Hyderabad|India|August'2009: India’s largest Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) conference ‘eINDIA 2009’ started on 25th Aug at HICC (Hyderabad International Convention Center). This most reputed ICT conference of India was inaugurated by Ms.D Purandeswari, Honorable Minister of State for Higher Education, Ministry of Human Resource & Development, Government of India.

After the welcome address by Dr. M P Narayanan, President, Centre for Science, Development and Media Studies (CSDMS), the opening addresses were given by Mr.S R Rao, Additional Secretary, Department of IT, Ministry of Communication & IT, Government of India and Mr.Subhash C Khuntia, Joint Secretary, Ministry of HRD, Government of India.

There was a keynote address by Mr.Charles Clarke, Honorable Member of Parliament & Former Education Minister and Former Education & Home Secretary, United Kingdom and Prof V N Rajashekhar Pillai, Vice Chancellor, Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU). Mr.Reshan Dewapura, COO, Information & Communication Technology Agency (ICTA), Sri Lanka was the guest of honor.

Ms.D Purundeswari thereafter, inaugurated the ‘eINDIA 2009 Exhibition’ in which around 100 exhibitors from professional service providers, technology vendors, consulting firms, government agencies and national and International development organizations are exhibiting their latest e-solutions, services, initiatives and case studies from across India and beyond.

The event allows people and organisations working in apparently isolated domains of ICTD, to engage in mutual experience sharing and enable them to build an understanding of convergent issues in development. This most reputed event on ICT in India is providing the platform to around 3000 experts from over 40 countries. The cross-country sharing of experiences and regional specificities has always ensured that new and possible collaborations are discussed and forged.

‘eINDIA 2009’ through its five seminal conferences namely

- ‘e-GOV India’

- ‘Digital Learning India’

- ‘Indian Telecenter Forum’

- ‘eHealth India’

- ‘eAgriculture India’

focuses on five emerging application domains of ICT for Development - e-Government, ICT in Education, ICT and Rural Development and ICT enabled Health services.

According to Dr. M P Narayanan, President, Centre for Science, Development and Media Studies (CSDMS), “Hyderabad is witnessing the biggest ICT event in the country where professionals from different fields can network and be preview to and interact on a host of technologies, developments that will shape the world of tomorrow”.

The first day of ‘eINDIA 2009’ witnessed various sessions and keynotes by prominent bureaucrats and senior management of various corporate and government agencies under the seminal tracks.