Well kolaveri has gone viral for sure. Mr. Dhanush getting invited by the prime minister of India is definitely BIG. But to me it has a larger and deeper meaning. Messrs Ajay Piramal & Thomas Friedman are the two reasons I am writing this. You must be wondering where is the connect? Let me fill in the blanks.
Mr. Piramal is an Indian billionaire tycoon who sold a part of his healthcare business in May to an American company for $4 billion. Impressive indeed but the amusing bit is that he is not planning to invest that pile of cash in India! Why? He says the problem is not a lack of opportunities. The problem is India. Hello! Now here is a man who knows his stuff as he has made his billions from the Indian health industry but he is unwilling to reinvest here. In fact it is believed that since last year the amount of money that Indians have invested
outside India is far more than the money foreigners have invested
in India. Now this is a cause for concern. Piramal wanted to expand one of his chemical plants but was told it would take five years. He says the same project takes two years in China! Inspite of being a patriot he says his customers will not wait that long. He is planning to acquire businesses in North America and Europe.
If no more money is going to be available to our economy how are we going to build a better infrastructure which could aid in faster development?
Mr. Friedman is an internationally renowned author, reporter and columnist, recipient of three Pulitzer Prizes & the author of five bestselling books among them "The world is flat" in which he fought a case for growing economies like India by mentioning that the world is interconnected and offers a level playing field for all nations. Hence he argued that India had an opportunity to grow and shine like never before. But sadly he seems to have changed his mind now about India. Now he says India has probably lost its path and is meandering aimlessly.
The reasons both the above mentioned gentlemen cite for their pessimism regarding India are the same: lack of transparency in the system, bureaucratic red tape, corruption at every level in the political system and outside of it, looting of national resources by those who were entrusted with safeguarding it.
Where does that leave an honest enthusiastic dentist planning to set up a practice or laboring to run an existing one successfully?
Well it looks like its going to get a whole lot worse before it becomes better.
Mr Godrej, owner of the Godrej empire has said," If you are an honest businessman in India, it is very difficult to start up anything".
To top it all Anna's movement seems to be fizzling out as the shrewd political system is trying to wear off the spirit of the populace. So let's put in our heart, soul and mind in what ever we do and create a
viral kolaveri of good intentions, hard work and happiness so that 2012 ushers in happiness and prosperity of the same extent as the
kolaveri viral!
Toothstory wishes you a healthy, happy and prosperous 2012!