Indian internet startups

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There is a lot of hype in the online and offline media about internet start ups in India.  I have an internet business  but I do not have a background in programming or the internet, so my way of  looking at things is different.

When I started my business, I did not know any one personally from the internet sector and even now all my contacts are strictly professional, with  companies who pay me for advertising on my websites.

With all the limitations I have ,  I am fairly satisfied with the money I make.  I have been following the internet start ups and companies in India, some of the reasons why internet usage is still low and few will succeed are:

1. Most target a very small market.  If the market size itself is Rs 100 crore, even if you dominate the market, growth is limited.

2.  They are usually copies of  successful websites in other countries, little thought is given to the actual market.

3.  The reasons why people start an online business  seem to be all wrong –  because it is fashionable,  to get venture capital funding , to become famous.

4.  I have been tracking all major stories on start ups in India for the last year , all of them seem to think that having a nice software application and well designed website will make it successful and popular.   They do not realize that for the visitors,  the website should be useful , design is secondary.

5. Most start up teams seem to have very limited exposure – they only seem to be knowing people with a background very similar to theirs ( may be since people in India are very status conscious and rarely try to understand the viewpoint of  others who are not as lucky), this makes it difficult to develop a  product with a broader appeal.

6.  The internet companies seem to think they are online clones of the Indian software companies – to grow they need to hire people. My idea of  an ideal online business is one which I can control and manage anywhere in the world with an internet connection, once setup it should need little additional effort, but earn a regular income.

7. In the Indian startup scene today, from media reports it seems funding = success.  But it appears that startups are exploited .  If you believe in your idea, why go to others for money?  Most  software jobs pay well , if  you lead a frugal life, you can save enough . Unlike factories which require an investment of hundreds of crores,  you can start an internet / IT business with less than lakh rupees.

Electricity supply

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Due to poor rains and maintenance work, there are a lot of problems in electricity supplied. Initially load shedding timings were in the evening – 4 p.m to 7p.m , then it was changed to 6.30 a.m to 10.30 a.m daily , but now they seem to have extended the timings from 6.00 a.m to 11.15 a.m.

And there are random 5 minute interruptions through out the day. It is very dark at 6.00 am, so you cannot do any other work also. Since there is no power supply for the main router for the internet connection, the UPS is also not of much help. In May, they had increased the electricity  tariff , saying that this would ensure uninterrupted power supply, but now the situation seems to have become worse.

Maruti Swift Dzire delay in delivery

admin

Some reported problems for Maruti Swift Dzire

1. High booking amount – some dealers charge Rs 100000 saying that by paying a higher advance, the car will be delivered faster. Other dealers ask buyers to pay a premium

2. There is a delay in delivery of the car: Delivery of the car within 3 months was promised initially, but it has taken a longer time for many customers.

3. The call centers are not very helpful or responsive

Followup by email is the cheapest and best way to get a response

a. First email to contact@maruti.co.in and crm@maruti.co.in

b. They may not reply to the first email. Keeping sending reminders stating that you need a immediate response.

c. You will get a automated/generic response from the customer support, which will not be helpful. However, this is needed for followup with the Higher management of the company.

d. If no action is taken ,an email can be sent to the following people
SatinderSingh.Bajwa@maruti.co.in Regional Manager
Manohar.Bhat@maruti.co.in Business Head
Shashank.Srivastava@maruti.co.in;
Raman.Malhotra@maruti.co.in
s.nakanishi@maruti.co.in
mpareek@maruti.co.in
oishi@maruti.co.in
tsuneo.ohashi@maruti.co.in

You need to follow up continuously till your work gets done.

FutureBazaar review

admin

There are only a few reliable e commerce websites in India. eBay.in (earlier Baazee) is the largest marketplace, but many of the merchants there are unreliable. After one bad experience there , I stopped buying there.

Since FutureBazaar was advertised and backed by a big company (Pantaloon / Big Bazaar), I have purchased a few  things from them. Atleast they will not disappear with your money. They promise delivery of goods in 7 to 21 days, but many times  it takes much longer. Some times the goods they deliver are of poor quality (break within 2 days), they will replace it , but the entire process will take a few months.

They were running a big promotion a few weeks ago, and when you tried to make payment through their payment gateway, you were directed to a blank page. This problem continued for about a week. Initially, I thought there was a problem with my browser / PC and tried to make the payment repeatedly. After a few days, some one from FutureBazaar called and said there had been a problem with their system. If I wanted, I could place the order over the phone.

Though FutureBazaar has a very big advertising budget, they should start paying more attention to  whether their website is functioning properly.

Missing PAN card

admin

Many people are applying for Permanent Account Number (PAN) card , but they have not received it even after a few months.

The status of the PAN card can be checked at the UTSIL  (UTI Technology Services Limited) website. It usually shows that the PAN card has been issued, the applicant can find out his or her PAN card number, but they never actually receive the PAN card.

The PAN card is usually dispatched by post or courier. The application number and processing number are required for making inquiries on telephone or by mail.