A take on current Crisis.

If the economy continues  this way, Obama keeps trying his best to  delay the inevitable. Offshoring trends are taxed, the pioneers of globalization decides to step back. Americans do not rise up the value chain, instead they start  putting  the blame  on  Indians, Koreans and Chinese for there misery ...How should we respond? 

 In his recent article The Open-Door Bailout,  the award winning Author and Journalist of NY Times, Thomas Friedman  points out that one of the bright ways of stimulate the economy is to leave it to the 'brainy Indians'. This is what he says-

“All you need to do is grant visas to two million Indians, Chinese and Koreans, they will buy up all the subprime homes, work 18 hours a day to pay for them, immediately improve your savings rate — no Indian bank today has more than 2 percent nonperforming loans because not paying your mortgage is considered shameful here. And They will start new companies to create our own jobs and jobs for more Americans"

He was highly criticized for pro-immigration views  and very soon after that Obama imposed tax cuts for companies offshoring jobs. But will it  impact the offshoring trends? 

The entire financial sector is in mess, the last thing they want is  a rise in there operating cost. The Pharma sector is already  competing over low cost drugs and the lack of blockbusters in recent years have forced them to optimize operations. No wonder some of the recent big IT offshoring deals are from Pharma sector. 

If changing the IT vendor was so easy, How many customers dumped Satyam after the recent scandal? None. Zero. Zilch .Zip. The cost of transition is too high for these companies. And some how there is a faith that Satyam will come up from its mess. One thing that all  India IT companies are good at is transforming and continuously changing there business model. We have came a long  way from  Y2K to  Complete Service offering. From BPO to Business transformation.  But offshoring will be affected. All  we need to do is a have a solid plan B:- 

• Diversify, the companies will have to seriously think outside Cost arbitrage. No matter how much we claim, we are still  not there. 
  
• Go Global, Hire more local workers make them work with there offshore counter parts 24*7. 
  
• Innovate at home. Look Within. The reverse in trend is good news for India. For us its always been easier to work for US companies than to work for Indian state. Things will change now as we will be forced to Innovate.

And for the H1Bs who thought that America is the only place  "to be", time to  go home may soon arrive and may be that is the best thing to  happen as India is the place where all the action is taking place. 

In Transit –Yet again

Sometimes it is so difficult to capture moments, moments which make remarkable impact in life.

Why is it so? I think the answer is otherwise, perhaps only artists and Poets have this gift. Capturing moments in words weaved beautifully or painted vividly. I don't have this gift, no wonder the most impactful events went undocumented.

So, where I am right now? At London Heathrow international airport waiting for my connecting flight for Newark, USA. Yet again on another engaging assignment for much longer duration.

How do I feel this time? More clam, unlike other trips, where nervousness and anxiety took over.

How do I feel about my stay? I think I am prepared to stay long this time. A solid reason is that I am going to a familiar place and living with a good friend and looking forward to the super bawl party at his place!

Anything new you learnt about yourself in between trips? Yes, whenever my neck hurts it means I am tensed and stressed!

Best thing about this trip? Managed to befriend a really pretty airhostess in British Airways, an Indian with an amazing British Accent first time I was awed by the voice more than the aesthetics!