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The company believes i-communities will lead to the creation of significant new markets that will drive growth in
revenue and profit, while furthering the company’s goal of being a model corporate citizen.
Kuppam is a rural Indian village 105 kilometers from Bangalore on the Bangalore-Chennai railway. With a
population of 285,000 and 62,400 households in 5 mandals, the area has been generally neglected, but has
recently witnessed some development activities. The services available in Kuppam are not enough to meet
the region’s growing challenges, including those of more than half the population who live below the poverty
line.
"All aspects of solution development -- R&D, marketing, distribution, training -- must be tailored to the
needs of the emerging market community, needs that are often quite different than those of mature markets.
Our teams are dedicated to learning about these needs for emerging markets and we're leading the way to
designing programs and products that meet those needs."
Anand Tawker, Director, Kuppam HP i-community
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Vision
Through public-private partnerships, the HP Kuppam i-community aims to turn the region into a thriving,
self-sustaining economy where access to technology permanently improves the livelihoods of the population
by raising literacy rates, creating income, providing access to government services, education and health
care, and opening new markets.
Objectives
The objectives of the i-community program are to create:
- Appropriate technology innovations and replicable business models;
- Self-sustaining and scalable demand models;
- Business models that are replicable worldwide;
- Profitable revenue streams for both HP and local communities by providing access to new markets;
- Sustainable IT and communications infrastructure;
- Self-sustaining new job/income opportunities;
- Leadership and capacity within the community.
Strategy
In 2002, HP started its structured approach to translate the vision and goals of e-inclusion into actions
that tangibly impact people. HP has engaged with citizens, local and state governments and non-government
and private sector organizations in Kuppam to understand the community’s stated and unstated needs and
co-created contextual and culturally appropriate Information and Communication Technology (ICT) solutions.
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Local value creation |
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To create a holistic impact the i-community focuses on using ICT solutions in the domains identified
by various stakeholders – education, health, economic development, social empowerment and interface
with the government.
Key initiatives of the i-community include:
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- A suite of applications on the i-community portal -- a citizen-centric, multi-lingual
portal using a Web-based framework to provide information about various government schemes
and enables citizens to use them efficiently, as well as an employment exchange, a farming
information system and a self-help group management system.
- Village Photographer Programme -- Ten women were trained as photographers and given free
cameras, printers and other equipment to take ID photos and pictures of official and
cultural events. These women consistently earn 1,500 Rupees (US$ 35) per month as
photographers. For many the income represents a better education for their children, or the
chance to make their lives easier by being able to afford a water tap at home. As
fully–employed members of a self-help group, they are also able to discuss lines of credit
for their group with the bank; something they could not do before having an income stream.
- Information Technology Enterprise Solutions (ITES) Center at Kuppam.
- Handicrafts training – an initiative that aims to build capacity and create new
livelihoods for a group of tribal women. The handicrafts made from this project are on sale
in India’s leading e-marketplace, www.sifymall.com.
- A telemedicine program with TeleVital and PES Medical college that provides access to
health services in remote areas.
- A program integrating computers in school learning for better delivery of education in
partnership with American India Foundation and World Links.
- A training center aimed at building capacity within the community.
- A PC-based eye testing solution.
- Community Information Centres (CIC) -- HP, in association with World Corps, a
Seattle-based NGO, has set up 14 CICs equipped with computers and Internet facilities. In
these centers, students, teachers, parents and others can learn skills and get access to
information and services via the Internet.
- Mobile Solutions Centres -- HP has deployed three mobile vans equipped with solar-powered
computers, a soil testing laboratory, a literacy testing station, and telemedicine services
to bring solutions closer to rural communities.
- Business Finishing School -- Together with the Electronic Employment Exchange and
Training Centre, the Business Finishing School delivers practical job skills training and
information and recruitment services to local job seekers.
Value creation for HP
HP is already benefiting from its engagement in Kuppam by establishing new partnerships and
positions for the future, by strengthening its position in emerging economies for traditional
products and services and by showcasing its technologies in compelling, high-volume applications.
All of these activities validate the company’s position to shareholders.
Conclusion
The i-community initiative starts with understanding the community's needs and works to create a
holistic impact on all the domains that matter to the community. It also embraces a systems
thinking approach and integrates the various initiatives into a composite program. For example,
the training center, the ITC center, the employment exchange portal and the placement services
are all linked to fulfill the i-community goal of creating enhanced employment opportunities
through ICT.
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