They have lost the knowledge they had, and what has replaced it is neither relevant nor useful. In many ways, it is just like the loss of genetic diversity. High-yield hybrid seeds have replaced a rich variety of local cereals across the world, improving harvests but also making the crops more susceptible to disease and dependent on costly inputs of agrochemicals. Globalisation of media subliminally spreads information that eats into traditional knowledge bases and indigenous processes that are best equipped to deal with local conditions. New information technologies offer a chance for South Asia to leapfrog technology, level the playing field and democratise information to usher in an era where better communications will spread useful knowledge.
History teaches that technology by itself is never the answer.
The corporate values that drive the Information Age are the very values that drove the Industrial Age.