ICT and information strategies for a knowledge economy: the Indian experience

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to describe the progress India has made in its move towards a knowledge‐based economy with details of how the Indian Government has demonstrated its commitment to the development of fundamental pillars of knowledge sharing infrastructure, knowledge workers and a knowledge innovation system. Libraries are identified as key players in building an inclusive knowledge economy (KE) for a country.Design/methodology/approach – An empirical study of the initiatives taken by Government of India as well as premier institutions and non‐governmental organisations in the area of information literacy, lifelong learning and knowledge repository development was undertaken. These are reviewed to report on the contribution each of them has made in the development of KE in India.Findings – The practice‐based examples of how information and communication technology (ICT) projects are influencing contemporary Indian society and an account of government policies in regard to ICT implement...