"The Long Revolution" launched by Sam Pitroda, New Delhi March 20, 2009

Book Released, The Hindu,, March 22, 2009

http://www.thehindu.com/2009/03/22/stories/2009032254560400.htm

PTI, March 20, 2009

http://www.zibb.com/article/5100429/Indian+IT+sector+should+focus+more+on+domestic+mkt+Pitroda

Eanaadu, March 21, 2009:

"It was long, exciting journey"

Author's statement at the launch of "The Long Revolution", March 20, 2009, New Delhi

"Writing this book has been a fascinating journey. It was long and lonely at times but enjoyable all the time. It was a journey of discovery and learning and I was excited all the time while writing this book.

It was challenging too, because information technology has been a subject of great debate, discussion and public discourse in this country for the past more than a decade or so. There are too many myths and popular perceptions - and a lot of hype - about this sector. I had to cut through all this and present a clearer picture. How far I have been successful, it is for you – the readers – to decide. I am open to criticism and I welcome it.

It was also a challenge on another count – I was dealing with a period spanning half a century, and not just one or two decades. Some people warned me not to take this up, but there were many who encouraged me to go ahead. I am happy I did so. I was fortunate to have met and interacted with people who played a key role in different epochs of this sector. Some of them have been associated with this industry for close to half a century. Prof R Narasimhan was one such. He was the designer of India’s first digital computer in 1950s.Interactions with such people, coupled with research into archival records wherever possible, helped me decipher key turning points in this long saga of information technology in India."

'India didn't throw out IBM in 1977': Book Times of India , March 19, 2009

Arvind Padmanabhan/IANS
NEW DELHI: Contrary to the general perception that India had forced US IT giant IBM toexit the country in 1977, evidence shows that the governmen
t was not only keen to retain the company but had also held secret parleys for that with the company's top brass in the US, says a new book.

The closed-door talks with IBM were piloted by the then Electronics Commission led by senior technocrat N Seshagiri, says the detailed account of the IBM era in the book, entitled "The Long Revolution: The Birth and Growth of India's IT Industry".

Authored by senior science and technology writer Dinesh C Sharma, the book says there was a stalemate in the official talks with IBM India to recast its Indian operations to fall in line with a new law -- the Foreign Exchange Regulation Act.

It was for this reason that the chairman of the Electronics Commission and secretary in the Department of Electronics, MGK Menon, had deputed Seshagiri to open an informal dialogue with IBM top brass in America.

Read full story at:http://infotech.indiatimes.com/News/India_didnt_throw_out_IBM/articleshow/4285785.cms