Harish Bijoor
The unique identification number could have invaluable information for the marketer as well..
— Nagara Gopal
The UID could, if so utilised, shine some light on the life of the Indian consumer, making the marketer's job easier.
With the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) putting together a database for India, how do you see its use in marketing terms?
Rajan Sampath, Mumbai
Rajan, the UID is a track and trace. A track that is much more detailed than any other we have had in the past. Here, in one single format, we will have a rich source of every demographic. It can prove to be a social, economic, religious and, hopefully, even a sociographic tool of significance in the long-term.
For the marketing professional, such data if made available commercially (which I doubt it will be), can be a rich resource to add to the decennial census of India data, the IRS and such other consumer and media data being garnered in the country.
For marketers groping in the dark, the UID could be the first big torchlight throwing light on the life of the Indian consumer. Currently, this consumer is largely an aggregated statement and a mysterious and much maligned one in terms of keen-focus understanding.
Is the UIDAI a snooping tool at large in our lives?
Malavika P., Hyderabad
Malavika, we live in an era of “big brother is watching you”. This is inevitable. George Orwell told us this in his work of fiction many decades ago. This is becoming a reality today.
Only the future will tell whether this is going to be advantageous or disadvantageous to the people. And none of us have seen this future!
Overall, I do believe the advantages outweigh the disadvantages. Sometimes, even snooping tools are good for society at large. What helps achieve the larger good must be lauded.
With 3G round the corner, how do you see the telcos reacting?
With the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) putting together a database for India, how do you see its use in marketing terms?
Rajan Sampath, Mumbai
Rajan, the UID is a track and trace. A track that is much more detailed than any other we have had in the past. Here, in one single format, we will have a rich source of every demographic. It can prove to be a social, economic, religious and, hopefully, even a sociographic tool of significance in the long-term.
For the marketing professional, such data if made available commercially (which I doubt it will be), can be a rich resource to add to the decennial census of India data, the IRS and such other consumer and media data being garnered in the country.
For marketers groping in the dark, the UID could be the first big torchlight throwing light on the life of the Indian consumer. Currently, this consumer is largely an aggregated statement and a mysterious and much maligned one in terms of keen-focus understanding.
Is the UIDAI a snooping tool at large in our lives?
Malavika P., Hyderabad
Malavika, we live in an era of “big brother is watching you”. This is inevitable. George Orwell told us this in his work of fiction many decades ago. This is becoming a reality today.
Only the future will tell whether this is going to be advantageous or disadvantageous to the people. And none of us have seen this future!
Overall, I do believe the advantages outweigh the disadvantages. Sometimes, even snooping tools are good for society at large. What helps achieve the larger good must be lauded.
With 3G round the corner, how do you see the telcos reacting?
Women giving fingerprint impressions on a digital machine at a special booth set up for the Proof of Concept phase of the UIDAI project at Patancheru in Andhra Pradesh's Medak district.
(Harish Bijoor is a business strategy specialist and CEO, Harish Bijoor Consults Inc. Email: askharishbijoor@gmail.com)