I heard this story couple of years ago. A Shoe Manufacturing Company sent two salesmen to some country in the middle east. Their job was to independently evaluate the opportunities in the country and decide upon opening a show room there.
They soon found out that the people of the country do not use shoes. After two weeks, they gave the following reports.
Salesman A: The people of this place does not use shoes. In fact, they haven’t even heard of them. So there is no point in opening up a show room here.
Salesman B: We should open a show room as soon as possible. It’s true that the people of this place do not use shoes. But the more interesting fact is that they haven’t even heard about them. If we can tell them about the advantages of using shoes and help them get started, our opportunities are endless. We have an un-explored market here.
One saw a wall and other saw a door
This is analogous to the situation in India. Look around us. How many doctors or photographers have a website of their own? How many hotels have a online reservation service? Wont they all need a website in the near future? Who will provide online support for them? Who will market them online?
I am not here to tell you the i-make-money-online-so-can-you-and-this-is-how crap. I happen to come across some discussions on the future of internet in India both online and offline (now that I am graduating and everyone around me assumes that I am going to make money online, who knows?).
I would dare say that the question itself is very irrelevant.
How many people around you use the Internet?
Look around, how many use the internet on a day to day basis? Many doesn’t even have broad band internet. Some time sooner in the future, the internet will get an equal place as the Television in our living rooms. (Didn’t you hear YouTube India is gonna stream IPL matches live?).
As more and more people start using internet, more money making opportunities will come up. Where there is traffic, there is money!
Update: Just read that only 7% of the Indian population use the Internet. We are talking of 7% from over a billion people. [Source]
Dollar Still has a good Conversion Rate
It’s convenient to think the conversion rate as a multiplier. For a the same job, an Indian gets paid 45X times when compared to a guy in the U.S. Well, not exactly. But, if you are keen enough to look, you can find good enough jobs online that pay really well when compared to local pay scale.
Countless Opportunities and Unexplored Lands
This is the best part. As I said before, there are so many sectors waiting to get online. Recently we say Tata Docomo actively doing their online marketing campaign on twitter (okay, they spammed a lot). Have you seen an ad for a car or a bike online?
In the next 5 years, hopefully they all will move online and where will they go for help? I think now is the best time to get online and do something in India, so by the time the opportunities comes and knock, you can be ready.
What do you think?
This is something you would have your own opinion. Which salesman are you?
I am a WordPress product developer and creator of Image Attributes Pro. I am passionate about solving problems and travelling the world.
That is great outside of the box thinking and something that will serve you really well!
Nice write up man. I have no doubt that the Internet business will boom in India. The concerns are around the following:
– India needs to trust on local ad spending & hence local traffic converting. At the moment, many of us tap into the US traffic and targeted ads there in
– The forex that’s coming in is not really accounted for anywhere and I am sure some restrictions on this will come soon (PayPal ban is only the tip of the iceberg)
– Taxing part, at some point the tax man’s axe will fall on all those freelancers.
Overall, there will be some new rules as the freelance online businesses pick which may make lives a bit tougher. But there will be a time – probably in the next five to ten years – where the internal spending will drive what you have envisioned.
As you have said, as more and more people turn to the internet, rules would definitely roll out (and to our dismay, the govt would come up with many funny yet scary rules first, but thats a whole different level).
I am waiting for the time when internet reaches its full swing in India. That would be a time to play ‘guru’, if you know what I mean. lol 😀
I am sure Ajith we have a bright future. i am waiting for that.
Yeah you are right. Give the blade to the right person to cut through. With lot of new competitors emerging very day we need to find some ways to e unique and different from them to gain attention.
Yes this is true.. But.. I would rather work for a foreign client and make websites.. simply because I would get more money there..
Arun
great post.can you evaluate how the site owner like cometitionguru can make a bug
Adsense is probably a good option for you for a start.
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Hi Arun,
Agree with you that there is a lot of potential to be tapped in India . A small segment of India is online. Your article is an eye opener.
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