Convergence India 2005

August 11, 2004
Capturing the excitement of a changing India

Rajendra Prabhu

NEW DELHI -- With the Indian telecom sector poised to take a leap into the stratospheric 100 million subscriber range, and with India pursuing e-governance and other smart initiatives, the 13th Convergence India exhibition and conference, to be held from 22-24 March 2005 will focus on the large business opportunities, and technological and managerial changes needed in the new environment. The total number of terrestrial and mobile telephone connections have, so far, crossed the 75-million mark. By December 2004, the 100-million mark will have been exceeded. The attention now, is on the "next 100 million", says TRAI chairman Pradip Baijal.

The move to the "next 100 million" will need some US $50 billion in investible funds. The growth of the network will benefit all sectors of the economy -- be it agriculture, industry or services. The geographical push will be from the cities to the rural hinterland, and several initiatives seek to make this push into the rural areas feasible and affordable. There are offerings of new technologies and innovations -- from an ATM for rural areas at the incredible price tag of Rs. 10,000, to a robust PC priced at a low range of Rs. 10,000 to Rs. 15,000. At affordable low prices, the target of reaching 40 million Internet connections and 20 million broadband by 2010 should be attainable.

However, there is an acute need for innovation and more enterprise. And what are the technology choices? Will new initiatives cover large tracts of rural areas? As a telecom industry person, answers to questions like these will determine your bottom line in the next year, and in the years to come.

India is changing faster than expected. Second- and third-generation mobile phones, to fuel-efficient cars and eight-lane expressways, dirt-cheap airfares, etc., are changing the face of the country. This year saw the introduction of yet another technology -- direct-to-home (DTH) entertainment. In future, the mere supply of 20 million small antennae and set-top boxes to families should raise some incredible business opportunities, to say the least.

Satellite TV is changing India's life style, and its politicians' way of interacting with people. Mobile phones are providing lifelines for fishermen at sea, and economic benefits to poor street vegetable vendors, thereby displaying the human face of technology. Most recently, an infant on an air flight came close to the doors of death, but was rescued because telecommunications made it possible to get things ready on the land while the plane made an unscheduled landing at Hyderabad.

Spacecraft and telecommunications networks permit heart surgeons in Bangalore to advise patients in Bankura, West Bengal. Over a million students receive instructions online from the Indira Gandhi National Open University in Delhi. The government is programming the issue of a billion multipurpose identity cards to its citizens over the next ten years in the largest ever public-private partnership initiative. Across the country, optical fiber networks are mushrooming, beginning with BSNL's five-lakh km network, supplemented by networks from Powergrid, GAIL, Railways and other private sector companies. Electronic equipment and telecom networks are being installed to make the Indian Railways safer and faster up to speeds in excess of 150km per hour.

There is no limit to the excitement India offers to the IT and telecom, electronics and space sectors. "Year after year, for the last decade and more, Convergence India has been capturing the excitement of a resurgent India. Only last year, three major initiatives were launched during the 12th Convergence India," says Prem Behl, managing director of Exhibitions India, the show organizer. One, Korea Telecom (KT) announced its tie-up with BSNL for providing broadband services in India. Two, Tata Teleservices announced the launch of its push-to-talk (PTT) service. Three, Midas announced its tie-up with Celletra Ltd., to jointly market products in the Indian and other markets for capacity enhancement solutions for CDMA and GSM networks.

Last year's exalted guests at Convergence India included Paul Jacobs, group president, Qualcomm; Dr. Yong-Kyung Lee, president and CEO, Korea Telecom; Bill Cowper, telecommunications industry director-AP, Sun Microsystems Australia; TRAI chairman Pradip Baijal and BSNL chairman V.P. Sinha.