Of course. Building a computer and a "Facebook" in the early 2000s in India is a fantastic direction, but it must be done with
The success of the "Bharat Connect" feature phone validated Harsh's strategy of building bridges, not leaping chasms. As 2001 ended, he convened his council to outline the next logical frontiers, each chosen to leverage their strengths while navigating the tight constraints of global patents and existing technology.
1. Project "Bharat PC": The Indian Computer
Harsh knew they couldn't compete with Dell or HP head-on in the global PC market.The patent thicket around the x86 architecture was impenetrable. Instead, he defined a specific, massive, and underserved market: the first-time Indian computer user.
"Deepak," Harsh began, "We are not building a computer for the world. We are building a computer for India."
The plan for the "Bharat PC" was a masterpiece of focused engineering and legal circumvention:
· The Hardware: They would use a RISC (Reduced Instruction Set Computer) architecture, similar to what powered the "Sanskrit-2." This was a different path from the dominant x86 (Intel/AMD) and avoided direct patent infringement. The performance would be lower for high-end tasks, but perfectly adequate for word processing, educational software, and web browsing. They would partner with a Taiwanese fab to manufacture the chips.
· The Software: They would use a heavily customized, user-friendly version of Linux. This free, open-source operating system was a legal safe haven, allowing them to avoid the cost and control of Microsoft Windows. The "IndOS" team would create a simple, icon-driven desktop environment named "Bharat Desktop," pre-loaded with Indian language support and essential software.
· The Market: The price point was the killer feature. By avoiding Intel and Microsoft licensing fees, they could target a price of ₹20,000 ($400), making it half the cost of the cheapest international PCs. The primary sales channels would be government contracts for schools and the "Bharat Mega-Stores."
It was a classic Harsh Patel move: see a weakness in the giants' armor (their high cost and complexity for the mass market) and strike there with a tailored solution.
2. Project "Samanvay" (Connection): The Indian Social Network
The idea for an Indian"Facebook" was presented by a young, brilliant product manager from the "IndOS" team. He had seen the rise of early social networks like Friendster and SixDegrees.com.
"Harsh Sir," the young man said, "these sites are for connecting with friends. But in India, connection is about more than friends. It is about family, about community, about your baraat (wedding procession), your housing society, your college alumni. We can build something deeper."
Harsh was intrigued. This wasn't about copying; it was about culturally contextualizing.
The blueprint for "Samanvay" was laid out:
· The Core Difference: Instead of a single "friend" connection, "Samanvay" would have multiple connection types: Family, Friend, Colleague, Community Member. This reflected the complex, multi-layered social fabric of India.
· The Killer Feature: "The Group." The platform would be built around private and public groups from day one—for housing societies, college batches, extended families planning reunions, and small businesses. This was something no Western platform focused on initially.
· The Tech Stack: It would be a web-based platform, built on open-source LAMP (Linux, Apache, MySQL, PHP) stack, avoiding proprietary software costs. It would be lightweight to run on the low bandwidth of early 2000s India.
· The Launch Pad: It would be heavily integrated with the "Bharat PC" and the "Bharat Connect" phone (via a simple WAP site), creating an instant user base from their own ecosystem.
Harsh approved both projects. The "Bharat PC" was a defensive move to create a digital moat for the next generation of Indian users. "Samanvay" was an offensive move to define the future of Indian social interaction before a global giant could colonize the space.
He looked at his team. They were no longer just building products; they were building the foundational layers of India's digital society—the hardware, the software, and now, the social fabric that would connect it all. The empire was evolving from an industrial conglomerate into the architect of a nation's digital destiny. The battles would be hard, fought over patents, market share, and user attention, but for the first time, they were fighting on a battlefield of their own choosing.