Facebook ads are focusing on "flesh value!"

the "basic instincts" are more in focus at facebook! At least their advertisements are telling so…have a look:

is this the symptom of near-death or else why they are so desperate to lure more young Indians?

Image source: Facebook page

Not rebels, but Mama’s boys and girls- The Hindusthan Times report

It’s a generation that loves television, hang out with friends and shop, enjoys Bollywood films and filmy music, doesn’t exercise too much, isn’t at all enamoured of smoking or drinking and is either hostile or indifferent to drugs. The Hindustan Times Youth Survey 2011 seems to suggest that India’s Gen X is full of Mumma’s boys and Mumma’s girls and reinforces the image of the youth as a conservative group quite comfortable in its own skin.

In movies, Bollywood is the clear choice of this generation – two out of three prefer the fare dished out by Mumbai’s Tinsel Town. Another one in five, say regional cinema is their preferred choice of entertainment. This trend is particularly strong in the south – in Hyderabad, almost nine out of 10 (88%) and in Chennai, seven out of 10 (72%) vote for local cinema.

“Many people in previous generations either thought Bollywood was low brow and, therefore, not worthy of their attention, or were shy of admitting their love for it. But this generation has no such inhibitions. It’s a sign of our growing confidence as a nation,” says Sukhdev Bhattacharya, retired professor of psychology of NBU.

Their choice of music is also decidedly Indian – 56% prefer Bollywood music, 13% Indian classical and 11% Indi-pop. But western music (pop, rock, hip-hop and R&B) is also quite popular – 20% of youth list one of these genres as their favourite.

Sartorially, be Indian, wear Indian is the motto of 18-25 women. A majority (52.9%) wears salwar kameez, but a large minority (one in three) prefers jeans and Ts.

And how do young Indians spend their spare time? By watching TV (34.3% list this as their favourite spare time activity), spending time with friends (18.4%) and listening to music (16.9%). But reading (8.5%), surfing the internet (8.4%) and sports (4.2%) aren’t very popular past times.

Today’s youth is very interested in current affairs. More than 50% of youth read newspapers for 15 minutes to an hour every day. Another 35% read papers for less than 15 minutes a day. But one out of eight don’t read papers at all. Nine out of 10 young Indians don’t smoke or drink. And drugs? It’s not even a topic for debate. Only 12.3% of respondents say marijuana should be legalised, while another 15% believe it should be legalised for medical purposes only.

But youth in Bhubaneswar broke ranks with their peers across the country. A fairly high 37% of males and 32% of females want marijuana legalised. Guwahati (27.5%), Hyderabad (23.5%) and Kolkata (22.9%) are the three other cities where there is a reasonable degree of support for marijuana.

The numbers are not alarming, says Juju Basu, creative director of Contract Advertising. “India’s always had a significant hemp culture. Our sadhus are always smoking it and the hippy movement of the 1960s was very prominent here,” he adds.

If anything, he’s surprised the numbers aren’t higher. The current generation of 18-25-year-olds are, after all, kids of the Hare-Rama-Hare-Krishna generation, and going against the norms of older generations is, perhaps, every youth group’s one driving force.

But one thing that’s clear is that this generation seems to be full of what our parents generally term “good kids”. Rebels with (or without) a cause seem like a thing of the past.

Source: http://www.hindustantimes.com/News-Feed/chunk-ht-ui-youthsurvey-topstories/Not-rebels-but-Mama-s-boys-and-girls/Article1-655680.aspx

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Indian youth prefers mobile to Facebook to break the big news-The Hindustan Times survey report

If you needed proof that India has missed the Internet bus, here is one more. The Indian youth does not make big announcements on Facebook or Twitter or e-mail. Instead, it prefers the mobile phone.

This finding was published this morning by The Hindustan Times which conducted as survey of Indian youth across 18 cities. The finding showed that 35.1% of the Indian youth aged between 18 to 25 years gets on to the mobile phone to communicate important information.

The SMS is the next popular device. It is used by 27.1 % of the Indian youngsters to communicate. The two modes add up to 62%, establishing that this generation of Indian youth can be called the mobile phone generation.

Interestingly, person to person communication is still alive, and 22.2% of the youth like to communicate important information personally.

The Facebook, which has emerged as India’s number one social media site, is used by 10.1% of the youth. E-mail surprisingly is not considered as so personal. Barely 3.6% use e-mail for major personal announcements. Twitter too is not too popular, with only 2.2% of the youth tweeting what matters to them.

Source: http://easymedia.in/2011/01/29/indian-youth-prefers-mobile-to-facebook-to-break-the-big-news/

Indian Youth Has Lowest Percentage Of Mobile Data Users : Nielsen

Nielsen released part of its Mobile Youth Around The World report in a blog post. Nielsen studied patterns in 9 countries – Brazil, Russia, India, China, Vietnam, Germany, U.S., U.K., Spain and Italy. The report tries to establish phone preferences, purchase drivers, data usage etc. And tries to demonstrate how local factors, culture, economy etc have an influence on mobile usage.

The part released in the recent post compared three factors across the 9 countries – Data consumption, Connection type preference (prepaid/postpaid) and multiple SIM usage.

Advanced Data Usage

China had the highest number ‘Advanced Data Users’ and India was at the bottom of the pile with only 13%. And by some distance, the next lowest was Brazil with 40%. But India did report the highest percentage of SMS/Voice Users and Voice only Users. Highlighting the scope for Voice and SMS based VAS. China on the other hand had a mere 2% of voice only users. Also interesting is that China pipped US to the No.1 spot. I’d be interested in seeing these numbers again after large scale 3G adoption though. How much data can we really consume at 2/2.5G speeds. The other way to look at it is in terms of how much potential there still is.

Prepaid Vs Postpaid

97% used Prepaid connections, which is no real surprise at all. Note, that all BRIC countries had 85% plus prepaid users. While US and the European countries were all below 60%. In fact,In US less than a quarter of the youth had prepaid connections. Part of the same study revealed that 35% of Indians aged 15-19 and 54% aged 20-24 paid for their own mobile connections.

Multiple SIMs

Given the number of people that seem to have multiple SIMs, I’m a little surprised that only 15% of the Indian youth said they had multiple SIM cards. Of course, if you look at raw numbers, 15% would still be a pretty large number here. Only China had a lower percentage of people using multiple SIM cards, again 14% there would be a huge number too.

Source: http://www.watblog.com/2011/02/23/indian-youth-among-the-lowest-mobile-data-consumers-nielsen/

further reference: http://trak.in/tags/business/2011/02/24/indian-youth-mobile-phone-usage-survey/

Chavs are in India! the “nouveau riche naffs" are thriving

As Mark Tungate stated in his book “Fashion Brands- Branding style from Armani to Zara” that “ …Burberry faces a similar problem in the UK. Some time ago, it joined the pantheon of brands adopted by label-conscious but not particularly up-market British youth, notably soccer fans. As a direct corollary and most damagingly of all, Burberry- and particularly its iconic check pattern- has become associated with ‘chavs’… the plaid fabric has become so closely associated with hooliganism that some pubs and clubs have instructed door staff to refuse entry to young people wearing it… An article in The Guardian cites a picture of a soap opera actress ‘clad top to toe in Burberry check…’ as the moment when Burberry became ‘the ultimate symbol of nouveau riche naff’… the similar situation prevails in India where the aspiring young generation and the late 30's(who’s parents belonged to middle class)are fast becoming the “nouveau riche naff”!

Post world war west influenced Japan has also gone through similar revolution where the ‘nouveau riche’ yet “rebellious” youth (from growing working class) were becoming stronger and ‘more visible’ due to economic revolution and rapid twist.

The Blackberry boom and luxury brand rage (as well as their counterfeits!) among youth and young adults in India is one instance for being the nav.
The Chav culture is IN in INDIA and the young wealthy generation is clearly divided into the royal rich and nouveau.

More more detailed discussion please contact me at : kaustavsengupta@yahoo.com

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India’s nouveau riche drink in the high life
By Katy Daigle Feb 24, 2011 12:32AM

Source: http://www.suntimes.com/lifestyles/3412765-418/story.html

NEW DELHI — They’re wealthy, well-traveled, cosmopolitan — and thirsty.
India’s growing upper class wants high-end liquors and fine wines that define “the good life” they’ve seen on European vacations and in Hollywood films. The old habit of slinging a measure of cheap local rum into a cup of cola simply won’t do.
“Life is swinging! If we can afford the best, why not have it?” says Vikrant Nath, a 49-year-old event planner.
For some, the booming economy there has put more money in their pockets: The number of Indians worth at least $1 million rose 51 percent in 2009 to 126,000.
There has always been a market in India for low-quality booze, mainly among men, despite religious and cultural taboos. Independence hero Mohandas K. Gandhi called alcohol “the enemy of mankind, the curse of civilization.”
Now, old local favorites such as Old Monk rum and Bagpiper whiskey are sharing shelf space with world-class scotch from Johnny Walker and Macallan. Last year the industry-standard “Whisky Bible” named an Indian whiskey — Amrut Single Malt — the world’s third best.
“I just love the sexiness of a cocktail!” says Puneeta Khanna, 43.
But, she admits, she would never drink in front of her mother-in-law. AP

blackberry vs iphone- a discussion among the youth in India

Though iphone is supposed to be the "coolest" one, but youth in India is preffering Blackberry for various reasons:


(zoom to read the discussion)

Source: Facebook page of Kaustav SenGupta

post-recession youth in India

The recession and the mythical fear of the ‘pink slip’ that accompanied it actually made the youth in India more confident and motivated about starting up their own businesses rather than looking for jobs. They became more focused on entrepreneurship and self-driven ‘out of the box’ career prospects. They now consider themselves a part of the global talent pool, and the rest of the world has recognized their creativity, innovative ideas and skills. The internet, media and ‘reality shows’ are giving them the opportunity to showcase all this before a large audience.

Venture capitalist and Silicon Valley tycoon Kanwal Rekhi says that “Recession is the best time to be an investor and an entrepreneur”. In The Journal of Entrepreneurship, a research study by Nancy M Levenburg and Thomas V Schwarz under the title “Entrepreneurial Orientation among the Youth of India- The Impact of Culture, Education and Environment” states that “Despite a combination of social structures and cultural values within India that historically constrained entrepreneurship, a number of efforts in recent years seem to have significantly shifted the national mindset regarding entrepreneurship, particularly among India's youth who were found to demonstrate a significantly higher level of interest in starting new ventures than their US counterparts.” Accidental young entrepreneurs have discovered the value of using technology-aided collective intelligence to become successful with minimal investment and maximum exposure. Grassroot innovations and macro-finance-related businesses are growing faster as the young entrepreneurs increasingly understand the hidden treasures in rural India.

Moreover, the post-recession U-turn staged by many successful young NRIs has added to the knowledge resource and growth in many industries. Cities like Pune and Bangalore are now dotted with startups launched by NRIs who now want to invest in India due to its cheaper knowledge base, skills availability and steady economic growth.

more references to read: http://www.englishforums.com/English/GlobalRecessionIndiasYouth/lwwnm/post.htm

young entrerpreneurs in India are becoming socially commited

It is not often that somebody talks of design and social development in the same breath, as equal partners. But for Achyutha Sharma, creative arts and design are powerful tools that can be harnessed to generate tremendous social impact. An alumnus of NIFT Delhi, Achyutha donned multiple roles as a fashion designer, graphic designer, retail designer and branding and strategy consultant before he decided to blend his love for multi-disciplinary design with his passion for communities and founded Sulochana Development Trust as a platform for the creative community to come together and work for a common vision.
DezineConnect talked to this young creative entrepreneur, about the genesis of his venture, the challenges in working in the social sector and his vision for creative economy.

How did Sulochana Development Trust come about?
After working as a consultant, I launched my own entrepreneurial venture called Antahkaran, which means ‘insight’ in Sanskrit. It is an art organization that customizes art for spaces. Part of the profits was to go for art education for the underprivileged. But when I had to donate that fund, I could not find any charitable organization that was very serious about the fund. So I decided to put together a trust to channel these funds. And that is how Sulochana Development Trust was formed. It started with the idea of offering creative help to organizations in the social sector. But as I talked to industry leaders, met more people and brainstormed over this idea, I realized that there is a huge gap in the creative community itself. Our role as a creative designer has changed. We are constantly seduced to think in a certain way, force people to consume more. In my own work, I had constantly found myself questioning ‘is my work meaningful? Where is my work leading?’ So after my research, iterations with industry leaders, I decided that Sulochana Trust would focus on creative arts and design that makes a holistic development impact in India. The long-term goal is to create a vision of the creative economy and integrate that with India’s development.

Can you elaborate a little on creative economy?
Creative Economy basically implies that anything, which is creative or idea-based that generates money is part of the economy. The world is moving from a capitalist economy to a knowledge economy to a creative economy, where we are saying that it is not just about economic variables but also creative variables. The British Government is one of the few governments that have adopted the Creative Economy policy so far. But what the British Government does is that it recognizes the contribution of the creative industry to the overall economy. What we want is to not only recognize the creative industry, but also create policies that integrate creative arts and socio-cultural contextualization into the economic policy. In India we are going through a development phase that industrialized nations went through 20 years back. And we are following a similar path. In the process, we are losing a lot of socio-cultural ideas, practices and values that came through our own history and culture. So we are saying that creative economy is not just about recognition of the creative industry but also a certain amount of contextualization in terms of our development.

What exactly is your idea of ‘recognition’ for the creative industry?
Creative industry is not recognized as an industry. Like for example, telecommunication or petrochemicals. These are recognized as industries and there are policies formed to promote these industries. There is nothing similar done for creative industry by the Indian Government. Design agencies, advertising agencies or other creative firms are not recognized as part of the economy. Interestingly, around 4 years back the Government asked British Council to carry out research about creative economy in India. They did extensive research, but they could not get even ten large scale companies together to say that ‘we are part of the creative industry’. So the Government very clearly said, “if you can’t get X number of industries together, if you can’t show that this industry is churning out X amount of money annually, supporting X number of livelihoods, then we cannot recognize creative industry. There is no platform, there is no community; there are no industries ready to come together. How can we recognize it as an industry?” And the creative economy report was dumped by the planning commission. But we still do see an opportunity there. We have realized that first we need to show creative arts projects that make measurable impact and prove it to the government. And secondly, we have to show that more organizations have come together for the creative economy vision and want to be recognized as part of creative industry, so that it becomes imperative for the government to recognize it.

What role does Sulochana Development Trust play in this whole vision?
At Sulochana Trust, we have defined four development contexts – social relevance, economic sustainability, ecological balance and socio-cultural contextualization. The trust plays three roles – create, incubate and align. We “create” projects that show a measurable impact of creative arts and design in the social or development sector. We “incubate” ventures that are primarily focused on creative entrepreneurship but also make a development impact in any of the four contexts. And then we would “align” more and more organizations to the creative economy concept. What we are hoping to do around 5-10 years down the line is to ink down a creative economy vision accord, which is like an MoU that people can ratify. Organizations can sign it and say ‘we will align our operations according to the creative economy concept’; And Sulochana Trust will provide them a broad framework of how they can align with the creative economy concept. Once we have this document ratified by organizations and people all over India, it would make a fragmented industry come together under one platform. It would also create awareness and help us to convince the government to adopt Creative Economy as a policy. But this intervention is not a blanket intervention; it will take time as many stakeholders at different levels are involved while working towards our vision.

What are the biggest challenges that you face in running the trust?
One of the biggest challenges we face is funding. Nobody is ready to fund creative arts and design because they think that is like an indulgence, a hobby. They would rather donate the money to organizations working for disaster relief or feeding the poor or education or healthcare. They feel creative arts is not a priority. So we decided that instead of pitching for funding, we would create projects that generate revenue for the trust. Right now we are putting in our own money to flag off initiatives like ‘Collaborative Community’, where we offer creative consultancy services to non-profit organizations to get revenue for the trust. Also, when we incubate ventures we tell them that once they become sustainable, they should donate a certain percentage of their revenue to Sulochana Trust. So we will have revenue coming from projects that we create and from the ventures that we incubate. That is how we see the trust growing without depending on any external funding.

Can you tell us something about the ‘Collaborative Community’ initiative?
‘Collaborative Community’ offers creative consultancy services to non-profit organizations and for-profits with social impact. A lot of non-profits and for-profits need help in terms of branding, design innovation and strategy; and they don’t have access to that in an easy way. Generally they get freelancers on board but it is quite fragmented. So we have a one-stop shop model of offering these services for lesser money. We charge them money according to the revenue they generate. An organization that is very well funded will be charged a higher amount than an NGO that is not well funded. We are trying to get more and more creative people also to offer their skills on a part-time basis on these projects. We offer branding and strategy in design communication and retail. In terms of design, we offer communication, furniture, spaces, crafts, textiles – many different disciplines.

How big is the team at Sulochana Development Trust?
We are 4 people. Besides that, we have 3 trustees and 5 more people on the Board of Advisors. Everybody is doing a regular job and contributing to the trust on a part-time basis. It is quite a task to convince people to devote their precious time on a voluntary basis.

If I am a designer or a creative artiste, how can I be associated with Sulochana Development Trust?
Oh, there are plenty of ways! It depends on which one you want – create, incubate or align. If you are running an organization and want to align, you can sign our creative economy agreement to promote creative economy. If you are a creative person who wants to incubate an idea and turn it into an entrepreneurial venture, we will review your idea and then get you on board, connect you with the right people, nurture your idea, put together a business plan and also help you to pitch for funding. That is the opportunity under the incubate vertical. And if you are a creative person or designer who wants to start a project that makes a social impact, then Sulochana Trust can help you launch it. We intend to collaborate with creative people. We don’t intend to adopt them and treat them like they need to be told to do everything in a certain way.

Where do you draw the line between ‘projects for social change’ and ‘creative projects for social change’?
The project has to be from one of the disciplines of creative arts or design. We don’t look at every development field. For example, I don’t think we will really be participating in the healthcare sector, until and unless a healthcare organization, an NGO, wants help in terms of branding, marketing or communication from us, in which case it will come under Collaborative Community. But we want to support creative arts and design, and we are focused on that; because we definitely see a lack of opportunity for creative people to nurture their skills and look at something that is more meaningful in impact.

You talked about ‘measurable impact’. In terms of social projects, what is the yardstick for measuring impact and success?
It is difficult to measure social impact in terms of numbers. But I think it is generally not being initiated. Nobody is really thinking, “Can creative arts make a measurable impact? Do we need to really measure the impact? Do we need to document it?” But we feel the need to do that in order to prove to the Government. The Government wants numbers and statistics, and if we have to push our way through that, we have to measure the impact. An example that I can give is the Art Education Curriculum that we are currently developing. It is a curriculum that can be adopted by non-profit organizations for under-privileged children. We have just launched the pilot project and we are testing the curriculum. Once we test it, we will know how it works on ground. Then we can make alternative changes, incorporate feedback and fine-tune it further to make it flexible and adaptable to different regions. We are still in the process of fine-tuning it to get it adopted. Once at least 5 non-profits have adopted it, we will know that a particular number of children are undergoing art education. We will know how many children are progressing within the curriculum modules and we will have a documentation of their assessment and improvement forms. With all this tangible evidence, we can measure the impact of the project.

Where do you see Sulochana Development Trust in the future?
I definitely look at scaling up Sulochana Trust; getting more and more people under Sulochana Trust to work and show measurable impact and more organizations to be aligned. Right now we are focusing on building Collaborative Community and Art Education Fund. But we are also talking to British Council about kicking off a creative economy campaign in campuses and organizations. We are on a learning curve. We are developing practices and revenue models that can generate revenue for us; we are trying all corners to get the trust running more actively. But we need to be patient, especially when it is for a development impact. It takes time in India. As young people, we sometimes become very impatient and we want to give up very soon. I have experienced that myself.

Besides time, what are the other key factors that matter in social projects?
Social projects are about multiple stakeholders. How you involve different stakeholders from different strata and get them to agree to one idea, one vision, is a huge task. We can convince creative people. We can also convince certain social sector people. But to convince the local authorities, government bodies, municipal people, the villagers and the local people, to align them to a certain idea and to motivate them; that is something we are trying to learn to do successfully. Secondly, I think, it is also about the ecosystem. There are very few support mechanisms of finance, teams or institutions that will support you. There is a compete lack of ecosystem for us to take this forward within the social impact sphere.

People generally have the impression that social work is something that you do at a later stage of your career or when you have enough money. How is it working in the social sector at such a young age?
I wouldn’t say I am the only one. I have been meeting a lot of social entrepreneurs who are very young, just 24 or 25 year old. They have done amazing work in the social sector. But yes, it is a huge financial constraint; especially for people who don’t have that kind of financial support. I completely understand why they should do it at a later stage. But I also think it is highly unfair to assume that somebody working in the social sector should not expect money. We are not ready to pay a CEO of a social organization 10 crores a year. But we are ready to pay a CEO of, say, Coca Cola 20 crores a year. Someone who is working in the social sector equally deserves to get well paid. Although a lot of social sector organizations have huge funding, they refuse to pay certain people for the right talent. That is something where the social sector needs to go through a change. And I am sure it will.

JAM (just a minute…)

What is the best moment of the day?
When I get a sense of reassurance that I am on the right path.

If there were one person for whom you would like to design a thing. Who is the person and what would you design?
There is a very famous Austrian artist who is no more. His name is Hundertwasser. He was a theorist, an artist and an architect. He made his own clothes; he built his own boat and travelled around the world. I would love to do a painting for him.

One word that would define your personal working style?
Collaboration.

As a creative entrepreneur, one thing that you would like to change in the present system?
Support mechanisms. We need to have support mechanisms for institutes that can nurture skills and talent.

If you were an animated character, which one would it be?
King Julian from Madagascar. I like his sarcasm.

Any role models?
Yes, there are many. My role models are people who have gone beyond the ordinary and have really come through in life.

If someone wrote a biography about you, what do you think the title should be?
I would be very uncomfortable if someone actually wrote a biography about me. I feel biographies are about ‘me’, ‘myself’; and I am never comfortable with that. It is always about ‘we’. So yes, maybe the title will be ‘Not me, but we!’

What are you afraid of regarding the future?
More than fear, it is a sense of sadness about losing the socio-cultural values in India; India going through degradation than development.

What are the challenges you face in the present context?
Running the trust, getting funding, getting the right motivated team together.

One aspect of design you give the highest priority to?
Relevance.

One aspect of work in the social sector you give the highest priority to?
Accountability.

One design related book you highly recommend to read?
Ways of Seeing by John Berger. It is not really a design book, but it is at the meeting point of art and design. It is an amazing book that every creative person should read.

One motto for all social entrepreneurs and creative entrepreneurs?
I would give the motto that I generally use; ‘Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam’, which in Sanskrit means, the world is your family.

(Achyutha Sharma is also the India Ambassador for Sandbox, the global community of achievers under 30)

Source: http://www.dezineconnect.com/

www.sulochanatrust.org

www.antahkaran.com

internet usage

There are no surprises that youth in India is getting hooked on to Internet – The older generation is not and are still staying away from it.

School & College students itself contribute to more than 44% of all Internet usage that happens in India – Overall 72% of young people access Internet on regular basis

moreover, small towns contributed to only 5% of internet usage in year 2000, which over a period of 9 years has grown to healthy 36% and for the first time has overtaken the Internet usage in Urban areas !

Image Source:
http://www.internetworldstats.com/asia/in.htm
Information source:
http://trak.in/tags/business/2010/04/07/internet-usage-india-report-2010/

my article in hindi at Dainik Bhaskar

Dainki Bhaskar is one of the largest circulating newpaper in India. This article came in the Youth Day.

my interview

My Profile and talk at Mobileyouth:


http://www.mobileyoutharoundtheworld.com/mobile-youth-around-the-world-india

online Word Of Mouth is sending the traditional advertisements into hybernation- "long live the king...rest in coffin!"

In the light of "supernatural advertisements" which deliberately spreads false or "over colored" information the traditional advertising (print, TV etc.) is creating only minimal impact and reduced only as a tool to "spread" mild awareness but not effecting the "buying decisions".
The WOM in online social networks and forums are believed to be more "truthful" and consumer driven (not made up stories).

So the question remains, why should a brand spend big bucks to pet the advertise agencies if they only provides mild awareness and a negative impact about the brands truthfulness!

"Word of Mouth" is spreading online- the traditional advertising is going in hybernation?

In the light of "supernatural advertisements" which "deliberately spreades false information" the traditional advertising (print, TV etc.) is creating only minimal impact and reduced only as a tool to "spread" mild awareness but not effecting the "buying decisions".

The online social networks and forums are believed to be more "truthful" and consumer driven (not made up stories).



So the question remains, why should a brand spend big bucks to pet the advertiseing and media agencies if they only provides mild awareness and a negative impact about the brands truthfulness!

fakoconsciousness is growing!

The trend this generation ( considered by time/year 2010 , not age ) can be categorized by the SUPERFICIAL RESPONSIBILITY. From joining “turtle walks” conserving endangered Olive Ridley turtles , chain rallies on a mission to clean beaches , running marathons for setting up a play stadium for the "deserving" . saving tigers through SMS rand status updates in facebook the generation has been really shallow just to have media's attention than analyzing whether the contribution is actually reaching its destination.Just like sarkar accounts,things are just done for the sake of doing to prove that "humanity"is still alive.

Be it IPL fraud ,commanwealth issue or the horendous spectrum scam,the youth still continue to buy tickets and team tshirts and watch news ,falling for its shameless craft of publicizing issues for trp rating.If we had taken just one step to use the right toinformation act 2005 , we would have got our replies ages ago. Hope we atleast make the right decision before voting and not buying "free tv - 1kg rice for 1 re"$%$%^ agenda.

Also , this generation has something to crib about constantly , be it career success or relationship,and the use of "f" word is hardly considered a sin ( I'm no exception ).The urge to get /achieve everything fast and the unquenchable thirst for more is the epidemic prevailing in the current scenario , just like our take -away-package from McDonalds.Hope the next generation values moral education

by Harini Kannan (India/youth/student/chennai)

the "giving in gratitude" among the youth in India

Parent's are still in "focus" of the "giving in gratitude" [among the youth in India]:


Source: Facebook page of Vibhu Sharma

Kaustav's insights at Mobileyouth

Read "Youth Mobile Age - 50 Key Youth Trends 2011's album "Sample Quotes from YouthMobileAge" at www.youthmobileage.com

WOM and product promotion (at SNS) among the youth in India

Facebook (SNS) is now a platform to "express" the "feel good factor / feel bad factor" about a product or service. A space which spreads a Word of Mouth (WOM) much faster than ever! The conventional advertising is going to be passe....they will just add the "touch of glamor" in so called "advertising and product promotion"....more like a fashion show!!!

The Young and the Restless: The Rise of Social Entrepreneurship in India

The CEO of India’s ambulance service was among the first generation of women in her Rajasthan town to receive an education beyond high school. Sweta Mangal received her MBA from the University of Rochester, with the full intention of finding a job and remaining in the US. But less than two years after she graduated, she felt an itch – an India itch – and without telling her family, she flew back to India.

Shortly after she returned, the friend of Ravi Krishna, another US-educated Indian, died in a car accident because he did not receive prompt medical attention. In response to this tragedy, Sweta and a few friends started talking about India’s need for an ambulance system. “In the US,” she said, “we would have just dialed 911. But there wasn’t anything like that here.” In 2003, Sweta and a few friends created an initiative to provide ambulance services for Mumbai residents, buying two ambulances and putting them on the road. As demand grew, they bought eight more ambulances. They also expanded their services to provide a women’s helpline as well as first aid workshops at schools and colleges. Two years ago, Mangal left her day job to become CEO of Dial 1298 for Ambulance. By April 2011, they expect to have 500 ambulances across India.

Mangal is part of a growing trend of young Indians who are increasingly unwilling to accept India’s inequality gap as immutable truth. This gap means that in medical emergencies, the wealthy are rushed to private hospitals in chauffeur-driven cars, while the poor are forced to hope for a run of luck that will save their lives. Indeed, India is (in)famous for its information technology capabilities even though there is no assurance of a constant supply of electricity in most parts of the country. India is renowned for its cardiothoracic surgery facilities even though access to basic sanitation for the majority of the population is non-existent. The wealthy have Ferraris in cities known for clogged roads and cashmere scarves in areas whose temperatures rarely drop below 70 degrees, while slum children burn plastic bottles to keep warm.

This inequality gap has become more apparent in recent years, where in an attempt to address the issue of the scarcity of public services – such as electricity, water and healthcare – the government has encouraged the privatization of these sectors. But rather than alleviating the gap, the inequality has persisted, and in some cases, deepened. This is a democracy of disproportion; and young Indians like Sweta Mangal are looking for a way to relieve this asymmetry.

The work of reducing this imbalance clashes against the predictable troika of engineers, doctors and entrepreneurs that India is known for producing. But this professional holy trinity, while still alive culturally, is in the process of being scrambled. Increasingly, young Indians are balancing culturally ordained ideas of success with social change.

“It isn’t like it was before,” said Ms. Mangal. “Before if you were an entrepreneur, all you did was make money, and if you wanted to make this country better, your only option was to be like Mother Teresa. Now, we’re doing both.” Social entrepreneurship is on the rise in India, as young people examine methods of bridging the inequality gap so that India can experience inclusive growth. And as India amasses financial capital, the pool of potential funding sources – from philanthropic organizations to corporate houses – is growing.

While the Indian education system’s business programs have traditionally geared students towards solely making money, universities are recognizing this cultural shift towards social enterprise. The Indian Institute of Management (IIM) in Lucknow recently unveiled its Center for Social Entrepreneurship as well as an annual awards ceremony recognizing and promoting innovative ideas for social change.

Irfan Alam is one entrepreneur who has been recognized by a number of institutions and political figures, such as President Obama, for his creative social enterprise. Blending his management background with his desire to uplift the community of his native Bihar – a state infamous for its desperate poverty and rampant corruption – Alam founded Sammaan, a cycle rickshaw-organizing initiative. Calculating that cycle-rickshaw operators support almost 5% of the population but are a disorganized sector, made up of illiterate labourers who rely on the mafia for their rickshaws, Alam created a business model which empowers rickshaw pullers through training, capacity-building, education and financial support. Rather than giving up a large portion of their daily profits in rental, Sammaan sets cycle rickshaw operators up with micro-lending schemes. They are given safety and health workshops, bank accounts and health insurance. The back of the rickshaw is transformed into an advertising board, and the cycle-rickshaw operators sell bottled water and fruit juices to their customers. They keep 50% of the profits.

Mr. Alam went so far as to reach out to the local mafia who had been renting the cycle rickshaws to the pullers, believing that incorporating them into a new system would be more effective than attempting to extricate their involvement. The mafia agreed, and they have worked with Sammaan on their larger goal of making rickshaw-pulling a dignified, sustainable livelihood. Mr. Alam calls this “a holistic means of shifting the system.”

Sweta Mangal and Irfan Alam are two of many young Indian social entrepreneurs who are working towards larger institutional reform as they provide stopgap services for those who need them. They are well aware that the complexity and gravity of the issues that India faces will not be solved by one well-meaning social enterprise. But the promise lies in what is believed to be a generational shift. “There is a revolution happening right now,” Alam says, “where young people want to be involved in India’s future.” Indeed, as India gains prominence on the world stage, young Indians are looking to be involved in this country’s history, and social entrepreneurship is becoming the way to do it.

The National Social Entrepreneurship Forum claims to have seen “an unprecedented surge in the interest level amongst youth in this sector,” as the professional holy trinity of engineers, doctors and entrepreneurs participate in what appears to be a national reckoning; an enumeration that looks not at spreadsheets but souls, an appraisal of a country. For all of India’s leaps and bounds splashed in cashed-out, marigold-strewn glory across the front pages, the needs of many people who energize these leaps and bounds have not been answered. The basic systems their government has promised have been compromised or waylaid entirely. And the explosion of technology and ease of access to information has meant that young Indians have become the eyes and ears of the country, forming the collective conscience of the nation.

Neil Dantas, a 31-year old furniture designer, turned to graphic design to speak out against the tragedies and inequalities by which he was surrounded. Before the terrorist attack on Mumbai commuter trains in 2006, Mr. Dantas was “just a talker.” But following the brutal attacks which ravaged Mumbai, leaving 186 commuters dead, Dantas found himself colonized by a narrative of change that was sweeping the city. He created a design of train handles, with the words “we are still holding on,” underneath and made a t-shirt. The t-shirts were eagerly sought out by youth across the country. Seeking to both educate and inspire young Indians to examine social and political issues, Dantas has since made t-shirts of what he calls “indirect political statements,” addressing issues including safe sex, alcohol abuse and voter turnout. His most recent t-shirt combines the Hindu om symbol with the Muslim crescent moon, speaking to the country’s longstanding tension between many Hindu and Muslim communities.

As India flexes its economic and diplomatic muscles, elbowing its way forward on the global stage, there is another revolution taking place in people’s minds. The professional holy trinity is being undone, aspirations are gaining dimension and the promises of the Constitution are no longer regarded as distant dreams, but as questions, even, challenges. Compared to the energy bills, the trade partnerships, the multi-billion dollar business deals, it is a quieter revolution, but it seems, no less riotous.

source: thefastertimes

[depth of] friendship measurement model and the catagories of freindship among the youth in India

In a country where getting "own space" is very difficult (due to population, family, career...)the youth in India are developing 4 types of friends and "friend lists" (other than "real" face to face friends) to categorize the "priorities" and "ways of interaction":

1. Chat friends...some of the chat friends are very distant, they have not even met/ know the person...more of a virtual friendship where the face is replaced by codes, user-names, texts)

2. SNS (Facebook) friends... the friends are still virtual, but much closer, they r having "visual representation", day to day activities can be tracked, more "homely" and more "reliable"

3. Phonebook friends... close freinds who's "true identity" is known...represented by numbers...and much reliable

4. Blackberry chat friends.... micro circle of friends....same / similer AIOs... BB pin is shared, so very much reliable!

the real life friends are also interwoven in above 4 categories...one can be present in the phone book, Facebook page and BB chat list (so they can stay in more than one group at a time).

Among the "real life friends" their depth of friendship is determined on which list they are...whether he/ she is a BB chat "real life" friend (close/ best friends only) or the facebook "real life friend" ("ok" friends to "best" friends)...

Interestingly, the visuals are becoming more "general" (in this world of visuals, thrs no exclusivity in it) ...the voice is more "personal"...the emotions can be "felt" in voice than visuals.... everybody knows, today, the visuals can be "manipulated" by anybody (PHOTOSHOPIFICATION of the world, i call it).
Hence, visuals are becoming "secondary priority" in friendship "core group"

I have proposed below model to measure the "depth and intense" of friendships among the youth, which can be a good tool for the ethnographers and brands to find their focus groups/ promote/ building networks/ understanding activities...


you can mail me /chat/ call for further discussions...

(the discussion on this topic at my facebook page is added above...the "like"s shows how many youth in India are supporting this...)

"teen-i-fiction" of 30+!

In the surge of “youth”, the multitasking wonderful daring “never mind” digital generation of India, the 30+ generation is “aspiring” and “doing their best” to get back their “lost” teenage. The 30+ is a generation who struggled in their teenage to buld their career, satisfy their parent’s “dreams and aspirations” and to get “established”…and after having “almost everything” they understood that they have somehow missed “the fun” this liberalizations children (they, who is born during the liberalization of India’s foreign policy, in 90’s) is having today! The multi-options of entertainment…the multi-options of “putting opinions”…they are the one who has money to have fun, but the time is gone! So, they wants to “rewind” and have the fun they missed. In terms of fashion, lifestyle, luxury, kink, dare, attitude….at least in the weekends!

So, the global brands ("youth brands", specially) who’s targeting the youth segments to test their luck in India, must and should primarily focus to pamper this generation without shifting their focus on “being young...” (cause, if your brand looks “oldy” 30+ will not buy!)

Check this video: http://vimeo.com/16638983 , the gen X in west is what 30+ segment is in India…only, they were never being “pampered” by media and “choices”! and today they have "everything" but craves for being "teen" again...

so do the "teen-i-fiction" of 30+ to win them(fashion, gadgets, SNS and all those "oh so kids")!

youth(sub)cultures and youth in India

Whenever I meet a global "youth" brand for discussion over their plan-d-India, a “blunt” question is being asked : “Is there any “indigenous” subculture/ youth culture/ unique counter culture in India?”…I know, its easy to ride over the “flow” of youth culture to make it “cool” and this is how many brands succeeded in west…but fortunately/ unfortunately, in India, we don’t have any “indigenous” subculture/ style culture which is deeply rooted among youth (other than the superficial visual elements, which emerges as fads and vanishes faster...for example, appearing as “Goth” by wearing black without knowing what is gothism!)…

Any [youth]subculture, is a result of “revolution” against one or many social systems (punk, hippies, zooties, skinheads, hiphop…) and the expression of revolution are shown as “visual elements” through fashion/ style/ music/ literature/ attitude/ promotion of opinion among the like minded peer groups (across the intra or inter demography) …no subculture ever emerges to be “cool” but to be “authentic” and different from the “rest of craps”…finally, by the “conspiracy of system”, when an authentic youth subculture becomes “cool” among mass, the so called “loose crap tadpoles” (they, who r not rooted to a sub cultural belief, system, rules and regulations etc.) join in and finally sends a subculture into “hibernation”, hence ensuring a “visual death of the same”…. the brands immediately move to another subculture to make it “cool” to ride on that flow! That’s the basic system of “promotion” of “youth oriented products” around the world….this system somehow doesn’t work in India!

Lets discuss, what is India, what are the “values” of being youth in India…their priorities, preferences, “boundaries”…and how they break it to be unique.

(will be continued…)