There is tremendous value in vernacular audiences and also at the bottom of the pyramid. Dailyhunt’s latest fund raise and elevation to unicorn status is an affirmation of this. This segment of India has rising aspirations, is connected, and is hellbent on not being sidelined any more. The trick is to understand this audience and develop unique products for them; and importantly, not patronize them.

VerSe, which runs the very popular Dailyhunt platform for content in 15 local Indian languages and boasts of 250 million odd visitors a month, has become the latest unicorn (See Here). This is significant because this re-affirms the value that companies, and investors alike are ascribing to the vernacular audience. This is an encouraging trend, because much good can be done for these audiences using the power of content, media, and storytelling. One of the burning questions that this content-based approach can answer has immense social and commercial ramifications. How do you inform, engage and enable more than a billion Indians to realize their potential? How can you drive not only economic goals, but also social goals like gender equality at scale?

Economically, India has multiple tiers. The top-tier has an average income resembling that of a middle-income country, and in some pockets, rivalling Western Europe. However, this is not the India we are going to concern ourselves with. The bottom tiers, which make up more than 90% of the population, are much more central to our focus. This nearly 1.2 billion population lives on an average of $1,500-1,800 a year, and in many cases, much lesser. They have hopes, ambitions, latent skills, desire to learn, and most important, they now have the connectivity. What they don’t have is guidance, context, relatable role models, and the right products to help them succeed. Products that can drive real-world, foundational outcomes like jobs, health, safety, equality, etc. while also engaging the audience, scaling their offerings, and monetizing their efforts with an eye on long-term social & commercial success.

Why is this necessary? The requirements and incentives of a vast majority of economically & socially disadvantaged folks is different from you and me who are reading and writing about it. For most of them, the incentives are aligned to their short-term needs, which typically revolve around income, food, clothing, etc. Therefore, the decisions that they take are equally motivated – the trade-offs are usually skewed towards short-term financial gains in lieu of another year of schooling, or settling for much lower pays in blue-collar jobs despite having the qualification because of lack of grooming, or lack of female representation in the organized workforce because of societal norms. This is, in part, exacerbated by the fact there is little familial support by way of an older relative showing the way forward, and in part, by the fact that the youth in these communities are often the first generation attending higher secondary schools and even colleges, and there is immense pressure on them to achieve quick return on their educational investments. This traps them in a negative feedback loop that prohibits youth from venturing outside the narrow worldview defined for them by parents/close society.

Today, our population has the data-pipe with very little value-added content in the regional languages, with a few exceptions of course. It is a complete mistake to assume that this segment is looking for only cheap entertainment. What they are looking for is information that will directly, and without any frills, lead to better lives on a day-to-day basis. For them, information regarding skill upgradation, financial literacy, healthcare, small business transactions, etc. form the core of their needs. This is followed by their rights as citizens and ways for them to access state welfare and protect their individual rights.

How does one solve this? Like in any impact-oriented area, it is necessary to show quick and visible change. Given the size of the problem, it is unlikely that visible change by unlocking of potential and mass upliftment of livelihoods can be chased as practical outcomes in the short-term. Using the power of tech, vastly improved reach of internet (almost 750 million & counting), and local languages, one can create very visible and tangible call-to-action by presenting stories of change experienced by others like them. Because hope and aspiration are powerful emotions and when tied in with a coherent strategy, it can work wonders.

Ok, so give hope and then what? There are many models for education – both traditional and tech-led. Similarly, there are a lot of job-search websites. However, what seems to be missing is a lifecycle approach that can act as your guide and mentor through some crucial years of life. One that can motivate you, inform you about your choices, help you develop necessary skills, provide the assurance of ongoing mentorship, and, ultimately, help you move ahead in career or land a job that is a definite step up from what one would otherwise have achieved. Peg on to this a tech layer that ensures their digital identity, helps with financial inclusion, provides healthcare subsidies, etc.

The same could also manifest in a form of vernacular social media, which acts as a community where members are part of different interest groups, seeking information, exchanging favors, receiving legal & financial help, learning how to set up new businesses, transacting within & outside the community, etc. Such platforms could either be open for all, or be gender based, or profession-based, or simply for people to express themselves in an impactful way. Of these, gender-based safe spaces are important because less than 30% of India's internet users are women, and largely refrain due to either societal issues or fear of trolling. That needs to change.

A massive opportunity is present for aspiring Indian startups to create platforms for solving specific content needs of this vernacular and till now unaddressed user base – and one, that is turning out to be a viable commercial segment as well. For example, Vokal, an Indian language question-answer platform for regional users and those who are not conversant in English. Or even Josh Talks/Josh Skills for upskilling underprivileged youth, or Stage that is aggregating local talent for entertainment & information, or Sheroes that is creating a safe community for millions of women to empower themselves via interaction & commerce.

Yes, form factors will change. Yesterday it was primarily text, today it is videos and voice dominated, tomorrow it might be hologram-led virtual interactions… who knows? But the fact is that there is a need for homegrown social community led platforms that can avoid the trap of low-quality, sensationalistic entertainment, and trudge the long journey of creating change – it can truly unlock of a lot of commercial & economic value.