Remember my piece "US should join in Nano car effort" urging Rochester area manufacturers to join the cheap car revolution by establishing themselves as vendors/suppliers/consultants for the companies that are making these cars in other parts of the world.
Seems like a company in Ontario, Canada has decided to follow that path : "Canadian components for Nano".
"Waiting for the world to come to us was not an option. We wanted to diversify and expand our markets so we had to go out to the world," said the CEO of that company.
Exactly the spirit we need to see from Rochester Area Businesses........
Tuesday, February 26, 2008
Friday, February 22, 2008
Exports show region's resiliency
An article based on my recent blog article was published in the Rochester D&C on Feb 18 :
Exports show region's resiliency
Deepak SethEditorial Board community member
Post Comment
(February 18, 2008) —
On Jan. 24, the U.S. Commerce Department introduced a new data series that precisely measures manufacturing export values for metropolitan areas. In 2006, the Rochester metropolitan area recorded export sales of $4.6 billion.
Rochester was the leader in upstate New York, ahead of Buffalo-Niagara Falls ($4.2 billion), Albany-Schenectady-Troy ($3.4 billion), Poughkeepsie-Newburgh-Middletown ($2 billion) and Syracuse ($2 billion). In fact, Rochester was the No. 1 metro area in the entire state, excluding the New York-Northern New Jersey-Long Island region. A remarkable achievement indeed. More remarkable is the fact that this has been achieved at a time when the area is seeing a steady decline in manufacturing potential.
Canada is Rochester's single biggest manufactured exports trading partner, followed by Mexico, China and Germany. Our area's biggest exports were chemicals, computers and electronic products, machinery and plastics and rubber products.
These statistics reveal certain important points:
The spirit of innovation and out-of-the-box thinking that drove Rochester in the past can continue to do so in the future. Local business and political leadership have a very important role to play by adequately harnessing and directing federal, state and local resources.
Community members serve on the Editorial Board and write regular columns.
Exports show region's resiliency
Deepak SethEditorial Board community member
Post Comment
(February 18, 2008) —
On Jan. 24, the U.S. Commerce Department introduced a new data series that precisely measures manufacturing export values for metropolitan areas. In 2006, the Rochester metropolitan area recorded export sales of $4.6 billion.
Rochester was the leader in upstate New York, ahead of Buffalo-Niagara Falls ($4.2 billion), Albany-Schenectady-Troy ($3.4 billion), Poughkeepsie-Newburgh-Middletown ($2 billion) and Syracuse ($2 billion). In fact, Rochester was the No. 1 metro area in the entire state, excluding the New York-Northern New Jersey-Long Island region. A remarkable achievement indeed. More remarkable is the fact that this has been achieved at a time when the area is seeing a steady decline in manufacturing potential.
Canada is Rochester's single biggest manufactured exports trading partner, followed by Mexico, China and Germany. Our area's biggest exports were chemicals, computers and electronic products, machinery and plastics and rubber products.
These statistics reveal certain important points:
- Rochester-area delegations to Albany and Washington should take note of these facts and ensure that they are factored in while deciding the allocation of governmental developmental dollars to the Rochester area. We always seem to be fighting a losing battle with Buffalo.
- Export-based industries not only create jobs but also help in reducing the national debt. Special incentives should be formulated to attract and grow such businesses.
- One will have to wait and see the economic implications of the changed travel requirements with Canada. Delays or unease in traveling between the two countries may manifest itself in reduced trade. This is one area where federal policy will very directly affect Rochester residents.
- Mexico is also a major export destination. Opportunities exist to leverage our area's Hispanic heritage and enhance the bilingual potential.
- The exports destination basket is spread very thin. Area businesses should be striving for establishing toeholds in other emerging economies: India, Russia, Brazil, South Africa, Middle East, etc. Exports to China also do not seem to reflect the potential that exists there.
The spirit of innovation and out-of-the-box thinking that drove Rochester in the past can continue to do so in the future. Local business and political leadership have a very important role to play by adequately harnessing and directing federal, state and local resources.
Community members serve on the Editorial Board and write regular columns.
Tuesday, February 5, 2008
Super Bowl XLII - "Indian" themed ads
Did you guys watch the Super Bowl ? I bet almost all would have. Pretty exciting game and a nailbiting finish
Did you catch all the ads ? Seems like the Indian community has finally "arrived". The rite of passage being becoming the focus of racially stereotypical jokes. The Italian, Irish, Latinos , Chinese have all been through it and now it's our turn. Some would say being noticed in a funny manner is better than not being noticed at all.
1) Salesgenie.com did it twice. One ad, "Sales Hero," featured an Asian Indian salesman ("Ramesh Chakrapani") with a stereotypical accent being threatened by his white boss, a short, white man with a mustache, to boost his sales or else. After the Asian Indian employee checks out Salesgenie.com, he wins an award for best salesman of the year and accepts it on a stage standing next to his wife and seven children. The other commercial, "Panda," featured a panda-bear couple speaking with strong Asian accents, worried that their business, Ling Ling's Bamboo Furniture Shack, might go under. They call a panda psychic who refers them to Salesgenie.com. Both ads, produced in house, were found offensive by more than half a dozen ad execs, reports The Wall Street Journal.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uJyQcDUIDYo
2) Bud Light relegated most of its ad time to horses, Dalmatians, beer and Will Farrell, but one spot, "Language of Love," produced by the LatinWorks agency, offended some people. This commercial featured a group of men of multiple races/ethnicities trying to court women at a bar. A macho-looking Latino man was trying to get them to stop talking with their stereotypical accents--teaching an Asian man how to say hi, for example--and then trying to seduce a woman with his accent sounding like Antonio Banderas, but she's already taken by a short, Asian Indian man who says "Bud Light" in a thick Asian Indian accent.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ao0x4zsb724
These descriptions are from DiversityInc.com
Did you catch all the ads ? Seems like the Indian community has finally "arrived". The rite of passage being becoming the focus of racially stereotypical jokes. The Italian, Irish, Latinos , Chinese have all been through it and now it's our turn. Some would say being noticed in a funny manner is better than not being noticed at all.
1) Salesgenie.com did it twice. One ad, "Sales Hero," featured an Asian Indian salesman ("Ramesh Chakrapani") with a stereotypical accent being threatened by his white boss, a short, white man with a mustache, to boost his sales or else. After the Asian Indian employee checks out Salesgenie.com, he wins an award for best salesman of the year and accepts it on a stage standing next to his wife and seven children. The other commercial, "Panda," featured a panda-bear couple speaking with strong Asian accents, worried that their business, Ling Ling's Bamboo Furniture Shack, might go under. They call a panda psychic who refers them to Salesgenie.com. Both ads, produced in house, were found offensive by more than half a dozen ad execs, reports The Wall Street Journal.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uJyQcDUIDYo
2) Bud Light relegated most of its ad time to horses, Dalmatians, beer and Will Farrell, but one spot, "Language of Love," produced by the LatinWorks agency, offended some people. This commercial featured a group of men of multiple races/ethnicities trying to court women at a bar. A macho-looking Latino man was trying to get them to stop talking with their stereotypical accents--teaching an Asian man how to say hi, for example--and then trying to seduce a woman with his accent sounding like Antonio Banderas, but she's already taken by a short, Asian Indian man who says "Bud Light" in a thick Asian Indian accent.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ao0x4zsb724
These descriptions are from DiversityInc.com
The ads are funny but seem to be creating/reinforcing some weird stereotypes :
- South Asians are communication challenged , have thick accents and have very large families.
- South Asians are socially challenged
And such stereotypes are always dangerous……...
Monday, February 4, 2008
Rochester : Export Engine for Upstate Economic Growth
On Jan 24, the U.S. Commerce Department introduced a new data series that precisely measures manufacturing export values for metropolitan areas. Service export values are not included in this series. As per this report, in 2006, the Rochester metropolitan areas recorded export sales of $ USD 4.6 billion. Overall U.S. exporters reported a record $1.4 trillion in goods and services in 2006. Final 2007 numbers are forecast to exceed 2006 totals.
Rochester with it’s USD 4.6 billion was the leader in Upstate New York , ahead of Buffalo-Niagara Falls (USD 4.2 billion), Albany-Schenectady-Troy (USD 3.4 billion), Poughkeepsie-Newburgh-Middletown (USD 2 billion) and Syracuse (USD 2 billion). In fact, Rochester was the number one Metro area in the entire state excluding the Tristate New York-Northern New Jersey-Long Island, NY-NJ-PA area (USD 66 billion). A remarkable achievement indeed. More remarkable is the fact that this has been achieved at a time when the area is seeing a steady decline in the manufacturing potential of it’s erstwhile stalwarts like Kodak and Xerox. This speaks highly of the mid-size Rochester companies which have picked up the slack.
Canada is Rochester’s single biggest manufactured exports trading partner (USD 1.2 billion) followed by Mexico (USD 703 million), China (USD 270 million) and Germany (USD 249 million). Our area’s biggest exports were Chemicals ( USD 1.7 billion), Computers and Electronic products (USD 1 billion), Machinery (USD 663 million) and Plastics and Rubber products (USD 197 million)
These statistics throw up certain important points:
· Rochester area’s delegations to Albany and Washington should take note of these facts and ensure that they are factored in while deciding the allocation of governmental developmental dollars to the Rochester area. We always seem to be fighting a losing battle with Buffalo.
· Exports based industries not only create jobs but also help in reducing the national debt. Special incentives should be formulated to attract and grow such businesses in the Rochester area.
· One will have to wait and see the economic implications of the changed travel requirements with Canada. Delays or unease in traveling between the two countries may manifest itself in reduced trade. The local governments need to be on their toes in making these new changes as smooth and painless as possible. This is one area where federal policy will very directly affect Rochester residents.
· Mexico is also a major export destination. Opportunities exist to leverage our area’s Hispanic heritage and enhance the bilingual potential.
· The exports destination basket is spread very thin. Area businesses should be striving for establishing toeholds in other emerging economies : India, Russia, Brazil, South Africa, Middle East etc. Exports to China also do not seem to reflect the potential which exists there. Business associations like the Rochester Business Association should help their members in making breakthroughs in the non-traditional export markets. Trade delegations, increased web presence, participation in trade shows etc should help.
· The high proportion of Chemicals/Plastics and Rubber etc. in the mix appears slightly troubling as these are often considered sunset industries in the US, likely to be impacted the most by tougher environmental standards. For all the other Metro areas in the same export size range – Computers and Electronic products were the number one export product. For Buffalo , Transportation equipment was the number one.
Overall, these numbers speak well for the resilience of the Rochester economy and the adaptability of the local businesses to the changing economic environment. The spirit of innovation and out-of-the-box thinking which drove Rochester in the past can continue to do so in the future. Local business and political leadership has a very important role to play by adequately harnessing and directing federal , state and local resources.
Rochester with it’s USD 4.6 billion was the leader in Upstate New York , ahead of Buffalo-Niagara Falls (USD 4.2 billion), Albany-Schenectady-Troy (USD 3.4 billion), Poughkeepsie-Newburgh-Middletown (USD 2 billion) and Syracuse (USD 2 billion). In fact, Rochester was the number one Metro area in the entire state excluding the Tristate New York-Northern New Jersey-Long Island, NY-NJ-PA area (USD 66 billion). A remarkable achievement indeed. More remarkable is the fact that this has been achieved at a time when the area is seeing a steady decline in the manufacturing potential of it’s erstwhile stalwarts like Kodak and Xerox. This speaks highly of the mid-size Rochester companies which have picked up the slack.
Canada is Rochester’s single biggest manufactured exports trading partner (USD 1.2 billion) followed by Mexico (USD 703 million), China (USD 270 million) and Germany (USD 249 million). Our area’s biggest exports were Chemicals ( USD 1.7 billion), Computers and Electronic products (USD 1 billion), Machinery (USD 663 million) and Plastics and Rubber products (USD 197 million)
These statistics throw up certain important points:
· Rochester area’s delegations to Albany and Washington should take note of these facts and ensure that they are factored in while deciding the allocation of governmental developmental dollars to the Rochester area. We always seem to be fighting a losing battle with Buffalo.
· Exports based industries not only create jobs but also help in reducing the national debt. Special incentives should be formulated to attract and grow such businesses in the Rochester area.
· One will have to wait and see the economic implications of the changed travel requirements with Canada. Delays or unease in traveling between the two countries may manifest itself in reduced trade. The local governments need to be on their toes in making these new changes as smooth and painless as possible. This is one area where federal policy will very directly affect Rochester residents.
· Mexico is also a major export destination. Opportunities exist to leverage our area’s Hispanic heritage and enhance the bilingual potential.
· The exports destination basket is spread very thin. Area businesses should be striving for establishing toeholds in other emerging economies : India, Russia, Brazil, South Africa, Middle East etc. Exports to China also do not seem to reflect the potential which exists there. Business associations like the Rochester Business Association should help their members in making breakthroughs in the non-traditional export markets. Trade delegations, increased web presence, participation in trade shows etc should help.
· The high proportion of Chemicals/Plastics and Rubber etc. in the mix appears slightly troubling as these are often considered sunset industries in the US, likely to be impacted the most by tougher environmental standards. For all the other Metro areas in the same export size range – Computers and Electronic products were the number one export product. For Buffalo , Transportation equipment was the number one.
Overall, these numbers speak well for the resilience of the Rochester economy and the adaptability of the local businesses to the changing economic environment. The spirit of innovation and out-of-the-box thinking which drove Rochester in the past can continue to do so in the future. Local business and political leadership has a very important role to play by adequately harnessing and directing federal , state and local resources.
Dissent is the heart of a free people
Dissent is the heart of a free people
Deepak Seth Guest essayist
Post Comment
(February 4, 2008) — "Your freedom ends where my nose begins'' is a pithy aphorism that describes the extent to which personal freedoms such as the right to free speech should extend.
Unfortunately over the years, peoples' noses are becoming increasingly longer, thereby significantly impacting the ability of freethinkers to speak their minds. Every group, community, religion, country has a whole plethora of issues on which they would like no open discussion. Anybody who has the temerity to do so will have to undergo the modern equivalent of being attacked by a mob. The wisdom of "I disapprove of what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it,'' arguably attributed to Voltaire, seems to have been cast into the dustbin.
Each of such groups generally says that you as an outsider cannot comment or are not qualified to comment about the internal workings or history of the group. Their experience is so unique that nobody outside the group can truly fathom what it is and how it has shaped them. Some do not even allow members of their own group to speak freely about what they perceive as shortcomings of their group. Others even go one step further, where the ban not only encompasses free speech but extends to physical appearance, too.
It is for society at large to decide whether free thought, speech and a spirit of inquiry are to be cherished or if human endeavor is to be restricted by the boundaries established by the thought-police of each group. Checking behind one's shoulder should not be the prerequisite for speaking out in a free society. Dissent and criticism are inevitable in any society and should not be curtailed.
The truths of today have been established because someone in the past had the courage to dissent from the prevailing thought. We might still be believing the Earth is flat, sun revolves around the Earth, foul air causes malaria, storks bring babies, etc., if not for the power of dissent, criticism and the logic and reason that they led to. Similarly, some of the truths of today will not stand the test of dissent and will get replaced.
Today, people seem to be scared of linking their opinions with their identity. They rather prefer the anonymity of the blogosphere. This yearning for anonymity is brought about by the fear that a single identifiable statement from them, if misconstrued or taken out of context, can destroy their entire life, career and reputation.
The dissenter/critic is not always right but the very fact that dissent/criticism is allowed speaks of the maturity of a society.Take a look again at the one document that truly rises above this petty mindedness: the U.S. Constitution and its promise of "freedom of speech." I draw inspiration from it and my faith in the principle of "live and let live.''
Community members serve on the Editorial Board and write regular columns.
Deepak Seth Guest essayist
Post Comment
(February 4, 2008) — "Your freedom ends where my nose begins'' is a pithy aphorism that describes the extent to which personal freedoms such as the right to free speech should extend.
Unfortunately over the years, peoples' noses are becoming increasingly longer, thereby significantly impacting the ability of freethinkers to speak their minds. Every group, community, religion, country has a whole plethora of issues on which they would like no open discussion. Anybody who has the temerity to do so will have to undergo the modern equivalent of being attacked by a mob. The wisdom of "I disapprove of what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it,'' arguably attributed to Voltaire, seems to have been cast into the dustbin.
Each of such groups generally says that you as an outsider cannot comment or are not qualified to comment about the internal workings or history of the group. Their experience is so unique that nobody outside the group can truly fathom what it is and how it has shaped them. Some do not even allow members of their own group to speak freely about what they perceive as shortcomings of their group. Others even go one step further, where the ban not only encompasses free speech but extends to physical appearance, too.
It is for society at large to decide whether free thought, speech and a spirit of inquiry are to be cherished or if human endeavor is to be restricted by the boundaries established by the thought-police of each group. Checking behind one's shoulder should not be the prerequisite for speaking out in a free society. Dissent and criticism are inevitable in any society and should not be curtailed.
The truths of today have been established because someone in the past had the courage to dissent from the prevailing thought. We might still be believing the Earth is flat, sun revolves around the Earth, foul air causes malaria, storks bring babies, etc., if not for the power of dissent, criticism and the logic and reason that they led to. Similarly, some of the truths of today will not stand the test of dissent and will get replaced.
Today, people seem to be scared of linking their opinions with their identity. They rather prefer the anonymity of the blogosphere. This yearning for anonymity is brought about by the fear that a single identifiable statement from them, if misconstrued or taken out of context, can destroy their entire life, career and reputation.
The dissenter/critic is not always right but the very fact that dissent/criticism is allowed speaks of the maturity of a society.Take a look again at the one document that truly rises above this petty mindedness: the U.S. Constitution and its promise of "freedom of speech." I draw inspiration from it and my faith in the principle of "live and let live.''
Community members serve on the Editorial Board and write regular columns.
Thursday, January 24, 2008
A "Fine" Toilet - Singapore Style
A recent 20/20 story included a mention about fines in Singapore for not flushing a Public Toilet after use. Singapore is often descibed as a "fine" city.
How they enforce that beats me ...... Cameras in public restrooms ?
Couldn't find much on the web except confirmation that there is a Singapore $250 fine for not flushing. And it is a moot point since almost all public toilets in Singapore are self-flushing.
If they are really enforcing that fine it is indeed a case of Public money being flushed down the toilet !!!
How they enforce that beats me ...... Cameras in public restrooms ?
Couldn't find much on the web except confirmation that there is a Singapore $250 fine for not flushing. And it is a moot point since almost all public toilets in Singapore are self-flushing.
If they are really enforcing that fine it is indeed a case of Public money being flushed down the toilet !!!
US should join in Nano car effort
My blog piece Can Rochester ride the People's Car? was published in the Rochester Democrat and Chronicle as U.S. should join in Nano car effort.
Sparked off some interesting debate on the D&C website which you can check out by following the link above.
Despite the economic recession and a globalized economy, I see very little awareness amongst ordinary Americans about the need to proactively exploit business opportunities in the emerging economies.
Sparked off some interesting debate on the D&C website which you can check out by following the link above.
Despite the economic recession and a globalized economy, I see very little awareness amongst ordinary Americans about the need to proactively exploit business opportunities in the emerging economies.
Tuesday, January 22, 2008
Healthcare : Robotic Style.......
How does a society which has a very high proportion of elderly citizens, is very insular (not willing to accept new immigrants into its fold) plan to deal with the issues of care of the elderly in the long term future ?
The country is Japan and the solution is Robots.......yes ..... Robots helping with elderly care.
Is that the way we are headed in the US too ? .....maybe.... either more citizens agree to work in this area or more immigrants be allowed in to do this work...... if the answer to both is no then the answer is Robots....talk about cold, impersonal care !!
Links :
RI-MAN And Roujin-Z Robots: Elder Care Fact And Fiction
Robots Help Japan Care For Its Elderly
Aging Japan Building Robots To Look After Elderly
The country is Japan and the solution is Robots.......yes ..... Robots helping with elderly care.
Is that the way we are headed in the US too ? .....maybe.... either more citizens agree to work in this area or more immigrants be allowed in to do this work...... if the answer to both is no then the answer is Robots....talk about cold, impersonal care !!
Links :
RI-MAN And Roujin-Z Robots: Elder Care Fact And Fiction
Robots Help Japan Care For Its Elderly
Aging Japan Building Robots To Look After Elderly
Wednesday, January 16, 2008
Can Rochester ride the People's Car?
Ratan Tata, Chairman, Tata Group unveiled his company's new "Nano" dubbed the People's car at the 9th Auto Expo in New Delhi, India recently. Priced at $ 2500 (yes, that's just 2 zeroes after the 25) it will be the cheapest car in the market (anywhere in the world). He was motivated to develop this car by a sight very common on Indian roads: entire families riding two wheelers- one kid perched behind the handle bars, the mother riding pillion with a kid clutched in her arms and maybe another one tucked between her and the father driving the bike. He thought he should build a safer vehicle for people who can just afford a two wheeler. Tata realizes the concern of some environmentalists that the popularity of this car can increase crowding and pollution, he does believe that "India desperately needs a mass transit system" but also asks "should (ordinary Indians) be denied the right to individual forms of transport, the right to safety?"
Reactions in the US to this car were as expected - questions about safety, emission standards, fodder for jokes on the late night shows and some smart quips even on regular News shows. However, most people seemed to have missed a point. This car , its pricing and potential success validates the hypothesis proposed by the renowned management guru C.K. Prahalad that there is a "Fortune at the Bottom of the Pyramid"- there is money to be made, sizable amounts of it by making low priced products for the low income segment of the world's population. Another Indian company Bajaj proposes to launch a car in the same price range and Renault's Carlos Ghosn is also talking about launching a $3000 car. With the projected millions of units sale (Car penetration in India is just seven per 1,000 people compared to 550 per 1,000 in countries such as Germany and around 800 per 1000 in the US), even at these low prices the market size is of many Billion dollars. Even if we do not buy this car we can be supplying technology, expertise, components etc to the makers of these cars and their vendors.
Business associations in Rochester and other similar cities should be deliberating on how US companies can leverage their strengths to join this revolution being unleashed in the far hitherto considered to be impoverished parts of the globe. Some may think that Rochester since it does not have a strong automotive manufacturing base (except for Delphi) may not have a role to play. How about some out-of-the-box thinking. Making a car at this price has required a paradigm change. I would think that all manufacturers in sectors like sheet metal working, injection molding, induction welding, composite materials, paints and adhesives etc. can benefit. Vendors in India would be on the lookout for expertise, technical collaboration, products etc. as they try to ramp up their production to meet the new demand. There is definitely an expertise in these areas in Rochester given the supplier base for Xerox, Kodak and their spin-off's. The need is for a systematic evaluation of the opportunity and identifying proper matches for interested Rochester area manufacturers. RBA or some other industry group should take the lead with this. Their role should expand from attracting investors here to exploiting opportunities elsewhere. Both approaches bring jobs and money to the local economy.
We can choose to ride the people’s car wave or just watch as the world drives by in it.
Reactions in the US to this car were as expected - questions about safety, emission standards, fodder for jokes on the late night shows and some smart quips even on regular News shows. However, most people seemed to have missed a point. This car , its pricing and potential success validates the hypothesis proposed by the renowned management guru C.K. Prahalad that there is a "Fortune at the Bottom of the Pyramid"- there is money to be made, sizable amounts of it by making low priced products for the low income segment of the world's population. Another Indian company Bajaj proposes to launch a car in the same price range and Renault's Carlos Ghosn is also talking about launching a $3000 car. With the projected millions of units sale (Car penetration in India is just seven per 1,000 people compared to 550 per 1,000 in countries such as Germany and around 800 per 1000 in the US), even at these low prices the market size is of many Billion dollars. Even if we do not buy this car we can be supplying technology, expertise, components etc to the makers of these cars and their vendors.
Business associations in Rochester and other similar cities should be deliberating on how US companies can leverage their strengths to join this revolution being unleashed in the far hitherto considered to be impoverished parts of the globe. Some may think that Rochester since it does not have a strong automotive manufacturing base (except for Delphi) may not have a role to play. How about some out-of-the-box thinking. Making a car at this price has required a paradigm change. I would think that all manufacturers in sectors like sheet metal working, injection molding, induction welding, composite materials, paints and adhesives etc. can benefit. Vendors in India would be on the lookout for expertise, technical collaboration, products etc. as they try to ramp up their production to meet the new demand. There is definitely an expertise in these areas in Rochester given the supplier base for Xerox, Kodak and their spin-off's. The need is for a systematic evaluation of the opportunity and identifying proper matches for interested Rochester area manufacturers. RBA or some other industry group should take the lead with this. Their role should expand from attracting investors here to exploiting opportunities elsewhere. Both approaches bring jobs and money to the local economy.
We can choose to ride the people’s car wave or just watch as the world drives by in it.
Friday, January 11, 2008
A People's car for the World !!
Tata Group chairman, Ratan Tata, poses in the company's new Nano car during its launch at the 9th Auto Expo in New Delhi. The car, a hatchback with a 624cc engine, is priced at about 100,000 rupees ($2,500), half that of the current cheapest car in the market. (Reuters Photo)
There is definitely Fortune at the Bottom of the Pyramid as countless entrepreneurs are discovering.
The Nano's also expected to get 54 US miles per gallon......once gas hits USD 10/gallon you should see a lot of these on the roads here !!!
Thursday, January 10, 2008
Arm wrestling NY style?
A meeting with Gov. Eliot Spitzer
Given that California is NY's strongest rival in the "idea driven economy", would Gov. Spitzer be willing to take on Arnold Schwarznegger in an arm wrestling match? Surely not, the Governor was quick to retort; however he would gladly challenge him to an IQ match.
On a more serious note, the Governor seems to be all done with his bout of arm wrestling with the State’s Republican Leadership . He struck a more conciliatory note when he met the Editorial Board on 01/10. He mentioned that he realized that the public has no tolerance for stagnation and gridlock. His objective was to get things done. And get them done in a fiscally prudent way.
He plans to present a balanced budget without raising taxes. He did not envisage this increasing the state's debt in a major way as he planned plowing resources from the sale of state's sub optimally utilized assets (e.g. property in Manhattan) into more productive programs. And he did not feel the plans to sell the lottery were like selling the crown's jewels because he was taking a capital asset (State Lottery) and converting it into another capital asset ( Endowment for Higher Education).
His plans to move the focus on education from K-12 to what he described as P-16 (Pre K to end of college) sounded interesting. This approach plans to harness the expertise and resources available for higher education to improve the state of school education. He reiterated the need for getting parents more involved in the process. In response to a question he also promised to research about the low attractiveness of teaching as a career amongst people of color.
He drew some flak for referring his cap on property tax proposal to a commission for review. The Governor tried to dispel the notion that commissions are places where good ideas go to die. He expected the property tax commission to present its findings within this calendar year. He opined that the commission was a nice way to draw feedback and opinion from all stakeholders, a shift from the earlier unilateral approach much disliked by his detractors.
How can he as NYS Governor help New York City retain its position as the Global Economic Capital? A position increasingly under threat from competitors like London and Dubai. And an issue which impacts all of us since NY City is an engine of growth for the entire region. He mentioned about his initiatives with the CEO's of major financial corporations to formulate a new NY Financial Regulatory structure which removes the incoherence across various silos like Banking, Insurance etc and brings it more in line with the model used by London. He is in consultation with the Federal Government on these issues and the problems with visas which make global financial players choose London over NYC for their operations.
The governor has a strong agenda for Rochester. He spoke about Midtown and the fact that he had asked Mayor Duffy to identify similar other investments. He felt Rochester given the availability of trained & highly educated workforce and high concentration of research labs and higher education institutions was uniquely poised to benefit from the USD 600 million funding over the next 10 years on Stem Cell Research in the State.
The battles of last year do not seem to have taken a toll on the boldness of the Governor’s visionary thinking. He is more pragmatic and astute now. This should bode well for the execution of these plans to reality. Another year of gridlock is something which the public will not be willing to endure.
Given that California is NY's strongest rival in the "idea driven economy", would Gov. Spitzer be willing to take on Arnold Schwarznegger in an arm wrestling match? Surely not, the Governor was quick to retort; however he would gladly challenge him to an IQ match.
On a more serious note, the Governor seems to be all done with his bout of arm wrestling with the State’s Republican Leadership . He struck a more conciliatory note when he met the Editorial Board on 01/10. He mentioned that he realized that the public has no tolerance for stagnation and gridlock. His objective was to get things done. And get them done in a fiscally prudent way.
He plans to present a balanced budget without raising taxes. He did not envisage this increasing the state's debt in a major way as he planned plowing resources from the sale of state's sub optimally utilized assets (e.g. property in Manhattan) into more productive programs. And he did not feel the plans to sell the lottery were like selling the crown's jewels because he was taking a capital asset (State Lottery) and converting it into another capital asset ( Endowment for Higher Education).
His plans to move the focus on education from K-12 to what he described as P-16 (Pre K to end of college) sounded interesting. This approach plans to harness the expertise and resources available for higher education to improve the state of school education. He reiterated the need for getting parents more involved in the process. In response to a question he also promised to research about the low attractiveness of teaching as a career amongst people of color.
He drew some flak for referring his cap on property tax proposal to a commission for review. The Governor tried to dispel the notion that commissions are places where good ideas go to die. He expected the property tax commission to present its findings within this calendar year. He opined that the commission was a nice way to draw feedback and opinion from all stakeholders, a shift from the earlier unilateral approach much disliked by his detractors.
How can he as NYS Governor help New York City retain its position as the Global Economic Capital? A position increasingly under threat from competitors like London and Dubai. And an issue which impacts all of us since NY City is an engine of growth for the entire region. He mentioned about his initiatives with the CEO's of major financial corporations to formulate a new NY Financial Regulatory structure which removes the incoherence across various silos like Banking, Insurance etc and brings it more in line with the model used by London. He is in consultation with the Federal Government on these issues and the problems with visas which make global financial players choose London over NYC for their operations.
The governor has a strong agenda for Rochester. He spoke about Midtown and the fact that he had asked Mayor Duffy to identify similar other investments. He felt Rochester given the availability of trained & highly educated workforce and high concentration of research labs and higher education institutions was uniquely poised to benefit from the USD 600 million funding over the next 10 years on Stem Cell Research in the State.
The battles of last year do not seem to have taken a toll on the boldness of the Governor’s visionary thinking. He is more pragmatic and astute now. This should bode well for the execution of these plans to reality. Another year of gridlock is something which the public will not be willing to endure.
Wednesday, January 9, 2008
How are the Baileys doing?
Sen. Chuck Schumer had introduced us to a fictional family, the middle-class Baileys—Joe, Eileen and their three kids in his recent book "Positively American". So my question to Sen. Schumer when he met the Editorial Board on 01/08 was "How are the Baileys doing?". Turns out that the Baileys who were distinctly upbeat a decade ago are now slightly despondent about the state of the economy, gas prices, and college tuitions and seem to think there are tougher times ahead for their kids. However they still have not lost their resilient spirit and continue battling on notwithstanding the odds.
The major reasons for this despondency as per Sen. Schumer were the reduced funding available to support education and health initiatives. The 2 big causes for a decline in funding as per him were the reduced tax burden on the super rich (those making over $ 1 million a year) and the $ 200 Billion a year spending in Iraq. The Senator had spent New Year in Iraq with the US troops and waxed eloquent about their valor and commitment. He was pleased with the progress made on the ground under the NY born Gen. Petraeus but described the state of Iraqi civil society as still being fragmented by sectarian differences and a very weak & unpopular central administration.
For us in Rochester, Sen. Schumer had some good cheer to share. He mentioned an emerging trend of US corporations moving some of their high-end manufacturing work back to the US. He felt Upstate NY in general and Rochester in particular was well poised to benefit from this trend given the availability of trained & highly educated workforce, population concentration and low office space rent. He spoke about his efforts to boost the local economy by helping local companies for specific initiatives; developing niche opportunities like Fuel Cell Technology, Center for Photonics; Grants in the Budget for corporate, county and city endeavors; and overall by making the business climate better (e.g. by better air services)
The issue which bothers the Senator the most is the declining standards of the US education esp. Math and Science education. He feels that declining education standards will significantly reduce America's competitiveness in a global economy. He discussed his initiatives to get more qualified people interested in Science and Math teaching. He highlighted a grant for establishing a Center for Math and Science teaching excellence at the Nazareth College. In response to a question he also promised to research about the low attractiveness of teaching as a career amongst people of color.
How will the Baileys vote in this year's presidential election? Definitely for the Democratic Party, the Senator said, but for which Democratic contender? Sen. Schumer the quintessential politician suavely sidestepped the question.
The major reasons for this despondency as per Sen. Schumer were the reduced funding available to support education and health initiatives. The 2 big causes for a decline in funding as per him were the reduced tax burden on the super rich (those making over $ 1 million a year) and the $ 200 Billion a year spending in Iraq. The Senator had spent New Year in Iraq with the US troops and waxed eloquent about their valor and commitment. He was pleased with the progress made on the ground under the NY born Gen. Petraeus but described the state of Iraqi civil society as still being fragmented by sectarian differences and a very weak & unpopular central administration.
For us in Rochester, Sen. Schumer had some good cheer to share. He mentioned an emerging trend of US corporations moving some of their high-end manufacturing work back to the US. He felt Upstate NY in general and Rochester in particular was well poised to benefit from this trend given the availability of trained & highly educated workforce, population concentration and low office space rent. He spoke about his efforts to boost the local economy by helping local companies for specific initiatives; developing niche opportunities like Fuel Cell Technology, Center for Photonics; Grants in the Budget for corporate, county and city endeavors; and overall by making the business climate better (e.g. by better air services)
The issue which bothers the Senator the most is the declining standards of the US education esp. Math and Science education. He feels that declining education standards will significantly reduce America's competitiveness in a global economy. He discussed his initiatives to get more qualified people interested in Science and Math teaching. He highlighted a grant for establishing a Center for Math and Science teaching excellence at the Nazareth College. In response to a question he also promised to research about the low attractiveness of teaching as a career amongst people of color.
How will the Baileys vote in this year's presidential election? Definitely for the Democratic Party, the Senator said, but for which Democratic contender? Sen. Schumer the quintessential politician suavely sidestepped the question.
Monday, January 7, 2008
Democracy and Dynasties........
Today's Democrat and Chronicle carried my blog item Democracy and Dynastic Politics. as an Editorial piece : Political dynasties are anti-democratic
You always read it here first on the blog. Visit often and please do share feedback .
You always read it here first on the blog. Visit often and please do share feedback .
Sunday, January 6, 2008
Eliot Spitzer's First Year as NY Governor
Look Before you leap
There's a saying in Hindi which goes "Come Bull, Come and hit me" used in context of people who invite troubles onto themselves. I think this aptly epitomizes Gov. Spitzer's year in office. I think the biggest mistake he did was not testing the waters first before jumping in for two of his most controversial initiatives : his fight with Republican Leader Bruno and the well intended (in his mind) but ill executed illegal immigrant drivers' license initiative. And as the fires on these issues raged, the smoke from them camouflaged whatever he was achieving in other areas. As a politician he should have know how well his opponent was dug in; as an administrator he should have known whether he had the support of the administrative machinery to execute his policy. 2 big failures resulting in his current dismal ratings.
But he is a smart guy and can pick up the pieces and start over again:" A bold rider is never afraid of a fall, tis' the weaklings who walk on their knees who never fall" . NY needs his bold measures. Bold measures executed after due deliberations and consultations regarding political and administrative ramifications.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
An abridged version of the above article was published in the Rochester Democrat and Chronicle today as part of a review of Gov. Spitzer's first year:
Letters to the editor: Grading Spitzer
There's a saying in Hindi which goes "Come Bull, Come and hit me" used in context of people who invite troubles onto themselves. I think this aptly epitomizes Gov. Spitzer's year in office. I think the biggest mistake he did was not testing the waters first before jumping in for two of his most controversial initiatives : his fight with Republican Leader Bruno and the well intended (in his mind) but ill executed illegal immigrant drivers' license initiative. And as the fires on these issues raged, the smoke from them camouflaged whatever he was achieving in other areas. As a politician he should have know how well his opponent was dug in; as an administrator he should have known whether he had the support of the administrative machinery to execute his policy. 2 big failures resulting in his current dismal ratings.
But he is a smart guy and can pick up the pieces and start over again:" A bold rider is never afraid of a fall, tis' the weaklings who walk on their knees who never fall" . NY needs his bold measures. Bold measures executed after due deliberations and consultations regarding political and administrative ramifications.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
An abridged version of the above article was published in the Rochester Democrat and Chronicle today as part of a review of Gov. Spitzer's first year:
Letters to the editor: Grading Spitzer
Wednesday, January 2, 2008
Democracy and Dynastic Politics.
"The Queen is dead. Long live the King" seemed to be the resounding cry when Bilawal Bhutto Zardari was named successor to his slain mother Benazir Bhutto's legacy. It seemed strange given the total lack of leadership experience of the hapless 19 year old and his mothers' oft stated commitment to the restoration of democracy in Pakistan. Apparently the same values did not extend to her visions for her own party which will continue to be run as a fiefdom of her family. In neighboring India, the ruling Congress party is oft described as the personal fiefdom of the Nehru-Gandhi family, with the leadership transitioning from one family member to another
South Asia is not the only place where dynastic succession is happening despite a democratic framework. Argentina recently saw the transition of power to Cristina Fernández, the wife of the outgoing President - Nestor Kirchner.
Dynastic Politics might have caused a raised eyebrow in the US a few decades ago but now it will be a case of the kettle calling the pot black. We are currently in the midst of a dynastic presidency (Bush I, Bush II and a presumptive heir- Neil Bush waiting in the shadows to be Bush III) and may well be headed into yet another one (Clinton I, Clinton II) in 2009. In the recent past many spouses, children, siblings have also been called upon to complete terms of outgoing senators or stand elections in their lieu.
Some writers have explained the continued dominance of dynastic politics in the developing world as being caused due to a political system which is not able to nurture strong parties with national appeal and acceptability among all castes and religious groups. They think that unless a strong political party structure emerges in these countries, there is no hope of dynastic politics taking a backseat.
This does not explain the prevalence of this trend in developed countries like the US. It seems that there is almost a primordial urge in humankind to cherish some kind of monarchical/dynastic values. That may explain monarchy being established as a form of government, independently across geographic locations, races, cultures etc. Maybe that's why there is a continued attraction to the kind of dynastic succession espoused in movies like Lion King, Godfather where people are supposed to root for the dynastic successor.
While the selection/election of a truly qualified dynastic heir apparently makes sense, in all likelihood the incumbent creates circumstances/opportunities which favor his/her own bloodline at the expense of other qualified contenders. And that is the biggest danger of Dynastic Politics and what should make it an anathema for a modern Democracy. Our founding fathers had realized that when they created a constitution which established our nation as a republic and not a dynastic monarchy. As champions of that visionary legacy it is incumbent upon us that we continue to ensure that the "best person rises to the top" irrespective of his /her dynastic affiliation. And if that person be a spouse, child or sibling so be it. The dynastic badge should by itself not guarantee anything.
South Asia is not the only place where dynastic succession is happening despite a democratic framework. Argentina recently saw the transition of power to Cristina Fernández, the wife of the outgoing President - Nestor Kirchner.
Dynastic Politics might have caused a raised eyebrow in the US a few decades ago but now it will be a case of the kettle calling the pot black. We are currently in the midst of a dynastic presidency (Bush I, Bush II and a presumptive heir- Neil Bush waiting in the shadows to be Bush III) and may well be headed into yet another one (Clinton I, Clinton II) in 2009. In the recent past many spouses, children, siblings have also been called upon to complete terms of outgoing senators or stand elections in their lieu.
Some writers have explained the continued dominance of dynastic politics in the developing world as being caused due to a political system which is not able to nurture strong parties with national appeal and acceptability among all castes and religious groups. They think that unless a strong political party structure emerges in these countries, there is no hope of dynastic politics taking a backseat.
This does not explain the prevalence of this trend in developed countries like the US. It seems that there is almost a primordial urge in humankind to cherish some kind of monarchical/dynastic values. That may explain monarchy being established as a form of government, independently across geographic locations, races, cultures etc. Maybe that's why there is a continued attraction to the kind of dynastic succession espoused in movies like Lion King, Godfather where people are supposed to root for the dynastic successor.
While the selection/election of a truly qualified dynastic heir apparently makes sense, in all likelihood the incumbent creates circumstances/opportunities which favor his/her own bloodline at the expense of other qualified contenders. And that is the biggest danger of Dynastic Politics and what should make it an anathema for a modern Democracy. Our founding fathers had realized that when they created a constitution which established our nation as a republic and not a dynastic monarchy. As champions of that visionary legacy it is incumbent upon us that we continue to ensure that the "best person rises to the top" irrespective of his /her dynastic affiliation. And if that person be a spouse, child or sibling so be it. The dynastic badge should by itself not guarantee anything.
Tuesday, January 1, 2008
Happy New Year 2008
Wish a very happy and prosperous 2008 to all my blog readers and friends.
My New Year Resolution related to my blog is to try and update it on a more regular basis and take it to the next level. And I'll look forward to your feedback in determining what that level is.
As my writing escapades continue, I have been selected a community member on the Editorial Board of the Rochester Democrat and Chronicle.
The Editorial Board is responsible for the newspaper's institutional view, which appears in daily editorials. This being an election year in the US, I look forward to the opportunity to perhaps meet some of the contenders and some interesting discussions.
Keep reading the blog, you'll read it all here first
Friday, December 14, 2007
The Nielsen Company Issues Top Ten U.S. Lists for 2007
Are you a "list" person ? interested in knowing what Americans have been upto in 2007 ? what books have we been reading ? what ringtones have we been downloading ? what movies we have been watching ?
Did you know "My name is Earl" was the tv program most buzzed about online ? Well, I won't let any more cats out of the bag.......
If yes you are indeed interested in this , check out :
Nielsen's Top 10 US Lists for 2007
Did you know "My name is Earl" was the tv program most buzzed about online ? Well, I won't let any more cats out of the bag.......
If yes you are indeed interested in this , check out :
Nielsen's Top 10 US Lists for 2007
Tuesday, December 11, 2007
"Snazzy" Stellaris : a combination of form and function
Most of us are used to the drab, boxy looks of surgical, medical equipment. One does not commonly associate the word "Snazzy" with a piece of equipment used for Cataract Surgery .However Bausch & Lomb , a company based in Rochester, New York seems to have uniquely married form and function in their new "Stellaris Vision Enhancement System". It sure made the writers at the venerable The Economist go ga-ga and describe it as a "snazzy" piece of equipment:
The novelty of Stellaris—which is made by Bausch & Lomb, a company based in Rochester, New York—is that all the pieces of kit are pulled together into a single snazzy piece of equipment. The system can extract lenses, keep the eyeball inflated, and inject lenses in several different ways. The Stellaris has options to use an older or a newer surgical technique, depending on the surgeon's preference.
To read more about the revolutionary technology behind this which will greatly facilitate cataract surgery, follow the link :
The eyes have it
Dec 6th 2007
From The Economist print edition
Medical technology: The techniques used to replace worn-out eye lenses are getting better, making the process simpler than ever
Monday, December 3, 2007
Thoughts for the New Rochester School Chief
The Rochester Democrat and Chronicle wanted its Board of contributors to share their priorities and concerns with Jean-Claude Brizard, the new superintendent of the Rochester City School District. Here's what I had to say about it. Personally, I am not effected by this change since as residents of Brighton we are not part of the Rochester City School District :
Equip every pupil with a laptop
With the focus on reading, writing and arithmetic proficiency under the No Child Left Behind approach, the city school kids are in danger of falling behind in computer literacy as compared to their suburban peers. I would expect Brizard to take the lead with some outside-the-box approaches in this area. Maybe partner with business and philanthropic organizations to launch a one-laptop-per-child program. Not only would that provide the children with new opportunities to explore, experiment and express themselves, it would also help improve their reading, writing and arithmetic skills, and maybe also help in keeping them off the streets with a resultant decrease in youth violence. Several U.S. corporations are involved in the $100 laptop project for kids around the globe, so the idea should not be as costly as it sounds.
In many countries around the world, computer education has worked effectively in breaking the cycle of poverty, illiteracy, ignorance and violence and helping people move ahead in life. It's worth a try here.
—DEEPAK SETH BRIGHTON Seth is on the Board of Contributors. Dec 2,2007
Equip every pupil with a laptop
With the focus on reading, writing and arithmetic proficiency under the No Child Left Behind approach, the city school kids are in danger of falling behind in computer literacy as compared to their suburban peers. I would expect Brizard to take the lead with some outside-the-box approaches in this area. Maybe partner with business and philanthropic organizations to launch a one-laptop-per-child program. Not only would that provide the children with new opportunities to explore, experiment and express themselves, it would also help improve their reading, writing and arithmetic skills, and maybe also help in keeping them off the streets with a resultant decrease in youth violence. Several U.S. corporations are involved in the $100 laptop project for kids around the globe, so the idea should not be as costly as it sounds.
In many countries around the world, computer education has worked effectively in breaking the cycle of poverty, illiteracy, ignorance and violence and helping people move ahead in life. It's worth a try here.
—DEEPAK SETH BRIGHTON Seth is on the Board of Contributors. Dec 2,2007
Thursday, November 22, 2007
Thanksgiving Day !!
Happy Thanksgiving !! Here's my piece on who I want to thank on Thanksgiving published in the Rochester Democrat and Chronicle today :
Brave soldiers
Thanksgiving Day 1994 found me in Tanga, Tanzania, a small coastal town on the Indian Ocean. I was working with a Singapore-based trading firm trying to get a cashew processing unit operational. I had been invited to lunch at the house of one of our local partners. As I got out of the car and walked to his home I saw a small, nicely maintained cemetery across from his home. As I was early and am a keen history buff, I stepped inside. It was a graveyard maintained by the Commonwealth Graves Commission commemorating Allied soldiers who had died there during the world wars.
As I walked to one of the commemorative walls, and started reading the names, my hair stood on edge. Listed there were countless soldiers from my native India who had died there valiantly battling for their British masters. Turned out, Tanga was an important battle site in the African campaigns during both world wars.
So every Thanksgiving I say thanks to the countless soldiers who fight and die bravely in distant lands, some for causes they believe in and others as pawns in games played by their political masters.
DEEPAK SETH BRIGHTON
Seth is on the Board of Contributors.
Brave soldiers
Thanksgiving Day 1994 found me in Tanga, Tanzania, a small coastal town on the Indian Ocean. I was working with a Singapore-based trading firm trying to get a cashew processing unit operational. I had been invited to lunch at the house of one of our local partners. As I got out of the car and walked to his home I saw a small, nicely maintained cemetery across from his home. As I was early and am a keen history buff, I stepped inside. It was a graveyard maintained by the Commonwealth Graves Commission commemorating Allied soldiers who had died there during the world wars.
As I walked to one of the commemorative walls, and started reading the names, my hair stood on edge. Listed there were countless soldiers from my native India who had died there valiantly battling for their British masters. Turned out, Tanga was an important battle site in the African campaigns during both world wars.
So every Thanksgiving I say thanks to the countless soldiers who fight and die bravely in distant lands, some for causes they believe in and others as pawns in games played by their political masters.
DEEPAK SETH BRIGHTON
Seth is on the Board of Contributors.
Monday, November 19, 2007
NYC vs. London : Global Financial Capital ?
A very interesting piece by Ken Livingstone, Mayor of London in the Times of India. Ken is somewhat of a maverick, however what he says here makes a lot of sense.
As a New Yorker, what struck me most about the piece was Ken reaching out and writing a piece in India about the long term role of India as a growing economic superpower in the future of his own city : London. A manifestation of long term strategic vision and acceptance of ground level realities while not getting bogged down in talk about a hoary past. Can't visualize Mayor Bloomberg (NYC) doing something like that. NYC ( like rest of the US) seems to have become internally focused since 9/11 and risks losing it's position as the Global Economic Capital.
As a New Yorker, what struck me most about the piece was Ken reaching out and writing a piece in India about the long term role of India as a growing economic superpower in the future of his own city : London. A manifestation of long term strategic vision and acceptance of ground level realities while not getting bogged down in talk about a hoary past. Can't visualize Mayor Bloomberg (NYC) doing something like that. NYC ( like rest of the US) seems to have become internally focused since 9/11 and risks losing it's position as the Global Economic Capital.
This should serve as a wake up call to the political and economic leaders here in the US. The world is surging ahead and we seem to have been caught up in a single point agenda : "War". While that may be important, losing the focus on the other balls in the air : Economy, Trade, Global Competitiveness etc. will make us weaker in the long run. Need of the hour is for leadership that has the ability to "multi task". Let's hope 2009 has that in store for us.
Ken Livingstone's piece. I have added some highlights to the points which piqued my interest as a New Yorker. :
19 Nov 2007, 0000 hrs IST,Ken Livingstone
India and Britain inhabit a world changing so rapidly that to bring out its character let's deliberately put it in stark, even 'provocative', terms. In 20 years time, only three people are guaranteed a place at the top table of the world's affairs - the presidents of the US and China and the prime minister of India. By then, the world will have shifted so much that if there were to be war between Britain and India, Britain would be more likely to end up as a colony of India than the other way round. Fortunately, for everybody concerned with humanity, has progressed to the point where colonies no longer exist and war, while not eliminated, has diminished. But such facts show the intensity of current transformations.
Globalisation, which is the framework for these shifts, cannot be conceived purely as an economic process. Those who believe that we will trade with, and invest in, each other’s countries more but everything else will stay the same are in for a severe shock.
Economic interaction is certainly accelerating. In London, it is a striking indicator that India now has the largest number of foreign inward investment projects after the US, and the spend of Indian tourists coming to London exceeds Japan’s. But overall London’s huge success, with studies showing it pulling ahead of even New York as an international business centre, is primarily due to its understanding of the shifts produced by globalisation.
New York’s dominance as the 20th century’s international financial centre was based on the US generating the overwhelming share of the world’s capital — accessing which was only possible in New York. This is no longer true.
Today, the greatest sources of world growth and capital are India, Russia and China. As recently as 2001, 54 per cent of IPOs of more than $1 billion were in New York.
Last year that fell to 17 per cent. Onerous and protectionist US restrictions need no longer be accepted. Economically the current problems in the US financial system, and the dollar’s, will further increase the attractiveness of London compared to New York.
The ramifications of globalisation socially are equally clear, and most pronounced in the most advanced international business centres. A third of London’s population was born abroad and 40 per cent of New York’s.
No one will solve the problem of having an international city without a very large number of foreigners. This reinforces the cultural, educational, policing and other consequences flowing from globalisation.
Trade always produced cultural influence but in the age of the internet and mass communications the speed of such influence is amplified greatly. Globalisation has not only an economic but also a profound cultural dimension. In the world’s great cities this mutual influence is the greatest.
Young people in London, Mumbai, Delhi, New York, or Paris have lives that are converging rapidly. They use the same technologies to make their lifestyle and have many similar aspirations. That in some cases they cannot yet directly talk to each other is merely a technical translation problem computers will solve during the first half of this century.
Two years ago, a commentator remarked that the lived experience of someone in London is already in many ways more similar to that of someone in Paris than life in London is to that in a small English village. Naturally this does not mean we will all change and become the same.
Culture changes more slowly than economy or politics. Leaving behind eras of conquest and colonialism means that culture change is now voluntary with people integrating from many societies to make their lifestyle - the iPod dominates everywhere while Chak de! India recently became the first Indian film to enter London’s top 10 most watched films.
The most fundamental shift of all is that current transformations mean 500 years of ‘West European’ cultural dominance, linked to its expansion across the world, is ending.
India is not merely a huge economy but one of the world’s greatest cultures. I constantly repeat in speeches in London that if people think the cultural impact of the India in our city is already great, which of course it is, in reality it has hardly begun.
This is the real basis of the new relations of London and India. The pre-eminent position to which India is heading is naturally not determined by the relative worth of individuals in Britain and India - which is entirely equal. It is determined by India’s rapid economic growth and that only partition obscures the fact that the Indian subcontinent already has a greater population than China.
Britain will never again be the world’s largest economy. However, London is the world’s most international city - a reality, not a boast. That internationalisation, in turn, makes London not only the world’s leading international financial centre but simultaneously a powerhouse of creative industries, of design, marketing, advertising and public relations - the best single stop most things Indian companies need to go global.
That equation - India is a rising economic superpower, London is the world’s leading international business centre - indicates the real common interests of both. Mutual interest for the future, not reminiscences about the past, is the firmest basis for friendship. (The writer is mayor of London.)
Tuesday, November 6, 2007
Interesting Op-ed piece from Tom Friedman
Op-Ed Columnist
No, No, No, Don’t Follow Us
By THOMAS L. FRIEDMAN
Published: November 4, 2007
India is in serious danger — no, not from Pakistan or internal strife. India is in danger from an Indian-made vehicle: a $2,500 passenger car, the world’s cheapest.
India’s Tata Motors recently announced that it plans to begin turning out a four-door, four-seat, rear-engine car for $2,500 next year and hopes to sell one million of them annually, primarily to those living at the “bottom of the pyramid” in India and the developing world.
Welcome to one of the emerging problems of the flat world: Blessedly, many more people now have the incomes to live an American lifestyle, and the Indian and Chinese low-cost manufacturing platforms can deliver them that lifestyle at lower and lower costs. But the energy and environmental implications could be enormous, for India and the world.
We have no right to tell Indians what cars to make or drive. But we can urge them to think hard about following our model, without a real mass transit alternative in place. Cheap conventional four-wheel cars, which would encourage millions of Indians to give up their two-wheel motor scooters and three-wheel motorized rickshaws, could overwhelm India’s already strained road system, increase its dependence on imported oil and gridlock the country’s megacities.
Yes, Indian families whose only vehicle now is a two-seat scooter often make two trips back and forth to places to get their whole family around, so a car that could pack a family of four is actually a form of mini-mass transit. And yes, Tata, by striving to make a car that could sell for $2,500, is forcing the entire Indian auto supply chain to become much more efficient and therefore competitive.
But here’s what’s also true: Last week, I was driving through downtown Hyderabad and passed the dedication of a new overpass that had taken two years to build. A crowd was gathered around a Hindu priest in a multicolored robe, who was swinging a lantern fired by burning coconut shells and praying for safe travel on this new flyover, which would lift traffic off the streets below.
The next morning I was reading The Sunday Times of India when my eye caught a color photograph of total gridlock, showing motor scooters, buses, cars and bright yellow motorized rickshaws knotted together. The caption: “Traffic ends in bottleneck on the Greenlands flyover, which was opened in Hyderabad on Saturday. On day one, the flyover was chockablock with traffic, raising questions over the efficacy of the flyover in reducing vehicular congestion.” That’s the strain on India’s infrastructure without a $2,500 car.
So what should India do? It should leapfrog us, not copy us. Just as India went from no phones to 250 million cellphones — skipping costly land lines and ending up with, in many ways, a better and cheaper phone system than we have — it should try the same with mass transit.
India can’t ban a $2,500 car, but it can tax it like crazy until it has a mass transit system that can give people another cheap mobility option, said Sunita Narain, the dynamo who directs New Delhi’s Center for Science and Environment and got India’s Supreme Court to order the New Delhi bus system to move from diesel to compressed natural gas. This greatly improved New Delhi’s air and forced the Indian bus makers to innovate and create a cleaner compressed natural gas vehicle, which they now export.
“I am not fighting the small car,” Ms. Narain said. “I am simply asking for many more buses and bus lanes — a complete change in mobility. Because if we get the $2,500 car we will not solve our mobility problem, we will just add to our congestion and pollution problems.”
Charge high prices for parking, charge a proper road tax for driving, deploy free air-conditioned buses that reach every corner of the city, expand the existing beautiful Delhi subway system, “and then let the market work,” she added.
Why should you care what they’re driving in Delhi? Here’s why: The cost of your cellphone is a lot cheaper today because India took that little Western invention and innovated around it so it is now affordable to Indians who make only $2 a day. India has become a giant platform for inventing cheap scale solutions to big problems. If it applied itself to green mass transit solutions for countries with exploding middle classes, it would be a gift for itself and the world.
To do that it must leapfrog. If India just innovates in cheap cars alone, its future will be gridlocked and polluted. But an India that makes itself the leader in both cheap cars and clean mass mobility is an India that will be healthier and wealthier. It will also be an India that gives us cheap answers to big problems — rather than cheap copies of our worst habits.
No, No, No, Don’t Follow Us
By THOMAS L. FRIEDMAN
Published: November 4, 2007
India is in serious danger — no, not from Pakistan or internal strife. India is in danger from an Indian-made vehicle: a $2,500 passenger car, the world’s cheapest.
India’s Tata Motors recently announced that it plans to begin turning out a four-door, four-seat, rear-engine car for $2,500 next year and hopes to sell one million of them annually, primarily to those living at the “bottom of the pyramid” in India and the developing world.
Welcome to one of the emerging problems of the flat world: Blessedly, many more people now have the incomes to live an American lifestyle, and the Indian and Chinese low-cost manufacturing platforms can deliver them that lifestyle at lower and lower costs. But the energy and environmental implications could be enormous, for India and the world.
We have no right to tell Indians what cars to make or drive. But we can urge them to think hard about following our model, without a real mass transit alternative in place. Cheap conventional four-wheel cars, which would encourage millions of Indians to give up their two-wheel motor scooters and three-wheel motorized rickshaws, could overwhelm India’s already strained road system, increase its dependence on imported oil and gridlock the country’s megacities.
Yes, Indian families whose only vehicle now is a two-seat scooter often make two trips back and forth to places to get their whole family around, so a car that could pack a family of four is actually a form of mini-mass transit. And yes, Tata, by striving to make a car that could sell for $2,500, is forcing the entire Indian auto supply chain to become much more efficient and therefore competitive.
But here’s what’s also true: Last week, I was driving through downtown Hyderabad and passed the dedication of a new overpass that had taken two years to build. A crowd was gathered around a Hindu priest in a multicolored robe, who was swinging a lantern fired by burning coconut shells and praying for safe travel on this new flyover, which would lift traffic off the streets below.
The next morning I was reading The Sunday Times of India when my eye caught a color photograph of total gridlock, showing motor scooters, buses, cars and bright yellow motorized rickshaws knotted together. The caption: “Traffic ends in bottleneck on the Greenlands flyover, which was opened in Hyderabad on Saturday. On day one, the flyover was chockablock with traffic, raising questions over the efficacy of the flyover in reducing vehicular congestion.” That’s the strain on India’s infrastructure without a $2,500 car.
So what should India do? It should leapfrog us, not copy us. Just as India went from no phones to 250 million cellphones — skipping costly land lines and ending up with, in many ways, a better and cheaper phone system than we have — it should try the same with mass transit.
India can’t ban a $2,500 car, but it can tax it like crazy until it has a mass transit system that can give people another cheap mobility option, said Sunita Narain, the dynamo who directs New Delhi’s Center for Science and Environment and got India’s Supreme Court to order the New Delhi bus system to move from diesel to compressed natural gas. This greatly improved New Delhi’s air and forced the Indian bus makers to innovate and create a cleaner compressed natural gas vehicle, which they now export.
“I am not fighting the small car,” Ms. Narain said. “I am simply asking for many more buses and bus lanes — a complete change in mobility. Because if we get the $2,500 car we will not solve our mobility problem, we will just add to our congestion and pollution problems.”
Charge high prices for parking, charge a proper road tax for driving, deploy free air-conditioned buses that reach every corner of the city, expand the existing beautiful Delhi subway system, “and then let the market work,” she added.
Why should you care what they’re driving in Delhi? Here’s why: The cost of your cellphone is a lot cheaper today because India took that little Western invention and innovated around it so it is now affordable to Indians who make only $2 a day. India has become a giant platform for inventing cheap scale solutions to big problems. If it applied itself to green mass transit solutions for countries with exploding middle classes, it would be a gift for itself and the world.
To do that it must leapfrog. If India just innovates in cheap cars alone, its future will be gridlocked and polluted. But an India that makes itself the leader in both cheap cars and clean mass mobility is an India that will be healthier and wealthier. It will also be an India that gives us cheap answers to big problems — rather than cheap copies of our worst habits.
Sunday, November 4, 2007
To Vote or Not to Vote?
A piece by me on the importance of exercising the right to vote as Election Day in the US nears appeared in the Rochester Democrat and Chronicle today:
Do not waste right that I as an immigrant have yet to gain
Deepak Seth Guest essayist
(November 4, 2007) — Election Day is poignant for me, for I'm not yet a U.S. citizen and therefore am barred from voting. I must remain a "permanent resident" for the mandated number of years before I'm granted citizenship, with its many privileges, mainly the right to vote.
Making it doubly painful is the fact that I hail from India — the world's largest democracy, though much younger than the U.S. democracy. India's history of peaceful transition through the electoral process gives me a strong appreciation of the power of the vote and the changes it can bring about in civil society. This is in marked contrast to the violent regime changes that plague many countries.
What makes it more pitiable is that in the recent years, the United States has taken a leading role in spreading freedom — democracy — to various parts of the globe. Iraq and Afghanistan are cases to point. Meanwhile, in the United States itself, people shy away from exercising that same freedom that was enshrined in the U.S. Constitution.
Politicians themselves have contributed to voter apathy. Campaigning has become very vitriolic and more a fight than an earnest debate. As in any fight, many people just choose to stay away rather than sully themselves in what they perceive to be muck. Some politicians also prefer to deal with the "moneybags" rather than the "huddled masses." But what one needs to remember is that the vote creates the politician and not vice versa. The vote is the most powerful weapon in a democratic society, and one should not be wary of wielding it.
Come Election Day, people should proudly wear their "I have voted" stickers. It is for defending and extending this right to vote that countless Americans have died. As for me, I count the days till I can join this great continuing, evolving endeavor: American democracy.
Seth, of Brighton, is on the Board of Contributors.
Do not waste right that I as an immigrant have yet to gain
Deepak Seth Guest essayist
(November 4, 2007) — Election Day is poignant for me, for I'm not yet a U.S. citizen and therefore am barred from voting. I must remain a "permanent resident" for the mandated number of years before I'm granted citizenship, with its many privileges, mainly the right to vote.
Making it doubly painful is the fact that I hail from India — the world's largest democracy, though much younger than the U.S. democracy. India's history of peaceful transition through the electoral process gives me a strong appreciation of the power of the vote and the changes it can bring about in civil society. This is in marked contrast to the violent regime changes that plague many countries.
And so, denied for now the right to vote in America, I am surprised by the increasing number of Americans who could but don't vote. The reasons are many, but two of the most common are:
- Our votes do not count; Big Business, lobbyists and the like heavily influence election results.
- Elections don't make any difference. No matter who wins, policies, directions stay pretty much the same.
What makes it more pitiable is that in the recent years, the United States has taken a leading role in spreading freedom — democracy — to various parts of the globe. Iraq and Afghanistan are cases to point. Meanwhile, in the United States itself, people shy away from exercising that same freedom that was enshrined in the U.S. Constitution.
Politicians themselves have contributed to voter apathy. Campaigning has become very vitriolic and more a fight than an earnest debate. As in any fight, many people just choose to stay away rather than sully themselves in what they perceive to be muck. Some politicians also prefer to deal with the "moneybags" rather than the "huddled masses." But what one needs to remember is that the vote creates the politician and not vice versa. The vote is the most powerful weapon in a democratic society, and one should not be wary of wielding it.
Come Election Day, people should proudly wear their "I have voted" stickers. It is for defending and extending this right to vote that countless Americans have died. As for me, I count the days till I can join this great continuing, evolving endeavor: American democracy.
Seth, of Brighton, is on the Board of Contributors.
Monday, October 29, 2007
To Bee or Not to Bee
As I watched t.v. last night, was pleasantly surprised by the extensive coverage given to the missing bees' and the resultant impact on farmers and food supply. Both 60 Minutes (CBS- "What's with the bees") and PBS ("Nature: Silence of the Bees") ran stories. Finally the media is waking up to this important mystery.
However, the cynical side of me said it was a coordinated PR ploy executed by the makers of Jerry Seinfeld's "Bee Movie" (in theaters Nov 2) - let's get those stories about the bees' going so that there is more audience interest in the movie. No sweat, as long as a good cause is served.
Well, those of you who are avid readers of this blog know that we covered the story much earlier : Of Butterflies and Storms
The most poignant part of the story was the clip about Chinese farmers manually pollinating their fruit trees using a contraption made from chicken feathers. If I remember the stats right, it took them a few days to complete what bees can do in minutes.
Seems like we have not heard the last of this story yet. Bee right back..........
However, the cynical side of me said it was a coordinated PR ploy executed by the makers of Jerry Seinfeld's "Bee Movie" (in theaters Nov 2) - let's get those stories about the bees' going so that there is more audience interest in the movie. No sweat, as long as a good cause is served.Well, those of you who are avid readers of this blog know that we covered the story much earlier : Of Butterflies and Storms
The most poignant part of the story was the clip about Chinese farmers manually pollinating their fruit trees using a contraption made from chicken feathers. If I remember the stats right, it took them a few days to complete what bees can do in minutes.
Seems like we have not heard the last of this story yet. Bee right back..........
Of Bobby Jindal, Religion and the US electorate
Bobby Jindal recently became the first Indian-American to be elected the Governor of a US State. A remarkable achievement indeed. More remarkable is the age at which he has achieved it (36 years) and the state he has achieved it in (Louisiana - highly conservative,bottom of the rankings on most developmental indices, minuscule Indian-American population) .
Most news commentaries on his achievement have elaborated on the fact that he converted to the Roman-Catholic faith very early in life. They somehow seemed to imply that though he was Indian-American , he was a Roman Catholic and that made him more acceptable, more mainstream. Louisiana is a majority Roman-Catholic state.One would have thought that pledging one's soul to the Pope was not a prerequisite to getting elected. However it is a reminder of the extent to which faith and religion play a role in American politics.
Would be quite an uphill climb for the likes of Mitt Romney (Mormon), Hillary Clinton (woman), Barack Obama (African American) in the presidential races. Kennedy(Catholic) had broken the hold of the WASP(White Anglo Saxon Protestant) male but now it seems like WASE (White Anglo Saxon Evangelical) male is the profile that calls the shots.
But then I may be proven wrong. And I hope I will, because the ideals on which this country is founded -"Life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness" are too visionary to be shackled by sex, race or religion.
Most news commentaries on his achievement have elaborated on the fact that he converted to the Roman-Catholic faith very early in life. They somehow seemed to imply that though he was Indian-American , he was a Roman Catholic and that made him more acceptable, more mainstream. Louisiana is a majority Roman-Catholic state.One would have thought that pledging one's soul to the Pope was not a prerequisite to getting elected. However it is a reminder of the extent to which faith and religion play a role in American politics.
Would be quite an uphill climb for the likes of Mitt Romney (Mormon), Hillary Clinton (woman), Barack Obama (African American) in the presidential races. Kennedy(Catholic) had broken the hold of the WASP(White Anglo Saxon Protestant) male but now it seems like WASE (White Anglo Saxon Evangelical) male is the profile that calls the shots.
But then I may be proven wrong. And I hope I will, because the ideals on which this country is founded -"Life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness" are too visionary to be shackled by sex, race or religion.
Monday, October 15, 2007
Ever wanted to quiz a Nobel Laureate?
Ever wanted to quiz a Nobel Laureate? Now's your chance. Submit your question to one or more of this year's Laureates, and the most interesting ones will be posed to the Laureates who are participating in "Nobel Minds", an SVT/BBC World TV programme that will be aired in December, or who will feature in a special Q&A article that will appear on this website after the Nobel Prize ceremonies.
The link is here http://nobelprize.org/prog/php/ask_a_laureate/
The link is here http://nobelprize.org/prog/php/ask_a_laureate/
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