How FB has done a Tata Nano with Free Basics in India !
I can understand that Jesus Christ died for us out of love for humanity but that was a different time and purpose.But can't get why on earth should a commercial entity like FB has to spend so much money to advertise ( full page ads for many days in many papers) to offer me and you some thing free? Is Mark the new Jesus? Mark is at the best a disciple – now a disciple of market valuations ! What else is App? Or Why this Good intention not spreading to China?
The full page ads which came out in India to announce free basics are truly out of the western/ America narrative of India. The poor and un/ under educated country India – this is showcased in full page ads with a few unsuspecting faces. The underlying aim is to influence the opinion being sought by TRAI on net neutrality -To inform the people the ‘greatness that is about to dawn’ in India with free basics! What Non – sense , Smart people like Mark can also go crazy – looks like it’s not the prerogative of silly people alone anymore !
India may not the wealthy as per western stds - but its not poor, India may not be as educated as it wishes to be – but it has always been wise and smart. So FB is here with Free Basic to up lift the masses, good intention. yes , we do agree that internet access is important for social / economic growth. But one don’t live by Basics alone ! Not at the expense of one's freedom of choice and surrender to a higher force, nothing short of modern colonisation. It is legally designed colonisation of india internet space, wolves in Basic cloth! A new free drug for some time to crate addicts which can be milked in due course.
To put it simply - Facebook lost face big time in India in the last 10 days !
We can have many solutions, internet access to masses is a must. As Mr Nilkarni and team suggested, why not a direct transfer to beneficiary using the Aadhar platform. In any case Reliance is a not the ideal partner to offer anything free for long time!
That brings out the parallel between Tata Nano and FB . Tata - the leading Indian automobile company came out with A car for the poor and the masses who would not have afforded the normal cars. Good intention. The world Acknowledged the ingenuity of Tatas which came out with a car for less than $ 2500, a world first at this cost. The world hailed the frugal engineering and the “world’s cheapest car” from India! The brilliance of the product and the acknowledgement from world blinded the Tata’s from the actual customer for whom the car was meant.
So they announced the World’s cheapest Car – expecting the customers to queue up. What the hell, within a new months of launch, there were more cars in showrooms and stockyards than on roads!
Finally wisdom dawned - Tata’s who ‘knew more’ about customer needs than customers – went to customers.
And they said – “ We don’t want to be seen in the cheap car” – Eureka !
Now, I leave it for your imagination to see the parallel story of FB with Free Basics ;
Cheers !
