Today was our last lecture at SDM-IMD. Professor S. Padmanaban spoke on "E-Governance in India: Overview Imperatives & Business Opportunities". I had very mixed feeling about this lecture. He told us a lot about the plans India has to promote online activity across the country. They are in the process of putting all income tax forms online and stationing kiosks in every state, city and village. This is much like the section of “The World is Flat” where Netscape went public and the entire world was able to band together through the internet. I think of this in a somewhat similar way. I don’t believe that it will ever work or be possible (given the illiteracy rate and amount of experience much of the country has with computers) but it’s a great idea.
Later that evening we attended a farewell dinner at the hotel Metropole. We all got dressed up and took lots of pictures. We had an incredible dinner (that included meat-yum). SDM presented us with a mounted group photograph that they had taken and SDM jackets (that jacket saved my life once we got to Chicago!). We mingled with the professors and staff, and then said our goodbyes. All in all it was a wonderful evening, and wonderful time spent in Mysore.
Tuesday, January 15, 2008
Monday, January 14, 2008
Meet the Press...again
Saturday (Happy Birthday Gene!) we started out on a two and a half hour bus ride to visit a few temples. They were beautiful. I have learned so much more about the Hindu religion from experiencing the culture around me everyday. We visited a few more temples; we then enjoyed a wonderful lunch at a restaurant recommended by A.R. After lunch we visited yet another temple. This temple has some of the most beautiful architecture I have ever seen. It was incredibly nice to get out and see some sights, we haven’t been about to do much of that while we’ve been here. We got home in the late evening. It was Gene’s birthday so a group us were going to go out. As it turns out, I got pretty sick and spent the night puking my guts out (I apologize if that is too much information). I spend Sunday home in bed, writing blogs, and sleeping. I missed out on a pretty great day of more sight seeing I’ve heard.
Monday started off with an interesting lecture from Professor K. Balakrishnan on “Indian Perspectives in International Branding”. I am a marketing major, so it was especially interesting to hear him talk about the differences in Indian branding. He told us that the function of branding is to create risk, and that certain brands in India can only be sold in particular states of India (which I though was especially interesting), also the objective of marketing is to disorient the customer and the objective of the brand is to reorient the customer. I have never herd it stated quite so bluntly before, and I liked it. He then showed us commercials from a company called Asian Paints. The commercials obviously had different colors and different music associated with them, but over all I felt that they were much like American commercials.
Then we stuck around for yet another press conference. There were about four or five reports asking us question after question. I thought the MBA students that answered questions for the group did an excellent job over all. The reporters asked Harvey how Americans view outsourcing, he replied with a very honest response explaining that at this point in time many Americans are not a fan of outsourcing. I myself have been having this conflict. In the section on outsourcing in “The World is Flat” it states, “The Indian companies were good and cheap, but prices wasn’t first on consumer’s minds- getting the work done was, and India was the only place with the volume of workers to do it”. I know that many businesses need to out source to survive, and Indian workers need jobs just as much as anybody (maybe even more), but it doesn’t seem fair to exploit Indian workers for lower wages and move jobs out of our country at the same time. I guess I haven’t come to any sort of conclusion quite yet.
Monday started off with an interesting lecture from Professor K. Balakrishnan on “Indian Perspectives in International Branding”. I am a marketing major, so it was especially interesting to hear him talk about the differences in Indian branding. He told us that the function of branding is to create risk, and that certain brands in India can only be sold in particular states of India (which I though was especially interesting), also the objective of marketing is to disorient the customer and the objective of the brand is to reorient the customer. I have never herd it stated quite so bluntly before, and I liked it. He then showed us commercials from a company called Asian Paints. The commercials obviously had different colors and different music associated with them, but over all I felt that they were much like American commercials.
Then we stuck around for yet another press conference. There were about four or five reports asking us question after question. I thought the MBA students that answered questions for the group did an excellent job over all. The reporters asked Harvey how Americans view outsourcing, he replied with a very honest response explaining that at this point in time many Americans are not a fan of outsourcing. I myself have been having this conflict. In the section on outsourcing in “The World is Flat” it states, “The Indian companies were good and cheap, but prices wasn’t first on consumer’s minds- getting the work done was, and India was the only place with the volume of workers to do it”. I know that many businesses need to out source to survive, and Indian workers need jobs just as much as anybody (maybe even more), but it doesn’t seem fair to exploit Indian workers for lower wages and move jobs out of our country at the same time. I guess I haven’t come to any sort of conclusion quite yet.
Friday, January 11, 2008
the almighty Infosys
In today’s class we enjoyed a lecture from Dr. L Krishnan, a managing director from Taegu Tec. Taegu Tec’s primary business is cutting tools. He told us that about 80% of the company is owned by Berkshire Hathaway. Dr. L Krishnan also shared with us a story about how Warren Buffet acquired part of the company.
For the entirety of our time in India, we’ve been hearing a lot about Infosys. Well today we got to visit their training facilities. Like we suspected, they were incredible. I felt as if I was at a resort, not a training program. The campus in Mysore is the world’s largest training center. Employees of Infosys are sent to this location from all over the world to be trained. The new employees stay there from anywhere between 12-18 weeks, and once they leave they have what’s equivalent to a Bachelors degree in computer science. It was interesting to hear that Infosys has their own take on “The World Is Flat”. On their website it states “Infosys defines, designs and delivers technology-enabled business solutions that help global 2000 companies win in a flat world”. They even mention employees need to “think flat”. This new and inventive thinking has put Infosys at the top as being a global leader in technology.
All of this hype about Infosys and the technology age has made me start to think about something a read in “Being Indian”. It stated, “In north India it is still a common reprimand to tell a youngster: study or else you’ll cut grass; the prospect of manual work was invoked as a threat”. Obtaining a position at Infosys seems to be the dream of all young adults in India. It seems to be an excellent company to work for to receive good benefits and pay. And in no way is it manual work. It’s funny to me that manual work has such a negative connotation associated with it in India. Here in the states, many jobs that require manual labor pay even better then office positions. Yes they’re a lot of work, but you get rewarded in the end.
For the entirety of our time in India, we’ve been hearing a lot about Infosys. Well today we got to visit their training facilities. Like we suspected, they were incredible. I felt as if I was at a resort, not a training program. The campus in Mysore is the world’s largest training center. Employees of Infosys are sent to this location from all over the world to be trained. The new employees stay there from anywhere between 12-18 weeks, and once they leave they have what’s equivalent to a Bachelors degree in computer science. It was interesting to hear that Infosys has their own take on “The World Is Flat”. On their website it states “Infosys defines, designs and delivers technology-enabled business solutions that help global 2000 companies win in a flat world”. They even mention employees need to “think flat”. This new and inventive thinking has put Infosys at the top as being a global leader in technology.
All of this hype about Infosys and the technology age has made me start to think about something a read in “Being Indian”. It stated, “In north India it is still a common reprimand to tell a youngster: study or else you’ll cut grass; the prospect of manual work was invoked as a threat”. Obtaining a position at Infosys seems to be the dream of all young adults in India. It seems to be an excellent company to work for to receive good benefits and pay. And in no way is it manual work. It’s funny to me that manual work has such a negative connotation associated with it in India. Here in the states, many jobs that require manual labor pay even better then office positions. Yes they’re a lot of work, but you get rewarded in the end.
Thursday, January 10, 2008
For us?
Today we had class taught to us by Dr. H. Gayathri on the Indian service industry. He told us that the service industry is one of the most important sectors of the economy. This is hard to believe after some of the service we’ve received(India Air/Ginger Hotel). Also he told us that the retail industry in India is ranked among the top ten in the world, and it is the largest contributor to the countries GDP. After class we visited L&T. At L&T they provided us with lunch (the best lunch we had in India). It was delicious. They were so happy to have us there and to show us what they do. Larsen & Toubro Limited (L&T Ltd) is India’s largest engineering and construction conglomerate. The tour of their facilities was impressive. They brought us to call centers and showed us where they develop new products. At the end of our tour, they gave us a gift and were thrilled to have had us there. We were shocked, no where in this country had we seen such generosity and pure honor. This company has shown us the best possible service and hospitality that I can imagine.
This visit reminded me of the “Work Flow Software” flattener. This company works with branches all over the world to provide the best service to its customers and does business on a daily basis with business professionals all over the globe. In their call centers, they have people calling with issues from the U.S. around the clock. It is no more convenient to have customers call a help line in Alabama then it is to India.
This visit reminded me of the “Work Flow Software” flattener. This company works with branches all over the world to provide the best service to its customers and does business on a daily basis with business professionals all over the globe. In their call centers, they have people calling with issues from the U.S. around the clock. It is no more convenient to have customers call a help line in Alabama then it is to India.
Wednesday, January 9, 2008
Sandalwood, this century?
This morning we woke up, and didn’t have class- Woo Hoo! (No offense professors). Instead we visited a factory where they manufacture sandalwood oil. The factory looked much like a museum and didn’t look like it had been used in over 40 years. None the less they gave us a tour and described the process of how they extract oil from the wood. Sandalwood is a hot commodity. The tree supply is limited so it can be sold at very high prices. We stopped by the gift shop, where many engorged in sandalwood products.
Next we made out way to the Mysore Silk Factory. Mysore is famous in India for its silk, especially a special type called a Crape (I don’t know how to spell it). The silk factory was very interesting, although no cameras were allowed in. We watched them wind spools of silk thread, and then weave it into fabric. As a decorative accent they used thread made of real gold for designs. Some of the fabric we saw was being sold for about 50,000 rupees (about 1,500 us dollars). I ended up buying some beautiful silk. All in all it was a great morning.
For the afternoon, a few of us (without computers) headed back to the institute to use the internet and catch up on some blogs. With all of the blogging we have had to do online, I’ve been thinking a lot about “informing” from “The World is Flat”. Now that we have a globally connected way to communicate, the internet has become open for anyone to explore. We have the ability to search for any piece of information, article, study, video, song (and much more) that we would ever want to find. You can find directions to and from almost anywhere in the world. We have the ability to be informed about so much, but we limit ourselves to hearing only what we WANT to know about. We hardly know what’s going on in our own backyard, let alone across the world.
Next we made out way to the Mysore Silk Factory. Mysore is famous in India for its silk, especially a special type called a Crape (I don’t know how to spell it). The silk factory was very interesting, although no cameras were allowed in. We watched them wind spools of silk thread, and then weave it into fabric. As a decorative accent they used thread made of real gold for designs. Some of the fabric we saw was being sold for about 50,000 rupees (about 1,500 us dollars). I ended up buying some beautiful silk. All in all it was a great morning.
For the afternoon, a few of us (without computers) headed back to the institute to use the internet and catch up on some blogs. With all of the blogging we have had to do online, I’ve been thinking a lot about “informing” from “The World is Flat”. Now that we have a globally connected way to communicate, the internet has become open for anyone to explore. We have the ability to search for any piece of information, article, study, video, song (and much more) that we would ever want to find. You can find directions to and from almost anywhere in the world. We have the ability to be informed about so much, but we limit ourselves to hearing only what we WANT to know about. We hardly know what’s going on in our own backyard, let alone across the world.
Tuesday, January 8, 2008
eggs and toast...what more could a girl ask for.
At 6am we got woken up with coffee (bad coffee) and biscuits. We again hopped into jeeps to attempt to seek out a tiger. We search hard, but again had no luck. By 9am we were starving and a traditional breakfast of eggs and toast was just want we needed. Again we had time to soak up the sun before we checked out at 11am to head back. I will miss the fresh air…
When we got back to Mysore a few of us girls took an afternoon shopping trip and ordered pizza for dinner (mMmm pizza). Later that evening we went out to the road bar. It’s a very nice bar attached to a 5 star hotel. We didn’t know what hit us with the western atmosphere and the American music. We got a little crazy and had a great time.
After returning from Kabini, we congregated in the Ginger hotel lobby to check out everyone else’s pictures of the wild animals. We devised a plan to get everyone’s pictures together on a DVD or an uploading site online so we could all share. It hit me that being able to upload your pictures to internet in Mysore, India and have your friends and family from home be able to view them instantly was flattening our world. Never before have I thought so much about the conveniences of flattening our world, but now that it has been brought to my attention, I see flatteners everywhere.
When we got back to Mysore a few of us girls took an afternoon shopping trip and ordered pizza for dinner (mMmm pizza). Later that evening we went out to the road bar. It’s a very nice bar attached to a 5 star hotel. We didn’t know what hit us with the western atmosphere and the American music. We got a little crazy and had a great time.
After returning from Kabini, we congregated in the Ginger hotel lobby to check out everyone else’s pictures of the wild animals. We devised a plan to get everyone’s pictures together on a DVD or an uploading site online so we could all share. It hit me that being able to upload your pictures to internet in Mysore, India and have your friends and family from home be able to view them instantly was flattening our world. Never before have I thought so much about the conveniences of flattening our world, but now that it has been brought to my attention, I see flatteners everywhere.
Monday, January 7, 2008
blueberry, raspberry, blackberry?
Happy Birthday Joan and Erin!
Over the weekend we visited a circuit board making company, had a traditional Indian meal, and did lots of sight seeing. It would take me hours to describe it all so I’ll have to show everyone pictures when I get home.
This morning we left for Kabini Wildlife Lodge and Resort. It was exactly what we all needed. It was about a 2 hour (extremely bumpy) bus ride out of the city to a relaxing and peaceful getaway. The air was so fresh and there were no honking horns or busy city noises. We lounged around in huge hammocks over looking the Kabini River and ate great food. They even had fried chicken and french fries for us. It was a beautiful day. I can’t get enough of the sunshine here.
At about 4 in the afternoon we all pilled into jeeps and took off on a safari in the jungle. We saw wild elephants, deer, bulls, birds, and monkeys. It was such a great experience. We were hoping to see a tiger or leopard, but we had no such luck. After the safari we had about an hour to kill so we laid in to sun until it was time to head to the main building for a documentary on wildlife. After dinner everyone was so beat we headed straight to bed. I believe that the beds here were the hardest I’ve ever slept on, but I still slept well (go figure).
While on our way to Kabini we were crammed into a bus from the 80’s, and riding on quite possibly the bumpiest road I have ever been on, in the exact middle of nowhere in rural India. Harvey and I were sitting next to each other chatting, when all of a sudden someone from the front of the bus yelled back to him asking if he knew the scores to the latest football game. To much of my surprise, he whipped out his blackberry and launched onto the internet. Within minutes he had the scores, highlighted plays and more. This occurrence stayed with my while I was reading “The World is Flat”. It reminded me of “The Steroids” section of the second chapter, where they describe the wireless capabilities in Japan. They stated that in Japan you can get internet access absolutely anywhere, even while traveling 150 mph through the outskirts of any city. Our world is becoming more and more flat each day, but even America has a long way to go.
Over the weekend we visited a circuit board making company, had a traditional Indian meal, and did lots of sight seeing. It would take me hours to describe it all so I’ll have to show everyone pictures when I get home.
This morning we left for Kabini Wildlife Lodge and Resort. It was exactly what we all needed. It was about a 2 hour (extremely bumpy) bus ride out of the city to a relaxing and peaceful getaway. The air was so fresh and there were no honking horns or busy city noises. We lounged around in huge hammocks over looking the Kabini River and ate great food. They even had fried chicken and french fries for us. It was a beautiful day. I can’t get enough of the sunshine here.
At about 4 in the afternoon we all pilled into jeeps and took off on a safari in the jungle. We saw wild elephants, deer, bulls, birds, and monkeys. It was such a great experience. We were hoping to see a tiger or leopard, but we had no such luck. After the safari we had about an hour to kill so we laid in to sun until it was time to head to the main building for a documentary on wildlife. After dinner everyone was so beat we headed straight to bed. I believe that the beds here were the hardest I’ve ever slept on, but I still slept well (go figure).
While on our way to Kabini we were crammed into a bus from the 80’s, and riding on quite possibly the bumpiest road I have ever been on, in the exact middle of nowhere in rural India. Harvey and I were sitting next to each other chatting, when all of a sudden someone from the front of the bus yelled back to him asking if he knew the scores to the latest football game. To much of my surprise, he whipped out his blackberry and launched onto the internet. Within minutes he had the scores, highlighted plays and more. This occurrence stayed with my while I was reading “The World is Flat”. It reminded me of “The Steroids” section of the second chapter, where they describe the wireless capabilities in Japan. They stated that in Japan you can get internet access absolutely anywhere, even while traveling 150 mph through the outskirts of any city. Our world is becoming more and more flat each day, but even America has a long way to go.
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