I was recently privileged to visit 3 cities in the north of India; New Delhi, Lucknow and Dehradun in a whirlwind 5 day trip that involved lots of travel, a number of meetings, lots of heat, a crook stomach and a great experience that a normal tourist couldn’t get on a regular trip. Much of the enjoyment of the trip was thanks to my friend and colleague Anudeep who did all the planning, coordination and then took me around everywhere. Thanks, Anu.
There were two main things that struck me while I was in India;
1. The Middle Class- I was expecting a lot of poverty, and of course compared to Japan it exists in abundance. However, the poverty wasn’t to the extent I expected and I was presently surprised by what looked to be a very well educated and reasonably affluent middle class. While the middle class may not have the big house with back yard yet, they appear to have a reasonably good income and seem to be leading a good level of lifestyle.
2. The Lack of Infrastructure; In Particular, Water and Electricity- More than recognizing what India did not have, it was a more a recognition of how lucky we are in Japan and the Western World for unlimited amounts of water, a power supply that hardly ever goes down, and phone / data network that allows uninterrupted movement of information. India doesn’t have that, but in a good way they are not expecting it either. They are happy with the infrastructure they have, because it is what it is and they just go ahead with what they have. Buildings aren’t pristine anywhere you go and generally look shabby on the outside, but inside they are nicely decorated and internally designed, and for India the norm is 5 levels below what we are used to in developed countries..
What then struck me was the positive nature of all of India. Despite the above 2 points, most people understand that their economy is going to continue to grow and with it are coming a whole bunch of chances and changes. This attitude is sadly missing in Japan. Change should be a time to celebrate the chances it brings, but all I feel in Japan is people holding on for the old days to come back.
India is on the way up. I hope Japan is sensible enough to join with India and help it grow. Japan needs to work with the rest of Asia, and here is a perfect partner.
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