It
is this mesmerizing quality of Indians that has made them
one of the most sought nationals globally. When
Swami Vivekananda went to the world religion conference in
Chicago, nobody knew him in that part of the world. India
was a lesserknown nation and whatever information was available
was mostly negative. India was perceived as a land of superstitions
and snake charmers by the Western civilization. Undoubtedly,
Swamiji had to encounter loads of problems and obstacles.
Finally, with the help of certain intellectual nobles, he
was able to get an opportunity to address the conference.
He started his address with "My dear brothers and sisters
of America." His simplicity, profound knowledge and an
attitude to embrace the world, won over the hearts and minds
of the people. A man, who was given just 3 minutes to speak,
went on for hours and days to a spellbound audience. It was
perhaps the first ever effort to treat the world as a global
village, an effort which transformed the image of India and
Indians forever.
Cut
to 2006, the rainbow in the sky seems brighter than ever.
Forex inflows, stock market indices and investors' wealth
are at the highest ever. Almost in every industry, whether
it is retail, realestate, education, aviation, IT, pharmaceuticals,
telecom, automobiles, steel, cement, engineering, finance,
services or any other, there is a boom everywhere. Corporate
leaders believe that growth rate is upwards 10%. There is
an atmosphere of entrepreneurial momentum. Outsourcing is
catching up. Doctors, lawyers, and many firms are gradually
outsourcing businesses. Professionals like MBAs and engineering
graduates are ready to passoff lucrative jobs to pursue innovative
ideas. NRI influx back to India has never been so heavy before.
There is a newgrown selfbelief among the Indian business
groups that they can compete and win globally. They have stopped
expecting sops from government and are stressing on selfreliance.
Infosys, by becoming the first Indian IT company to get listed
on NASDAQ, showed that we have the potential to have global
stakes. In the era of mergers and takeovers, Tata Group by
taking over Tetley (UK) has shown that Indians are not too
much behind in the race either. Another myth that PSUs are
not globally competitive has been blown over by firms like
ONGC, Indian Railways and the Indian Border Road Organization.
ONGC, through its far offshore oil explorations, has emerged
as a strong multinational. Indian Railways has helped many
countries including Sri Lanka and Zambia to establish and
modernize their rail networks. The Indian Border Road Organization
has helped countries like Afghanistan to have roads, connecting
it to countries like Iran. |
