An eye on India

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By Dwain Duxson

An eye on India - Our web developer has been in India for 3 months with his family, on a bit of a working holiday. He is originally from there but has been living in Australia for the past 9 years. 

I was speaking to him yesterday, and he is saying he might now base himself in India again and come back to Australia once a quarter. Interestingly he said the cost of essentials has decreased by 50% over the last little while. He said you can get basic groceries that can last a week for $10, internet is unlimited for $10 a month, a mobile plan is $4 a month, and Netflix is the same. These are Aussie dollar equivalents. He was shocked at how cheap it was to live, and the lifestyle is getting better.

But it was the education system that blew him away. They now actually teach kids some real-life skills, unlike we do here. He said their system is far superior to ours now, and he wants his kids to take advantage of that. He also said Ag and Ag Tech is growing off a low base.

Cheap prices for essentials are fine, but the people down the line have to make a quid to put food on their table. When making a profit, margin is the driver. If your market is small, we need a strong margin because we are not serving many. Or, you can make a smaller margin, but you have to serve in volume to make a decent fist of it. I guess in India, the most populated country in the world, the latter applies. Let's keep an eye on India....

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