Saving the Best Lecture for Last... "eGovernance in India"

eGovernane in India. How can I explain this lecture… Zzzzzzz. Thankfully I found Harvey’s Business Week on the table next to me and read it cover to cover… which killed about 30 minutes (ok, so I skimmed the stuff on futures…). So this is what I learned: invest in health care and tech services because a lot of the latter is going abroad (India, holla!) and to invest in foreign securities. However, Indian real-estate, especially in Bombay and Bangalore has already skyrocketed, so if you didn’t buy in a few years ago, you missed the boat, chump.

But actually… eGovernance… Basically Prof. S. Padmanaban explained that eGov was being established to improve and transform the relations of the citizens, businesses and all other sects of the government. It will help improve the transparency of the government, make everything more fair and equitable, have it be more convenient and thus reducing corruption.

Prof. Padmanabhan told us about the Rs. 5,000 (about $130) computer for school children in India. For those who have not been able to afford or have adequate access to a computer this is similar to the first flattener Friedman talks about, the introduction of PC windows. Friedman explains that the Apple computer and Windows PCs were the instruments “that gave individuals the power to author, shape and disseminate information at their fingertips.” Though some Indians have had access to computers this will allow even more Indians in the middle to lower classes to do the same.

At least Gene and Harvey had the distraction of keeping up with work through their Blackberries. Ugh, those guys are so entitled… (Just jokes, guys!) But there is Friedman’s tenth flattener at work for you, digital, mobile and personal. You really can do a good chunk of your work from a remote location if you have the tools.

We had noodles for our little coffee break snack today and... they weren't spicy enough... my palate has finally acclimated.

In the afternoon, we ladies, had a women (who knows someone, who knows someone, who is someone’s aunt… how it works in India) come and do mehndi for us. It was pretty cool because A.) the woman who did is was super fast and B.) they were HELLA cheap! We also got to show them off at our farewell dinner that night where we all looked smashing.

The dinner was great; however, the bar should have probably been hidden from some of our group. The dinner was delicious! We had appetizers from Gujarat, Omni’s state, which tasted like Indian nachos and the drippy one bite things with a bit of a kick were also tasty. I’m thinking we’re all going to Omni’s house for some good North Indian eating when we get back… a WHILE after we get back… after I’ve had a couple burgers.

Balakrishnan!!! And MORE Paparazzi

Today was pretty much the most exciting lecture because we had a lecture on branding in India by Prof. Balakrishnan!!! Balakrishnan is the type of guy you’d want as an uncle and he had the greatest accent! Also, he was talking about marketing which is obvious more interesting to me than logistics, but then again, it doesn’t take much to be more interesting than logistics.

Branding from an Indian perspective is a bit different than that of a US or even European point of view. He said the function of branding was to create risk which I found to be a rather interesting way to explain the concept of branding.

Another difference I found was on two points: the objective of marketing is to disorient the customer and the objective of branding is to re-orient the customer. Not quite how we learn it in the States, but I suppose this is due to state they are in with their evolution of marketing in India which is not as sophisticated as the States. India is moving from individuals producing their own flour (for example) to buying it from manufacturers in chain stores. As traditions such as this change, their reliance and enslavement by brands will develop. I have to say, it’s probably really nice not to be slaves to brand names like we are here.

After our lecture we were encouraged to stay behind for yet another meeting with the press. This time the press was much more probing with their questions. They asked us a lot of questions of us which we were inappropriate. Granted, they could ask us whatever they wished, but some questions we were not in a position to give a statement on, such as “why do you think America is in a recession?” and “do you think American schools are better than Indian schools?” we are neither economists nor were we fully submerged into the traditional styles of the Indian education system.

The reporters then asked some of the SDM students what they thought of us and not far from the truth came “They work hard, and they party hard”. Not necessarily the impression we wanted to give off, but quite unfortunately we didn’t get a chance to really interact with the students in an academic setting.

Quick as lightning, the next day my fellow colleagues were misquoted in the news papers as saying you MUST have industry experience to pursue an MBA in the States. Most of the articles we are mentioned in can be found in an on-line format of these prestigious papers. This goes along with the “Informing” flattener Friedman talks we could always keep up with everything thing news worthy in Mysore, these students could find out what each of us are doing five, ten, or fifteen years down the line, and of course our parents or bosses can keep tabs on us.

Sightseeing Day Take II!

As these sightseeing days are “optional” not many made it out for the second round. However, I look at traveling like an extreme sport and if I’m not physically and emotionally exhausted by the end of the trip I feel I haven’t made the most of it. No rest for the wicked. Besides, I’ll never be able to see India like this again. So pop a few Ibuprofen, grab a bottle of water and hit the bumpy road.

Our group today consisted of Al, Tod, Teresa, Mary, Maleah, Jing, Nancy, A.R. (our fearless leader, of course) and Myself.

The first temple we visited, Somanathapura (Somnathpur), was nestled in a small village on lush, green grounds. We met a group of students who we took pictures with outside the temple before it opened.

Inside we didn’t have a tour guide so we were able to explore and appreciate the fine craftsmanship of this very well preserved temple for ourselves. While Maleah and I were walking around we were spotted by an Indian family visiting the temple. The patriarch of the family urged his youngest to go over and stand by us so he could take a picture of his family with us. The shy children reluctantly came up to us and we made the typical exchange in English, “where are you from” “what is your name”. The father took out his 35mm camera and took pictures of us with his whole family. Everyone we met at this temple was so sweet to us and extremely friendly.

Our next stop made my day! We went to a river beach where the locals were swimming! We rolled up our pants and waded in the water which was pretty shallow and warm from the sun. It felt incredibly refreshing. A.R. paid for our group to take two “boats” across the river for Rs. 10 each. Best 25 cents ever spent! We sat cross-legged four to a boat and poled across the shallow river.

After our boat ride Mary and I stayed wading in the water enjoying our surroundings. It was interesting to see the Indians segregate themselves between males and females. On the left were the men and boys who swam in their pants with no shirt and the women and girls bathed in their beautifully colored saris. Some girls came up to us and asked if we wanted to play with them, we reluctantly said no, we should be getting back to our group (A.R. runs quite a tight ship). As we turned to leave we felt a little splash on our back. Not ones to turn down a challenge, or some fun, we splashed back and escaladed it into energizing splash-fest with our new Indian friends. We unwillingly went back to our group on the beach dripping wet but with smiles on our faces.

Maleah and I bought some comfort foods from some vendors along the side of the road for the bus ride: sour cream and onion lays and some Coke. RE-FRESHING!

We rode up to the bluffs where there was not only a brightly colored temple but a breath-taking view of the river valley.

Destitute old women from the near by villages lined the painted steps which led to the colorful temple. This newer temple is painted in a very paint-by-number fashion (much like my horrible bald eagle and fire dream tattoo… thankfully it was just a dream!). I didn’t find is quite as interesting as the intricately carved temples, but it was nice for a contrast.

We had our picnic lunch for the day here. Bread, butter cheese, bananas, apples and rum cake. Thankfully Al brought us crunchy peanut butter so I had a peanut butter and banana sandwich. Yum! Protein!

The waterfalls were our net stop. By this time of the day it was pretty hot and looking at the water just made me thirsty and want to go swimming. They were really beautiful, but apparently it’s like a little Niagra after monsoon season.

A.R. bought us cold 7ups at the out door café and at that moment after using the filthy, non-western, toilets, it was probably the most refreshing 7up I’ve ever had. We also ordered a dosa because they smelled SO good.

More demands from the Paparazzi after a LONG day...

Happy Birthday Gene!

Indeed we did venture out to the bar again last night, met a group of California students who were on a J-term trip as well. I would say the number of Americans in the bar that night rivaled, if not surpassed the Indian population. We most definitely ran up larger tabs than they did.

This morning we left quite early after being out till all hours of the night. Lies… the bars here close around 11pm (max).

We spent hours in a bumpy bus, but got to see some really old, intricate temples. I don’t know how I got so lucky, but I ended up in a bus that A.) was cleaner than the other (at least noticeably) and B.) had seats which reclined ALL the way back, not just at an 85 degree angle. I wasn’t really tired so I didn’t sleep, though even if I was it was near impossible because while the seats were nice the Indian roads are brutal and your head is constantly bouncing.

Our first stop of the day was definitely a wake up call. To get to the top we had to march up over 600 steps carved out of stone in our bare feet. The climb was a much needed detox from the previous night of smoking hookah and drinking, not to mention a pretty damn good calf work out. I have to pat myself on the back for being the second one to the top, behind Harvey. Holla!

At the top is when A.R. told we would see many naked people at the temple who religiously have no need for clothing, just peacock feathers to bat the flies away. Sure enough, as he’s explaining this, down from the temple strolls a buck naked Indian… no tan lines, of course.

The Shravanabelagola is an ancient temple with a Jain statue staggering over 17 meters carved out of one piece of stone. It is amazing, to say the least, and considered one of India’s 7 wonders. The statue is bathed every 12 years in a different substance (i.e. milk, honey, gold powder etc).

In the temple we saw a rather LARGE Indian man being carried by six other, much smaller, Indian men in a bamboo chair. The nearly 500lb man was dressed in white and speaking an Indian language (which one? No idea… I couldn’t even begin to differentiate between them.). It made me laugh because he reminded me of Jabba the Hut speaking his alien language to his slaves as his corpulent body moves sluggishly. I hope he had to pay extra to be brought up, those poor guys…

After our climb, we enjoyed refreshing coconut water out of fresh coconuts with a straw; just a little touch of the tropics in the muck that seems to be so ubiquitous in India. If you shut out the chaos and focus only on the beautiful landscape, palm trees and luster of the sun, your mind can be tricked, for a moment, into believing you are in paradise. This only lasts until the next shrill horn is honked. However, the ladies have become wary of drinking too much in this country because finding clean western facilities are few and far between. Relief comes at a price here in India.

The begging families on the street and the kids desperately trying to sell you souvenirs really pulls at your heart strings. However, it goes from being pitiful to annoying rather quickly, especially the little sales men. These kids will not take no for an answer, even if you get close to yelling at them, which has happened quite a bit. One of them made the mistake of trying to get Harvey’s attention by calling him “Ching Chong”… Bad news bears. After being reprimanded they then referred to him as “Johnny”. They are relentless and if you show any weakness or buy ANYTHING, you are sure to be flanked by dozens more who would definitely not leave your side, even after getting inside a vehicle. Being around this is stifling to say the least.

We went to two more temples: Belur and Halebidu. The Belur temple was built by a Hoysala king and completed in 1116 A.D. dedicated to lord Vishnu. We had a tour guide here who found it prudent to explain EACH dancing girl figure carved on the outside of the temple of which there are over 40. You can imagine how our patience waned. I was good and attentive for about the first 15 (maybe…) then got bored as did most others. It was also mid-day at this point with the blistering sun shining on us and the stone base burned our bare feet.

The Halebidu temple is again, very intricate and, like the other, each figure and carving of Hindu mythology is unique. Thankfully, we didn’t have a guide this time so we could go through it rather quickly (though, with a large group it’s still difficult).

By the end of the sight visits we were MORE than ready to get back to the hotel to eat, clean up and change to go out for Gene’s birthday. It had been a long, hot day in bumpy vehicles and we were exhausted. On the way back A.R. broke the news to us that we were going to have a photo shoot at the school with some of the SDM students. I don’t think there could’ve been a worse time for a photo shoot. It was past 7pm and we were all looking and feeling rather ragged. Not only did we have to take photos they had to be “posed” in small groups with the SMD students so we looked like we were having an “interesting” conversation. The demands of the paparazzi are so exhausting. I feel ya, Britney, but I’m not walking around with a $50,000 hand bag. Man up.

Poor Gretchen must have eaten something that didn’t sit right with her and she got sick while the rest of us were out celebrating Gene’s birthday (26^th, right?).

Infosys... can they beat an elephant?

Wow, I’m actually caught up with my blogs! Yay for hours in the computer lab while the sun is shining… I don’t think the profs understand this is our vacation and the “school” part is just for fun.

We just finished a lecture from Dr. L. Krishnaw who is the managing director of Taegu Tec (a Korean company) in Bangalore. He drove down from Bangalore this morning and from what Harvey and Gene said about traffic in Bangalore from their excursion last night, that’s quite an odyssey which will try your patients.

He gave us a brief overview of the company and then opened it up for questions which was a great way to go about the lecture. Taegu Tec produces tungsten carbide based ceramic cutting tools.

They have grown to be ranked number three in its market holding 15-16% of the market share with $35million. The growth is mainly due to their competitors underestimating them and their excellent consumer relations. Taegu Tec also produces products which are superior in quality yet only cost the consumer slightly more. This, along with their customer relations, is most definitely where their competitive advantage lies.

They have plants all over Asia including India, though it is not as profitable as the other Asian countries. They do this to send a message of conscience and to provide jobs for the Indian people. They also use solar energy to be environmentally conscious and send a message, though it is more expensive. Personally, I think that is outstanding and think more American companies need to be more environmentally conscious.

Our visit today was the Infosys Learning Campus in Mysore, which is across the street from L&T. Infosys had quite a lot to live up to with our expectations and fantastic site visit at L&T the previous day. The campus is very large and pristine; you can almost forget you are in India and trick your mind into thinking you are riding around your gated community on your 18-seater golf cart in Miami. I would have to say, there was quite a difference of opinions when it came to Infosys. Some REALLY liked it and found it fascinating, while others found it to be boarder line creepy. Let me explain…

Being American and free thinking, Infosys would not be the place for this type of mindset to thrive. From my impression, and that of many others, Infosys will tell you how and what to think. They mass produce these technological people in a period of 18 weeks on their campus. Their library consists of practical, knowledge based books (It would not be a place to pick up a Dan Brown that’s for sure) and held pictures of their previous “Batches” (the students which have completed the Infosys curriculum).

However, the campus does create an atmosphere which you would never want to leave. If it were anywhere else it would probably encourage free thought… But they have a gymnasium, badminton courts, swimming pools (all of which are only open between 6am-8am and 5:45-10… no time during the day to have fun I guess) volleyball, a theater, bowling alley and a “Loyalty” food mart. They had wonderful facilities, however, curiously, they all looked (and smelled) like they were NEVER used.

This is where India is at in their economic development; they have the masses of people to pump out the knowledge based students. Perhaps they might not think outside the box (for fear of being electrocuted by the chip implanted during orientation… jp), but they are being prepared for the type of outsourcing which is happening in India today. Friedman said the evolution of outsourcing for India went from manufacturing and “backroom” work, with labor being so inexpensive, to now, after the Y2K help they provided and Nehru establishing Technology Institutes, Knowledge being outsourced. However, I don’t think business will be outsourcing their marketing departments to India any time soon. Whew.

During our presentation at Infosys we asked our guide what the competition was like in India for Infosys. He chuckled and shook his head saying there was no competition except for perhaps Accenture. Call me crazy, but one of the biggest mistakes you can make in business, being the market leader (if that is indeed what you are), is to let your feeling of superiority get the best of you and underestimate your competition. It may be comfortable at the top, but it doesn’t last long if you don’t adapt and stay ahead of the competition. This is the exact reason Taegu Tec was able to sneak up to the number three spot in their market.

In the evening we had a cultural exhibition demonstrated by the students of SDM. It was an amazing spectacle of cultural music and dance. We, as a group, were asked to participate and display some of our cultural talents… we truly tried to figure out what sort of talents we could display but couldn’t come up with much. The realization that Americans don’t have much of a culture that is solely our own is a bit disappointing.

L&T Elephant... where's my Scooty Pep+?

We had a lecture on India’s service industry by Dr. H. Gayathri, our first female lecturer. India’s service industry makes up 55% of the Indian GDP and grew 11% during the past year. There were eight areas of the service industry in which India is growing: health care, hospitality, IT, media/entertainment, retail, telecommunications, life insurance and aviation/tourism. She said Health Care, hospitality and IT were the biggest growing service industries in India, yet nearly all of the afore mentioned industries were not growing fast enough to meet the demands of the Indian people.

Our site visit yesterday was to Larsen & Toubro. Wow, is that place AMAZING. It’s a multi-billion dollar company so the conditions were a BIT better than the Sandalwood factory. They catered a delicious lunch for us before our tour and presentation.

The directors who took us around were very gracious and honored to have us there, it was very flattering. It’s still surprising to many of us that we’re kind of a big deal around here. They were all so dedicated to L&T and were very enthusiastic about their work, especially Nagaraj G.P. who is the head of one of L&T’s departments in Mysore. He’s still excited about coming to work after more than ten years of service. Hopefully that will be me some day.

The Mysore campus houses a medical equipment division, develops and produces energy meters, and has an IT department. It was also interesting to see a AT&S circuit board being used in the energy meters since we saw how they were produced just a few short days ago.

At the end of the visit we had a question and answer session over refreshments and they presented us each with a carved elephant. (I guess TVS is going to send my Scooty Pep+ in the mail… though I'd rather have the Apache...) All in all, I found it very kind of them and was impressed by the quality of their products and establishment.

Grandpa smelling soaps and worm excrement

After yet another delightful breakfast at the Ginger and a BLACK coffee from my two favorite Café Coffee Day gents we piled into the vehicles for tours of the sandalwood oil and silk factories of Mysore.

Sandalwood is heavily regulated by the government of India, thus the company is owned by the government. Seeing a government owned entity opposed to the privately owned companies which we have visited has illustrated the contrasts of the two.

Being at the government-run sandalwood factory made me think of Friedman’s first flattener: the fall of the Berlin Wall and the fall of socialism when the flood gates of the world market opened. I can only imagine if that had that not happened all of India’s industry may look like the sandalwood factory. In fact, since India’s first prime minister, Nehru, mimicked the Soviet Union, India’s infrastructure from 1947 until 1991 was mainly government owned. Once they opened their trade barriers their status quo 3% growth more than doubled to 7% growth.

In the past India’s businesses had been mainly owned by the government and only recently has international investors really become a significant part of Indian’s industry with their strict guidelines and higher standards of operations. The sandalwood factory was dirty, to put it mildly. It was housed in an old building which has probably never been updated and the gentleman who was guiding us was very proud of his corroding 80+ year old equipment. And he did a hell of a job explaining everything 3 or more times. Thank god Al got it all on video tape.

By the end of this tour I was starting to feel a bit light-headed from dehydration, perhaps due in part to the light drinking and smoking the night before, but mostly due to the fact that I’m not drinking as much water as I do back in the states because it’s not so readily available. But, you’re only in India once so you just got to suck it up with no complaints.

The silk factory was much cleaner and probably one of the most interesting visits we’ve been on. We were able to see the entire process in house from spinning the fine silk to the weaving machines to the dying process. It was quite interesting to see the workers under conditions in the States which would be considered hazardous and extremely loud wearing t-shirts, loose pants, flip flops and no eye or ear protection. These are things that would never go down in the States, but I often think that our rules and regulations; while they preventative; are babying us.
When I felt completely nauseous and dizzy we were able to go back to the school and blog for hours. Staring at a computer screen catching up on days that have blurred together was little more than difficult.