India Shining: To hell with the naysayers... We can and will overcome!!!

Photo Courtesy: theviewspaper.net

                          Disclaimer: I am not pro NaMo, I am pro India.

Despite not being a Modi supporter, I voted, with zillions others, for Modi to become the leader of this country in  May 2014. And I did, despite all odds, believe that it was just a matter of time before somebody who had been voted in on the development plank, will start getting India into its rightful position in the world economy.

My sense of disenchantment not-withstanding, I still believe that India has become a country where we needed just the right mentoring and our economy would go into the stratosphere.

In Sept 2014, I actually wrote a post that talked about the steps that were being taken for the sorting the policy paralysis and said that we needed to be patient to see the results. For those who know me, know that patience is not a virtue that I subscribe to, but I sincerely believed that in the Indian context it was warranted. Please see my previous post: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/20140923135540-1760677-acchhe-din-aane-wale-hain

It has been a roller-coaster 23 months since then and I am a little older, a tad wiser(I hope!) and disillusioned. The disillusionment is not with the current government and its antics. It is with the people at large(and this includes  the "janta" and the Government) and how we tend to blame everything on somebody else. The buck never ever stops with us - it is with somebody else.  The disillusionment creeps in from the sense of deja vu - of constancy, of never changing, of refusing to take charge, of everything really...

The government has made all the right noises - after all we have a rockstar PM who wooed and won over the masses in India and across the globe. There is suddenly work happening - the FM is making noises about simplifying the tax structure for individuals and corporates (though we are to be taxed more), the Defence Minister talks about boosting the morale of the armed forces(Never mind the OROP mess and Pathankot), there is talk of putting the infra projects on the accelerator mode, etc. And suddenly everybody is looking at India closely. 

And then began the announcement of one scheme after another from the national platforms - Digital India, Make in India, Swacchh Bharat, Start Up India, 100 Smart Cities... These were announced with great fan-fare from global forums, with grandiose plans, huge advertising campaigns, amazing amount of publicity. Each one was showcased as scheme that will change the face of India. And each by themselves were actually a piece of art - no pun intended: If they reach fruition, they will actually make India a better / smarter country.

The media went overboard with each announcement, what stood out in each communication was how this was never undertaken before. The comparison with the previous government was made by all and sundry, severely undermining the announcement - comparing with a Government that did "Damn all" after all does not show how wonderful you are - and incidentally the current Government was voted in only because of the abject failure of the previous one...

One of the biggest issue that I see is that we have a good PM surrounded by an amazingly bad core team. The examples are a plenty: The mess in education -Hyderabad and Delhi are prime examples of doing too little and too much; Home Ministry issues... Pathankot and Jat Agitation; The BJP Chieftains(and spokespersons), who gets the PM into bigger messes than any other single group; The lousy local state teams that ensure that the PM needs to step in and address maximum rallies across states if they have any chance of winning the elections and unfortunately make statements that are lapped up by the national media;  The communication team that ensures that the PM is not responding to all that he should and responds to all that he shouldn't.

I guess the biggest problem for the current leadership are "The BHAKTS", who take it upon themselves to support any and every utterance of the PM as the gospel truth, use foul language and hooliganism, and basically, by association, malign the good intentions of the PM. 

I firmly believe that the leader of the biggest democracy needs to just do one thing - LEAD!!! He needs to look at his coterie with his eyes wide open, ensure that he continues on the path of economic growth, tone down the rhetoric and speak out when he has to.

The PM needs to ensure that the schemes that have been launched with much fanfare see fruition, are actually able to change things on ground and do not need mere statistics to prove their success. He needs to focus on the growing parity between the haves and have-nots and make available a level playing field for the have-nots to better their situation. The distance between the rich and the poor is bigger and worse than anywhere else in the world. He needs to ensure that it is the people who need help that are focused on and this has to be sustainable and not merely through doles and subsidies! For this, the PM needs to delegate - we can not have him do everything - he needs to bring in more people, better qualified and experienced, to run his pet projects and ensure that these are delivered on time. 

When the work on the ground starts to be visible, we will indeed wake up. It is the momentum that is needed and a catalyst and with all the plans that are in place, we can be reasonably sure that if we are steered in the right direction, we will be able to become a very important player in the global scenario - and not just economically and politically.  The PM needs to ensure that we are finally moving towards a destination where each one of us can do our bit and be proud citizens.

What will be remembered in his first term as the PM will not be the mess - and there is indeed a huge lot of it, but the positives and the fact that he was able to deliver on the development plank, if indeed he is able to!!! So here's hoping that Atal Ji's India Shining becomes a reality sooner than later!!!

SMALL is the new BIG...

Image courtesy: http://susdevafrica.net/wp/wp-content/gallery/sda-gallery-1/concept-of-sustainable-development1.png

Come every budget, the Finance Minister(whoever he may be) announces schemes and schemes for development. We are told how things are getting better but more and more investment is required for "upliftment" of the masses. The numbers that we are talking about are staggering - hundreds of thousands of crores, over and over again... And yet very little changes on the ground level. The status quo remains... the chasm between the haves and the have-nots continues to grow and the cycle continues...

And then we were introduced to the "small"... Challenging the wisdom of spending more for betterment to smaller spends that actually make an impact.

Our client Mrida, a social business, works at the "base of the pyramid" and uses energy access, organic farming and impact tourism as a means of holistic rural development.  Mrida launched a campaign called "Think Small" that brought forward the collective wisdom of people in their individual capacity on possible initiatives that can make a dent in the lives of the underprivileged. In simpler terms, using smaller personal/corporate interventions to effect changes at the grassroots level. 

And this amazing work that Mrida has been doing, the changes that they are bringing to the lives of the underprivileged, showcase the wisdom of the "small". The baby steps that they are taking are making a world of difference in the lives of the thousands that they touch. (For those who are interested to know more, please visit: www.mridagroup.com or their Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/mridaassociates/?fref=ts)

And this brings us to another major question: Why must we always look for "doles" from the powers that be? Why must the Government always come to the rescue? There are many examples where the individual/groups/organizations like Mrida have effected changes and I firmly hope that these will really change the world that we live in. 

In our quest for the "big", we overlook the "small". If Dashrath Manjhi had believed that his basic tools of the hammer and chisel were small, would he ever have been able to carve out a path through the hills, shortening the travel distance? Had he waited for the Government to do it for him in the 22 years that he took, he would have waited in vain.  It took an individual, a belief in the concept(also personal tragedy was a great motivator here) and baby steps to make it happen. 

We have been an under-developed nation way too long. We have been asking for doles way too long, we have been waiting for people to do our work way too long: I think the time has come where we start taking responsibility and begin to do our two bit to change the things. Lets stop waiting for personal interest here - We don't need to be personally pained/involved to make a difference - we can choose to not be happy with the existing state of affairs and see what we can do to better what we see around!

I believe that If I as an individual can do a little deed, and there are many many like me, we CAN and WILL change the world.

The “intolerance” debate…

Image Courtesy: http://www.quotehd.com 

Everyone seems to be more than happy to join the debate on how “Tolerant" or “Intolerant", we,  as a nation, are? From Facebook, WhatsApp, Twitter or chat groups,  everyone has their own version of how we as a nation are doing on tolerance levels.

All hell broke loose when, during a debate, Aamir Khan, India's famous superstar admitted that his wife was scared to live in the country.  Aamir Khan incidentally raked in more than 300 Cr on his last release, by taking pot-shots in a lighter vein on mostly Hinduism and showcased how some people in the name of religion misuse the trust and devotion of millions to capitalise on their fears.

The movie PK was good and deserved the response it got, but is there any need to create a controversy before his upcoming release? Especially so, since his movies always get a positive response from the vast majority of the masses. When his wife, who is a Hindu, quoted that she is not feeling safe in the current atmosphere, was she referring to  the growing intolerance from the current regime or she was talking from the past experiences? We all know how Mumbai felt during 26/11 or infamous Bombay blasts  in 1993. Several other noted personalities came out strongly both in favour of and against what he thought and said.

Fine: I believe that every individual is free to express his own views whether it is positive or negative, despite his social standing in the society. One of our fundamental rights is that anyone and everyone is free to express his/her opinion on and no one can deny him this right. 

Yes, this IS a tolerant country where you can mock Hindu gods and still rake in money and Yes this IS an intolerant country where you are not free to speak what you are actually feeling. The radicalisation of religion in any form is not good for any civil society.

The hype and hoopla created by this statement was uncalled for, unnecessary and unwarranted by any standards. Let’s work towards a society where religion and opinion are not at loggerheads and people have other things to do rather than fighting on statements and triggers to disrupt communal tolerance. 

LADY LUCK STILL SMILING ON PRIME MINISTER MODI? He may have lost political capital in 18 months, but still has a great opportunity

This week Prime Minister Narendra Modi completed a tumultuous 18 months in Delhi. After winning a historic mandate, not seen in the country in the last 30 years, his party has been rocked by two electoral reverals – one in Delhi in February and the next, more recent, in Bihar.

The political capital that his win had generated seems to have evaporated as a number of experts are now questioning not just his style of functioning but also how the government may have missed a step of two during the 18 month period. 

Experts like Pratap Bhanu Mehta of the Centre for Policy Research and Washington-based Sadanand Dhume seem to suggest that his followers need to mend their way or Modi has to find a way to rein them. Former Hindustan Times Editor Vir Sanghvi says that it is time that the Prime Minister stops campaigning and starts governing. Former Indian Express Editor Shekhar Gupta is convinced that the momentum that the party got after the 2014 is now “fully over”. Research house CLSA’s Rajeev Malik was even more scathing when he said that either the BJP underestimated the complexity of the economic inheritance or overestimated its ability to fix the problems quickly.

But the good news is that some of the luck that is needed to turn the tables on the Opposition, which has suddenly got a new lease of life, has still not deserted him. 

Global crude prices are still hovering at very comfortable levels. India’s crude basket is hovering around the $40/barrel mark. The opportunity to fix the oil sector and the pricing mechanism for energy products is screaming for his attention and he will be found wanting if he chooses not to exercise the option. Letting consumers pay for higher oil prices is one of the ways to keep 2015 fiscal’s $112 billion oil import bill in check.

In July 2008, crude prices had hit an all time high of $147.27/barrel, throwing the UPA government’s finances in a complete mess. Since then it hovered around the $100/barrel mark for several months well into 2012 before the producers flooded the market which consumes about 87-88 million barrels every day, driving down prices to current levels. NDA has been very lucky and it seems, on this front, it will continue to thrive on its luck.

Coal imports have been showing a declining trend for four consecutive months and last week Power Minister Piyush Goyal said that the country will not need to import coal, except for power plants located near the coastal area. Since coal accounts for two-thirds of India’s power plants’ needs, this could turn out to be big change.

With Solar power, NTPC has already received bids below Rs 5/unit and that could prove to be the game changer for India. With its target to achieve 20 gigawatt of solar power by 2020, India will need to better that target to emerge as a renewable superpower on the global stage.

While these look like interesting opportunities, it is now time to talk about the problem. 

Those who still want to still retain control over the direction of policies refuse to let any opportunity go when they can go muscle flexing. Several times when their views are in stark contrast of those of the under-25 teeming millions in the country, the faultlines are clearly visible. It is here that the hothead supporters of the party step in, again, hopelessly out of sync with the reality.

The hotheads sometime reason that their party has the nation’s backing, pointing out to the 282 seats it had in the 545-member Lok Sabha. 

30 years ago, Congress under Rajiv Gandhi faced a similar situation, some of its party members resorted to arson and looting during the anti-Sikh riots of 1984. Brazenly, they party thought it could brush the need for justice. The party managed 404 seats and BJP could manage just two. Five years later, it was reduced to 197 seats and BJP had jumped to 85. 

The nation has given BJP, and Prime Minister Modi, a never before opportunity. As the Congress has learnt, never having got a majority since 1984, the nation can be unforgiving.

"Make in India" and a level playing field for domestic manufacturing

Image Courtesy: www.indianexpress.com

What gets my goat, with unfailing regularity, is that we talk in platitudes and really do not keep the "ground realities" in mind. "Make in India" campaign is another such thing that comes to mind.

"Make in India" is a brilliant concept on paper, but are we only looking at foreign investment here or actually looking at boosting domestic industry as well? Alright, as we understand it, "Make in India" is completely different from "Made in India" and lets talk about the angst of the domestic industry.

As an organization, we provide strategic communication inputs to clients, a sizeable percentage of who are manufacturing companies - quite a few in the B2B segment as well. We are therefore unfortunately aware of their issues and "plight" possibly a little more than your average person. And I am taking specially of the plight of the SME sector, where the "ticket" size of the investments are not all that big, but these are the industries that provide the most important ingredients to the industry.

When on a daily basis there is all this talk of "growth" and how the Government is bending over backwards to facilitate investments in the country by foreign companies, one feels strange since the domestic companies still have to jump through hoops to get the same clearances. If we are talking about the investments of around Rs. 50-250 Cr., there are very few takers. There are no resources available for capex or greenfield expansions, huge amount of bureaucratic interference, a 100 different permissions required, and the list is really long.

I have come across a large number of "frustrations" in day-to-day running of the organisations and therefore I am worried that if the domestic manufacturer is not really happy, should we go overboard in promoting ourselves as the "liberal economy"? I fear that a time will come that the domestic industry in its own country will become the "untouchables". 

I believe that we should put our own house in order first before we go ahead and invite the biggies to invest in India. Afterall, if the domestic industry is happy, only then will it be able to provide the best to the newbies who come in.

And this isn't an unsurmountable task either. It only takes a few interventions to make this happen. When I began my career in PR, I worked with Government of Rajasthan and their Bureau of Industrial Promotion. There were already a few biggies in Rajasthan, I am talking about mid 90s, almost 20 years ago. The importance of keeping the existing players happy before we went out and promoted Rajasthan as the investment destination was felt and BIP went out of its way to streamline the processes, made themselves approachable and began a regular dialogue. The results were there for people to see. 

If one Mr. Arvind Mayaram, the then BIP head, could have the foresight to create a good atmosphere amongst the  the organisations already present in Rajasthan, then I see no reason why that the collective might of the central government can not make the life of the manufacturing sector easier! 

After all, before we unleash the "Roar of the Lion", we need to create a level playing filed for the domestic industry, so that the chirping of the birds is also heard!

DEAR CONSUMERS & CITIZENS, HERE IS WHY YOU ARE NOT IMPORTANT...

From governments to companies, the citizen and consumer is always facing the wrong end of the barrel 

Everyone claims to fight for the rights and welfare consumers. But when it comes to guarding their interests? That is when you feel everyone may be skating on thin ice.

Last week RBI Governor Raghuram Rajan made an unexpected 50 basis point cut in rates. Given his tough stance against a cut, because inflation had not been fully tamed, his critics were surprised. Some even went ahead and said that it was a decision taken by the Finance Minister and/or Prime Minister and announced by the RBI Governor!

Banks have a reason to be happy. A cut in interest rates means leading can become cheaper and drive companies and individuals to borrow more. Little wonder, they were quick to react. Buoyed by the cut in rates, they have announced a cut in lending rates for various products.

Companies whose standing gyrates with interest rates – banks, finance companies, realty, consumer goods, automobiles and others – have been demanding that the Reserve Bank cut interest rates so that demand can pick up.

Unfortunately, banks have chosen not to pass the entire rate cut to their customers, leaving them high and dry, alone in their battle. Despite the tough words from the RBI, banks have managed to get away with what some call daylight robbery, adding to what is called the net interest margins – the difference in rates at which they borrow and the rates at which they lend.

It is the same story with governments. Citizens have been left high and dry on a number of issues. 

The government of India’s most populous state Uttar Pradesh has hardly managed to present a creditable face on the issue of its resident being killed on the beef issue. Every political party has visited and met the family members of 50-year-old Akhlaq, when a group of people believed that he ate beef. But the politicking on the issue continues. The Indian Air Force (IAF), where Akhlaq’s son is employed has had to step in and move his family to a safer area, away from the prying eyes of politicians and frenzied mobs. 

As Bihar goes to polls to elect members of the state Legislative Assembly over the next few weeks, the Janata Dal (United) government had been talking about development. That, ideally, should have resulted in jobs for the residents of the state and increased industrialization. As BJP and its rivals, the combine of JD(U), Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) and others, slug it out there is little mention of the issue of development. The election campaign has deteriorated to name calling and raising issues that appeal to the emotions of the masses. 

Now, given the heated political exchanges, and the lack of mention of development issues, residents of the state cannot be faulted in believing that the development story may have several fault lines that could cost Chief Minister Nitish Kumar his chair.

A somewhat similar story is now brewing with the NDA government in Delhi, which was voted to power by the biggest popular mandate since 1984. The promise of jobs, development, transparency and fighting corruption has, definitely in popular perception, been relegated to the background. A policy move asking people to declare black money to the taxman by the end of September or face prosecution has been an embarrassing failure. The BJP had promised to bring black money back to the country, believed to be stashed in overseas tax havens.

Farmers in Punjab and Maharashtra are perhaps going through worst times. Exports have been slipping for nine consecutive months. Capital expenditure by companies, which could fuel the next wave of jobs creation, has vanished in thin air. 

While several emotive issues take centrestage, the country will soon be restive for action.