Category — Electronic

Chicago based NAVTEQ has launched real-time traffic service in Mumbai and Delhi, India with a combined population of 26 million.

The company claims that is its research shows that drivers in India who use traffic-enabled navigation on a regular basis can spend 18% less time sitting in congestion over those that don’t — the equivalent to almost three days saved on the road each year. Additionally, the company’s findings show that drivers with real-time traffic experience reductions in distance traveled as well as increase fuel efficiency.

The latest NAVTEQ map of India is available for more than 2,200 cities throughout India, covers 6.47 million Points of Interest across 1.2 million km of the national road network.

What this means

I will have to try this to believe it. Somehow, I feel that traffic information is unlikely to speed up my movement in the congestion of India’s streets today and that maps won’t prevent me from getting lost. A knowledgeable driver continues to be my major asset as I travel about my native country.

India’s largest bank, State Bank of India has placed its second order with North Canton, Ohio-based  Diebold, Inc. The manufacturer of automatic teller machines is selling the bank 1,700 ATMs, including 1,000 cash dispensers, 600 full-function lobby machines and 60 cash recyclers, Diebold officials said.

The D450s and D422s model ATMs, were specifically designed for the country’s market by Diebold India. The D422 is a cash dispenser and the 450 is a full-service ATM. The 450 has an optional biometric reader should bank officials decided to use it. The ATMs have low power consumption, using approximately 40 percent less electricity than conventional processors.

With the new ATMs, State Bank of India’s ATM network will exceed more than 28,000 machines. Much of this expansion is happening in second tier cities and rural locations. Hundreds of millions of Indians still don’t have a bank account.

What this means

First, that American products continue to be attractive in India’s market. Second that there is a lot headroom left in India’s banking business. ICICI Bank and others continue to expand as well.

At its annual conference, held this month on the campus of Virginia Commonwealth University, the South Asian Studies Association presented its 2011 Community Service Award to my friend Ron Somers, President of the U.S. India Business Council for his role in promoting US-India relations.

Ron Somers, President USIBC and me; (D. Shimkhada photo)

SASA President Dr. Bill Vanderbok presented the award which reads in part,  “In acknowledgement of your boundless passion and your ongoing contributions in bringing the peoples of the India and the United States closer together for business, trade and cultural exchange. You are truly the universal ambassador to both countries and are equally admired and respected in business, government and academia. Your infectious energy motivates and drives all whom you touch and the South Asia Studies Association acknowledges your invaluable contributions to both cultures.”

Bill Vanderbok, Ron Somers, Gunjan Bagla, Pranav Kumar (D Shimkhada photo)

Ron and I (in my role as a board member of SASA) engaged in an hour-long spirited colloquy over the current state of US-India relations in a plenary session of the conference. We talked about how only six American presidents have ever visited India, but this includes all three of the most recent: Clinton (2000), Bush (2006)  and Obama (2010). Somers said that Secretary of State Hillary Clinton is a great ally for India and for US-India relations.

On the subject of education collaboration, India needs to expand its higher education system by a factor of 10 to 1500 universities; We  discussed how the audience in particular and American universities in general can play a significant role in supporting Indian HRD Minister Dr. Kapil Sibal’s ambitious plans. India’s needs include primary education; spoke of India’s Right to Education Act of 2010 that entitle every child to demand free and elementary education between the ages of six and 14 years.

As cell phones have proliferated in India, so have the number of instances where owners forget to charge their devices or where the owner’s home has an extended power outage and is unable to charge the device. People have come up with hand cranked chargers, solar devices and more to fill the gap. Now Nokia is introducing a bicycle charger for the millions of Indian who may ride a bike to work or for work.

Nokia Bike Charger: handlebar attachment

Pedal power drives system which comes with a charger, bottle dynamo and a phone holder which attaches to the handlebar of the bicycle. 10 minutes of bicycling gives 28 minutes of talk time.

Dynamo for Nokia Bike Charger

The kit sell for about $32 and goes on the market this month.

Takeaway: Appropriate innovation is what causes Nokia to be the leader in India, despited any trouble they may have elsewhere. Take that Steve Jobs

Amidst swirling rumors that Apple will be launching an iPad 2 in the US shortly, the company brought the iPad to India in a surprisingly quiet January launch. After a wait of over 9 months, Indians were unexpectedly diffident to a product which has otherwise captured the imagination of consumers worldwide.

Most believe this is to do with the news of an upgraded version -could it be that Apple is unloading excess stock a sets its sights on launching its newer products in the US. In a market where 9 months can herald a number of new products and technologies, some in India think that this is a fair question.

The iPad retails at a higher price in India than it does in the West; the  16GB Wi-Fi version, which sells for $499 in the US,  is priced at $609 in India (27,900 Indian rupees). One would have thought that Apple would learn India  pricing strategies after it failed to make its mark with a higher priced iPhone that could not threaten Nokia’s dominance in that country.

There’s an additional factor which may be contributing to this distinct lack of enthusiasm. The Samsung 3-G enabled Galaxy Tab, iPad’s closest competitor has already been available on the market for a few months, and at a more affordable price, it has the potential to reach a wider audience. With the launch of iPad, Samsung has slashed its own prices.

Can Apple meet the needs of the Indian market while they are already rushing to fulfill orders in the West? Retail stores in the larger cities of Delhi and Mumbai feel they might not, should there be a sudden surge in demand.

While there may be many sitting on the fence as the tablet wars rage around them, some companies have already seen the benefit of harnessing the iPad as a serious business tool. They range from SAP, a leading software solutions company, to the Fours Seasons Hotel and private hospitals in the major commercial cities. Tablets  are potentially even more attractive in India where desk space is at a premium and mobility is highly valued.  The iPad has a lot going for it – sophisticated looks, recyclable aluminum and glass bodies and a custom-designed 1GHz A4 processor. In addition, it’s hard to beat the 40,000 applications on the App Store.