The month of January 2009 marks a historical moment in world history as President Obama takes the oath to lead the U.S. and bring change to the world. It also happens that on Jan 26, India will be celebrating Republic Day, commemorating the promulgation of the country’s constitution in 1950. For many of us who are glued to the television or Internet news, all this is very inspiring. Obama, being the first African-American President, will inspire a whole new class of citizens around the world that may now step forward to take a more active role in government and social change. After all, the glass ceilings have been broken for all of us.

I urge the SiliconIndia community to take this extraordinary period in history and the very special day of January 26 to reflect on how each one of us can play a lead role, by being part of a change process to assist our government and those of other countries around the world.

Obama’s rise is a story of the power of entrepreneurship, which has now been brought to the forefront of government and politics. We need many more talented professionals and entrepreneurs like you to rise and take up similar challenges around the world, and to help each one of us become an agent of change, particularly those of us who are gifted with unique talents in technology, business, and creativity. We don’t necessarily need to join the ranks of politics or government to contribute. A lot can be done by sheer power of entrepreneurship without partaking in the political process.

In this new era, I see a strong role for entrepreneurs in reinventing our governments, and opportunities galore for those who are brave to take the plunge. Many here in Silicon Valley talk about mammoth opportunities in CleanTech, BioTech, and NanoTech; I personally see an equally substantial opportunity in what I would call ‘GovTech’ – the confluence of Government and Technology. The time is now to retool the government with creative entrepreneurial genius. Examples of business opportunities in this trillion-dollar market are abundant.

Time for Fundamental Change in Governance, and Risk and Regulatory Compliance