Siksha O Anusandhan Vice-Chancellor Prof. (Dr.) Ashok Kumar Mahapatra on Thursday said the digital advantage has to reach the grassroots.

Addressing the Digital Day function of Summa Real Media here, Prof. (Dr.) Mahapatra said technology today should be futuristic. “As per the Economic Survey, 100 million smartphones will be sold in India in 2022. On the other hand, when you look at online education, only 8 percent of the 350 million school students have access to handsets. Our digital advantage has not reached the grass-root level,” he said.

“Technology is not for today. When you invent a technology, it should be futuristic,” he said.

Elaborating on the ‘success mantra’, the eminent neurosurgeon said: “success is a skill, strategy and its implementation.”

“Another success mantra is self-confidence, confidence in God and hard work,” he said adding “our aim should be to achieve excellence which is not a destination but a journey. You should have an aim and objective for excellence and difficult pathways that are achievable.”

He advised media persons to discharge their duty religiously and honestly. “Enjoy your job, if you do not enjoy your job, you cannot do justice to your responsibility,” he advised.

News7 Group CEO Sunil Kumar Das said the group had carved a niche in the field of media in the state. “We have proved ourselves within a short span of time. We have created an identity in the field of media,” he said.

With the advent of 5G, technology should reach a large number of people and the media house should use its vast resources to emerge as number one in the industry, he said.

News7 Working Editor Deba Narayan Sethi said the technique of writing for websites was different from other media and it should be catchy to attract readers. Content has to be precise and focused to engage the attention of the readers, he said.

Director, Sales and Marketing, Himanshu Hota said there were huge opportunities for earning revenue from online media as digital spending was increasing gradually. Among others, digital wing Consulting Editor Subrat Das, digital wing Odia Head Amaresh Das, Prameya bureau chief Debendra Suar and Technical Consultant Jubanaswa Mishra also spoke. Senior personnel of SOA and Prameya-News7 Group were present at the function.