Untapped opportunities – Rural mobile VAS India Insights

Rajamanohar, Chief strategist, Hexolabs at Mobile VAS Asia 2009, Singapore

APrevailing trends

Image credit– Shunya.net

Astro SMS services Live services WAP portalsVoice portals

Astrology

BPrevailing trends

Music download RingtonesRingback tones (RBT)Star’s voice portal Images downloadSMS competitions

Bollywood

CPrevailing trends

SMS updates Live commentarySMS competitions WAP sites

Cricket

Beyond A B C

R

Understanding India – Key statistics

By 2012, 60 per cent or close to 400 million of India’s projected 650million total mobile subscriber base, will be rural subscribers. (MVAS projected to contribute 12% operators revenue in 2010)

•Multilingual , multi cultural

•28 states

•22 official languages

•One of the lowest Prepaid ARPU in the world(low disposable income )

•Adult literacy rate 66%

Image credit– yahoo

Morse code!

“missed call” is the most common use of mobiles by Indian BOP mobile owners.

I’m thinking of you - missed call <gap> missed call longCall me back – short missed call I’m listening to your tone, don’t pick up – missed call <long gap> missed call

Such “codes” are defined and understood by both parties.

The most popular Value added service

Challenges

•Indian BOP is still in the mobile 1.0 mode using mainly voice and missed calls functionality.

•Messaging is being used by 1/3rd of the BOP population.

•Mobile payment and government services use is almost non-existent.

•Apart from voice, most use their mobiles for missed calls, while some use it for messaging and checking balances.

•Hardly any research by Operators on what do people want. Contextual innovation is the Key. Are the bosses listening ?

•Abysmal awareness levels about VAS services , 10% Indians know when their counter parts in SL/ Philippines have higher awareness level 50-60%

Source: http://lirneasia.net/ 2009

Most Indian prepaid top-up for Rs.50 n below

What do they do with their mobile?

These rural areas, referred to as bottom of the pyramid (BOP), have a mere 10% awareness of the mobile voting applications (competitions, real time polling, live participation in TV/radio programmes, etc).

What do they do with their mobile?

Some of the major VAS products already inthe rural market are:• Reuters Market Light (RML) - Reuters hasdispensed comprehensive agriculture-relatedinformation on a pilot basis in Maharashtrasince April 2007;• Mandi on Mobile service - by the staterunBSNL in Uttar Pradesh;• LifeTools - by Nokia, a package providingagricultural information and educationalservices, slated to be commercially launchedin 2009• Fisher Friend project - a pilot projectlaunched in Tamil Nadu and Pondicherryaimed at the fishing community

Right prices/ Weather info is always available with the farmers and making market price information available on mobile is little if not of no value addition to the farmer.

Calling a personal contact at Mandi works cheaper than the Subscription(interactive too) .Info from Newspapers and Radio/TV also helps.

Literacy issues

There is a need to explore more about such customer needs

Available services (WAP/ SMS/ IVR) Thoughts …

Available Rural services from Handset manufacturer

NOKIA Life tools - The service provides timely and relevant includes Agriculture, Education and Entertainment information customized to the user’s location and personal preferences directly on their mobile phones in semi urban and Rural areas.

The compatible phones are Nokia 2330 classic and the Nokia 2323 classic!!

Understanding Users

- Literacy (Can he read a SMS?)

- customized local language service (Can he read a SMS in Hindi?)

VOICE ACTIVATED services (IVR /Speech technologies/

Rural call centers )

Moving forward

- Voice activated services that is simple to use. Right content /right price- Localized service, collaborate with people - Bring down the entry barriers. Invite local innovators , - Don’t be a copy cat! Reward innovators, fuel growth of the eco system.

“The Cure to Poverty Is Connectivity and Individual Empowerment” Iqbal Quadir of GrameenPhone, Bangladesh

Rural VAS to empower the bottom of the pyramid, making mobile phone more of an investment for them than an expenditure.

The Future

Hexolabs is a mobile value added services (mVAS) solution provider. The company was founded in collaboration with the Indian Institute of Technology, Kanpur, India;

+ India specific mVAS product innovation and consultancy+ Value Added Services and Content using Voice, SMS, MMS, WAP & USSD delivery platforms+ Mobile games development and distribution

Voice

Device based Apps

Data basedApps

About Hexolabs

Versatile Contextual Popular Replay value

Since ages ‘Antakshari’ has remained the most popular past-time in India. We played this traditional game all through our lives. In college festivals…while traveling in trains…during wedding functions…and in TV reality shows. Hexolabs now presents the nation’s favorite game…right on your mobile.

Call 55455 , 55855 on IDEA Cellular, India

Mobile Antakshari

References

http://www.newtechnology.co.in/nokia-life-tools-launched-in-india/

http://lirneasia.net/2009/08/india-reliance-promotes-rural-mobile-services/

http://www.watblog.com/2009/07/15/over-100-million-rural-mobile-subscribers-in-india-opportunity-for-mvas/

http://lirneasia.net/projects/2008-2010/bop-teleuse-3/

http://www.slideshare.net/ashishsinha/vas-ppt-presentation

Mail me at mano@hexolabs.com

I am social at Twitter - @rajamanoharLinkedin - rajamanohar www.hexolabs.com