Gram-Vaani is a novel concept, kudos to the Aaditeshwar and the team for coming up with this innovative project! We are now talking of a world in which every village is connected to the information highway using cheap computers as radio transmitters. So villagers would have access to news and views from all over the world. They could also use it to get their voice heard and have a say in issues that affect them.

Well it got me thinking as to how one could leverage that for economic gains, piggybacking on the concept. The possibilities are endless. An idea that a friend and I have had for some time and which seems to fit in perfectly was to connect with rural artisans using the radio as a medium and enable them to sell their products in the world market. Our country is full of skilled artisans who create the most brilliant handicrafts. Traditionally these craftsmen are dependent on suppliers and exporters to take their products to the world outside while they have to be satisfied with a paltry sum.

With the advent of community radio all that is set to change. Using advertisements on the radio we could garner such artisans and enable them to connect with the world market. We just need enthusiastic people to play the role of facilitators in this process. In fact, any one of us could be these facilitators. In today’s age most of us travel abroad for work and in the process we also establish some personal connections with people around the world. As a starting point we could use these contacts to tap the world markets and understand what kind of products the customers may be looking for. Next we could communicate these ideas to the artisans who have the requisite skills. Thus the buyer and seller can be connected with the minimum go betweens and its a win-win situation for both. The concept of Fair Trade has already caught up in the Western world and people are willing to go the extra mile to buy these products. Our aim should be to provide the kind of products that serves the needs of people, catches their fancy and not something people buy out of charity because that kind of a business model would not be able to sustain for long.

Of course a lot of groundwork needs to be done before this idea can become a reality. But this can definitely can be a tool to economically empower villagers. We could be on the verge of another community success story like Amul!