I am attempting to setup a system to receive and process SMS messages automatically. The system is intended for use in a context (an unfunded migrant workers' union in India) where both finances and sysadmin skills are extremely constrained (I would be the only person, in the near future, who would be administering the system). The intention is to make some functions - registration of members, generation of ID cards, communication of alerts and other information - easier.

However, for receiving and sending SMS, I have not been able to find any email to SMS or other kind of gateway that functions in India. Perhaps there is one (edit: apparently Clickatell does have an India service, but the prices appear astronomical). If not, can one rely on a USB mobile modem (such as those provided by many mobile providers in India)? It seems like, with utilities such as gammu or bitpim, SMS operations on such a modem could be scripted. Is this actually feasible, though?

Thanks in advance for your thoughts and suggestions.

edit: Original first question removed since the two questions had little to do with each other. The original first question has been asked separately here