Complemented by networks spanning the country, the lowest tariffs in the world, and cheap data rates, over 650 million of this access the internet.
With so many online, it seems that the whole country has moved to Cyberia (Russian friends, note the spelling - and not the phonetic sound - before you get alarmed and wonder whether India is in a NATOlike expansionist mode). For the first time, so many Indians are connected to one another, and everyone who is anyone is on at least a dozen WhatsApp groups.
What a change from the days of yore! Dinosaurs - like I - will recall a time when a dozen families were part of a different group: the share-a-phone-line community. Phones were as scarce as water in the Yamuna in summer, and getting a new phone line took only marginally less time than the final hearing in a court case.
Along-distance call - known as a trunk call required a booking to be made through an operator and even an "urgent" one required the patience of just short of that demanded on the rush hour on the Delhi-Gurgaon Expressway (the last word indicative of the authorities' sense of humour!). The impatient and desperate could book a lightning call, though the price difference between an ordinary trunk call, an urgent one, and a lightning call escalated exponentially.
"NO LINE"
Denne historien er fra June 18, 2022-utgaven av Businessworld India.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent ? Logg på
Denne historien er fra June 18, 2022-utgaven av Businessworld India.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent? Logg på
MEMORIES & IMPRESSIONS
Ratan Tata was an exceptional human being. He was a visionary leader, esteemed industrialist, and a humanitarian, who left an indelible mark on India and the world.
The Robotaxi Market
The robotaxi market is shaping up to be a high-stakes battleground as tech giants and automakers race to transform urban mobility.
And the Nobel Prize Goes to AI
The recent Nobel Prize T awards to AI pioneers affiliated with Google have sparked a broader conversation about Big Tech's influence on research and the limitations of traditional prize categories.
Ola Electrified
Once considered a trailblazer in India’s electric vehicle (EV) ecosystem, Bhavish Aggarwal’s Ola Electric now faces a major accountability crisis.
Sharp Slide in Industrial Output on Eve of Deepavali
India’s index of industrial production (IIP) saw a sharp reversal in August, contracting by 0.1 per cent, in stark contrast to the 4.7 per cent growth in July, mostly because of significant contractions in mining and electricity generation.
Heralding the Solar Era with Sustainable Electrification
RAJEEV KASHYAP on the economics of solar power, the hurdles in scaling it, and much more
A WELL-GREASED MACHINE
The OmniBook X14 laptop runs on first-generation Snapdragon X Elite, which bets big on Al-enabled productivity and battery life, but falls short when it comes to overall experience, says Deep Majumdar
DO NOT LETA HEALTH CRISIS RUIN YOUR FINANCIAL HEALTH
For a family of four living in a metro, it is recommended to opt for a family floater health insurance plan with a sum insured of at least Rs 15-20 lakh
Disruption Ahead: Beyond Organisation Charts and Structures
ALBERT EINSTEIN FAMOUSLY said, “We cannot solve our problems with the same thinking we used when we created them.
Dr. Rahul Shivajirao Kadam: A Visionary Leader Blending Sustainability, Innovation, And Social Empowerment
We are on the stage of global warming, and these technologies not only help prevent further damage but also leave behind a better environment for future generations.