Professional Documents
Culture Documents
My Tryst with Globalization
Being a small little boy who grew up in an Air force base, my world was pretty confined by
the four walls of the base. My childhood was spent in Bangalore where my dad was posted.
This was the time when India was more or less within the Soviet Bloc. My Dad was flying
helicopters and all that India had at that time were of Russian origin. At that point of time I
was too young to comprehend if the helicopter was Russian or American, nevertheless here
I was experiencing the world before the liberalization and Globalization.
For me dad was this god figure who flew helicopters and I admired him all the time, to be
honest even now. By the time I had learned to comprehend alphabets and pictures, I was
reading comics and this was not Archie or Veronica but it was a Soviet comic magazine
called “Misha”. I don’t know what it meant or what it was all about, but I sure did like the
gloss on the paper and the characters were sure amusing. It was available at the Air Force
base because my dad was friends with the Russian trainers of the Mi 17 helicopters Indian
Air Force (IAF) had at that time.
Although this was a foreign exposure that I have had during my young age, I don’t think this
struck me until very late in my life when I was grown up and developed an interest in heavy
machines (read aircrafts and helicopters).
Down Down Communism to Mobile Yahoo!!
When the Russians collectively said that they were done with Communism, here in India
(Kerala & W.Bengal) were a bunch of people who staunchly held on to the Communist
principles more than the likes of Stalin and Lenin. Here in my native place in Kerala every
house someone in the “Gulf”, a name they have given for the oil rich Middle East (short for
Persian Gulf perhaps). So foreign watches, chocolates kept coming but they were status
symbols and prized commodity. Anyways with the fall of Communism and things like that,
my dad quit IAF and we were all in our hometown. Now my hometown is a very different
from the Air force base, people around had all the time in the world and my parents enjoyed
it. They are this people who liked simple life, lots of people (relatives) to talk and a small
piece of land that they could call their own with a little home of their own.
My parents were particular that I should receive the best of education and so they enrolled
me in a English medium school where you were supposed to talk to all the others in English,
I mean isn’t that what English medium means. So India had begun opening up and here I
was ready for it by learning English beforehand not knowing a thing about Globalization or a
word of English.
In 1999, my cousin who was educated in an engineering college told me about internet and
told me that he chats with people from USA and other places. Now he educated me about
Yahoo and as to how to chat on internet. The Yahoo chat was the doorstep to my first
experience to Globalization. Internet played a huge role in transforming my life and also has
been a tremendous source of information.
Another gadget that made way into my life at the same time is a mobile phone. My dad was
then General Manager for a dealership that sells Japanese cars manufactured in India (No
Éclairs for guessing it is Maruti Suzuki). He had this Philips mobile phone which was
manufactured in China, a Dutch phone made in China. All this occurs to me as first steps for
Globalization now that I know how to think about it but then I couldn’t be anything but
fascinated by the sheer magic of technology. The mobile phone was more a videogame
console than a communication device. They were forerunners of wonderful machines I have
proudly owned over the next 10 years.
My experiments with Globalization
Time passes and you get tangled in many intricacies of life, the best part of your life is over
even before you realize it. After graduation, I took up a job with a multinational software
firm. The first time I saw the office when I was in for my interview, I saw all these pictures
(from Ads) with blondes and thought I was going to working with foreigners. By then I was
aware of Globalization and also that India was rising as an economical power. There were
jokes at that point of time talking about Americans working in India and applying for Indian
Green Cards. So I got the job and I understood our Indian company became multinational by
acquiring British firms and I was secretly proud, courtesy my history lessons. The better part
of it was I was earning what my dad had earned after 20 years of service and I was just
starting to work and had a long way to go on the salary ladder. I did not have a salary that
surpassed my dad’s but I was sure that at the rate my salary was raised the next year, mine
would meet up with his in 4‐5 years. A flat world coupled with the booming software
industry would contribute to this. My dad said to me that the time I was in is the best time
ever to start a career in India. The scenario has changed a lot since his times and he was
happy for me. This was my second experience with Globalization.
In my particular project I liaise with the British office and the client. I had this opportunity to
work with a Briton closely. I was so amused by the experience and at the same time was in
admiration of their work culture and their attitude. When the project was at its peak
Christopher Jones, the Briton, was posted in India so that we need not waste time. (India is
5.5 hours ahead of UK so we used to wait for him to wake up when it would have been noon
here in India) So he came to assist us with the project and a Briton working in India for an
Indian company. Here in the midst of computers that churned out millions of lines of code
the Briton slogged like any other around him. I asked him what motivated him to be in India
rather than London or Manchester. The answer or rather the facts he pressed on me both
surprised me and filled me with pride. He had said “Oh Boy, the pay is never this good out
there”. He continued “Moreover where I work is immaterial as long as my paycheck gets
credited and London is just 10 hours from here”. It was Globalization all the way in its
emphasis on easy capital flows, comparable living standards in India and it also conveys that
the world is smaller than ever before.
The work in the software firm also gave me a chance to work with the clients and most of
the time the technical support issues for the critical airline software used to be routed to
me. Since it was 24X7 support, they would call me irrespective of the time. I was virtually
working my daily schedule and their daily schedule which is almost 20 hours a day. Although
globalization had given a lot of positive experiences, here I was bearing the effects of a
supposedly not so flat world (I mean the time difference).
My life has more to see but I am sure whatever comes now, Globalization is a force that
would stay on to influence my life in the years to come. I am ready and geared up to join
hands with the rest of the world.
Be grounded or Fly High
My dad hails from a small village in Kerala. The village is so remote that their next door
neighbor is at least ten kilometers away. However when it was time to spread wings and go
in search of job, Dad did not restrict his ambition to farming as his family wanted to. He
wanted wings like “Garuda”, the mythical character from Mahabharata, the only sort of
stories (these were religious texts) that were prevalent then. My grandfather was also quite
modern and understanding which I say because he had asked my dad to decide rather than
decide for dad like it was the situation of many of the homes at that time. He had said “if he
chooses agriculture it is good for me but he needs to choose what is good for him”. My dad
chose to fly rather than be grounded. So here he was training in Chennai (then Madras), the
biggest city ever or so he thought. With the little English he knew, he got around and soon
got into the helicopters. He was earning a paltry sum at that time by today’s standards but
then that was better than not earning at all. India at that time did not have many
opportunities for a young educated graduate.
He started with “Packet”, a British bomber plane. Both did not stay together for long, Dad
was transferred to the helicopters division and Packet was retired from active service.
Helicopters at that time were all Russian made Mil (Mi 6, Mi 8, Mi 17 etc). He was asked to
learn Russian to communicate with the Russian trainers of the helicopter and also how to
read the gauges that were all in Russian. This was his first foreign language other than
English and he was thrilled. He understood that India was at the needy side and needed
helicopters to keep up with Pak Air Force who were equipped by Americans. So dad knew
India could not ask for gauges in English or even Russian instructors who knew atleast
English.
Rajiv Gandhi and West Germany
When Rajiv Gandhi was killed in 1991 one of the millions who were grieved included my
dad. Although he did not cry or anything but he said Rajiv Gandhi was a great person and
India would have gone a long way had he been the Prime Minister. I was too young to
comprehend the idea of globalization and development. He also recounted that it was Rajiv
Gandhi’s policy to bring India into the world map and closer to America. This was a major
policy change from the years of his mother’s rule. Since IAF was looking for a new Medium
lift helicopters then, my dad was send to West Germany in 1988 to evaluate the
W.German/American helicopters. He said this would not have been otherwise possible
because India was closer to USSR and so in the black list of Americans. The deal did not
materialize for some political reason but my dad was visiting the West Germany, a foreign
country, a developed country. He was seeing what was happening on the other side when
India was living with pseudo socialism. He saw developments and was convinced India had
the potential but not the right conditions to flourish. He was in support of Rajiv Gandhi’s
policies. This was the reason that dad was grieved when Rajiv Gandhi was killed. He was
hoping that by opening the economies and allowing better trade would mean India would
develop like the Germans and for that matter anyone on the capitalist economy.
Helicopter Landed on a Car
When dad retired from Defense services, he was not sure which way he would head. He did
not want a Private sector job due to two reasons. Private jobs were not considered
respectable unlike a government job and as a matter of fact there were not many private
sector jobs available. Since he was supposed a family of four he took up a private sector job.
He was the works manager of a car dealer that sold Japanese cars that were manufactured
in India. By 1998, he was the General Manager and by then Maruti had Ford, Hyundai and
Honda as competitors. Maruti had started emphasizing on quality to ward off the
competition and also to maintain market share. He was in charge of the service segment at
his place. The government had opened India for the entire world just 5 years ago with the
signing the GATT agreement. Now it was the turn of the companies in India to adjust and
equip for a long fight. This war is for the customers and the main weapons were technology,
service and satisfaction guarantee.
Car and Computer
The emphasis on quality had begun and Dad did not want to be left behind. He initiated the
use of computers in the office for storage of information. He learned how to use computers
even before I saw one (that was in 1999 but now I know better). He fought the resistance
with his belief that computer is the next big thing and he was right. The use of computers
enabled him to give better service and also earned him accolades from Maruti.
To think computers as boxes that help in document processing would be a gross mistake.
Even when he was using computers to get the office work done, he was keen on getting
trained in the latest of automobiles that Maruti launched. This went on for a while till 2000
when Maruti came up with the MPFI and other hi tech stuff (the car was Wagon R).
Although, computers on the desk was fine he disliked computers and chips inside the Engine
compartment. All through this time he saw this as the fruits of letting the doors open for the
foreign companies who were allowed to bring in new technology.
On the lap of Globalization
Technological improvements that my dad had incorporated in the systems and processes
really paid off and the firm he worked with became famous in the dealer circles. The
methods he started came to be known as the methods of innovation. People from Suzuki,
Japan had come in to study the system and standardize it across all the dealers in India.
Here when the entire world was learning things from Japanese they were here in this little
town learning from my Dad. This is a perfect irony of globalization or is it?
My dad was not sure whether the changes around him are the results of technology or
globalization, but his company that was a Maruti dealer in Kerala was brought out by a firm
in the Middle East. The company had grown so famous that there was foreign interest in the
company. What better example can we have for a globalized flat world where everyone can
see anything that anyone does? The foreign capital infusion brought about more changes
and the company grew from mere 6 branches to 23 branches in no time and employed
more than 2000 people directly.
The competition is fierce than ever with the entire world top brands are in India. Still Maruti
manages to outsell all the other manufacturers and also stays at the top of the JD power
surveys for customer satisfaction.
Dad still continues at his job as the General Manager of a car dealer. He continues to look
for better process and technology to be used to achieve quality and success in everything he
does. With the advent of internet and also exchange of ideas between some of the best
minds, my dad is tapping on to the resources to have better ideas and techniques.
A changing India: An Equal Music
India has remained a pseudo socialist nation for most part of its post independence era. This
has caused some amount of skepticism towards embracing globalization and fee trade.
Although various free trade advocates and economists argue about the benefits of Free
trade, the fact remains that there is some resistance to the idea and we have our idea
rooted in a welfare state for all Indians.
Although this has led to slow and pragmatic opening of economies, it has insulated to an
extent from the incidents that happened outside our boundary (present recession being one
among them).
My dad was born in the Pre globalization era, but ever since I was grown up I was in a
Globalized world where India is part of the global trade and commerce.
My dad saw both sides of the world and wanted the more open and globalized world where
as I started on this side of globalization that it is hard for me to even imagine such a nation.
The best part of changes as my dad says is with the availability of technology and
information at your fingertips not just on internet but also in the form of foreign
consultants. Previously there was never a chance to have such consultants in India but now
foreign consultants are available for a fee which Indians are more than happy to pay.
Although my dad advocates globalization and is a beneficiary of the same, his cousins who
stuck to agriculture were not fortunate. They kept plantations of coconut and other spices
which went from “investment for the next 7 generation” to “the next grand fiasco” due to
the imports from countries like Malaysia and SriLanka, who also happen to have the same
set of produces but at much cheaper prices.
When I think about the experiences while I was working, I am sure I wouldn’t have had any
such experiences and could have been working as an accountant in some Bank if it had not
been for the software boom which accompanied India’s entry to the global market.
Many advocates of free trade would say that the indigenous industries would survive only if
they can innovate and stay in the minds of the people. My dads experience tells the same he
has held his territory against the global forces with the help of technology that was available
to all. He was innovative enough to think about how to make a difference in his life and of
others too.
At my age I might feel attracted to the anti global world but I feel this has more to do to
with the lack of adequate exposure and experience. This is more like the situation where
most of the people in their teens were communists and then when it comes to earning their
own livelihood they are all capitalists and for globalization.
Globalization has made tremendous change that has brought prosperity to those who were
ready to innovate and change according to the market demands. There were some who
chose to stay like they were and they pay with misery in their lives and of those who are
going to survive them.
People have lost control on their lives and as Adam Smith has predicted an invisible hand of
Market is playing the strings today and we are just puppets who dance to its tunes. This
might be the factor that creates aversion to globalization but since it is good for the future
and has a good track record this is the most viable option for the future.
Although my dad is against a fully open economy, he advocates the need for technology to
be part of everyday life. He says that technology would make life more transparent and
those who are scared are the ones who have things to hide.
Being patriots we all love India to be among the top powers of the world and we would
undergo any pain to see India at the top. This is one thing common between my dad and me
when it comes to any topic that s related to globalization or free trade. There is a lot of
goodwill at the same time there are many detractors also. There are many apprehensions
but the right way forward is to quell all of it and have a consensus to move forward in the
direction of development, success and glory.