India is Hostile to Growth

Just few days back, when I wrote a blog on Narayana Murthy business plan, I received very critical remarks from the people belonging to few sectors. Indians are not ready to accept the reality especially if it is told by an Indian. Indians are too egoist to accept anything negative. Indian media, newspapers, intelligentsia and other institutions remain diplomatic in their judgment of the past as well as in their forecast for the future. It is not good for conscious society. It is frustrating. It is misguiding. It is the biggest obstacles for human growth.

‘Mittal finds India tough’, writes Times of India on 21 August. Mittal may have been able to do business across the world to build his massive empire in one generation only but when question of doing business in India comes, he is encountering all those hassles, which appears too ridiculous in 21st century. These problems appear to be a social stigma. Last year, he announced the project with Jharkhand Government. It did not work. This year again after the jubilant victory in European country with Arcelor, he did joint contract with Orissa government. Mittal is facing problems. He is not able to go ahead, the way he expects the business should move.

To clarify my views, I would like to repeat the few points which emerged from this new reporting again. These points are true in the case of LN Mittal too.

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 attached to India because you are born here, but to achieve growth, you have to detach these feelings.
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. LN Mittal also must take some lesson out of his trauma.
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. It is found true again in case of L N Mittal. Indians need to retrospect their way of dealing with growth.

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.

The kind of hurdles, LN Mittal is facing is ironic. The similar problems are emerging in the approval and development of SEZs. The country needs them badly to achieve the growth but the way Indian leadership is delaying the things, it appears ironic. Similarly, Mittal is facing problems with ONGC. It is just because, ONGC is still controlled by governments’ body. Even Subir Raha has to face all those problems to show case ONGC in growing market in the world.
If we have to become developed, we have to come out of these ruts. We have to forget administrative hurdles to speed up the project to eradicate poverty. The selfishness of leadership should not restrict to their growth and theirs offspring development. The leaders and administrator sitting at comfortable position without any accountability towards people will have to amend their ways. The administrative reforms started by Prime Minister long back will have to be implemented on priority to remove few of the bureaucratic hassles.

The growth is not the need of deprived lot. The infrastructure is not the need of poor people. We go on road, railways station, bus stand, airport, we find infrastructure choking. India is finding crumbling at all public places. Is this the way, India wants development? We shall have to amend our style of functioning.