Blog Archives
The Incredible Internet Growth Story – Globally and in India
By the latest internet usage stats that are out there, the USA has a penetration rate of almost 80%. That translates to around 250 million people who live in the US using the internet.
Compared to this statistic, India’s penetration is very low. Mid year, it was under 10%; however this small percentage still translates to some 100 million users. And, as of today’s newspaper, that number is set to rise to 121 million by year end, in just a matter of a few months. What’s more, the year to year growth is significant: 28%+ from 2010 to 2011. So, like all aspects of emerging markets – India got a late start but is looking to make up for it with phenomenal growth rates to catch up with the developed world. This is quite similar to what is happening in the domain of mobile communications.
The computer that Tim Berners-Lee used to invent the World Wide Web at CERN in 1980
Worldwide, according to industry analysts, there were over 2 billion internet users by March 2011. Consider that this number was minimal just a few years ago and non-existent right before that! And consider this too: there were only around 350 million internet users in 2000. That’s about two-thirds of the size of Facebook users today!
Pingdom conducted an interesting thought experiment (definitely worth reading!) on the hypothetical case of what internet usage would be like if all countries had a similar penetration as the US, which was taken as the base. If this were to happen, China would have over a billion users (versus 425 million today) and India would have close to one billion users (versus 100 million today).
While this is hypothetical, it’s really not impossible to imagine this growth and these numbers. It’s going to happen someday, and if you go by the historical trend, the pace of change will be exponential, not linear.
Not to be left out of the growth game in emerging markets, last week Google India announced free websites (for one year) to Indian businesses. Consider that of an estimated 8 million small/medium businesses in the country, only 5% have websites. Google’s objective is to get 500,000 businesses up and running with a website over the next three years. Smart move! As usual.
It will be silly for SMBs to not take advantage of this offer. And one thing I can guarantee you, there are very few silly Indian business owners around. 🙂
What all these mind-boggling numbers mean is that there will be a paradigm shift in virtually everything people here do – how they live and how they run their businesses. It means that they will need to rethink their supply chain model, their marketing and sales, how they compete, how they attract customers – not to mention how they live their lives, how and when they communicate with family and friends, how they plan their vacations, how they choose what to buy, who their service providers are….just about everything.
Of course, these changes are underway today already – but truly only for a fraction of the population. The next paradigm shift will occur due to the sheer mind-boggling numbers and the major momentum this will create.
Count yourself lucky because we definitely live in such interesting times. I would go so far as to say these are the most interesting times in the history of the world – a time where everything is getting transformed due to the absolute connected-ness and accessibility in our world.
Look back at how things were ten, five and even just two years ago; such a look back demonstrates the dramatic pace of change that the internet has shaped. So, just think of the future – where the pace of progress and change is only going to increase substantially. This will truly be a momentous time – offering fresh, new (and sometimes wild!) prospects of living and livelihood to all of us.
So brace yourself for an even more thrilling ride, wherever in the world you live – but more importantly, plan to make the most of it!
:
Photo Credits:
Internet Sign: I, Cawi2001 [CC-BY-SA-2.5 (www.creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.5)], via Wikimedia Commons
World Internet Hosts Graph: By Ken Masters (Own work) [CC-BY-SA-3.0 (www.creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)], via Wikimedia Commons
Tim Berner Lee’s Computer:By Robert Scoble from Half Moon Bay, USA [CC-BY-2.0 (www.creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0)], via Wikimedia Commons
Internet Cafe Sign By: Justinc {{cc-by-sa-2.0}}Category:Neon signs Category:User:Justinc )
An Awesome Healthy Combo: Coffee and Red Wine
I recently read some really great news. Coffee in the morning and red wine in the evening are good for you. In moderation, of course. Specifically, they help prevent the onset of Alzheimers, along with providing some other really wonderful health benefits that I will get into below. Sure, I had heard this before when various studies came out but it took one article that combined both of these pieces of good news to get my attention. See, now morning and evening are covered. 🙂
But what does any of this have to do with the yin and yang of life in India? I’ll tell you what – after years of living in the U.S., you kinda get used to having a Starbucks fix every now and then, and that of course is nowhere to be found in India. Now, don’t you tell me to go to Cafe Coffee Day for the same stuff. Please!
As for wine, two words: Selection and Cost. The first is much less than I’m used to, the second is exorbitant for the good stuff. Do you realize how sad that is?
Enough of my sob story. After all, I do get back to the US every other month or so, when I can have my fill of both – Starbucks as well as excellent, reasonably priced wine. And, I admit that I do have some 4 bags or so of Starbucks ground espresso coffee beans in my freezer in Mumbai. It’s just so much tougher to bring a few month’s worth of wine from there. Sigh.
But, let’s get into the benefits shall we?
First, the coffee –
The important characteristic and ingredient (for good health, that is) you are looking for in coffee is the caffeine. So, if you feel somehow healthy ordering a decaf, you’re all upside down. It reminds me of the low-cal (go hungry) diet versus the low-carb (be healthy) version. But, I better not get on that soapbox now.
Have you noticed how after you drink coffee you feel more alert and more, for lack of a better word, active? It’s apparently not your imagination. Coffee’s benefits include improved alertness, better moods and endurance for physical activity as well as enhanced memory. So, the wonderful taste of coffee? Well, apparently that’s just thrown in for free.
I love this kind of good news!
So, all in all, studies have shown that coffee – the fully-caffeinated kind – helps against Alzheimers, liver disease, Parkinson’s, type 2 diabetes, colon cancer and gallstones.
Just remember, moderation means one or two cups a day. Enjoy!
Now for the wine –
Specifically talking of red wine here (my favorite, so I really don’t care to write about the other kinds), this too offers a range of health benefits. Because the consumption of wine is all too easy (except when you are an expat in India…), it’s a good idea to define moderation first. According to health experts, for a woman, that means one glass a day and for a man, that means two, where a glass of wine is defined as 4 ounces, no more.
A word of caution here. Say you don’t have wine for a four day period, please don’t drink a bottle on the fifth day to makeup for the lapse! You simply don’t get the same benefits, plus your head will pay for it sooner rather than later.
Great quote on the wall...somewhere
According to scientists, the key to the health benefits of red wine lie in the antioxidants, or flavonoids. Flavonoids help to reduce the production of LDL (also known as “bad” cholesterol). They also have the effect of increasing HDL (“good” cholesterol). These combined effects help to prevent blood clots and improve the lipid profile overall.
A recent study also proposes that red wine is good for muscle mass. Other claims about red wine go beyond cardiovascular benefits. A number of studies have discovered that an antioxidant concentrated in the skin of the grape, resveratrol, may actually help inhibit the growth of cancerous tumors as well as in the formation of nerve cells; therefore they be a factor in the treatment of diseases such as Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s.
Dry red wines – cab, pinot noir, shiraz – have more antioxidants than less dry wines such as merlot or zinfandel, so the related benefits are obviously higher as well.
Now, do you all really need any other excuse…er, I mean reason, to indulge? Let’s drink to all of that, shall we? Cheers!
:
The Yin and Yang of Life Anywhere 