Global technology companies see opportunity in Modi’s commitment to a digital future and are adapting their products to India’s varied climates and external threats.
IBM is in discussions to provide software to help several cities make the leap into the digital age.
Network provider Cisco Systems is working with the government in the eastern city of Visakhapatnam to bring more education and healthcare services online, and has developed a “ruggedised” Wi-Fi box to survive India’s varied climates and cut down on the need for cables that will be at the mercy of the elements – or monkeys.
“We’ve built outdoor WiFi access routers specifically keeping in mind Indian environmental conditions,” Dinesh Malkani, Cisco’s India country head, said in an interview.
“You cannot predict what challenges you are going to come up against,” he added.
Bringing some order to India’s chaotic cities with technology is a daunting task.
India’s urban population is forecast to swell by an additional 220 million to 600 million by 2031, potentially overwhelming already inadequate infrastructure.
Many of the new digital projects are simply aimed at improving existing civic amenities: time traffic information to help people better plan their journey, or systems that allow individuals to monitor water leakages or waste management and then inform local authorities.
Vinod Kumar Tripathi, an urban planning expert in Varanasi, said Modi’s initiatives needed to be coupled with huge investments in improving basic services like housing, roads and waste management.
“Everything here is old, outdated and the population pressure just makes it worse. This place was a small temple town and is now a commercial centre,” Tripathi said in his office overlooking the Banaras Hindu University.
The free Wi-Fi service that started in February is certainly stimulating the consumer economy. Boatman Sandeep Majhi makes a living ferrying pilgrims and bereaved families who scatter ashes in the river after performing cremations.
He recently purchased his first smartphone to download music and exchange videos with friends, and promote his boat business to tourists on Facebook.
But he said the government needed to pay equal attention to the municipal services in a city where cars, rickshaws and carts fight for space through narrow, potholed roads lined with litter. Varanasi remains dependent on a 500-year-old, leaky drainage system for its sewage.
“Free Wi-Fi is a good facility for tourists but I think the officials should think about cleaning the ghats,” said the 20-year-old, referring to the steps down to the river, which are often caked with cow dung.