Indians good for cheap roadside garage? Is it true?
Jump to Page:
< Previous [ 1 ] [ 2 ] [ 3 ] Next >
Posted on: 03-03-07 03:38:18
One of the article find in Letter to the Editor in Times of India.
Food for thought!
TORONTO: I agree with this article about the India-China comparison. What really annoys me is that we in India have 10 MBAs/managers/business persons for one person that does the real work. (The ratio is supposed to be opposite.) How many people go into research as opposed to becoming paper pushers?
We are capable of having our own software companies that could design software and call it their own product. Instead, we have consulting services like TCS, Infosys, and Wipro that do work for others. What we do is similar to running a cheap roadside garage rather than designing and manufacturing a car.
This attitude extends everywhere. We have four sports officials for every athlete (I am not talking about cricket.) besides the fact that we won't win a single medal in the Olympics for next 5 Olympics in track and field. On the other hand, China is tipped to overtake US in medals tally in the upcoming Beijing Olympics. In the mean time we can spend time gloating about our \"glorious 5000 year old culture and civilization\" which by the way no longer exists. May be I should put a few more zeros after 5000 and new airports and roads will start popping up automatically.
Honda did not gain its reputation over night. They made substandard cars for many years. But they were independent, with their own design and research. It is all about self respect and less about business. We on the other hand are so business and money minded that we won't go that extra effort to do it on our own. We don't mind spending billions of dollars buying up foreign companies and not spend anything to fix up the broken infrastructure at home. We don't mind our graduates taking up dead end jobs in call centres.
In fact we feel proud about it instead of feeling ashamed. We feel proud about our generic drug manufacturing capability which really is copying existing drugs that some one else designed (In Mumbai lingo, it is called Ulhasnagar goods.) and we are proud of it.
As for the infrastructure, we don't have any. We complain about high fuel prices but then we see our vehicles move at an average speed of 2km/hr on our city streets. This is after 10-12 years of liberalization. If it can't be done in 10 years it means we are not capable of doing it. There are no excuses for crippled infrastructure after 10 years of \"liberalization\".
Even the Soviet countries had a better infrastructure after the collapse of Soviet Union. When I read the economic supplements of the news papers, I feel like I am living in the most advanced country in the world. I only need to walk out of my home on the pot holed streets with no sewage on the road, people defecating and urinating in public, no traffic lights, to see the harsh reality.
We have power cuts in most our major cities. We have new aircrafts flying on domestic routes but no new airports, no new runways, no new air traffic control, no new maintenance facilities, no new schools to train new ground engineers and pilots. All the new airline businesses are busy making money while these things go unaddressed.
As for the environment in India, it is disaster of vast proportions unfolding as we speak. We need to use small inefficient air conditioning units because our middle class house holds want to keep their cool with the extra spend able income, without thinking about the cheap gases that go into those units that damage the environment.
We are learning how to make petrol driven vehicles when the rest of world is looking for alternative fuels and technology to replace the fossil fuel driven machines. Mumbai today is amongst the top 10 most expensive cities to run business in. Where does it feature in the list of cities by infrastructure? We can start looking from bottom up.
But then again, India is a land of contrasts. We have the coldest glaciers and the hottest deserts and I am proud of it. Unfortunately that contrast also applies to wealth, business, economy and certain other things which I am not proud of and no one in the right state of mind should be.
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Bala
The concern highlighted in this article is true and should be highlighted. I think Timeofindia did that little job to some extent. This is not the first time this has been highlighted. I think most of the senior executives are aware about it.
There are too many things which are depressing about India. Be is disparity of income or poor infrastructure or bollywood/hollywood or the issue highlighted in this article of not being innovative. Its a concern for sure and we will be paying price in the future.
On the other hand, we shouldn't let this depress us. A child has to learn to crawl before it starts to walk and run. I believe India has been in dormant mode for long time. We had democracy but politicians didn't really heed to public needs. But I think this is changing. Media is playing a good role of nervous system. But again our media is learning. You will notice over emphasis on certain non-issues but then they are learning. Most important thing is that people should be aware. Politicians will do what people expect from them. It will take time for Indian common man to match the expectation of common man in Developed nations. This would be the day India will be developed nation.
About business innovation, I think money plays a big role there. Indian economy was a protected one for long time. Innovation is a need to survive in tough competition. Indian industry never faced it and therefore never had to focus on it. If I was a business man I will look into opportunities which will give me more money now and later. I wouldn't postpone my profits but I would like to extend them. Since Indian industry is opening up we will be faced with global competition. It will force us to think alternative and only people with innovative approach will succeed.
I think we as all Indians should be happy about the progress its doing. We should keep our head down and focus on doing good job for ourselves which in turn improves image of India both within and outside India. We hope things continue at this pace for another couple of decades. I am sure change will come on all fronts. Human brain is capable to astounding things it doesn't really matter if its Indian or American. Its the need of the hour which drives us.
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Manjeet Singh
Quote:
Originally posted by balaq8
As for the infrastructure, we don't have any. We complain about high fuel prices but then we see our vehicles move at an average speed of 2km/hr on our city streets. This is after 10-12 years of liberalization. If it can't be done in 10 years it means we are not capable of doing it. There are no excuses for crippled infrastructure after 10 years of \"liberalization\".
This is where i disagree most with the him ...... 10 years in the life of a nation is nothing. Infrastructure is not developed on 10 years.........it takes longer time and i think India is on th right track. Things might be taking a long time but then they do .Rome was not built in a night.
Taking the example of Honda - for that matter all japanese cars .... they did not make substandard cars out of choice...... they made cheap cars or you may say "economically efficient" cars .... which means they created a niche market for themselves. They went on to make it to the " second family car" status in the 80's. Then once this market was captilized on they went on to take the american auto giants head on .... This is the approach that our industry is also applying .... today most of them are doing back office operations for most of teh american industry. But in times to come they will be an efficient source of these services to the west. So you will see Indian companies providing goods and services on the global scale. In the last few months Indian companies have bought assets in US, Canada for billions of dollars . This did not happen overnight .... this is working of the last ten years.... which he seems to consider a failure.
In terms of infrastructure ..... again things are moving ... a number of airports are being built......the metro in delhi is coming up and similar ones are planned for different cities.... it takes time ...... we have the time .... we are not racing against anyone...... the important thing is to do it right .... not to do it in a hurry ..... we have to consider that we have a huge number of our population living below the poverty line .... so even though we as a country relize that infrastucture in the long run is going to help in the growth , we have to take a balanced path where we balance investment in infrastructure with investment in social sector ......through which we can take a large part of the popultaion on this journey.
Another thing you have to realize when you talk about infrastucture. All the investment came to India with the people having the full knowledge that the infrastructure in India in not good. Now if someone puts his money into something which he belives in and belives it is going to work ...... i would rather belive him forecast then some guy trying to write an article.
Some people have a negative mindset and will criticise everything......
Why does the author of this article think that it is not good or is shameful to buy the foreign companies or to produce generic drugs (that are copies of drugs produced by foreign pharmaceutical companies).
I am proud that Indian companies have the WEALTH and our business men the accumen to buy these foreign companies. I am against the companies " reinventing the wheel" and would however like to see them taking the things further on...to improve from where they are or were at the time of the purchase. And current atmosphere will not be conducive for them to stay stagnant...so I see more R & D happening in India in the future.
I am also against Indians being known for "price...or being cost effective". I would love to see them being known more for quality. China is not known for Quality...they can only produce quantity.
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Rajeev Narula, Broker, REALTOR®
ACE TEAM REALTY INC., Brokerage
10 Kingsbridge Garden Circle, Suite 704
(Opp Square One - HWY10/403)
Mississauga, ON L5R 3K6
Bus: 1-888-355-3155 Ext. 300
Fax: 1-888-443-3155
Email:
Web: http://www.RAJEEV.ca" rel="nofollow">LINK
The author is a jerk wad who has no idea what he is writing...
I am not sure why we have to assimilate from others ..
We are a unique contry with such a big multicultural make up that some times i am surpries at the unity in the country..
I am addition a majority of our population is uneducated which is why incompetant politicians rule and curroption exists.
Considering the above the intellectual mass has found a great way through IT to break free from the problems plaging our country...
We may have started at the bottom of the pile but we sure are slowly moving up the value chain .. it is a matter of time the Bill gates in our economy surface who will come out with a killer application that the world know us for..
In fact the world is already looking up to us for IT. China is trying to repeat our IT model and has not made much of a head way...
All the IT MNC companies are tired of losing to the Wipros and Infosys on cost and have started setting up offices in India.
In the next 15 year we will be a super power that the world will follow and listen to .. the author will probably be eating his words then..
The dude
sir,
I advise you to be politically correct when you make such damaging statemnt against all indians.... remember you are one too so your comment applies to you as well.
Dont ever forget we indians control the US, Europe, the Middle east and canada with our BRAIN POWER.. THAT IN ITSELF IS A MAJOR ACHIEVEMENT .....which I am sure will take another 100 years for somebody to challange.
Be careful of how you speak out in public... you are directly insulting us. It is the truth no doubt but how you express your displeasure shows you are one of the kind who is a frustrated personality......
Do not forget that Micrsoft, pfizer, and all the big wigs came to us, we did not go there... figure this one out dude
Quote:
Originally posted by ad1760
sir,
I advise you to be politically correct when you make such damaging statemnt against all indians.... remember you are one too so your comment applies to you as well.
Dont ever forget we indians control the US, Europe, the Middle east and canada with our BRAIN POWER.. THAT IN ITSELF IS A MAJOR ACHIEVEMENT .....which I am sure will take another 100 years for somebody to challange.
Be careful of how you speak out in public... you are directly insulting us. It is the truth no doubt but how you express your displeasure shows you are one of the kind who is a frustrated personality......
Do not forget that Micrsoft, pfizer, and all the big wigs came to us, we did not go there... figure this one out dude
No offence but balaq8 was just quoting an article from Timesofindia. It was more of a food for thought.
I understand that you are proud Indian but lets not be close minded to criticism. Saying that we control world with our brain power is not true. I agree Indian are struggling and making their way up. But with that approach we are not going anywhere..
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Manjeet Singh
