The $35 Computer and Other Innovations from India

India is often viewed as just a popular foreign country for companies to offshore parts of their business.  With a well-educated population that is trained to speak English at an early age, India has indeed absorbed the call centers and software development functions of many members of the Fortune 500.  However, India has also become a hotbed of technological innovation due to the intersection of financial cash flow from the West and the extreme poverty that still engulfs many people in the country.  The average yearly income of a citizen of India is 43,740 rupees which is equivalent to 32.52 American dollars.  However, India’s population of almost 1.2 billion people makes it the second most populated country in the world and a ripe market for low cost products.

The $35 Computer

Netbooks have risen over the past year as a way to obtain a basic portable computer with an affordable price tag.  However, even the cheapest netbook is many times more expensive than the $35 laptop Kapil Sibal, India’s minister for human resource development, recently unveiled.  Created by students at India’s world class universities, the Linux-based device has a touchscreen interface, Web browser, PDF reader, and other utilities.  Given the unreliability of power in many parts of India, a solar power charger and a two-watt backup power source are available options.

The $2,500 Car

Realizing that India’s vast number of low income workers could not dream of owning a car, Tata Motors introduced the Tata Nano.  Starting at $2,500, the rear engine vehicle gets about 52 mpg in city driving conditions.  While this is impressive, the 33-horsepower engine won’t inspire an Indian version of 2 Fast 2 Furious.  However, for a market where most people are used to getting around by foot or by pedal, the Tata Nano will be a welcome transportation option.

The $1,500 Electrocardiograph

While cheap computers and cheap cars are interesting innovations, they have no value if people are not healthy enough to use them.  Heart disease is still the number one cause of death around the world, and 60% of the cases are from India.  Electrocardiograph (ECG) machines are critical tools for early detection and treatment of heart disease, yet their cost of $10,000 per unit keeps them out of reach of most Indian doctors.  GE worked with a team of engineers based in India to reduce the cost of these lifesaving devices.  They were able to successfully create the MAC 400, an ECG that costs $1,500 per unit.  By putting affordable ECGs into the market, India’s health care industry is being revolutionized.

These innovations are examples of the transformation of India from a low cost provider of labor and services to an innovation hub.  As more of India’s poor gain access to products that are affordable and well designed, the quality of life in that country will rise.  However, the rest of the world will also benefit by obtaining engineering processes and products that will create a worldwide reduction in production costs resulting in more buying power for everyone.

About the Author
Anjuan Simmons is an emerging technology consultant and freelance technology consultant currently working as a Director at Adverlyze, an online marketing strategy company. Anjuan has previously worked for Accenture and Deloitte. He has an undergraduate degree in electrical engineering from the University of Texas at Austin and an MBA from Texas A&M University. He can be found on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/anjuan and on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/anjuan.
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