The Ubiquity and Simplicity of Mobile Phone-Based Money Transfer in India

When you visit a different country, familiar or not, a convenience that cannot be overemphasized is the ability to conduct financial transactions easily. Thanks to the advent of digital economy in India, consumer financial transactions are surprisingly very smooth and easy in townships across India. For a visiting Non-Resident Indian (NRI) like me, this facility is particularly handy if you operate a Non-Resident Ordinary (NRO) account with an Indian Bank that helps you deal with local currency (INR, ₹).

The Government of India has facilitated the creation and adoption of Unified Payments Interface (UPI) that seems to have unleashed ubiquity and simplicity in all payment activity in India. The Government has even provided training to street vendors to accept digital payments. (Although the UPI mechanism has been in use since 2016, this is my first serious encounter of its ubiquity). The adoption of UPI has been very rapid, as can be seen by this table:

Nearly every merchant in Bangalore sports a QR code inside the merchant's premises. Some street vendors present the QR code as part of their vending decor, as can be seen in the accompanying photo, captured in Bangalore.

The simplicity has been enabled by UPI Ids, or Virtual Payment Addresses (VPA), with the following general format:

<entity>@<bank>

In general, the <bank> is an Indian Bank and the <entity> is any alphanumeric of your choice; therefore, it helps if you already have a Non-Resident Ordinary (NRO) with a local bank. There is some attempt at internationalizing the UPI system, but this post will not address internationalization. 

I hope your next visit to Bangalore will be as pleasant as mine this time😀.

Enrollment for Aadhaar Cards is a Breeze.

nytime you experience good customer support, it is worth acknowledging it. Such was my experience when I went into offices of Karvy, a company that provides enrollment services for Aadhaar and PAN cards (of Government of India). Aadhaar is a popular name for the unique identification for Indian nationals, provided by the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI).

At the Pravasi Bharatiya Divas (PBD) 2017 in Bengaluru.

Ramesh (L) & Rao (R) at PBD 2017

n January 9, 1915, a 45-year old M. K. Gandhi set foot in India after an extraordinary run-in with the South African government. Through a no less extraordinary journey in the next decades, he would be instrumental in the freeing of India from British rule. Mahatma Gandhi is highly, and deservedly, regarded as the greatest Pravasi — प्रवासी — and, since 2004, the Government of India has been sponsoring a yearly convention of प्रवासी भारतीयs, or non-resident Indians (NRIs).

This year, in 2017, my BE classmate & I had occasion to attend the convention together.

The Problem with Bangalore Molestations during the 2017 New Year Revelry: Wrong Leadership.

n the article titled The beasts that roamed Bangalore, author Ira Trivedi writes:

Such statements from elected leaders are not only deeply disturbing, they place the blame on women.

We cannot but agree with Ira Trivedi. In addition to all the actions the society needs to take to prevent such mistreatment of women, we need to take another action: Get rid of politicians who condone, by omission or by commission, undemocratic behavior.

For Mr. Parameshwara, especially, it is a double disgrace. For one, he has no understanding of what democracy means, and in what manner the citizens in a democracy can conduct themselves. Secondly, rather than condemn that animal behavior of the miscreants, he places the blame on women victims; he has thus committed the additional mistake of condoning such uncivilized behavior.

Surprisingly, none of his cabinet colleagues, including the Chief Minister, have publicly commented Mr. Parameshwara's distorted logic. By being silent, they are condoning Mr. Parameshwara's behavior: मौनं सम्मति लक्षणं!

Why has Mr. Parameshwara not resigned yet? If none of his cabinet colleagues come out soon on Mr. Parameshwara's ignorance, I'd even suggest that the Chief Minister himself must also resign.

We don't need political leaders that do not understand democracy.

High-Rises in Bangalore: Boon or Bane?

Karnataka High Court

igh Rises in Bangalore, or for that matter anywhere, are a good thing.

In today's news report, we read that the Karnataka High Court tells Bangalore Bruhat Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) to allow high-rises in city.

An Evening at a Sunidhi Chauhan Concert in Bangalore.

unidhi Chauhan needs no introduction.

When I learnt of her concert in Bangalore on this past January 31, as part of the UNMAAD 2016 celebration at the Indian Institute of Management, Bangalore, I was quite excited to attend it, although that'd make my subsequent road transportation from South Bangalore to the airport, to catch a flight back to the US, a greater nervous exercise in navigating Bangalore traffic, for all of 45 kms, to get to the airport.

Footpath Failure in Bangalore: Will 2016 be a Happier New Year?

ootpaths — or sidewalks for the American reader — fail to address the needs of pedestrians in Bangalore adequately.

Various kinds of imperfections exist in the footpaths in Bangalore. The NGO Janaagraha has done a scientific study, 2015 Street Quality Score, and concluded that 75% of footpaths in inner Bengaluru, and 58% in outer part walkable.

Intolerance Needed in Bangalore: To Chaotic Traffic.

ntolerance is very much occupying media these days in India.

A key fuel for this intolerance debate appears to be public statements by renowned Bollywood actor Aamir Khan. While this intolerance hits at the very basic foundation of secularism of Indian democracy, and deserves to be properly handled, I see the need for a difference kind of intolerance needed in Bangalore: Intolerance to chaotic traffic.

The Reality of 100 Mbps of Internet Service in Bangalore.

nternet is a very important service that anyone needs in today's world.

Thus, there is a constant effort that everyone makes to get to a better speed of Internet service. For example, it is well known that Internet-based videoconferencing, Cisco recommends, will need at least 384 kbps. And, for video streaming, Netflix recommends 3.0 Mbps for SD and 5.0 Mbps for HD quality.

Dealing with Diabetes.

iabetes is a worldwide epidemic.

A World Health Organization (WHO) article proclaims Type 2 Diabetes: An Epidemic Requiring Global Attention and Urgent Action.

As of The 7th Edition of the Diabetic Atlas of the International Diabetes Foundation, there are 387 million afflicted with diabetes worldwide today.

The article Is Diabetes Becoming the Biggest Epidemic of the Twenty-first Century? provides a richer variety of statistics to substantiate its title.

An interesting spectacle a couple of days ago in South Bangalore made me realize how Bangalore is

Make-Shift Testing Desk

coping with this epidemic. A healthcare industry employee in Bangalore sets up a temporary, make-shift, desk near public areas such as community parks. At this desk, the employee administers glucose measurement and blood pressure measurement for ₹30 ($0.45) and ₹20 ($0.30) respectively.

This setup is at the instance of a local hospital — name withheld by request of the employee — which, I presume, hopes that the individuals that got tested would eventually go to the hospital for any future medical needs. A useful service, I'd say.

How much of an education the tested individuals get through this testing episode is another matter. After all, you cannot improve anyone's life in an effective way unless the person gets sufficiently educated as well.

Uber Rides in Bangalore, 2015

esterday's Uber ride from Bangalore South to Bangalore North leaves me with the impression that Uber rides have made great progress since my first one.

Specifically:

1. It seems that Google Maps, on which the Uber software is built, has become very reliable within Bangalore. Quote from yesterday's driver, exuding confidence: "If you have given your [home] address correctly, then I can park the car in front of your home." "ನೀವು ನಿಮ್ಮ [ಮನೆಯ] addressನ್ನು ಸರಿಯಾಗಿ ಹಾಕಿದ್ದರೆ, ನಿಮ್ಮ ಮನೆಯ ಮುಂದೆಯೇ ನಿಲ್ಲಿಸಬಹುದು."
2. Even at about 8:00 am this, November 20th, Friday morning you can see in the snapshot at right that there are 5 cars in wait for a Malleswaram Circle pickup location. The density of cars used to be much less in peripheral areas such as Malleswaram Circle last year. (Some people might regard Malleswaram as central to Bangalore, but I regard the Kempegowda Circle area, MG Road, et al., as more central).
3. Based on the kind of conversation I was able to strike with yesterday's driver, it looks like some of these drivers are also being sensitized to the importance of being good conversationalists too. I don't know whether Uber makes any special effort towards this user experience.
4. It is indeed true that the Uber rates are not much more expensive than the auto rates: I paid ₹228.09 for a 15.26km ride. Based on the tariffs in effect since January 8, 2014, the auto would have charged me probably 15.26*₹13.00, or ₹195.

Summary: I'll continue to patronize Uber during my presence in Bangalore. (Disclaimer: I don't own any shares of Uber).

Making Sense of Mobile Tariffs in Bangalore.

obile phones are a bare necessity these days, no matter where you go. If you have access to a smartphone, it is even better.

However, if you are used to 'all-you-can-eat' mobile plans as in the US, for example, it will take some sorting out to make the best out of the mobile plans in Bangalore, and perhaps in India.

A year ago, in June 2013, I got a SIM card for my then phone, an iPhone 4. Since I spent only a few days during that visit, I didn't pay attention to how the mobile tariffs worked, even though I was somewhat aware of the myriads of options, and settled for the Full Talktime options my bank provided.

It turns out that the options can be indeed mind-boggling. Just take a look at this Airtel example for Easy Recharge options for prepaid phones online in the Karnataka region. Yes — that's right — there are upwards of 60 Easy Recharge options from which to choose.

Primarily, if you determine the duration of your stay, you can maximize the mobile value by choosing additional options for Calls — Subscriber Trunk Dialing (STD) with or without roaming, International Subscriber Dialing (ISD), etc. — SMS, Internet access.

Airtel calls these options as packs.

So, you have to buy the packs in addition to the Full Talktimes, if you want to play the mobile usage optimization game.

My First Uber Ride in Bangalore.

ber ride in Bangalore?

I have experienced Uber ride in the US, and it has been quite pleasant.

My enthusiasm for experiencing an Uber ride in Bangalore, was boundless, as I landed last Tuesday. I had specially bought an Android smartphone as I landed in India so that I could use Uber App during my stay. (Use of an unlocked iPhone with a North America number, while possible, can add up to quite a sum while roaming internationally).

Bangaloreans can Feel Proud.

angaloreans must feel proud of this young man, Alok Shetty, who has now been named to be the Time 'Next Generation Leaders': Building Hope in India: Architect Alok Shetty is finding simple solutions to complex problems. His list of accolades is quite impressive, as can be seen from one of his company's — Bhumiputra Architecture — web pages.

Is the [Karnataka State] Government for the People?

When you read the article titled Karnataka govt to foot Ambareesh's Rs 1.16-cr medical bill, you have to wonder what kinds of considerations prompted the Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah to sanction reimbursement of ₹1.16 Crores.

Uber in Bangalore, and the Impact of Social Networking.

ber, the Silicon Valley startup transportation company that recently raised a capital of $1.2B at a "post-money" valuation of $18.2B, has transportation services that serves the city of Bangalore, along with other prominent Indian cities.

What is interesting about this startup company? According to CEO Travis Kalanick:

"So what is that vision?… It’s a reflection of our mission to turn ground transportation into a seamless service. Basically make car ownership a thing of the past…"

Make car ownership a thing of the past. Wow! With cloud computing, we have made, for most enterprises (and people), "big" computer ownership a thing of the past. With streaming music and video, we have CD and DVD ownership a thing of the past. Now, entrepreneurs are working to make car ownership a thing of the past. Nice. What is next? I digressed.

Having experienced the Uber service in the United States, and as a frequent visitor to Bangalore, it was necessary for me to conduct an exercise of comparison between Uber, and a particular taxi service I have used in Bangalore, Meru Cabs.

From the screenshot you see at left, of a page from Meru Cabs' web site, you can see the following:

Rate for first 4 km = ₹80
Rate after 4 km = ₹19.50/km

So, for a 40 km ride, say from the airport, you would incur a fare of ₹80 + (40-4)*₹19.50 = ₹782.

The UberBLACK service, which is somewhat similar and whose screenshot you see on the right, has the following tariffs in Bangalore:

Base fare = ₹80 (irrespective of total distance)
Time component = ₹2/minute
Distance component = ₹18/km

So, for a 40 km ride, involving 1 hour, then, you would have a total fare of ₹80 + 2*60 + 40*₹18 = ₹920.

If you are able to avail of the service when certain discounts are offered — say of 49% between 11:00 am and 5:00 pm as seen by the tweet on the Uber screenshot — you could incur only 51%*₹920 = ₹470. And, Meru charges a slightly higher rate, between midnight and 6:00 am.

Thus, the power of social networking may provide Uber a slight advantage of being able to attract a larger number of customers provided, of course, you can make use of social networking as you land in Bangalore.

Of course, the comparison may not be perfect; but, nevertheless, it is useful to have this comparison in mind.

Google's 'Know Your Candidates Tool' for India's Lok Sabha 2014 Elections.

Bangalore South Constituency Contestants, Lok Sabha 2014 

oogle's engineers have created an interesting interactive web site of India's 2014 Lok Sabha elections.

In the Bangalore South constituency, where Nandan Nilekani, former chief of the Unique Identification Authority of India, is one of the contestants, there are 21 others. 22 people in all for 1 single Lok Sabha seat. (In other words, the 'best' of these 22 contents will get elected to the lower house of the parliament.

A Public Request to the KSCA Authorities (in Bangalore).

Image from Wikipedia,
under https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

Cricket is a sport that has entered the youth of India in a big way.

That being the case, why not use the sport as a platform to motivate and mold India's youth? Recently, within a span of a few weeks, I had occasion to visit both the Lord's Cricket Ground in London and the KSCA Stadium in Bangalore.

Karnataka State's Recipe for Future Development around Bangalore.

In a recent news item, as shown in the clip to left, the Karnataka State Cabinet has given its nod to implement a project aimed at decongesting Bangalore, by developing 8 small townships around Bangalore.

A Google Map of the proposal is presented later in this blog post. In addition to showing the NICE Road (green) and the Outer Ring Roads (purple), it shows the 8 townships (purple) proposed by the State Cabinet. It also shows the Bangalore airport.

The proposed cost of this development, according to the article, is ₹2,100 crores, or approximately US $400 M in today's exchange rate.

Loss of a US Passport in Bangalore.

Image source: Wikipedia.

It happened to one of my relatives in a recent visit to Bangalore. This relative — call her Ms. X — had come to Bangalore from the United States to attend her cousin's wedding. Not only did she miss the central wedding ceremony, a primary purpose of her visit, the Kanyadaan (ಕನ್ಯಾದಾನ), but ended up having to deal with officials from the Karnataka State Police and visiting the US Consulate in Chennai, before she could continue with her return journey as scheduled.

Once she realized she had 'lost' her purse, most likely due to someone's lifting it away from where she had set it down in the wedding hall as a temporary measure, it became important to let the local police know about it. And, we had to reach out to the police that had the proper jurisdiction over the wedding venue. We prepared  the report, all of it hand-written. (For a state government that boasts of trillions of rupees in IT exports by 2020, and as the IT Hub of India, it is somewhat ironical that the Karnataka police stations are not well equipped with adequate computer machinery: we had to file a hand-written report).