The successful dual launch of the "Bharat PC" and "Samanvay" sent shockwaves far beyond India's borders. By the end of 2002, the Patel Group was no longer just an Indian phenomenon; it was a disruptive global competitor with a protected, synergistic ecosystem. The world's tech giants, initially dismissive, were now forced to take notice, and their responses began to form like storm clouds on the horizon.
The Microsoft Counterstroke
The first salvo came from Redmond.Microsoft, seeing the "Bharat PC" as a direct threat to its Windows dominance in the world's next great growth market, launched a two-pronged attack.
1. Legal: They filed a series of international patent infringement lawsuits, claiming the "Bharat Desktop" interface violated patents related to "graphical user interaction elements." It was a classic, if vague, intimidation tactic from a player with infinitely deeper legal pockets.
2. Commercial: They announced "Windows XP Starter Edition," a severely limited but ultra-cheap version of Windows aimed directly at the "Bharat PC's" market segment. It was a defensive, almost panicked move, acknowledging the threat of the Linux-based competitor.
The Silicon Valley Scrutiny
In California,"Samanvay" was the topic of intense discussion. The team at a young startup called "Thefacebook," confined to Harvard, noted its sophisticated group features and multi-layered connection model. More ominously, a larger, pre-IPO company called "Google" took note of the vast, structured data "Samanvay" was generating about social relationships in a massive, untapped market. The Patel Group's IP fortress was about to be tested by the most aggressive and innovative legal minds in the world.
Harsh's Counter-Strategy: The Shield and the Spear
Harsh was prepared.He activated his own countermeasures.
· Against Microsoft (The Shield): He unleashed his own legal team, armed with the "defensive publishing" portfolio. They countersued, alleging anti-competitive practices and pointing to their own prior art. More importantly, he directed the "Bharat PC" marketing team to run ads with the tagline: "Free from Licensing, Free to Innovate." They turned Microsoft's lawsuit into a marketing advantage, positioning themselves as the plucky innovator against a monopolistic bully. The Indian public and government, already sympathetic to Harsh, rallied behind the homegrown brand.
· Against Silicon Valley (The Spear): For "Samanvay," the strategy was aggressive expansion. He authorized a massive infrastructure investment to ensure the platform was fast and reliable for its growing NRI user base. He also greenlit a feature that would become a global game-changer: the "Samanvay API." By allowing third-party developers to build mini-applications ("Samanvay Apps") within the platform—for everything from restaurant reviews to job postings—they were creating a ecosystem moat that would be incredibly difficult to replicate. They were building a platform, not just a website.
The Unseen Front: The Component War
The most significant threat was the quietest.Intel, uncomfortable with the success of a non-x86 architecture in a key market, began to subtly pressure its partners. The Taiwanese fab manufacturing the "Bharat PC" RISC chips suddenly faced "supply chain issues" and "production allocation reviews."
Harsh saw this coming. He had already initiated "Project Svayambhu" (Self-Reliance), a top-secret plan to build the Patel Group's own semiconductor fabrication plant in India. It was a 10-year, multi-billion-dollar project, but it was the only way to achieve true technological sovereignty.
As the year ended, the Patel Group was under assault from all sides. But Harsh viewed it not as a crisis, but as a rite of passage. They were no longer just playing in their own sandbox. They were on the global stage, and the giants were trying to push them off. The success of the "Bharat PC" and "Samanvay" had lit the fuse. The year 2003 would not be about growth; it would be about survival in the face of the gathering storm. The empire was being tested, and its architect was ready for the fight.