Comments on: India and the World

By: Anchoo

Anchoo — Fri, 03 Apr 2009 13:46:55 +0000

Ashoo, it’s called democracy – get used to it. Let the law take its course regarding Modi – trial by media when journalistic standards are the pits is not a hallmark of liberal democracies, and neither of enlightened and fair citizens. Do your homework and use your grey cells before simply repeating what the media tells you to repeat.

By: Ashoo

Ashoo — Fri, 27 Mar 2009 13:26:38 +0000

Tom, Nandan

I still have to hear from Nandan Nilekani what he feels about a country where a person like Narinder Modi is re-elected.

A report by Philip Reeves:

http://www.npr.org/templates/player/mediaPlayer.html?action=1&t=1&islist=false&id=17295332&m=17295309

By: Sudha

Sudha — Thu, 26 Mar 2009 19:42:57 +0000

Some ways India made America better:

1. Customer service improved. When we called computer and credit card companies, don’t people remember how horrible it used to be waiting for hours on the phone, listening to automated answering services and really rude call center workers?

2. Y2K averted. What a economic nightmare that would have been if no Indians were available to fix our systems.

3. Science slaves. PhD and Masters students and graduates from India and China helped drive innovation at our universities and companies when American kids chose Wall Street.

4. Online Indian tutors. They are more affordable than American ones and wont American society benefit on the whole from better educated youth than from having a few well paid tutors.

5. Medical tourism. Last hope for un/underinsured sick Americans.

6. Indians owning and operating convenience stores/motels even in risky neighborhoods. They need customer service assistance but so what when we can get milk and gas at 2am.

7. Indian doctors/nurses filling scarcity in rural/inner city hospitals and clinics. This is how our family came to America.

We need to think of more ways to help each other into the 21st century instead of fighting. Our government should enforce visa rules properly so the American workforce is not destroyed in the process of filling a void.

By: Arvindh

Arvindh — Wed, 25 Mar 2009 15:59:35 +0000

Also @Alex Sogliero: “Best to all”/ “with there laptop”/ “American’s”? And you really think you speak perfect English? Or does your perfect English grammar and vocabulary appear only when you speak and not when you write?

By: Arvindh

Arvindh — Wed, 25 Mar 2009 15:56:52 +0000

“I’m sure anyone who has had to contact “infosys” or any of it’s counterparts over seas for technical support with there laptop computer could attest to”

@Alex Sogliero: Might help a bit if you actually read up something about the company you are so dismissive about. You really think Infosys is only a call-center? Maybe that is what the problem is all about – people commenting about things they hardly understand, nor take the trouble to read up on.

By: Alex Sogliero

Alex Sogliero — Mon, 23 Mar 2009 02:31:36 +0000

In regards to the comment stating that both countries speak English, there are different degree’s of English fluency, I’m sure anyone who has had to contact “infosys” or any of it’s counterparts over seas for technical support with there laptop computer could attest to. Also, I believe it is very easy for Mr. Nilekani to say that protectionism is not the correct way to go, much of, if not all his, success has come from American companies giving him the work that in my opinion should be taken care of in the USA by other American’s that speak “perfect English” that we can all understand.

Best to all in these hard times.

-Alex

By: vik

vik — Fri, 20 Mar 2009 18:47:00 +0000

I truly believe in the point Nandan made that innovation and entrepreneurial-ship is global. Intelligent, Smart and Hardworking individuals and companies exists everywhere in the world. Individuals with open and easy access to the latest technology are a resource for companies in the US to generate cutting edge technology. Individuals with graduate level education, global awareness and willingness to work hard are a resource for companies in India. To be blessed by the MIT is NOT a requirement or a right of passage for SUCCESS.

By: Gale Kamen

Gale Kamen — Fri, 20 Mar 2009 16:38:42 +0000

Regarding India – why isn’t anyone addressing the massive corruption, caste system, daily violence against the lowest segment of the population (Dalits), lack of education/health services, and the lack of religious freedom/violence against many Dalits. I must agree with the comments of Amit.

By: Kumar Shiva

Kumar Shiva — Fri, 20 Mar 2009 14:05:52 +0000

I am an Indian American living in Boston and I have some comments to share with.

1. Please do not compare MIT and IIT. IIT is comparable to MIT for undergrad engineering discipline. But Masters and Ph.D. program in IIT have not yet produced any big innovation. I think the main reason is that all these IIT grads come to USA for higher education and become entrepreneurs here. Secondly, India does not have the capital (like USA and Europe)to invest in cutting edge research.

2. Infosys is not GE. Its just a IT service company. USA produces knowledge, Infosys trains their employee to learn this new knowledge related to IT and offer them as service to clients all round the world.

3. Infosys, Wipro and TCS are not just back office and call centers, they are competing with IBM to provide leading high end IT services to global companies. Thats why IBM and HP are hiring more Indians in India.

4. Not all Indians coming to USA are “Creme da la creme”.

5. Call centers and back office operations are cheap, but high end mission critical consulting from Infosys is not. US company can hire engineers locally for that and still save money rather than outsourcing to Infosys. The truth is there are less qualified engineers in USA, hence Global companies are forced to go to Infosys. Why can’t more Americans be software engineers or just learn programming as a hobby and challenge Infosys?

Kumar Shiva

By: Amit

Amit — Fri, 20 Mar 2009 05:28:40 +0000

It is time to stop the adulation of people like Mr. Nilekani and ask them some hard questions. Yes, they have created new jobs. Thank you. But they are not building a new India. Sorry.
1. Why are people like Mr. Nilekani and similar others content with doing what is essentially the “blue-collar work” of the IT age? Why is there not more innovation from India? Why does Mr. Nilekani not build companies that are at least a fraction, in terms of innovation, of Microsoft and Google and Cisco? Why are PhDs is India paid less than a second-rate under-graduate engineer doing work which most American graduates will shun as not being intellectually challenging enough? (World famous professors are paid less than the average EE/CS student staring out in the IT industry – I cannot believe that this is good for the country.) Why are our best students being attracted to these second-rate jobs rather than being encouraged to go to graduate school, as is the case in most of the developed world? Why don’t people like Mr. Nilekani address these issues rather than concentrate on easy sources to money? I find the comparison with Bill Gates or Steve Jobs purely ridiculous. If there are people who deserve that, they are the people toiling in start-up companies in Bangalore and Delhi (some of them do really great work) or researchers in India’s top labs and universities, and many NRIs working in similar professions abroad. These are the people working against great odds and they will be the ones who will raise India’s standing ultimately. This fascination with outsourced jobs is a very short-term trend. India needs to be self-sufficient. We need to develop products that will be the pride of the world.
2. The Indian govt. also needs to wake up. Why is there not more investment in healthcare, education and infrastructure so as to make these widely available? India probably has developed the most ruthless capitalistic system with no protetions for the poor and the weak. Indian leaders and its upper middle-class needs to realize that this recession will change the world economy. Somehow our leaders seem to think that the status quo will continue.

By: TheBear

TheBear — Fri, 20 Mar 2009 01:52:22 +0000

I’ve worked in the IT industry for most of my life, and some of the most professional, and polite programmers, were from India. They were all very open in discussing their country and answering questions concerning their religion and traditions.

I also believe with the guest speaker that the world economy is a two-way street. Americans benefit from buying many items from around the world at a cost that they otherwise wouldn’t be able to afford. I never hear these same people complain when they buy these products, so I think its two faced to complain when other countries and trying to benefit from the world market, even if it is in the form of jobs in the United States. Do you really believe that Americans don’t hold jobs in other countries, get a clue.

It’s a global economy, get with it. There are some things that one country will do better than others, and visa versa, it’s petty and self defeating to want your cake and eat it too. Learn and embrace from others in the world.

By: Véronique Louvet

Véronique Louvet — Thu, 19 Mar 2009 22:45:42 +0000

May I kinly suggest that Infosys is not the prOblem…no country is recession proof, no one is imperveous to the consequences of the US crisis but some introspection might be helpul:
-what about running your airlines like Indians do?
-what about training your human capital as to give it pride, competence and effciency , always striving for better quality as Indians do?
-what about realizing that there are other countires outside of your borders and that ignorance and protectionism won’t get you anywhere?
-what about revisiting an incestuous relationship that provides the cheap goods you are happy to buy?

By: Raj

Raj — Thu, 19 Mar 2009 21:29:58 +0000

Only the cream of the society can get a job in infosys. Interviews are strict and tough. i remeber attending these 5 rounds interviews along with 100 thousand other student during my college days. it was my dream to work in infosys but i guess i was not of sufficient standard.

By: Entrepreneurship in India supports America? « Silicon Valley Strategies

Entrepreneurship in India supports America? « Silicon Valley Strategies — Thu, 19 Mar 2009 21:29:21 +0000

[...] … here’s the link to the program Possibly related posts: (automatically generated)HOW INDIA WILL SURVIVE THIS RECESSIONEthical [...]

By: skris

skris — Thu, 19 Mar 2009 21:29:03 +0000

I dont know why the callers blamed Nandan and Infosys for outsourcing. Outsourcing was the commodatization of software and call centers. If not India it would have gone to another country. The movement of jobs was being pushed by American companies looking to push their cost structure down. Indian companies made use of it. Now Indian companies drive. The gross profits from the products sold eventually stays in the US.

This is similar to the electronics products that moved to Japan and Korea (which started as cheap manufacturing centers).

By: Sunil

Sunil — Thu, 19 Mar 2009 18:12:53 +0000

Great dialog. I came here almost 20 years ago to pursue the great American dream. It was also to get away from Indian corruption and red tape. When I look back I wonder about my decision and also really feel proud of people like Mr. Nilekani who decided to stand firm in India and brought India to where we are now. As he mentioned, we need to work together. Protectionism won;t help any country in the current global crisis but smart collaboration will go a long way.

By: Sam E.

Sam E. — Thu, 19 Mar 2009 17:27:40 +0000

Mr. Nilekani, was far more patient than I would have been with the callers. The U.S maybe in a bad position but India has had the same level of unemployment that the U.S has currently for the past decade and that was during a time of economic expansion. People in the U.S need to get beyond themselves and realize that are many many people through out the world living in very desperate conditions and that for those people to come into the 21st century we might have to cut back a little.

By: Wilson Samuel

Wilson Samuel — Thu, 19 Mar 2009 16:49:12 +0000

To Sally and Technology,

I really understand your view upon the companies “exploiting” the L-1 and/or Outsourcing Jobs from US to countries like India.

In my opinion this is a Global Economy and the two factors that have largely brought the US into the condition of “exploitation” of this “trend” are:

1. Ultra-Pseudo-Expensive Higher Level Education System (thanks to the For-Profit Universities and Colleges)

2. Ultra-Pseudo-Expensive Healthcare system

These two “parasitic” conditions are preying upon the Middle Class population of the US where many pioneers lie (did anyone know Larry Elison or Bill Gates et al?) and more and more families are crushed under the present situation that if something doesnt change, truely US will loose its place as a Global leader.

India, on the contrary doesnt have an ultra-inexpensive healthcare or education system BUT, they have HUGE population of young adults that can really take the advantage of the present situation and come out of colleges equipped with degrees like cars coming out from the assembly lines, and along with the relatively inexpensive cost of living (1 USD ~ 50 INR) its really really “beneficial” for any of these Tech companies to deploy/employ more people in India, Sri Lanka etc.

So, lets stop blaming others and lets start to work together to make US a better Global Leader!

God Bless America!!

By: Ashoo

Ashoo — Thu, 19 Mar 2009 16:14:50 +0000

Tom

It was a fascinating talk that touched on very hot issues in the general context of India.

On the question of minorities and rich diversity that India is bestowed with, your guest kept emphasizing that India is a place of cultural fusion. I do agree
to some extent.. but to a certain extent there have been witnessing horrendous pogroms against hapless minority Muslim populations in various parts of India.

Most glaringly the Gujarat 2002 pogroms stand out. It was a pity when another caller, Guy, raised the question of the treatment of Christian minorities, your guest sort of explained away that question but it was your SOLEMN DUTY as a host to push a little and ask Nandan about the plight of Muslims in India… so at that moment I thought of asking that question and called into the program..

My questions ( which still stand and were approved by your screener, but we ran out of time )

” Mr Nilekani, do you feel satisfied with the efforts the Indian Government might have taken to ensure situations like the Gujarat pogroms of 2002 against the Muslim minority of Gujrat do not happen again.. for that matter anywhere in India ? Also do you feel the guilty have been brought to Justice ? ”

The truth is there only have been token arrests and token sentences in a scant few of the cases. A huge number of cases have eaten the dust and never seen the light of justice.

The whole system the whole government of Narinder Modi has ensured they won’t come to surface. Narinder Modi the author/CEO of these pogroms was RE-ELECTED the chief minister of Gujarat after this pogrom. If he is all clean why would the US State Department deny his visa application ?

In fact an independent news organization in India Tehelka.com launched a sting operation and gleaned very incriminating evidence against the perpetrators.

Tom..how could a learned journalist like you not know about this ?
http://www.tehelka.com/story_main35.asp?filename=Ne031107gujrat_sec.asp

As for me.. I am an Indian Muslim and have been living in the United States for almost a decade now.
I am not a separatist. I wish well for India and the subcontinent as a whole. I am sick of these festering India-Pakistan conflicts. And I pray and wish there is PEACE everywhere.

We have been holding Pakistan accountable ( and rightly so )for its part..

Is anyone holding India accountable for its systematic and low intensity suppression of its largest minority community ? Don’t forget that India is the second most populous Muslim country in the world and Indian Muslims have a rich past and have contributed
so much to India’s heritage, its modernity and nationalism !

But those who forget the past are doomed to repeat it..
Just consider..
–Gujrat pogroms 2002
–Mumbai pogroms 1992-1993
and countless others..you just have to scratch the surface !

Jai-Hind ( Long Live India )

By: Ashoo

Ashoo — Thu, 19 Mar 2009 16:06:47 +0000

Tom

It was a fascinating talk that touched on very hot issues in the general context of India.

Most glaringly the Gujarat 2002 pogroms stand out. It was a pity when another caller “Guy” raised the question of the treatment of Christian minorities, your guest sort of explained away that question but it was your SOLEMN DUTY as a host to push a little and ask Nandan about the plight of Muslims in India… so at that moment I thought of asking that question and called into the program..

My questions ( which still stand and were approved by your screener, but we ran out of time )

” Mr Nilekani, do you feel satisfied with the efforts the Indian Government might have taken to ensure situations like the Gujarat pogroms of 2002 against the Muslim minority of Gujrat do not happen again for that matter anywhere in India ? Also do you feel the guilty have been brought to Justice ? ”

The truth is there only have been token arrests and token sentences in a scant few of the cases. A huge number of cases have eaten the dust and never seen the light of justice.

In fact an independent news organization in India Tehelka.com launched a sting operation and gleaned very incriminating evidence against the perpetrators.

Tom..how could a learned journalist like you not know about this ?
http://www.tehelka.com/story_main35.asp?filename=Ne031107gujrat_sec.asp

As for me I am an Indian Muslim and have been living in the United States for almost a decade now.
I am not a separatist. I wish well for India and the subcontinent as a whole. I am sick of these festering India-Pakistan festering conflicts. And I pray and wish there is PEACE everywhere.

We have been holding Pakistan accountable ( and rightly so )for its part..

But those who forget the past are orgot the Riots against Muslims of India in
–Gujrat pogroms 2002
–Mumbai pogroms 1992-1993
– and ountless others .. you just have to scratch the surface !

Jai-Hind ( Long Live India )