Like the good prof who goes by the name Peeleraja once said on twitter (now they call it X or whatever), the best Indian apps are those that efficiently organize the serving classes for the benefit of the monied upper classes (aka “us”).
Think of a time before these apps – for ride hailing, food and grocery, home services or concierge – became popular: we used to negotiate with individuals and arrive at an agreement, even if informal, for services we use. Now we have classified interfaces, standardized fees, AI bot intermediaries, and practically faceless uniformed service providers. When have we last recognized a delivery agent not in uniform?
And should the bargaining power tilt ever so slightly in the favour of the service provider we chafe and outrage: how dare he turn us down for a ride? He asked me for a tip because it’s a festival? The audacity!
Now to take this depersonalization a notch higher is this: within 15 minutes, a human being will materialize at your doorstep to do your bidding. No questions asked, no uncertainties, a hassle-free process smooth as clicking a few icons on your mobile screen, and hey, a neighbor from beyond the high walls of our secure housing will be here! On a broom! Look, a free trial too! What more could one ask?
I wonder if all these comforts would be possible without the inherent structural inequalities (read caste) of our society. Not only does this add to the long list of advertising that is blind to the inherent discrimination in our society, it is for a business that is based on such discrimination. Can you look at the irony? The more the inequality, the more successful these businesses are.
Leave a Reply