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Community Informatics in India: Opportunities and Challenges

Community Informatics in India: Opportunities and Challenges. Madanmohan Rao Consultant, Microland Bangalore, INDIA madanr@microland.net. The Eight Cs of the Internet Economy. Connectivity Content Community Commerce Capacity Culture Cooperation Capital. India Internet User Survey.

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Community Informatics in India: Opportunities and Challenges

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  1. Community Informatics in India: Opportunities and Challenges Madanmohan Rao Consultant, Microland Bangalore, INDIA madanr@microland.net

  2. The Eight Cs of the Internet Economy • Connectivity • Content • Community • Commerce • Capacity • Culture • Cooperation • Capital

  3. India Internet User Survey • Gartner Group (www.gartner.com) • 3,000 families, 7 cities • June-July 2000 • 1,260 interviews • Regular user: Accesses the Internet at least one hour each week

  4. User Base • 3.1 million regular Internet users • Fastest growing Internet market in Asia-Pacific • No. 6 in Asia-Pacific (after Japan, China, Korea, Australia, Taiwan)

  5. User Behaviour • 60 per cent of usage is from cybercafes • 11 per cent visit Indian language sites (Hindi, Tamil) • 2.2 per cent have bought something online • Awareness: word of mouth, articles, print/TV ads, hoardings, banner ads

  6. User Behaviour • By 2003, average spending online per user will be Rs.1,200/- • Local sites will be popular • Business-to-business (B2B) activity will increase • NRIs, trade, exports will be big markets

  7. Recent Developments • IT Act 2000 passed on October 18, 2000 • AidMatrix launched for businesses, charities • Yahoo, Lycos, MicrosoftNetwork launch in India • CineXchange.com, LeatherXchange.com launch in India • AgencyFAQs, India Internet Advertising bureau launched

  8. Other Promising Media • Radio: community radio • TV: Digital broadcast (WorldSpace) • New devices: Simputer

  9. “In Sri Lanka, we are using a community radio station in Kotmale to find information on the Internet, which readers ask for via phone or post. This helps villagers to get access to the information superhighway too.” Michael J.R. David University of Colombo

  10. The Internet and Local Communities: Key Drivers • Local urban non-profit organisations • Local rural non-profit organisations • Local urban for-profit cybercafes • Project-based initiatives of remote organisations (Indian, expat)

  11. Centre for Education and Documentation: Bombay, Bangalore • Print/video/online documentation • Focus: local environment, gender, development, disaster management, healthcare • Languages: English, Kannada • Services: press clippings, videos, books; photocopiers, scanners, email access • Intranet, mailing lists; Linux

  12. Centre for Education and Documentation (www.doc-centre.org) • Target audience: local + remote; students, professionals, activists • Workshops, seminars: process documentation, information management • Challenges: Right to Information, staffing, digitisation

  13. M.S.Swaminathan Research Foundation (www.mssrf.org) • BioVillages: EcoTechnology Centres • Agricultural know-how, pest control, news, pricing information • InfoVillages/Knowledge Centres • Information: pricing, transportation, weather alerts • Healthcare, insurance, child diseases, nutrition • Resources: training skills, government schemes • Bioenergy

  14. InfoVillages/Knowledge Centres: Pondicherry District • Volunteer-driven • Data gathering, dissemination; blending of existing media channels • Languages: English, Tamil • Pentium PC, deskjet printer, Windows 95, VHF wireless modems (Motorola)

  15. Commercial Urban Centres • Phone centres • Photocopy shops • Cybercafes • Education, research, employment • Communicating with expats • Special training (eg. handicapped) • Recreation, sociability

  16. Cybercafes • Local e-commerce • Web solutions businesses • Youth hangouts • Tourists

  17. Project-based Initiatives • Activist organisations based elsewhere • Mobilisation during natural disasters, calamities • Focus on fund-raising, disaster relief • Well-networked, effective marketing

  18. Other Upcoming Initiatives • VOICES (Bangalore) • Internet and community centres for the disabled • World-Tel.com • Community centres, leased lines (based on Peruvian Scientific Network model)

  19. Challenges and Opportunities • Challenges • Access, affordability, awareness, local language tools, cultural issues (“right to information”) • Opportunities, Strengths • Strong in IT skills, popular in urban imagination, strong support of expatriate Indians, democratic culture

  20. Resources • Books • Community Informatics, by Michael Gurstein • Sites • INOMY.com • www.mssrf.org • www.doc-centre.org • www.panasia.org.sg

  21. madanr@microland.net digitalnomad@hotmail.com

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