Many villages in India remain beyond the ambit of connectivity simply because erecting a big telecom tower isn’t sustainable in terms of costs and returns. The idea that this void can be filled through a network akin to Dharamshala — low-cost, environmental-friendly and durable —- has spawned interest in other parts of India, Sri Lanka, Pakistan and Africa. Even the big telecom operators are evincing interest.

Buoyed by the response, Ginguld says next on the cards is an Air Jaldi Network Academy, offering an array of courses. The academy has already been given accreditation by Cisco systems. Ask him why they chose India, and Ginguld says: “We started here because we love India and knew that if the model is successful in India it can be reapplied anywhere else.” There is another reason, he agrees. “The common factor (between the Tibetans and Israelis),” Ginguld says, “is perhaps our existential angst.”