A number of telecommunications-led initiatives in India are offering the country new ways to manage the coronavirus threat.
Operator Vodafone Idea, for example, has launched contactless mobile recharge facilities at retail outlets.
Vodafone Idea’s Smart Connect retailer app is now enabled with a voice-based recharge feature. The customer or the retailer reads out loud the ten-digit mobile number on the device. A Google voice-enabled feature will capture the command from a distance of up to ten feet.
The feature is available at all Vodafone Idea stores and multi-branded stores. The feature supports Hindi and English, but more languages are to be rolled out.
This follows India’s launch last month of the Aarogya Setu (Health Bridge) app – a Bluetooth and GPS-based application which alerts users who may have come into contact with people who later test positive for COVID-19.
A version of the app is now being rolled out for five million JioPhones, the low-cost internet-enabled devices sold by Reliance Industries. The app, which has now been downloaded by 100 million Indians, was initially available only on Android and Apple devices.
Following the large-scale take-up of Aarogya Setu, some companies are offering their own in-house apps modelled on the concept of self-declaration on health and contacts.
Indian news media name a number of companies that have launched such apps including Philips India, Hindustan Unilever, ITC, Cipla and HCL Tech. In many cases, daily updates are mandatory for employees.
These corporate apps are not linked to any external database and do not deploy location identification software. Thus, they do not perform independent contract tracing or location tracking of employees when they are not in the office. The Aarogya Setu app is already a mandatory download for all company employees.
