Nagaland government urged to harness local talents in IT sector

Ramietech Solutions appeals for emphasis on indigenous firms

Morung Express News
Kohima | October 7

In recent times, ‘Support Local’ has garnered solidarity among communities, paving the way for local businesses to thrive.

While many sectors especially the local food and craft sector have witnessed the support from the community, some sectors such as the local IT firms in Nagaland are often overlooked.

Ramietech Solutions, a local IT firm in Kohima today addressed the need for the State government to harness local talents and channelize them towards productivity, especially in the field of Information Technology.

During a press conference held at the office of the Ramietech Solutions office on October 7, the IT entrepreneurs shared the challenges and impact of the pandemic and subsequent lockdown in the State.

Like most private sectors and local businesses, the IT firms in Nagaland too have been gravely affected leading to the loss of employment for several local youth. In this regard, Avi Nagi, co-founder of Ramietech Solutions urged the need for government to ensure reliable communications infrastructure including internet which is the main backbone of all things digital; to increase IT spending budget and investments, empowering IT&C Department for IT in the State and further encourage local and indigenous IT enterprises which in turn will promote and enhance prospects of local IT firms at national and global stage.

Increase engagement of local firms

“Local firms know the local conditions and culture better so the solutions can be designed considering the unique local requirements,” said Nagi adding that empowering local firms paves the way for creating employment opportunities for deserving Naga youth.

Further, with a better understanding of the local context, Kedo Nagi, co-founder and proprietor of Ramietech Solutions stated that local firms are well equipped to devise solutions that will be more effective and accommodative of local requirements. “Until and unless government emphasises on local and indigenous firms, we will not grow,” expressed Kedo Nagi. The budget for IT in the State is very low, according to Nagi, which is why major infrastructures are affected and further limit the scope for local firms.

Although the IT landscape is still in its infant stage in Nagaland, Richard Asoso, Operations Manager noted that Information Technology is the future and will soon be a reality even for a state like Nagaland. Emphasizing on the relevance of the present day as well as the future, Asoso viewed that IT will be required in all the simple aspects of human life, while further improving lives and creating opportunities. “We can all thrive together if IT provides the playing field for us to do what we are passionate to do. There is ample opportunitiy for IT firms to undertake enough work without making it too much of a competition. IT is here to stay. Sooner or later we will all have to embrace it,” said the Operations Manager.

From a requirement’s perspective, Kedo Nagi expressed that the scope of IT has a lot of requirements. “The key requirements are in digitization for both private and government sector. We definitely need to move on to the digital platform. It is a key factor in all establishments including public, private sector and Institutions especially educational institutions,” said the IT entrepreneur.

Meanwhile Avi Nagi also viewed that local firms plays a major role in demystifying IT and digital platforms especially in the government. Further, they are essential in creating awareness in Nagaland about ‘how IT is going to play a crucial role in the impending digital world that is at our doorsteps and that we should be ready to embrace the changes and developments brought forth by IT’.

The ‘local’ advantage

“If local firms are empowered, employment opportunities will also rise,” said Kedo Nagi sharing Ramietech Solutions’ experiences which has been able to employ Naga youth over the years. Further, pressing on the need for the government in Nagaland to increase the engagement of the local firms in its future ventures, Avi Nagi asserted that engaging local firms reduces costs and expenses while also providing ready services where services can be provided as and when required. With most government departments challenged with fund constraint, Nagi viewed that hiring local firms reduces 50 to 60 percent of the costs of any project compared to the charges of outside firms.

“Another challenge of hiring outside firms is that while the project will be completed and implemented, if any issues arise, the concerned departments often have to wait for months for the firm to come fix the problem. This further requires covering the costs of logistics and service charges,” informed Nagi. The lack of knowledge of the local context also often results in outside firms estimating costs at a much higher rate.

By working with local firms, the advantage, according to Nagi, is that the money spent and circulated at least stays in Nagaland.

While there are pros and cons in both local and outside firms, Kedo Nagi advocated for the need of a consortium between both parties.

Source: https://morungexpress.com/nagaland-government-urged-to-harness-local-talents-in-it-sector