New Decade, New Expectations

The first decade of the new millennium was arguably the most significant for
independent India; and especially so when seen in the context of its
geopolitical importance. This was the time that transformed us from a country
with all the problems to a country with all the solutions. And, that is not
a small change in just ten years, at a time when the world was changing faster
than ever before. For a change, India was riding on the change.

Well, it may sound reassuring, arrogant, exaggerated, or even
ironicdepending on who you are and how you see itto sayat this point of
timethat IT had a major role in that transformation. While the Indian offshore
story had started earlier, this was in this decade that the country became the
power center in the global technology landscape. India entered the decade, armed
with the reputation that it built by solving the then big problem of global
ITthe Y2K problem. But the decade saw the transformation of the tech mechanics
to become the problem solvers, only to quickly graduate to innovators. How the
country rode on its success in IT to get more of the worlds services to be
executed herethrough the great BPO waveis now a global case study, with
everyone queuing up to learn from India. If you are from this fraternity, that
story is too familiar to you.

But the real contribution of IT in this decade was far bigger than what we
measure in terms of IT/BPO exports or even the much analyzed multiplier effect
on the Indian economy. I believe the impact on the collective national psyche is
the biggest contribution IT has made to India.

To start with, IT was responsible for making us believe in ourselves. It is
the success of the Indian IT industry globally that prompted almost all
businesses to look at global opportunities proactively. While many developing
nations looked at globalization with suspicion and something of a great
conspiracy by the developed nations, India decided to ride on it, primarily
propelled by the success of IT. And the result is for everyone to see.

Another less discussed positive contribution that IT made was making a whole
generation believe that it is possible to stick to the middle class values and
yet be successful globally, thanks to icons like Narayana Murthy. Also, for the
first time, IT made millionaires of salaried people. That was an alien concept
in the pre-IT era. And much of it happened in the last decade.

IT/BPOmore specifically BPOwas responsible for how regional governments
look at businesses. While Chandrababu Naidu may have started it earlier, this
decade saw all state governments vying with each other to get IT investment to
their states. Now, it is not restricted to IT.

I can go on and on about how ITor something closely associated with IThas
changed India for better. Whether it is the applying of IT to governance or
creating newer business models in domestic businesses, there are many such
examples.

But the point I want to emphasize now, is that unlike the 2000s, (when we
were the new kids on the block), we are entering this decade as one of the
global superpowers in technology and innovation, with huge potential as an
economic force. There is a lot of hope and expectation from us. How we act,
hence, would be watched far more closely than earlier. That makes our job far
more challenging. Earlier, a little success was cheered. Now, a little failure
would make people jump to criticism. That is the difference between being a
challenger and an incumbent.

Today, you can debate it, but the world sees us as an incumbent superpower.
We cannot shy away from that. Apart from being a big market for the developed
market firms, we need to be role models in governance, development, and business
for the entire developing world.

Shyamanuja Das

The author is Editor of Dataquest.
shyamanujad@cybermedia.co.in