Telecom turf battle

INDIA'S COMMUNICATION REVOLUTION - From Bullock Carts to Cyber Marts: Arvind Singhal and Everett M. Rogers; Sage Publications India Pvt. Ltd., M 32 Market, Greater Kailash I, New Delhi- 110048: e-mail: marketing@indiasage.com Rs. 475 (clothbound), Rs. 250 (paperback)

ARVIND SINGHAL is a professor in the School of Interpersonal Communication, Ohio University and the co-author, Rogers is Regents' Professor, Department of Communication and Journalism, University of New Mexico. Besides, he has also spent a number of years teaching in India. In the book under review the authors have tried to make an in-depth study of the unfolding communication revolution in India, a country where nearly half the population is illiterate and malnourished. One of the plates included in the book shows the photograph of a farmer in Punjab speaking into his mobile phone as he travels with his family by bullock cart.

This is a poignant depiction of the situation obtaining in the country today: a situation that is marked by glaring contrasts. While Indian information workers numbering a few million live lifestyles similar to the information workers in the Silicon Valley, an alarming proportion of the population is illiterate and live in grinding poverty. The topic dealt with in the book revolves around a very visible aspect of the current phase of the Indian economy, namely the growth of information technology. The authors have done their homework well, going deep into the subject to give a holistic view of what is happening in India's information industry.

Following the introduction of the New Economic Policy in 1991, India has made a remarkable progress in information technology, particularly in telecommunication. But our society is still in transition, struggling to march into cyber marts from bullock carts. There is a wide digital divide separating the urban rich and the rural poor.

The country cannot - at least not as yet - claim to be a full blown information society; all the same, there exists the potential to utilise the emerging technology towards improving our socio-economic status. According to McKinley, the global consulting company, Indian software exports would touch the $100 billion mark by 2010. If that happens, say the authors, India would become the software powerhouse of the world. However, given India's political track record marked by its brand of freewheeling capitalism that has contributed precious little towards the upliftment of the poor, this vision could very well end up as a pipedream.

The authors have traced the history of radio and TV broadcasting in India in some detail. India's first long running soap opera ``Hum Log'' (1984-85), set the ball rolling for the subsequent emergence of cable and satellite channels. But the TV scenario had also missed opportunities earlier: the SITE programme of 1975-76 and the Kheda Communication Project are sad examples of how opportunities can be lost due to governmental inaction or apathy. In spite of enjoying a wide audience countrywide, India's policy-makers have miserably failed to utilise this powerful visual medium to promote literacy, family planning and other equally important welfare measures.

Instead, Doordarshan has followed the example of the other cable channels and has evolved into a commercial network with the sole aim of trying to garner revenue.

Elsewhere the authors have sketched the success story of Indians who have achieved phenomenal success in the Silicon Valley as well as those who have done equally well in India. These entrepreneurs have generated huge fortunes and have not only become multi-millionaires themselves but have created opportunities for others to become equally wealthy. Like the Silicon Valley in Northern California, India has its own brand of technopolises - Bangalore and Hyderabad. Bangalore got its kickstart in 1986 when Texas Instruments started a computer aided design centre for semiconductor chip design. Hyderabad is trying to catch up, led by a chief minister whose agenda centres on computers and hi-tech growth.

He calls his hi-tech dream ``Vision 2020''. India has some inherent advantages: Indian universities and other institutes produce over 70,000 software professionals per year; Indian software industry has more ISO-9000- certified companies than any other country in the world; by the year 2000 the Indian computer industry was well established and growing many times faster than the Indian economy; India has a skilled workforce that is highly literate and English-speaking.

Indian software industry has created more millionaires in the past five years than all the other industries/services put together in the last 50 years. Given the correct political environment India can quickly adopt state-of-the-art indigenous solutions tailor-made to meet our telecom needs.

The big question is: will there be a sustained support from the country's political bosses? The picture does not look very reassuring. Take the case of the bitter turf battle between the TRAI and the DOT with the DOT's contention that it is its prerogative to formulate policies even if those policies were monopolistic and bundled in red tape.

The sad situation is that the Indian Government is reluctant to give up its control over telecom services. And this control is neither customer nor industry friendly. Wherever the Government was willing to be supportive, the results have been very encouraging: take the case of the burgeoning public call offices and Internet cafes dotting the country. Although India ranks well below the developed countries in terms of economic prosperity and social well-being there is a perceptible change in telecom connectivity.

Still we have a long way to go. According to the authors the telecom policy in India has been extremely contentious, contradictory and multi-directional.

Nobody can say if the Internet related technologies that created the Indian billionaires would also help the nearly 500 million illiterate, downtrodden population of this country towards achieving a better standard of living.

C. V. SUBRAMANIAM

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