November - 2001 - issue > Cover Feature

If the events of September 11 initially put the world into a state of shock, it may now be time to think about the conditions that led to them, and how they have fundamentally altered things. There will be economic consequences, many of which have been extensively discussed. The American, and the global psyche, has been shaken enough to force some to re-consider what they take for granted. Our genetic, social, business, political and ethnic identities, beliefs and driving forces have come to the forefront. Each is a function of the other, equally important and strategic for our present and future existence and wellbeing. Being unaware, unconnected and isolated are no longer options. Nor are selfishness, lack of a world-view and conceit.

In this special cover feature, we have assembled the thoughts of ten business visionaries, experts, and thinkers, as well as additional insights and interviews, in an effort to make some sense of where we are headed from here.

South Asians in America face a complex challenge in the months ahead, going on with their lives and dealing with a misdirected backlash against immigrants vaguely perceived as being from the Middle East. Palm’s Chief Marketing Officer Satjiv Chahil, a man totally assimilated into American culture, gives his thoughts on being Indian in America, based on this new reality.

U.S.-India political and business relations have taken on new complexities as American military retaliation focuses world attention on Pakistan. Veteran observer Michael Clark breaks down the details.

The very manner in which we view capitalism, according to business visionary C.K. Prahalad, will need to be re-evaluated, as development in economically depressed regions of the world, including India, becomes a matter not only of economic development, but of global peace and security. Sam Pitroda offers his piercing perspective on the hard lessons America has to learn from these events.
Author Shashi Tharoor presents his ideas on the nuances of a new, less faceless, globalization, while global business experts Michael Fairbanks and Stace Lindsay discuss building emerging economies from the ground up.

Meanwhile, what are executives in India’s own technology industry thinking, as U.S. corporations make outsourcing decisions in an unstable time?

Economics, immigration, and technology will all feel the effects of the new environment. Experts discuss each area.
Despite the huge sense of loss that follows September 11, a new beginning may be emerging, as the world wrestles with issues and imperatives that may previously have existed only in theory. Challenging but groundbreaking times lie ahead.
si