CK Prahalad’s ‘India@75’

Posted on August 1, 2008 by indra

Recently, the Thinkers 50 2007, the new ranking, produced by Suntop Media in association with Skillsoft placed CK Prahalad at number one as the most influential living management thinker of the time. Prahalad has come out his dream plan called India@75. And according to him, India@75 may be very ambitious but achievable.

CK Prahalad believes that India has the potential to actively participate in shaping the emerging world order. But India must acquire enough economic strength, technological vitality and moral leadership to do so. Here are six targets of India@75:

1. India builds a base of 200 million college graduates-that is just 16 per cent of India’s population. I would like to see 500 million certified and skilled technicians and universal literacy. This is possible in 15 years, if leaders focus on this goal as a priority.

2. India must become the home for at least 30 of the Fortune 100 firms.

3. India accounts for 10 per cent of global trade
.
4. India becomes a source of global innovations-new businesses, new technologies and new business models. The bottom of the pyramid, the 800 million Indians, can become a major source of breakthrough nnovations.

5. India aims to have 10 Nobel prize winners, prreferrably for the work done in India-unlike Indians getting the Nobel Prize for the work done elsewhere.

6. India becomes the world’s benchmark on how to leverage diversity.and a benchmark for the practice of universality and inclusiveness with its unique opportunity as a home to all the major religions, 15 major languages and hundreds of dialects, and a complex range of cultures, food habits and rituals-all the diversity one can hope for. If India is not the laboratory to practice diversity and inclusiveness, nobody else is.

Prahalad elaborates why he thinks, India@75 as achievable.

In 1929, when Congress declared Poorna Swaraj as the goal, did it seem likely?

The Green revolution, the White (milk) revolution-and the development of space technology are all worthy inspiring successes.

When in 1994, I suggested to a select group of CEOs that they must build multinational firms from India (Indian MNCs) rather than be paralysed by the entry of multinationals in the Indian market, it looked far-fetched. Very few, if any Indian, CEOs thought it was possible at that time. Today, Indian MNCs are a reality.

Similarly, 10 per cent growth and 10 million new jobs per year (10/10 programme) looked impossible in 2000. The idea was ridiculed. One was reminded of the traditional Hindu rate of growth of 3-5 per cent. But India is growing at close to 10 per cent; some states are growing at 15 per cent plus. India is yet to generate 10 million new jobs a year. But that can happen if we put our mind to it.

It was just 10 years ago that most managers and politicians had declared manufacturing in India as a dead end. “We have no hope against China,” they said. Today, manufacturing is alive and well and growing rapidly. India is becoming a manufacturing hub. Exports of manufactured goods are at $91 billion (Apr. ’07-Feb. ’08) and growing at more than 15 per cent. Others are taking note. Investments by Hyundai, Nissan, Ford, and Nokia are a small indication that not just Indians but others also believe that India can build excellence in manufacturing.

India was not known for its quality. Today, many Indian firms have demonstrated that they do not lag behind anyone in quality-be it in software development, manufacturing fine chemicals for pharmaceutical industry or in automotive component manufacturing.

Western models do not easily fit with the needs of Indian markets; especially as we focus on straddling the economic pyramid. The challenge is to build “world class products and services” at a new price-performance level (new value equation) that has never been tried before by established MNCs. India has a very large number of examples-$30 cataract surgery (Aravind Eye hospital), $2,500 car (Tata Nano), $0.01 cell phone minute (Airtel), $0.01 shampoo in a sachet (Hindustan Unilever), or $25 micro loans. Many such experiments demonstrate that we can straddle the pyramid and that this can be done commercially. We can “do good and do well”.

India should not replicate the development process of the West or China. India must leapfrog. Simply stated: avoid landlines, go wireless; avoid paper ballots, go electronic; avoid bank branches, go mobile and digital.

Is it not an awefully inspiring, providing hope to all that I keep on writing in my blog?

PS: The Thinkers 50 2007 list is still dominated by North Americans (37 of the 50 gurus are from the United States). While CK Prahalad is at number 1, three more thinkers of Indian origin are Ram CHARAN at 22, Vijay GOVINDARAJAN at 23, and Rakesh KHURANA at 45 in the Top 50. As yet, no Chinese guru has emerged.

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Nuclear Deal Trust Vote: Casualties in Win

Posted on July 31, 2008 by indra

Man Mohan Singh had to win the trust vote, as it posed a challenge for his survival. He won it ultimately, but it did some consequential damage for the nation. Was it a tarnished triumph? Are the new groupings not worse?

UPA with Amar Singh playing the major role will certainly be perceived as more corrupt. Why should the share prices of Anil Ambani’s companies go higher? Amar Singh asked for some concession for Anil Ambani and imposition of certain tax for RIL of Mukesh Ambani. As reported, he had sought the heads of Chidambaram and Deora too as a cost of support. At least leftists didn’t have liking for any specific business house. None of them were CBI scanner of disproportionate asset.

Mayawati as such the biggest threat to India with her type of political ambition and interest in asset accumulation has now the leftists as her sympathizers. Smaller unscrupulous party heads such as Dev Gowda will help in spreading her wing. Will leftists back her in her empire-building plan? Will the leftists visit Badalpur where the palace of the queen is getting ready? Many columnists thinks all her monsterous projects such as Taj Expressway and Ganga Expressway and its execution by her pet construction company are to accumulate the money required to let her dream realized. It is only because of her political strength that the leftists had to go to her tea and dinner. Is it not a great damage?

And what a horrendous damage to the image of Indian democracy! Can the cross voting and abstaining be without cost? Why should the media go silent on the Rs 1 crore shown to all the millions of the citizens? Where is its investigative journalism?

After the CBI threat, Mayawati withdrew her support. The leftists did the same soon, as they oppose US more than the Nuclear Deal. But Man Mohan Singh would have tried to avoid the bitterness with Parakash Karat. Why should Prakash Karat who worked with the government go to do all that he did to get the government defeated? Why should the breakup become a personal prestige issue? The leftists moved to Mayawati who they hated to give any importance earlier. The intense personal endeavours to collect MPs in ones and twos were the indications of the intensity of bitterness. The grouping made Mayawati the uncontested queen of the group and made her to see her dream of PM chair getting realized. Further to get her on their side, the leftists had to back her on CBI issue that related to her Rs 52 crore assets. Mayawati has gone stronger after the trust vote.

Man Mohan Singh had to take help of Sibu Soren also who has sold his votes for a price known to everyone. So the UPA is now more tainted than what it was earlier. Barkha Dutt says, “When Shibu Soren returns to the Cabinet, the PM can’t disassociate himself from a decision he once so bitterly opposed. And if it turns out that the BJP MPs who brandished bundles of cash in Parliament were telling the truth about being bribed, the PM’s squeaky clean image could take a knock as well.”

I still will like to go for an inconceivable solution of understanding between Sonia Gandhi and Advani for the glory of democracy that even Karan Thapar suggests.

Some Views from Media:
1. Housewarming by Barkha Dutta
2. Cash Strapped by Rajdeep Sardesai
3. Bonfire of Morality by Vir Sanghvi
4. Is it really conceivable? By Karan Thapar
5. Trust Vote – Winners & Losers by Surjit S Bhalla

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Indian Growth Story- Gloom or Bloom

Posted on July 30, 2008 by indra

What happened in Lok Sabha on July 22 must have heartened many, though the climax with Rs 1 crore on table might have made some morose too. Record high inflation is hurting the majority of middle class badly. Interest rate is causing further damage. I don’t understand why following the textbook rules, the banks must increase the interest rate to reduce inflation. Stock market has made many poorer. The India’s foreign exchange reserves remain still at around $300 billion. The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has lowered India’s growth forecast to 8 per cent in 2008-09 (9.3% in 2007-08). According to some, the figure may go lower. One of the global rating agencies, Fitch lowered India’s credit outlook. FM advises not to mourn 8% but to celebrate: “Very few countries and hardly any large nation except China are growing at eight per cent, and eight per cent growth will still be higher than the average rate of 5.8 per cent achieved during the six years of NDA rule.” I hate him comparing with NDA rule after four years in office.

However, many have positive outlook for India’s growth.

A group of top economists from Ernst & Young believe that India is on track to surpass China in growth. “We believe this is India’s moment,” declares Keystone Chief Economist William T Wilson.

Interestingly, the companies are ready to face the situation and to change strategies for keeping the growth going. For instance, big IT companies such as TCS and Infosys were in the auto component design space for a few years now. Now even the relatively smaller ones such as KPIT Cummins Infosystems, Onward Technologies, Neilsoft and CADES among others are getting into the automotive design business for better margins and higher growth in these times of economic slowdown.

Private sectors are moving fast with many achievements. New airports at Hyderabad and Banglore have come in operations. The country’s biggest private sector port has started working in Andhra Pradesh.

A yet to be released white paper, ‘India’s Role in the Globalization of the IT Industry’ by Evalueserve, a KPO, forecasts, “India will create the second largest IT services labour pool after the US within the next seven to eight years. By 2015-2016, the number of professionals working in the IT industry will grow ten-fold (from 2001-2002) and the total revenue will grow 22 times.”

Indian outsourcers are competing well with MNCs and going global. The increasing complexity of contracts with big U.S. customers; growing wage pressure at home; the rising value of the rupee; and a fierce counterassault by IBM, Accenture, and Electronic Data Systems (EDS) (recently purchased by Hewlett-Packard Company) have obliged the Indian companies- Satyam, Wipro, Infosys, Tata Consulting Services, Cognizant Technology Solutions, and HCL Technologies- known by the acronym SWITCH, to go global and create new multinationals that are much less India-focused. The battle between the fast-growing Indian outsourcers and the big U.S. firms shapes up as an intriguing test of the ability of companies from emerging countries to go toe-to-toe with the best that the West has to offer. And the world is to wait and watch who wins.

With a total of 282 outsourcing contracts valued at $49 billion in total contract value (TCV) and $10 billion in annualised contract value (ACV), the IT outsourcing industry notched up record business during the first two quarters of the current calendar year, according to TPI, the sourcing data and advisory firm. IT companies such as Wipro (25%) and Satyam (45%) are still making pretty high profits in Q1. Even manufacturing companies such as Hyundai projects to double export figures this year.

Private business houses and its associations are still ambitious and wish to keep the India’s growth story exciting. According to Confederation of Indian Industry (CII), “India can record a GDP growth rate of about 8.6 per cent during 2008-09, given the increasing capital expenditure by the private sector and the healthy incremental capital output ratio of around 4.”

Mumbai-based Centre for Monitoring Indian Economy (CMIE) expects the Indian economy, driven by large capacity additions, to expand by 9.5 per cent during the current year. According to CMIE estimates, fresh investments of Rs 4,44,708 crore over 400 projects were announced in the first quarter (April-June) of this financial year alone. This comes on the back of equally robust numbers in 2007-08, when more than 3,000 new projects, entailing investments of over Rs 17 lakh crore, were announced. There were 14,450 projects with committed investments of more than Rs 61 lakh crore at the end of 2007-08 with maximum number of projects covering key sectors like power, services, construction, mining, machinery, chemicals, metals and metal products.

How can with impending slowdown the capex boom in India would have continued? How could more and more fresh investments get announced every quarter?

Let the politicians not spoil the boom party even in the gloom of terror created by the sick minds.

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Obama, India and Indians

Posted on July 29, 2008 by indra

Obama has raised the expectation levels of Americans very high. Many youngsters and liberal American foresee a golden era for US under Obama. I don’t know how would this intellectually better president-in-making fare. Will he be able to pull up the American economy? Will the middle class get a better deal in healthcare? Will he be able to encourage more American youngsters for higher education? Will he be able to more actively involve American automakers and research labs to find an effective solution to replace the gasoline in vehicles that Americans drive?

Indians too have great expectations because of his liking for Hanuman and his statement on Indo-US Nuclear Deal. As reported today, Obama also has said, “Pak should stop terror in Kashmir and close all militant camps”. It heartens every Indian. I wish India invited him in time and he chooses to visit India, the largest democracy making it first to any country outside US.

Many Indians are hoping for a better deal on the issue of their visa. I wish Obama takes a rational approach. While in US in 2005, I found many young Indians working hard for many years after passing out from a reputed university in US, but feeling totally insecure about their future because of their visa status. All those graduate engineers with master degrees from American universities would have contributed much better, if they could work fearlessly. Why can’t US issue green cards and even make them citizens? After all, they are not menial workmen from across the borders. Many of the highly educated Indians could become entrepreneurs helping American economy more intensely.

Will Obama be doing some thing about those young Indians, who after so many years in US hesitate to go back to India and start the career all over again?

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Politics of Sethusamudram

Posted on July 27, 2008 by indra

Why can’t the government and lawyers spare Rama?

By one affidavit, Rama loses his historicity, and by another affidavit Rama destroys the Sethu that his monkey army built. Can lawyers and courts decide on faith? Can even the scripture stop me from worshipping a broken idol or a place, tirthas and kshetra?

I keep on reading Tulsidas’ Ram Charit Manas completing it once very month because of some faith of mine. Can any one stop me? Should any one denounce my action or make it illegal?

However, I personally don’t side with the group that is against Sethu Samudram project as such, if it is technically and economically viable. Even if Rama gets incarnated today, He will also vouch for building it and perhaps ask the modern Nal and Neel to do that. And by naming the Sethu after Rama or by building one another grand monument in a well-located place in Rameshwaram, the memory of Rama can be perpetuated. Rama will accept the offer, even though the political parties opposing the project may not agree.

Interestingly, according to Tulsidas Rama did only appreciate the bridge that Nal and Neel built. He did worship Shiva but not the bridge itself.

However, through Nariman the government has already created a controversy, and many have shown dissent to his references. Unfortunately, the project that has already cost a lot gets further delayed. Hundreds of Ramayanas have told the story of Rama. Late Father Kamil Bulke of Ranchi University has written one great book ‘Ram Katha ki Utapati’ about the evolution of the story through ages. None of them may be taken as history. What is the point in quoting Kamba Ramayan or Padma Purana?

Perhaps in India one can’t think of any project even though it is in national interest. Either politicians or some activists will stop that on some pretext by going to court. And the court can sleep on it for decades, if not a century.
—–
Related News Stories
‘Setu doesn’t exist’: Govt relied on scholars

Tamil experts doubt Centre’s Setu destruction theory

Centre’s stand testing Hindu tolerance: Jaya

‘Ram himself broke Setu’

Scholars slam government claim on Ram Setu

·The Setu story

Posted in economy, governance, indian politics | Leave a comment

India’s Rising, China is Struggling

Posted on July 27, 2008 by indra

For the present smart young Indian entrepreneurs as well as rulers of India, China has become a benchmark. During the recent debate on trust vote, Chidambaram made a forceful reference to China: “I do not envy China, I wish to emulate China. About 80 per cent of China’s electricity is from fossil fuels, mainly coal and about 18 per cent is hydropower. China’s nuclear power contributes only 2 per cent. A country with barely 2 per cent of its electricity coming from nuclear power wishes to increase capacity to at least 50,000 MWs by 2020 and then a further three to four fold increase to 120,000 to 160,000 MW by 2030. Why should not India do the same?

However, many in West have started betting on India. Perhaps, it is mainly because India is growing in spite of it being the largest and quite disruptive democracy of the world.

Vivek Wadhwa, Fellow at the Labor and Work life Program at Harvard Law School, and also executive in residence at the Pratt School of Engineering at Duke University, has recently given an interview to India Knowledge@Wharton at the recent Wharton India Economic Forum in Philadelphia: His views are as follows:

“Increasingly R&D is shifting overseas – to India, China and all over the world. No matter what the U.S. does, it cannot stop the fact that India is rising rapidly. China is trying very hard to rise and catch up with India, but our research is showing that they are having lots and lots of problems because you can’t mandate innovation. That’s what the Chinese are learning the hard way.”

“India’s education system is really weak. The fact is that they are graduating only 800 to 900 PhDs a year in engineering, 30,000 – 35,000 real master’s degrees a year in engineering.”

Vivek Wadhwa explains Harvard International Review ” How the Disciple Became the Guru” produced in collaboration with the Kauffman Foundation. He provides the reason for India excelling in R&D.

“There were serious issues with the quality of engineering education in China and India. Yet India is racing ahead to become a global hub for advanced R&D in several industries. In trying to understand how India is achieving this feat, we learned that the Indian private sector has found a way to overcome deficiencies in its education system through innovative programs of workforce training and development. These have transformed workers with a weak educational foundation into R&D specialists.”

“In India, you go to companies like Satyam, Infosys and so on. They mandate that you must receive 100 to 200 hours of training every year of your career. So basically, Indians at the top level receive more training than Americans receive ….”
“Despite its low rates of postgraduate science and engineering graduation, India is rapidly becoming a global hub for R&D, with a momentum and scale similar to those it accomplished in IT services.”

“In the aerospace industry, Indian companies are designing the interiors of luxury jets, in-flight entertainment systems, collision-control / navigation-control systems, fuel-inverting controls, and other key components of jetliners for American and European corporations. In pharmaceuticals, Indian scientists are discovering drugs and performing clinical research for nearly all of the largest multinational drug companies. In the automotive industry, Indian engineers are helping to design bodies, dashboards, and power trains for Detroit vehicle manufacturers – and soon may develop entirely outsourced passenger cars. In telecom and computer networking, Indians are developing next-generation solutions for tomorrow’s intelligent cities. Indian companies are also developing innovative solutions for the Indian marketplace, such as the $2,500 car produced by Tata.”

“Despite its advantages in engineering-graduation rates, massive investments in infrastructure, and massive economic subsidies, China does not in fact appear to be moving at the same pace as India in R&D outsourcing. Foreign multinationals were driving an overwhelming proportion of R&D and innovation in China and that most of this R&D is targeted at developing products for the local Chinese market. There are some exceptions, but Chinese industry appears to be excelling in imitation rather than in innovation.”

“Increasingly returnees have been driving innovation in China, and they did in India, but India has become self-sustaining in terms of innovation. It’s really built a domestic capability to do what it needs and it’s not dependent on returnees any more.”

William Nobrega , president and founder of The Conrad Group, a global professional-services firm that focuses on emerging markets and technologies and the author of Riding the Indian Tiger: Understanding India the World’s Fastest Growing Market, published by John Wiley & Sons explains ‘Why India Will Beat China’ in Business Week recently:

An entrenched and vibrant democracy will ultimately drive India to outperform China socially and economically. India’s democracy would seem to be chaotic at the surface. But if you look deeper you will quickly see why the tortoise will win this race. Nobrega emphasizes on the India’s advantages with its right of property and rule of law.

“As India becomes urbanized many families will choose to sell or borrow against their land so that they can start businesses, buy apartments, or provide education opportunities for their children. This transition will facilitate the sale of land holdings by an estimated 30 million farmers and 170 million other individuals indirectly tied to the agricultural sector. The sale of these holdings is expected to generate more than $1 trillion in capital by 2025. This capital will have a multiplier effect on the Indian economy that could exceed $3 trillion. China, by contrast, has no rural property rights. Additionally they have no right to borrow against their lease. More than 200,000 hectares of rural land are taken from rural residents every year with little or no compensation in China.”

“The rule of law creates predictability and stability that allows entrepreneurial behavior to flourish. This is clearly evident in India, with more than 6,000 companies listed in the stock exchanges, compared to approximately 2,000 in China. More telling is the fact that of the 6,000 listed companies in India only approximately 100 are state-owned. This stands in stark contrast to China, where more than 1,200 of the 2,000 companies listed on the exchanges are state-owned. More than 100 Indian companies that completed initial public offerings as midcap companies now have a market capitalization of over $1 billion. Companies such as Jet Airways, Bharti Tele-Ventures, Infosys Technologies, Reliance Communications, Tata Motors (which just acquired Jaguar), Wipro Technologies, and Hindalco Industries are becoming multinational competitors with globally recognized brands. China also has numerous companies that have a market capitalization of over $1 billion, but the majority of these are state-owned behemoths recognized by their sheer size and not their nimbleness.150 of the top global multinationals now have research and development bases in India. Additionally the U.S. Food & Drug Administration has certified more companies in India then in any other country outside the U.S., a testament to the innovation that free markets and the rule of law foster.”

“India’s democracy is far from perfect, but it is also quite young, and as incomes rise and the populace becomes more informed we can expect that India’s government institutions will become more responsive and transparent.”

‘And what about the hare? Consider this fact: A recent survey found that of the 20,000 richest men in China, more than 95% were directly related to Communist party officials.”

I wish after winning the vote of confidence, Man Mohan Singh takes up the bills to decontrol the education sector that can face the global competition only with private investment and to allow foreign universities to tie up and invest in setting up campuses in India. What is there to be afraid of?

Posted in economy | 1 Comment

Energy Security: Beyond Nuclear Deal-2

Posted on July 25, 2008 by indra

Another critical area of energy security relates to India’s dependence on imported crude oil. ‘Last year India imported 121.67 million tones (9.1% more that the year before) billed at $68 billion (40% more than the year before, because of the price rise). With rising number of vehicles on road and other usages, the demand of oil will remain on increasing. Import bill of crude oil will put biggest pressure on Indian economy. India must participate and contribute in global research programmes to enhance fuel efficiencies dramatically with better technologies and to make the use of alternative fuels significant. Only the effective alternative for fossil oil can provide the necessary relief and reduce the burden. The use of CNG as fuel and the electric vehicles, both two- and four- wheelers, requires popularization.

The news of the solar cells on Prius by Toyota, development work to use carbon dioxide by Lotus Engineering, and bio-ethanol from waste as fuel, indicates the endeavours of the scientists and technocrats to face the grim situation of the fuel shortage in near future. Tata Motors association with an innovative approach of using compressed air as fuel in car is the step in that direction. I wish Indian scientists and technocrats appreciated the priority to work on the various alternatives to fossil fuels. While computers can be an effective aid in improving effective use of fuel, some breakthroughs in innovations are needed to make a real impact on the total requirements.

The government and the industry have big plans. Auto industry had announced its plan on hydrogen as fuel. By 2020, the government wants 20% of all vehicles to run on HCNG and has also permitted mixing of ethanol in gasoline in limited way. Indian Railways, one of the big users of diesel, is blending bio-fuel from Jatropa in diesel.

The country and its people must appreciate the importance of conserving the oil. As estimated, India can save 351 million tonnes of oil equivalent (MTOE) or 19% of its total requirement by 2032 in different ways:

1. 7.5% (142 MTOE) from efficient energy use in industry, lighting, and home appliances
2. 1.8% (34 MTOE) by increasing the share of the railways to 50% of freight transport from the present level of 32%.
3. 4.3% (81 MTOE) from use of mass transport and improved fuel efficiency in vehicles.
4. 5.8% (111 MTOE) from increase in thermal power generation efficiency from 31% at present to about 40%.

It appears to be wonderfully ambitious on paper. The programme requires hard working of all concerned in interest of the country. A recent announcement on the use of CFL by Indian Railways and its employees as well as by some state government is exhilarating one. I wish the whole country participated in the conservation plan as a first step to face he grim situation. For instance, it is madness to drive a car to procure a loaf of bread from the market. However, the main thrust must remain on improvements and innovations in technology and discipline.

Can one day a miniature nuclear device or solar energy run the prime movers?

Lataest related readings:
1. Gassing Up With Garbage by MATTHEW L. WALD
2. JSW eyes nuclear power sector: According to the industry sources, at least 30 companies are eager to enter into nuclear power sector and related areas aiming to generate a minimum of 20,000 MW in the next 10 years involving investments of $40 billion. This includes almost all the big names of the power industry, including Reliance Power and a few new entrants.
3. India Inc bets big on N-power

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PM Survived, India Stained

Posted on July 23, 2008 by indra

With the proceedings of Lok Sabha on TV channels, the people of India could see the performance and behaviour of their representatives. Like millions, I also remained glued to TV to hear the MPs in trust vote debate but for some Noida’s usual power interruption.

Chidamaram, as expected, was brilliant. His thrust to emulate China and reprimanding of leftists for ensuring China only as superpower was inspiring. Lalu remained the jester and entertainer. Omar Abdulla and even Owaisi spiritedly delinked the Deal from community. Rahul was witty with mention of Atal and India’s poor fighting bravely for a better life against all odds. Lefists never impress me, neither they did today. But BJP and its allies really lack good and forceful speakers. A Sikh (my assumption) woman member from Bihar married to some Bihari was really forceful and impressive. Her speech must have made Akalis to rethink.

Rs 1 crore in currency on the table and members waving the bundles made the democracy ashamed, and certainly damaged the image of this largest but the one of the most corrupt democracy. But for those responsible for the damage, it’s a routine bread and butter game. Should not the people take them to task? Perhaps that is the reason that as reported, 60% of the MPs never returns.

The waiting for the final result of the division was agonizing. Why can’t the digital voting system be made fool-poof, and users-friendly? Can’t Infosys or Wipro do this service to the nation? It must have sent a very poor message to the people world over who were watching the circus?

As it is clear the government own the trust vote because of the cross-voting and absentations that might have happened through cash and promises such as coal ministry for Sibu Soren with history of Narasinha Rao cash-for-vote case. After all the party in government has always the advantage of these offers. Who does bother about morality? Why should Man Mohan Singh be different? And then as reported, he has undergone transformation from economist to politician. Perhaps he has started liking these political maneuvers, otherwise how could he be credited for bringing in Mulayam and his protégé Amar in Congress fold? Is this not a clear win of Amar Singh style of politicking that some call as Dalali?

As some, perhaps Lalu said, North Indian politicians would always remain in limelight in government formation.

People would have noticed that most dangerous political developments of the recent time are the rise of one-man, small regional and casteist political parties. It manifests in worst manner in a situation such as one for this trust vote. Will the people of India think over the matter and vote for only the persons of integrity and ability in the national parties with internal democracy and with good presence in majority of states in next Lok Sabha election?

I am happy that the Deal will go through. India’s nuclear isolation will end. Indians scientists and technocrats will freely participate in global high tech innovation projects. But unless India and its economy grow strong, its productivity in fields, factories, and offices are globally competitive and best, and its innovations are path breaking ones, it can’t bring prosperity to the people of India.

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Energy Security and Nuclear Deal

Posted on July 22, 2008 by indra

The whole of yesterday, I anxiously watched the proceedings of Lok Sabha. Speaker after speaker from all the political parties talked about the Indo-US Nuclear Deal. The Deal will free India for getting the supply of uranium to keep the existing and the under construction nuclear plant running to full capacity. It will open the door for India’s scientists and technocrats as well as scientific institutions in participating and collaborating with the advanced nations in cutting edge technologies of next generation. India will be free to get foreign companies supply the nuclear power plants and technologies or set up the plants. It is only after the Deal that India can set up the desired share of nuclear power plants.

Unfortunately, the debates were highly political with unnecessary contents, but hardly useful information or any inspiring suggestions. I am afraid if the members have gone through the McKinsey report- ‘Powering India: the Road to 2017’:

1. If India grows at an average rate of 8% for the next 10 years, the demand for power is likely to soar from around 120GW at present to 315-335GW by 2017.

2. India will require a generation capacity of 415-440GW-the three times the present installed capacity of about 140GW.

3. India will require an annual addition of 20-40 GW- five to ten fold of the addition, about 4GW, that India achieved in the last 10 years.

4. India power sector will need investment of about US $600 billion (Rs 24 lakh crore) – with $ 300 billion in generation, $ 110 billion in transmission, and $ 190 billion in distribution.

5. India must have manufacturing capacity for 30 GW power plant equipment and machinery or be ready to import.

6. India will also require 300,000 skilled and semi-skilled workers.

7. With inadequate coal in the country, India will have to create infrastructure capacity for 100 MMTPA of coal imports.

8. India takes 5-6 years to build a thermal power plant as against China taking 2-3 years and other countries doing that in less than four years. (It takes up to 10 years to build a Greenfield nuclear power plant).

It is unfortunate that the parliamentarians that try to keep on boasting of the India’s miracles in IT sector and the contribution of India’s scientists in nuclear field hardly mentioned about the dismal efficiency of the project executions and huge cost escalations in almost all the sectors that is holding the country behind year after year.

While participating in the debate, the politicians never mentioned of the losses that are due to political will to control it.

I wish there would have been a pre-voting quiz to decide the MPs that should be allowed to vote for a serious issue such as Indo-US Nuclear Deal.

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Polluters of Parliamentary Democrac

Posted on July 21, 2008 by indra

There are some names in Indian politics that must shame perhaps every sane person. Unfortunately, the media and the electorate don’t declare them outcastes, as India is a unique democracy.

Let me start with Ajit Singh, an IITian by education. He has been the worst of the unscrupulous politicians with changing the alliances for his benefits faster than one can follow. He was with Mulayam, and now crossed to Mayawati who has offered many lollypops. And next in the queue is Deve Gowda who became a prime minister of India once by default. He wishes to remain the kingmaker. At one time he calls himself a farmer and the next moment an engineer by profession. I don’t know where he studied his engineering. However, as one of my Karnataka friends told me the family is today one of the richest in the state. The people of Karnataka dumped him in last election, but he loves to remain active. He and his equally unscrupulous son is now with Mayawati.

Mayawati is naturally queen bee with her Rs 52 crore kitty. She can buy any MP with her attractive offers of whatever-you-want. It is a disgrace that some who are associated with her claim to represent their castes too. It is a shame that the judiciary, election commission, income tax department, and CBI can’t stop her from collecting so-called donations from her beneficiary followers and buying diamonds and properties for her siblings. And who knows very soon she ascends the throne of the Prime Minister of this unfortunate country with assistance of all the unscrupulous politicians.

And the biggest of the lot is Amar Singh who can afford to say anything about anyone at any time. He can leave and join any party and politician according to his sweet will. He has never fought any election but still he is the main pillar for Mulayam. He is with Big B. He is with Anil Ambani. He can openly talk against Chidambaram and Deora beside Mukesh Ambani with Man Mohan Singh. He can gate crash into any dinner party, can get humiliated but hardly bothers. He knows everything about every issue.

And who doesn’t know the villain of villains popularly known as Guruji among his men, Shri Shibu Soren who was one of the saviours of a former Prime Minister. He has successfully bargained getting what he wanted, the coal ministry for himself and deputy chief minister ship for his son.

For last few days, the news channels and print media is agog with the deals running in crores in cash and kind for siding with the deal or for voting against it. Both Mayawati and Prakash Karat have vowed to see that UPA gets defeated on July 22. As it appears all the MPs are on sale in an auction house of some IPL. And if MPs are on sale, is not the country on sale? A news item says, ‘MPs get dearer, going rate touches Rs 100 crore‘. Only Somnath Chatterji has remained glued to his views and stands high in eyes of many like me.

It is unfortunate that on July 22, a number of hardcore convicted criminals will come from their prison, and will participate in this national game, and may play decisive roles.

What must be going on in the minds of all sane people of the country after seeing all on the small screen? Have they become immune or are they not interested in the country? Can’t the 5 crore or more of the college going young men bring a change by going for two- party democracy?

In next 36 hours sometime, the verdict on the Deal will come out with many black deals at the cost of the people of the country. But will the people go for forcing some ethics in those whom they elect or the number of the politician terrorists who damage the basic fabrics of democracy will keep on increasing?

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