If I were the CIO of the Republic of India

HARMEEN MEHTA, Global CIO, Bharti Airtel, opines, what her top priorities would be, if she donned the role of the CIO of India.

Having just celebrated our 68th Republic Day, if you just reflect back on what our country has achieved in these years, it humbles you. 

Yet if you think about what all is yet to be done, it overwhelms you.

A Republic of India powered by technology

The republic of India is in fact the largest “corporate” in the country and if you approach it like that, as a CIO, my job would be to be the best technology advisor and help the country's leaders use the power of technology to truly innovate and bring the best possible experience, products and services to the citizens of our country.

Or at least that's how I would approach it.

Aware citizens lead to a crime free India

One of the first things I would like to do is digitise and interlink the police and all other law enforcement agencies and use the power of technology to make India a safe and secure place for women.

Last year, over 3.27 lakh cases of crimes against women were reported across the country. Of these over 1.3 lakh were sexual offences including rape, attempt to commit rape, assault on women with intent to outrage her modesty and insult to modesty of women.

Technology can allow the government to pool resources and trace both crimes as well as criminals across state borders more easily and create transparency of information for its citizens by having public portals for citizens to find out if any predators or sex offenders live in their neighbourhood.

In most western countries,and trace both crimes as well as criminals across state borders more easily and create transparency of information for its citizens by having public portals for citizens to find out if any predators or sex offenders live in their neighbourhood.