Tuesday, August 16, 2005

first steps... think-typing

In the post-lunch/part-siesta period today, I was perusing my daily digest of the NYTimes news, when I came across this article about the success of KBC2.
No, hold on.... I'm not gonna bore you with the pots of money StarTV is hoodwinking out of gullible Indian dreamer-viewers(I consider that a just penalty for idiot box addiction).... nor about Big B's ability to attract such viewership/ad-moolah at this age...

What caught my eye was this line in the article
About half of those who called in to "Kaun Banega" on a recent weekend live outside the country's 26 largest cities. Even in the smallest of villages, ones with no running water, schools or hospitals, there are mobile phones and battery-powered television sets.

If cell-phone operators and TV content-providers can reach out to these 'smallest of villages' and make money out of providing (relatively) hi-tech services to the 'poorest-of-the-poor', why can't the government farm out basic-need services to private organizations. From what I heard at a lecture by CK Prahlad at iiit-B on his paper The Fortune at the Bottom of the Pyramid he managed to convince a large audience of powerful businessmen that this is a viable, untapped market!

I am sure this question has been asked a gazillion times already.... but whats the answer(s)?

As the dichotomy continues...

1 comment:

  1. Hey Chats,

    Didn't know you had 'started' too!
    Well, I dont know the answer. Would just add the following - Capital is such a wonderful fluid. It can both evaporate and percolate. You should allow it to evaporate and then let it pour down. Gradually it will percolate!

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