1. E-Commerce and Bridging Digital Divide: Telecom

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E-Commerce and Bridging Digital Divide Telecom,
Infrastructure and Access
UNCTAD Expert Meeting on E-Commerce Strategies
Geneva, Palais des Nations 10 12 July 2002

• Dr A.K. Chakravarti
• Adviser
• Department of Information Technology
• Ministry of Communications Information
  Technology
• Government of India
• http//www.mit.gov.in

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E-Commerce and Bridging Digital Divide

• Normal e-biz, B to B e-commerce strategies not
  covered
• Deployment of set of ICT applications which could
  give economic benefits to bridge the digital
  divide in developing countries
• Local needs specific
• Technologies applications with focus on
  telecom, infrastructure and access solutions

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Cardinal factors for E-Commerce and Bridging
Digital Divide

• Telecom reform with USO
• Enhancing e-readiness of the nation
• Technological solutions aimed at
• affordability v/s economic benefits
• low-cost ICT infrastructure
• Community approach
• Local language solutions
• Teach/Educate potential beneficiaries to use the
  ICT tools to advantage, for sustainability

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Lessons learnt from dotcom bust

• That companies/VCs know what the consumers want
• If provided through prevailing market forces
  practices, consumers are bound to accept
• Lessons for e-commerce and digital divide from
  telecom, infrastructure and access perspective

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Strategies for Promoting E-Commerce and Bridging
Digital Divide

• The diversity within the nation tremendous
  challenge
• Consensus ICT having potential to accelerate
  development and bring the benefits of the
  knowledge-based economy to the rural sector
• Govt., development agencies, NGOs amongst
  others have taken a host of initiatives

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Strategies . (Contd)

• Key is replication, large-scale uses,
  operationalisation of those which are
  sustainable. Location-specific killer/anchor
  applications are difficult to predict and
  these emerge-out of multiple applications tried
  in the field.
• For sustainable e-commerce, legal and
  regulatory framework to be in place.

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Technologies and Applications for Rural
e-Commerce in India Some Illustrative examples

• Community Information Centres (CICs)
• Gyandoot
• Agmarket
• RuralBazar/IndiaShop
• Technology Development in local languages (TDIL)
• CAD in Handloom
• CorDECT
• Simputer
• Media Lab Asia

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Rural e-Commerce Projects More Examples

• Warana Wired Village Project (warana.nic.in)
• AP Govt. initiatives (CARD, TWINS, VOICE etc.)
  (www.ap-it.com)
• Bhoomi computerised land records across the
  Karnatka State (revdept.kar.nic.in)
• TARAhaat.com (www.tarahaat.com)
• HoneyBee Network (www.sristi.org)
• Samadhan Kendra
• e-chaupal
• e-post
• Sustainable Access to Rural India (SARI)
• Amul.com
• Rural knowledge centres for Information
  Empowerment (www.mssrf.org)
• Inabling Technologies (www.inablers.net) etc

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1. Community Information Centres(CICs)

• A project for socio-economic development of North
  East region. States covered
• Arunachal Pradesh
• Assam
• Manipur
• Meghalaya
• Mizoram
• Nagaland
• Sikkim
• Tripura

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Community Information Centres(CICs)

• Will facilitate
• Internet connectivity through NICNET enabling,
  inter-alia web-browsing and e-mail facilities,
• Citizens interface with government,
• Distance learning programmes,
• Computer culture, specially amongst school
  children,
• IT enabled services including e-commerce,
• Accelerated employment opportunities, and
• Dissemination of information on plan initiatives,
  national programmes, disaster management system,
  public health awareness etc.

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Community Information Centres(CICs)

• At Block Headquarters in Seven North East States
  and Sikkim
• Number of Blocks 487
• Pilot Project 30 Blocks
• Main Project 457 Blocks

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Experience from CICs set up under pilot project

• Utilization of CICs in some states such as Sikkim
  and Meghalaya is quite good
• Gangtok CIC is earning revenue and has even paid
  salary of staff out of the revenue earned
• Some of the CICs have started Computer Training
  Programmes
• Popular services at CICs
• Internet Email
• Word processing
• Computer Training

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Gyandoot (http//www.gyandoot.net)

• Gyandoot a community owned, self-sustainable
  and low cost rural Intranet in Dhar District
  of Madhya Pradesh State connecting 21
  multimedia kiosks or rural cyber café
  (Soochnalayas) catering to the everyday needs of
  the masses.
• Soochnalayas located at Gram Panchayats, bazzars,
  local shops, Bus depots and on the roadside of
  central villages where people frequently travel.
  Each Soochnalaya provides public services to
  between 20 to 30 villages and between
  20,000 and 30,000 people.
• Gyandoot Intranet linked to the Internet, and a
  orresponding Gyandoot Website, provides global
  access.

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Gyandoot

• Some of the services provided by Gyandoot
  Intranet
• Agricultural Produce Auction Centres Rates,
• Online Registration of application,
• Public Grievance Redressal
• Hindi e-mail
• Gyandoot won the CSI National IT Award as
  well as Stockholm Challenge Award
• Replicating Gyandoot model
  Drishtee (http//www.drishtee.com)

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3. Agricultural Marketing Information Network
(AGMARKNET)
(http//agmarket.nic.in)

• Agricultural marketing area for second
  generation Green Revolution problems
• A key step towards globalisation of Agriculture
• Improve farmers decision making capability to
  dispose of their agricultural produce at
  better prices in the market by
• Prompt and reliable market information
• Knowledge of prevailing prices in other markets
• Knowledge of arrivals in markets
• Awareness on quality competitiveness

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AGMARKNET aims at

• To establish a nation-wide information
  network for speedy collection and
  dissemination of market information for its
  efficient utilisation
• To computerise data on market covering
  aspects like total arrivals, arrivals by
  agencies, prices (variety wise/quality wise),
  storage, despatches with destination, mode of
  transportation, costs, sold and unsold stocks,
  sources of supply with destination, grading
  facilities, infrastructure facilities.

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AGMARKNET aims at (Contd)

• To ensure flow of regular and reliable data to
  producers, traders and consumers to derive
  maximum benefit of their sales and purchases
• To increase the efficiency in marketing by
  effecting improvement in the existing market
  information system

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AGMARKNET Scope covers

• Transmit price and market arrivals to State
  Agricultural Marketing Board/Directorate for
  analysis and local dissemination and to DMI Hqrs
  Faridabad for further dissemination through Web.
• To start with, 27 commodities categorized
  into 7 commodity Groups viz. cereals, pulses,
  spices, fruits, vegetables, fibres and
  Oilseeds are to be monitored.

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AGMARKNET Scope covers (Contd)

• Implementation of the project at 670 Regulated
  market and 40 State Agricultural Marketing
  Board/ Directorates and DMI Hqrs during Phase-I.
  At present, 170 Agricultural produce markets
  and 40 State agricultural Marketing
  Boards and Directorates are being
  connected. AGMARKNET will be extended to
  2000 additional markets during tenth plan.

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AGMARKNET Project Components
Computing Facilities and Networking
Marketing Board / Directorate / Markets Client
System Windows98, Lotus Smart Suite Through
Dial-up Modem

• Item
• H/W
• S/W
• Connectivity

• DMI Hqrs
• Server System,
• Client System
• Windows NT, SQL
• Server, Lotus Smart
• Suite Millenium, MS
• Office 2000
• Vsat Based

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AGMARKNET Project Components

• Agmarket Application Software facilitates
• Market level Data entry in English or
  local language, report Generation and
  transmission of data to respective
  Marketing Boards and DMI Faridabad
• Marketing Board level Collation of data
  received from markets, Report generation and
  reports/data transmission
• DMI headquarters Collation of data
  received from Markets, updation on AGMARKNET
  portal and report generation.

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AGMARKNET Project Components

• Agmarket Information Transmission
• Market Committees Provide daily information to
  the respective Marketing Board/Directorate and
  DMI
• The Board/Directorate Collate the daily
  information received from the markets and
  Generate all markets report in the region and
  transmit the same to the concerned markets on
  same day.
• The DMI headquarters Collate data received
  from various Marketing Boards/Directorates and
  put on the portal hosted at NIC Web Server.
• The Market Information Available to the
  users by accessing the portal (http//agmarknet.n
  ic.in) through internet.

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4. RuralBazar / IndiaShop

• Computerised Rural Information System Project
  (CRISP) (http//crisp.nic.in/ruralbazar
• RuralBazar a website for rural products
  (Handicrafts, Handloom, Carvings etc.)
• Local language support to the rural producer
• Both on-line as well as off-line support
  available
• Automatic generation of e-mails for personalised
  services to customer
• Supports Secure Transaction
• Scalable
• IndiaShop promoted by CAPART / FOOD
  (www.xlweb.com/indiashop)

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5. Technology Development in Local Languages
(TDIL)

• An Initiative of Department of Information
  Technology
• C-DAC GIST Working on Indian-language fonts
  and software (www.cdacindia.com)
• Research centres in different Indian Languages
  spread across the country
• 21 Indian Language Technology providers
• MAIT Language Technology Consortium working
  closely with DIT

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Technology Development in Local Languages (TDIL)
(Contd)

• TDIL website Downloadables
• Indian language keyboard drivers and fonts
• ileap from C-DAC
• Desika from C-DAC
• Akshar for Windows
• Surbhi professional
• Pocket translation from C-DAC
• TDIL newsletter VishwaBharat _at_ tdil
• Visit http//tdil.mit.gov.in for more details

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6. C-DAC in Handloom

• Computer Aided Textile Design Centres (CATD)
  being set-up in major handloom sector hubs in the
  country widening the scope of creativity and
  selection of design
• Panipat, Bangalore, Chennai, Bhubneshwar, Kolkata
  etc.
• Assistance from ATIRA
• Now CAD in handloom moving over to other smaller
  places examples
• Handloom weavers in Shantipur in Nadia district
  of West Bengal with assistance from National
  Institute of Fashion Technology,
• The Centre aims at
• Eliminate the time-consuming manual design
  process and introduce weavers to the efficiency
  and economy of CAD
• Introduce ease of innovative in designing and
  multi-colour combinations through CAD
• Preserve old designs through retrievable digital
  storage

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7. CorDECT (www.tenet.res.in)

• Wireless in Local Loop Technology (Will)
• Joint development of TeNet group of Chennai,
  Midas Comm., Analog Devices
• Provides Voice, FAX/DATA, Internet connectivity
  at 35/70 kbps
• Simultaneous Voice and internet connectivity
• 25 Km range of connectivity
• Cheapest among WiLL technologies

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CorDECT - Status

• Operated by MTNL in Mumbai and New Delhi
• Installed by BSNL Bhopal, Panipat, Bangalore
• Installed in Patiala, Mohali, Jaipur
• Installed in Madagascar, Fiji, Argentina, Kenya,
  Brazil, Iran, Tunisia, Nigeria

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• CorDECT WiLL Rural Projects
• Kuppam Mandal in Andhra Pradesh
• Dhar District in MP along with Gyandoot
• Nellikuppam in Tamil Nadu
• Sikar in Rajasthan
• Rural Madurai
• Replication
• N-Logue Communications (www.tenet.res.in/nlogue.ht
  m)

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8. Simputer (www.simputer.org)

• Simple Computer or Simple Inexpensive
  Multilingual Computer
• A low cost portable alternative to PC
• Multilingual Peoples computer
• The Simputer Trust IISc and Encore
• Has potential to bridge digital divide

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Simputer Specs

• 32 bit CPU running at 200MHz
• 32 MB RAM
• 24 MB Flash
• LCD display panel
• Touch panel overlay on LCD display
• Smartcard Connector
• Telephone jack
• USB connector

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Simputer Software

• O/S GNU/Linux
• Soft-Modem Alogrithms
• IML Browser
• Internet Access
• Text-to-speech software

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9. Media Lab Asia(http//www.medialabasia.org)
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Overview of Media Lab Asia Programme

• Vision To trigger the chain process of making
  use of IT in the lives of common people in a
  sustainable way and to influence profoundly the
  quality of their lives
• Concept A network of national and overseas
  Projects
• Thrust areas
• Learning Involving every child in the learning
  process
• Health Providing state-of-the-art public health
  tools and medical information to everyone
• Financial Sustainability Creating the culture of
  micro-enterprise
• Goals Adopt villages, develop technology and
  bring partners
• Key Players Academia, MIT Media Lab, NGOs
  Cooperatives, Government and Industry

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Deliverables

• Rural, young manpower trained with
  entrepreneurial capability
• Digital connectivity to villages
• E-services in large number of villages
• New generation of enterprises and products
• Academic programmes with enhanced innovative
  research content

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Media Lab Asia Initial Research Hubs
Delhi Hub
Kanpur-Lucknow Hub
Media Lab Asia Research Programme
Tamilnadu Hub
Maharastra Hub
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Initial Projects/Areas for Research Hubs

• Kanpur-Lucknow Hub
• Chikan CAD
• Info-Thela
• SUCHIK Do-it-Yourself Comic books
• Wireless networks (IEEE 802.11)
• Maharashtra Hub
• A research facility for the design and evaluation
  of devices and interfaces
• Multilingual Information Retrieval in the
  Agricultural Domain
• Sensors for water quality and blood parameter
  assessment
• Novel techniques for cancer screening and
  detection in economically backward regions

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Initial Projects/Areas for Research Hubs- (Contd)

• Delhi Research Hub
• Rural Software Lab and Demonstration Centre-
• Health Rural water quality and Management System
  based on GIS
• Microfranchise Development Precision farming
  testing, telecom. Services, community services
  directory etc.
• Computer Clubhouses
• Concept of Digital Village demonstration
• Wireless networks - WANS
• Low cost computing
• Outreach Programme
• Media Awareness Campaign
• Web Portal development

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Initial Projects/Areas for Research Hubs- Contd..

• Tamilnadu Hub
• Bits for all
• Bring digitally enabled services to common man
• Developing low-cost wireless local loop services
• Indian version of Linux
• Rethinking of software from operating system to
  interface to reflect the needs of rural services
• IIT Kharagpur - Research Lab
• Language and interface technologies for
  physically handicapped.

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Conclusions

• Some of the examples pertaining to e-commerce and
  bridging digital divide are presented. Telecom,
  Infrastructure and access requirements are
  innovative.
• India is committed to bring the fruits of ICT
  for the benefit of Masses. Let thousands flowers
  (pilot projects) bloom. A large number of these
  would eventually be sustainable. Rural
  e-commerce in India is on the Move

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THANK YOU