Is India Technology Dumpyard For Global Tech Corporations?

I've noticed an interesting trend over the past few years. Any technology that gets old in the developed countries is introduced in India. It applies to major tech-products as well. Take 3G: It was launched about 10 years ago. Now that the world is advancing towards 4G and over 100 mbps Internet speeds, India is now getting ready for 3G.

Apple #-Link-Snipped-# officially after about a year after it was introduced in the western markets. There are rumors that Apple will launch iPad 2 in next few days.

Has anyone ever thought about it? Share your views.

Replies

  • aj_onduty
    aj_onduty
    Before commenting on issues like this, please consider a few facts like the standard of living of the people in developed countries and the same in India, which still lives in villages. Bitter enough, but it is a fact. Tell me, how many are able enough to use an iPad 2, or 3G,(without feeling the crunch in the pocket) even now, when we are talking of high salaries and placements with starting salaries over 30ks? How many slum dwellers can use video calling to talk to a relative in villages? Where all can you go in India using GPS? Can you cover every place in India with it? Is every galli mentioned in the navigation system? I am not using a 3G phone, I cannot afford one.
    Please do not read the inability of India to raise the standard of living of common man as Global techs making India a dump yard. C'mon, they are ultimately businessmen, they won't invest anything anywhere without making sure the profit. No one is confident enough to bring such high end technologies into India right now. That is the reason. Apple is feeling that India is ready to take on iPad. That s why they are introducing it into India. When did we start using mobiles?
    When did mobiles bacome an essential gadget in India? More essential than oxygen itself? Some four years before. Not more than that. And here we are, whining for alleging ourselves as dump yards for global techs. This is nt just the case here. Everyone sees it like this.
    I did not say anything personal to Biggie. The message above is for all those people who think India is a dump yard. Never even think of calling India a dump yard, in any aspect.
    Thanks.
    Sorry if I got carried over. My, I am talking too much nowadays!
  • Kaustubh Katdare
    Kaustubh Katdare
    @aj_onduty: You are underestimating Indian markets. Seriously.

    If people can't afford it, why is Apple even bothered to introduce iPad now? If companies aren't sure of selling 3G, why did they spend millions of dollars in buying out 3G spectrum?
  • aj_onduty
    aj_onduty
    The_Big_K
    If people can't afford it, why is Apple even bothered to introduce iPad now? If companies aren't sure of selling 3G, why did they spend millions of dollars in buying out 3G spectrum?
    May I know when did Apple become confident to introduce iPad?Definitely not a year before. When did those companies become confident enough to spend millions of dollars in buying the 3G spectrum?Definitely not ten years ago.
    Hope you got my point.
  • Kaustubh Katdare
    Kaustubh Katdare
    It's not about company's confidence, in my opinion. The people who're capable of buying iPad would buy it anyway, it's got nothing to do with the timing. Same applies to 3G. Companies didn't launch 3G because the technology wasn't made available to India. Let me take this forward. India's been spending billions of rupees on defense, but still buys fighter planes from Russia. I strongly believe it's not always about money. I can't stop myself from taking example of Japan. The country that got destroyed totally has emerged as one of the top tech-hubs of the world. They started with even lesser money than India and even had greater drawbacks. But they are years ahead of India when it comes to technology.

    Now I fear that this discussion will go typically into blaming the politicians who've ruined it all. Nope, politics exists in every country. I hope we don't need that point in this discussion.

    India itself hasn't had any innovative products to launch in the tech industry.
  • shreyasm89
    shreyasm89
    As Biggie said it is not about the spending power. A thing struck me as I read this post(weird, it may seem!) Do the technologically advanced countries fear India's capability to become a base for a manufacturing based industry rather than a service-oriented one. I mean suppose they introduce all their technologies from the outset itself in India, then Indian techies could come up with something more powerful using these technologies as a base. That is, not underestimating India's achievements in indigenous technology. But it is possible that foreign corporations feel they need a head-start over Indian counterparts to protect their technological superiority.
    PS: I have not taken into account any 'marketing' concerns.
  • Kaustubh Katdare
    Kaustubh Katdare
    I can't stop from posting in this thread 😁

    Nope, the manufacturing-base-crown is with China and I don't see India getting it anytime soon. China knows where they are heading. India should have innovated in the IT space but that hasn't happened in past 2 decades. Most of the Indians have enjoyed more success in silicon valley than in India (at least in software world). Let's face it - how much would it cost a company like Infosys to have a group of 100 talented people working on something innovative (for the common Internet user)?

    I believe it's more of a mindset thing than anything else. I wonder how much money does AirTel or idea cellular spend on developing their own high-speed technology (read 4G)? I'm 100% sure that if they don't hire SRK and A.R. Rehman to do their branding/advertising and invest that money into feeding 10 talented communications engineers ( 😁 ) they can launch their own technology in less than 2 years.

    [PS: I hope CE would do that one day. ]
  • Deepika Bansal
    Deepika Bansal
    Well said Big K.
    I sometimes think that when 'we' people can think of such things, then why can't the Indian companies..?? 😔 I mean they are wiser than us and have more experience, workforce, capital to invest, etc then why don't they try something new like this. :?:
  • aj_onduty
    aj_onduty
    Politicians are not to be blamed. They have nothing to do with it. Its the education system which is de-channeling the capabilities of great brains in our country. You are required to learn a few things by-heart(a few repeated questions) to pass in university exams with high marks(applicable for engineering too). No one is made to believe that he/she is a great being, unique to the world. Everyone has capabilities possessed by no one else in these world. But no one is allowed to find out what is their destiny, what is that special talent. Everyone is led into one single path. No one is allowed to do something new. This is why others feel that India is not capable of making its own technologies. Compare the educational system in India with any other high end system, and you will know what is amiss. We were in a good educational system in the olden days, which got changed due to the advent of the British Raj. It was the best type of education then, but it was not to be a permanent fixture. But we made it a permanent fixture. Change has started, but it has not yet reached everywhere in India. It has to, only then can we thing of innovations in India.
  • Kaustubh Katdare
    Kaustubh Katdare
    I reiterate, it's the mindset. When you can make millions through services and rolling out someone else's technology, why'd anyone even bother about 'creation' of something.
  • shreyasm89
    shreyasm89
    Exactly Biggie! But I guess our discussion was why global companies treat India as a technological dump-yard. India's capabilities for innovation is enormous. I am not aware of why we are still struggling to churn out technologies at the global level.😒 Is it lack of capital or the lack of research based institutions?

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