melroy88
Melroy Lopes
When Infosys rang the opening bell of NASDAQ from Mysore, it was not just ringing in the success story of a start up company in India that would go on to become the darling of global stock markets. It was, in effect, a clarion call that announced the arrival of India as a power to reckon with in the global economy.
This was the first instance of any company in the world ringing the opening bell of NASDAQ from a remote location. The fact that the first time honor went to an Indian company with a global footprint is no accident.
When the gong was sounded, the reverberations could be heard as far as Wall Street - a symbolic affirmation of Thomas Freidman’s theory that the ‘World is flat’.
The playing field is indeed level today and India is clearly one-up as the fastest growing free market democracy in the world. Global companies are looking to India for long term growth potential. While India’s burgeoning middle class is an enticing market opportunity for them, the country’s famed intellectual and human capital makes it a favoured destination for high-end R&D.
Therefore, it’s no surprise that the best jobs are moving to India. Ask the desis in America. Chances are that 8 out of 10 are seriously toying with the idea of coming back home in search of better and more secure career options.
However, not everything is hunky-dory. While the IT/ITeS sector has made crorepatis out of many people from average middle-class families, huge sections of the Indian society remain untouched by economic reforms. Primary education and healthcare are still wanting in investments. Heart wrenching stories of farmer suicides in different pars of the country continue to haunt the conscience. Infrastructure in India’s top cities like Mumbai and Bangalore are in shambles and the political will is hardly encouraging.
Above all, the terror threat. It's no more a tragedy that happened far away to other people you didn’t know. It’s an imminent possibility that’s always lurking round the corner. One of the greatest challenges ahead of the country is tackling the terror factories thriving in the neighbourhood--from the terrorists in Pakistan to the Maoists in Nepal. India’s future development depends to a large extent on how its foreign policy stands up to the challenge.
59 years after Independence, India is a pot pourri of hopes and challenges, dreams and frustrations. The question is, would you still want your child to be born in India? Given the scenario, do you think you can give your child a good life and a bright future?
This was the first instance of any company in the world ringing the opening bell of NASDAQ from a remote location. The fact that the first time honor went to an Indian company with a global footprint is no accident.
When the gong was sounded, the reverberations could be heard as far as Wall Street - a symbolic affirmation of Thomas Freidman’s theory that the ‘World is flat’.
The playing field is indeed level today and India is clearly one-up as the fastest growing free market democracy in the world. Global companies are looking to India for long term growth potential. While India’s burgeoning middle class is an enticing market opportunity for them, the country’s famed intellectual and human capital makes it a favoured destination for high-end R&D.
Therefore, it’s no surprise that the best jobs are moving to India. Ask the desis in America. Chances are that 8 out of 10 are seriously toying with the idea of coming back home in search of better and more secure career options.
However, not everything is hunky-dory. While the IT/ITeS sector has made crorepatis out of many people from average middle-class families, huge sections of the Indian society remain untouched by economic reforms. Primary education and healthcare are still wanting in investments. Heart wrenching stories of farmer suicides in different pars of the country continue to haunt the conscience. Infrastructure in India’s top cities like Mumbai and Bangalore are in shambles and the political will is hardly encouraging.
Above all, the terror threat. It's no more a tragedy that happened far away to other people you didn’t know. It’s an imminent possibility that’s always lurking round the corner. One of the greatest challenges ahead of the country is tackling the terror factories thriving in the neighbourhood--from the terrorists in Pakistan to the Maoists in Nepal. India’s future development depends to a large extent on how its foreign policy stands up to the challenge.
59 years after Independence, India is a pot pourri of hopes and challenges, dreams and frustrations. The question is, would you still want your child to be born in India? Given the scenario, do you think you can give your child a good life and a bright future?
