Mobile Phone Penetration in Northern India - The Effects On Small Scale Businesses

Abstract: In recent years mobile phones have become very popular in India, even among the poorer parts of the population. Our aim was to study how this has affected the small businesses. During the fall of 2007 we made 44 interviews with various businessmen in two states in northern India, Rajasthan and Orissa. During the study we found that the access to mobile phones had had altered the way business is handeled on many levels. The businessmen had gotten more customers, more time on their hands and they had changed they way they handeled supplies and suppliers. The ultimate effect of this was an increase in personal income.