How Big Mamary you Want?
The street is very crowded. The cacophony numbs my mind as I stroll aimlessly. The street vendors keep adrenaline levels high by virtually dragging customers to their stalls. One bright sign catches my attention - Mamary Sale! Trying hard to stifle my laughter, I walk up to the young lad manning the stall:
"How big mamary you want sir?" He manages to get straight to the point. Impressive!
"Yenu idde" [what do you have], I respond in kannada just to let him know that I am not a bloody tourist.
"1GB, 2GB, .." I interrupt his recital before it turns into a full-blown litany. I've seen what he has and I know what I want.
"yerudu GB saaku. Trancend MicroSD torsu" [2 GB is good enough. Show me a Trancend micro SD]
He deftly reaches into the showcase, and without even checking the label tells me "290 rupees." I'm impressed. This kid knows his stuff.
"Install madu beka?" [do you want me to install it] he asks brightly.
"maadu" [do it] I tell him.
He takes my phone, examines it for a few seconds, turns it off, opens it, inserts the card and turns it back on. After it comes up fine, he fixes the cover and hands it back to me. The experience blows me away. Had I gone to a gizmo store, I would have wasted one whole hour buying the same thing.
I pay him, thank him, pocket my stuff and walk away.
Mobile phones are a craze in India and cuts across all demographic barriers. There's something for everyone. Phones and accessories are sold everywhere - malls, street stalls, even "paan" shops. People don't just use them to make and receive calls. They are entertainment devices as well. People either buy MicroSD cards preinstalled with music or listen to FM radio on their phones. I've even seen youngsters watch movies on them.
I think the rural and the low-income urban markets represent one of the biggest opportunities for service providers AND handset manufacturers. For instance, the Indian government has been using SMS to advice farmers. As adoption grows, farmers might even demand apps for their smart phones [I know a company that's doing this already]. As memory and data rates drop, people will start using Internet-based media like photo albums and video sites and social media like their urban counterparts. Are service providers and handset manufacturers ready for this second deluge?
"How big mamary you want sir?" He manages to get straight to the point. Impressive!
"Yenu idde" [what do you have], I respond in kannada just to let him know that I am not a bloody tourist.
"1GB, 2GB, .." I interrupt his recital before it turns into a full-blown litany. I've seen what he has and I know what I want.
"yerudu GB saaku. Trancend MicroSD torsu" [2 GB is good enough. Show me a Trancend micro SD]
He deftly reaches into the showcase, and without even checking the label tells me "290 rupees." I'm impressed. This kid knows his stuff.
"Install madu beka?" [do you want me to install it] he asks brightly.
"maadu" [do it] I tell him.
He takes my phone, examines it for a few seconds, turns it off, opens it, inserts the card and turns it back on. After it comes up fine, he fixes the cover and hands it back to me. The experience blows me away. Had I gone to a gizmo store, I would have wasted one whole hour buying the same thing.
I pay him, thank him, pocket my stuff and walk away.
Mobile phones are a craze in India and cuts across all demographic barriers. There's something for everyone. Phones and accessories are sold everywhere - malls, street stalls, even "paan" shops. People don't just use them to make and receive calls. They are entertainment devices as well. People either buy MicroSD cards preinstalled with music or listen to FM radio on their phones. I've even seen youngsters watch movies on them.
I think the rural and the low-income urban markets represent one of the biggest opportunities for service providers AND handset manufacturers. For instance, the Indian government has been using SMS to advice farmers. As adoption grows, farmers might even demand apps for their smart phones [I know a company that's doing this already]. As memory and data rates drop, people will start using Internet-based media like photo albums and video sites and social media like their urban counterparts. Are service providers and handset manufacturers ready for this second deluge?
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