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{{Short description|Indian Software Products Industry Round Table}}
{{POV|date=July 2019}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=May 2019}}
{{Use Indian English|date=May 2019}}

{{Infobox organization
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'''Indian Software Products Industry Round Table''' ('''iSPIRT'''), is a think tank for the Indian software products industry.<ref name="BT-IN-01"/><ref name="IDG-struggle"/>

==History==
iSPIRT was officially launched on 4 February 2013 though preparatory work has been done over the preceding year.<ref name="ISPIRT-founding"/> It was founded as an offshoot of [[NASSCOM]].<ref name="Scroll.IN-troll"/> Around June 2017, some key members quit iSPIRT after co-founder Sharad Sharma, who was associated with an emphasis on [[Aadhaar]] and [[India Stack]], admitted to online trolling of anti-Aadhaar advocates, leading to dissent and resignations among those concerned with the organisation governance and direction.<ref name="BS-2017-June"/>

==Activities==
The think tank claims its aim is to help software product companies with policies, playbooks and market catalysts, describing its three pillars as:<ref name="ISPIRT-DO"/>
# Policy - converting ideas into policy proposals to take to government stakeholders
# Playbooks - converting conversations into [[wikt:playbook|playbook]]s for product entrepreneurs
# Market Catalysts - converting actions of self-help communities into market catalysts for the Software Product Industry.

===India Stack===
iSPIRT has been involved in promoting [[India Stack]] applications<ref name="ETI-CONTEST"/> and has been acknowledged by the [[United States Agency for International Development]] for initiating the project.<ref name="USAID"/>

==Concerns and controversies==
There have been concerns with the arguably close links between India Stack, Aadhaar, India's personal digital identity system, and the Government; with legal researcher Usha Ramaanthan explaining "The same people who worked within the government to set the framework for Aadhaar went on to create products in the private sector to harness its commercial potential – a clear case of conflict of interest.".<ref name="Scroll.IN-troll"/> Furthermore in 2017, iSPIRT's Sharad Sharma admitted to anonymous trolling of Aadhaar critics.<ref name="ETI-troll"/><ref name="Scroll.IN-troll"/>

Rohin Dharmakumar, writing for [[The Ken]], claimed of iSPIRT - "In two short years, they built a world-class example of a volunteer-driven industry think tank with hundreds of passionate volunteers" only for "Today, India Stack is the dominant gene in iSPIRT. And iSPIRT’s original mission seems a relic".<ref name="TheKen-20170921"/>

==References==
{{Reflist|2|refs=
<ref name="IDG-struggle">{{cite web|url=https://www.computerworlduk.com/it-business/ispirt-why-indias-new-software-think-tank-will-struggle-3567206/|title=iSPIRT: Why India's new software think tank will struggle|first=Manish |last=Bahl |website=ComputerworldUK|access-date=11 May 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190511080418/https://www.computerworlduk.com/it-business/ispirt-why-indias-new-software-think-tank-will-struggle-3567206/|archive-date=11 May 2019|url-status=live|df=dmy-all}}</ref>

<ref name="ETI-CONTEST">{{cite web|url=https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/small-biz/startups/ispirt-to-host-build-on-india-stack-contest/articleshow/59910895.cms|title=iSPIRT to host 'Build on India Stack' contest|date=4 August 2017|access-date=11 May 2019|via=The Economic Times|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170906224932/http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/small-biz/startups/ispirt-to-host-build-on-india-stack-contest/articleshow/59910895.cms|archive-date=6 September 2017|url-status=live|df=dmy-all}}</ref>

<ref name="ETI-troll">{{cite news|url=https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/small-biz/policy-trends/ispirts-sharad-sharma-admits-to-trolling-aadhaar-critics-apologizes/articleshow/58807293.cms?from=mdr|title=iSpirt's Sharad Sharma admits to trolling Aadhaar critics, apologizes|date=23 May 2017|access-date=12 May 2019|publisher=The Economic Times (India)|first=Anu|last=Thomas|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170606040410/http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/small-biz/policy-trends/ispirts-sharad-sharma-admits-to-trolling-aadhaar-critics-apologizes/articleshow/58807293.cms|archive-date=6 June 2017|df=dmy-all}}</ref>

<ref name="Scroll.IN-troll">{{cite news|url=https://scroll.in/article/838468/co-founder-of-uidai-associated-outfit-admits-to-anonymously-trolling-aadhaar-critics-on-twitter|title=Co-founder of UIDAI-associated outfit admits to anonymously trolling Aadhaar critics on Twitter|access-date=12 May 2019|date=23 May 2019|first=Rohan|last=Venkataramakrishnan|df=dmy-all}}</ref>

<ref name="TheKen-20170921">{{Cite web|url=https://the-ken.com/story/platform-ambitions-story-ispirt-lost-true-north/|title=Platform ambitions: The story of how iSpirt lost its true north | The Ken|website=the-ken.com|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190706131944/https://the-ken.com/story/platform-ambitions-story-ispirt-lost-true-north/|archive-date=2019-07-06|df=dmy-all|url-access=limited}}</ref>

<ref name="BS-2017-June">{{cite news|title=iSPIRT sees dissent rising after Sharad Sharma's lax treatment|first=Alnoor|last=Peermohamed|newspaper=Business Standard|date=3 June 2017|url=https://www.business-standard.com/article/companies/ispirt-sees-dissent-rising-after-sharad-sharma-s-lax-treatment-117053001530_1.html|access-date=7 July 2019|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190210221432/https://www.business-standard.com/article/companies/ispirt-sees-dissent-rising-after-sharad-sharma-s-lax-treatment-117053001530_1.html|archive-date=10 February 2019|df=dmy-all}}</ref>


<ref name="USAID">{{Cite web|url=https://www.usaid.gov/india/financial-inclusion-and-diaspora-engagement|title=PARTNERSHIP FOR A DIGITAL, INCLUSIVE ECONOMY IN INDIA | India | U.S. Agency for International Development|date=7 November 2016|website=www.usaid.gov|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190331032852/https://www.usaid.gov/india/financial-inclusion-and-diaspora-engagement|archive-date=2019-05-31|df=dmy-all}}</ref>


<ref name="BT-IN-01">{{cite web|url=https://www.businesstoday.in/sectors/it/ispirt-nasscom-think-tank/story/192086.html|title=iSpirt a think tank: founders- Business News|website=www.businesstoday.in|access-date=10 May 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190404072749/https://www.businesstoday.in/sectors/it/ispirt-nasscom-think-tank/story/192086.html|archive-date=4 April 2019|url-status=live|df=dmy-all}}</ref>


<ref name="ISPIRT-DO">{{Cite web|url=http://www.ispirt.in/what-we-do|title=iSPIRT : What do we do|website=www.ispirt.in|access-date=2017-08-16|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170816063513/http://www.ispirt.in/what-we-do|archive-date=16 August 2017|url-status=live|df=dmy-all}}</ref>

<ref name="ISPIRT-founding">{{Cite web|url=https://pn.ispirt.in/how-we-built-ispirt-from-scratch-with-nothing-except-a-lot-of-spirit-ispirtturns4/|title=How we built iSPIRT from scratch, with nothing except a lot of spirit. #iSPIRTturns4|website=www.ispirt.in|access-date=2019-05-12|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171210023812/https://scroll.in/article/838468/co-founder-of-uidai-associated-outfit-admits-to-anonymously-trolling-aadhaar-critics-on-twitter|archive-date=10 December 2017|url-status=live|df=dmy-all}}</ref>

}}

==External links==
* {{Official Website}}

[[Category:Think tanks based in India]]
[[Category:Software industry in India]]
[[Category:Information technology organisations based in India]]

{{India-stub}}
{{software-stub}}

ISPIRT - Revision history

WikiDwarf at 14:23, 1 May 2021