Geneva, May 11 (IANS): A United Nations agency for information and communication technology Wednesday said it would confer an award on Sam Pitroda to recognise his dedication in promoting use of technology for social and economic empowerment.

The award conferred by International Telecommunication Union (ITU) will be given to an Indian for the first time.

Sam Pitroda, who is an advisor to the Prime Minister of India and the chairman of India's National Knowledge Commission, is widely considered to have been responsible for heralding the telecom revolution in India in the mid 1980s and has been a leading campaigner to help bridge the global digital divide.

The ITU World Telecommunication and Information Society Award will be presented on May 17, 2011 at the International Telecommunication Union in Geneva as part of the World Telecommunication and Information Society Day celebrations.

In his current role Pitroda is involved in shaping the India's policy on rural broadband connectivity to enable a move to the next generation of information and communications technology (ICT) infrastructure with a focus on improved governance and transparency.

Making the announcement of the award, ITU secretary-general Hamadoun Toure lauded Pitroda's work towards promoting ICT as a means of providing a better life through global sustainability and bridging the digital divide.