The Silver Lining of the Sustainability Cloud | 94
Rural Kiosk: The Drishtee kiosk is a small, rural telecentre facility, usually equipped with a minimum of two computers, an Internet connection, and other basic IT equipment, such as a printer, a digital camera, and a backup battery (UPS). The kiosks are placed in rural villages, thus enabling the consumer to interact directly with the kiosk operator. There were over 2,200 kiosks operational in eight estates of India by the end of 2007, and the company was reportedly adding almost 1,000 kiosks annually into the overall network.
Value-added Services and Products: Many kiosks deliver traditional telecentre services, including basic computer education, computerbased English education, communication services, and photo printing.
There are about 12 value-added services and products designed and developed by Drishtee to be delivered through kiosks. They include education, health, communications, agriculture, and e-governance services. The company also provides micro-finance services for local enterprise development.
The range of value-added services offered at kiosks is subject to local demands. In places where Drishtee can successfully compete with the local market, kiosks sell agricultural products, such as seeds, pesticides, and fertilizers. In areas where access is remote, Drishtee enables kiosks to sell an assortment of products known to be of interest to its target clients, such as insurance packages (life, motor, and crop), mobile phones, mobile recharge vouchers, eyeglasses, and battery-powered lights.