So here is goes. I was in Mainland China over the past week. A lot has been written about the Chinese growth engine etc, which is totally true, infrastructure development is just immense and magical in the middle kingdom. High speed trains, easy access to flights, so many roads etc.
The one thing which I felt was missing was warmth. Chinese people, at least the ones I have met in the US/Hong Kong etc are very warm people, at least amongst their own. In Mainland, it just seemed that all the folks are so introverted that they are missing out on life. Life for a average Chinese is very tough, salaries for a University graduate is low around 700 USD per month, to 2k USD a month where as the big boss who runs the company/factory makes around 1 million USD (over 200k Audi approximately sells in China and 18.5 million cars got sold in 2010).
When ones comes to India, people are more warm, foreigners are more welcome and the average person on the street is helpful (barring a few scoundrels).
I think China over its growth has lost its soul and has become one big concrete jungle, where more and more people look sad and uninterested. I really hope this changes and China becomes more ecologically attuned, reduces it numbers of cars and the over-all happiness index improves. This I believe India is happy (even in the poverty of the slums, you can see smiling children)!!
At the end of the day, everyone wants to be happy!!
Tuesday, November 29, 2011
Tuesday, November 8, 2011
Marketplace in India
India is Happening!!
Typically one only hears about corruption in India and other issues that the 'Aam Junta' faces from day to day.
Well I want to write about the other side of things (after all coin has two sides). There are a plethora of companies coming around in India and they are all moving VERY VERY fast. At present these are small but in the coming years and times to come, they will become very big e.g. Just Dial, Flipkart etc. New business models, generating huge employment for people and fine tuning processes and services delivery model for the marketplace.
Indians are born traders and innovators. They are relatively simple people, who take others on face value, but the ability to build/trade and deliver is very high (think about it, you can buy all sorts of things in places in India where even roads do go to). Telecom companies provide network coverage even in places where government agencies cannot deliver water.
What India lacks is good management and decision making skills since for the most part since childhood all decisions have been deferred to elders and others, but this too shall change. We are learning how to build roads, bridges, internet backbones, new business models etc. One thing we have not learned yet is the ability to innovate disruptive technologies (e.g. Google/Facebook etc). My take is in the coming 15 years, this too shall start happening as more and more indians are exposed to newer ideas and concepts and the current leadership of 40+ something becomes 55+ something.
Over-all things are moving and I am very positive on the Indian marketplace, despite the corruption and lack of policy framework. Shortage force people to be innovate and think out of the box. That being said India is not for the faint hearted but if you want to live in the most exciting place (with the usual traffic pains/school admissions etc) over the next 15 years, India it is.
Typically one only hears about corruption in India and other issues that the 'Aam Junta' faces from day to day.
Well I want to write about the other side of things (after all coin has two sides). There are a plethora of companies coming around in India and they are all moving VERY VERY fast. At present these are small but in the coming years and times to come, they will become very big e.g. Just Dial, Flipkart etc. New business models, generating huge employment for people and fine tuning processes and services delivery model for the marketplace.
Indians are born traders and innovators. They are relatively simple people, who take others on face value, but the ability to build/trade and deliver is very high (think about it, you can buy all sorts of things in places in India where even roads do go to). Telecom companies provide network coverage even in places where government agencies cannot deliver water.
What India lacks is good management and decision making skills since for the most part since childhood all decisions have been deferred to elders and others, but this too shall change. We are learning how to build roads, bridges, internet backbones, new business models etc. One thing we have not learned yet is the ability to innovate disruptive technologies (e.g. Google/Facebook etc). My take is in the coming 15 years, this too shall start happening as more and more indians are exposed to newer ideas and concepts and the current leadership of 40+ something becomes 55+ something.
Over-all things are moving and I am very positive on the Indian marketplace, despite the corruption and lack of policy framework. Shortage force people to be innovate and think out of the box. That being said India is not for the faint hearted but if you want to live in the most exciting place (with the usual traffic pains/school admissions etc) over the next 15 years, India it is.
Sunday, March 6, 2011
A visit to Jharkhand and Bihar
This past week, I had the opportunity to travel to Deoghar / Banka / Kolkatta as part of a marriage party. Flew down from Bombay to Calcutta, took the cab and a ride to the howrah station, then to Jassidhi (Deoghar).
It was a really cool trip (someone like myself travels) all the time, but then it is more fun to travel interiors then maybe to Delhi. I had a chance to see interior india specially Bihar at close quarters. I was pleasantly surprised. The roads were really awesome like how Texas roads used to be around 10 years. Miles and miles of endless roads going from places to places. In south bihar population is limited and one thing that really strikes out is the sense of hygiene. No garbage or plastic bags or any tobacco / gutka packets. I believe Plastic use with little regulation is going to destroy India and some economic decisions towards the same should be taken (not ban plastic but mandate higher thickness such that it gets recycled).
Banka was a typical like tier 4 town of India almost close to a village but it was awesome, did not know so many people know about Banka, it is very close to Bhagalpur. Deoghar is a very religious place and is one of the cleanest cities I have seen after Connor in the South.
All in all, I am very bullish on Bihar and things are changing very rapidly. One thing that stands out is the coverage of Vodafone (telecom operator), they had network coverage in such remote places that it made me want to call up senior management at Vodafone and tell them you guys rock (heck it was better than what I get in Bombay) :).
There is huge potential in the eastern states and those who harness the high energy will make so much money from these areas is not even a joke. It is literally money waiting to be picked up from the street, what Americans feel about India, I feel about Bihar, a land of high opportunities and big marketplace.
More later,
Shiva
It was a really cool trip (someone like myself travels) all the time, but then it is more fun to travel interiors then maybe to Delhi. I had a chance to see interior india specially Bihar at close quarters. I was pleasantly surprised. The roads were really awesome like how Texas roads used to be around 10 years. Miles and miles of endless roads going from places to places. In south bihar population is limited and one thing that really strikes out is the sense of hygiene. No garbage or plastic bags or any tobacco / gutka packets. I believe Plastic use with little regulation is going to destroy India and some economic decisions towards the same should be taken (not ban plastic but mandate higher thickness such that it gets recycled).
Banka was a typical like tier 4 town of India almost close to a village but it was awesome, did not know so many people know about Banka, it is very close to Bhagalpur. Deoghar is a very religious place and is one of the cleanest cities I have seen after Connor in the South.
All in all, I am very bullish on Bihar and things are changing very rapidly. One thing that stands out is the coverage of Vodafone (telecom operator), they had network coverage in such remote places that it made me want to call up senior management at Vodafone and tell them you guys rock (heck it was better than what I get in Bombay) :).
There is huge potential in the eastern states and those who harness the high energy will make so much money from these areas is not even a joke. It is literally money waiting to be picked up from the street, what Americans feel about India, I feel about Bihar, a land of high opportunities and big marketplace.
More later,
Shiva
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