Preparing For India
by Vic Wiens
Over the last decade many Canadians and Americans have begun to prepare themselves for China. It is not hard to see that China is gaining both industrial and political strength as the communist government embraces a "Made in China" version of capitalism.
Many people, however, are missing India's growing economic power. Because India has a higher birth rate than China, it will soon bypass China in population. Because India is part of the English-speaking world, it is much more adept at embracing the knowledge economy than Mandarin-speaking China. While China is taking over our manufacturing, India is taking over our engineering.
Here are a few highlights about India, taken from Business Week's recent book Chindia: How China and India Are Revolutionizing Global Business.
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"A wave of innovation is yielding high-quality goods that India's poor can afford." p.55
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"In the fall of 2004, in the Tata Motors factory just outside Pune, south of Bombay, a group of designers, technicians, and marketers poured over drawings and examined samples of steel and composite plastics. By early 2005, they had designed a prototype for Tata Group's most ambitious project yet: a compact car that will sell for $2,200. The company hopes the car will beat out Suzuki"s $5000 Maruti compact to become India's cheapest car - and an export model for the rest of the developing world." p.55
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"India's engineers and professionals are focusing on finding fresh solutions in fields from manufacturing and health care to finance and education." p. 55
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"Tata's specialists are also using a new business model. If all goes according to plan, the new Tata car will be made and distributed not only from the Pune factory but also in knocked down kits to franchisees across the country." p. 57
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Mass-market techniques, "Indian-style," have reduced the cost of cataract surgeries from $2000 to as low as $50 through application of assembly line principles. p. 57
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The "Jaipur Foot" is a $30 artificial limb that was developed for both affordability and suitability to India's culture. Imported limbs cost at least ten times as much, and yet patients had trouble squatting and sitting cross-legged. The latest version of the Jaipur Foot is expected to sell for only $27 because of recent reengineering. p.58
These are only a few examples to whet your interest in India. I highly recommend the book Chindia for your summer reading.
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