Microsoft says will beat industry this year

While encouraging innovation in educational institutions, IT major Microsoft is also working with the industry to create a platform for encouraging innovation and entrepreneurship among youth.

The government, too, is adopting technology rapidly, which would play a big role in achieving inclusive growth, Bhaskar Pramanik, Microsoft India chairman, said during an interaction with media in Hydearbad. Excerpts:

Are the current economic conditions conducive for IT business?
One thing that comes out from the Union budget is that there is a usage of technology across the board. Whether it is banks, direct cash transfer and other government programmes, technology is playing a huge role in each of these programmes. I think the government is very serious about adopting technology. If we have to go in for much more inclusive growth, technology would play a very big role.

When you took over in 2011, you said Microsoft India would be the fastest growing subsidiary...
It’s still work in progress. It depends on what you call success. We are happy with our progress here in India, given the economic situation, volatility globally. It’s the same situation in China and everywhere else in the world. I don’t think we are No.1 as yet, but we will get there.

How has been the year so far?
I think the year has been good so far. There is still some time left for the closure of the year. We don’t give our figures by country. Going by the situation, we will slightly be above the market in terms of overall growth rates.

How is the response for Office 365 and Windows 8?
Excellent. We are very encouraged with the enthusiasm. If you go to the market now and you see the TV or advertisement, there are several devices, including tablets and convertibles and other OEMs, that are talking to us are very excited about the development. We are positive about it. On Office 365 there is tremendous response, particularly from the SMB.

When will the Microsoft-Nokia combo go to the masses?
Stay tuned. It depends on what you call masses. If it is about the price point, I think you should stay tuned. I don’t want to say anything else. The cheapest Nokia Windows phone is under Rs10,000. What we are seeing is that the customers are much more discerning. They are very clear about what functionality and features they want. I don’t think we will ever be in the lowest price bracket, but definitely in the ones where a certain level of functionality and features is required.

You are tapping students through programmes such as Imagine Cup...
One of the focuses Microsoft has is around innovation. It’s about making use of technology and innovation to create an impact on the society. We take the students through various stages like Dreamspark, Bizspark, etc to take their innovation and ideas to the next level. Particularly at Bizspark, we guide them on various aspects like getting funding and also make them interact with
the industry. Also, as a company we have invested heavily on something called a national plan.

It’s about what we as a company can do to bring about greater inclusive growth. Primarily, the focus is around four areas — education & employability, governance, transparency & speedier implementation of various projects, creating a digital economy, and finally on protecting privacy.

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