| Tuesday, 01 June 2010 09:10 |
 Vision India 2020 by Sramana Mitra
It is predicted that ten years from now India will be the world leader in everything from technology innovation to state-of-the-art railways, solar energy and film animation. It is unfolding as a major card business, not just for payments, but also for identity and government services.
As a mobile phone market, India is second to none, and mobile payments are already a reality via SMS. NFC when it arrives, is certain to open many new opportunities.
India is not just a major current and future potential business area for the cards and payments industry, it is also a very important provider of services and technology components. Bangalore is the world centre of call centres and other cities host massive service centres for every possible type of outsourced IT.
So for any business leader, or entrepreneur who would like to make use of what – on the one hand – India needs; and on the other hand what it can provide, the latest book from Sramana Mitra, entitled Vision India 2020 is an opportunity to open one’s mind to the very many investment ideas that India presents.
Vision India 2020 is described as a “futuristic retrospective” that shows how, over the next decade, a suggested 45 start-up companies in India could be turned into billion-dollar enterprises.
Some are little thought through, such as the group that suggest moving all the slum children out from the cities to rural areas to grow flowers, while the emptied slum areas can then be used for growing mangos.
Others are more sensible, especially those concerning IT and technology services.
Mitra has spent many years in Silicon Valley, working as a strategy consultant, and she also writes a business blog (Sramana Mitra on Strategy). She suggests that a foresighted company could make a fortune by bringing one-to-one services back to areas where automated services are the norm, and that it would be worth investing in smart phones for Indians, because it provides a massive infrastructure for reaching the people.
Huge market lacking skills
By 2050, India will have a population of 1.6 billion people, but Mitra maintains that it lacks skills, including marketing, design, and especially good urban planning skills, that will help the country move to the next stage, without ruining the jewels it has now.
You won’t agree with everything that Mitra says, but it provides plenty of food for thought, and may just trigger the idea that leads to success for you as an entrepreneur.
Vision India 2020 by Sramana Mitra (price US$19.99) is available from Amazon.com. More info: www.sramanamitra.com |
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