Knowledge Transfer: Putting Knowledge in Practice to improve Business Performance through...

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Dolly Bhasin about 4400 words D-251, Ashok Vihar, Phase I Delhi, 110052 91-011- 47591321 [email protected] Knowledge Transfer: Putting Knowledge in Practice to improve Business Performance through Information and Communications Technologies (ICT) in South Africa Abstract: In this paper, I would discuss the knowledge transfer mechanisms using ICT to improve the innovation, competitiveness, collaboration and effectiveness of strategic initiatives to forge ties between South Africa and India. In today’s global world, creating knowledge for turning them into new products and services is crucial to maintain and enhance the competitiveness. While enough research has been done on Knowledge transfer in the Manufacturing sector, knowledge transfer in services sector has not been well explored. Collaboration between researchers and industry amongst India and South Africa will be explored through case studies in Elearning, Telemedicine and Book Publishing. The paper would try to highlight how we can create ‘single continuum for knowledge’ by developing platforms where the South African community and Indian Businesses can work and innovate together to create information exchange in a systematic way to improve the business performance, especially in the service delivery. Keywords: Knowledge transfer, skills, competence, learning, ICT, Information, knowledge, value add, collaboration, dissemination, competitiveness, strategy, business, Africa, India, services Author: Dolly Bhasin is the Managing Director of a knowledge enterprise, SPH Consultancy & eServices Pvt. Ltd. She is a Gold medalist Electronics and Communications Engineer with specializations in Sales and Marketing and Business Administration (Singapore). She also holds a Masters in Travel and Tourism from Univ. of Nottingham. As an innovator, she has developed many award winning Knowledge platforms for e-education and SMEs. A USABF awardee, her work is well acknowledged in the global SME network.

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In this paper, I would discuss the knowledge transfer mechanisms using ICT to improve the innovation, competitiveness, collaboration and effectiveness of strategic initiatives to forge ties between South Africa and India. In today’s global world, creating knowledge for turning them into new products and services is crucial to maintain and enhance the competitiveness. While enough research has been done on Knowledge transfer in the Manufacturing sector, knowledge transfer in services sector has not been well explored. Collaboration between researchers and industry amongst India and South Africa will be explored through case studies in Elearning, Telemedicine and Book Publishing. The paper would try to highlight how we can create ‘single continuum for knowledge’ by developing platforms where the South African community and Indian Businesses can work and innovate together to create information exchange in a systematic way to improve the business performance, especially in the service delivery.

Transcript of Knowledge Transfer: Putting Knowledge in Practice to improve Business Performance through...

Page 1: Knowledge Transfer: Putting Knowledge in Practice to improve Business Performance through Information and Communications Technologies (ICT) in South Africa

Dolly Bhasin about 4400 words D-251, Ashok Vihar, Phase I Delhi, 110052 91-011- 47591321 [email protected]

Knowledge Transfer: Putting Knowledge in Practice to improve Business Performance through Information and Communications Technologies (ICT) in South Africa

Abstract:

In this paper, I would discuss the knowledge transfer mechanisms using ICT to improve the

innovation, competitiveness, collaboration and effectiveness of strategic initiatives to forge ties

between South Africa and India.

In today’s global world, creating knowledge for turning them into new products and services is crucial to

maintain and enhance the competitiveness. While enough research has been done on Knowledge

transfer in the Manufacturing sector, knowledge transfer in services sector has not been well explored.

Collaboration between researchers and industry amongst India and South Africa will be explored

through case studies in Elearning, Telemedicine and Book Publishing. The paper would try to highlight

how we can create ‘single continuum for knowledge’ by developing platforms where the South African

community and Indian Businesses can work and innovate together to create information exchange in a

systematic way to improve the business performance, especially in the service delivery.

Keywords: Knowledge transfer, skills, competence, learning, ICT, Information, knowledge, value add, collaboration,

dissemination, competitiveness, strategy, business, Africa, India, services

Author: Dolly Bhasin is the Managing Director of a knowledge enterprise, SPH Consultancy & eServices Pvt. Ltd. She is a Gold medalist Electronics and Communications Engineer with specializations in Sales and Marketing and Business Administration (Singapore). She also holds a Masters in Travel and Tourism from Univ. of Nottingham. As an innovator, she has developed many award winning Knowledge platforms for e-education and SMEs. A USABF awardee, her work is well acknowledged in the global SME network.

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Introduction

In today’s global world, creating knowledge for turning them into new products and services is crucial to

maintain and enhance the competitiveness. While enough research has been done on knowledge

transfer approaches and impact in the Manufacturing sector, knowledge transfer in services sector has

not been well explored. In the developing and the underdeveloped countries, services constitute a

major constituent to the economy, in Ghana it accounted for 49.3 per cent of GDP in 20121 and in South

Africa it is as high as 69%2.

India's services sector contributes to about 60 per cent of the country’s gross domestic product (GDP),

35 per cent of employment, a quarter of the total trade, and over half of the foreign investment

inflows3.

In this paper I would delve upon how to use Knowledge intensive services to aid the knowledge transfer

and facilitate service delivery seamlessly across continents between India and Africa using ICT.

Collaboration between researchers and industry amongst India and South Africa will be explored

through case studies in Elearning, Telemedicine, Telecom and Book Publishing. The paper tries to

highlight how we can create ‘single continuum for knowledge’ by developing platforms where the South

African community and Indian Businesses can work and innovate together to create information

exchange in a systematic way to improve the business performance, especially in the service delivery.

1 Modern Ghana, www.modernghana.com

2 CIA, https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/fields/2012.html

3 IBEF, http://www.ibef.org/industry/services.aspx

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The Need

The need for examining the role of knowledge transfer using knowledge intensive services (aided by ICT)

for Healthcare and Education is quite evident from the following facts:

The State of Healthcare in Africa needs World Attention

Africa is home to major endemic diseases. Bacteria and parasites carried by insects, the movement of

people and other carriers thrive, favoured as they are by weak environmental policies and poor living

conditions. One of the major impediments facing African development efforts is the widespread

incidence of communicable diseases, in particular HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria. Unless these

epidemics are brought under control, real gains in human development will remain an impossible hope.

In the health sector, Africa compares very poorly with the rest of the world. In 1997, child and juvenile

death rates were 105 and 169 per 1000, as against 6 and 7 per 1000 respectively in developed countries.

Life expectancy is 48.9 years, as against 77.7 years in developed countries. Only 16 doctors are available

per 100 000 inhabitants, as against 253 in industrialized countries. Poverty, reflected in very low per

capita incomes, is one of the major factors limiting the populations’ capacity to address their health

problems.

Nutrition is an important ingredient of good health. The average daily intake of calories varies from 2384

in low-income countries to 2846 in middle-income countries, to 3390 in countries of the Organisation

for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD).

Health, defined by the WHO “is a state of complete physical and mental well-being, contributes to

increase in productivity and, consequently, to economic growth”.

The most obvious effects of health improvement on the working population are the reduction in lost

working days due to sick leave, the increase in productivity and the chance to secure better-paid jobs.

Eventually, improvement in health and nutrition directly contributes to improved well-being as the

spread of diseases is controlled, infant mortality rates are reduced and life expectancy is higher. The link

with poverty reduction is clearly established.

Source: The New Partnership for Africaís Development (NEPAD) Report, 20014

4 NEPAD, “The New Partnership For Africaís Development (NEPAD) Report”, 2001,

http://www1.umn.edu/humanrts/instree/nepad.html, accessed January 10, 2014.

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Quality Education Key to Human and Economic Development

A 2007 World Bank policy research paper by Eric A. Hanushek and Ludger Wößmann explored the link

between educational quality and economic growth. According to their analysis, policies that aim to

improve education systems in developing nations have significant economic returns. The finding

indicates that long-term reforms to education will substantially increase GDP compared to countries

that make no changes. Additionally, the research establishes that quality of education has more

implications on economic growth than merely increasing the quantity of schooling. The report also

suggests several broad policy initiatives that help students acquire cognitive skills and increase teaching

quality.

Source: The Effect of Education on Brazil’s Economic Development5

The Knowledge Transfer Enablers

While, I examine these two challenges, I would also examine The Enablers of Telecom Technology and

the Pan Africa eNetwork which have played quite a significant role in the last few years in African

countries. Below is a snapshot of Telecom development in Africa and the kind of improvements which

are visible in Ghana. PAN Africa eNetwork, is a network established by India for Africa under the able

stewardship of the then Prez Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam.

Telecom Infrastructure in Africa

Infrastructure in Africa has increased over the past years, in spite of the challenges of low population

density, low incomes and large rural populations. The mobile penetration in African countries has

surpassed 600 million subscribers in 2011 and continues to grow at a very fast pace. Despite Africa

lagging in ICT usage with an estimated 250 million Internet users, between 2000 and 2011 the growth of

Internet usage exceeds a whopping 2,000 per cent.

5 Lindsay Sandoval, “The Effect of Education on Brazil’s Economic Development”, Global Majority E-Journal, Vol. 3,

No. 1, (June 2012), pp. 4-19

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Africa is experiencing a unique phenomenon of rapid increase and usage of Internet on the mobile

phones.

(Source: Africa on the Move – Investment in ICT is Catalyzing Economic Growth6)

PAN AFRICAN e-NETWORK

Providing the adequate educational facilities and affordable healthcare to citizens are two prominent

concerns of many developing countries. Technological improvements, in terms of communication

infrastructure for delivering quality education & healthcare uniformly, across length and breadth of the

country, are a key factor in the progress of any country. Efforts in delivering education and healthcare

from resourceful urban areas/developed countries to inaccessible remote/rural areas have yielded

fruitful results in terms of access to the quality services in time and cost effective manner.

Inspired by recent advances in the provision of healthcare and medical education through the use of

information and communication technology, nothing India’s long history of assisting in capacity building

6 Dr. Pradeep K. Mukherji and Gurmeet Singh Chopra, "Africa on the Move – Investment in ICT is Catalyzing

Economic Growth" GlobalServices, May 16, 2013, http://www.globalservicesmedia.com/global-

ervices/analysis/188717/africa-move-investment-ict-catalyzing-economic-growth#sthash.JAvkVD7I.dpuf, accessed

January 8, 2014

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programmes and recognizing that Africa-India cooperation can play a major role in harnessing the

benefits of globalization for mutual advantage, the former President of India Dr. APJ. Abdul Kalam

during the inaugural session of the Pan-African Parliament held at Johannesburg on 16th September

2004, proposed in his address to connect all the 53 nations of the African Union by a satellite and a fiber

optic network that would provide communication for Tele-education, Tele – medicine, Internet, Video

conferencing and VoIP services and also support e-Governance, e-Commerce, infotainment, resources

mapping, meteorological services etc.

As a follow up to the initiative taken by Dr.Kalam, the ministry of External Affairs, Govt. of India

proceeded to setup an e-Network now called Pan African e-Network.

The Pan –African e-Network project is being funded by the Government of India with an approved

budgetary cost of INR 5429 Million i.e. over US$125 Million. The Ministry of External Affairs, Govt. of

India has been designated as the Nodal Ministry. TCIL has been designated as the turnkey Implementing

Agency. In this capacity, TCIL’s role is to design the network, procure & install the equipment, provide

consultancy to the Ministry of External affairs, Government of India on all matters related to the project.

Source: www.telemedicineindia.com and www.panafricaenetwork.com

Knowledge Transfer

“Knowledge Transfer involves the processes for capturing, collecting and sharing explicit

and tacit knowledge, including skills and competence. It includes both commercial and non-

commercial activities such as research collaborations, consultancy, licensing, mobility of

researchers, publication of knowledge, disseminating value added information, Learning

systems, etc.7”

Knowledge transfer is a means by which expertise, knowledge, skills and capabilities are transferred

from a knowledge-base - a University or college, a Research Centre or a research technology

7 http://ec.europa.eu/invest-in-research/pdf/download_en/knowledge_transfe_07.pdf

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organization or a country to those in need of that knowledge, say a company, an individual, social

enterprise or not-for-profit organization or another country.

Knowledge transfer could involve the interface between universities and business, Government and or

business to business (diverse groups). It involves the commercialization of skills and expertise possessed

by higher education/knowledge of one group for the benefit of the other. The purpose of knowledge

transfer is to catalyze and facilitate innovation.

Generally, these knowledge centers are located at Universities or facilities set up near them which may

be managed by intermediaries or at a location near Industry associations. MIT Media lab, Stanford

Innovation lab and IIT technology transfer cells are the examples of the first kind. However, in the recent

past, more innovative models of knowledge transfer have evolved which are based on transfer of

knowledge intensive services. Mostly, these services are facilitated through the setting up of a

technology platform which acts as medium and intermediary to the knowledge transfer.

Knowledge intensive services can be defined as “economic activities conducted by private sector

organizations that combine technology, knowledge (such as R&D) and highly skilled employees to

provide a service to the market8.“

A Harvard Business Online paper argued that: "A common characteristic of knowledge-intensive

business service (KIBS) firms is that clients routinely play a critical role in co-producing the service

solution along with the service provider. This can have a profound effect on both the quality of the

service delivered as well as the client's ultimate satisfaction with the knowledge-based service solution.

8 IGRiNN , “Glossary” http://www.igrinn.eu/en/glossary/93-k/59-knowledge-intensive-services, accessed on January 10, 2014

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By strategically managing client co-production, service providers can improve operational efficiency,

develop more optimal solutions and generate a sustainable competitive advantage9.

While OECD believes that: “Knowledge-Intensive Service Activities (KISAs) enables firms and public

sector organizations to better innovate. KISAs are both sources and carriers of knowledge that influence

and improve the performance of individual organizations, value chains and industry clusters across all

sectors of the economy,10” KISAs are equally applicable to knowledge exchange across continents and

members of clusters to provide unique network synergies. The PAN Africa eNetwork between India and

Africa is a great example. In the next few sections, I would try to elaborate on this through 3 case

studies.

CASE 1 & 2

Knowledge Exchange for Healthcare and Education between India and Africa

His Excellency the President of India Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam, during the inaugural session of the Pan-

African Parliament held at Johannesburg proposed in his talk a programme to connect all the 53 African

nations by a Satellite and Fiber Optic Network that would provide effective communication and

connectivity among the Nations.

The Pan African e-network project is by far the biggest project for telemedicine and distance education

in Africa resulting from the growing partnership between India and Africa.

Under the Pan African e-Network Project, India has set up a fibre-optic network to provide satellite

connectivity, tele-medicine and tele-education to countries of Africa. The project aims to create

significant linkages for tele-education and telemedicine, internet, video-conferencing and VoIP services,

9 L. Bettencourt, et al., “Client Client Co-Production in Knowledge-Intensive Business Services” HBR, Jul 1, 2002

10

OECD, “Innovation and Knowledge-Intensive Service Activities”, (OECD, March 2006)

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making available the facilities and expertise of some of the best universities and super-specialty hospitals

in India to the people of Africa. The receiving centers are fully equipped by GOI and local staff there is

trained by Indian experts.

Status of the project:

The project has been commissioned in 47 countries out of the 48 that have signed the agreement with

TCIL for participating in the project. The Project is presently being implemented in South Sudan. Angola,

South Africa, Equatorial Guinea, Algeria, Morocco and Tunisia have not signed the agreement for joining

the project. As per existing commitment, GOI will maintain the facilities created in each country for five

years after commissioning them.

CASE 1 – TELEMEDICINE COMPONENT

Under the Telemedicine component, patient end locations have already been set up in the 12 Indian

Super Specialty Hospitals, namely:

1 All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), New Delhi

2 Amrita Institute of Medical Sciences and Research Centre, Kochi

3 Apollo Hospitals, Chennai

4 CARE Hospital The Institute of Medical Sciences, Hyderabad

5 Dr. Balabhai Nanavati Hospital, Mumbai

6 Escort Hearts Institute and Research Centre Limited, New Delhi

7 Fortis Hospital, Noida

8 HealthCare Global, Bangalore

9 Mool Chand Khairati Ram Hospital, New Delhi

10 Narayana Hrudayalaya Institute of Medical Sciences, Bangalore

11 Sanjay Gandhi Post Graduate Institute of Medical Science, Lucknow

12 Sri. Ramachandra Medical College & Research Institute, Chennai

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Knowledge Transfer:

These 12 Indian Super Specialty Hospitals have been connected to 48 Patient-End Locations/Hospitals in

African countries, one in each African country.

Tele-Medicine centres have been set up in four Regional Super Specialty Hospitals in Nigeria, Republic of

Congo, Mauritius and Egypt and 5th is in the process of being set up in Senegal.

460 Tele-Medicine consultations have taken place under the Project. Regular Continuing Medical

Education (CME) sessions had started from April 22, 2009 from Super Specialty Hospitals. 2439 CME

Sessions in English and 167 CME Sessions in French have been held from Indian Super Specialty Hospitals

till Sept., 2012. (Source: http://mea.gov.in/Portal/ForeignRelation/Pan_African_e_docx_for_xp.pdf)

Telemedicine though still in its infancy stages in Africa is potentially a very useful conduit of health-care

given the fact that the continent is resource limited and still enduring the effects of scarce human

resource especially, in health. With the telemedicine support, healthcare can now be delivered from

specialists in India to remote and rural areas of Africa, at a fraction of the cost.

Knowledge Intensive Services

While the PAN Africa eNetwork, provides a great platform to provide the delivery of the healthcare

service from India to Africa. It is vital to understand that such projects cannot be sustainable until a

mechanism for long term viability is worked out, one of the approach is to offer knowledge intensive

services on such platform through private/public partnerships. One of the players and active champion

of telemedicine and key initial healthcare service provider has been Dr. Prathap Reddy and his Apollo

Hospitals. To create a sustainable mechanism for long term knowledge intensive service delivery he

visualized Apollo Telemedicine Network Foundation (ATNF) and Apollo Tele Health Services (ATHS).

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Both have been working with PAN Africa eNetwork as well as their own network to provide eServices of

Telemedicine and CME delivery on a regular basis to Africa from India.

With the initial investments and early mover advantage, Apollo Hospitals are now able to offer

affordable healthcare services through telemedicine in Africa as well as offer Medical Tourism to

patients who could afford treatment in their Indian Hospitals. Apollo Hospitals has successfully treated

over 60000 foreign patients from across the world in last five years and the numbers are looking up

every year. Though the exact number of patients is now known, they do receive a large number from

African countries.

With deep rooted synergies and business case of offering sustainable healthcare services (for both profit

and not for profit endeavors), Apollo group has created a landmark in Indo Africa knowledge exchange

in the area of integrated healthcare services and capacity building of local (African) service providers.

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TELEMEDICINE DEMYSTIFIED

“Telemedicine is a delivery and provision of healthcare and consultative services to individual patients

and the transmission of information related to care, over distance, using telecommunications

technologies. Telemedicine incorporates direct clinical, preventive, diagnostic, and therapeutic

services and treatment; consultative and follow-up services; remote monitoring of patients;

rehabilitative services; and patient education".

Telemedicine brings healthcare within reach of the population residing in areas with limited or no

healthcare. Telemedicine allows patients to seek medical care in case of an emergency or otherwise.

With this technology, medical reports - videos or radiology images can be transmitted to facilitate an

accurate diagnosis. Telemedicine is also useful in getting doctors in touch with their peers to discuss

complicated issues or to get specialized help remotely.

Telemedicine applied to medical practice results in:

• Minimal patients’ travel for quality treatment

• Cost effective method of health care delivery

• More efficient and effective use of medical and technological resources

• Enhanced diagnostic and therapeutic quality of care

• New possibilities for continuing education or training for isolated or rural health practitioners

Education/Continuous Medical Education (CME)

Tools like video conferencing systems can be used for conducting community development programs

and also for imparting knowledge to the medical/ paramedical staff involved in the delivery of

healthcare services. This can take shape in the form of grand-ward/rounds, preoperative rounds,

clinico-pathological correlations etc.

Healthcare Knowledge Base

Networks can be leveraged to capture and store valuable healthcare info for decision support system.

Source: http://www.telemedicineindia.com/

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CASE II TELE-EDUCATION COMPONENT

Under the Pan Africa eNetwork , Tele-Education teaching centres have already been set-up in the five

Indian Universities, namely;

Amity University, NOIDA;

IGNOU New Delhi;

BITS, Pilani;

University of Delhi;

University of Madras.

Source: http://tojde.anadolu.edu.tr/tojde48/articles/article_14.htm

Programs like MBA, Master in Finance Control, PG Diploma in IT, M.Sc. in IT and Bachelor in Finance &

Investment Analysis and many others are being offered through Regular Tele-Education live sessions

conducted from India for African countries.

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Tele-education service are provided by the Indian Universities to the participating countries in the

educational programs(Post-graduate, Under-graduate, Certificate and Diploma Courses) selected by

African Union. Over a period of 5 years, 10,000 students of Africa are expected to be imparted education

in the agreed courses.

47 Learning Centers (LCs) have already been set up in African countries. Tele-Education learning centers

have been set-up in the 5 Regional University Centers in Africa, namely:

Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Ghana;

Makerere University, Uganda;

Yaounde University, Cameroon;

Alexandria Faculty of Commerce, Egypt and

Chancellor College, Zomba, Malawi.

Knowledge transfer:

9916 students from African countries have already registered with Indian universities for a variety of PG,

UG and certificate courses. 3503 tele-education sessions have been held till end September 2012.

(Source: http://mea.gov.in/Portal/ForeignRelation/Pan_African_e_docx_for_xp.pdf and

www.panafricaenetwork.com)

Knowledge Intensive Services:

Makerere University as ICT Centre of Excellence

Under the Regional Leading University for the Pan-African E-Network Project, Makerere University was

selected by the African Union to be the ICT Centre of excellence for Eastern Africa region and is

mandated to oversee ICT African Union Initiatives in 13 countries on Tele-Education project.

Five Universities in Africa one in each of the five regions of Africa i.e. Eastern, Southern, Central,

Western and Northern were selected. In addition, Uganda in general and Makerere University, Faculty

of Computing and IT was selected as the HUB among the five lead universities.

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The 53 African countries are to connected as one network through satellite, fiber optics and wireless

links providing electronic and knowledge connectivity to the African nations based on the connectivity

mission. As a HUB Uganda is in charge of equipment for use by the 53 countries for the PAN-African E-

Network. It will also use this sophisticated equipment to broadcast local content all over Uganda and

thus provide education for all at all levels of formal education in addition to informal education. Overall

the project is worth 200 million dollars funded by the Indian Government and African Union. Under this

project, Makerere University has received equipment worth 20 Million Dollars.

Source: http://cit.mak.ac.ug/projects/257--pan-african-e-network-tele-education-project.html

By ensuring that a local university acts as a hub for the PAN Africa eNetwork, not only the acceptability

and usability of the network was ensured, but also a proper knowledge transfer was made from India to

the African counterpart. The local university now delivers and manages the sophisticated servers and

equipment and delivers the requisite services to the entire 53 countries of Africa, as a knowledge

services backend.

Still in its infancy but mighty in its reach, the Pan Africa e-Network Project has promises to keep and a

long way to go. To really achieve the goals of South-South collaboration, it is required to research

further into the impact of the new paradigm of learning across Africa.

From geographically dispersed individual-centric learning, it is now time to move towards collective

learning across Africa, and the African countries start taking ownership of project after internalizing the

knowledge gained.

As Dr. Kalam puts it -

“The challenge of the next phase of the project is to build bridges between all African

tele-centres to forge a synergy of learning experience, as knowledge shared is knowledge

multiplied “ 11.

11

Abdul Kalam, "Two Billion Dreams: Celebrating India Africa Friendship". PAN-African e-Network, IANS India Pvt. Ltd., http://2billiondreams.in/index.php?param=about_the_book, accessed January 10, 2014

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CASE 3

Book Exports to Africa by Repro India

Repro India Limited

Repro was established in 1984 as a provider of integrated print solutions to publishers and corporations

the world over. Today, Repro offers significant backward and forward integration which involves

managing customer’s content, printing and delivering in different formats. In the financial year 2010-11

REPRO clocked over INR 2.5 billion in revenue, with over 50% coming from overseas markets.

Repro is a provider of content, print and fulfillment solutions to publishers, corporates, education

institutions and governments. Repro bring efficiencies to our customer’s value chain by providing them a

one stop solution to their needs, right from managing and repurposing content, to printing and binding to

delivery anywhere across the globe.

Today, Repro serves customers across four continents. They produce multiple product formats such as

books, e-books and other interactive content. Repro’s core activities are supported by a state of the art

infrastructure which includes the most contemporary Information Technology and two modern book

printing plants on India’s west coast. They have strategic partnerships with global logistics providers.

Repro is certified for ISO 9001-2008, ISO 14000 – 2004, FSC, PEFC and SEDEX for quality, environment

& social compliance practices. Repro has been awarded the CAPEXIL Export Award for being India’s

leading books exporter consequently for 5 years now.

Source: Repro India Website http://www.reproindialtd.com/

Repro focusses on two markets- India, which has 1.2 billion people and where education is growing fast

and other is Africa, with a population of 1.1 billion people. Almost 60% of the population in both these

countries is in the education segment from the age of 3-22. Assuming 60% of this 1.2 billion people, you

have close to 4 billion books requirements in each country in that specific segment. Even at a dollar a

book, they address the $4 billion market for the primary and school education in both countries.

Africa constitutes of 60% of all exports of Repro India. It supplies pupil books to 14 African countries,

with export countries very well spread around the entire African continent-

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West Africa - Ghana, Nigeria, Cameroon;

East Africa - Tanzania, Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda, Ethiopia, South Africa

South African Development Region (SADC) - Mozambique, Botswana, Swaziland and so on.

Knowledge Intensive Services

Repro India has acquired the printing setup of Macmillan Publishers for 4 countries in Africa and aim to

acquire many more of their printing setups or have strategic partners to have deeper penetration into the

African market. Repro also aims to work with strategic partners who work in local African markets to

further consolidate its position in Africa.

From providing just export of books and printing services, Repro is now establishing local setups in Africa

to offer value added services in the educational segments, including elearning and interactive educational

content. It has recently launched two interactive products for education:

Rapples is Repro’s tablet based learning solution. This solution provides every student with a pre-loaded

educational tablet, with text books as per the choice of the school.

Rapples has been designed to bring into its fold the four key stakeholders in education – the teacher, the

student, the school management and the publisher.

Repro CloudStore, Repro’s digital storefront, has a collection of thousands of books across genres –

educational and otherwise. It gives students direct access to books, while facilitating the reach of

publisher’s content to multiple access points across the globe. A strategic tie-up with a global e-book

store has given users of CloudStore a vast sea of books to choose from.

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Conclusion

Through the three case studies, we can see how Knowledge transfer has been undertaken to successful

implementation of Knowledge intensive services in Healthcare, Education and Book Business.

But to build more effective knowledge transfer between India and Africa, we need to create more

platforms to enable information exchange at strategic levels. Some suggestions are –

1. An Elearning platform on the cloud, which uses the MOOC approach targeted at the Higher

education and professional learning. The courses can have Rich media (Video and Audio)

and ebooks based learning material. Mobile technology for end user interaction. Students

could collaborate and learn across India and Africa.

2. An interactive platform to engage with Indian Diaspora in Africa for knowledge exchange in

Literature, Culture and Education. This platform could stimulate trade publishers to export

books direct to Indian Diaspora in Africa and vice versa.

3. Online STEM Publications and Research Journals for Indian-African Researchers

4. Joint Projects on developing Ebooks for Children and Education

5. Policy level interaction between India and African countries to have a standardized

educational content and syllabus drawn, so that Indian Publishers can develop targeted

content for Educational system.

6. Facilitation of Medical Tourism to India from African countries through the Telemedicine

network for pre-screening the patients by the participating hospitals in India in the PAN

African eNetwork.

I hope that we can see a ‘single continuum for knowledge’ by developing such platforms, where South

African community and Indian Businesses work and innovate together to create information exchange in

a systematic way to improve the business performance in the service delivery across continents but

bonded through knowledge networks.

“If we can dream it, we can build it!”

Knowledge Transfer through knowledge intensive services is truly putting Knowledge in action to

improve the business performance of not just the African but also the Indian businesses.