Emerging Markets to me is the market that has not yet been touched by software. So what comprises emerging markets. For India, the answer to this lies really in the rural markets. For e.g. how can i use software to make the life of a farmer more enriching and value added. Can software help him earn more and lead a more meaningfull life. Is there a value in making a cycle mechanic learn to use a software. How can computers help him? On initial thoughts, some of the things that can be done for the rural poor are:-

• Enabling farmers and poor people manage there money through the use of atm's in their natural language to provide such facilities as drawing money/sending money orders/making drafts/depositing money/taking out detailed statements/buying products without the help of money lenders/bankers/brokers how take advantage of them. This can only be done through kiosks/atm's which are very simple to use. This will empower the comman man. Reduce the limits on these atm's so that even a cycle mechanic can use it to manage his money.
• Enabling the common rural person to see competing products of their interests available not just locally but in adjoining areas to enable him to make more informed choices about buying/selling etc. This can be done again through online kioks/search engines which are more suited to these farmers/poor people who can not be looted by lack of information.
• Communication in another front. Cheaper and faster cmmunication whether thru mobile or local language e-mail. How abt a mobile that has no screen/no sms facility.
• Can maps help villages and how can we have maps for rural areas which do not have road numbers and house numbers.
• Can villages take advanatge of bidding kiosks for selling there product at the correct price and can villagers advertise there products online. An online community by the villagers for the villagers. For e.g. a DL/online market place to discuss and advertise crops/fertilizers/current prevaling prices for various items.

I can go on and on but this has to end somewhere. I will disucss more concrete ideas as and when they come. Concrete in terms of implemenation.

Also the above does not mean that emerging markets is only in the villages of india. We just have to see around our own lives to find out how software can enlighten the lives of we social animals. It can be in our kitchen to our 5 year old kid, to daily necessities like ration card/electricity bill to trekking or travel.

I will keep on writing on new avenues that software has to touch and the great potential that it already has.