The IT department will oversee the project which will be handled by Infrastructure Leasing and Financial Services (IL&FS), appointed as the National Level Service Agency (NLSA). After four years, the project will be handed over to a Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) — a company formed for day-to-day monitoring of the CSCs — much like the Noida toll bridge model, also executed by IL&FS. At the lowest level, the village entrepreneur or franchisee will operate for a cluster of 5-6 villages.

The IL&FS, however, is not taking chances. At its disposal are tested ideas that have brought IT solutions to problems faced in some of India’s most remote villages, ranging from touch screens for mothers-to-be in Andhra Pradesh to identity cards to replace arbitrary documents in Tamil Nadu to putting Kolhapuri chappals online to reach out to a global market. And from the struggler who put together a portal for students to an entrepreneur who began an AIDS helpline on her landline or the man who began a radio station in his backyard, they have all won the Manthan awards from the Digital Empowerment Foundation for their e-initiatives at the grassroots.

IL&FS is looking at integrating some of these ideas at the kiosks in the various states, depending on the requirements. For instance, the firm will ensure that studentindia.com runs in the local language in every centre. So far, DEF has got 100 letters of intent to partner for providing these services.

“Apart from the normal content, we will be focusing on reverse content — something that will help sell what the village manufactures or produce,” said Osama Manzar of DEF. “There is enough dynamism in the telecom sector. We know a solution would be found,” says Aruna Sundarajan, CEO for the CSC project. “The problem is electricity,” she says. “We are working with TERI on solar panels for these areas and low-energy consuming PCs.”

... contd.