Technology clearly has its limits: it cannot fulfil the need for decent law enforcement, or change attitudes towards women.
And while the Indian smartphone market is rising rapidly — expected to soon become the world’s third largest — it still accounts for a fraction of about 700 million active mobile subscriptions in the country.
Most safety apps require GPS capabilities that standard mobile phones do not have, although some developers offer emergency texting services.
The creators of Stipator, Ratnesh Desai and three fellow Microsoft employees in Hyderabad city, are also working on a “lipstick-sized” safety device for women without phones.
Techies and activists hope that if their tools catch on, they might one day act as a deterrent to abuse.
“If word gets out there are such apps, people wanting to molest someone will have to be more careful,” said Desai.
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