Observations from India
India is a land of great contrasts and extremes. Driving through Delhi reveals the two sides of India: The unbounded future of a bright, vibrant country with vision and promise, and the starkly different reality of the desperately poor. For an outsider, India is an intense experience; you’re constantly bombarded by hope and hopelessness. At once, you see the future while being reminded of the past—and the deep contrasts of the present. Nowhere is this more evident than in the Delhi suburb of Gurgaon which, along with Noida, forms the technology epicenter of Northern India. A 40-minute drive from Delhi, Gurgaon is a pure study in contrast. At rush hour, the road to Gurgeon is a creeping parking lot of honking and sputtering. Rickshaws, motorcycles, trucks, bicycles and cars all jockey for position in what feels like a confused race in slow motion. The road is bounded by makeshift marketplaces, bus stops and construction sites. People are literally everywhere. There’s no doubt you are in India. But then the other India appears on the horizon. Gurgaon is the picture of Asian progress. In what feels oddly out of context, Gurgaon rises as a skyline of glass, steel, spires and aggressively raked rooflines. This is clearly not a place that exists for function alone. This is a place with a clear message to deliver: India is poised. (In fact, this very message is trumpeted proudly on banners along the streets of Delhi). As you enter Gurgaon, you realize the magnitude of the Indian economic boom. Even within the city limits, the contrasts remain: Rickshaws, bicycles, roadside markets, oxen and throngs of people flank the entrances to these architectural monoliths, which are the trophies of the leading technology companies and BPOs. Outside is the old India, and inside is the new: Highly skilled software developers and knowledge workers delivering the goods for the Global 2000. Gurgaon is Silicon Valley in the late 90s. There is a pulse to this place and the visceral feeling of progress. Although, the smugness of the Valley during that time is replaced by a measured pride—and a shared concern about the cost of growth. Despite India’s vast population and enviable talent pool, there is a skill shortage. Demand has outstripped supply, which has created white-hot competition for talent. Turnover is high as people trade one job for the next. This all feels vaguely familiar. San Jose 1999. But my sense is that India is less intoxicated by success, more protective of what it’s creating. There seems to be a clear-minded resolve to capitalize on this opportunity and make it a sustainable part of India’s new reality. Perhaps it’s because of the hard-won fight to get here. Perhaps it’s the feeling that there’s so much more work to do. What is clear is that India is experiencing a unique moment in time. India is, indeed, poised.Previous Post:
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