August - 2000 - issue > Sam Pitroda Column

Telecom

Telecom today is a well-recognized agent of change affecting social, cultural, political and economic health of countries around the world. Developments in this industry are aimed at creating new wealth and jobs for the competitive global markets of the next century…The five fundamental changes, affecting telecom development the world over are — technology, deregulation, privatization, integration, consolidation and the Internet.


IT as a Tool

to Solve India’s Problems

The real potential and use of IT in India is to solve problems for the masses, to empower people with instant information in their local languages. There was a time when you would go to a railway reservation center in India, stand in line 5 for an hour or more and then ask for a ticket for Bhopal, and the officer would say, “That’s window 8.” And you start all over again. Today, you can go to any window and buy a ticket from anywhere to anywhere — around a million people do it every day. IT benefits are real, immediate, and affect, even in this one example, a million people every day.


How NRIs Can Make a Difference

It’s good to build companies with large market capitalization and engage in software exports. But that is not enough to solve the larger problems of India. India’s challenge is to bridge a variety of gaps that exist in its society. Silicon Valley Indians can help in this task. If two or three groups can get their networking teams together on certain issues, they can make a difference. If Silicon Valley Indians can set up one Internet center in their village, school or college, or in a less privileged section of a city, he or she would be making a big contribution to development.


A Reminder

on Gandhi’s Message

Gandhi was the greatest communicator that ever lived. Using very simple symbols and actions, he communicated very complex messages to create a mass movement. Even in this age of high-tech communications, our leadership fails to communicate their vision, whether it is at the political, social or even corporate level. Gandhi knew how to master media. Going forward, several messages need to be communicated, for example, “India is going to be a software giant,” “It will be a global economic power,” and “It will be completely liberalized.” These messages can be simplified, packaged differently and conveyed, as Gandhi did.


Comfort in Chaos,

the Paradox of Indianness

How do people and society cope with such chaos? A lot of them are struggling. The Indians, I think, especially those in Silicon Valley and high-tech industries, are doing well the world over because they are generally comfortable with chaos. The chaos is indeed visible all over India. Its streets are a great symbol for chaos. Mercedes cars jostle with animals and bullock carts, people teem all over the place, nothing seems headed in the right direction, and dust hangs in the air, adding to the discomfort. Also visible in it is the diversity. Be it Mumbai or a village in Punjab, people are wearing all sorts of different dress. Some women are in saris, some in salwaar and kurtas, men wear different types of suits, or plain dhotis, some in colorful turbans or headdresses. Different cultures, music, dances and paintings abound. Although we constantly talk of “unity in diversity,” I’d like to call it a celebration of diversity. If you look hard, you’ll see that the diversity itself creates a certain amount of chaos. It also teaches one how to live in chaos.


Mindset: What does that

have to do with progress?

No one in India ever had an expansion strategy in mind. India never invaded anybody and expanded its territories. Its political and social mindset was feudal, and that is why it succumbed to smart tactics of the colonists. India’s hierarchical mindset begins with the family. The head of the household is supposed to have all the answers…This feudal and hierarchical culture creates a mindset that has apparently not been in tune with development. I am not implying here that we should throw away our family values, relationships, religion and customs. Mindset relates to doing things, and implementing new ideas. And, determination.