Anna Hazare Reactions: The Salaried vs The Rest

There have been various and different reactions to the Anna Hazare episode. The profile of those reacting is very predictable. I must say that the India experience is very different, if one has a job or is self-employed. When you have a job, the employer absorbs the harassment and extortion, the public system thrusts on…

India: Navigate the Deceptions

When I moved back in 2003, India was a country that held a lot of promise. A promise to be the next IT global super power, a military super power, a economy that in a couple of decades will be the second largest economy. On budget day 2011, Pranab Mukherjee quoted that India will overtake…

Bringing Down Inflation: If serious tackle corruption

Why has the focus turned to scams and corruption. Rising prices over the last few years has started to pinch the middle class and the poor are suffering even more. Basics like food, education, housing and health care are becoming more expensive day by day. One of the root causes of this trend is corruption.…

Secular = Appeasement of Minorties

Over the last couple of weeks I have witnessed the pre and post happening of the Ayodhya verdict. What irritated me most was the inconsistent behaviour of the left of centre media, many of whom belong to the JNU and St Stephen's brigade. What I also realized is that the integration and progress of India…

Why are Prices rising ?

The last five days of Parliament have been in a deadlock with the opposition parties crying foul over rising prices.  The BJP sees this as an opportunity to sack or embarrass the government, the left wants a roll back in petrol prices. The visionary PM keeps saying that prices will come down in a few…

We have to pay a premium for honesty

In India there is no acknowledgment or premium for honesty. The rich don't want to address it because it only helps them maintain the gap between rich and poor. The middle class are too busy making ends meet. The young, the worst of the lot, believe it is cool to be apolitical. They have inherited…

Shrikant Patil in a conversation with Entrepreneur Magazine

"Change is Needed",  Shrikant Patil in a conversation with Entrepreneur Magazine. Read the full conversation  >>>>

Farewell Articles

(via nytimes) Anand Giridharadas after a four and a half year assignment in India heads back to the U.S. He writes two articles which are well articulated and overlap with my experiences here. I also returned 5 years ago but am not going anywhere for now. But India is a place for seeking, not concluding,…

Why India will not become a Super Power this Century

A few old school mates met up last Sunday and were discussing the current economic and political situation. I commented, that in a few years, 50 families will rule this country, economically and politically. There was silence and for a change everyone agreed. The reason, that few families will control this country implies that we…

2 Approaches to State Power

Having worked in India and China, I share Gurucharan Das's view that we are better setup for success. For that, we have to reform, if we reform, "a big if", then we have a good chance. For all of us who run businesses the govt is an impediment not supporter, which is captured well in…