In 1985, a giant satellite dish travelled through Bengaluru on a wooden bullock cart; it helped transform India into an IT superpower

N Vittal, the IAS officer and former Secretary of the Department of Electronics, played a key role in shaping India's software industry by removing regulatory barriers and promoting shared digital infrastructure. The article traces how a 1985 Texas Instruments satellite link, famously transported by bullock cart in Bengaluru, demonstrated India's potential for global software exports. Vittal later championed Software Technology Parks of India (STPI), helping companies access communication infrastructure, hardware and global markets while accelerating India's IT revolution.