At any rate, digital publishing in India will be positively impacted by a series of powerful tendencies that will carve out a new landscape in the medium and long term:
- To begin with, we are already witnessing a social phenomenon that will leave a profound imprint: the emergence of a new middle class hungry for hardware and content adapted to their concrete reality. It is worth bearing in mind that – as a survey by the consulting firm TCS disseminated in 2009 shows – the Internet is by far the favourite pastime of teenagers from urban homes in India.[1] These young people demand – and will increasingly demand – texts written in their own languages on topics that directly concern them. In this sense, local digital publishing will have a considerable advantage, at least initially, when it comes to competing against actors from the US or Europe.
- In addition, India’s increasing technological sophistication and the progressive interaction between content producers and IT companies may lead to the enrichment of the digital publishing industry.
- Thirdly, it is highly likely that we will see a proliferation of experiments in text dissemination via mobile phones, given the mass penetration of these devices throughout Indian society, regardless of class or region.
- Finally, in spite of all its limitations – with regard to coordination, budget etc –, the Indian State will certainly continue striving to reduce the digital gap, particularly among the inhabitants of rural areas.
Notes
- Cf. “Urban students are digital natives, reveals TCS Generation Web 2.0 survey”, TATA Consultancy Services, 29th July, 2009.↵