We don’t need a digital East India Company

The world is getting digitalized fast. Commerce, education and entertainment are provided by companies far away from our country and so different from our culture.  Google, facebook, twitter, amazon are our household names and the activities of these companies are going to fine tune our economy, life and culture in the future.

This digital takeover of our life and economy by new age digital czars has gone into the irreversible levels. There is no going back.

On the other hand, civilization peers like China have already developed their own versions against Google and facebook. Putin’s Russia has termed internet as a CIA Project.

For facebok and Google, India is a market; a market of around 400 mn internet users. It is going to be the largest in near future pushing China and the US to second and third spots. Wining trust of India where these companies don’t face any local avatars is a life and death matter.

In the past also, India was a market place that attracted Vasco Da Gama and others. No other entity has influenced modern India as the East India Company.

East India Company is gone and now in the new age, it is the digital companies. We knew well that at one time we should face a debate over the new era of digital colonialisation. That debate is now triggered by none other than a board member of Facebook.

Facebook’s venture investor and shareholder,r Marc Andreessen has described TRAI’s no to free basics as an anti-colonial step.

 “Anti-colonialism has been economically catastrophic for the Indian people for decades. Why stop now?” – Mr Andreessen has tweeted.

The West is always like that – they tries to commercially utilize us and at the same time, they reveals that intentions sometimes.

Andreessen’s tweet is a hypnotic revelation and shows vulnerability of India that doesn’t have a digital company like FB; at the same time having one of the largest markets in the world. 

India is an open culture that accepts people and ideas from around the world. It doesn’t create a wall against the rest. At the same time our future generation should not give a penalty for having openness.

We, the government and society should be able to collectively develop and support digital platforms in major areas. This should be done without putting chains on the incoming entities like facebook; because we should remain open and Indian. Similarly, no tax avoidance by digital MNCs, and have an eye on them as well. We don’t want one more East India Company. No battle of Palssey; otherwise a treacherous general like Clive will possess the pen to write history.