Bangalore: Government today (November 4) told the Information Technology industry to target new verticals such as security, utilities, health care and retailing while moving up the value chain.

Addressing an e-Governance Summit, organised as part of the ongoing Bangalore IT.com 2003, Union Minister of State for Communications and IT, S Thirunavukkarasar said the IT companies should offer value added services such as system integration, package implementation, IT outsourcing and IT consulting in a big way.

He pointed out that thus far, software business was revolving around financial services, telecom equipment and manufacturing industries.

"In the second IT revolution that is sweeping across the country, BPO (Business Process Outsourcing) is giving the nation a head start", the minister said.

According to him, every week 10 new companies are setting up operations in India, including five, in Bangalore.

In the Department of IT's e-readiness assessment report, Thirunavukkarasar said Karnataka has emerged as the number one state in the country for its preparedness in the ground work done to be fit to implement e-governance.

PTI