Making Brand India International

We are living in an era when transforming changes are going on and we need to reflect on the future direction of nation that had lost the course in last few decades. India of tomorrow has to be efficient and global in outlook. At the same time it has to keep in touch with its roots and culture. This synthesis that is the core of Modi thinking constitutes the basic fabric of building blocks that would create the future of the country.

We are witnessing a thrust to efficiency and productivity of working of the government already. Ministers are ready at 9AM and when they go to office many of their staff are missing as the old habits die hard. There is no doubt a lot more input is needed from all the members of cabinet and the staff for the government to deliver the promises it has made to the public. No longer laid back culture of reaching office in the afternoon or whenever one finds convenient is acceptable as the boss himself sets the pace by starting his work early in the morning. Return of activism in leadership and enunciating the clear directions of goals can motivate all the members of the team. In fact Modi is working as if a hardworking CEO of an organisation who is determined to turnround the organisation. Take the case of Ganga restoration originally Rs 20,000 crore were allocated but for last ten year only paltry sum of Rs 900 crore could be utilised due to sheer lethargy and lazy style of working of the government. In the meantime drains and filth continued to pore in the sacred river which has become virtually a drain itself. More than ten years back when I first went to Varanasi for work I found drains running into the river and I took many pictures to file a PIL but later I came to know already some have been filled. Nothing came out of them. Most astounding fact is that no meeting of the board that had to monitor the work took place and at the top of it Prime Minister who was heading the project himself did not attend single meeting in 10 years.

But the thrust on Ganga cleaning is the Indian message to the world for conservation of environment and culture of the country that the sacred river represents. If Steve jobs could come to an ashram in India and learn the importance of intuition that helped him to innovate and give the world new vision of computer age why it is not possible for India to retain its core culture and also be global?

First time I introduced Yoga and prayer for MBA students in Fore School of Management, New Delhi that I founded, but critics laughed at it as it seemed anachronistic to them.

But I maintained our credo: “We are more Indian and yet we are more International.”

When Japan was transforming itself from rubble of devastation left by World War II, it adopted a new slogan to address to western world and it was “Your technology my culture”. This is precisely what Modi seems to be attempting in turning Brand India international. Japan is an example of how culture and tradition can be assimilated with modernity and science. That is why they have Zen, Ikebana, Tea ceremony, Geishas and Haiku while using world’s best technology and innovation in their country. Friedman in his book World is Flat calls it glocalisation when local culture assimilates high technology of the global significance. In order to redeem our pride as a nation we should welcome this synthesis of culture and global operation as new package to be marketed in the world. We must build brand India and globally export it.

By NK Singh