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Published: January 8th 2013
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8 January 2013
I’m learning lots about life in India, including the frequent power cuts. We have another while I’m in the shower this morning! The family are keen to learn lots about like in the UK too including jobs, the recession, minimum wage, cost of living, lifestyle, hobbies and family circumstances. Much of this is very new to them. The economy in India is booming and people here are not worried about jobs. From what people are telling me, the Government here don’t seem to be supporting some of the things you would think they would, like rubbish collection. The Government used to collect road tax annually but now ask for 15 years worth in one go to help fund projects. It is ironic really because on our travels we have seen countless half built bridges and road works which have been abandoned due to lack of funding.
The driving here leaves a lot to be desired! Apparently anybody can pass a test and there is not any real system of learning to drive. That is quite clear. It also seems to be ok to drive without a seatbelt and while using a mobile. We have almost killed
a dog already and have also been sat in the middle of a road tooting at a car opposite, both refusing to move! Yet, the only police I have seen are traffic coordinators. They can’t be doing a very good job!
On the way to the vocational visits, Punit shows me the local railway station. Its packed with commuters and school children. There are also a lot of people walking on the tracks and he tells me that they use it almost as a pavement. We pass the tax office and the newly renovated and very White House like council buildings. Despite paying 30% tax to the Government, the workers in India are yet to see much return. Most have private healthcare and pay privately for their schools. The Government are seen as corrupt and if too many people are too well educated, they might start to ask questions about where their money is being spent. Punit’s sons had to sit an entrance exam to attend their school, and as well as making a donation, fees must be paid. Parents do this willingly as education in India is one of the most important things for families.
Punit owns
a plywood factory with his dad, a 67 year old who is yet to retire! They employ around 20 people from northern India as many people in Mangalore will not take manual labour jobs. It is very much an educated city and people work for banks or IT companies. Punit pays his staff well and provides accommodation for them. Most of them choose to work more than the usual eight hours so that they can make money to send home or support their families who have moved here with them.
Today I visited three companies based in Mangalore with Punit. The first is Diya Systems, a subsidiary of Glowtouch. They provide software solutions including, including application development and web hosting, to companies across the world. They have 980 staff, including 60 in Kentucky in the US. I love the story behind third company. And despite its humble roots and family values, it is an impressive building with fingerprint recognition for staff and a hotel attached to it for international clients. Dr Ravichandran says that the company started with just three people and one computer. Now, just over a decade on, they have more than four million customers. Dr Ravichandran
is a philanthropist and the whole ethos of the business is the support the community. He spends 40% of his own time and more than 100,000 rupees (£1000) each month on community investment. He employs local people and recruits local graduates for the specialist roles. He trains them and offers them accommodation, transport and a free canteen. There are incentives linked to service and quality and staff are recognised for their achievements. They communicate in a variety of ways and have an open floor. I am really impressed by his values and they fact that he is leading his staff in the same direction, including them in his projects. He even has the beginnings of a CSR report which is great to read. As well as employing disabled people, he also provides education for the children of his own personal staff. Dr Ravichandran tells me that he learned these values from his grandmother and he is passing them on to his own four grandchildren.
We also visit Flexiresources, a software development company, and Magnum, an advertising agency, both of which are local businesses performing fantastically in international markets. The graduates here are enthusiastic, positive and eager to explain the projects they are working on. I have found that while the standard communication methods are lacking, they make up for it by emphasising face to face communication. There are also lots of incentives for people to do well here and improve performance and output. These businesses tell me that they have not really been affected by the recession in the west as big companies still need their services to stay up to date with technology.
I am interested to read on the front of the Times of India that a spiritual leader has caused controversy here by claiming that the Delhi rape victim could have prevented the attack by holding the hands of the accused and calling them her brothers, asking them to stop. Much of India will be outraged by this claim, as the newspaper explains.
Punit drops me off at a local clinic and my time here could be described as fairly traumatic! Everything from my first experience with an Indian toilet (I have done well to avoid it for a week!) and then the ayuverdic massage I receive. I will keep this one for my personal diary! The shopping with Rupal afterwards makes up for this and I spend what seems like a fortune (but is actually next to nothing) on 100% silk scarves, bracelets, trinket boxes and other bits and pieces. Malls are popping up here all the time and are packed with fashionable clothes stores, bowling alleys and cinemas. Rupal is good at bartering the prices down for me. Rupal also gives me some traditional Indian earrings, a beautiful bracelet and some local cashew nuts. What a lovely family they are. I hope they like the delicacies I gave them; Kendal mint cake and Blackpool rock!
Tonight, we headed out to a local restaurant with the rest of the team and their hosts. I try lots of different dishes and even manage to sneak in some wine and an amazing chocolate brownie. Yum! I can’t believe that I was worried about what I would eat. I could get used to this cuisine!
Tracy x
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Wendy Aldred
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Great Blog
Thanks for a very interesting and informative blog.