By IANS
Chennai : Podcasting is yet to catch up in India, but the presence of a student of class 2 and another of kindergarten among the 200-odd participants at a workshop here on the next-generation medium shows its future.
The two-day meet, 'Podworks' which began Saturday at the TIDEL park auditorium in the city's IT hub, brings together IT and mobile technology users involved in podcasting, and those wanting to get initiated into this new interactive medium.
Podcasting is a new way of communication in which, instead of reading the content on the computer screen one listens to it on an iPod or an iPod-like device.
"It will impart basic knowledge on how to create and upload podcasts (audio-video mix on the net) and aims to increase the trend of podcasting in India," said Kiruba Shankar of The Knowledge Foundation, organisers of the meet.
One of India's leading bloggers, Shankar hosts a podcasting show in which he interviews CEOs of Indian IT companies.
"Podcasting is increasingly used by many individuals and corporates as a new tool of communication," he said.
"This is the most happening form of technology, though in India it is yet to catch up," Shankar told IANS.
However, more and more people are taking to podcasting for a variety of communication. Among the enthusiastic participants are two father-daughter pairs who host their own podcasts – mechanical engineer Sunil Gupta and his daughter Vandika, a student of Class 2, and Vaiddhynathan M. Gopalan and his daughter Bharathi, studying in KG.
"Podcasting is to radio and television what blogging is to print media," Shankar explained.
The event, sponsored by major internet-oriented firms, will see discussions on how to popularise the use of this effective, multilingual medium.
K. Srinivasan, editor of the PodUniverse magazine, said: "India needs greater bandwidth and PC penetration before this medium can be adopted by everyone."
For now, "It can only play a middle role and be a medium for the media, a social media that can trigger the (mainstream) media."
Srinivas has brought out more than 50 issues of his e-magazine using integrated podcasting technology. Among other issues, his e-zine has also discussed the controversial Sethusamudram project, a canal project to link the Palk Straits off the Tamil Nadu coast with the Gulf of Mannar.
Critics say the project will affect the Adam's Bridge, also known as Ram Setu, which finds a mention in the Hindu epic of Ramayana.
The podcasts on the project have also been filed as evidence in appeals to the Unesco to grant the World Heritage status to the Adam's Bridge.