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Q. There are different facets to Sam Pitroda. One is an IT champ; there is another person whose heart pulsates for India, who is settled in America but is enthused by India. How would you describe this man?

A. I would describe myself as someone who happened to be at the right place at the right time. I came from a poor background, did something interesting, and always felt guilty for leaving so many of my kin behind. I was neither the best student nor the smartest in my class. However, I had the opportunity to do something for others (not that I can do it for everybody). There are other people who are equally capable, given an opportunity. I have repeatedly proved that I can do well for myself. I have done it thrice. Therefore, I am convinced that I can do well for my family and myself. I cannot be a billionaire but can live comfortably. The next question is whether I can do it for a large number of people like me. That makes for building more wealth than any bank. I never go shopping or clubbing, and never do anything except what I do. So can I build a wealth of people whom I cherish—my people, our people? That is the joy of building a different kind of wealth.

Q. What was your spontaneous reaction to the devastating earthquake at Gujarat?

A. I am shocked and sorry for the loss of those whose relatives were there. My wife was born in Bhuj, my father-in-law was the collector of Bhuj. We have a house on the ninth floor in some building in Ahmedabad that I have never been to; it is all locked up. My wife wanted a home in Gujarat, so she bought it. So, there was concern for family and friends. My immediate concern was that we could have done a lot more in the first 24 hours with better communication systems, better management information systems, and satellite imagery. We did not have the tools and technology to cope with this natural disaster.

Q. As an IT giant, what measures would you suggest to reduce the aftermath of a disaster of such a magnitude?

A. Very simple. I have a vision of disaster management system. I would like to develop it in 90 days. It has 4 elements. One element is communication. I will go to the Department of Telecommunications and ask for four different configurations of packaged mobile exchange – four sets, one each for Mumbai, Delhi, Kolkata, and Chennai. We can train people such that whenever there is a disaster I can immediately package a system – soft plan and satellite stations so that you can hand out 2000 phones and establish instant communication. This way everybody knows what is to be done.

The second phase is preparing a database of people, children, schools, hospitals, factories, guards, government officers, everyone. Let us upgrade the existing list.

The third phase is the establishment of call centres, so that when people call, hundreds of operators are available to them. This should be guided to the database.

The fourth phase is remote sensing. When there is a disaster, I do not want to look with my eyes but through the sensors. I want to see Bhuj up from the sky and not from the land because when I look from the land my vision is limited. This is the technological process.

Then there is the question of policy at the international level, state level, and management at the local level. We can do it very quickly; we have all the human resource to do it. I do not see any reason why we cannot do it, it is all there. We simply have to do it.

Q. Disaster leads to commotion and people believe that this commotion has a lot to do with our system. Your views on this.

A. What has happened, has happened. The simple question is whether we can do a better job next time.

Q. Even though there were plenty of relief measures for the earthquake victims, there were media reports that these did not reach the victims.

A. Management: that is the ultimate aim of technology. When you have multiple problems coming from multiple directions, you need technology to solve them, structure them, and create appropriate solutions. Problems get complicated when there are multiple inputs and multiple outputs.

Q. In a recent interview you had said that you had grand ideas for Action India which didn’t materialize the way you had perceived them to do so, due to some personal reasons. What was the idea behind Action India?

A. We started Action India with the idea of forming various groups in India with purpose of giving the development process in the country a helping hand. Right after launching it, I was faced with personal problems. My mother was afflicted with cancer and our entire family went through a period of turmoil. Therefore, I really take blame. The idea behind Action India was to bring young people together and discover the problems afflicting India and find solutions to them.

A. No, looking at the community issues and what we need to do; looking at the problems in Delhi or in Ahmedabad.

Q. Your views on the dotcom crisis. They (the dotcoms) began with great hype but are now crashing left, right, and centre.

A. The market had overreacted to the emergence of the dotcom companies. Today, the feeling is more realistic. I do not think that the dotcoms have gone away, it is only the hype that has withered away. At the end of the day, the reality is that you are in the business to make money. Now people are now more concerned about cash flow, profit projection. Dotcoms are not going away, they will be around. Electronic money is very soon going to be a reality; electronic banking, electronic shopping, they will all be there.

Q. Dr Wakako Hironaka had once said that instead of building schools one could impart education by providing Internet connections.

A. Absolutely true. When we think of a school, we automatically think of teacher, duster, chalk, classrooms, walls, desks, chairs, books, schoolbags etc. The future of schools is going to be very different. It is going to be anywhere, anytime, anyway access to information. You do not need to go to schools, you do not need walls, and you do not need teachers. That’s what the Internet and IT (information technology) can do for you. And that’s another dotcom company.

Interview series