India must stick to deadlines to regain growth
After yet another deadline extension is given for the government to complete the 2G spectrum auction, it's high time we Indians expect some action from our policy makers.
Inside India
India: Its size, its people, its coming of age.
Swati Prasad
Swati Prasad is a New Delhi-based freelance journalist who spent much of the mid-1990s and 2000s covering brick-and-mortar industries for some of India's leading publications. Seven years back when she took to freelancing, India was at the peak of its "outsourcing hub" glory and the world of Indian IT, telecom and Internet fascinated her. A self-proclaimed technophobic, Swati loves to report on anything that's remotely alien to her--be it cloud computing, telecom, BPOs, social media, e-government or software and hardware, and also how high-tech sectors impact the Indian economy.
Latest Posts
India's Internet population small, but powerful on social
With barely 10 percent Internet penetration, India has managed to create consumer class that leverages prowess of social media to fight for its rights.
There are no shortcuts to development
This week, at a press conference organized by the Manufacturers' Association for Information Technology (MAIT)--the trade body of India's hardware industry--officials were talking about how the devaluation of the rupee had hit them hard and how many of their members had been bleeding for the last three months.Another news article published yesterday talked about how India's services sector grew at a fast pace during May and firms were more optimistic about the year ahead.
Who is going to book the banks?
Banks in India regularly send their customers e-mail messages about phishing and vishing scams--how not to reveal your Web identity and personal data and fall prey to fraudulent e-mail. But at the same time, they regularly peep into the bank accounts of its customers in the name of customer relationship.
Bringing big bro to fight India's spectrum battle
At the GSMA press meet held on Tuesday here in New Delhi, it seemed like the industry body had discovered India only yesterday. The Indian telecom market has been growing at very impressive rates for over a decade now.
How about a Twitter republic?
I am no social media addict. But when I read about our Prime Minister Manmohan Singh acquiring a Twitter handle (@PMOIndia), I logged on to my Twitter account and started following him.
The joy of getting your passport without a tout!
I have never had a pleasant experience at a government office--be it getting a property registered or having to procure a birth or death certificate.There are several things I have disliked at these offices--the way the citizens are treated, the presence of touts, the dingy filthy offices, and the fact that these offices only left me more disillusioned about the state of affairs in my motherland.
Should we be taming social media?
Kapil Sibal, India's telecom minister, this week appears to have drawn more attention with his proposal to pre-filter the content on social media Web sites than all the publicity he got for some of the good work he did in the area of education. The hashtag #IdiotKapilSibal emerged as one of India's most tweeted on Tuesday.
How do the Chinese know what we want?
Shifting into a new home is never too easy. Especially if you choose to shift during Diwali time when suddenly everyone gets too busy, starting from the carpenters to the plumbers, electricians and painters, and it gets difficult to convince them to do your work first.
Getting hooked on to the tablet
For long, I have stuck to dated gadgetry--be it cell phones, laptops or music players or any other white good for that matter. It's much of a personality trait--I always choose comfort over style; including clothing and accessories.