Swasti Mitter

The rapid spread of information technology combined with the deregulation and upgrading of telecommunications in virtually all countries has given considerable impetus to outsourcing or delocalisation of work. This is happening within and across national boundaries and has been described as teleworking, taking different forms. The development of teleworking represents a convergence between a number of different trends, many of which have major implications for environmental, social and economic policy. How industry, the governments, the policy-makers respond to these changes will seriously impact on the future of the economy, on the employment possibilities as well as the quality of work-life of people.

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Can Calcutta Become Another Bangalore?

Vol. 35, Issue No. 26, 24 Jun, 2000

Asish Sen, Swasti Mitter

The case of Calcutta highlights the challenges that technocities in India face in achieving a Bangalore-type of success in attracting outsourced software services work from abroad. This paper stresses the facilities that will be necessary in order to make it possible for Calcutta to have a niche in the market for such international telework or e-commerce in software. It also suggests why remote processing, rather than software services, could provide a better entry route to the global information economy, especially from the point of view of traditionally disadvantaged groups, such as women.

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Women Making a Meaningful Choice-Technology and New Economic Order

Vol. 33, Issue No. 51, 19 Dec, 1998

Nirmala Banerjee, Swasti Mitter

Technology and New Economic Order Nirmala Banerjee Swasti Mitter This paper addresses the closely linked issues of Indian working women's response to technological changes and globalisation and the impact of these changes on women's work. The authors examine several instances of women of diverse backgrounds interacting with changing technologies, in the past and currently, in different regions and industries of the country, The analysis shows that, in spite of the many differences, the reasons why women have been comparatively the greater losers are surprisingly similar. Besides published secondary material, the authors draw on documentation of their experience at the grass roots by a number of NGOs engaged in organising women workers in the formal and informal sectors.