Kaleidoscopes

On our last evening in India, a distinguished friend and advisory board member of London Business School invited us (a group of 35!) to a dinner party at her posh home in Mumbai.  Dr. Gita Piramal is a successful entrepreneur, author, philanthropist, and socialite.  And the word "home" is an understatement for the beautiful 10 story mansion her family occupies.  She gave us a heads up that she had taken the liberty of inviting a few special guests, so I thought that was fine.  Until we arrived and realized that she had assembled a "who's who" guest list for our event.  There were CEOs, influential journalists, leading lawyers, members of the Tata clan, the David Letterman of India, a leader of the Blackstone Group, and more.  Part of the game that evening for me was going around meeting people, trying to figure out who they were, and then finding out why we were both at the same dinner party.  It was an incredible and surreal experience...a perfect way to end our trek!  Dr. Piramal's generosity in opening up her gorgeous home, providing a dang delicious meal, and thoughtfully putting together the guest list was something I admired (and hopefully can mimic one day).   She mentioned that she purposefully put together this eclectic guest list because she wanted to create a kaleidoscope effect.  And I think it worked splendidly.  Different people, perspectives, areas of expertise, etc. all came together to create something beautiful.

The following morning, news of our dinner event was mentioned in the Mumbai Mirror (a supplement to The Times of India).  http://www.mumbaimirror.com/index.aspx?page=article&sectid=2&contentid=2011122220111222022340870edef2331

Wherever I travel, I usually have a mental association.  Some places remind me of feelings (e.g. Italy).  Some places remind me of history (e.g. South Africa).  Some places remind me of people (e.g. Aggieland).  Some places remind me of food (e.g. Greece).   And some places remind me of colors.  For example, Scotland (the greenest place on Earth) and Morocco (browns).  India reminds me of a rainbow or kaleidoscope.  Rarely or never will you walk into a retail shop to find clothes in simple black, gray, or white.  Usually, people where bold colors in combination.  Here are some kaleidoscope photos from my trip.

Young at Heart

Two people in India as well as an American on my flight home from India have commented on my age in the past two weeks.  One guy thought I was 22.  Another guy thought I was 20 or 21.  And one woman thought I was 19!!  Whenever people ask me how old I am, I tell them my age only if they tell me what their guess is.  And they always seem to laugh and have striking looks of surprise.

Hmm...I guess that's a compliment :)

Up in the Air

I’m home. Finally.

After spending the last two weeks in India, I get another two weeks in Texas.  In my penny pinching mode, I neglected to review in detail the route that STA travel gave me on this leg home.  I ended up spending a full 24 hours in the air and several more in airport layovers…ugh.   I learned that joints will swell with prolonged time in the air, and my wonky ankle suffered quite a bit (gah…I’m ready for this to heal already).   Anywho, I made it home and am now playing Christmas catchup.   Over the next few days, I’ll make some more India-related blog posts.  Excuse the backwards nature of this.

On my flight from Amsterdam to Atlanta, I sat next to a gentleman who was also on my Mumbai to Amsterdam flight.  A few courtesy words ended up becoming a 3+ hour conversation (and I generally avoid talking to people on airplanes).   John noticed the mehndi (aka henna) tattoo on my hand and asked if I went to an Indian wedding.   I thought it was quite perceptive and clever for him to guess that.  Over the next few hours, I learned that he married an Indian woman, has two kids with her, and makes a family trip to India each year.  He also quit his engineering job and is investing his retirement savings into producing a Bollywood film that he wrote.  This piqued my interest, and I couldn’t help but respect the fact that he is pursuing his passion for film-making in the latter half of his career.   And, it’s quite impressive what he’s been able to accomplish as a white guy producing a film on India. 

He wrote a very touching story based on his own life experiences in the US and India as well as things he wanted non-Indians to learn about India.   He then found an Indian script writer who has been in the industry for 40 years to help polish it.    Then, he met with A. R. Rahman (Academy Award winning singer, songwriter, producer of Slumdog Millionaire fame).  Rahman couldn’t write the songs for John’s film; however, he offered the students of Rahman’s music school for this work.    John also has made several trips to find ideal shooting locations and local people to provide technical skills for the filming and production.   The casting has been a work in progress with several prominent Indian actors and actresses at least expressing luke warm interest in taking a role.  He even met with AB Corp. (Amitabh Bachchan’s company) and got a hint that Amitabh (the most famous Indian actor/celebrity) would make a cameo appearance.

This is incredible progress for a middle class American, and it just goes to show how resourceful we can be.  From my Paths to Power class this fall quarter, I learned to rethink the way I view the resources I have in my possession.  It is amazing to think what we can accomplish with the seemingly little that we think we have.   If you don’t believe me, check this out: http://oneredpaperclip.blogspot.com/.   A man was able to trade a paperclip for a home.

John is making good progress with his film but still has a ways to go.  And then he found me in seat 23J.  I was able to help him out in a few ways.  Firstly, one huge constraint he has is funding.  The Indian film industry is quite interesting.  The message he has gotten is that funding will depend on whether he makes his film an American film or an Indian film.  It is likely difficult for most people to understand the differences.  However, the subtlety of this issue has enormous impact on funding and marketability.   Indian films tend to be colorful, romantic, fantastical, conservative, star-oriented, and predictable.  They are also in Hindi with English subtitles.  American films have more creative freedom, are less formulaic, and plot-oriented.   I helped John think through the tradeoffs in this big decision he has.  And it would make a fantastic business school case given the many issues and people involved. 

I also helped John edit the way he pitches his film to production companies and investors to make the message more “crisp”.  I think he’s got a great story, music, knowledge, potential.  But, it’s got to be packaged in a way that resonates with the people that will fund and distribute his film.

I’m no music afficianado, but he also asked me to give him my opinion on the soundtrack for the film (which he had on his iPod).  I was very impressed with what Rahman’s students made and the professional nature of it.  There are a few catchy tunes that have mass commercial appeal.  We also discussed various plot themes and scenes.  John and I both have 1) an American understanding of India and 2) first hand accounts of India and Indian culture.   I wish I could write about some of the very interesting and nuanced things that this film will show, but you’ll have to wait to watch the film ;).   The one thing I can say is that John has altruistic motivations to not only educate but enlighten audiences with his work.

And finally, I offered to introduce him to a classmate of mine who previously was an entrepreneur in the indie film industry in Hollywood. 

It was incredibly rewarding for me to help John out.  I enjoyed learning about the film industry and his experience.  And, I hope that my nebulous skill set as a former consultant, current MBA made a difference for him.  He needs all the help he can get, and I have my fingers crossed on this one.  

Much is done. Much to do.

Where do I start?  I guess the beginning would be appropriate.

This fall, an opportunity of a lifetime came my way.  Each year, the India Club at London Business School organizes a trek (Yatra Trek) all over India for students and partners.  They needed another trek leader to help with the planning and be there on the ground to support.  So, I thought "why not?".  Best. Decision. Ever.

I'm a co-leader of this trek with Sherene, and it's been an incredible experience working with her.  After a very CRAZY few weeks of finals, second year project trips, dissertation planning, Yatra prep, etc., I found myself frantically packing for this trip.  Actually, I find that I'm always frantically packing because I always cut it close.  Fast forward, I made it to Heathrow just in time and boarded my Emirates flight.  Best. Airline Experience. Ever.  Emirates is living proof that economy class doesn't have to be hellish.  The staff was so friendly, the food was quite tasty, the entertainment system was engaging, and no screaming babies.  I will continue to steer business to Emirates when I can't fly Continental.    A day stop in Dubai and then made it to Delhi.

So, I meant to blog everyday while in India.  Fail.  Sherene and I are in charge of 35 Yatra Trek members + managing to a jam packed schedule.  Plus, this is India so things never go as planned.

Anywho, I'll do my best to give snippets the next few days.  On day 2 in Delhi, we had Mr. Tarun Das speak to us.  He is the former head of the Confederation of Indian Industries (an important business roundtable) and is on the board of many blue chip organizations.   Because an important meeting with India's Finance Minister popped up for him, we had to rearrange our schedule and were late to meet him.  Because of the strong VIP culture in India, I was freaking out a bit.  However, it turned out alright, and he was so kind and engaging.  He individually met every student and had a small chit chat conversation ahead of his talk.

I really enjoyed the talk and following Q&A because he was candid and spoke at exactly the right level for people who only know headline stats about India.  Here is a high level summary of some things I learned:

-In 1947 when India gained independence, the self-doubting Indians looked externally for help in which direction to lead their country.  The US was focused on rebuilding Europe and Japan after WWII.  Jawaharlal Nehru, India's first prime minister, looked north to Moscow for guidance and steered the country down a socialist model where the government had command and control of the economy.   That lasted for 40+ years until 1991 when India began privatization, accepted foreign investment, and began dreaming new dreams.  One decision led to 40+ years of stalling for a country with ~1 billion people.  Diplomacy, openness, and willingness to help other countries matter when nation states are at precarious points.

-I've always wondered why most Indians choose to study in the US and not the UK (even though many do).  US universities are top-notch, but getting a work permit to stay in America is challenging.  Given the 200 years of British rule, it seems to not make sense.  The missing piece is a decision that Margaret Thatcher made where UK universities began charging tuition on a sliding scale based on nationality. Foreigners for the first time had to pay more to go to UK university than Brits.  And, scholarships are not as prevalent in the UK as they are in the US.   Now 130,000+ Indians study at US universities every year.  Those talented individuals could have come to the UK (where they likely would have felt more comfortable and welcome).  If not for their reputation, US universities will face this challenge if our narrow-minded government continues to "protect" American jobs with stringent work permit nonsense.

-From 1963-1988, India had NO contact with China for 25 years.  Now China is India's main trading partner (ahead of the US) with trade at >$70 billion USD in the first 9 months of 2011.  That's alot of economic activity that wouldn't have happened if India and China didn't have a relationship, albeit slightly adversarial and cold.  India has many free trade agreements with ASEAN, Singapore, and potentially Europe.  It will be very difficult to sign one with the US as Obama can't talk about it with unemployment high in the US and an election around the corner.  I predict it will happen in the next 10 years.   On the other hand, India is hesitant to sign free trade agreements with China because they (rightfully) don't trust China's prices and doubt there is an actual private sector.  The onus in on China to change its ways and frankfully have better ties and diplomacy with the rest of the world if it wants to compete and benefit in the long run.

-Lessons for foreign companies entering India.  Don't go with a JV approach because the foreign and domestic companies both will want to rule the world.  That combo does not make for a good industrial marriage.  Don't fly in for day long business meetings in India and feel you can get the job done.  Business one night stands don't work in India.  Don't think of India as one market...think of it as 27 countries (not 1).  There are 27 states that were amalgamated to form India (a country that never existed otherwise).  Each state has its own language, food, traditions, beliefs, social issues, etc.

Overall, my takeaway was "A lot has changed in India in the past 60 years.  A lot still needs to change."

And now, here are a few pictures...