Poor Innovation - Indian perspective

When things comes about innovation we Indian are far behind compared to our western counterparts. Along with us if i include most of the Asian countries i would not be much wrong. Sometimes I amused by the fact that does this skill lie somewhere in some gene or chromose that we don't posess? Why we are always at consuming side but not at invention side? I know few of people might started thinking of the list of innovation but nothing much relevant, atleast to my knowledge. Lets talk about few of the innovation and then the nemesis of not-so-innovative cult.

Let me talk more about the Indian perspective as i don't have much knowledge on other Asian counterpart. When things comes about India we take pride on invention of Zero, Algebra, some quardatic equation, trignometry. We have mathematics in our gene for sure ;). But all these things happens in some hundreds of year BC. That is when India was rich and prosperous and one of the earlier civilization exist that we know of. We had world famous univerisy (Nalanda) which was demolished by Moughals. So the country was under intruder infulence from 800 to 1900 for almost 100 odd years by the moughals and British followed by poor political vision which made the country further poor. Since years it is fighting to come over that phase. So all these years we are deprived from the basic need of food, cloth and shelter. Till to date there is a huge chunk of people still under proverty line. So a man having no food can't think of Innovation which certainly took birth from the need. Need that doesn't belong to food, cloth and shelter. So one might argue that what about now. When there is a bunch of people in so called middle class why there is no innovation? Question is valid. Now we are in the phase of transformation of poor to not-so-reach. So our mentality is still around focusing on the three basic needs and then securing the three needs for the rest of our lives. So we follow the path of our peers who successfully did the same thing as our inspiration. The inspiration that were budding during our school days to become a Newton end up mugging his formula and jotting down on the exam paper. Everyone did so we followed. Probably that is the reason why Innovation never comes to forefront. Till now.

I remember when i joined Enginnering the idea i was toying around is to make water as fuel. Excited about the fact i was explaining my father how water can be dissociated to Hydrogen and Oxygen, one is combustible and another is a supporter of combustion. The reponse was,

"don't run after all these, make sure you get good grades on your exam".

I don't blame him if i didn't go further as my analysis were never encouraging (Mathematically) nor did i pursue it further. Just wondering if water can be turned to fuel, all the shaiks of Saudi will be dishwasher around the globe for sure :)

So the basic motive of all the education is to ensure future and three basic needs and few luxury stuff during the process. So there is definitely a connectione between poverty and innovation. To make my point further none of the early scientist are from poor family, even though all might not belong to affuluent family.

So the next paradox is about Middle-east. So called oil country. They are rich Yet no innovation? Then the answer is simple. They are rich by nature which is not attained by thriving to it. If you have more  resource then your need (Heaven is such a place) you can't be innovative. If America is rich, its not because they are blessed in terms of natural resources, its because they are good businessman. And business demands to be innovative, searching for new opportunity, new market, new product to explore. To do that they have to innovate. One beautiful example is Beer. Beer taste good when served at certain termprature which forced the beer manufacturer to invent something that can make temp come down artificially. Commuting with spped and without muscle force someone (Henery Ford) to think of an alternative which leads to invention of Motor and when there is global demand for the same which evolve further invention that will increase production exponentially. So invention complement or compelled for other invention to take place in turn helps in growing the economy. So Middle east countries inspite of there being rich never have the need to invent.

So what next. So when the Asian countries (excluding Japan, I just thought this name to be excluded) transformed themselves from poor to not-so-rich to rich i am sure it will create a section of businessmen, rich people, not so hungry people to invent new stuff that lead the way to production, industrialization, and further invention. So the transition of the people happeinign in India, China and few other countries from the same region which will create the new set of innovators. Hopefully.

Updated - 23rd Nov 2012

Probably things are changing in India. I am probably the person belong to the category asking, If India is growing, scientifically advanced then where is the Apple, Google or Viagra from India ? But the speaker clarified some of the fact. It gives me a feel we are not genetically any less, we are inching towards there. Remember we have 35 dollar tablet. yes, i know we can debate on user experience ;) Some invisible innovation.

Thanks for reading and watching. Please do comment if you like or otherwise.

Positives of the Anna Movement

After yesterday's discussion of govet with team Anna it seems quiet clear they are in no mood of withdrawing the bill. The assumption is quiet clear that if they withdraw the crap produced by five eminnent guys will hurt there ego. I wonder where the ego was present while drafting the bill? i have my doubts on there intention of meeting the demands of team Anna. They are calling the meetings just on the basis of pressure, not from heart. So outcome is getting more predictable.

The very next day after the world cup, the country started following Anna and the indian across the globe as well. There was hope of something positive should emerge out of this. But the more i am folloowing the more i am harassed by the politician and there double standard. One thing i realise all politician in common they talk unreasonable thing in farely reasonable manner. But the end user know the real motives are. Personally in the process of following the news, a new desire of being a politician arises, where i can speak my heart out. I can support a cause than a cause itself. Politician today hiding behind the parliament very well knows they are the victim of the bill. In this situation i don't know how a fare minded person will sign his own warrant. At the same time tired of listening to political people. I wish i had a "SPAM" year which i could engage when they talk without troubling my real ear and cerebrum which listen and comprehend for me.

I am pissed off by two things in the whole movement by government. When they say 1. Parliament should be respected 2. Mr PM says he doesn't have a magic wand. But my dear politician pleas try to realize we are respecting little too much thats why it took 4-5 decades for us to get together and put our thing on the table. Where is your feeling of parliament when you prepare the crap bill, where is the respect to parliament when u eat the public money, where is the respect when you see the people who send you to represent in parliament shouting at the gate with heart out. When the same people demand something which is legitmate, you say unconstitutional. And the 2nd point when Mr prime minister says we don't have a magic wand he sounds equally helpless as a ordinary citizen. My dear PM if you don't have it then when why don't you take it what team Anna is gving? It won't disappoint you and would not be no less than a magic wand. And for god sake don't repeat that line again.

The whole movement has some positive amid of all anxiety and frustration. It tells people of there democratic right, more than merely voting once in five years. Which is a good sign. From now on section of peoplewill have a watch on type of bill govt authoring. It creates a political aspiration among few. "If Kapil is not doing, i could have done this if i were him." That feeling creates a political desire. I am sure few people will be there on the same page. its different story unless electoral reform happens difficult for people like me to go there and survive.

Having said all these, i am still watching the progress of IAC. If Congress led govt didn't do much on this i have decided for next 10 years i am not going to vote for them no matter what. I will pledge my people to do the same. Next two term go home and respect parliament from chandni chowk. By saying all this i really don't support the opposition on there stand on Jan Lokpal as well.

"Maharaja" Time for a silent exit

When i say Maharaja, you know what i mean. If not it's Air India.

I don't know, but anyhow i don't consider it an airline anymore. What sort of airline is an airline that frequently change the route, that drops the profitable root for the private player to rule, take new route that was never existed earlier. It doesn't have the money to pay gas companies, lethargic empoyees hardly manage to move there ass are in a industry whose dynamics keep changing in every passing seconds, yet they do strike. Are these all symptoms of a flourishing airline?

Whenever I see Air India it reminds me of Tony Fernandese of Air Asia. OK the story as it goes when he tried to set up an airline in Malaysia and got a chance to meet Dr. Mahatir. he suggested him to take over the laggard existing airline instead of setting up a new one. Air Asia was in a mess when he took over and rest is history.

The point here is, if there is a bail out or loan given which is public money on a highly non-professional airline, for its employee to be in the safety cocoon of govt of India. I don't see any other reason. Rather than pulling, dragging it to run in a less loss mode why not dilute the stake and sell the major chunk to a private player to operate. And i am pretty much sure from very next day it will run on profit. There is no rocket science needed to manage the Airline. GoAir can go from 10 to 78more in few years, Indigo from few to few hundred, so why not Air India. And i am sure you know why not?

This is high time, govt should genuinely diversify it's stake in those sector or companies that no longer profitable or can't be managed by bureaucrats. You can't take the tax money to keep alive the dead sector who are in comma with no chance of revival just on ventilator support (public money).

it's intersting to know there are some companies owned by Govt of India that are into cements, salts, cotton and don't know where else.

I don't support Ramdev, with all due respect

The moment i make my first statement, i might sound odd. Isn't it? But that's the truth. Here i am not questioning the intention of Ramdev, or his fasting but what i dislike about the whole affair is his solution to curb the black money. There are something you should leave the experts to do. You just initiate the process, monitor it but not a part of it.

If he is telling, govt should bring the money back to India that is hoarded in Swiss Bank, I am with him. One more point he was making is to stop the bigger denomination of 500 and 1000. Here lies the difference. I know his intention is to stop hoarding the black money. As a citizen, popular citizen you can ask for the transparency or the progress report on the issues that you have. But the moment you are pointing what needs to be done then there is a problem. Lets talk about the denomination. We are in a age where 9-10% of inflation is quiet natural. So in layman terms Money is loosing its value by 9-10% each year. So the amount of thing that you can buy in the Year 1991 on 100 rupees note, the same amount will cost you 560 rupees in 2011 considering 9% of inflation through out. So all the transaction in 100 rupees currency is equally painful for normal man.

Another point i would like to mention. This time govt was little pro-active in persuading in what is going through and what are there plans. They received Ramdev and finance minister talk to him personally. The minutes of meeting has never surfaced officially neither from him nor from government. So we as a common man never got to know what in reality stops them from getting the money back to India and on the black money curbing what are the steps govt is taking. If Ramdev doesn't like the Govt initiative then why he doesn't like it? Nothing in reality has come out publicly.

So my humble request will be creating agitation, and mobilizing a mass movement in anyway will put tremendous pressure on a ruling side, and sometimes powerful enough to put a functional govt to a defunct state. So lets keep the pressure on without squeezing it too much. There are several ways you can put a check on black money segment, apart from high value denomination. So let's have something concrete rather than going for a fast to see wonder overnight, as if Manmohan is sitting with Swis Bank user ID and password will log in and transfer all the money back to India. Just to give another example Singapore has a currency of 10000 sing dollar. Can you imagine one note is equivalent to 3.6 Lac rupees. So the country should be heaven for black money hoarder. Answer is a big NO. You put the check and balance in several places, that's it. Don't ask me how? I will leave this to experts to decide.

By saying this i no way defend the action that was done by Delhi police on the people who are sleeping silently and protesting. Again on the flip side I don't accept the fact where Ramdev was talking about keeping some trained young people with weapons for RavanLeela at Ram Maidan if things happen again. So the bottomline is if i am concerned about something, i will try to initiate the process that will mitigate the issue, but not by myself. Indira Gandhi during her tenure very intuitively know that science has to grow for the country to flourish. ISRO formed, atomic research center formed, even sent man to moon during her period. She herself didn't study science for the growth, she made the environment conducive for the rest to flourish. So let me re-iterate you let your concern send across the table but not the solution.

Honestly i sometimes feel you are good at the shows at morning 4 o' clock doing pranayam. You are good at that stick to it. Else always remember great power bring great responsibility. If not well directed might work as double edge sword.

Boddu, I am waiting

I hate when a man turns to soul, i hate even more when it turns out to be a near and dear. Yesterday had a painful news, news of your.... I didn't know whom to call and verify. How come you left so early not even notifying? Is it fare Annaya?

I call you Boddu. I asked you few times about me calling you by that name,and you always gracefully smile and say "No issues bhaiya". If there is a guy whose leg i normally pull, and pull frequently you are the one. Half of my coffee i had with you in office, coffee was just an excuse, to hangout was the real motive. I still remember, you used to come to me every now and then try to speak in Hindi. Things turn worse when you explain me your ROL incidents in Hindi.

I don't know why you were so close to me? We don't have much in common in terms of language, food or anything but we were gelling so well. You have called me before you left Singapore, and you told me we will meet once you are back. Is it right you won't keep your word. Please Boddu ra ra.

I still not in a mood to believe the fact you are not here, i don't want to wish for soul. I don't care. I want you back to your work smiling as usual. Waiting for an "hi" on Monday. They tell us miracle do happen here, waiting for one now. Please surprise everyone. I don't mind if you fooled us. We will have coffee at lounge. Don't forget we will take the same bus to Bedok.

I will not talk to you if you don't turn up. Never.

Love you.

(Photo i have taken on my mobile during JP Morgan race, April 2011)