WEBEL
Encyclopedia
West Bengal Electronics Industry Development Corporation Limited (WEBEL) is the government agency responsible for technology development
in West Bengal
, India
. It was incorporated in 1974 with the objective of developing the electronics industry in West Bengal.
WEBEL now executes prestigious turnkey projects, such as Automatic Message Switching System at the Tribhuvan International Airport
in Nepal
, and the Toll Collection System at Vidyasagar Setu
, Kolkata
. The corporation has also implemented a number of e-governance
projects that includes a private optical fiber network
, and the West Bengal State Wide Area Network
(WBSWAN). WBSWAN forms the basic backbone of the Indian government's e-governance programme.
WEBEL has also brought quality internet bandwidth
to make rural India the back office of urban India including tele-education
, telemedicine
, e-governance, entertainment
, as well as employment generation by way of high speed access to information and web-based communication. Riding on the basic connectivity, successful projects in the field of health care
, law and order
, and commercial tax applications, amongst others, have been implemented.
The power of information technology has been harnessed to bring tangible benefits to citizens in the remote areas of the state through the telemedicine project. The project offers medical expertise from Kolkata to people visiting hospitals in districts where this quality of consultation is unavailable. Today, three referral hospitals and six nodal centers have the telemedicine facility established and the telemedicine model which Webel has established is one of its kind in the country in terms of technology
and value addition.
WEBEL has also implemented an application, the first of its kind in the country, where all 411 police station
s of West Bengal has been networked, and a series of applications run on the network such as criminal tracking system, application which permit messaging and access to data at grass-root levels to track crime
.
In association with the Indian government, WEBEL has launched a distinctive IT literacy programme in secondary
and higher secondary schools. In partnership with IBM
, 500 secondary and higher secondary schools in West Bengal run the IT literacy programme from Class VII to Class XII. To leverage the creative talent in the State, WEBEL has set up Toonz Webel Academy, an international animation
academy that produces industry-ready animators which will help fuel the growth of the animation industry in the country.
WEBEL has developed a computerised Braille transcription system [BTS] in Indian languages that may do just that for the visually impaired. the transcription system comprises Braille-to-text software, an electronic tactile reader, automatic braille embosser, and audio-supported Braille keyboard. It addresses the requirements of Braille education in twelve vernacular languages, and enables institutions to prepare Braille material as and when required. The system covers transcription in languages such as Bangla, Hindi, Assamese, Oriya, Marathi, Gujarati, Punjabi, Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, Malayalam, Nepali and English.
Research and development
The phrase research and development , according to the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development, refers to "creative work undertaken on a systematic basis in order to increase the stock of knowledge, including knowledge of man, culture and society, and the use of this stock of...
in West Bengal
West Bengal
West Bengal is a state in the eastern region of India and is the nation's fourth-most populous. It is also the seventh-most populous sub-national entity in the world, with over 91 million inhabitants. A major agricultural producer, West Bengal is the sixth-largest contributor to India's GDP...
, India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
. It was incorporated in 1974 with the objective of developing the electronics industry in West Bengal.
Business activities
Through its many subsidiary companies, WEBEL commenced business with the manufacture of various electronic components and equipments. Besides its manufacturing activities, Webel has commenced infrastructural development activities for the electronics industry and in this venture, the Taratala Industrial Estate and the Salt Lake Electronics Complex took shape.WEBEL now executes prestigious turnkey projects, such as Automatic Message Switching System at the Tribhuvan International Airport
Tribhuvan International Airport
Tribhuvan International Airport is an international airport situated in Kathmandu, Nepal.Tribhuvan is the sole international airport in Nepal. There are two terminals, one domestic and one international...
in Nepal
Nepal
Nepal , officially the Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal, is a landlocked sovereign state located in South Asia. It is located in the Himalayas and bordered to the north by the People's Republic of China, and to the south, east, and west by the Republic of India...
, and the Toll Collection System at Vidyasagar Setu
Vidyasagar Setu
Vidyasagar Setu, also known as the Second Hooghly Bridge, is a bridge over the Hooghly River in West Bengal, India. It links the city of Kolkata to Howrah. The bridge is a toll bridge for all vehicles. At a total length of 822.96 m, it is the longest cable-stayed bridge in India and one of the...
, Kolkata
Kolkata
Kolkata , formerly known as Calcutta, is the capital of the Indian state of West Bengal. Located on the east bank of the Hooghly River, it was the commercial capital of East India...
. The corporation has also implemented a number of e-governance
E-Governance
Several dimension and related factors influence the definition of eGovernance. The word “electronic” in the term e-Governance implies technology driven governance...
projects that includes a private optical fiber network
Optical fiber
An optical fiber is a flexible, transparent fiber made of a pure glass not much wider than a human hair. It functions as a waveguide, or "light pipe", to transmit light between the two ends of the fiber. The field of applied science and engineering concerned with the design and application of...
, and the West Bengal State Wide Area Network
Wide area network
A wide area network is a telecommunication network that covers a broad area . Business and government entities utilize WANs to relay data among employees, clients, buyers, and suppliers from various geographical locations...
(WBSWAN). WBSWAN forms the basic backbone of the Indian government's e-governance programme.
WEBEL has also brought quality internet bandwidth
Bandwidth (computing)
In computer networking and computer science, bandwidth, network bandwidth, data bandwidth, or digital bandwidth is a measure of available or consumed data communication resources expressed in bits/second or multiples of it .Note that in textbooks on wireless communications, modem data transmission,...
to make rural India the back office of urban India including tele-education
E-learning
E-learning comprises all forms of electronically supported learning and teaching. The information and communication systems, whether networked learning or not, serve as specific media to implement the learning process...
, telemedicine
Telemedicine
Telemedicine is the use of telecommunication and information technologies in order to provide clinical health care at a distance. It helps eliminate distance barriers and can improve access to medical services that would often not be consistently available in distant rural communities...
, e-governance, entertainment
Entertainment
Entertainment consists of any activity which provides a diversion or permits people to amuse themselves in their leisure time. Entertainment is generally passive, such as watching opera or a movie. Active forms of amusement, such as sports, are more often considered to be recreation...
, as well as employment generation by way of high speed access to information and web-based communication. Riding on the basic connectivity, successful projects in the field of health care
Health care
Health care is the diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of disease, illness, injury, and other physical and mental impairments in humans. Health care is delivered by practitioners in medicine, chiropractic, dentistry, nursing, pharmacy, allied health, and other care providers...
, law and order
Law and order (politics)
In politics, law and order refers to demands for a strict criminal justice system, especially in relation to violent and property crime, through harsher criminal penalties...
, and commercial tax applications, amongst others, have been implemented.
The power of information technology has been harnessed to bring tangible benefits to citizens in the remote areas of the state through the telemedicine project. The project offers medical expertise from Kolkata to people visiting hospitals in districts where this quality of consultation is unavailable. Today, three referral hospitals and six nodal centers have the telemedicine facility established and the telemedicine model which Webel has established is one of its kind in the country in terms of technology
Technology
Technology is the making, usage, and knowledge of tools, machines, techniques, crafts, systems or methods of organization in order to solve a problem or perform a specific function. It can also refer to the collection of such tools, machinery, and procedures. The word technology comes ;...
and value addition.
WEBEL has also implemented an application, the first of its kind in the country, where all 411 police station
Police station
A police station or station house is a building which serves to accommodate police officers and other members of staff. These buildings often contain offices and accommodation for personnel and vehicles, along with locker rooms, temporary holding cells and interview/interrogation rooms.- Facilities...
s of West Bengal has been networked, and a series of applications run on the network such as criminal tracking system, application which permit messaging and access to data at grass-root levels to track crime
Crime
Crime is the breach of rules or laws for which some governing authority can ultimately prescribe a conviction...
.
In association with the Indian government, WEBEL has launched a distinctive IT literacy programme in secondary
Secondary education
Secondary education is the stage of education following primary education. Secondary education includes the final stage of compulsory education and in many countries it is entirely compulsory. The next stage of education is usually college or university...
and higher secondary schools. In partnership with IBM
IBM
International Business Machines Corporation or IBM is an American multinational technology and consulting corporation headquartered in Armonk, New York, United States. IBM manufactures and sells computer hardware and software, and it offers infrastructure, hosting and consulting services in areas...
, 500 secondary and higher secondary schools in West Bengal run the IT literacy programme from Class VII to Class XII. To leverage the creative talent in the State, WEBEL has set up Toonz Webel Academy, an international animation
Animation
Animation is the rapid display of a sequence of images of 2-D or 3-D artwork or model positions in order to create an illusion of movement. The effect is an optical illusion of motion due to the phenomenon of persistence of vision, and can be created and demonstrated in several ways...
academy that produces industry-ready animators which will help fuel the growth of the animation industry in the country.
WEBEL has developed a computerised Braille transcription system [BTS] in Indian languages that may do just that for the visually impaired. the transcription system comprises Braille-to-text software, an electronic tactile reader, automatic braille embosser, and audio-supported Braille keyboard. It addresses the requirements of Braille education in twelve vernacular languages, and enables institutions to prepare Braille material as and when required. The system covers transcription in languages such as Bangla, Hindi, Assamese, Oriya, Marathi, Gujarati, Punjabi, Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, Malayalam, Nepali and English.
Manufacturing activities
- Quartz crystals
- Electrolytic capacitorElectrolytic capacitorAn electrolytic capacitor is a type of capacitor that uses an electrolyte, an ionic conducting liquid, as one of its plates, to achieve a larger capacitance per unit volume than other types. They are often referred to in electronics usage simply as "electrolytics"...
s - Carbon and metal film resistors
- Black-and white picture tubePicture tubePicture Tube may refer to:Electronics*cathode ray tube, a common component of electronics such as televisions and other displaysGraphics...
s - Electronically driven tools
- ThyristorThyristorA thyristor is a solid-state semiconductor device with four layers of alternating N and P-type material. They act as bistable switches, conducting when their gate receives a current trigger, and continue to conduct while they are forward biased .Some sources define silicon controlled rectifiers and...
-controlled AC Drives - Studio and broadcasting equipment
- Television setTelevisionTelevision is a telecommunication medium for transmitting and receiving moving images that can be monochrome or colored, with accompanying sound...
s - Transreceivers
- Electronic telephone exchanges
- EPBTs.
Awards
- National Award For Exemplary Implemention of E-Governance Initiative – 2004 on Telemedicine Project in West Bengal
- 1st Prize National Award from Department of Electronics in the Year 1991
- Manthan American India Foundation 2006
- Special Jury Award in FICCI-BAF Awards 2006 for the film, Dried Up.