Indian opportunity in a Global Dream.

It about time !

The election season unfolding will herald a new breed of young political leaders in India. Leaders on whose broad shoulders the Indian Nation younger than an aging west in terms of the average age of its citizens will spring into a preeminent position of influence and imminent global impact.

An influential status that we enjoy as a country and one with comes by once in a century as an opportunity to unequivocally impact the global pastures across agendas such as - combating
-global warming
-terror proliferation
-arrest the divisive proliferation of religious and racial fundamental forces
-reign in stability in a rampant financial markets around the globe
-influence equitable distribution and responsible use of precious natural resources like food grains and fossil fuels.

At another level India will evolve as an active conduit and catalyst to weave a stable geopolitical environment across Middle East, APAC, EU and US. Enable globe focus pan out of G8 into a widespread landscape of G 20 nations. Indian diplomacy has the power of influencing and forging peace treaties emanating from a principled practice of tolerance, understanding, collaboration, religious inclusion, non violence and respect for the other. Most of which are traits integrally Indian. Proven at multiple moments in the history of the 60 year old nation.

With the onus as a large and high on values and righteousness that Indians can exude and influence the world at large we are as a country will be better of in social standing and stature that we can in future grow into from our continued ascent in economic fortunes and the new found voice at the high tables at the United Nations.

A carefully carved years of enduring diplomatic standing nurtured with new relationships with US yet staying firmly tethered with legacy of ties with France, UK, Germany, Iran, Russia and Middle East and importantly cementing a non negotiable non aligned standing in the world will indeed go a long way towards realizing the Indian Dream of being at the forefront of evolution of the horizon emerging across global frontiers.


Indian Leadership – Tracing the past and Anointing an Awakening.

The reform process that India had initiated during the early part of 90’s did fructify in charging the country towards an economic juggernaut. A bygone era when the nation had to pledge the gold reserves to meet the demands of cash. The troika of Manmohan, Chidambram and Montek Singh with the then Prime Minister PV Narashima Rao undertook a slew of policies, reforms and initiatives which stood the country in good stead till today.

But a looking back the economic progress not withstanding, India as a country could not produce leaders of global repute and mass charisma. Leaders on whose broad shoulders India could carry the promise of a nation and delivery on the abundant opportunities those that lay in front of us.

When India got rechristened as a democratic nation from an iconic struggle from hundreds of years of colonial rule, it took the effort of gigantic leadership from out freedom fighters. Freedom fighters whose weapon was an amusing motto of non cooperation and non violence. From the struggle for freedom and fight for independence India produced home made giants and heroes whose reverence is unparallel in the annals of human endeavor in a civil society. Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi, Jawaharlal Nehru, Sardar Patel ,Maulana Azad, Rajagopala Chari, Ambedkar, Bagath Singh, Sarojini Naidu, Rajendra Prasad etc..the list can run into hundreds…

Yet 60 years since independence we have seen a sparse fare in producing leaders who could capture the imagination of the world. Indira Gandhi took the baton ahead and was one of the earliest visible signs of women leaders charted to lead a young nation. A legacy which is yet to be emulated by nations like US, France, China, Japan and Russia.

There were inspirations that India soaked in from the leadership examples of Lal Bhadur Sastry, Moraji Desai, S Radha Krishnan, Charan Singh, Atal Behari Vajpayee, Rajiv Gandhi, Narashima Rao, Abdul Kalam ,Anna Durai, JRD Tata, Birlas and a few other significant names those played their part.

A couple of matinee idols sprouted down south due to the acute drought of leaders like MGR and NTR who made up with their larger than life image and charisma to make good for their inexperience in politics. The purpose however served to be a force which was representative of what the people of the largest democracy voted to govern a fledgling geography with in India.

The last two decades served up a fewer set of crop of leaders whose visibility was pronounced with their political sojourn punctuated with spunk ,spark and promise – Sharad Pawar, Lalu Pradad, Chandra Babu Naidu, S M Krishna , Narendra Modi, Biju Patnaik, Jaya Lalitha amongst others endeared themselves at the ballot and left a sufficient impact.

Today as we look forward the leadership quarters are dwindling and spotting an incumbent with promise is few and far between. The political arena is bereft with potential inspirational leaders that it gets worrisome against the sheer backdrop of the immense opportunity in front of us.

Leadership which is so sparse in the political stage, however treads into a greener pastures when we consider our economic ascent for the past two decades. The industry captains from India Inc have already shown and delivered on the promise which the world acknowledges. Dhirubhai Ambani, Ratan Tata Kesub and Anand Mahindra Narayana Murthy, Azim Premji, KV Kamat, Deepak Parekh, Sunil Mittal or even inspired Indians abroad and home like Indira Nooyi, Lakshmi Mittal, Vindi Banga, Venu Srinivasan, Dr.Anji Reddy, Vinod Dham and Arun Sarin.

In the West Indian leaders are as revered as their global counter parts. Fellow Indians like C K Prahalad, Vijay Govindrajan, Ram Charan, Tarun Khanna, Amartya Sen and Krishna Palepu mould some of the brightest minds at the best schools in the world and coach the biggest of the entrepreneurs and advise some of the most prestigious corporate boards.

India seeks leaders across economic, scientific, literary, political and the many myriad avenues where we as countrymen can lend inspiring influence transcending the global frontiers.

The challenges before India are multiple. For even a nation as powerful as the United State, hell broke loose with a wrong man at the helm who by the way picked up from where Clinton left. Clinton, who had arguably the most successful stints at the Presidents office in the recent times. A nine year stint by a wrong leader in hindsight undid what took several hundreds of years.

In light of the above India has so much to lose if it dint find leaders of mettle in a hurry. The opportunity that lay in front of us comes by once in a century even if I am repeating it again and again. From a cursory check of the candidates announced for the next Lok Sabha it is an appalling prospect at display. Even worse if you considered the manifestos of some political parties which are as old as our nation or even older in some cases.

The mandate that is sought from the electorate is fought from flimsy poll planks which even some of the party workers fail to understand. Coalitions aren’t forged based on ideological planks but on number game which makes sense to garner single largest majority at the floor of the house.

The rhetoric’s could be unending , for now it is suffice to say “It now or never countrymen” we got to identify and hand pick THE leaders from the pack of undeserving and incapable bunch. Sometimes a leader of great merit emerges from the depths of dust and mediocrity. Once opportunity is thrust at their hand a rare few revel with exemplary and distinguished leaders. Leaders whom not only the Indian nation looks up to! But the world stands and salutes with reverence.

Sixty some years is quite a long while. Mahatma Gandhi was an Indian who delivered on a leadership promise; he woke up and was alive to an opportunity to be independent and free on his own terms and values. Left a mighty legacy that planet earth still reveres. It has been long since we have been slumbering. This election it’s now or never! American realized their hope in Obama. Indians too have Hope and a tremendous opportunity. Lets find the many unnamed leaders who will be champions of Indian and global messiahs. Vote with your eyes open and your heart firmly on your chest and a conscience crystal clear. Choose carefully and vote for claiming a future which so rightly belongs to us. Indians.

Its time for an awakening!

India in a Changing World

Change ! Change ! Change ! More than ever before this is one verbal shenanigan gripping the World Order and the mere mortals are like caught like an aghast deer bewildered on a highway staring at the high beamers.

Barak Obama has his side of the democratic campaign smeared with obscene amounts of rah, rah professing Change.

Tibet a miniscule geography in the world more famous for Dalai Lama , Richard Gere and Yeti is changing the editorial of almost all all the leading media works. The tibetian movement is getting bigger than the Olympics. More power to the people of tibet who have achieved an enormous task of gaining worldwide support for their cause. No one , practically no one is smaller to fight the goliaths if they have a just cause and determination to resist injustice.

Pakistan has become stronger as people have empowered themselves with a democracy. a democracy which promises a liberal and pluralistic society. A change for the better.

China will be more familiar to the world beyond the famed culinary delights they are usually renowned for or the pockets of china towns, little Chinas spread world over in limited pockets. This is a huge change for a country which will i am sure metamorphosis to evolve as a global society , the hitherto unchartered terrain by most countries will see and benefit form this huge change. The people from china were travelers and for a change will be playing hosts to the biggest event on planet earth.

Global economy is changing rapidly. The economy is getting more liquid and more fickle with the slightest of the tremor triggering a financial avalanche of unmanageable propositions. Myriad Theories of coupling and decoupling of economic societies galore in these changing times.

Consumers of the east seem to have taken the leadership baton from the west. More than ever before the east are consuming at a scorching pace thus inspiring a new breed of local Entrepreneurial class and a exodus of the same gang from the west to east.

The spherical planet is more and more getting flattened and this may well be the biggest change. In this there is a happy change happening in India as it is scripting its unique path to a golden India. I am patriotic Indian who is ever forgiving the motherland for its limited misgivings such as corruption, digital divide , poor healthcare and zero social security eve if we are the largest democracy.

My eyes get glazed with optimism as i see swank airports of the future in my home town of Hyderabad and birth place Bangalore. Though painful i am very happy to see the concrete structures being created to help the new car owner flyover his suburb on the way to a multiplex with his entire family crammed in his proud minicar. Be it Bandra, Moolchand,Cannought Place, Panjagutta , MG Road, Kathipara Junction or Hebbal..The change is transforming urban India.

The blacktop from hyderabad to chennai or bangalore or the easternexpress highway in mumbai or express way from pune to mumbai or ECR road to pondy or the PV Narashimra Rao 11.6 KM 100 Ft flyover..

The mushrooming of world class educational institutions like the IITs and IIMs upstaging the Harvard, Tuck and Wharton Schools in terms of the growing impact their alumnus have around the globe is a change i a so proud of.

The changing phase of healthcare innovation, the changing thrust of corporate social responsibility by the visionaries like Ramalinga Raju , Mukesh Ambani, Ratan Tata and Premji uplifting societies around them is a heartening heartwarming aspect of positive change.

Many a change such as change from hep Aerobics to artistic yoga. Rock and regge to bhangda pop or jazz to carnatic strains, pastas to curry , mcdonalds , KFCs and pizzas to idli , dosa , dhokla and vada paw. Universal Studios and Mirmax to Redchillies or Yashraj filims. American Idol to Indian Idol. Hollywood to Bollywood or Kollywood.The India that the world will love to experience.

India evolving as a cricketing super ecomony ( I thought of calling this sporting but went changed it to criketing for obvious reasons) is a change many cricketers are loving be it IPL or ICL.

More importantly India as a nation is growing in prominence as a state with likely economic leadership. A nation whose voice on global issues will be heard intently by the patrons around the world. The indianess which is so unique to us Indians adopted by rest of the world just like the cultures from France, Rome , Greece , Japanese and British and Americas held world attention for a while in the past. This i believe is change for the better.