DailyPost 1717
BREAKING TECH BUSINESS MODELS
The business models followed decide both the quality and pricing of the IT goods and services, which are on offer in this country. Nobody can deny the fact that the Indian purchasing power has always been on the tightrope. Given COVID-19 for the last fifteen months and likely post Covid situation to continue for quite some time, the pre-Covid-19 black box business models can put the country into a disarray. Companies small and big are already scraping the bottom of their financial barrel and don’t have enough resources to put into technology. Given the present situation it would look like a waste. This could be an even more foolish decision, as cost increases because of lack of technology.
The reality which stares in our face is the infusion of right technology at rock bottom prices and handled by well-equipped manpower. The old marketing story of brand, quality, service and support is not going to work anymore. Might be you would not be able to reach the customer in that manner for the next few years or so. In the present situation technology can be our only savior, as has been the case so far. A touchless world has its own mammoth issues in every sector, industry and walk of life, which has to be sorted out in its own unique ways. IT has always been a sellers’ market to the extent that companies had the audacity to give preference to foreign clients above the Indian ones. IT was never made or priced for India.
Technology availability was not the issue, affordability was the issue. The supposedly innovative companies had no hunger or passion to make technology more affordable. The swanky offices and their royal lifestyles were a true manifestation of the business models on which they worked. IT Billionaires without products happen only in India. Do we have any IT company in India which provides any service for free. Most of the IT behemoths do that. We never had the vision, technical and business prowess to create such models and make a success of it. Ours are hard coded business models, where every price is fixed, to every seller’s advantage, and only direction it can move, is to go higher. With the per unit cost of everything in the IT world is going down, the costs of the Indian IT goods, services and manpower has its own story. Unfortunately, if you had a project at hand, cost notwithstanding, would it get delivered, was the question on every owner’s lips.
Breaking these business models have to happen if India has to make a paradigm shift in technology adoption and its sustenance. Only technology will give us breathing space and life. Like the air conditioned think tanks and policy makers, this was an air conditioned business model. All could happen in the comfort of an office cozy corner and the server. Weekends could never be compromised. Robust fully exploitative models were at the center of smart work. Models at pricing which are affordable have to be created. It is doable if we break mental barriers. Different combinations of products and services with differential features have to be tried, customization has to happen, licensing has to change for good, remote support and owning of the project, utility or service. Innovation and experimentation should be relentlessly at work to make it happen. The Indian customer deserves it.
POST COVID-19 INDIA HAS NO PLACE FOR PRE-COVID EXPLOITATIVE IT BUSINESS MODELS.
Sanjay Sahay