A couple of days ago, I ranted about traffic in Mumbai and how a lack of common sense prevents everyone from enjoying a smooth commute. As if on cue, McKinsey Global Institute has released a report on the increasing urbanization of India and how cities are expected to grow rapidly in the near future.

Here are some excerpts from the report. By 2030, in India:-

* 590 million people will live in cities. This is twice the population of the US today

* 70% of net new employment will be generated in cities

* 68 cities will have population of 1 million plus. The whole of Europe has only 35 such cities today.

* 700-900 million sqmetres of commercial and residential space needs to be built. That is equivalent to building a new Chicago or two Mumbais every year!

* 7400km of metros and subways will need to be constructed, which is 20 times the capacity added in the past decade.

* Five large states – Tamil Nadu, Gujarat, Maharashtra, Karnataka and Punjab will have more people living in cities than in villages.

* Private car ownership would increase, shortcomings in the transportation infrastructure have the potential to create urban gridlock.

* The road transportation gap will rise from 210 thousand lane kms to 440 thousand lane kms. (Yipee, more traffic jams for the same price)

Yes, India’s cities are growing at a rapid pace, and people are migrating to big cities. The most important question now is whether the government is up to it. Is the government going to create PPP models for developing urban infrastructure? Is it going to go the China way by creating SPVs? Or will it twiddle its thumbs while India wastes away its demographic divided? Profound questions the answers to which will be more profound.

PS. Is it ironic that I’m writing this while I’m stuck in a traffic jam?

Once upon a time there was a legend such as Sachin Tendulkar…

So finally someone has done it. A batsman has hit 200 runs in One Day International cricket. And what can be more satisfying than the fact that the person who most deserved to get this has done so. Sachin Ramesh Tendulkar has become the first cricketer to score 200 runs in ODIs. And by no means was it against a weak side. It was against South Africa who may have reduced in strength from their days of glory yet are still a power to reckon with.

Today’s knock seemed effortless to Sachin. As he found himself reaching nearer the magical yet elusive score of 200, he had the whole of India supporting him. From what I heard from friends and colleagues later, entire office cateens were filled cheering for Sachin. Online, twitter was buzzing (no pun intended) with four of ten trending topics related to Sachin’s 200.

People were more eager to see Sachin on strike than to see Dhoni hit sixes and fours. The moment of victory came in the last over. Although he had reached his previous highest score of 194 in the 46th over itself, it was only in the final over that he managed to get the strike for the final run. And when he did get the strike, sachin wasted no time playing the ball gently away to take a single. It was a muted yet one of his most important runs.

And when he reached the other side, a volcano erupted in India. Sachin had arrived on the cricket scene. Once again. For the little master, the journey has been long. Filled with ups and down, battling injuries and criticisms over his ability to continue playing, his career has had a major peak this year. The little master still bats strong, able to demolish the strongest of bowling atacks in a mere couple of hours. If there was a player who has tilted more matches in his team’s side, it is Sachin.

Along with the achievement of being the first to score 200, this was a fitting reply to the recent controversy which dogged him briefly. The Shiv Sena had questioned his integrity in one of their editorials. Although the Indian public and media had rallied with Sachin and the issue fizzled out quickly, this was the answer Sachin was waiting to give. They say the pen is mightier than the sword, but Sachin’s bat proved mightier than their  pen.

It is amazing how much love, adulation and respect the man commands (and rightfully deserves) from the people of India. There are hardly a handful who can claim of such adoration, less who actually deserve it. Sachin is someone who can bring India together, halt the whole country to a stand-still when he’s batting and can be sure that the country shares his grief when he gets run out on 99 due to a bad call.

Hats off to this utter genius of a player. May he amass hundres of runs more and give Indians something to look up to, and future generation something to talk about. Once upon a time there was a legend such as Sachin Tendulkar. This is how coaches in the future will introduce Sachin to young aspiring cricketers.

Percentage of Indians in USA

Percentage of Indians in American Hotel Industry

Percentage of “Patels”  in the Indian share

I just finished reading the book “In spite of the Gods – The strange rise of modern India” by Edward Luce. I had eyed this book since a long time and had delayed buying it for some reason. Luckily, I found a second-hand copy of the book in Pondicherry. I had started reading the book on my way back to Pondicherry, and to my utter surprise (and shock), the first paragraph itself had a mention of Pondicherry and the community set up near it, Auroville. The introduction talks about the author’s meetings with people living in Auroville and how India is known mainly for its spirituality. The author seemed none too amused by this impression of India and that is what he sets out to change in the book.

The author, Edward Luce, covers all the major areas of concern for India, which include social, political, religious and economic. The structure of the book itself is such that each chapter focuses on one burning issue from these field. Luce covers India pre-independence, the timeline of the major political parties and the rise of the newer parties. Religion ocupies a central position in Indian households and he focuses on the largest two religions in the country and the problems which have arisen between them as well. He goes on to analyze India’s past relation with the US and the Soviets, and the current equation between India-China and India-Pakistan.

The book ends with the issues India faces and the opportunities the country has to become a major power in the 21st century. According to the author, India would do well not to become complacent of its newfound growth. Only if it deals with the issues in a proactive  manner will it manage to reach the level which is being expected of it. And one of the important ways is by the electorate to vote in such a way which brings the political party most capable of bringing about the change which is required. This endnote becomes all the more relevant in light of the up coming elections.

What I really liked about the book was its comprehensiveness in all the issues it tackles. Luce does not refrain from calling a spade a spade. The interplays between rival political parties especially SP vs BSP is wittitly depicted with Amar Singh again making a fool out of himself. Luce has described the rise of caste politics quite vividly. The book goes beyond slums and spirituality which is all what India is made out to be. I totally agree with the author’s belief that India is much more than a few squalid slums and some old-age Vedic literature. Luce makes the book more interesting by its witty jokes and humourous anecdotes he has come across while living in India.

The cons of this books are minor, yet I’ll list them down all the same. More space could have been devoted to the rise of IT in India. I know this industry has been written to death but in a book about the rise of modern India, IT should deserve a considerable share. Luce could also have researched more about the rise of manufacturing in India which is all set to accelerate in growth once the global economy gets back on track. Also I noticed that the author seemed to have a very critical view on Bollywood where he describes the typical Indian movie as “a blend of brilliantly choreographed titillation.” Agreed that song, dance and rain play a major role in Indian movies, but lately the film industry has also produced very good movies. If anything else, the author would have had good words for alternate Indian cinema. Luce also had a negative view of the nationalist political parties in India, which for all pratical purposes, means the BJP. The author himself admits to this bias.

All in all, I found In spite of the Gods to be a quite comprehensive read about modern India. The book goes beyond a superficial introduction to the country and dives well into some of the major issues affecting the country in recent times. It explains patiently the contradictions which India faces at each and every step of its journey. Luce has painted a masterpiece about one of the fastest developing nations in the world. Which brings me to my next question – Why do foreign nationals, be it Edward Luce, Gregory David Roberts or William Dalrymple make for better writers about India than us Indians?

Yesterday one of our profs made a statement which was quite profound in its terseness. Later I found out that the statement was made a few years ago by Gurcharan Das.

We [India] may have law, but they [China] have order.

Both forms have their advantages and disadvantage. Read this article for a better understanding of the line in context.

It is often repeated in global business circles that when the US sneezes, the rest of the world catches a cold. But have you ever wondered what happens when the US catches a cold? Judging from recent events, this is what precisely has happened. With the burst of the housing bubble, US has dragged down many other economies of the world. Even the BRIC juggernaut has slowed down.

When did the turn of events happen? When did sub-prime, which was a catch word in B-schools and a hot topic of discussion, suddenly turn into a monster? We have come a long way since last year. A lot of money has since flowed under the bridge. Last September, the sub-prime crisis had just reared its ugly head but no one could have predicted the level to which it has affected every one of us today. Governments are hastily organizing bailout packages for mopping up bad debts. Age old institutions are going off the radar. Investment Banking as a concept has been wiped out.

As far as India is concerned, the decoupling theory was badly routed. India has not been immune to the global hiccup. Inflation reached alarming levels, the pathetic levels of IIP has demoralized the industry and the stock market have seemed to lost all steam. The irrational exuberance which led the Indian stock markets to record highs till January has been squashed. The exuberance has gone; now only the irrationality remains. Newspapers scream valutions at 2005 levels, but who has the courage or the cash to buy today? Judging from the industry scenario, it seems India is heading for a recession with no brakes. And I’m on that train.

P.S. The above is not a rant, nor a crib. Just a dispassionate look on things which have happened and which are in store.