In a first-of-its-kind initiative, Chennai-based M S Swaminathan Research Foundation will organise a seminar in Chennai on mobile applications in September that will recommend suggestions for service providers and applications developers on the kind of content and technology via mobile phone to people.

"Usually, it is the product that we have which determines our use. But this seminar will help us in personalising the content, design and technology that we want to be delivered in our mobile phones," said Kirti Trivedi of IIT-Bombay.

The two-day International Conference on "Inclusive Growth through Mobile Applications", focussing on three key areas of education, health care and rural prosperity, will be held between September 15 and 17. The seminar is organised by MSSRF along with IIT-Bombay and International Institute of Information Design, Austria.

"With over 700 million users, India is a leading market and we want to make use of the infrastructure," said Ninad Vengurlekar of IL&FS Education & Technology Services Limited, one of the firms involved in the seminar. "To campaign for a project that will affect the livelihood of rural people, we need heavy infrastructure like some computers, a resource centre, etc. But the emergence of mobile phones among the rural communities, make the job easy and it is very effective,"said S Senthilkumaran, Director, Information, Education and Communication, MSSRF.

The seminar will see participation of over 100 delegates from eight countries and all recommendations suggested will be compiled in the end of two days, said Veronika Egger of International Institute of Infomation Design, Austria.