IPA Newspack
  • Home
  • now
  • politics
  • business
  • markets

IPA /

IPA Special

IPA Special

Indomitable Indian Spirit Takes Corporate Captaincy By The Horn

By K Raveendran

Not a day passes these days without the news of one global Indian or the other having done something remarkable. The latest is the story of Indian origin American physician Anil Menon, who has been included in a group of ten to become astronauts for future NASA missions. A lieutenant colonel with the US Air Force, 45-year old Menon is of Indian descent, though born to a Ukrainian mother, and SpaceX’s first flight surgeon, helping launch the company’s first humans to space during NASA’s SpaceX Demo-2 mission and building a medical organisation to support the human system during future missions.

It was only a few days ago that the news of India-born IIT alumnus Parag Agarwal succeeding Twitter founder Jack Dorsey as the CEO of the microblogging giant gave Indians cause for celebration despite the unquantified threat of the Omicron variant of coronavirus dampened spirit all around. With Parag ascending the position, some of the world’s biggest and best companies are now steered by the able leadership of Indian managers. The list keeps growing and already has Microsoft, Google parent Alphabet, IBM, Adobe, Nokia, Motorola, Mastercard, Cognizant, Xerox, to mention some of the toppers.

Each one of them deserves the position in their own individual merit.  But there is a common thread that binds their success, which is beyond their individual capacities. It is the triumph of Indian values, knowledge and ingenuity that the country and the people have been known for through the ages. It also a saga of sacrifice and dedication that characterises the Indian family system. There have of course been aberrations, but the core Indian family values still remain intact in a major part. It is unclear if these highly successful men and women will live for their children, when it comes to their turn, just as their parents had done that for them with eminence. And that is the most remarkable feature about their success.

While it is true that some of the Indian CEOs, like Menon himself and Microsoft boss Satya Nadella, have come from more enabling family backgrounds, but some others like Google’s Sunder Pichai, have achieved success through sheer grit by themselves and their families. Pichai went to school by crowded and rickety city buses, pushing and being pushed around for a foothold. When he got admission to a US university, his father had to take a loan to buy the ticket, which cost more than his annual salary. Pichai once said that after he landed in the US, unable to buy a new backpack, which cost $60, he had to buy a second-hand bag. He was least bothered about being its second owner because, back in India, he had learnt to cope with any situation.

This probably explains the success of Indian CEOs. They have the benefit of a civilization that valued knowledge, dedication, determination and experiences. They have a background where competition and ingenuity are parts of a culture that lived through centuries. They don’t get overwhelmed by situations, a quality that stands them in good stead while dealing with complex problems faced by their respective organisation. They are undaunted by competition, which they have faced abundantly back home. In India, you have to compete even to breath air!

A debate at one of the World Economic Forum events in Mumbai way back in 2011 had sought to unravel the secret of the success of Indian CEOs. There was broad agreement that they were comfortable with diversity, which India has in abundance, whether of language, faith, traditions and practices and geography. Indians fight a perennial battle for survival, whether it is in getting admission to the A-rated school or getting a placement in a leading company. Indians also find their way out of complex situations by ingenious ways. The Indian ingenuity of jugaad has been the focus of academic interest, including at Harvard, where researchers have described it as an antidote to the complexities of India.

A Harvard Business Review article examined how the resource-constrained and chaotic Indian situation inspired jugaad solutions to problems and how entrepreneurs and corporations practiced it to develop market-relevant products and services that are inherently affordable and sustainable. It described Jugaad innovators as ‘modern-day alchemists who transmute adversity into opportunity, and in so doing create value for their organizations and communities’. (IPA Service)

Politics

Regional parties report Rs 250cr electoral bond donations

May 28, 2022
Happening Now

Pak PM says fuel price hike averted bankruptcy

May 28, 2022
Business

No wheat-like export restriction for rice immediately

May 28, 2022
IPA Special

Places Of Religious Worship (Special Provisions) Act Is Still Legally Binding

May 27, 2022
IPA Special

Remembering Jawaharlal Nehru On His 58th Death Anniversary

May 27, 2022
IPA Special

Labour Market Recovery Is Again Under Threat

May 27, 2022
IPA Special

Is Arunachal And Ladakh The Dog’s Life For IAS & IPS?

May 27, 2022
IPA Special

Geetanjali Shree’s ‘Tomb Of Sand’ Wins International Booker Prize

May 27, 2022
IPA Special

Chief Minister Nitish Kumar Calls All-Party Meeting On Caste Census

May 27, 2022
IPA Special

Wage Earners And Bottom 20 Per Cent Are The Hardest Hit By High Inflation

May 27, 2022
IPA Special

Centre’s Sudden Wheat Export Ban Has Hit The Income Of Common Farmers

May 27, 2022
IPA Special

Ray Liotta Of Goodfellas Fame Was An Actor Of Great Talent

May 27, 2022
Politics

BJP wants AAP stopped from becoming main opposition party

May 27, 2022
Happening Now

Imran praises India for fuel price cut, slams Pakistan

May 27, 2022
Happening Now

Putin offers to help solve food crisis if sanctions lifted

May 27, 2022
Politics

Mann govt trains guns on ‘corrupt’ ex-ministers

May 27, 2022
Politics

Expelled Mayawati favourite lands up in Cong

May 27, 2022
Politics

Telangana CM holds talks with Deve Gowda in Bengaluru

May 26, 2022
IPA Special

Indian Membership Of Quad Is Against Both Political And Economic Interests

May 26, 2022
IPA Special

Despite Loss Of Jobs And High Price Rise, Narendra Modi Is Comfortable

May 26, 2022

An appeal

The legacy of IPA, founded by Nikhil Chakravartty, the doyen of journalism in India, to keep the flag of independent media flying high, is facing the threat of extinction due to the effect of the Covid pandemic. Only an emergency funding can avert such an eventuality. We appeal to all those who believe in the freedom of expression to contribute to this noble cause.
Click here to learn more

Share

Reply

  • 0
More on IPA

Places Of Religious Worship (Special Provisions) Act Is Still Legally Binding

May 27, 2022 5:28 pm | IPA Staff

By Prakash Karat During the Ramjanmabhoomi agitation, the Vishwa Hindu Parishad and other Hindutva outfits had raised the slogan “Ayodhya sirf ek jhanki hai, Mathura...

IPA Special

Remembering Jawaharlal Nehru On His 58th Death Anniversary

May 27, 2022 5:26 pm | IPA Staff

By Nitya Chakraborty On May 27, 1964 at 1.44 PM, India’s first Prime Minister and one of the best chroniclers of this great nation’s history...

IPA Special

Labour Market Recovery Is Again Under Threat

May 27, 2022 5:23 pm | IPA Staff

By Dr. Gyan Pathak After significant gains during the last quarter of 2021, the number of hours worked globally dropped in the first quarter of...

IPA Special

Is Arunachal And Ladakh The Dog’s Life For IAS & IPS?

May 27, 2022 5:21 pm | IPA Staff

By Sushil Kutty After the newspaper report with the picture showing the IAS couple watching the dog take a walk in the stadium, the Ministry...

IPA Special

Places Of Religious Worship (Special Provisions) Act Is Still Legally Binding

in IPA Special
May 27, 2022   ·  

Remembering Jawaharlal Nehru On His 58th Death Anniversary

in IPA Special
May 27, 2022   ·  

Labour Market Recovery Is Again Under Threat

in IPA Special
May 27, 2022   ·  

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

You must be logged in to post a comment.

Follow us on
Up Next: Mamata’s Latest Stand Is Sure To Help Congress-Left To Revive ‘Bijemul’ Slogan
©2020 -2021 India Press Agency, All Rights Reserved
Newspack by India Press Agency
Posting....
logo
  • Home
  • now
  • politics
  • business
  • markets