It was our
last sunrise in Mumbai this morning, and the short stay in this dynamic city
went by in a heartbeat. With bags packed, we formed neat lines in the pristine
lobby waiting to check out of our decadent rooms. This hotel had so far been
the favorite for all of us. The breakfast conversation vacillated between
hesitation to leave Mumbai to excitement about the upcoming trip to Agra to see
the Taj Mahal. We’d also been informed this morning that Anna had fallen ill
with a stomach virus. Professor Jayaraman quickly made arrangements to
accommodate Anna. In the meantime, we loaded onto the bus and made our way
towards Dachser Intelligent Logistics. The humble building laid discreetly
tucked behind greenery. As we ascended the stairs into the offices, the Chairman
himself, Mr. Cyrus Guzder, greeted us. Dachser, more commonly referred to as
AFL India, was in the business of shipping and logistics and was a founding
member of freight forwarding in India. With over 68 years in the business, we
would receive a briefing from Chairman Guzder, Head of Human Resources, Mr
Jhoki, VP of Mumbai Airport Cargo Authority Manoj Singh, and CFO Mr. Nipul
Chandiwala. Mr. Guzder, whose father started the company in 1945, was a
captivating speaker that meticulously elucidated on the core aspects of doing
business in India. He presented us with a political, economic, cultural,
sociological and geographical background with which to frame a series of
perplexing questions. He posed a series of questions for which the answer was
both yes and no. These questions solidified Prime Minister Manmohan
Singh's statement "Whatever you say of India...the opposite is also
true." Here are some of the questions he presented:
- · Is India an Industrial Society.. or an Agricultural one?
- · Is India’s population predominantly Urban... or Rural?
- · Are India’s people Rich... or Poor?
- · Is India technologically “Advanced” or “Backward”?
- · Is India a literate or illiterate society?
- · Is India religious... or secular?
- · Is India a melting pot or a salad bowl?
Another issue
raised was that due to India's population, it is a great challenge to manage
the cities. India has 53 cities with populations over 1 million, and India
can't find westerners who know how to manage cities with a populations in
excess of 10 million. Morever
due to India's population, there are 31 million people graduating from
universities each year. 30% of this over-qualified population take low-level
jobs and 70% are unemployable due to a gap between practical job requirements
and academic training. Mr. Guzer went on to attribute the great segregation in India to the caste system and the innumerable gods and goddesses. However, due to the
advancements India has been making, Mr. Guzder gladly stated that this
disappears within the cities. However, it is still dominant in rural villages,
but as India continues advancing, this should decrease. He also posed a question that was top of mind
for us all. Who would win the race – soaring dragon versus crouching
tiger. He went on to explain that while India is often likened to a
tiger, he thinks India to be more of an elephant – profoundly wise by lacking
in speed and agility. To answer the ultimate question of India versus China,
Mr. Guzder said that the race boils down to this, “Will China fix its politics
first? Or, will India fix its governance first?” He further stated that if both
fail to do these respective objectives, they could both fall into the “middle
income trap.”
After a
thought-provoking discussion with Mr. Guzder, we had a quick lunch before
making our way to the airport. We would soon be boarding a flight to Delhi. The
conversation in the bus rotated around the death of Hugo Chavez and the
worsening crime incidents against women in Delhi. Today was Women’s Day in
India and the Indian newspapers reminded locals of the struggle women have had.
A mix of sadness and anger was entangled in the horrific stories we heard, and
a devastating truth stood in front of us all, especially the women on the trip.
Living in a land where women’s rights have been concreted in the constitution,
and the fight for equality is on the rise; we often take for granted the basic
liberties that some of these women are not afforded. India is a beautiful
country, filled with potential. A heavy load of work remains in the balance
before this emerging economy can rise to stardom, a big chunk of that load
resting on the shoulders of the women of India.
We arrived
in Delhi late evening. Knowing that we each would only be allowed 3 hours of
sleep time, we quickly made our way up to the rooms and settled in for a short
nap. Tomorrow, we would be off to Agra to see one of the Seven Wonders of the
World – The Taj Mahal.
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