FIGHT FOR INDIAN INDEPENDENCE REFLECTS IN TODAY’S CORPORATE WORLD

We are celebrating 75 th anniversary of our Independence as Asadi Ka Mahotsab. If we really look into the journey of our country and that will many others who may have traverse the same journey, surely we can see the growth but are we there where we should be? A question that we all should try to answer. I know most will accept the fact that we should be far ahead compared to many other countries in aspect of not just economic growth, but in food independence, quality of life, pollution free environment, logistic etc.

Before we look into our journey to our independence, I think we must look at our development of corporate environment. The Indian industries developed multifold since independence and absolutely there are companies with large net worth that have grown in last few years. That said I think you will agree that yet we do not contribute towards human kind the way many other corporates have done globally in spite of the fact that we have some of the best brains. How many of the Indian entrepreneurs have emerged as such names who are considered as one who brought a change in the world, names like Google, Amazon, Apples etc.etc. They all have come up in the period since India’s independence. Why such organizations did not came up in India and made the change. It is true, names like TATA, Adani, Reliance, Infosis, Wipro all grew tremendously and may stand in some high valued organizations but can they boost about the change they brought to the world at large? A question again important for us to ponder. I have was thinking this and could not deny that possibly the root lies in our independence movement. Before I proceed on its impact on today’s corporate temperament, let us give a quick glimpse on our independence movement especially the last 50 years of it since 1900.

I think we all will accept that our independent movement was countrywide, centering on multiple leadership and multiple movement. At some point the swadeshi revolution tried to knot them together. But I think while the intent was common, the motive was disintegrated. All through the movement motives of various groups were not of the ultimate intent, but for their immediate benefits to an individual, a group of people or a community. This we can see, how at interim stages many movements were called off just because the motive took precedence over the intent. This was noticeable hence even during this unified actions, British could motivated self vested individual to act differently bringing a break in the harmony. I always use to question that why in India where the people underwent such a long struggle, yet unity and intent towards humanity and country is weak, till I actually realized the root cause actually lies in that long period of independence movement, which changed our DNA to one of self centric action rather focusing on goals with larger vision. This is reflecting in our corporate world too.

Indian entrepreneurs looks their plans and aspiration very differently to me from the very inception. I am not talking right now about unicorns and decacorns. Let us look at an entrepreneur starting his journey. From the very beginning he is put in an environment where definition of success is narrow, confined to survival actions, low priority on compliance, giving little weightage on value addition to customer, and focus is only on money. The story of some great revolutionary entrepreneurs like Steve Jobs, Bill Gates who too have started like you, but thoughts were little different. How many Indian small start ups thinks in a way to engage correct sets of people to manage the organization function? How many prepares a correct business plan? Leave them, how many clearly knows what exact change they are bringing to humanity and what is that they are bringing the difference? From biggest to the smallest, mind set is not to bring change but to increase profit, cash, valuation. Probably that is why we do not have those names who everyone in the world acknowledge irrespective they are customer or not. It is time that our budding entrepreneurs’ views things different from what their predecessors have done. Define a journey where they present them selves as who they are and what intrinsic value they carry and how buying service from them will make a difference to them, to the community, and humanity at large. Draw your vision and mission statement.

Few years down that line you will not like to have a journey the way we introspect today as what happened that since our independence even if we have reached the top global economy, we do not have that glory and have not solved the fundamental problem.