Thursday, August 11, 2011

Ride the Surf - New Dot Com Ideas and Opportunities NOT for the near-sighted!


Cheers !
To all those who seek to win their daily bread and butter from Indian Netizens!
Most literate Indians have FB accounts, use electronic banking, download forms and documentation for all govt. liaison their social and professional lives involve.
Surfing trends and online activities are evolving as new migrants enter the online space in India.  Social Networking, Smart Phones and the growth of PC penetration are the constant drivers of evolution in net usage trends.
Even our tardy Government offices are waking up to the proliferation of net users in India and are now beginning to get on the online bus to become more efficient.  The Passport Office, The Electorate Office, The Unique ID (Aadhar Card), Nationalised Banks are all pulling up their socks. eTax filing is a sign of the times.
The burgeoning Indian economy has spiralled the spread, of the Indian online eco-space. The density of Pc’s, smart mobiles and their web connectivity across the literate demographies in India, are radically evolving  the consumption grids.  While all this has been happening, we continue to analyze markets and grids using tools which became antiquated over a decade ago.

Factors triggering new trends & opportunities in the Indian e-space:

·        Changing surfing and networking trends of Indian netizens,
·        The rapid inclusion of new migrants to the web space in India,
·        The faster pace of learning catapulted by info-sharing on social networks
·        Smart phones adding to the web hours of netizens
·        New netizen sub-groups

An incisive look into each of these factors would show us that we have been using dated periscopes to check the depth and environment of the web space around us.  Ecommerce and networking are dinosaur ideas if they are not used as components and tools and not the whole.
The new latent areas of development have been engagement through niche interests and needs.  Delight needs are more secure, but the new stated needs in the market space are the first indicators to attract focus audiences and focus advertisers.
Not only is this more lucrative in today’s evolving times, it is also more affordable.

Healthcare Opportunities …
On the W.W.Web is one key example today is,
While there are millions of organized and unorganized players saturating the space in common goods and services, how many domestic B2C sites cater to healthcare needs of Indian patients with common lifestyles diseases such as Diabetes, Hypertension, Cardiac Issues, Respiratory Disorders, Acidity, Arthritis, Osteoporosis, Thyroid.  Other potential healthcare areas are Pregnancy & Infant care, Paliative Care, Sports Medicine, Skin Disorders and Ageing, Cosmetic Surgery.
There are a huge number of OTC brands and products (free-to-purchase) approved by FDA that have the permissions and budgets to spend millions on their products.  A few examples of OTC Products in India would be Eno Antacid, Disprin, Triple Cal/ShellCal, Johnson & Johnsons, Pampers, Procter & Gamble, we can go on and on with the names.  Ayurvedic products have also gained traction in the last few years amongst the otherwise rigid western medicine loyalists.  Homeopathic brands like Dr. Batra are reporting growth at a scorching pace.  Last, but not the least, are private hospitals, hospices and clinics which are hungry for share-of-voice in this space.
Also medical tourism is one key domain trigger that has drawn the attention of MNC Healthcare brands to the Indian sub-continent.  There may be some revenue to juice out from there as well.
Currently, when you search for the above domains, you will see the potential when you notice, like many of us did, that MNC players are milking this space and in fact Indian hits make a very large slice of their audience. 
To evince the skeptics in you of the validity of these opportunities, I will post research stats on specific lifestyle diseases.
How to engage?
Today, the new patients of lifestyle diseases are more than interested in staying updated with information regarding their illnesses and new research and medicines are seen as a transient panacea for their subsistence.
Forming clubs which receive weekly news letters, and renowned specialists available at their fingertips for second third or generic advice are the keys to success of these sites.  There is much more one can do to engage the database of users on your site.  However, too many apples a day, will surely make the doctor a very rich guy.
Would appreciate if readers added value to this forum, and we can together lead with identifying new grids and not follow the west as usual. Thanks, God Bless.