Will the iPhone Production in India Help
The success of the Indian government’s push to be a digital giant has already begun to pay off. Apple, when searching for somewhere to produce its iPhone 11 models, chose Chennai over the previously favoured China. Chennai’s Foxconn facility became home to the Apple team as they began production on the next wave of smartphones. Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal celebrated the news and claimed it as a victory for the Make in India campaign. Could the production of the flagship iPhone model help improve India’s digital literacy?
India’s Digital Future
The iPhone 11 may be good news for India, but several other models (the XR and SE) have already been produced in the country – perhaps as a trial run for the major smartphone. It looks likely that the 2020 version of the SE will also be developed in India’s Wistron facility in Bangalore.
This comes alongside the news that Vodafone India has launched a digital literacy online portal to help upskill people in digital fields and improve overall digital knowledge. The attack is two-pronged. The country will become known for its production of digital tools and then will be perhaps more likely to then become more literate to use these digital tools.
In addition to offering digital literacy to communities, Vodafone India Foundation said that the self-learning portal also drives them towards better job and entrepreneurship opportunities helping them become self-reliant.
The Digital Divide
According to the Digital Empowerment Foundation, digital illiteracy is prevalent in around 90% of the population – many of whom have no access to the internet or are older and therefore less likely to pick up new technology as easily. Part of the Digital India campaign by the government is to help people less likely to have that digital flair to become digitally savvy, as well as helping those who are excelling in the digital world to turn that into a career.
Warming People Up to Digital
The Vodafone India skills upgrade could be one way of helping people get to grips with digital – but using more traditional means could also be helpful. For example, the game Teen Patti is played and understood by most people. Online casino developments have meant that this game has migrated online. Those not as familiar with digital could use the game they are familiar with as a jumping-off point to become better versed in digital matters.
As the guide to play Teen Patti online shows, there are many variations of the game – from Joker Teen Patti to AK47 Teen Patti. Each one would suit a different type of player and a different skillset. The advent of online Teen Patti changed the game and showed that the very traditional style of gameplay could benefit from a digital boost. The gameplay retains its original essence but shows just how creative digital versions of the game can be.
Helping people become more digitally savvy is a multi-level issue that can be tackled in several ways. The iPhone production is a boon for the country if only just as a PR coup for showcasing India’s digital future. The development of digitally savvy citizens goes hand in hand with this and helps create the image the country is trying to develop as one that can take on the digital giants in a global way.
