Re-invest in countries that generate revenue: Prasad

Union Minister for Electronics and IT Ravi Shankar Prasad on Friday called for global consensus on creating an ecosystem where technology giants are required to "reinvest" a sizeable portion of their revenues on the development of digital infrastructure in revenue generating countries, especially in the case of developing and underdeveloped states.

The minister raised the issue during a panel discussion with ministers from countries including Iran, Russia, Japan, Venezuela and Finland.

"...food for thought for visiting ministers... Asia and Africa are becoming big footprint of digital technology, including platforms such as Facebook and Twitter," the minister said.

He added, "... Shouldn't an eco system be created wherein there should be an obligation to reinvest in countries from where so much earning is there to ensure more and more digital ecosystem. "

This he said will create infrastructure and generate more jobs.

"The investment can be in the form of setting up of centres of excellence, more HR engagement. It is an area we need to explore," he said.

India is not only one of the largest markets for digital platforms such as Facebook, WhatsApp and Twitter, but also one of the fasted growing.

The minister on Thursday has said that the right to access the Internet is non-negotiable and no single entity or digital platform can have monopoly over this.

During Friday's panel discussion, he stressed, "India firmly stands for digitally egalitarian order where we will lend our weight to those who are digitally deprived and marginalised but with logic, reason and moderation."

Mr Prasad pointed out that countries can move forward to make cyberspace safe only by building trust, undertaking reciprocity and having certain agreed norms of behaviour in cyberspace.

While Andrea Hermoso of Venezuela raised the issue of use of social media and other digital platforms for spreading hate and inciting violence, Mohommad Javan Azari Jahromi from Iran highlighted to the use of personal data of user by search engines and applications for commercial reasons.