Indicators of the information revolution

Recent developments in computer and communication technologies have revolutionized society. These technologies are now making a significant contribution to the dramatic increase in national Gross Domestic Product (GDP) while simultaneously increasing the proportion of their contribution in comparison to other sectors, such as agriculture and industry. As the GDP increases, so too does the standard of living. To measure a country's progress up the technology curve, researchers and institutions have proposed various indicators that provide an insight into how technological infrastructures, skills, and experience contribute to a country's economic growth and development. In this article, these indicators are discussed and then applied to India vis-a-vis other low- middle- and high-income economies. From the analysis, we conclude that development of an information society depends, to a large extent, on developments in other socioeconomic sectors, such as education, telecommunication, and the media. In India, these sectors are developmentally far behind when compared to other countries. To boost GDP growth through information technology, faster development of other sectors is also required. This article discusses India's achievements to date in different sectors that are an integral part of the information revolution. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.