India moving to Linux

INDIA'S GOVERNMENT Department of Information Technology has announced a sweeping initiative to move the entire country to Linux as its "platform of choice" in place of higher cost 'proprietary' software, reports the India Times subsidiary Economic Times.

The plan is to establish Linux in Indian academic institutions as well as throughout central and state government offices. India's business sector also likely to move to Linux for its lower costs and to employ the Linux skills developed in the large Indian IT workforce.

As a developing country, India feels the bite of expensive proprietary software licenses much more acutely than other countries with mature economies. Enforcing intellectual property rights -- as India has pledged to do -- will spur its takeup of Linux open source software.

India also doesn't want to be caught napping while mainland China builds up formidable IT infrastructure, solutions, and services. It's big neighbour also embraced Linux with a similaR government initiative.

Although China's interest in Linux is partially motivated by security concerns, India's decision seems to be based upon simple economics.

Two predictions: (1) Pakistan will soon adopt Linux too (and if India chooses KDE, Pakistan will choose Gnome, and vice versa), and (2) some executive at Microsoft will be buying a plane ticket to New Delhi, sharpish. µ

L'Inq
Economic Times article