Category Archives: India/Asia/China

Maximising the value of their investment

Posted on September 18, 2008 by

Every decision to spend money – with the exception of an impulse buy of sweets or a newspaper when there is some change available – made by those who manage on uncertain incomes at the base of the pyramid could … Continue reading →

Posted in Africa, BoP, Bottom of the pyramid/Poverty, Culture & research, Design, India/Asia/China, Marketing, pay as you go economy, Strategy | Tagged

Mobile phone ecosystem of services for BoP and rural India

Posted on September 10, 2008 by

Thinking about the post I’d written last week about the various Indian companies planning to enter the smaller towns and villages of India with Chinese made mobile phones at affordable prices, it struck me that there might be a way … Continue reading →

Posted in BoP, Bottom of the pyramid/Poverty, India/Asia/China, Mobile platform, pay as you go economy, Strategy

The iPhone in India: Veni, vidi, where did it go?

Posted on September 2, 2008 by

Research for the previous post on mobile phones and India turned up some interesting tidbits on that much heralded icon of smart phones: Apple’s iPhone. (I expect drumrolls to sound, please) Neelakantan’s comments reminded me of an insightful link left … Continue reading →

Posted in Culture & research, Design, India/Asia/China, Marketing, Mobile platform, pay as you go economy, Strategy | Tagged ,

Design, branding and the challenge of ‘cheap Chinese imports’

Posted on September 2, 2008 by

Nokia’s successful capture of the mobile phone market in China led me to think about the phenomena of ‘cheap Chinese imports’ and the challenge they pose to established brands that come with warranties, service centers and of course, reputation. Particularly … Continue reading →

Posted in BoP, Business, Design, India/Asia/China, Marketing, Mobile platform, pay as you go economy, Strategy

Tomorrow, the Moon: Nokia’s plans for rural China

Posted on August 30, 2008 by

Nokia is making waves in the handset market in rural China, targeted as their next big emerging market. If their success is sustained, it will become a case study in the annals of how a multinational can create an entirely … Continue reading →

Posted in Business, Culture & research, Design, India/Asia/China, Marketing, Mobile platform, pay as you go economy, Strategy | Tagged , ,

African potential, Indian experience

Posted on May 9, 2008 by

The Economist calls it the “the biggest thing to pass between India and South Africa since Mahatma Gandhi moved from one country to the other.” They add their voice to the speculation online about Bharti Airtel, the largest mobile-phone operator … Continue reading →

Posted in Africa, Bottom of the pyramid/Poverty, Business, India/Asia/China, Marketing, Mobile platform, pay as you go economy, Strategy

Its not as simple as trust

Posted on February 28, 2008 by

Just came across this article in the Business Standard – “The New Holy Grail” – a long rambling incoherent report on a recent presentation by The Boston Consulting Group on the ‘The Next Billion‘ (PDF) customers. One wonders if its … Continue reading →

Posted in BoP, Bottom of the pyramid/Poverty, Business, Culture & research, India/Asia/China, Marketing, pay as you go economy, Pondering | Tagged

Business model innovation – an opportunity for cross pollination

Posted on February 19, 2008 by

I don’t think I’m saying anything new here, nor am I saying anything I’ve not said before. However, the impulse that is driving me to say it again, perhaps in a new way or with a different choice of words, … Continue reading →

Posted in BoP, Bottom of the pyramid/Poverty, Business, India/Asia/China, Marketing, Mobile platform, pay as you go economy, Strategy | Tagged

The new ‘browning’ of African technology

Posted on December 27, 2007 by

This is taken from an article in Monday’s Straits Times, I’ve yet to find it online anywhere [updated, link to article on the Japan Times] written by G. Pascal Zachary on the observable trends in Africa. To quote, “The sudden … Continue reading →

Posted in BoP, Bottom of the pyramid/Poverty, Business, India/Asia/China, Marketing, pay as you go economy, Strategy

Access is empowering; part one

Posted on April 27, 2007 by

In a conversation with Aditya Singh of The Ranthambhore Bagh, he pointed out something that just blew my mind. Dicky said that after talking to the villagers in the area [the region we've selected for Phase one of our project] … Continue reading →

Posted in India/Asia/China