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Chetan Kulkarni is convinced he could have ended up broke or single at the end of his two-year graduation program in the US, if it weren't for Internet telephony.
Kulkarni, whose girlfriend was back in his hometown, Pune, while he was getting his master's degree from Washington D.C., often used Yahoo! Talk to chat up his lady love for free.
With thousands of Indians heading to foreign shores for work or education each year, Internet telephony is one of the best ways to cut down on your bills at the end of each month. But it's not the only tech tip worth knowing. A few simple tricks can get you deep savings on your technology bills.
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Both Google and Yahoo! enable Internet users to talk for free--all you need is a headset and a microphone installed in your computer. Skype, which lets you talk for free and use Short Message Service to contact your folks abroad at reduced rates, is another popular option worth considering.
And if you'd rather dial a phone line, there's still no reason to pay through the nose. Cyber cafes provide Internet phone services at less than half the cost of a regular long distance call.
Even if you don't have the Internet on a computer at home, you can save plenty of money because it's dirt cheap to surf at cyber cafes, which charge an average of Rs 20 per hour (45 cents). The Internet and Mobile Association of India estimates that there are only 2.9 million Internet subscribers in India--as opposed to about 29 million regular Net users--which means that the majority of the country's users surf from cyber cafes.
It may also be a good idea to invest in multiple phone services if you travel a lot. Operators like Reliance and state-run Mahanagar Telephone Nigam Ltd have inexpensive roaming deals. And if you stay in one place but talk to people across the country, popular providers like Hutch and Airtel have plans that cut the cost of national calls and text messages for slightly higher monthly rentals.
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While choosing a phone service, it's a good idea to not get locked into any plan for too long, feels New Delhi-based engineer Jacob James. "Don't plan too far into the future. Facilities and prices are very dynamic, so keep your options open," he says.
If you want to invest in a computer, it's a good idea to buy the accessories separately, so you can save. And if you're cash-strapped, don't shun second-hand accessories, like printers, speakers and fax machines. You can get a good device for a lot less that way.
James says it can work out cheaper to get all your services--phone, Internet and cable--from one provider. MTNL provides such a package and has strong network coverage across India.
If you need immediate access to the Internet while traveling, a wireless card is a good investment--you can log on from anywhere, and though the speed is usually slower than the average broadband, it's an effective way of getting work done. Finance and legal companies already provide their employees with such cards offered by Reliance and Airtel.
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Users Forbes.com spoke with say Reliance, whose wireless card is cheaper than Airtel's, has better domestic coverage.
But if all you need to do is keep checking e-mail and the headlines, several cell service providers offer the Internet on your mobile phone.
If you're a cable TV junkie, switching to conditional access, even if it hasn't been made compulsory in your city yet, is a good idea. Though you'd have to pay between Rs 1,500 ($34.00) and Rs 3,000 ($68.01) initially to get a set top box or dish antenna, after the initial investment you can choose from around 100 channels for about the monthly rental your local cable operator charges. And the picture quality is way better. Tata and Hathway both have these services.
And like with most things in India, it doesn't hurt to bargain. Whether that's while buying second-hand computer accessories or picking up a phone from your mobile service provider, ask them how they can match the competition and they're likely to find a way.
Finally, enjoy the low prices while they last. Mobile, television and the Internet in India are relatively inexpensive. They won't be forever.