ROLE AND CHALLENGES OF ICT ADOPTION BY SMEs IN INDIA

In many developing countries, small and medium enterprises (SMEs) account for a significant share of production and employment and are therefore directly connected to poverty alleviation. Especially in developing countries, SMEs are challenged by the globalisation of production and shift in the importance of the various determinants of competitiveness. Through the rapid spread of information and communication technologies (ICT) and ever decreasing prices for communication, markets in different parts of the world have become more integrated. Whether the use of ICT can help them to cope with the new challenges is unclear. This paper deals with the impact of ICT in SMEs and also focusses on generic barriers in adoption of the same.