Today technology-based solutions need to address not only the problems on hand, but also devise solutions taking into consideration social, cultural, economical, and technologically factors that need to be conducive for the environment in which they are to be deployed. Mobile phones, like other ICTs, are not merely tools used to help connect individuals but have today empowered and strengthened the economically backward communities to create economic opportunities and increase social ties. The September 2002 issue of Harvard Business Review captured the essence of the report- Serving the World’s Poor, Profitably by CK Prahalad and Hammond, in this way :
By stimulating commerce and development at the bottom of the economic pyramid, multinationals could radically improve the lives of billions of people and help create a more stable, less dangerous world.

Mobile phones now offer an attractive solution to many rural poor individuals to use the phone for more than just communication due to its general accessibility. Looking at the phenomenal growth of mobile usage by lower income group people, rich information interfaces and services supported by MNCs will go a long way in sustainable economic growth. The mobile phone will play a very important role in stimulating this development and the KAAMKAJ project is once such attempt. I seek to use this compelling technological intervention to design, build and test a voice based service that caters to the needs of small vendors and micro-businesses.