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10. The Industry is highly modernised and and 1 (digits are from 0 to 9). Therefore, the
entrepreneurship climate exists as does electronic computer, is also called Digital
flexibility. Electronic Computer. It was first invented in the
11. It uses chemical as raw material like in the USA in 1946 for military purposes. With the
case of synthetic fibres and suffer from invention of microelectronics and microprocessor
similar disadvantages. in computer, there came about an information
revolution. It enabled huge storage capacity on
Information Technology
tiny chips as well as performance of multiple
Information Technology is a recent addition to
tasks. The semiconductor chips came to be used
industrial activity. It is also known as knowledge-
in various types of electronic equipment like
based industry. Whereas manufacture of hard-
radio, television and computer. All these new
ware related to computers, telephones, television,
developments are, therefore, regarded as a part
radio and fax machine are included in secondary
or a subdivision of electronic industry. The
activities, related service, research and communi-
semiconuctors are also solids that conduct in
cation are grouped under quaternary sector. transmission as well as in amplification of electri-
More importantly, two recent additions are ‘Call
cal signals. Because they are interconnected tiny
Centre’ activities and BPO (Business Processes
pieces they are also known as chips. The com-
Outsourcing) services. Both have led to greater
puter is essentially an assemblage of millions of
degrees of interdependence and interrelation-
these semiconductors or chips. Because of the
ships among developed and developing coun-
small or tiny size of these electronic devices, they
tries. In other words, they represent a further big
are also called microelectronics. In India, the
leap towards globalisation. Never before in the
microelectronic revolution started in 1984,
history of mankind has the world been so closely
almost three decades after, it had begun in the
linked or wired as today. Everything earlier was USA.
restricted to manufacturing. Today, ‘services’ are
regarded as products. By its information on radio CASE STUDY: COMPARISON OF
or television or banking or even tourism, these SILICON VALLEY
efficient services are modeled as ‘products’ and (USA) BENGALURU (INDIA)
the services are sold as products. IT which stands Although India started late, it took rapid strides in
for Information Technology includes services development of software or programs and
rendered to consumers on computers, radio, operating systems related to computers. This
television, mobile phones, fax, etc. All these made a major contribution in the production of
services are of specialised types. Most such electronic goods worth over `27,000 crores in
services are an aid to knowledge or are knowl- 1996-97 which further quadrupled in 2002-
edge based like plethora of information available 2003. Highly skilled and technical personnel who
on Internet. This industry is, therefore, sometimes earlier went to seek jobs elsewhere in the West or
called Knowledge Industry. However, single most in USA now found green pastures on Indian soil
important factor responsible for this knowledge itself. It put a stop to brian-drain. The progress of
revolution is computer. information technology in the USA and India,
Computer therefore, provides a good ground for comparing
The information represented on computer is in two representative location of the two countries.
the form of a series of binary digits or numerals 0 These two representative locations are centres for
Social Science-8 179
