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MIT Labs Asia to bridge digital divide in 1000 villages

NetScribes/Abhijit Basu

The ministry of information technology is planning to adopt the Massachusetts Institute of Technology's (MIT) 'Digital Nations' mantra for the proposed MIT Media Labs Asia to be set up in the country. To start with, the lab will 'adopt' 1,000 villages across the country, and develop customised solutions for them, making it an integral part of the rural computing initiative.

A number of Indian corporates like ICICI, HDFC, Infosys Technologies and Tata Consultancy Services have evinced interest in this project. Also, the Karnataka and Tamil Nadu state governments are understood to have evinced interest. Membership to the project would cost between $250,000 and $750,000 for five years, and in return, the members stand to benefit from MIT's global resources, partnerships and development expertise.

Digital Nations is a new research consortium from MIT Labs targeted at development of effective computing solutions for less developed and poorer nations across the planet. MIT Labs' collaborator in the consortium is Harvard University's Center for International Development.

Educational initiatives are also a part of the deal. The consortium is establishing a worldwide network of organisations working towards this cause and has already formed collaborations with companies in Costa Rica and Thailand. The lab researchers are expected to work closely with local groups to develop and research suitable learning models for the rural areas.

Also on the agenda are technology solutions for healthcare, learning, government services, and soil & environmental testing. For healthcare, the consortium aims to provide software, technical designs and health systems.

After months of uncertainty about project funding, the ministry is expected to finalise the deal by the end of January and a formal announcement about the MIT Media Labs Asia is expected by February. China is now out of the race to host a lab and the Indian chapter will be formally christened MIT Labs Asia, instead of the earlier-planned MIT Labs India.

MIT Labs, its global corporate sponsors and the Government of India are jointly funding the $1-billion MIT Media Labs Asia project.

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