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Business News/ Specials / Mbillionth Awards/  Rewarding mobile-based innovations
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Rewarding mobile-based innovations

From banking to health management, here's a look at some of the winners of mBillionth AwardsSouthAsia2014

Nishesh Mehta, co-founder and vice-president, NextDrop, which provides information on water supply in select parts of Karnataka via automated calls and text messages. Photo: Ramesh Pathania/ MintPremium
Nishesh Mehta, co-founder and vice-president, NextDrop, which provides information on water supply in select parts of Karnataka via automated calls and text messages. Photo: Ramesh Pathania/ Mint

New Delhi: Winners of mBillionth Awards South Asia 2014 for promoting innovations in the field of information and communication technology for development were announced in New Delhi on Friday. The awards, which recognize innovations in mobile applications and service delivery, were spread over 10 categories—agriculture and ecology, business and commerce and banking, culture and heritage, education and learning, entertainment, governance, health, inclusion, travel and tourism, and women and children. There were 24 winners and 11 runners-up this year, apart from six special mentions and two chairman’s winners. Here’s a look at some of the achievers:

Product: Swosti Mobile Credit Card

Category: m-business and commerce/banking

Provider: Swosti Ltd

The Swosti Mobile Credit Card is a mobile phone-based virtual credit card to withdraw emergency cash, targeting those with low incomes or no fixed incomes in Bangladesh. It was launched last year for members of micro-finance institutions (MFIs) as an automated, instant credit and savings management system. The system is based on three pillars: Swosti provides the platform, non-governmental organization Dushtha Shasthya Kendra (DSK) makes the loan and Dutch Bangla Bank provides mobile banking services. It can be accessed by registered users through an Android mobile app. Cash withdrawals and repayments happen at DSK and Dutch Bangla Bank branches. The app also provides auto-alerts to members to ensure timely repayment of loan.

“We wanted to provide comfort to the unbanked low-income people in case of emergency credit. They used to go to the nearest money lender to take money at a very high rate of interest. We are a replacement for that system," explains A.I. Muqsit, chief executive officer (CEO), Swosti Ltd. The company currently serves 1,000 members in Bangladesh and has disbursed 10 million takas so far.

Product: Rural health management information system

Category: m-health

Provider: Media Lab Asia

Media Lab Asia unveiled its rural health management application in 2009 to empower field health workers with mobile-based data collection. The app helps them efficiently collect data during regular visits, enhances accuracy of data, minimizes redundant entries and provides reliable storage. Currently, 120 healthcare workers use it in Kerala’s Malappuram district covering 7.2 lakh people. Users have to check boxes on screens rather than type in data. The app stores data on child health, ante-natal care, family planning and communicable diseases, among others. The information is stored in a centralized server, where it is monitored and analysed.

Product: Public health supply chain management

Category: m-health

Provider: Logistimo

The rural health system is heavily dependent on supply chain management for timely delivery of essential items. Medicines and supplies must be available at the right place and at the right time. “With the help of cloud and mobile, we optimize the rural health care supply chains," says Arun Ramanujapuram, chief technology officer at Logistimo India Pvt. Ltd.

It is currently in use in Karnataka, Uttar Pradesh, Meghalaya, Arunachal Pradesh, Tamil Nadu and Bihar. The company is working to provide more features which will monitor the quality of products and workforce.

Product: NextDrop

Category: m-governance

Provider: NextDrop

NextDrop provides information on water supply in select parts of Karnataka via automated calls and text messages. Launched in September, it also provides information to water utility engineers through a web-based dashboard. “This information is provided 30 minutes before scheduled water supply to subscribers. They have to give a missed call to 77955590931 to subscribe to the service," explains Nishesh Mehta, co-founder and vice-president, NextDrop. The service is charged at 10 a month.

It currently has 1,75,000 subscribers. NextDrop plans to start services in Delhi and Chennai in the near future and five more cities in two years.

Product: Mobile apps for farmers

Category: m-agriculture and Ecology

Provider: Jayalaxmi Agro Tech

Jayalaxmi Agro Tech has a suite of 30 mobile applications for farmers, offering information on subjects related to agriculture and animal husbandry. They help farmers with crop-specific information on varieties, planting, protection, irrigation, fertilizers, nutrition deficiency, diseases and pests and more. These are Android-based applications, which work offline as well. “We use mobility, analytics and clouds and give that power into the hands of the farmer," says Anand Babu C., founder, Jayalaxmi Agro Tech.

Product: Bhasha Helakuru

Category: m-Inclusion

Provide: Bhasha Lanka (Pvt) Ltd

There is a large Sinhala-speaking population across Sri Lanka and other parts of the world. With its large number of characters, the Sinhala script is not compatible with smaller mobile phone keyboards. Bhasha Helakuru is a transliteration app to type Sinhala characters on Android phones. It was launched in 2011 and can be used for messaging, Gmail, Facebook and more. “We wanted to develop an app that will help people benefit from ICT solutions, especially for the needy sections of society," explains Dhanika Perera, founder and CEO, Bhasha Lanka.

Product: Sipsala

Category: m-education and learning

Provider: Techsurge Innovations

With children spending more time with mobile phones, introducing text books on mobile phones could be a fun way to teach and learn. Sipsala is a mobile education application suite for primary and secondary education in Sri Lanka, hosting text books from all subjects for grades 1 to 11. It is available in Sinhala, Tamil and English, the three popular languages of Sri Lanka. There is no need for a live Internet connection, since the app work offline.

Currently, it is in use in five government schools in Sri Lanka and the company is looking to enter more partnerships. Though the app is free for now, it hopes to earn revenues later through in-app advertising.

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Published: 20 Jul 2014, 09:02 PM IST
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