Tata Docomo, the GSM arm of Tata Teleservices, has launched Sparsh, an IVR (interactive voice response) service to increase awareness among its subscribers about sex related health issues.
Sparsh is currently available in three languages – English, Hindi and Marathi, and other languages will be added soon.
Customers can access this service for at Rs 10 for 10 days by dialing 529222. The initiative is about sex education as most people are conservative about discussing these issues and clarifying their doubts openly.
Zubin Jimmy Dubash, the vice president at Tata Docomo, said, “Sparsh offers the customer complete privacy in accessing this information through a simple IVR call.”
In India, medical awareness and facilities have not reached all corners of the country, and initiatives like these help take information where it is otherwise unavailable. Tata Docomo aims to use mobile phones to provide accurate information certified by the Family Planning Association of India. The service is built in such a way that users navigate their way through information by choosing the ailment, such as “AIDS”, that they want to know more about.