Niit Launches Swift Netsurf For Internet Users

The Internet has indeed very effectively cast its net on India. Caught in it are two million users in the country, a number expected to grow to 35 million by 2002. In a bid to cash in on the Internet's growing popularity, NIIT has launched Swift Netsurf, a programme designed to teach Net users.

Says Suren Rasaily, head of NIIT's education business, "The programme is designed to help Indians become a part of the Internet revolution that is sweeping the world."

Netsurf targets retired people, housewives professionals and students. The eight-hour programme, which will be conducted at NIIT's online classrooms, is priced at Rs 749. The programme allows a participant 30-hours of Internet access and free software worth Rs 15,000 from BPL Net.

 

According to NIIT officials, already 4,000 people have enroled for the programme across the country. Interestingly for Swift NetSurf, retired professionals offer a huge target potential. Findings of a survey conducted by Lintas:Direct and Times School of Marketing in Delhi, shows that retired people effectively use the Net for things as varied as e-mails, surfing and banking.

Among the 21 retired Internet users, 16 owned computers. Of the computer owners 87.5 per cent used the Internet for e-mails while 25 per cent used it for their business. Nearly 31 per cent of the computer owners used the Net for banking services, while 37.5 per cent had a D-Mat account in operation.

Prior to Netsurf, and as part of its Swift India programme, launched in July 1998, NIIT had started a special course called Swift Elders.

According to NIIT officials, the countrywide registrations for Swift Elders between October 1999 and March 2000 was 3,500. The prime objective of Swift was to `demystify' computers for the average Indian and bring about minimum computer literacy.

Meanwhile, NIIT's arch rival Aptech has an Internet awareness programme titled Vidya which was launched early last year. According to Aptech officials, Vidya has, so far, trained over one lakh people.

Aptech also conducts a senior citizen's course as part of its aware personal series.