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and we arent even close to peaking. The biggest telcos in India havent even started content plays. Netflix just entered India. And we still have HALF A BILLIO

and we arent even close to peaking. The biggest telcos in India havent even started content plays. Netflix just entered India. And we still have HALF A BILLION people not on the internet. This is in an environment with constitutionally guaranteed fundamental rights to privacy (that cannot be reversed by the govt), a govt run mobile payments infrastructure that is literally a free Stripe+Paypal+Venmo+Alipay and perhaps the world's largest pool of software developers. There are multiple large/successful venture funded startups in India started and run by non-citizen expatriates (incl women). English is pretty much the language of business and India-US/India-EU have excellent non-double taxation laws. Healthcare is dirt cheap and very good. Its a brilliant time to do a startup here.

rohan1024 7y ago
> Netflix just entered India Checkout https://www.justwatch.com/in https://www.justwatch.com/in to see the content providers in India. Last time I checked we had less streaming services than Germany!
jxramos 7y ago
I thought I recall hearing someone say that cellphone plans and rates are much more reasonable there. That it's not uncommon for companies to actually compete to lower prices. Is that true?
- nmridul 7y ago
  I pay Rs150 ($2.16 USD - maybe can buy a hotdog at Costco with some spare change) per month (stress the Month.. ) and get 1.5 GB per day (yes, that's data per day) .
inapis 7y ago
> govt run mobile payments infrastructure that is literally a free Stripe+Paypal+Venmo+Alipay UPI or Unified Payments Interface. I cannot stress how innovative this payment mode is. * No risk of fraud (can't approve a transaction without a PIN on your mobile) - fraud as in card cloning, malware infected websites running off with card details. Does not preclude social engineering where users fall into clever tricks. * no privacy issues yet (money is directly debited from account without a mastercard/visa involved) * anyone can make a UPI app (all banks have their own, Google Pay, Paytm, PhonePe etc) * no cards to duplicate * you can manage multiple VPAs on one account, so I can create different identities for different purposes all debiting money from one account. Exceptions - UPI still doesn't support recurring payments or subscriptions and some other cases. But as a regular consumer, I find plastic outdated. I've never used WeChat/AliPay so can't comment on that but the only time I have to use a credit card is when I have to pay international companies (DO, GSuite etc) in USD/EUR. EDIT - expanded on kinds of fraud.
- signal11 7y ago
  > no privacy issues yet (money is directly debited from account without a mastercard/visa involved) Isn’t Aadhar (fingerprints + iris scan) needed to have a bank account? If yes, then it’s a bit disingenuous to say there are no privacy issues. > No risk of fraud A cursory search will show plenty of press articles re UPI fraud. For instance [1]. [1] https://www.moneycontrol.com/news/business/personal-finance/defrauded-while-transferring-money-using-upi-apps-such-as-bhim-google-pay-or-phonepe-here-is-what-you-should-do-next-4097321.html https://www.moneycontrol.com/news/business/personal-finance/...
  - type-2 7y ago
    you don't need an aadhar card to open a bank account only a pan card(no biometrics) issued by tax dept, which you can link with your aadhar card by your own choice. The govt wants you to do this but the caanot force you as the supreme court has said.
    - signal11 7y ago
      According to the Supreme Court ruling, "the Aadhaar number must still be quoted to file income tax returns and apply for a personal account number (PAN)."[1] [1] https://qz.com/india/1351263/supreme-court-verdict-how-indias-aadhaar-id-became-mandatory/ https://qz.com/india/1351263/supreme-court-verdict-how-india... This is just one source but there's lot of others reporting the same thing. Do you have a citation that says otherwise?
      - type-2 7y ago
        I don't have a aadhar card yet and I don't intend to get one. I have a pan card but I had it made a few years ago. I am not aware if things have changed, I'll ask around tomorrow for ground information.
        wtmt 7y ago
        Avoid getting it for as long as you can hold out. If you’re not reliant on government subsidies, the only coercion now is to link it with PAN and also quote it in the tax returns. If you can afford the penalty for late filing of tax returns, go for that. There are still several review petitions against last year’s verdict on Aadhaar. The Supreme Court, as usual, is delaying hearing those. Check out no2uid on Twitter, rethinkaadhaar.in and others.
justanobody 7y ago
>> constitutionally guaranteed fundamental rights to privacy Considering nearly everyone (who isn't an ARPU "deadbeat") is on WhatsApp I would think the ruling doesn't matter one way or another because you don't have much privacy left anyway. Plus, if the govt wants the scoop on anyone's private life, they will just ask Facebook to hand it over or else.... (ban WhatsApp, ban Instagram, block approval for cryptocurrency projects, harden data storage rules and whatever else a government can do to threaten a corporation).
- sandGorgon 7y ago
  no. in india, the right to privacy was upheld by the constitutional bench of the supreme court to be a fundamental human right. This triggered a multi-billion dollar reversal of the Aadhaar biometric social-security id project. the govt cannot do this without due judicial process even if it tries to create a law. we have stronger privacy protections than the US.
  - selimthegrim 7y ago
    Is this true in states where AFSPA applies?
geodel 7y ago
Even seen the balance sheets of telcos in India. They are drowning in it and very soon it would become unserviceable. In NPA (non performing assets) India is among top 5 in the world and recently beat Italy on this dubious distinction. When all government owned banks write off this money, it is taxpayers who will be footing the bill. > Healthcare is dirt cheap and very good. That's news to me because afaik it is damn expensive for the income level in India.
wtmt 7y ago
> This is in an environment with constitutionally guaranteed fundamental rights to privacy (that cannot be reversed by the govt) There is no data privacy law in India as yet. The one drafted last year has many issues. Saying that the government cannot reverse it is naive. The government can make laws that side with corporates and itself, without providing adequate protections for citizens. The Aadhaar linkage and re-enablement for use by private companies in contravention to the Supreme Court verdict is another sign that the government can, and will, do what it wants. The Supreme Court is unfortunately not proactive in issues that have the potential to affect all the people in the country.

rohan1024 7y ago

> Netflix just entered India Checkout https://www.justwatch.com/in https://www.justwatch.com/in to see the content providers in India. Last time I checked we had less streaming services than Germany!

jxramos 7y ago

I thought I recall hearing someone say that cellphone plans and rates are much more reasonable there. That it's not uncommon for companies to actually compete to lower prices. Is that true?

nmridul 7y ago
I pay Rs150 ($2.16 USD - maybe can buy a hotdog at Costco with some spare change) per month (stress the Month.. ) and get 1.5 GB per day (yes, that's data per day) .

inapis 7y ago

> govt run mobile payments infrastructure that is literally a free Stripe+Paypal+Venmo+Alipay UPI or Unified Payments Interface. I cannot stress how innovative this payment mode is. * No risk of fraud (can't approve a transaction without a PIN on your mobile) - fraud as in card cloning, malware infected websites running off with card details. Does not preclude social engineering where users fall into clever tricks. * no privacy issues yet (money is directly debited from account without a mastercard/visa involved) * anyone can make a UPI app (all banks have their own, Google Pay, Paytm, PhonePe etc) * no cards to duplicate * you can manage multiple VPAs on one account, so I can create different identities for different purposes all debiting money from one account. Exceptions - UPI still doesn't support recurring payments or subscriptions and some other cases. But as a regular consumer, I find plastic outdated. I've never used WeChat/AliPay so can't comment on that but the only time I have to use a credit card is when I have to pay international companies (DO, GSuite etc) in USD/EUR. EDIT - expanded on kinds of fraud.

signal11 7y ago
> no privacy issues yet (money is directly debited from account without a mastercard/visa involved) Isn’t Aadhar (fingerprints + iris scan) needed to have a bank account? If yes, then it’s a bit disingenuous to say there are no privacy issues. > No risk of fraud A cursory search will show plenty of press articles re UPI fraud. For instance [1]. [1] https://www.moneycontrol.com/news/business/personal-finance/defrauded-while-transferring-money-using-upi-apps-such-as-bhim-google-pay-or-phonepe-here-is-what-you-should-do-next-4097321.html https://www.moneycontrol.com/news/business/personal-finance/...
- type-2 7y ago
  you don't need an aadhar card to open a bank account only a pan card(no biometrics) issued by tax dept, which you can link with your aadhar card by your own choice. The govt wants you to do this but the caanot force you as the supreme court has said.
  - signal11 7y ago
    According to the Supreme Court ruling, "the Aadhaar number must still be quoted to file income tax returns and apply for a personal account number (PAN)."[1] [1] https://qz.com/india/1351263/supreme-court-verdict-how-indias-aadhaar-id-became-mandatory/ https://qz.com/india/1351263/supreme-court-verdict-how-india... This is just one source but there's lot of others reporting the same thing. Do you have a citation that says otherwise?
    - type-2 7y ago
      I don't have a aadhar card yet and I don't intend to get one. I have a pan card but I had it made a few years ago. I am not aware if things have changed, I'll ask around tomorrow for ground information.
      - wtmt 7y ago
        Avoid getting it for as long as you can hold out. If you’re not reliant on government subsidies, the only coercion now is to link it with PAN and also quote it in the tax returns. If you can afford the penalty for late filing of tax returns, go for that. There are still several review petitions against last year’s verdict on Aadhaar. The Supreme Court, as usual, is delaying hearing those. Check out no2uid on Twitter, rethinkaadhaar.in and others.

justanobody 7y ago

>> constitutionally guaranteed fundamental rights to privacy Considering nearly everyone (who isn't an ARPU "deadbeat") is on WhatsApp I would think the ruling doesn't matter one way or another because you don't have much privacy left anyway. Plus, if the govt wants the scoop on anyone's private life, they will just ask Facebook to hand it over or else.... (ban WhatsApp, ban Instagram, block approval for cryptocurrency projects, harden data storage rules and whatever else a government can do to threaten a corporation).

sandGorgon 7y ago
no. in india, the right to privacy was upheld by the constitutional bench of the supreme court to be a fundamental human right. This triggered a multi-billion dollar reversal of the Aadhaar biometric social-security id project. the govt cannot do this without due judicial process even if it tries to create a law. we have stronger privacy protections than the US.
- selimthegrim 7y ago
  Is this true in states where AFSPA applies?

geodel 7y ago

Even seen the balance sheets of telcos in India. They are drowning in it and very soon it would become unserviceable. In NPA (non performing assets) India is among top 5 in the world and recently beat Italy on this dubious distinction. When all government owned banks write off this money, it is taxpayers who will be footing the bill. > Healthcare is dirt cheap and very good. That's news to me because afaik it is damn expensive for the income level in India.

wtmt 7y ago

> This is in an environment with constitutionally guaranteed fundamental rights to privacy (that cannot be reversed by the govt) There is no data privacy law in India as yet. The one drafted last year has many issues. Saying that the government cannot reverse it is naive. The government can make laws that side with corporates and itself, without providing adequate protections for citizens. The Aadhaar linkage and re-enablement for use by private companies in contravention to the Supreme Court verdict is another sign that the government can, and will, do what it wants. The Supreme Court is unfortunately not proactive in issues that have the potential to affect all the people in the country.