August - 1999 - issue > Inbox

Pradesh Plan a MSC Replay
I got a copy of siliconindia from a grocery store in Fremont, CA last weekend and my one-word summary of it is: wow! I am truly pleased with the quality of what I read and hope that your team continues its effort in keeping up the content quality.

A little bit about myself: I am the founder and CEO of KS Eminent Systems, a software and tech company in Malaysia. We have recently set up a small office in Sunnyvale and have plans to aggressively leverage from the US market. The next big one in the making...

I read Krishna Srivatsa’s article on Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister’s Vision2020 plan. The plan is certainly not an original piece at all, because everything he said and is doing has been undertaken in Malaysia under the auspices of the MSC several years ago. In fact, Chandrababu Naidu was in Kuala Lumpur last year to personally inspect the MSC’s progress and, I guess, borrow some ideas. He even hired McKinsey, the consultants who worked on MSC’s blueprint, to minimize any time wasters in getting to action. It’s commendable for a politician!

Mr. Naidu has adapted very smartly in a short time. I hope Andhra Pradesh is successful in this effort. One thing’s for sure: AP -- and India as a whole -- has mass momentum going for itself. The sheer magnitude of talent available in India is phenomenal. Which, in fact, is the biggest hurdle for MSC’s success. - Kesh Mahinder Singh

Placing Bets South of the Border

I thought the Web Wize article on online gambling in the May 1999 issue of siliconindia was very informative and well written.

In the article you made reference to a number of jurisdictions that allow gambling Web sites to operate within their borders. As a backgrounder, I am an attorney in Mexico and my practice focuses on international business transactions and intellectual property. The intellectual property aspect of my practice focuses on trademark and copyright registration in both the US and Mexico, as well as software licensing in cross-border transactions.

Currently, I am in the process of obtaining an authorization from the Mexican government to operate a gambling Web site from Mexico. If this authorization is granted, I am sure a number of issues will arise between the governments of the US and Mexico, and certainly increase the number of gambling Web sites operating within Mexico. - Antonio Gastelum

Objectivity?

I enjoy reading siliconindia, because it informs me of the many high-tech ventures in which Indians are involved, and their significant level of achievement in them. However, I am disturbed

to find that an increasing number of your articles are beginning to sound like infomercials, rather than investigative reporting. It can only hurt your reputation if you are seen a cheerleader for the Indian community, rather than as a serious news medium.

A case in point, and there are many, is your cover page article on Providian Financial Corporation (“Know When to Play Them”) in a recent issue of siliconindia. Despite the many positive aspects of this company, which were reported in detail, no mention was made of the fact that Providian is the defendant in a stockholder lawsuit, and is being investigated by the San

Francisco district attorney for allegations that it deliberately overcharges its customers.

While these charges may prove to be totally unfounded (I sincerely hope so, since I own stock in this company), an investigative coverage on your part would have pointed out the existence of such problems. This would have also explained the turmoil in its stock price, which so puzzled one of your readers (Sonia Choudhry, Inbox, July 1999). - S.K. Ghandhi, Professor Emeritus, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute

The lawsuits against Providian Financial Corp. were filed after the article in siliconindia appeared. Prior to the article, there were complaints against the company made to the Better Business Bureau, but for a consumer finance company with millions of customers, those complaints seemed to be an average statistic. - Ed

People As Possessions

I read Sam Pitroda’s article, “People As Products” in the May 1999 issue of siliconindia.

My question is simple: How can one cope up with the frustrations of working in an environment (I am talking about software consulting here) where most of the people whom you work under inspire no enthusiasm, offer no creative outlets and on top of that, are sometimes even technically challenged?

Is trying to lure young and unsuspecting engineers into a world of make-believe ethics and drudgery of routine work all that we talk about the hoopla of “managing resources” or, as I might cynically put it, “counting bodies”? My experiences seem to lead me to this.

At the outset, this might seem to be a very one-sided view of the scenario, but trust me, I’ve tried to put this as mildly as I could.

Your general pointers seem to be very “basic” and perhaps true. If I am humble and low-key, I am not a go-getter.

If I help others and keep quiet, they stake their claim at my promotion.

If I meekly say that I am comfortable with Java, the guy next to me knowing nothing but its spelling beats me to it by smart-talking his way.

In short, it makes one believe one thing: Talent, hard work, attitude, honesty ... and all the good values do pay ... just don’t ask when!

Suneet

Disney - Imagineer, Originator

In the July 1999 siliconindia article entitled “Partners for the Tornado,” the author, Bernard Lunn, credits Dr. C.K. Prahalad with originating the idea of “Imagineering” (imagination plus engineering). However, this term should rightfully be attributed to one of America’s greatest entrepreneurs, Mr. Walt Disney.

In the early 1950s, Walt hand-picked some of his Studio’s best creative talents for the express purpose of planning, designing and building Disneyland. This group is now called Disney Imagineering, a major business unit within the company, and is responsible for creative development, master planning, design, engineering, production, project management, and research and development -- from the “blue sky” to conceptualization to final installation.

Your readers can learn more about the roots of Imagineering by visiting the Disney Web site at the following link: www.disney.go.com/DisneyCareers/WhoWeAre/Imagineering.html. - Randall Mitchelson

Indian Vision

This is in response to Sam Pitroda’s article about leadership in siliconindia (“Mark of a Leader,” siliconindia, July, page 74). To begin, I am 25 years old and have been a great admirer of yours since my youth as I had read a lot of articles about your struggle, dynamism and journey toward success.

Though I have read a lot of books about leadership and still continue to do so, this is the first time in generations that I have seen an Indian defining the true qualities of a leader and the aspects of leadership. I only hope that someday India would see a leader along those lines. I think that nations cannot be built on the whims and fancies of its political leaders. They can only be built on vision, ethics and discipline.

I have done my A.S. in Optometric Technology Program from the University of Indiana. I have a dream, a vision, a goal — the goal of providing the best possible visual services to the people of India. But circumstances have forced me to sidetrack my goal. If the type of technological boom that is taking place in the US were used in the optical industry of India (which is almost a generation behind the world’s optical industry) then I think it could prove a vital turning point in this sector. - Avanish Raj

Address Problem

I have not received my copy of siliconindia for two months now. What’s the problem - are you not sending them anymore to your original subscribers?

Aditya Gulati

- We checked your status in our database - it was active. Then we checked the local directory in your area, and realized that you had moved, but never informed us about your change of address. If subscribers do not send us this vital information, how would we ever get to know about it? This also leads to inconvenience and loss because your copy of the magazine bounces back and we are charged extra by the postal department for that! So, if you are moving, please send us your change of address immediately. -Ed.