SnapDeal.com helps out a small, and very thankful village.
cnn.com
cnn.com
And if you're considering the "every little step counts and must be lauded" counter-argument, spare a thought for every faceless, deserving non-profit that's doing genuine, sustainable, long-term grassroots work and doesn't receive a shred of credit / support, let alone a mention from the mainstream media.
To quote from the article:
Story Highlights: The residents of Shiv Nagar changed the village name to SnapDeal.com Nagar / They wanted to show their gratitude to the online coupon company / SnapDeal installed 15 water pumps so that villagers could have potable water / SnapDeal's founder was tossed from the United States after his visa expired
"Tossed"? Really? Yes, immigration laws suck (I should know, I'm Indian), but I'm certain it's a lot less dramatic when your visa expires. Let's not trivialize the effort to improve the immigration status quo by dangling insinuations that extol pseudo-philanthropy.
What hurts me most, though, is that this hit the front page of HN.
</rant>
Sure there are non-profits that do a lot of good but that doesn't mean what Snapdeal has done is not worthy of recognition nor does it mean CNN should not cover them. And because Snapdeal is a startup likely busy trying to make money, scale, etc, their action is "unexpected" and perhaps more newsworthy as a result. Unfortunately, "Red Cross helps village" would not be a particularly interesting story for CNN or any news outlet.
Yes - it is good PR for Snapdeal and whether it was a calculated PR move or just a good action being rewarded with press (I think it's the latter), it shouldn't matter. They did some good and if this was actually a calculated PR move, good for them for finding a PR hack that gets them onto CNN while actually doing some substantive good work at the same time.
And last somewhat unrelated point, as a fellow Indian (Indian-American), I always find it curious and somewhat unfortunate that there is a contingent of "the tribe" that can't just be happy when others in the "the tribe" do well. Can't we just be happy for the guy, the village, the company, etc and do without the scorn?
>why the bitterness
Because I'm yet to see a more primed-for-PR CSR initiative. At least from a startup. Much as I'd like to perceive it as being well-intentioned, it smacks of being the brainchild of a PR agency ("snapdeal.com Nagar" anyone?), which is all kinds of wrong. I'd have been just as indignant if it were Groupon or Facebook that pulled this off.
>their action is "unexpected" and perhaps more newsworthy as a result
There's a not-so-fine-line between innovative PR and inappropriate opportunism, and a responsible company would know better than to cross it. And that's the beauty of this issue - you're damned if you take a stand against it, because "they did help a poor village after all". If, as a business, you really wish to be an ameliorating influence, do it quietly - don't pimp poverty for PR. There are always other ways to grab eyeballs.
>as a fellow Indian (Indian-American), I always find it curious and somewhat unfortunate that there is a contingent of "the tribe" that can't just be happy when others in the "the tribe" do well.
That I'm afraid, is the classic ad hominem. Please read the parent comment once again and point out one instance where I've expressed disdain or envy for the company / the founder's success. As I've already said, I'd have been just as enraged had this been any other company from any other country. That you would confuse indignation at a dodgy PR stunt with envy for a fellow Indian baffles me.
But even if it was an elaborate PR effort, there is nothing wrong with enlightened self-interest. CSR activities of all types by mega-, large and small corporations can all be viewed with such cynicism, but if an article on a website and some more visitors to Snapdeal is what it takes to impact some positive change (water to a village), that sounds like a net positive.
I don't know much about him but just taking a guess that if he could have extended his visa, he could have worked at some large financial/tech company as an analyst, like most people on H1Bs. If startup-visa existed, he could've moved to SV to create something big instead of moving back home. It worked out well for him and India that his visa expired.
I don't claim to predict the future but the world might have got something better than a Groupon-clone if people like him could be enticed to form/work-on startups in SV instead of choosing between large companies that can afford to sponsor H1Bs or going back home.
Also I don't see any sustainability in this one village project. Make a commitment to give a % or fixed amount to help a cause and see your actions through.