During the last few weeks, many of you may have been following our blog posts about ‘live’ research conducted in India. Our three-week journey across the urban and rural parts of the states of Gujarat, Tamil Nadu and the National Capital Region (NCR) has yielded interesting perspectives and insights on neo-urbanization: how it has been unfolding, the impact it is having, as well as the current role of ICT within this context.
After the 3-week field immersions and a week-long analysis and synthesis, IMRB Innovation Labs in Mumbai conducted a workshop to identify the emerging patterns, insights and needs stemming from this phenomenon. These insights are being further refined for our final report, which will document the outcomes of this project. In fact, we are excited to let you know that the final report and video will be made available on this Blog, on other Alcatel-Lucent platforms, as well as in public domains such as those available at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona.
While assembling the final report, we thought it would be a good idea to share some interim findings and insights. This, of course, is a provisional analysis only. To summarize our findings: each of the three locations – Gujarat, Tamil Nadu and the NCR – represents different stages of neo-urbanization. However, taken together, they have enabled us to capture neo-urbanization in most of its nuances.
For its part, the NCR illustrated the impact of new and rapidly established industries on the local population. On the other hand, Ahmedabad (Gujarat state) captured the optimism of being on the path towards a smart city of the future smart about to be created on the periphery of the city. Similarly, Coimbatore (Tamil Nadu) provided compelling examples of ICT-enabled development and governance – great models for other parts of the world, especially for those in emerging markets.
If we begin with the NCR – in the small town of Bhiwadi and the villages around it – we saw how the arrival of a Honda factory is bringing in migrants leading to the construction of high-rise apartments on land acquired from local farmers. While the wealth generated by selling this land has been great for the rich farming families, at the same time we also observed increasing numbers of landless and unemployed.
Moreover, these poor villages don’t have enough schools. While they border fancy high-rise buildings, the schools lack computers, have no broadband, and seemingly no opportunities to generate income and employment within the village. That, despite the fact that the need for access to information (better engagement, income generation and consequently, greater social dignity) is critical here.
When we turned to urban Gujarat, as seen through the growing city of Ahmedabad, we saw a mix of the traditional and modern. With its swanky malls and a highly successful rapid transit system for buses, neo-urbanization showed itself as opening up new avenues for growth. Here, too, enterprising youth are beginning to explore the Internet as a means for earning additional income.
Even so, ICT usage beyond voice is present only in faint traces with the computer entering urban homes. And while the Internet is accessible in cyber cafes, it is still perceived to be expensive. On the other hand – GIFT – the smart city of the future – is marked by towering cranes and excavations. At the same time, residents of neighboring villages around GIFT are coming to terms with the sudden prospect of wealth creation. This will be due to selling the agricultural land when the construction of GIFT is completely underway. Moreover, it should be noted that here the facilities are just a little bit better than those on the NCR outskirts; while there are schools, there are no computers; and while there are dial-an-ambulance services, there are no hospitals in the village. What’s clear is that the need for accessibility to government initiatives and schemes, powered by ICT-enabled solutions, could really make a difference to the lives of those living here.
By contrast, Coimbatore represents an altogether different perspective on neo-urbanization. The growth in Healthcare, IT/ITES industries has clearly improved the residents’ quality of life. The youth, in particular, are not only techno savvy, but also seeking ways to augment their incomes using ICT. For example, a popular gynecologist in Coimbatore is so in-demand, she can’t possibly be available for all deliveries. The solution? She uses a webcam to help train other doctors during her live cases.
Also, unlike other rural geographies near Coimbatore, the rural areas are marked by high levels of awareness, education, and development. Young boys aim for jobs in Microsoft or Google! Indeed the residents use television and, increasingly, Direct-to-Home technology as the primary and critical sources of information. These let them remain informed about government schemes and loans. While traditionally television has not been considered an “ICT device”, in emerging markets it should be. Here there has been significant growth in the penetration of Direct-to-Home TVs and users have a high level of comfort with this medium. As a result, Direct-to-HomeTV represents a great opportunity as a medium for the use of Internet-enabled and other ICT solutions. Could this (TV-in-an-interactive-avatar) be the next big thing in ICT after mobile phones?
Despite dissimilarities in the extent of neo-urbanization, the three locations – Gujarat, Tamil Nadu and the NCR – are all marked by a single, common requirement: a strong need for ICT-enabled development. This development will be critical in order to deal appropriately with the opportunities and implications of an increasingly neo-urbanized world.
In conclusion, we look forward to sharing the final report and outcomes of this research. In the meantime, if you have any questions or comments about this project or our series of blogs, please contact us at the email address below. We’ll do our best to address some of the key questions in our final report.
Thank you for joining us on our journey.
Revital Marom
Head – Market & Consumer Insight (MCI), Alcatel-Lucent | revital.marom [at] alcatel-lucent.com
Parameswaran Venkataraman (Param),
Head – IMRB Innovation Labs
For more information on our Market and Consumer Insight program visit: http://www.alcatel-lucent.com/mci
