दृष्टिकोण – Indra's Viewpoint

US News selected Indra Nooyi, PepsiCo CEO among the best leaders of the year. I feel happy about her for many reasons. As usual I adore her as she is an Indian, a woman, who is an answer to many wrong myths. I feel excited as she has the same first name as mine. My grandfather gave me this name Indra, as to him my original name Dhanwantar appeared rural.

However, I have started respecting her more for two more reasons after reading the US News story on Indra Nooyi, CEO of PepsiCo. First reason was the way, she handled her rival.

By 2006, Nooyi was one of just two finalists to succeed CEO Steven Reinemund as leader of one of the world’s best-known brands. After getting the nod, Nooyi flew to visit the other contender. “Tell me whatever I need to do to keep you,” she implored. They had worked together for years, both loved music, and Nooyi was persuasive, offering to boost her competitor’s compensation to nearly match her own. He agreed to serve as her right-hand man, creating her version of a team of rivals.

I get reminded of my own early years in Hindustan Motors that I had joined in 1961 just after passing out from IIT, Kharagpur. Hindustan Motors had initiated a scheme for recruiting executive trainees since 1959. Many of my seniors from IIT were already there. Sandip Mehta had joined the scheme in 1960, but he was in another Birla company in Jaipur. After a year or two, he got himself transferred to Hindustan Motors, as his ailing parents were in Calcutta. He was asked to work for me, as by that time I had been absorbed in regular supervisory management in axle manufacturing machine shop. I never considered him my subordinate and kept him involving everything that I was assigned to supervise. Over the time, Mehta became very close. I used to call him Mehta Bhai. Mehta had made Yamuna his sister.

Because of my extreme hard work, I had established myself as better than old-timers who had been ruling the manufacturing areas. I was the first to get a promotion as superintendent. All the senior executive trainees of ’60 batch went to the boss who was an elderly and efficient gentleman though not engineer. They represented against my promotion as I was junior to them. I did not know all these things. Then one day my boss told me the story and questioned surprisingly why Mehta was in the group that represented against my promotion. I came home and sent a written note to Mehta. ‘Mehta Bhai, How would you have reacted if Ajit (his younger brother) would have been working in the same place with you and got promoted ahead of you?’ Mehta came running and with tears in his eyes. He explained how others forced him to join them. I never had any problem thereafter with Mehta. Later on, I was sent to head engine manufacturing plant after a brief training in UK in 1965. Mehta immigrated to UK and worked in various countries. He is still working in US. He kept in regular communication. He called me many times, when we were in US recently.

The second reason for respecting Nooyi is her intense personal relation as narrated in the story.

For all that, Nooyi remains profoundly personal. She told the BBC in March that she calls her mother in India twice a day. “At the end of the day,” said the CEO of one of America’s biggest enterprises, “don’t forget that you’re a person, don’t forget you’re a mother, don’t forget you’re a wife, don’t forget you’re a daughter.” When your job is done, “what you’re left is family, friends, and faith.”

I firmly believe the same and tried to do whatever best I could do for my parents when they lived with us till their death. I used to return after a tough day in the factory and with just few words with them, I would get refreshed and spirited to carry all the burdens of the life. I was blessed to serve them for some time.

I wish everyone emulate Indra Nooyi even after reaching the top in life.

The second round of pleas by the Detroit Big Three automakers to convince the senators for the federal bailout for their survival appears to be failing. Interestingly, unlike the last trip to Washington in private jets, the CEOs this time made the 500-mile return trip from Washington to Detroit in the hybrid cars.

GM asked for $12 billion in short-term loans, plus a $6 billion line of credit. GM needs $4 billion immediately and $4 billion more in January, and hopes to repay the government by 2012. Chrysler needs a $7 billion bridge loan. Ford requested a $9 billion line of credit, though hopes never to use it. Americans have many questions.

Will the onetime giant General Motors survive through the end of this month without a quick rescue or collapse deepening the already painful recession in US? Can GM survive with its restructuring, closure of plants, layoffs, downsizing and dropping of some brands? Will GM free up research, marketing and overhead costs?

Will Chrysler be sold turning the Big3 into the Big 2?

Could the automakers return to profitability even with a massive infusion of government cash? Will President Bush use his authority to find a way out, be it under the $700 billion financial rescue program to forestall the auto industry’s collapse?
Why are the car companies, which support one in 10 U.S. jobs, less deserving of assistance than Wall Street banks and insurance companies? The Federal Reserve and the Treasury Department, under President Bush, managed to provide $30 billion for Bear Stearns, and a $150 billion rescue for AIG, and committed $250 billion to Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, and more than $300 billion for Citi Group. Automakers even today ask for only $34 billion between three huge companies. Bush administration officials remain adamant to reserve the bailout funds exclusively for the financial system. Can’t Bush come out to help?

Will ultimately the Big Three agree to the alternative course suggested by several lawmakers in both parties to consider a pre-negotiated bankruptcy – something they have consistently shunned?

And finally a relevant question remains. Will Chinese automaker like Geely and SAIC with the desire to get a footprint in the U.S buy its way into the U.S. market?

On the part of automakers, GM and Ford are trying to salvage the situations with all the weapons with them. GM promises to bring its labour cost in line with Toyota by 2012. All three are limiting executive pay and have also won money-saving union agreements. GM and Ford both are working overtime for getting green with hybrid and plug-in electric vehicle plans. Will the consumers better accept those than Toyota’s Prius? Will those financially boost the bottom line with their high price? I only hope that the falling prices of gasoline don’t decelerate the work of GM and Ford to come out with the new green and commercially viable technologies. By the time I left US on November 29, 2008, the gasoline price had come down to less than $2 a gallon from the peak of above $4 a gallon last year. GM claims to be learning from the mistakes made in past. Ford also acknowledges big missteps, such as the company’s approach that once was “If you build it, they will come.” “We produced more vehicles than our customers wanted, then slashed prices.” But as a result of these past mistakes, they “are really focused” today. Even United Auto Workers union is aligning today with the industry and is against any kind of bankruptcy, even a prepackaged one, as “a viable option”, as consumers would not buy autos from bankrupt companies.

I wish American lawmakers would save GM and help Ford. In overall restructuring, Chrysler may get merged into GM. And that is pretty rational.

PS: Congressional Democrats and the White House reached for agreement Friday on about $15 billion in bailout loans for the beleaguered auto industry. President George W. Bush warned that at least one of the Big Three carmakers might not survive the current economic crisis.

PS
Here is another solution:A Toyota Takeover Could Save GM

Jet lag, the burglary-caused inconveniences at my Noida residence, and the inefficiency of the best telecommunication company of the country providing my Internet services, kept me away from sharing my views with others. With age it is becoming more difficult to face the situation. But still there are some good friends, and some policemen do also help even now. Life is getting normal and may be soon I get into my normal routine.

In the mean time a coward nation tries to show its brave face in various ways. Politicians have gone extreme. A chief minister of the most developed state can use a filthy language and a senior executive of the main opposition party can doubt the sincerity about the way people of India are trying to voice their views about the weakness of the political and administrative system that caused the worst of terrorist attack in the financial capital of the country.

Persons like me keep on talking and proving themselves real argumentative Indians. Will some resignations and reshuffles solve the critical problems of the country, be it Jehadi terrorism, Maoist attacks, or even the irrational protests by so-called well-wishers of the common men? It requires the steely resolve of those who are in office to carry out their responsibility in interest of the nation that is India. It demands from every citizen to do the best to build an image of India that is the best and that other nation can envy. The new home minister, whom I like many Indians respect and love, has ‘no doubt that ultimately the idea of India will triumph’. I hope his statement with time doesn’t prove a political one.

It is depressing all around with the story of meltdown caused by a system that works to exploits the human weaknesses for materialistic gains. But I have hope and it’s get firmed up when I go through books such as one by Nilekani’s ‘Imagining India’ and the latest special issue of ‘India Today’ with a theme of spirit of India that tells the stories of unusual entrepreneurs- 50 wealth creators who made it big in unique ways. I am sure with a huge readership for the magazine in various languages of India, it will make a big impact on the readers and inspire them to emulate. Everywhere I go, I find India engaged in improving itself.

I wish the rulers of India learn some useful lessons from Mumbai massacre and get some warning hints of the people’s anguish and anger about their lethargies to solve the national problems to keep their jobs in tact. Will the people of India go above the petty things and be a partner in making the nation a brave one? Will the government take the opportunity to take the assistance of whosoever it may be (even US or Israel) to deal firmly and get demolished the training camps and their masterminds across the borders?

Residents in Noida are much better informed than those in many satellite townships. Newsletters such as Samvad and Flash are providing a lot of information that improves the quality of life of the residents. RWA of Sector 41 has now a website too. However, many a times some controversial local issues cause some ruffles too. Here is one:

I was shocked and pained after going through the December Issue of ‘Samvada Sector 41, Noida’. As I glanced, I found four of the write-ups in the issue are by the same person. I couldn’t understand if in absence of any one from the sector writing about the issues of the sector, the reporter has been hired by someone with vested interest to do it. I didn’t like the mention of my name in the cover report- ‘Residents Happy With The A-B Boundary Wall’.

Let me tell the writer and the publishers that the residents affected are not happy at all. Unfortunately, we shall have to live with it with all inconveniences thrust on us by some collaborative efforts of RWA executives and Noida Authority officers with vested interests. I was neither a leader nor I had supporters ever, as mentioned in the report. I was never the leader on the issue of raising the wall too. I only assisted when the residents that too almost all of them facing the road, requested me to be with them. On the day Noida Authority bulldozed the gardens and its own fencing, I had requested the President of the RWA to come and listen to the residents, but he never did. In evening some residents from Block A went to the RWA office to plead the case of security. I was among them. I was for a wall, wrote abut it but wanted it to be aesthetically designed and constructed without becoming an eyesore. Thereafter perhaps RWA approached CEO for a boundary wall without apprehending that the wall will not be constructed in place of fencing but it will be at only 9 meters from the built-up end of the residences. The residents objected when it started getting built up, protested, and represented too, as the free space available to the residents since the dates of the purchase, got restricted. For many like me, the choice of the house was only because there was open space before it. The protest was but natural.

After the representation by the whole lot of the residents facing the proposed wall, the CEO and DCEO agreed to drop the project. It got withheld. But then the CEO got suddenly transferred. In a mysterious manner, the project got started with urgency and under threat of police shield. The project can be a nice case study in collaborative corruption that is going on in all government institutions.

The boundary wall has come up. Noida authority has considered my appeal to make it nice looking. The wall can’t be demolished anymore, as it happened for the walls of the Block C market. But, the boundary wall has created problem for the affected residents. It restricts the movement of the cars of the residents and their guests.

Those who are taking credit for building this China’s Wall and are celebrating must also answer at least two questions and provide solutions or services. All the residents are concerned and worried, as it has started happening.

With the walls providing privacy, dogs, the pet ones and some humans of the same class are defecating in the area beyond the boundary wall. Passersby are daring to urinate in this no man’s land. Who should take care of this nuisance- RWA or Noida Authority?

Secondly, many of the residents of Block A-B had planted trees including some fruit-bearing ones (such as guava and aamla in my area) that have grown but gone on the other side of the wall. Who will water them, put in the manures and protect them?

Will the writer or his mentor take a lead to get this service for the residents through RWA or the horticulture department of Noida Authority?

However, Noida Authority has not done anything to provide suitable drainage to remove the water logging in the area when it rains. Now the water logging will be on the both sides of the wall. I wish RWA took up the issue with Noida Authority.

The executives of RWA must listen to the people affected with open mind and seek their active assistance in getting the maximum benefits out of the Noida Authority projects carried out at huge cost. Two recent projects in the sector: the boundary wall and the service lane along the sector are simply wasted money.

One question comes up in my mind after seeing the wide red line showing the wall with the report. Will the Noida Authority construct it all around the Sector 41? Unless the wall runs all around, it hardly helps the security cause. If the cost of the present boundary wall is Rs 16 lakh, what will be the cost of the total? Will Noida Authority create similar walls around all the sectors? What will be the overall project cost for the whole of Noida? Is it the best use of the taxpayers’ money? Should it not instead be a RO system for drinking water for all the residents or a world-class library or gym?

We came to US on invitation and request of Shannon and Anand to be of some help to them. We reached Pleasanton on September 2008. We welcomed Krish on September 25, 2008 and thereafter tried to be good grandparent. These days were just great. I experienced the best of my life with Emma and Krish rather relived my childhood again. I had never spent so much time at a stretch with any of my grandchildren, for which I had remorse. I had scarce little experience of being involved with my own children some 36 years ago, when HM used to keep me engaged totally. Before coming, I doubted if I shall be able to handle Krish and play with him, as he will be just two months old before we live US. But Krish proved me wrong.

Every morning I enter the office room of Anand anytime between 3AM and 5AM for keeping myself in touch with the rest of the world and pen down my views on some issues of my interest. At around 6AM either Shannon or Anand bring Krish to me. Krish is at his best at that time-a serene calm face and pure pearl like, sleeping and waking, smiling and murmuring, perhaps conveying some divine message to me with his right hand fully open and raised. His innocent face appears cute and divine at that time. He knows his time of feed. His crying indicates the time. I feed a bottle of milk in between carefully holding him on shoulder for burping. He plays, perhaps converse and then sleeps.

Any time around 8.15 AM, Emma joins me with her favorite blankets, and gives a kiss. I warm her milk and now she has learnt to drink milk holding the bottle herself. After Shannon changes her night dress, I take her along with me on my morning walk encircling our residence through Valley Avenue and Paseo Santa Cruz. Emma is still learning the language we speak, but we keep on communicating with each other during the 30-40 minutes morning walk in the universal language that every grandfather and his grand-daughter understand. Emma at one year and few months excites and enlightens me time and again with her mechanical and creative traits.

Krish remains at home and keeps us engaged, while Emma mostly goes to Nancy at around 9.30 or so, and remains there up to evening when Shannon brings her back at around 5PM. I felt bad about it, but seeing the long term advantages and our old age, it was decided so. We keep on waiting for Emma’s return, and she brings the whole lot of happiness where every second is unique and delighting. Emma dances with the music of her toys or when Yamuna sings her pet self created lyric, ‘mannan mannan bhai mannan mannan’.

Evening chore of Emma dinner is something real interesting. Shannon uses all her skills to feed her, and after Emma finishes her dinner, it appears that she has used all her body and not only the mouth for dinner. But after dinner, Emma goes in her best mood and spirited energy that one can invariably see in her dancing and running. At 8.30 or so, Anand takes her for a bath and then sleep after taking some milk. During that time, we maintain total silence. I keep Krish and see that he does not cry. And thus we part with Krish and Emma to see them next morning again.

Emma and Krish both have taught me many things of childhood that I would not have known otherwise. But I can’t end without mentioning Bart, the pet that has been with Shannon since his childhood. Bart is member of the family as Yamuna keeps on calling him the ‘badka bhaiya’ of Emma. And on November 29, 2008 we are leaving for Noida, New Delhi with sweet memories of Krish and Emma and all the fun and delight that their company gave us.