Information systems in India: Dare to cross

Abstract

The pluralistic nature of the information systems discipline can hardly be exaggerated. Yet, there is an increasing tendency to engage in debates on the need for a more emphatic identity. Such debates are often grounded in the questions of our contribution to praxis, disciplinary evolution and the larger socio-economic context that we thrive in. One such socio-economic context, where the information technology industry has been acknowledged to have made a notable contribution to the global arena, is India. The evolution of the Indian IT industry offers some interesting insights on the role played by and the nature of contributions from different stakeholders, including software firms, educational institutions, client firms - especially from the developed countries, the Indian diaspora and the Government of India. We use traces of this history to understand the mutual influence of the Indian academia, chiefly in the management information systems discipline and the Indian IT industry. The four dominant roles that the information systems academia have played in shaping the industry include visioning, incubating, generating knowledge and building capacity. The time has come for us to consolidate these roles and strengthen our position by daring to cross boundaries, drawing from the intrinsic interdisciplinary nature of information systems. We call upon information systems academia, especially in developing countries like India, to engage in transdisciplinary thematic research areas, be more inclusive through membership and collaborative agenda setting and build institutions that foster interdisciplinarity. © 2019 selection and editorial matter, Indian Institute of Management Calcutta; individual chapters, the contributors.