India is Proud of Brain Drain

In 70s and 80s, there was a big concern in the country and it was the question of brain drain. Today, when those brain went into drain are becoming world famous as achievers, Indian media is not getting tired to glorify their achievements. The front page of Indian daily consist the past history of those achievers. The Indian link is talked as a big achievement of country. The whole country deprived of good achievers, feel very happy to talk and discuss about those achievements acquired by those brain drain of 70s. What a great contradictions of long term policies?

There is hardly any integrity of the reporting of Indian dailies. It lacks cohesiveness. It lacks the wisdom to make issues for national interest. They hardly bother to even correlate their previous day front page report. Just few days back, Pepsi and Coke came on headline when they were banned in many parts of the country. It again came in the headline when American gave a threat to get a break on foreign investments. Pepsi again made the headline when Indian born Nooyi was designated as next CEO of the $32billion dollar food and beverages giant. Can we keep our wisdom intact in such situations?

The reporting is one thing and reporting correct and relevant information is another. It is great that Mooyi, who lived in India for her first 23 years, studied from Madras Christian College and famous national management institute IIM Calcutta. But is it sufficient requirement for any individual to go on top. Once she left India, she remained in US for next 27 years. She is still continuing to be there. She has not even talked to any reporter till now. She has maintained her changed environment to ensure her sound thinking and action.

I remember when I was in Adampur, Punjab during 2001; she came to India for just few days. She went to her native place in Chenai just for a day. Since that time onwards, I kept her under observation for analysis of human growth. I find her as most suitable example. She almost proves my theory of human growth. There are seven essential factors for human growth. First is thinking and action. She maintained her situation for sound personality. The developed situation is needed for proper thinking and action. She managed other factors very judiciously. The four factors like sex, parents, God and aspirations were resolved nicely for smooth growth. The sixth factor, godfather was created to achieve desired success. The seventh factor, wisdom domain was formed so that she is ready to take necessary harsh decisions to achieve desired growth. She managed all theses seven factors efficiently for growth.

Nooyi says India is a ‘rising star’, the fact remains that annual per capita consumption of carbonated beverages remains very low. There is a tremendous scope of enhancement of business in India. Today when Sunita Narain is bent on to show the 30 % increase of pesticides in Coke and Pepsi, the issues are being discussed in Parliament, Indian politicians are ready to grab this lucrative issues to show their nationality to poor Indians, it is a great and strategic move for PepsiCo to chose Nooyi as CEO. The country starved of even a good drinking water in most part, raise the issues of cold drinks, it appears to me as a laughing stocks. It all depends to me as a efficient person getting as assignment of non-effective issues. In this case, Sunita Narain should be moved to other department where she starts working with this efficiency to provide good water and good education to poor. The government should take these steps to move effective and efficient people to the department which look after basic necessities for its citizens. This will help the country more. Now when PepsiCo takes this strategic decision, hopefully it will help the company more than the country which got one ‘hero’.

As we have made, Laxmi Mittal as son of soil, we will not miss opportunities to make Nooyi as another role model. Indian media, which does not feel hesitant in making Prince a hero, will make Nooyi another hero. As a women, taking over as CEO is a real great achievement. I only hope, Indian media have patience while reporting about her and write real informative and encouraging information. There is no point to make all of a sudden, Nooyi achievements as Indian success. 

Think and Act Global

Just a few decades ago, in the 1970s and 80s, India had a very big problem of brain drain, the migration of its intellectual capital to the developed world. The cases of brain drain have not gone down the drain altogether, but the brains have been preserved. These preserved brains have not only given recognition to Indian mind through Nobel Prizes, but today when they have looked back towards this nation with affection and attachments; they have changed the whole paradigm of development. Dr R. A. Mashelkar, commonly known as the Dangerous Optimist, points out that when one such person with her brilliance comes back to this country, it is equivalent to 100 people existing here. India is lucky to have such a population of 20 million across the world. They have become a brand – Brand India. They are going to change the future.

When these brand Indians are back, we are facing other serious problems as a nation, I termed that as Company Drain. Indian private companies are not serving India but it is going to US and other European countries. This situation is becoming very common today. Indian Call Centers and BPOs are doing this. Indians companies dealing with vegetable and fruits will be doing this. It is almost impossible to grow money in sluggish, rigid and conservative society. It is good that they bring money to this capital starved nation through this global business. It is expected that in the time to come, it is equally going to be beneficial like brain drain of 70s and 80s. It will be good for the country.

Indian Multinational in real sense not through advertisements, Infosys puts 25 years unprecedented growth behind and shapes up for the future. Infosys is ready to set its own course and provide guidance to other emerging companies. A minor study of unprecedented growth reveals many obvious conclusions. There are five essential lessons for emerging companies to achieve unprecedented growth in developing country –

1. Never Rely on India – You may have born in India. You may love India. You may be genetically attached to its regional languages. You may be interesting to see India growing. But you can not rely on India for your growth. You have to rely on US and other European countries for your growth. Infosys CEO Nandan Nilekani says, ‘Infosys does 90% of its business from outside India.’ Starting from its first Rs 10,000/- to few billions, Infosys did never rely for its operation, business, profits and growth on India.

Infosys might have been started by Indians from Indian soil, but never tried to convince Indians to accept its products. Even after 25 years of its operation, it is looking outside India including China for its new businesses. India has not been able to harness its capabilities. India has not given due respects and consideration to this giant Indian company. When the whole world understands its capabilities for its effectiveness, India is still behaving a poor host for its global outlook individuals and companies.

2. Don’t Rely Heavily on Indians – Narayana Murthy says, ‘working with diverse cultures across nations help break down political barriers.’ He is fully aware about the polluted political mind of this country. Certainly this impacts the normal mental level of educated youth. They remain disgruntled with their distorted political believes because of improper unlearning. A wrong political believes inducts inefficiency and ineffectiveness in the work culture of any organization, which results in discipline cases. Infosys will not like to keep handling such trivial issues.

3. Not Only Talk Global, Act Global – In rising country like India, it becomes a status symbol to use the word global in any policy discussions and implementation. Even Indian film industry that never raise the quality of movies, talks going global. The regional leaders and politicians who have no courage to accept universal language, talks shamelessly about global. The people who talk ruthlessly about reservations, conversions, regionalism, and religion for their own benefits, also want to join the hype of globalism.

Infosys is 180 degree different than these talking individuals and institutions. This year, the company has recruited 126 American students from various US Universities. Last year, they invited 100 Chinese students and spent millions on the program. They have planned to hire people from UK Universities in 2007. Students from Universities of Australia, China and other Europe are also in the pipeline. This is called talk global and act global.

4. Develop India on Global Power – Infosys chief mentor said the capabilities brought in by the people from diverse cultures will create a more competitive business model for the company. All these new recruits from all over the world will make a true global village at Mysore in India. This will pave the way for real creation of developed India. The subsequent developments in other sectors including SEZs will take few lessons from these steps of Infosys. The arrival of intelligence, languages, cultures and values from across the world will create global India.

5. A Lesson for MNCs – Most of the MNCs in India are being headed by Indians. These Indians, even at high positions, are engulfed with regionalism, religion and linguistic mentality. That is the reason; most of these MNCs are headed by Bengalis, Oria or Keralites. They always prefer to recruit the people belonging to the same region, speaking similar languages and having similar beliefs. They are successfully able to misguide their global bosses with existing resources and network.

The real global MNCs are working sometime as worse as local state level departments of a developing country. That is the reason; most of these MNCs are unable to grow significantly on Indian soil, example – Dell, one of the best computer manufacturers in the world, is losing heavily in India operation. The overseas MNCs bosses have to take lesson from Infosys operations.

Indian companies which are rising against odds are setting good lessons for the future managers and entrepreneurs across the globe. These lessons are obvious and clear. Sometime there may be a need for more explanation. I am available at kamekish@yahoo.com for further queries. The companies which wants to establish on Indian soil, these lessons are very vital for unprecedented growth, the companies deserves in 21st century. Country need to be serious to stop Company Drain. The growth of companies is important for India and Indians. The growth is important for whole world. The growth is essential for well deserved peace.

Human Survival Instincts

Delhi Times garnered courage to display Mallika on the front page. I was amazed. Not only because she is in the front page, but the person, who is writing about her, is a very renowned journalist and writer of this country, Pritish Nandy. Because of this serious curiosity to disclose the closed ideas, I read the complete article. The point which surfaced to me was nothing, I could keep with me. That resulted to in the form of this blog.

I am used to read negative headings, negative reporting and demoralizing analysis of one of the most courageous heroin of Indian film industry. This exists in spite of the fact of sheer absence of any beauty and mind in the film industry. The film industry is starved of new faces, new ideas, futuristic projects and plan for developed India.

I have been unable to understand the deep rooted slavery system, in India. Even the free journalism is not able to keep brightest journalist of this country free. The reporters remain engulfed with height of discrimination related to religion, region, languages and background. Mallika always occupy bad report from the entire journalists in the country. The reason lies somewhere in between these human compulsions to remain attached to their traditions.

Last year, I wrote a book on ‘Unlearn Before U-learn’. I have analyzed various changing trends in society due to tremendous technological and social changes. For me, changes are obvious and clear. But, I am unable to find even few of the people who are able to experience, realise and re-learn from these changing scenarios. The people are coupled to act with their old, traditional and conservative thinking. The few salient lines, I would like to reproduce from my book:

“The so-called ‘Generation Valley’ is so deep and wide that parents are becoming the biggest hurdle in today’s growth. Life has become tougher. A son or daughter, who wants to develop their family, has to be a super-manager or super-human to deal with all kinds of challenges. If one wants to bring her family up along with her, she will never be able to achieve anything in life. She perforce will have to become a lame sacrificial lamb or alternatively a rebel.

Mallika Sherawat, the famous Indian actress, rebelled from her family setup to work in movies. Her parents never agreed with her ideas. She broke relations with her parents to pursue her career in movies. When she was attending a press conference at the Cannes Film Festival for the launch of The Myth in which she had a role as an Indian princess along with the famous international superstar Jackie Chan, She roared, ‘My dad comes from a very old-world setup where everything is very traditional. The attitude is still, “girls from good families shouldn’t go into films.” Their thinking will never change. My mother still wears a gunghat (veil). I feel so lost at times.’ She is correct. Anybody will feel lost when she has to change her level all alone. She has to move all alone. She has to take her decisions in life all alone. Parents are worse than enemies in such cases because they cannot accept or understand and appreciate her tremendous efforts. You do not get either inspiration nor can you get detached easily. She immediately confirms, ‘My dad has not spoken to me for the last three years.’ There is no way out. The progress of the offsprings of this generation has to pass through a dark tunnel where there are no parents.

The existing family structure is comfortable as long as there is no change in the status of the next generation. If there is no change in the education or prosperity level in the next generation, they may be compelled to show compatibility because of the financial dependency of children. The moment the changes take place, the problem starts getting bigger. There is a requirement to think of a new family structure or setup. That was a reason why we have heard many unbelievable incidents from Western countries and developed world in the middle of twentieth century when they were developing. Today, Asian countries are moving towards development and passing through the same phases; we must analyze and learn from the experience of the developed world. The developed world has passed through those hassles and difficulties in the last centuries. The solution may lie somewhere in a known knowledge domain if we search, learn and implement. Cases like an increase in old-age homes, children divorcing their parents, the concept of a single family, more single parents in society, ladies demanding their share of power, smaller family sizes, single child syndrom and so on have to increase and we have to adjust to them. It is comfortable if we unlearn the old setup quickly and completely.”

Mallika might have revolted from her parents to work and survive alone, but the hell lot of other people who are supposed to work for the growth of a star, remain biggest obstacles for developing India. There is hardly any system for the homogeneous growth. The system most of the time work dangerously to curb even the intelligent growth of individual.

The country like India is unique in the sense at this juncture of human civilization. The people are at whatever position, comfortable with their own disgruntled, half cooked and rubbish knowledge. Hardly few people generate courage to building empire for the future of this vast country. From film industry, I categorized Mallika as Indian idol, who is surviving the odd to take this country ahead in a right direction.

In India searching talent is the job of consultants. Specialists and capitalists have their own mission. Where do they have time to find talent? Laxmi Mittal is busy in teaching his sons, Ambani has already taught all industry tricks to his sons, Laloo is busy in training Rabri and his sons, Sonia is busy with Priyanka and Rahul, Rakesh Roshan is busy in projecting Hritik, Amitabh is busy with Abhishek, Hema is projecting Isha, Mallay Chaudhary is busy with Arindam Chaudhary and so on. Who thinks about Mallika? Her parents have rejected her. She is supposed to struggle with all the resources of 21st century. Thanks to the advent of new technological scenario, individuals like Mallika can survive and grow. Pritish Nandy will love to write.

After reading the entire article, I could not judge why Pritish Nandy wrote about Mallika in the front page of Delhi Times, dated August 4, 2006. I kept on going through the pages. Lastly I could find photographs of Rahul Bose. There were many photographs of Bose along with a quote. Rahul says, ‘She is very hardworking and willing to listen to what others have to say. She also has a very good sense of humour. She comes across as a very powerful woman who has a mind of her own. She is warm and understanding and I feel she’s going to go a long way!’. Whao… What a great statement especially when you are doing movies with her and you are not as famous as heroin?

But why Pritish agreed to write this article? Did Bose influence him to write about her? Did he get influenced to write on the front page of Delhi Times? If Yes, Can this country learn little more to unlearn to be partial to talents? A talent is a tough thing to be searched, developed, harnessed, groomed and preserved. Can an independent Indian be little more impartial in their approach and work to take talents ahead without discrimination based on religion, region, languages and background? Pritish remembered certified Mallika when she was doing movie with Rahul Bose. What a great coincidence? Why are we playing with talents of country? 

Challenges of Developing Youth

The children of developing world are struggling. Some succeed while others succumb. Many die in the course of struggle. Few dies because of malnutrition, accidents, suicide, natural disasters and bomb blasts, and rest struggle to survive. Many students succumb to societal pressure to opt for trivial jobs. Few join mafia net. Many studious and hard working individuals commit suicide. Approximately 4000 students commit suicide annually. This amounts to 148 per 1, 00,000 in developing world compared to 2.1 in UK. Everyday news papers are full of these incidences. People are forced to read these fearful events. The overall wisdom lacks severely in the society to handle such situations. This becomes serious because most of these people have less access to genuine information. They are engulfed with poverty and deprivation. Normal people remain clueless about these complexities.
National administrative systems and HRD ministry are busy in their trivial ideas and missions. Mostly, they too remain clueless because of detached approach. They remain ignorant because of their forced distances from wisdom sources. They do not like to give weightage to knowledge sources. As such, they have nothing to loose till the time they have to work for one individual. Nation suffers. Farmers commit suicide. Families die in bulk. The crumbling infrastructure halts life. Students feel orphan. Parents remain confused. System is unable to provide wisdom and guidance. Confusions prevail. I owe these confusions to our inability in general to unlearn things. This occurs at individual, society and national level. Shall we stop judging new situations in old backgrounds?
In the midst of all these confusions, leadership is moving ahead and convincing people to take hard decisions. Leaders are telling people to move ahead. They are preaching people to dream big. They are compelling people to drive hard. They are guiding people towards impossibilities. Instead of working themselves and taking hard decisions for the betterment of children, they are telling citizen to work hard. I termed these situations as they are misguiding people towards chaos. These generate contradictions in the mind of youth. This generates frustrations among farmers, workers and families. The contradictions are created in the mind. Wrong aspirations are developed. I call them fatal aspirations.
In due course of time, a family and its members rear so many contradictions in their existence that they make their own life miserable. I would like to explain the prevailing confusions through a simple narrative. This is the true story of a high rising individual in this country. Once I met a person in a train journey. He narrated his life some thing like this -

“I am working in Delhi Police. I am staying in one of the posh area of Delhi. I have four children. The eldest daughter stays in village and studies in school in Otava near Agra so that she can learn the old culture of our society for which we Indians are very proud. I have put my one son and one daughter in DPS RK Puram. They are learning all the latest developments of society. They are learning things very fast. They speak in English. They are studying in English. It is a different story that we never speak English at home. My wife joins sometime at my Delhi residence. She continues staying at village to look after farming with another youngest son of three years of age. I have my two brothers and four sisters staying in the village. They are staying in the joint family except my eldest brother who stays separately in the same village. He and his wife are teachers and they have two children. They are studying in the same school where my brother and sister-in-law are teaching. I am the only advanced and most literate one who could get a service outside the village and working in Delhi. I am staying outside and seeing the advanced world but, you see sir, I have not forgotten the village and my ancient culture. I am so proud of my traditions. I still remember when my father refused to allow me to marry a daughter of my senior with whom I fell in love. We saw few movies together. I took her few times to famous Lodi Garden to understand each other in a better way. Sir, Lodi Garden is really a nice place to take your not so knowledgeable girlfriend to learn few basics of a loving life. There are many live examples there to show to your girlfriend. But after all these, finally I married as per my father’s wishes with a girl of nearby village. My wife is not very literate. She has passed her sixth class from her village school. When she got involved with a boy of tenth class, her father refused to send her to school so that she should not learn bad things of society. Over and above, it is so difficult to get our prestige intact if our daughter gets involved in some love affairs. My father-in-law that way was very strict and discipline. My wife is very hard working and sincere. She takes care of my entire house. She gets up at 4 o’clock and sleeps at 12 o’clock in the night after everybody sleeps. She never complaints to me for anything.
I am very proud of my achievements. In life, you have to sacrifice a bit to get some prestige. I am very sure that I shall always try to teach all these ‘cultural richness’ of my ancestors to my children. Once in a year, I bring my son and daughter studying in DPS, R K Puram, to village for two months during their summer vacation. I leave them in the village with their mother so that they can learn the basics of the ‘sound culture’ of our village. They do not get chance to speak in English in the village but I am hopeful that the sound culture which they learn during vacations will be useful in the long run compare to those who send their children to “Your’s Kid Our Kids” for summer camp and learn salsa, painting, acting, modeling, horse riding or instrumental music etc.
I want to educate my children with the best of education available so that they can become good officers in some Government department and earn a lot of money and prestige. Officers in Government department get lots of prestige and money too from all the public. At the same time, I want to maintain the village set up so that after retirement I or even my children could get settled there and live a good life in old age. I know there are lots of problems in the village like poor electricity, no medical facilities, no good school or college, no road, no communication and so on but at least I am very proud of my village. My grandfathers have taught me that I should not sell or dispose off my ancestor property. I shall not do it at least during my time. I am not sure of my children especially who are studying in DPS. Sometime, their talks give shivers to me.”

During the whole journey, my mind kept on delving on voluminous contradictions in the life of a common man. How an educated person can marry an uneducated wife? How the wife of a middle class urban society would be forced to live a miserable life in village between 4 o’clock in the morning to 12 o’clock in the night? How the people have been taught about the ‘cultural richness’ or ‘sound culture’? Is living in scarcity, indicates a sound culture? How the message of good living and sound culture should be spread in such a vast and contradictory population of south Asian in general and Indian in particular? You force your children to study English and modernity in one hand and on the other hand you ensure, they learn poverty, deprivation, scarcity and misery. What do we want from a child of nine? Is it not a criminal offence to force your nine-year old son or daughter in such a ‘contradictory microwave oven’? Do children of developing world have much choice?
It is ironic that most of the poor children are still being taught in regional language. There are no good writings available in any regional languages. But Government is unable to take any hard decision. Students study in regional languages and subsequently if get opportunities to go for higher education, they have to switch over to English by force. Some are able to adjust while few go for suicide. Other becomes Naxals or terrorists. It is criminal in the part of democratic leadership. Poor are unable to understand the actual need. Children as well as parents are puzzled. We have to avoid these existing anomalies in life. It remains a challenge.
Finance Minister P Chidambaram at the function on 25th year’s celebration of only MNC of India M/S Infosys at Mysore says, ‘India is not poor country. India has poor people.’ I say that India has poor leaders. These leaders speak during functions to tell individual to be strong. Why can not they become strong? Why not they take hard decisions to take this moving country ahead? Why they succumb to pity pressure to keep their chair? The similar thing was told by Prime Minister during an award ceremony in Delhi. We have taken fifteen long years to reach to this level after globalization. Are we going to take another fifteen years to have basic infrastructure? These are challenges. They contradict our existence. Children become frustrated. They are unable to digest this apathy.
The country is proud of educated youth. The country is prospering because of English speaking people. The better future is reserved for the people who are educated in English. Why should we waste our time in reservation for higher studies when basic education is not available? The education system needs to be revolutionized. The bad leadership is forcing children to commit suicide.
Every individual has to understand these anomalies in the system of developing society. The future of the nation depends on its youth. They are being readied today. They must concentrate on big issues. Their parents, teachers and well wishers must focus on real issues. They have to learn to unlearn. They have to ignore contradictions. They have to avoid fatal aspirations.