Progress Report

It is difficult to make sense of the bigger picture when you are in the midst of the noise from various media and groupings. However if one were to take a step back and look objectively, the bigger picture becomes clear.

I took some time last weekend to take a step back and tried to take an objective look at India and here is what I came up with:

a) India has done well if not better than most countries its age and has sustained a democracy. Case in example is the two neighbors.

b) Despite having its industrial base destroyed by the British Raj, India survived the socialist quota regime and now has a strong industrial base.

c) Irrigation systems and the Green revolution have improved farm productivity, but much still needs to be done in the area of agricultural finance and procurement management.

d) The innate cultural programming towards education and service has seen rising levels of literacy. This translates to a large capable manpower base that lends itself to take advantage of the current economic scenario to kick start growth in per capita incomes as well as standard of living.

e) The growth of the I.T sector has been an eye opener and IMHO, created global aspirations for rest of the industries.

f) Relaxation of exchange controls have enabled the Rupee to be among the top 15 popular world currencies.

g) The country has moved from a dismal situation to a stage where there is a potential for higher aspirations for the citizens. There are successful role models in every sphere of activity.

h) Thanks to the lack of local opportunities, we now have Diasporas of PIO and NRI spread across the globe. These ambassadors at large pump in financial resources to invest in the homeland as well as bring India to the world at large.

I) Science and technology frontiers have been conquered. India has produced world class doctors, scientists and engineers. The space program, Nuclear, DRDO programmes have all positioned India in the fore front of Space, Nuclear and defense sectors. This is a creditable indigenous achievement.

I can't help but think that we could have done better if we had diluted the socialist approach a bit earlier than we did. There were a couple of decades when India stood still as an economy while the world marched ahead. Those were the days when one had to wait for 15 years to get a phone, 10 years for a scooter and the list goes on.

India could have done better if there were a better breed of politicians. Bihar which was historically the most advanced state of India slipped to the ranks of a backward lawless land. Society was divided on caste and religion in order to retain political power. Elections were fought and won on non issues while the core issue of better roads, water supply, employment, health etc was ignored.

On the whole, it is a good picture. India has a potential to do better. I am hopeful that people take a page out of Narendra Modi's Gujarat. Modi delivered customer satisfaction by boosting the infrastructure in 7 years (which the opposition could not deliver in 50 years), this won him the election. I am hopeful that rest of India would emulate this example and demand performance from the leaders. It is sad that Chandrababu Naidu could not get similar mandate.