As an expat, having lived overseas with sporadic access to Indian News I wish to add a few improvements to achieve our success: India needs to spend a lot more on universal compulsory education, which should be preceded by better training for teachers, revamped curriculum and more problem solving approach to education than just absorbing facts and regurgitating them in exams. Greater education on healthy diets for the population and access to sports and gymnasiums at affordable prices. Massive injection of money is needed in the health sector where students who have a higher call to serve the community alone should be admitted to medical degrees. These measures would upskill our population and our productivity will improve enormously to compete in the global market and thus sideline China as source of supply chains.
Hello Sir, another nice and informative article. I agree that “No-travel” has affected personal interaction and exchange of pleasantries. In fact, lockdown and COVID has changed the way to look at the life. The poem you shared – “All gave some – some gave all” – prompt us to think that we owe to the society. Sir, thank you for your views and thoughts. Looking forward for another cup of "Filter Coffee".
This week's article has touched a variety of topics from India's competition against China to travel to Covid.
Against a pall of gloom that 2020 has seen thus far, it's heartening to see a positive outlook portrayed for India in the next decade. Certainly a tremendous potential to topple the Chinese apple cart provided the government is able to seize the opportunity.
While travel for business certainly has taken novel dimensions and is most likely to stay, what cannot change is travel for pleasure. Whilst business meetings on zoom and Google meet can become the new normal one cannot fathom seeing the Eiffel tower or the Burj Khalifa virtually!
Yet to go through some of the multiple links the article talks about...all in good time!
Loved the stimulating and aromatic Filter Coffee! What a great and positive write up! I do hope all you say comes true. Our bane is poor governance and an extremely self seeking political elite. Our people are great. We need to empower them with skills because they are hungering for opportunities. Having lived in China more than 35 years ago and seen it then and as it is now , I know that it is doable. But we need good policies, committed execution and a national vision. Its the unfettering of our economy in 1991 which has unleashed entrepreneurial talents and got us thus far. There is a long way to go, however. If we want to be a global power we need to raise our standards of civil amenities and healthcare to global standards too.
I do hope we will emerge somehow purified after this trial by fire of the pandemic which has brought out the best and worst in us.
And I want to tell you that I am a great fan of Mr Mathrubhootham too.
On our justice system, the general perception is that “India is a lawless country with wonderful laws.” This is substantially true, if not entirely. Perhaps the area of corporate disputes is better because organisations tend to settle based on legal opinions rather than actual court dispensations. Not good enough for a country that wishes to make big leaps in “ease of doing business.”
If we are to reach our true potential as a nation, we must pay attention to Education, Health, Infrastructure AND the Legal System. Essential for improvements in all these areas is a non-corrupt polity.
I hope future cups of Filter Coffee will enable us to sip on your wisdom as it addresses these areas, amongst others.
I agree to the view of the fundamental difference between China and India and that India is probably the only country that has the potential to match China in demonstrating high growth. It all depends on how the leadership in the country will seize the opportunity to help the country realize its potential. Time and again we have seen how our leadership has suffered from nearsightedness and not being able to see beyond his/her nose- or probably refusing to see the big picture though they know it’s there. I do hope that will change for India’s good.
China’s big advantage has been the leadership that is in this game for the long haul. Witness the efforts that China is making to build bases in the South China Seas or the investments they are making in countries around us and taking them over when they cannot pay their debts in time. The port investment in Colombo is just one such example. The recent skirmish at our border and the expansionist land grab policy they are following in a string of similar incidents elsewhere, directly and indirectly, are just examples of the same. The huge investments that they have made in infrastructure development is another example. Everyone knows the amount of investment that China has made in other countries and its pre-eminent position in manufacturing. All this happening in a communist country is indeed noteworthy (though not praise worthy).
Another example I would quote is the way Uber had to leave China with the local Cab hailing company Didi to take it over. I am sure that many are aware that it was rather pushed out rather than opting out. That’s the way China protects its home grown companies. Read what Harward Business Review has to say on it to learn more. But there is certainly more to the story than mentioned here. Witness how Chinese and other foreign companies have easily been able to buy into or even drive out Indian businesses and it proves the statement made in this week’s stack-up.
It’s good when there’s someone as learned as you to read between the lines and put pen to paper. It helps ordinary people like me to ponder making sense of the incremental things that are happening around us and helps us get the big picture. Thank you and looking forward to next Sunday.
As an expat, having lived overseas with sporadic access to Indian News I wish to add a few improvements to achieve our success: India needs to spend a lot more on universal compulsory education, which should be preceded by better training for teachers, revamped curriculum and more problem solving approach to education than just absorbing facts and regurgitating them in exams. Greater education on healthy diets for the population and access to sports and gymnasiums at affordable prices. Massive injection of money is needed in the health sector where students who have a higher call to serve the community alone should be admitted to medical degrees. These measures would upskill our population and our productivity will improve enormously to compete in the global market and thus sideline China as source of supply chains.
Lakshmi Krishnan
Hello Sir, another nice and informative article. I agree that “No-travel” has affected personal interaction and exchange of pleasantries. In fact, lockdown and COVID has changed the way to look at the life. The poem you shared – “All gave some – some gave all” – prompt us to think that we owe to the society. Sir, thank you for your views and thoughts. Looking forward for another cup of "Filter Coffee".
This week's article has touched a variety of topics from India's competition against China to travel to Covid.
Against a pall of gloom that 2020 has seen thus far, it's heartening to see a positive outlook portrayed for India in the next decade. Certainly a tremendous potential to topple the Chinese apple cart provided the government is able to seize the opportunity.
While travel for business certainly has taken novel dimensions and is most likely to stay, what cannot change is travel for pleasure. Whilst business meetings on zoom and Google meet can become the new normal one cannot fathom seeing the Eiffel tower or the Burj Khalifa virtually!
Yet to go through some of the multiple links the article talks about...all in good time!
Another great read from a great person!!
Loved the stimulating and aromatic Filter Coffee! What a great and positive write up! I do hope all you say comes true. Our bane is poor governance and an extremely self seeking political elite. Our people are great. We need to empower them with skills because they are hungering for opportunities. Having lived in China more than 35 years ago and seen it then and as it is now , I know that it is doable. But we need good policies, committed execution and a national vision. Its the unfettering of our economy in 1991 which has unleashed entrepreneurial talents and got us thus far. There is a long way to go, however. If we want to be a global power we need to raise our standards of civil amenities and healthcare to global standards too.
I do hope we will emerge somehow purified after this trial by fire of the pandemic which has brought out the best and worst in us.
And I want to tell you that I am a great fan of Mr Mathrubhootham too.
Take care, Pras !
Your Filter Coffee is stimulating!
On our justice system, the general perception is that “India is a lawless country with wonderful laws.” This is substantially true, if not entirely. Perhaps the area of corporate disputes is better because organisations tend to settle based on legal opinions rather than actual court dispensations. Not good enough for a country that wishes to make big leaps in “ease of doing business.”
If we are to reach our true potential as a nation, we must pay attention to Education, Health, Infrastructure AND the Legal System. Essential for improvements in all these areas is a non-corrupt polity.
I hope future cups of Filter Coffee will enable us to sip on your wisdom as it addresses these areas, amongst others.
It is such a bliss to wake up to a good piece of writing, thank you for this sir! :)
👍 thanks for this. 🙏
Opps my Link to Harward Busness Review didn't work.
Here it is https://hbr.org/2016/08/the-real-reason-uber-is-giving-up-in-china#:~:text=The%20company's%20losses%20were%20mounting,to%20change%20its%20core%20product.
I agree to the view of the fundamental difference between China and India and that India is probably the only country that has the potential to match China in demonstrating high growth. It all depends on how the leadership in the country will seize the opportunity to help the country realize its potential. Time and again we have seen how our leadership has suffered from nearsightedness and not being able to see beyond his/her nose- or probably refusing to see the big picture though they know it’s there. I do hope that will change for India’s good.
China’s big advantage has been the leadership that is in this game for the long haul. Witness the efforts that China is making to build bases in the South China Seas or the investments they are making in countries around us and taking them over when they cannot pay their debts in time. The port investment in Colombo is just one such example. The recent skirmish at our border and the expansionist land grab policy they are following in a string of similar incidents elsewhere, directly and indirectly, are just examples of the same. The huge investments that they have made in infrastructure development is another example. Everyone knows the amount of investment that China has made in other countries and its pre-eminent position in manufacturing. All this happening in a communist country is indeed noteworthy (though not praise worthy).
Another example I would quote is the way Uber had to leave China with the local Cab hailing company Didi to take it over. I am sure that many are aware that it was rather pushed out rather than opting out. That’s the way China protects its home grown companies. Read what Harward Business Review has to say on it to learn more. But there is certainly more to the story than mentioned here. Witness how Chinese and other foreign companies have easily been able to buy into or even drive out Indian businesses and it proves the statement made in this week’s stack-up.
It’s good when there’s someone as learned as you to read between the lines and put pen to paper. It helps ordinary people like me to ponder making sense of the incremental things that are happening around us and helps us get the big picture. Thank you and looking forward to next Sunday.