EmTech Spl: M-powered India

NEW DELHI, INDIA: The mobile revolution has changed the connectivity landscape of the country. Even then it has changed the lives of fortunate few in the metros and in the tier 2 cities. However, things are likely to change for the bottom of the pyramid with major firms focusing on the technologies and applications which are relevant to the specific needs of the Indian masses.

"Voice was the first bottom of the pyramid application and it is likely to dominate the revenue stream for some time," said Vivek Mohan, president, Alcatel Lucent in his presentation on `Innovative Applications for Bottom of the pyramid customers' at EmTech India here today.

Alcatel Lucent is working on a number of projects which have the potential to change the lives of the people from the lower rung of the society.

"We are working with the Government of India so that mobile number can be used as ID number of a person. It is significant since the number is unique and we already have around half a billion mobile customers in the country. It has the potential to touch the basis of human life, which is what an application should do," Mohan elaborated. However, it is still at conceptual stage.

The company is also running a prototype for `Teleport', which helps in tracking the speed of the vehicle in Mumbai.

"Basically, we have put sensors on the sides of the roads, which tracks how fast you are driving. This is definitely cheaper than the systems we have in place today," said Mohan.

"People in the hinterland are not used to laptops but they find it easier to use mobiles. Post 3G, we can use mobiles to impart education to the people. However, it is important to remember that technology can be an enabler and not just an end-to-end solution to the people," he added.

It is important to realize that companies are suddenly enthusiastic about the customers are the other end of the spectrum simply because the market in the metros has reached a plateau. The next wave of growth is likely to come from the rural segment of the society.

"It is certainly not charity. It makes good business. It is the right time to develop such technologies and applications. India can actually become a hub for these applications," said Mohan.

For more stories on EmTech click here