The Digital Scalpel: The 2005 Reliance WebWorld Webinar in Context
Revisiting the 2005 webinar through a technological lens reveals the depth of its pioneering nature. At a time when internet penetration in India was still in its early stages, Dr. Raju’s decision to utilise the Reliance Infocomm network was a strategic choice to leverage the most advanced public-facing communication infrastructure available in India at the time. Reliance was in the midst of an ambitious rollout, building 60,000 kilometres of fibre optic backbone to connect thousands of towns and villages, with its WebWorld centres serving as public gateways to this emerging digital ecosystem.
By partnering with a non-medical, commercial entity, Dr. Raju demonstrated an ability to think beyond the conventional confines of the medical establishment to achieve his goal of knowledge dissemination. This event was a testament to his belief that technology, in whatever form it appeared, was a tool to be harnessed for the betterment of medicine.