity and telephone bills” said Pitroda. All the payments would take its roll to speed up the work process and use our intellectual to the betterment of human life instead of wasting our time in unwanted delays.

SAM PITRODA

7.Give an account of Sam Pitroda’s innovations and contributions in telecom.

Sam Pitroda moved to the United States of America to study Electrical Engineering. He was always fascinated to connect, spread telecommunication in small, remote and rural cities. Sooner, he had an opportunity to work on digital switching technology at GTE Inc., Chicago, USA that connected him in digital technology. After working in GTE for ten years, he started a telephone exchange company called Wescom switching in 1974. Later he sold Wescom switching to Rockwell for 10 million dollars. Now he entered the dream of wiring up India and making it a self-sufficient modern nation. An opportunity came his way to make his dream a reality when Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi appointed him the Chief Scientific Advisor and asked him to start a Centre for the Development of Telematics (C-DOT).

The centre for Development of Telematics (1984) started exporting telephonic equipments to different countries of the world Pitroda designed and manufactured 40,000 Rural Automatic Telephone exchanges (REX) and equipped them with SS7 Intelligent Networking Signalling Systems. These systems are used to find out if a number is busy or available and to check up the database of telephone numbers. As these systems could also interconnect mobile and landline telephone numbers, significant changes have taken place in administration, business, education, information, media and other fields.
As Chairman of National Technology Mission and India’s Telecom Commission, Pitroda brought the telephone to some of the world’s most isolated region through small rural exchanges. He visualized thousands of public telephone booths to provide easy access to people. He created 6, 00,000 STD/PCO phone booths in every nook and corner of the country. He designed simple devices which display phone numbers, call costs, and duration of the call, and generate instant bill. He secured over 50 patents for digital switching, synchronization, tone generation tone receiving and conferencing. He shaped India’s telecom policy, telecom legislation and development in the country. The fiber optic mechanism worked out by Pitroda made high speed connectivity possible. He hoped that internet centres should reach nook and corker of the cities. And IT is the only way to explore the things. He is presently working on an Electronic Wallet which will have all kinds of cards. This will pave the way for electronic payment system.

Hence, Pitroda’s vision and achievement is noteworthy and it will surely pave the way to lead towards advanced nations.

SAM PITRODA

Some points to remember

1.      1. Sam Pitroda was born in Titlagarh, Orissa, on 4th May, 1942.

2.        Pitroda was born in a large family of seven brothers and sisters.

3.        Pitroda completed his Masters in Physics and Electronics from Baroda.

4.        Pitroda is regarded as ‘father of the Indian Telecom Revolution’.

5.        Pitroda dream was to set up small, rural exchanges ever since he made his first call.

6.        After his first call, Pitroda got an opportunity to work on digital switching technology at GTE Inc., Chicago, USA.

7.        GTE Inc., Chicago, USA, launched Pitroda in a successful career in digital technology.

8.        After working for ten years in GTE, Pitroda started a telephone exchange company called Wescon Switching in 1974.

9.       Pitroda’s successful experience with digital technology inspired him to wire up India.

10.    In1984, Sam Pitroda visited Saudi American Bank in Jeddah and introduced himself as a venture capitalist.

11.   Mr. Rajiv Gandhi made him his Chief Scientific Advisor.

12.   Then prime minister, Rajiv Gandhi requested Pitroda to start a new public sector venture called Center for the Development of Telematics (C-Dot).

13.    Pitroda successfully embarked upon the creation and launch of the Rural Automatic Telephone     exchanges (RAX) which is also designed and manufactured by him.

14.    Pitroda was the first chairman of India’s Telecom Commission in Rajiv Gandhi’s Govt.

15.    Pitroda believed that substantial food, clean water, adequate shelter and communication are the fundamentals components in the process of modernization.

16.    Pitroda’s tenacity helped create the concept and technology behind the network of STD/PCO phone calls in every nook and corner of the country.

17.    Pitroda founded Center for Development of Telematics (C-Dot) in 1984.

18.    “Let’s tap the developments in information technology and expedite the process of nation-building using these tools” was the call given by Pitroda when he took over the National Technology Mission in 1987.

19.    TEL- GLOBAL Organization was founded by Pitroda in 1995 to develop Telecom Infrastructure in third world countries.

20.    Through the backbones and the Internet Community Centres (ICC) the vision of developed India.

21.    Pitroda was also a advisor of Kofi Annan, the United Nations General Secretary on the ICT Advisory Committee.

22.    Pitroda received India’s National Citizen’s award for his tremendous innovations and contributions in Telecom.

23.    Pitroda was awarded the IIT Alumni Medal in 1993.

24.    Pitroda was also recipient of International Distinguished Leadership in 1995.

25.    Sam Pitroda was given the IT Lifetime achievement award for 2002 by Dataquest.