PDF: 2962 pages, 5.2 MB - Bay Area Council Economic Institute

Computing/Networking/Internet
G: Computing/Networking/Internet
Key Findings:
• Most personal computing is done in kiosks and Internet cafes; much Internet access is
via mobile phone.
• India’s wireless market adds 10 million new customers per month.
• Basic “thin-client” netbooks bring students and rural areas into the 21st century.
• Cloud computing creates low-cost business opportunities for Indian entrepreneurs.
• India is being used as a development platform for products targeting both its domestic
market and other emerging economies.
• Work done in India is increasingly sophisticated and cost arbitrage is less important.
• India captive centers free Bay Area firms to focus on innovation at home.
As described earlier (see Software/IT Services/Business Process Outsourcing section of this chapter),
there is a lesser-known hardware side to India’s tech story. HCL Technologies had its beginnings
building calculators and then Unix-based minicomputers as Hindustan Computers, Ltd. Satyam
Computer Services began in 1987 as a low-cost personal computer manufacturer and
network/systems developer. Wipro’s initial venture into tech involved PCs and workstations as
part of its total solutions packages.
Basic Unix, Windows and Linux PCs have been a staple of large businesses (banking, construction,
telecom, health care) and government in India. Until fairly recently, however, the PC remained
out of reach for the average Indian consumer, except at work and at Internet cafes and
public kiosks.
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