India, the world’s software hub ranks seven places ahead of China, the world’s hardware hub, according to the Global Information Technology Report 2007-08, released by the World Economic Forum. However, while India slipped four places this year to rank 50th, China improved its position by five places to rech 57. The report ranks 157 countries according to their ability to benefit economically from new information and communications technology.

Amongst the Asian nations, Korea ranked the best – at 9th place, up 10 places from last year. Other Asian economies featured in the top 20 are: Singapore (fifth), Hong Kong (11th), Australia (14th), Taiwan (17th), and Japan (19th). 

The failure of India and China to make it to the top 20 is mainly on account of their poor infrastructure for information and communication technologies (ICTs), Irene Mia, senior economist of the Global Competitiveness Network at the WEF and co-editor of the report told Indiatimes.  

“India and China have progressed enormously in the last decade or so, becoming global leaders in high-tech services (notably India) and goods (notably China) exports. Nevertheless the areas and clusters of excellence present in those countries are not the only reality,” Mia said.

The report said many developing countries such as India were now adopting next generation technologies such as WiFi and WiMAX to boost connectivity and leapfrog past technologies dependent on copper wires.

“In India, WiMAX is publicised as 30 times faster than 3G mobile technology and 100 times faster than wireless data rates, and has been widely anticipated to cure the problems of rural connectivity,” it said.

“It has been promoted as the answer to India’s last-mile connectivity issues, which have hampered Internet take-up in rural India.”