India: A land for the Alien Prince and the Alien Peasant

“This is indeed India; the land of dreams and romance, of fabulous wealth and fabulous poverty, of splendor and rags, of palaces and hovels, of famine and pestilence, of genii and giants and Aladdin lamps, of tigers and elephants, the cobra and the jungle, the country of a thousand nations and a hundred tongues, of a thousand religions and two million gods, cradle of the human race, birthplace of human speech, mother of history, grandmother of legend, great-grandmother of tradition, whose yesterdays bear date with the mouldering antiquities of the rest of the nations—the one sole country under the sun that is endowed with an imperishable interest for alien prince and alien peasant, for lettered and ignorant, wise and fool, rich and poor, bond and free, the one land that all men desire to see, and having seen once, by even a glimpse, would not give that glimpse for the shows of all the rest of the globe combined.”—Mark Twain, Following the Equator, 1897 

The essence of Mark Twain’s quote above regarding  India is true even today.  It was an experience of a lifetime for me to travel around a country with 40 individuals from the US, to show them the country I grew up in, to help them relate to the sights and experiences that they had never seen or imagined before.  EMBA 24 however, with a little help from us, the Indian origin students in class, saw and experienced the country with a very mature perspective.

As I reflect on an email I received just today from an EMBA24 classmate which said “To see so many people struggling to get by without food, water, sanitation...but yet be so genuinely happy...makes you realize what is important in life.”, I am proud of the discovery we have made as a class together.

As we went around Mumbai and Delhi, we found abundant poor people, dirty streets and chaos. India has a long way to go in improving the several human developmental indicators. Over 200 million Indians are illiterate and below the poverty line. Over 300 million Indians lack decent sanitation and over 100 million do not have access to clean water.  A large number of children are below the acceptable nutrition level. The Infrastructure in many areas is breaking apart - BUT amidst all of this it is easy to forget what India has achieved since independence.

In this blog, I’d like to share how we put things in perspective.

India has been independent for only 65 years, hence when one assesses this young country, one has to be generous and base the assessments on an evolving trend. To understand the complexities of India at Independence, look at European Union and multiply the diversity of the EU by 1000 and divide the resources by 1000 and you approximately get the semblance of the India in 1947. When the British left India, the life expectancy for an average Adult was 32 and there were a few centers of higher education. Over 25 million Indians had died in the preceding 100 years of foreign rule owing to famine and mismanagement of resources. 

Since independence, the life expectancy has gone up from 32 years to 65 years. India has built a vast road network that is second only to the US and China. In  education, India produces the second largest pool of the educated population in the world today . But most importantly, India has nurtured and maintained the pillars of democracy. It prides itself on having an independent media and a free judiciary. And as the CEO of Super Religare, Dr. Sanjeev Chaudhury said, during his presentation to the class – We rank high in Gross National Happiness. Indians don’t know where their next food will come from, but they are happy.

       

While there's a lot more to achieve and millions of Indians to uplift,  looking at the rate at which India has progressed in the last 65 years, I have no doubt that the trend is positive and the remaining human developmental  indicators will continue to improve. 

--Olyvia Rakshit

Coming Soon...

-Alan Williams

The Adventure Continues

Though the class trip ended last weekend, the trip continued for several of us.  After visiting Pune for a day, I arrived in Bangalore where both Pramodh and Seema were visiting relatives.  The three of us were able to coordinate our busy schedules for a Thursday afternoon get together.   Seema was still working hard to set the record for most site visits by an EMBA team while Pramodh and I were back on the clock.  Meeting up required Pramodh and his driver to cross the city twice – something that is quite a testament to his graciousness and patience given the Bangalore traffic.  Fortunately, these trips were completed just before the evening rush hour. 

Despite the high tech nature of Bangalore, it does not remain immune from the occasional cow on the side of the road.  As we crossed the relatively quiet street to sit down for coffee in a local shop, I was advised by The Doctor not to enjoy an iced café mocha due to water concerns.  In the end, I think the fat content of the mocha made my mango juice a better choice.  From there we set out for some shopping – I needed gifts to bring home.  Using their local knowledge and multiple calls to friends and co-workers, and Pramodh’s ability to translate between English and Kannada we zigzagged around the city avoiding malls looking for specialty stores.  The success of my shopping endeavors will soon be tested.

Before treating us to a nice dinner, Seema and I witnessed Pramodh enjoy a drink that most men would not be caught dead holding.  Our dinner was filled with plenty of great food, good conversation proving to be a relaxing way to wrap a busy two weeks.  The evening was capped with a flaming gulab jamun - none of us had ever had one before.  I suggest avoiding the brandy as it makes an already sweet dessert unbearable.  We then sent Seema on her way to the glitterati lifestyle to see the premier of Agent Vinod.

- Seema Byahatti, Pramodh Koshy & Peter Spiess

Personal Growth

Before I start my post for the night I want to preface it with a few things:

1)     I’m Black (I grew up in the 70s.  African-American may be good for the majority… but I’m Black).

2)     As a result, there’s not much that I have felt up until this point that I could learn about prejudice.  With that, my thoughts on the topic have been about how people view me, less about how I view them… them being Anglo-Americans.

3)     I’m not typically one to talk about social politics with people outside of my race.

So what I’m about to blog about is really about the experience and resulting personal introspection that this trip has caused that has broadened how I think about prejudice and how even one such as I can exhibit this nasty trait… and need to grow.

Yesterday, March 14^th, we visited the Habib Hospital in a predominantly Islamic neighborhood in Mumbia.   There I was, the lone black guy, with a group of 30 plus Anglo-Americans walking through a neighborhood of people that potentially hate us… or so the media tells us.  I can’t convey how uncomfortable and how unsafe I felt.  “What are they thinking? Why are they looking at us like that? Will they hurt us? Will they riot? Will someone see this as an opportunity to make a name for themselves by confronting or hurting one of us?”  These were all of the things that I felt.  I watched how they glared at us; how some whispered.  My feelings were very subtle, but nevertheless they were there.

I have to say that I’m ashamed of how I felt.  How could I project such negative and stereotypically thoughts on the local population?  Could it be that they were just curious about these people whom just stepped off of a gigantic bus (a vehicle, mind you, that they probably don’t see every day) and were wondering “who are they”?  Could it be that they were probably just curious about what people who obviously weren’t a part of the community were doing there?  Maybe they were just thinking “Who are they and why are they here”?  Maybe it was the fact that we were all decked out in suits and neckties in 80+-degree weather?  How could I, as one who has often walked through a “majority environment” as the sole person of color, feeling out of place and wondering about other’s potential prejudices and praying not to be mistreated, project such negative thinking on these people?

My understanding of the primary goal of the Capstone project and the trip to an international location is to help us understand that doing business globally does not equate to doing business in the U.S.  We’ve been brought here to gain the understanding that there are different mores, norms, policies, and laws that will affect how you do business in the global community.  But the learning I gained has been much greater and much more personal.  I too have prejudices that I need to examine.  Race and cultural differences are, for the most part, discussed in the U.S. from either the perspective of Black and White, Citizens versus Illegals, or more recently, Muslim versus non-Muslim.  I’ve felt as though I know enough about the first, and that issues of the latter really won’t affect me personally but present a greater threat to my country.  But being immersed in an environment that forced my personal, and until know, quietly held prejudices to the surface has caused me to re-examine my thoughts about the topic.  Until now, I subconsciously felt like the victim.  This has highlighted for me that I can also be the oppressor, that I have information and a set of beliefs that shape how I see others, that those sets of data need to be challenged, and that I need to more exposure to cultures other than Black-White-Latino-Asian America.

I don’t know that I would take you through the full extent of the soul searching that is forcing.  But I am happy that participation in a program like Boston University’s EMBA and its international component have exposed me to something that has led to more than the professional growth that I expected.  It has highlighted the need for me to expand my personal boundaries, experiences, and thinking to expose me to the world beyond the U.S.  I see that I need to gain a better understanding of people other than those I am familiar with, to understand their beliefs and how that affects their lives, how that makes us similar or not, and then synthesize all of this to grow, not only as a professional, but as a person.

Mumbai Mobile Media

Atop the Four Seasons of Mumbai you get the million dollar view of the city for miles around. In a cool evening night the haze and din of horns is replaced by a warm breeze, a trendy crowd in deep conversation, and light electronica beats that fuse traditional Indian music with modern pop. High amongst the twinkling night sky we plucked our own star, the general manager of Star Television, Ajit Takur, to tell us about his vision of the future of media and mobile with the Indian people. Ajit has spent years in the industry and worked with some of the large media companies in the US and abroad but has recently returned to Mumbai to pursue new endeavors in media.

Amongst the poverty that is prevalent throughout Mumbai and India you still find a nation with mobile phones and television. From the rural farmer or fisherman with a mobile phone to the 10x10 foot shack in the slums with a television dish on the tin roof, people want the ability of communication. The people are very wise to the beat on the street, whether it's politics of the 2012 budget, sports, or drama shows. So much so that television has a deep penetration in the country with mobile dominating in the 90's depending on the sources. From the media producer's perspective the mobile platform presents a whole new world of products. It allows for media producers to create long tail content for short play and lower resolution due to device constraints. Ajit's passion is bringing as many stories as possible to the public on this mobile platform. To do so however he needs to be able to quantify his audience to the advertisers who are his revenue stream. Traditional television has established metrics like Nielsen but there is nothing similar in India's mobile industry. There is the challenge of getting the right content to audiences and measuring the viewer's response. This is why mobile advertising has yet to take off. How many are watching, for how long, and what's their behavior? Ajit pointed out that in India you buy mobile SIM cards with prepaid minutes versus post paid contracts and fixed devices like the US. It is common that a user will have multiple SIM cards and some may even have two phones; the primary phone and secondary, low-end phone in case you're between phones. All this simply means users can take on multiple personas as they swap out SIM cards, making it difficult for mobile advertisers to isolate segments and measure across the industry.

Despite the present gap, Ajit feels that the infrastructure exists and it's a matter of time until the advertising industry moves forward which ajit believes to be by 2015. When it does break free, India has a population of approximately 858M users that could explode on the scene. I would say Ajit will have his hands full with stories to tell at that point.

-George Tasiopoulos

Mumbai - Wednesday, March 15

It’s day five (or four for some) in India. At the moment, we are in transit from Mumbai to Delhi on what could be one of the last KingFisher flights. Keep your boarding pass as a souvenir of the declining business. It only proves beer and flying don’t mix.

For ease-of-blog, I’ve decided to keep it simple and outline my top-ten of the trip so far, with comments of course. 

Number 10:  Stark contrast is everywhere.  You’ll hear EMBAs tell you this when they arrive home. When you see this, it is unimaginable.  High-rise buildings over-looking slums brings such a sharp contrast. The fast pace of Mumbai’s growth mixing juxtaposed to shanty slums depicts wide economic divide. Interestingly, when you discuss this with locals, you will learn that many of those living in slums remain busy in their occupations.

Number 9: Space is a premium: Mumbai has over 20 million inhabitants crammed into every conceivable spot. Why is this important to point out? As we speak with businesses, a major issue we find is their obtaining space. We met with one cold storage business today that has struggled for nearly a year to secure an area large enough for a warehouse. Or, Habib Hospital, where the owner of their building waited patiently for enough funds to be gathered to get lending; without this, getting space would have been difficult and perhaps their important services may have not been launched.

Number 8: An un-documented statistic: We have heard many times, that the people of India, particularly those of more poor sections, will prioritize their earnings as: food first, then education for their children. When you see some areas, we can assume there is little left afterwards; however, the desire of caring parents to give the gift of education to their children is a model for all to admire.

Number 7:  Don’t drink the water: You hear everyone say this and it’s true. It’s no worry though, beer coffee and bottled water are fine substitutes. Make your coffee with bottled water in the morning and you’re ready to roll for the day.

Number 6:  Large buses:  While a typical large tour bus helps keep us all together, the logistics of negotiating streets and roads is beyond description. The upside is the comedic value it brings to nearly all of us. In here lies one of our great event tales that as a friend, I have decided not to blog about. That said, I’m sure all of you will hear the tale of the dead end road and what 3 hours on a bus with no rest room can bring about for adventure and likely EMBA folk lore.

Number 5:  The food:  We’ve scored great on every restaurant so far. Khyber and Indigo were great. Rumor is these are two of  Professor Melvin Menezes’s favorites, and now ours too. The food throughout the trip, so far, has been spectacular. This is no small task when you consider how quickly we are moving about in mass form.  That said, depending upon your tolerance for risk, you generally approach each meal with a level of caution, carefully thinking: is this water based? Is this a raw vegetable? If the answer is yes, my recommendation is to pass.

Number 4:  Business meetings: There's enough for a blog in itself to describe the generosity of those we have met with to date. Not simply generous in their time, but it is also their willingness to share quality information. We have meet with people from other universities, cold storage companies, importers, venture capitalists and others. All have offered great information that will, we hope, lead to a solid Capstone ending. More of this to come in Delhi…

Number 3: New friends and roof tops: At the BU Alumni reception we met two new friends -- a father and son team who were interested in our projects. They were kind enough to invite us the next evening to their beautiful home for drinks, appetizers and great discussion. For over two hours we enjoyed their company and amazing roof-top patio overlooking the Arabian Sea. We look forward to reciprocating someday in Boston

Number 2:  Infrastructure Team. Sure, there are good teams, and then there is the Infrastructure team. Dan, Dan (sorry I called you Chris again), Prakash (good thing he can speak Hindi), Russ and Chris. We are all learning at a fast pace and each day we have been lucky to be having such a good time doing it together.

Number 1: My EMBA friends: I know it sounds like cliché but I can’t think of a time in my life when a large group of people can come together with such great attitudes and general pleasure for each other. It is this close group of colleagues that make the trip a life-changing event.

 - Jim Parker

Does Anyone Have a Flashlight?

We left our hotel at 4:45AM this morning to embark on a day of sightseeing in New Delhi.  We were feeling lucky, so we took the 7:15AM flight out of Mumbai on King Fisher Airlines.  We arrived at Delhi International Airport two hours later ready to take on the day.  We toured Delhi’s historic sites including India Gate, Qutub Minar, Humayun's Tomb and others.  They were by all accounts breathtaking.

For Team Energy 2 the highlight of the day might just have come during our lunch stop at the DLF Promenade, a major mall in New Delhi.  The entire class had lunch at the very swanky “Vega”, which served authentic Indian cuisine.  In the middle of the meal, the restaurant lost power not once, not twice, but three times (see photo of Mark “where did my dessert go” O Mahony).

We were seeing first-hand data that seemed to be supporting our hypothesis.  Namely, India’s power grid is unreliable.  This is a major mall, in a major city on a day that is 70 degrees.  Of all days to lose power, this would seem an unlikely use, place and condition for it to occur.  We continue to meet with generators, customers and industry experts, but at the end of the day the eyes don’t lie.  India is facing a number of big challenges and the country’s energy security policy is front & center in that debate.

- Robert McCullough

Pictures from Mumbai

Boston University Alumni Reception in Mumbai.
Professor Kulatilaka spoke about all of the amazing things going on at the School of Management.

Gate of India

The Taj in Mumbai

The Taj - Mumbai

Victoria Station - Mumbai

- Janice Dolnick

Team Visit w/ Neo@Ogilvy

Well we are off to a great start on this trip. First we had a spectacular tour of Larsen and Tourbo, with a great lunch, my favorite meal in India thus far actually. Second, we had a little address mishap (note to self to double check the address when we are asked to double check the address). So thanks to Google Maps, which clearly showed us moving in the wrong direction, we were able to realize that we needed to shift directions quickly. We were 30 minutes late, but our gracious host RP Singh at Neo@Ogilvy, the Digital Advertising subsidiary of the world-renowned Oglivy & Mather, made us feel like we were on time and expected.

This is where we were:



From the time we sat down, the first time I looked at my watch was when one team member hinted that we were out of time. That means two and a half hours had already elapsed. Our time flew because RP was engaging, informative, and well prepared. Though “well prepared” is perhaps an understatement. RP took the document with questions I had sent him just a few days earlier, and probably invested an unimaginable amount of time to create a power point presentation, that hit on every topic and every question in that document, with detail levels only a deep industry insider could produce.

In the 3 hours that we met with RP, we learned about his impressive background of pioneering Digital Advertising in India and China, we had a rich overview of history of advertising in India presented – one decade at a time – from the time India obtained its independence through today. One thing that we were fascinated by, in the history, was the use of Vans introduced in the 1980s, used as billboards to reach rural Indian communities. The use of vans didn’t disappear, but instead evolved to high-tech, having Bluetooth features built in, allowing anyone within range to download ring-tones and play games on their smartphones. You could call it an early form of “Mobile” Advertising, literally – on wheels.

We learned about the digital advertising landscape in India, key segments in the industry, and about how the industry is struggling – it’s amazing to see that not everyone is yet a believer in Digital Advertising. Finally, we talked in depth about mobile, not the vans, but what we know as mobile – smartphones, market breakdown, and explosive growth. For example, did you know that there are 20,000,000 mobile users added in India, PER MONTH? No doubt, Mobile Advertising is about to take off, and team IT2 will figure out how we can leverage these trends and create a venture to address some of the structural issues of this industry.

More about Neo@Ogilvy:
https://www.neoogilvy.com/
Neo@Ogilvy is Ogilvy & Mather's global media agency and performance marketing network. Neo delivers marketplace foresight to some of the world’s most innovative and respected brands, as both a “digital-first” lead agency or part of a networked 360° solution.

The team consists of more than 800 employees across 40 worldwide offices working to put innovation and accountability at the heart of every engagement. With a mandate to drive measurable results while creating the future, Neo applies a data-driven strategic approach and cutting edge technologies across all digital disciplines (including paid and organic search, display, video, mobile, social media, affiliate marketing, etc.) and traditional channels.

The Neo offering is uniquely positioned to help clients take advantage of “The New Dialogue of Performance,” with marketing dollars delivering results against both sales and branding objectives. This includes an innovative planning process to leverage “of the moment” data, the targeting precision and buying power of one of the world’s strongest digital networks, an advanced analytics offering and one of the most sophisticated data processing environments in the industry.

The company is passionate about building brands, driving business results and keeping their clients informed with the latest marketplace foresight from the confluence of media, data and technology.

More on our host, RP Singh, Vice President, Media at Neo@Ogilvy


RP Singh, who reports to Kunal Jeswani, national head, Neo@Ogilvy is a digital marketing specialist with over 11 years of digital and new media experience of working in India, China and South-East Asia. He is currently based in Mumbai as Vice President of Neo@Ogilvy, has experience working with leading Media networks like WPP’s GroupM and Starcom MediaVest Group. During his professional journey, RP has served organizations such as SITG, Trident Group, GroupM and Starcom. He has considerable experience working with various multinational brands including P&G, Nokia, Lufthansa, Pepsico, GSK, Tourism NewZealand, HSBC, Ford, Perfetti Van Melle, Akzo Nobel, Apollo Tyres, and GE Money, Hero Honda among others. RP holds an MBA in Marketing from New Delhi. He is on Trainers Panel of afaqs Campus in India. RP is also an active blogger, a digital evangelist and often lectures on digital media

RP holds an MBA in Marketing from New Delhi. He is a member of advisory council for World Brand Congress. He is a regular columnist on ClickZAsia.com and is an active blogger.

- Serge Daniel

Paradigm Shift

Before we came to India one of our team members, Olyvia Rakshit, showed us a video of traffic in India and referred to it as organized chaos.  I really couldn't understand how any order existed in the zigzagging of cars, motorcycles, rickshas and even pedestrians, weaving and bobbing around one another, ignoring stop signs, and feverishly honking horns.

On our first day here I had the chance to walk around Mubai and observed this chaos.  As we headed to Coloba, a motorcyclist sped by, and in doing so blew his horn at a ricksha that he was passing.  The ricksha moved ever so slightly to the right and let the motorcycle speed by.  It wasn't a frantic response nor was the driver's reaction the negative response you'd get in America if someone blew a horn at you.  His calm movement suggested a willingness to accommodate or cooperate with his partner on the road.

I began to notice this type of signal and response time and time again as we contined to walk through the city.  There was actually a conversation of sorts going on between the motorists on the streets of Mumbai.  There was clearly an air of collaboration.  No one got angry.  Every one was working together.  Drivers used their horns to communicate.  "I'm on your left and want to pass".  "You're getting too close to me.". "Don't stop, keep going".  Even the pedestrians were a part of this wordless dialogue.  There really was organization in what I was witnessing.

I've heard many times that one of the cultural mantras in India is "We're all in this together".  Witnessing the way the rules of the road play out on the streets of India epitomizes this mantra.  Yes, in America this would be chaos, but we're not in America.  The Indian culture has created its own set of rules about how to get from point A to pont B that may differ from ours, but they work  just fine for them (thank you very much).   I resist the urge to refer to this as organized chaos.  I'd rather refer to it as "collaborative commuting".

James Ely

Day 1 in India

On Sunday March 12^th, EMBA 24 headed out in Mumbai to do some sightseeing. The first stop was the Taj Hotel. My old team (B3); never had the opportunity to take a team picture during the Mod 3. What a great opportunity to snap a roadside photo of B3 in front of the Taj.

We saw some great sights; but the highlight was a total accident. On our way to Bollywood, the bus got slightly lost. We then ended up going through a village to get to the film shoot; unfortunately the road was too narrow to make a tough turn. The poor bus driver spent two hours trying to turn the bus around. The class didn’t get restless; instead they were entertained by the local children. They saw the problems the bus was having and came over and showed off their energy by doing back flips on the sidewalk. A couple of students ventured out of the bus, all the children just wanted to have their pictures taken.

The village could not have been nicer. Not only did the kids entertain the students; and the village adults help the driver navigate through the narrow streets back to the main road. It was unfortunate that we didn’t make it; but the class had an experience that will surely never be forgotten.

-Doug Cuff

Could I Interest you in a Rug???

March 10, 2012 and we've made it to Mumbai.  But getting here wasn't without it's challenges.  Our original travel itinerary had a group of us meeting in London to catch the 10:15 a.m. connecting flight to Mumbai.  We individually arrived in London to find out that the flight had been cancelled due to mechanical problems.  Without cell service, it was difficult to coordinate a game plan with the others.  I ended up taking the 1:00 p.m. Air India flight which arrived at 4:00 a.m.  The others took a 6:30 p.m. British Airways flight, placing them in Mumbai at 9:00 a.m. this morning.

We're staying at the beautiful Taj President hotel in Mumbai.  The staff is so very polite and the service has been great thus far.  We met in the lobby around noon to grab a bite to eat.  We were all craving a taste of Indian cuisine.  There are several restaurants in the lobby, so Adam points at one and says "That's the Indian restaurant".  So we go in and grab a table.  Upon surveying the menu we realize that it's actually a Thai restaurant... the THAI PAVILION!  How did we miss that? Nevertheless the food was pretty good.  Everyone initially gravitated to the Pad Thai but then we each decided to do something different for a change.  Everything was great!

Afterwards Seema grabbed a street map and led us down to Colaba for a little shopping.  I personally needed a few things as one of my suitcases had been lost by the airline. Luckily I have the one that had all of my business wear for the site visits, but I'm totally down on the essentials (read between the lines).  We walked about 2 kilometers and hit a variety of shops.  Man, I have to tell you... Indian retail sales people are SERIOUS!!  Every time we stopped to purchase something, they'd pull out multiple items.  After you picked an item, they'd try to sell you something else. They were constantly up-selling.  I purchased a few scarves as gifts.  Then the salesman pulls out silver figurines.  Ok... I gave in a purchased a small silver  panther.  Then he starts pushing me on RUGS!!!  How'd we get from silver figurines to rugs????  Ring me up, already!

I've seen pictures of the retail environment in India before but it was really interesting to see up close and in person.  These small shops operate in a very small foot print and typically specialize in a category e.g. personal care products, men's clothing, women's clothing, jewelry.  There was one retail store devoted solely to cookies!  It got me thinking about how we devote so much space to creating the right shopping environment and experience for U.S. shoppers.  I wondered if this no frills, small footprint, highly specialized approach could work in the U.S., particularly in underserved communities that are looking for businesses to come in. Is there something to be learned here that could be applied to small business in the U.S.?? 

Well, I found all of the things I needed.  Back to the hotel!

James Ely