It appears over the years the short term gains and profit orientation have so much gotten into the mindset of the business community, particularly the those at top of the pack that it hardly bother about the wretched condition of the millions of people of the community whom they exploit and in which they exist and grow.

For me there is only one priority and that is a goal of having 100% educated Indians. I can bet ‘attain it and India becomes superpower’. I feel bad as the business houses are not doing anything significant in that direction leaving the majority of the responsibility to the government. The business houses today even don’t bother to educate its own employees and still expect them to contribute the best through major innovation. How many of the business houses, the bug ones, are having a system of continuous education of all of its employees? Why can’t it bear the social responsibility of the education of all the children of the employees? Will it significantly upset its budget? If these business houses take it as a mission, it is easy to do, but if it does it for meeting certain mandatory requirement, it will never happen.

I shall like to talk of only few concrete sectors. Every one today knows about the telecom sector because of its unique expansion. And all these companies are making money and also are behind billion worth of scams. Should the companies not encourage the young boys and girls engaged in the sector for higher education and skill and spend on it? If the Japanese in good old days could make the nation learn the significance of quality and quality circle through radio programmes, why can’t the telecom operators educate the 700 million people with handsets?

The country today produces about 2 million of automobiles that need skill of using as well as in maintaining of the machines. Can someone tell me the capacity of the schools or facilities for training drivers and motor mechanics in the country? Can’t the business houses take this responsibility? Why should they expect that also as government job? And similar is the condition of all the service sectors?

Let the business house realize that one of its major responsibilities is not only to making profit and increasing its own wealth but also to make the people around them educated, skilled and wealthy.

If the business houses don’t take up this responsibility and change its mindset, I see a bleak future for the country. There can be only one way that will force the change happen. And that will be what is happening in Arab world, but that will not be against only the government but also against all those who could have avoided it to happen.
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PS: With 2% of profit for CSR getting mandatory for the Indian Inc., will the corporate take the mission of educating and skilling India 100% in next five years? Premji has already shown the way. Let others join him.