You would have come across this joke multiple times from friends and on social networks. The joke is indeed funny, but it actually highlights two great points of discussion. While Skype is a great tool, the majority of its user base still use it for free and Microsoft, which sells products in the premium category, has spent billions on acquiring a company that’s built its brand on FREE. So how does Microsoft plan to leverage Skype? Multi Platform Communication is the key to Microsoft Skype.
The jury deliberations for our second edition of exchange4media Indian Digital Media Awards is over and there is a sense of anticipation on who would be the exchange4media Indian Digital Person of the Year this year. As a recognition benchmark e4m IDMA holds a lot of traction and relevance in today’s scenario, as we are seeing the digital space evolve more and more in the minds of Indian consumers and business owners. I don’t know who’ll win the award this year but I am pleasantly declaring the winner of this award in two years from now. My choice in 2013 will be Mukesh Ambani!
I have a futuristic scenario that I am painting. I am not sure what MA’s team or RIL is planning but if I were them, this is what I would do. Not sure if I can call it a sixth sense (I don’t have a third eye) but I certainly have a strong sense that in the coming days Reliance could tie up with a Chinese or a Taiwanese company to offer tablets which are priced under Rs 1000. It could also tie up with Microsoft and offer telecom solutions as in voice through Skype. I know in India currently Skype is not totally legal. The surge this could engineer would not be a small play. While mobile has changed the life of people, even in the rural areas, they are still away from capitalising on the full strength of the medium as smart phones are still an expensive purchase. These tablets would bridge that gap. Reliance would enable these tablets with Wimax facility empowered by its own digital services, content provided through its own channels, promote its own products and would create a Reliance HALO in the mind of the mass consumer. The supporters of this platform would obviously be the players who would want to ride on this bandwagon of reaching people more than ever before.
Foreign tie-ups have been the favourite of Indian majors after the economy opened up to International players. These tie-ups, as I am envisaging it, would be disruptive and one that would change the equations. A Game Changer in the real sense.
Digital meets Reliance Retail. Its integration of physical stores with online delivery. Reliance has the war chest and the wherewithal to make it happen.
Digital Delivery has the power of changing ordinary people’s lives. Reliance would continue its endeavour of impacting the masses through this innovation again.
Mr Ambani’s statement in a recent interview with Economic Times espouses my guesstimations. While energy has been Reliance’s forte, it is technology and digital space where he claims Reliance would now invest. In his own words, he says, “We want to integrate our society’s diverse needs and aspirations through an integrated, innovative and affordable delivery platform. As each of us starts consuming more and more services digitally, we want to bring a Digital revolution in the next 10 years. We want to be the Walmart of Digital distribution.”
I can guarantee Mr Ambani would not face any difficulties in walking his talk, as all his previous ventures have been those which have transformed industries. With this futuristic foray it will probably now transform the country. With the urban markets saturated, major brands and marketers are constantly looking at rural markets with a hawk eye as the next destination for growth. Reliance’s digital foray would pioneer the revolution in these markets, digitally connecting the world to these markets. I do not have a foolproof game plan, but I am sure that it will make major strides, strides that would take everyone by storm. And then we would reward the man...the Digit-All star!
Thinking of Mukesh Ambani’s digital play in 2013 I am reminded of the saying, “When you’re at a point when people can’t imagine what it was like before you, you have disrupted things.” Mr Ambani certainly falls into this category.
Feedback: abatra@exchange4media.com
