From a series a year ago: To create a micropayments infrastructure, we need to build on what already exists. Mobile operators in India have created an amazing network of points of presence where one can buy airtime. They know how to handle cash that users pay. (Cash remains the preferred payment mechanism given the low … Continue reading Blog Past: A Micropayments Infrastructure for India
Following a tradition from 2008 and 2009, in this last week of the year, I am giving links to what I think where some of my better posts. I have categorised them into five topics: Digital India, Panels and Presentations, Entrepreneurship, Politics and Personal. Opportunities in India’s Digital Space Boosting Mobile Data: Part 1, Part … Continue reading Best of 2010: Digital India
Even with India’s 500+ million mobile connections and a dozen operators, there has been limited innovation in the non-voice space. When one talks to some of the content and mobile companies, there is a growing feeling that things are just the way they were three years ago. Is there something that can be done to … Continue reading A Micropayments Infrastructure for India
If we look at the Indian digital space, there are three primary ways for companies to make money: subscriptions, advertising and transactions (commerce). India’s digital advertising market is still quite small (about Rs 700 cr – $150 million), with Google being the dominant player. Many of the leading Indian portals are losing money. While transactions … Continue reading A Micropayments Infrastructure for India: Part 2
To create a micropayments infrastructure, we need to build on what already exists. Mobile operators in India have created an amazing network of points of presence where one can buy airtime. They know how to handle cash that users pay. (Cash remains the preferred payment mechanism given the low penetration of credit, debit and cash … Continue reading A Micropayments Infrastructure for India: Part 3
Indian consumers spend about Rs 100,000 crore ($22 billion) on mobile services – 50 crore subscribers with an ARPU of just under Rs 200. The number of postpaid users is less than 10%, though their value will be more. There is a lot of ‘cash balance’ flowing through the mobile ecosystem. For operators, one issue … Continue reading A Micropayments Infrastructure for India: Part 4
My cousin in the US wrote an iPhone app on a weekend. He put it out there. It now makes him $1,500 a month. Those are the kinds of stories that will drive creation at a large scale in India. That is what this idea of leveraging the mobile cash balance for third-party payments can … Continue reading A Micropayments Infrastructure for India: Part 5
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