India Shining - A view from abroad

[Guest guest]

> INDIA SHINING - A VIEW

> FROM ABROAD

> BY

> JITENDRA KUMAR

>

>

>When I first came to the United States in 1966, India was considered a poor

>country known for famines and snake charmers. One day when I was watching

>a

>“car race”, someone sitting next to me asked, “Do you race camels in

>India?”

>During the Bangladesh war, someone was watching the TV here and saw an

>Indian

>Army helicopter, and he said, “I did not know India has helicopters.”

>These

>views started changing when India woke up in the early 1990s with the

>implementation of market reforms. In 1999, when the world was looking for

>a

>large number of IT experts to make sure that Y2K does not create problems,

>India provided a large number of IT professionals to many of the developed

>countries. Coupled with the rapid privatization and economic reforms, the

>twenty-first century is seeing a shining India and the world opinion about

>her

>is changing too.

>

>In order to get new business, a few days back, Rajesh Rao, marketing

>manager of

>a software firm, made a cold call to the Vice President of a U.S. company.

>As

>soon as Mr. Rao introduced himself, the Vice President greeted him with

>Namaste

>instead of a usual American greeting, “Hi”. If you ask someone in the USA,

>“Where are cars made?” The answer could be “Japan” and now if you ask,

>“where

>does software come from,” soon the answer will be “India”. Silicon Valley

>in

>California has a large number of Indian IT experts and entrepreneurs.

>Microsoft and Oracle have more than 25% employees of Indian origin, and the

>cafeterias at both companies serve South Indian food also. In April 2000,

>a

>conference of European countries was held in Spain. At that conference,

>one of

>the questions discussed was “Why is USA ahead of Europe in information

>technology?” and the conference participants’ answer was that “USA has more

>Indian IT professionals than Europe does.” After the April conference, a

>number of European countries, especially Germany, decided to offer working

>visas to Indian IT professionals. In Germany this decision became a

>political

>issue and the opposition parties started a slogan, “Kinder Nacht Inder”,

>(children not Indian) meaning that Germany should train its own children

>rather

>than import IT professionals from India.

>

>The following statement highlight India’s emerging status:

>

>“India is now enjoying a rising status in the international arena...it has

>embarked on all round reforms and achieved rapid economic growth...China

>rejoices at the achievements made by India in its development.” Mr. Shu

>Rongji, President, Peoples Republic of China on his visit to Mumbai in

>January

>2002.

>

>“You liberated your markets and now you have one of the 10 fastest growing

>economies in the world.” Former U.S. President Bill Clinton

>

>

>“When people do software projects in India, they do so because this is the

>place

>they can find people with the latest skills.” Bill Gates, Chairman,

>Microsoft.

>

>Besides India and IT becoming synonymous, India has been making tremendous

>progress in call centers, outsourcing, biotechnology, pharmaceuticals, auto

>parts, and forging. Some of the prominent examples follow.

>

>The Moser Baer Corporation, located in India, is a manufacturer of the

>lowest

>cost CD-Rs and sells data-storage products to seven of the world’s top 10

>CD-R

>producers. Fifteen of the world’s major automobile makers are obtaining

>components from India worth $1.5 billion. Hero Honda is the largest

>motorcycle

>manufacturer in the world. Tata exports about 100,000 Indicas to Europe

>every

>year. Bharat Forge has the world’s largest single location forging

>facility.

>Asian Paints owns 22 production facilities over 5 continents and is the

>market

>leader in 11 countries. Hindustan Inks has the world’s largest single

>stream

>fully integrated ink plant. India has the largest laminated tube

>manufacturer

>with presence in 11 countries and a global market share of 25%. Ford has

>just

>presented its Gold World Excellence Award to India’s Cooper Tires. Besides

>Hyundai, Suzuki has also decided to make India its hub for manufacturing,

>export and research. Aston Martin, Toyota, Renault, Rover, Volvo, General

>Motors, and Ford are setting up auto and tractor plants in India. A number

>of

>multinational companies such as General Electric, Intel, Monsanto, Eli

>Lilly,

>Whirlpool, Bell Labs, Dupont, Daimler Chrysler, Hewlett Packard and Cummins

>have established their largest non-U.S. research facilities in India. Dr.

>Reddy’s Laboratories, Ranbaxy and Avestha are well known medical research

>organizations. India has 46 pharmaceutical plants approved by the U.S.

>Food &

>Drug Administration (FDA), the largest number outside the USA. A number of

>Indian companies such as Mittals, WIPRO, Renbaxy, Asian Paints, Tata,

>Dr.Reddy’s Laboratories have become true multinationals. The Indian

>companies

>have acquired and formed about 500 companies in the United Kingdom and over

>one

>score in the United States. The trade surplus and foreign exchange surplus

>have been increasing rapidly since 1999. During the first quarter of 2004,

>India’s GDP growth of 10.44% was the highest in the world.

>

>

>What does all this progress mean to other countries. In economic terms,

>India

>is helping a number of international companies to be more competitive by

>providing skilled workers and manufacturing sites. More of these companies

>have enhanced their presence in India and making profits there, which they

>are

>able to take out. India’s imports have increased tremendously and more

>Indians

>are traveling abroad. Besides these economic benefits, India is emerging

>as a

>strategic partner (politically and economically) of the USA, Russia, China,

>Japan, Australia, UK, France and a number of other important countries.

>India’s leading role with the World Trade Organization (WTO) is well known.

>Instead of being a borrowing nation with the World Bank and the

>International

>Monetary Fund, India is becoming a donor nation. India has become an

>important

>player in the war against terrorism and a world peacekeeping force.

>India’s

>goal of becoming a permanent member of the U.N. Security Counsel is no more

>a

>pipe dream.

>

>There have been a number of valid concerns about the influence of the

>Western

>culture in India. Cultural exchanges have always existed and with fast

>communications, world travel, TV, and the Internet, these exchanges are

>unstoppable. Indians should make every effort that they do not dilute

>centuries’ old values, we should not forget that there is a silver lining

>to

>the cultural exchange also. India’s culture is also influencing the world

>rapidly. When I left India in 1965, hardly anyone was familiar with Yoga,

>meditation, or vegetarianism. Now they have become part of the world

>culture.

>Words and names such as Om, guru, pundit, brahmin, karma, nirvana, moksha,

>Rama, Krishna, Shiva, Vishnu, Ganesha, Buddha, Gandhi, etc. have become

>well

>known all over the world. The popularity of Kumbh Melas is increasing and

>more

>foreigners are participating in these Melas.

>

>India is shining not only in India but all over the world. I hope that

>India

>uses this “shine” not only for her own people, but uses this “shine” for

>the

>prosperity, peace and well-being of the entire world.

>

>Jitendra Kumar

>9809 Korman Ct.

>Potomac, MD 20854, USA

>(301) 984-7050

>jki73

>

>C:\Files\JKpers\Indiaaview.wpd

>April 20, 2004

>

>

>

>

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