India.com

What is India.com? A 3,000 year old start up. Actually a paradox. A wild, gutsy, audacious, conflicting, appeasing paradox. A place where the ostentatiousness of the rich is balanced by rancor of poverty. A place where the enlightened ones peacefully coexist with the materialists. A place that boasts of the highest standards of global education but supports a population of over 300 million illiterate children. A global IT superpower which copes with 5 hour power cuts every day – on a good day. A place with one of the youngest workforces in the world – most of these working folks still living with their parents. An outsourcing mecca of the world that has now started outsourcing it’s work to other countries like Kenya and the Philippines.  A place that houses four of the world’s top ten billionaires, but an average household income of less than $10 per month.

I visited this India.com a few months ago and once again immersed myself into this perpetual paradox. Since I had promised myself to get some work done during my vacation I asked my father to install broadband in his house which he delightfully did in a matter of 24 hours. (A feat unheard of 5 years ago. When I was young it took a year to get a regular phone connection). Then came the problem. A rain storm later the broadband turned off and I was back on dial up. Being a prodigal son of the IT sector I ventured to “debug” the problem and traced the broadband cable from my father’s house to what I was hoping to find … a junction box. A junction box I did find .. wrapped around a tree. Take a look.

My first example of a paradox. A little plastic sheet around the tree solved my problem and I resumed my quest on the global connected network.

A week later I took my wife and kids to the magical city of Udaipur – where we stayed in the 7 Star Lake Palace Udaipur Taj Hotel built in the middle of the lake. We experienced royalty enjoyed by the kings who lived there many years before us…. an unparallaled experience of 18th century luxury with the 21st century ammeneties. Where we were greeted by a shower of rose petals from the ceiling and our “Maharaja Suite” was actually used by a king a hundred  years ago. A 19th century sandlewood table delicately balacing a high speed modem.  A city so old yet so rich. Built in the proud state of Rajashtan where the local Rajputs are still known to put death before dishonor. We were greeted by traditional mewari dancers in the evening as we toasted our lemon drop martinis… especially prepared shaken not stirred…a tip picked from Mr. Bond Roger Moore himself who stayed here during the filming of Octopussy. A smogarsboard of paradox.

A country where you still get a three course meal on any domestic flight and yet get to ride a camel to your favorite destination, or an elephant…..just for the heck of it.

  

A country situated between a global superpower and a powerhouse of terrorism but yet as free and democratic as free can be. A place where inflation borders at 12% each year but a smile doesn’t cost much and you get one readily.

That country is India….. my India.com. Visit it someday – you won’t regret it.