The Hindu Business Line : Why GPS gadgets are yet to find their way

Bangalore, July 13 “Turn right,” she said. Mr Abraham Thomas looked at the one-way sign and continued forward. “Kindly take the next right,” she admonished. But the road swung left as there was a diversion. She quickly recalculated and said, “At the circle, turn around.”

He cranked the window down and asked a cyclist where the theatre stood. The correct route would’ve been a left and the new underground pass, he said. Mr Thomas sighed as he turned her off. She was the voice of his brand new GPS unit, which has just turned into a total worthless gadget.

Satellite navigation

With a global positioning system receiver, you can determine your location using a network of satellites (hence GPS has the alias of satnav/satellite navigation). Using digital maps on such receivers, you can then use this information for a variety of applications – be it search, route calculation, pinpointing your friend’s location or finding directions.

GPS vendors and smartphone makers such as Garmin (Nuvi), Nokia (N95) and Hewlett-Packard (iPAQ 6965) attempting to get traction in the Indian market are challenged by the uniqueness and large scale of the subcontinent – temporary motorable pathways, changing landscapes, burgeoning cities and absence of digitised information.

“Here in India, you don’t need a navigational device. In other countries, one wrong turn will mean a huge waste of time. But India’s road infrastructure is still shifting,” said Mr Rajiev Grover, Director-Consumer Products, Personal Systems Group, HP India.

He estimates that only a thousand GPS-enabled gadgets (including mobiles) are being sold per month in the country. The cost of these devices has reduced over the past year from Rs 30,000-Rs 50,000 price band down to Rs 10,000-Rs 30,000. Yet, takers are far and few between. “Why would you invest in such a device when you can lean out and ask someone for directions?” is the question being asked by industry experts and users alike.

“GPS as a navigational tool is good for the highways and the countryside or for trekking. But for city roads, unless you are in Chandigarh, it’s going to be slightly difficult,” accepted Mapunity co-founder Mr Pradeep BV.

The usefulness of maps in a city where one-ways are set up and new roads are created overnight is debatable. Digital maps for cities cost Rs 2,000-Rs 6,000 and are sold by the device vendors. However, these are updated only once a year. “Upgrading is an expensive proposition,” said Mr Grover.

“GPS may not work, but driving directions have an immediate market. Software or a Web site that will offer succinct directions for in-city driving will aid motorists,” said Mr Rohit Agarwal, who is on the board of Routeguru.com, which gives directions “the old way” – with landmarks and tips.

"The ecosystem around GPS gadgets - maps and value added services - is yet in its infancy in India. In the next two quarters, we expect to see this increasing," said Mr Grover.

Language is another limitation. Pre-recorded audio for driving directions in Hindi/ Tamil could be useful. However, none of the devices have it. Expats, travel enthusiasts and international business travelers currently use GPS devices in India. For these early adopters, devices continue to trickle in. Nokia launched the N95, a GPS enabled mobile. HP plans to launch three more GPS-enabled PDAs in September.

Mapunity offers traffic information online. These firms will be able to leverage GPS and could even spark off sales of GPS gadgets once mature.

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