Category Archives: India

The effect of the British on India

February 2, 2013 by 123outsource
Categories: India | Tagged , | Leave a comment

This could become a long and scholarly work, but I am not well read in history from any region of the world, and I only know fragments of the truth. Basically, for hundreds of years, the British went around the world, dividing and conquering, and forcing the English language and legal system on various local populations who I’ll assume started out being less than willing to accept colonization.

In any case, it seems that in India, chaos is the norm. There either are no rules, or no enforcement of rules. It is common to find nobody in charge. There is no security unless you are in an airport in which the security has become what I humorously term as “Nazi times 3”. It is common to have five levels of security in airports in India now. To go to the bathroom, you pass by two checkpoints, and then another one on the way to the urinal, and then three more while going back to your waiting room for the flight. There are gangsters everywhere who control pockets of the country, corrupt politicians, police who are not always as effective or honest as you might like, and pollution that is out of control to the point where you literally can not breath in certain parts of India.

Railways
However, the British build railways that connected India from end to end. Before the British, there was no effective way to travel. I suppose you could hop on a horse and go to a neighboring state. And spiritual men made pilgrimages to various holy sites on foot. But, can you imagine how long and dangerous this pedantic type of transportation was? You could walk half a year on foot, or take an overnight train ride — which do you prefer?

Language
Additionally, there was no common language in India before the British. There were only 22 main langauges that differered from state to state. The North Indians speak Indo-European languages which are similar enough to each other that they can probably understand each other well. I have heard that Marathi and Hindi are very very close. After colonization, the educated classes and those who worked with the colonizers were forced to learn English. English, is not only the language of the colonizer, but is currently the most widely spread WORLD LANGUAGE — and this enables India to have a huge edge on outsourcing. People in most other parts of Asia have huge struggle with English, but in India, there are millions who speak it well.

Order
As I stated above, most of India is very unruly to a greater or lesser extent. However, many have noticed, that those areas that PREVIOUSLY were British Strongholds (like Mumbai) have a much greater sense of order. People in Mumbai actually drive in lanes, and the police keep the rick shaw drivers under strict discipline with the threat of a beating with a stick. There are rules and order in places that the British left their mark. The WILD EAST in India is another story. Local mafias terrorize the civilians, and there is no financial security. The gangs can take your property away from you if they like – and they often do. The only justice in these wild places are vigilante justice.

Justice
I remember watching TV at the airport in Bangalore watching someone in Bihar being publicly beaten, and then tied to the back of a moped and dragged around town. The police just sat and watched. The lynching victem had robbed a lady of her jewels and the police did nothing. So, the neighbors took action, and the police just sat and watched a young gentleman get beaten — perhaps to death. Most people prefer living in a place with law and order. This is why, when I visiti India, I prefer being in places that used to be under a stronger British influence — it is safer.

India – a culture of begging

January 16, 2013 by 123outsource
Categories: India | Leave a comment

Every time I visit India, I am constantly reminded that I am in a culture of beggers.

It is not only the beggers who beg, it is so many people.

While walking down the road, I am always confronted with able bodied beggers. Some are stationary and have an established post. There is a father / son team on one road, and a mother / daughter team on another road. These people are pests. They even dare to touch me with their dirty fingers if I ignore them. Perhaps these people are mentally crippled, but they are physically capable and CHOOSE not to give to society. They are takers — not givers. People who get ahead give first and then take. This is wisdom from my guru, and from Kabbalah as well; call it spiritual law if you will. The part that bothers me most is that people give so freely to these freeloaders, and also that these freeloaders train their able-bodied CHILDREN to be beggers as well. Such a waste of human potential.

So, son, what do you want to be when you grow up?
I want to be a better just like you! I want to be the best begger in all of Maharashtria, and to be known to all!

The thing we have to remember is that India is a country where people blindly do all types of self-sabotage. If you see one guy selling hats in the hills, there will be three others who like his idea and pop up beside him selling the exact same hats. Their market share just became diminished by 75% from this competition — an example of blindly copying others. There is a street near the wine growing region of Karnataka near Nandi Hills where you can see twelve people spaced out on that road selling exactly the same species of grapes. None of these people has enough money to rent a place to live — I think they live on the street. If a persons father sells corn by the side of the street, their son will take the same profession in many cases, just because of the copy-cat mentality which exists.

Guilt relief therapy
What I don’t like is that people support these beggers by giving to them very freely and thoughtlessly. I believe that people in India feel relieved when they give to a begger. All of their guilt is disolved because they helped another continue a life of uselessness and laziness — taking not giving, etc. Many beggers use their earnings to buy alcohol and drugs which doesn’t help. In India, it is common for beggers who are indentured to the local mafia to have their limbs cut off so they can make more money begging. If you give to an able bodied begger you are FUNDING unnecessary amputation — please understand this. I give directly to a homeless shelter and do not give to our local drunkard beggers directly since I know the money will go to Johnny Walker. Indians need to understand that if these beggers were told to be productive several times a day, many of them would be. By giving to these beggers, you are encouraging more to enter the profession.

My other experiences with regular folks
When I went to a small church museum, I was given a one minute tour, and then the security guard started begging me for a tip. Police sort of beg for bribes in a sense. Politicians get bribes too. Many people in India think that working for a living should yield pennies, and that the big money should come from unearned bribes. It is unfortunately part of the national culture. I once gave a programmer a generous tip, and he was disappointed because he wanted an obsenely large tip like the last American gave him. Their salaries are typically pennies, but when they get tips or bribes, people are expecting millions. There is no sense of scope or proportion here.

The blog
I am noticing the same type of problem with Indian companies. There is a consciousness of taking without giving. We need stories for our blog. But, companies are only interested in begging for jobs. No company seems interested in giving us any information we can share with others about their experience. What these companies need to understand is that customers are gained when you are sharing and useful to others and NOT when you only say, “give me give me give me”. Every day I get about ten misspelled emails from various companies telling us that they are ready for “the” assignment. There is no assignment — and I don’t know you. Rather than begging — it is helpful to get to know who the job providers are and try to impress them and get to know them before you start asking for something.

Too many chiefs and not enough Indians?

November 14, 2012 by 123outsource
Categories: India | Tagged , | Leave a comment

My friend told me a story about his buddy.  His friend seems to go back and forth from India to California.  He had a job here in California managing seven workers.  It was okay, but he longed for India.  He went back to India every year to see family and meditate, etc. This time, he decided to get a job in India, so he could be close to the family.

This character is a perfect example of how NRI Indians have a tough time readjusting to Indian life.  Indians get used to America after a year or two, but getting used to India after living in the states for five or more years is daunting and perhaps impossible for many.

In any case, this loveable NRI got a prestigious job in an IT firm in Chennai.  Instead of having seven people under him, he got twenty-four. Yes — this is how management is done in India.

In America, everyone wants to be the boss, but few want to be the worker. We call this scenario by a name created based on Native American culture —

Too many “chiefs” and too few Indians.

When we say Indian in this context, we mean Native Americans since they were confused by the early European explorers and thought to be Indians from India despite the fact that they didn’t wear saris or cook dosa!  I don’t think the Christopher Columbus ever had the luxury of ever having a dosa (he should have stopped for a bite in New Jersey).

But, in India, management has the opposite problem.  Too FEW chiefs, and too MANY Indians! How can any one manage 24 employees? In any case, this manager was on call 24 hours a day it seemed. The phone was ringing off the hook.  There were hundreds of projects simultaneously going on.  The stress was piling up. Finally, he took a vacation to a remote part of Tamil Nadi.  He couldn’t enjoy himself, and the phone was ringing off the hook.  His wife askied him why he even bothered taking a vacation if he couldn’t relax.  He said that he didn’t know. That vacation was his breaking point.

It was time to move back to America and go back to managing only seven workers. The moral of the story is — don’t try to manage 24 people no matter how good they are. You will go crazy, and there is no place to run unless you quit and move to California which is not possible for most people.

Indians who succeed use their real name

October 13, 2012 by 123outsource
Categories: India | Tagged | Leave a comment

Indians who succeed use their real name!

It seems to be the culture in North India that you have to be Americanized.  But, the Americanization is really fake.  I see people on TV wearing very American clothes and doing American activities, but their style of interaction is very uptight and completely opposite from how Americans interact.  To make it in America, you are better off being a traditional Indian who wears a sari and has good interaction skills.

People in North Indian call centers are brainwashed into thinking that they have to be white skinned, have a neutral accent, and be a fake American to succeed.  Unfortunately, the fake Americanization people go through seems to have no bearing on what the real American culture is, and is just a cheap imitation or what the Chinese might call a knock off.  It is like buying a fake Rolex in Hong Kong for $5… It might outwardly appear to be a Rolex at first glance, but it is an imitation, and it shows.

Even when I see North Indian girls (from Delhi, Haryana, Punjab, etc.) socializing in America, they wouldn’t be caught dead wearing Indian clothes, yet they never seem to socialize with real Americans.  Hmmm.  If they REALLY were Americanized, they would feel completely at home with real Americans, right?  The truth seems to be that traditional South Indians — with their dark skin, saris, arranged marriages, and so on, are MORE compatible with Americans than bleached Aryan looking Indians who wear Denim and shorts and make a fake attempt at being a Westerner.  Why is this?  INTERACTION STYLE.  The way South Indians interact is more gentle and calming — Americans are more agreeable to this style of interaction than the spastic manner of their counterparts in Delhi.

The Indians who I know who are getting ahead — far ahead — are themselves. They are real.  They are good at what they do (really good in fact).  And they do NOT use a fake American name!

Are Indians too uptight in business interactions?

September 8, 2012 by admin
Categories: India, Semi-Popular | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

Are Indians too uptight in business interactions?

Each region of the world has a different culture or blend of cultures.  India is no exception. India has a vast variety of people, religions, cultures, subcultures, and personalities.  But, what makes India different is that there are a lot of people who are uptight or what we might call socially ungraceful. If you are conducting a business, you need to be very smooth, otherwise others will feel less enticed to have any type of dealings with you at all. In short — being uptight will lose you a lot of business.

Examples of ungraceful behavior

I noticed that at restaurants in India, they warn me with a sense of terror if the dish I am ordering is DRY and has no sauce.  It is like they think the world will come to an end because the dish is dry.  Americans love dry food while Indians would rather perish than eat one bite of something dry.  The problem is NOT the culture difference, but how the situation is handled.  The problem for me is that the waiters are systematically extremely uptight.    Either I am ignored, or I am “uptightly” escorted to a table of THEIR choice.  Then, I am “uptightly” warned that there is a threat of having dry food.  Last, but not least, I am intruded upon by people who insist on pouring my water from MY water bottle which is sitting next to me on the table — without my consent which is very socially ungraceful behavior.    Of course, you are in the BPO, KPO, Call Center, or Programming outsource business, and not in the restaurant business, but the cultural issues are identical across these verticals.

So, what is the solution?

The polished way to handle the rough interactions in the last paragraph are as follows.  A calm, friendly and welcoming welcome are step one in any restaurant meal.  A restaurant that has no host is ignoring their clients which is bad manners even in the simplest of restaurants. It is nice to offer your patrons a choice of tables.  “Would you like a table in the center or a window seat?”.  When I order the Jammu-Kabob combination plate, rather than warning me about the dryness, the waiter could calmly say, “Would you like this dish dry, or would you prefer some masala sauce on the side?”.   Cultural knowledge is important for the water pouring point I made earlier . India is a society with a rigid class system where it is socially unacceptable for the upper classes to pour their own water or even tie their own shoes.  But, Americans of all classes are used to doing things for themselves, and I prefer to pour my own water for cultural reasons.  If someone else wants to pour my water (which is my property which you should touch), then you could at least have the courtesy to ask,”May I pour some more water for you?”

Uptightness in BPO companies

My restaurant example is fun and interesting, but BPO outfits often employ a lot of staff who appear very rigid on the phone.  Either companies need to hire staff members who are more suitable for interacting with overseas clients, or they need to be trained.  When I talk with people at Indian call centers, there is nothing specific that comes to my mind about what they are saying right or saying wrong. It is a general atmosphere of rigidity.  Part of the problem could be that they have a menacing manager looking over their shoulder who makes them feel fearful.  Part of the problem might be that they have to address certain points on a check list, and say certain words verbatum, or else they might get in trouble.  Yes — there needs to be structure in a call center job, but nobody in America wants to talk to someone uptight on the phone.

Solutions for uptight BPO workers…

The solution to uptight workers in BPO companies is to have management that understands what the overseas clients like to hear and how they like to be treated. If the manager only knows what is on a check list of things that need to be done, he will not understand the psychology of the client. This means more training not only for call center workers, but for managers as well — and that is expensive. The result is that you could win over some really large contracts if you do a good job training everyone. Large corporations can assign 1000 seats worth of work to a call center with the blink of an eye, but not if the call center does shoddy work.   The solution is to work on soft skills.  Sure, technical support workers need to be experts at their product knowledge, but understanding how to be graceful and nice in interactions is even MORE important when talking to Americans.  Americans will not want to talk to you no matter how helpful you are if you have the wrong vibe!  Understand our culture, and relax a bit!

Tweets:
(1) Each country has a different culture. What makes India different is the # of uptight or “socially ungraceful” people.
(2) Stay sharp in business, but, remain smooth in your interactions!
(3) If you’re uptight in business, your customers will become uptight too — if you still have any…
(4) Menacing Indian managers transmit tension; this makes workers fearful & rigid
(5) Which is more effective? Going down a checklist or smoothly having an interchange with a client?

(6) Is the manager’s checklist higher on the priority list than gracefully interacting with the client?
(7) The secret to BPO success is to understand how overseas clients like to be treated. Learn our culture & relax a bit.
(8) Work on your soft skills. Americans appreciate grace & manners as much as technical skills

You might also like:

How do you teach interaction and smoothness?
http://bpo.123outsource.net/2012/09/14/how-do-you-teach-interaction-and-smoothness/

Indians who ask a million questions
http://bpo.123outsource.net/2012/06/10/indians-who-ask-a-million-questions/

Now America works for India!

September 9, 2011 by 123outsource
Categories: America, India | Tagged , | Leave a comment

I always thought that China would take over the world, and we would have to undergo repression, discrimination, and work for them.  But, the reality is much nicer — for those of us who like samosa and chai.  Infosys of India is training American workers.  American recent graduates will fly to India for six months of training, and then go back to their back offices in the states.  Everything in outsourcing is reversed now. 
 
But, India leads the world of spirituality and technology to some extent now.  Many salaries for programmers are actually higher in India than in America.  Many Lucky (smart) Indians are returning home to enjoy salaries in excess of US$100,000 per year.  Of course, most salaries are nowhere near that amount in the IT industry, but these high paying jobs are sprouting up in India more and more.
 
Meanwhile, at Tata, another huge Indian company, they have 5000 workers in Brazil, Chile and Uruguay of all places. Cognizant has opened back offices in Phoenix and Shanghai.  A few companies in India have opened call centers in the Philippines too. 
 
When I talk to narrow-minded people who are anti-outsourcing, I always stress that any small store in India sells 80% American products.  Shampoos, soaps, laundry detergent, and other small items sold in mini-stores in India seem to be made by American companies. Try spending an hour in Bangalore without seeing a Citibank, Subway, KFC, and other American businesses.  We are part of a global economy and currents flow both ways.
 
Japan has also capitalized on American labor with Toyota opening many plants throughout the United States. So, reverse outsourcing is a way of the future.  There is hope for America.  India will give us a job — and hopefully a samosa break too.

You might also like:

KFC in India’s recipe tantalizes the taste buds of a visiting American
http://bpo.123outsource.net/2016/06/17/kfc-in-indias-fiery-tomato-based-masala-tantilizes-the-taste-buds-of-a-visiting-american/

Reverse Outsourcing in India
http://bpo.123outsource.net/2011/03/19/reverse-outsourcing-in-india/

Who is an Indian?

June 15, 2011 by 123outsource
Categories: India | Tagged , | Leave a comment

Who is an Indian?
 
Over the centuries, there has been a lot of confusion as to who is an Indian.  India used to be a much larger country historically, and now it’s geography has been divided into several countries. Those who used to be Indian, are now Bengladeshi in many cases.  Additionally, Indians have been going overseas for centuries to all parts of the world.  Those who were born overseas are termed PIO (person of Indian origin) by the Indian government.  But, what if you jump across the border from Burma to India, do you become an Indian, especially if you have no paperwork?
 
The Americas
When Christopher Columbus “discovered” America, he thought he had found India, and called the locals Indians.  However, the local Native Americans were not wearing their finest Mysore silk saris, or crepe saris, nor were they wearing bhindis, so Chris was far off base here geographically and culturally.
 
Additionally, research and mythology has shown that people from India have been populating the Americas for up to 17,000 years.  A demon king from Sri Lanka in mythology moved to Brazil many thousands of years ago.  Is it a coincidence that many locals from Brazil and Mexico look identical to Gujarathis, Assamese, or South Indians? Genetic markers were found in Central American natives that traced their ancestry partially back to India, China, and to other ethnic stocks.   Some psychics feel that there was a huge continent called Lemuria that went from near Sri Lanka all the way into the Pacific.  Perhaps the Natives of South America lived on Lemuria at some time in the past.
 
The flag of Mexico looks almost identical to the flag of India.  Even the melodic routines of the music in Mexico and Guatemala closely resemble Indian music.  The word Gautama is Sanskrit for lord Buddha.  The words Guantanamo Bay, and Guatemala closely resemble this word.  Author Gene Matlock has researched the etomology of place names in Latin America and traced many of them back to India, Afghanistan and other places that were remove from Latin America.  He thinks that boats from India came regularly back and forth to the Americas until around 1300 when India was invated by Muslims.  Euro-centric historians conveniently omit any reference to any other culture having any involvement in the Americas other than those who crossed the land bridge from Siberia many thousands of years ago.
 
Bhutan
Many Indians live in Bhutan and have lost their property rights because they were not ethnic Bhutanese.  That doesn’t seem like a “spiritual” thing to do for a Buddhist country.  On the other hand, they don’t want to be inundated with illegal immigrants from India. My suggestion is that they should show compassion and tolerance and forget about who has Bhutanese blood!
 
Past Births
The Indian government’s term PIO is a great term. But, shouldn’t there be a term for those with Indian past births?  I am very tuned in to past life regression. I have had dozens done for myself and have witnessed the history of my soul.  It was fascinating.  Since I am so sensitive to this issue, I bump into white people who make it very obvious (at least obvious to me) that they have had many past births in India. The clues include personality traits, interests, and a nose ring. Leather chappals could be a good hint too!  What is really even more fascinating and hard to explain is that some of these individuals of Indian past births even have Indian physical features.  I know a full blooded white lady who has very Indian shaped eyes which is interesting.  She is very oriented towards Hindu culture. Many Westerners with past births in India will be likely to be vegetarian or to take up meditation of some sort.  As humans, most of us have had dozens of past births.  These births could have been focused in certain parts of the world, or spread out throughout many regions.  It is possible that someone could have had one hundred past births all in different countries, but most people have had clusters of births in particular cultural groups that they will feel close to in many lives to come.

Wouldn’t it be nice to have your office in the Himalayas?

April 27, 2011 by 123outsource
Categories: India, Uncategorized | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

Working in the himalayas

Every day I see people working hard in congested cities, breathing bad air, and under a lot of stress.  Sometimes I think, wouldn’t it be nice to have an office in the Himalayas?  Sure, its hard to run a business from Dehradun, or Darjeeling, but what if employees could have a two week “Workation” where they could work, and then enjoy tours.  It would be a nice breather to get out of their Software company in Bangalore, or their Mumbai call center.

Travel rejuvinates
Personally, I find it stressful to be in the same place too long. I need to move around.  But, sometimes its fun to do your regular work, in a place that is not regular for you. Imagine being in a cabin in the woods with good internet connectivity, and you could work from there.  You would have lunch in a completely different place and see different sites, feel a different feeling, and meet different people. Its very refreshing, and good for worker morale.

The vibe in different places
One thing to consider is that the vibrations in different parts of the world is very striking. I’m speaking of metaphysical vibrations that you sense, but don’t necessarily “feel”.   Some places are lazy places, where you will feel lazy upon entering. Some are frenetic, where its hard to concentrate. Others have an adventurous energy, where you will want to hike in the wilderness.  For working, its good to have a place where you can concentrate and have a lot of drive too. Sometimes, if you are in a downtown of a big city like Mumbai, Los Angeles, or Bangalore, you will feel driven to work all the time, because that energy is in the environment.  But, what about the mountains?

Are the mountains good for work, or only for spirituality?
When people think of the Himalayas, they think of a mystical place where you might want to meditate, or go on a long hike with a sherpa and eat some Nepali mo-mo dumplings. Parts of the himalayas are considered the best places in the world to meditate because the atmosphere is so light metaphysically.  Deeper meditations will be easier there.  Since there is not much going on, there is no influx of work or stress vibrations in the mountains.   No wars have been fought there, so there is no vibration of murder either.  But, can people concentrate and get lots of work done in the mountains?  The answer is that it depends on the mountains.  I have been to many mountains and some of them have a good work energy, while others have a lazy energy.
 

The only way to assess is to spend a few days in a place and see how you feel.  Do you feel like working or not?

Building an office
I think it would be wonderful to have companies building offices in the mountains.  Employees could spend a month per year up there in shifts and enjoy clean air and a good environment while they did their software, accounting, legal outsourcing, or whatever other job they did.  This would be expensive to build and transport people, so it would be for higher skilled staff members.  I think that an office with beautiful views of trees, landscapes, and people who can bring you samosas and chai would be perfect.  Dormatories could be walking distance from the offices, to allow more time to focus on work and other activities.

My only regret
I just hope that building offices in the mountains doesn’t disturb the metaphysical vibration of the place.  Sometimes its better to enjoy a place for what it is without implanting your own “stress-trons”, or other non-physical forms of pollution.  Garbage and chemical pollution are equally serious and detremental, so lets keep the world clean, especially the mountains.  On the other hand, maybe offices in the mountains would build a harmony of productivity and the nurturing essense of nature.

A solution to India’s transportation nightmare!

April 12, 2011 by 123outsource
Categories: India | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

A solution to India’s transportation nightmare
 
India has so many people, and so little space, at least in the metros.  One block in Pune has as much humanity and action as a linear mile does in Los Angeles.  It takes less time to go one mile in Los Angeles as it does to get through the one block obstacle course in Deccan Gymkhana!  Road taxes, custom buses and walkways are solutions discussed in another blog.  But, what about something really far out and fun?
 
The snake train
This idea is the coolest idea I have ever had. Its ridiculously expensive and probably not even buildable.  But, people would love it!  The snake train is a train that goes really slowly and smoothly. It is designed to move on a curvy track that resembles the shape of a long snake.  The cars would be wide and there would be no stations. You can jump on the train anywhere and get off anywhere.  The tracks are snakelike to allow more getting on and off points.
 
What would the train be like?
The train would be a mile long to ensure that you would be able to jump on or off without waiting long for the train.  Trains would have some space between them, but the point is to have a system where there is minimal or no waiting for getting on and off at any of the non-stations.
 
Non-stations
There would be no stations. You could go down a stairway wherever there are entrances and just run and jump on the slow moving train where you like. Although the voyage would be slower than a normal train, there would be little or no waiting time, and once on the train there would be plenty to do.
 
Multi-tasking
The point of the train is to have multi-tasking.   Each car would have its own theme.  One car could be an office supply store.  Get your paper and toner on the way to the office.  That way you are killing two birds with one stone as the Americans say.  Get to work while you are getting your shopping done. And don’t worry about parking to go shopping.  You are on a train, your car is out of the picture. Another car could have a cafe, an internet parlor, art gallery, Japanese lessons, a gym, TV room, or anything else that would be popular.  You could walk down the corridors of the mile-long train to find a car that had an activity appealing to you during your 45-minute commute.
 
What about the cost?
Dont’ even ask.  This would cost a mint, but it would make transportation fun.  The snake would be the new craze that would make the automobile obsolete.  “Oh, you still drive?  You’re so old fashioned” would be the phrase you would hear most.
 
Where would you put this monstrocity?
This type of transportation needs space to build and caters towards the upper-middle class.  It might be possible or practical to build something like this in Bangalore.  A city too small would not make sense to build something this expensive.  A city with distances too large would only be able to use such a system in a limited part of the city with high population density.  The train moves too slow to go more than ten miles in any direction.

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Solutions to India’s transportation problem

April 10, 2011 by 123outsource
Categories: India, Popular on Google+, Popular Posts | Tagged , , , | 2 Comments

The solution to India’s transportation problem

To see the 2015 version of this article — click here!
 
India used to be a poor country a few years ago, but now is having growing pains on their way to being #2 in the global economic scheme, with China looking like its going to be #1 for the majority of this century.  News articles keep stressing the same issue.  India can not grow its GNP without proper infrastructure.  But, roads and buildings take time, resources, money, and space to build.  These are things that India has a real shortage of.  India is short on time, because the time it has is spent in traffic, leaving little or not time left to build roads. It’s a catch 22.
 
The status quo
India’s main forms of local transportation are buses, trains (in certain metros), cabs, and especially the auto-rickshaw.  One British born Indian kid working in Mumbai I met on the train was quoted to say, “Two trains and a rick” in the context of him getting to his meeting.  Roads are congested and traffic law obedience is shaky outside of Mumbai.  There must be a solution.  Whats the answer?  You need to “Think outside the rick”.

Also see:
Wouldn’t it be nice to have your office in the Himalayas?
http://bpo.123outsource.net/2011/04/27/wouldnt-it-be-nice-to-have-your-office-in-the-himalayas/

A stand up comedian at a stand up restaurant in India
http://bpo.123outsource.net/2014/01/05/stand-up-comedian-at-a-stand-up-restaurant-in-india/
 
Thinking outside the rick
India is used to certain modes of transportation, but those modes don’t work effectively for everyone.  Buses are too congested for women to get into without unwanted physical contact with men.  Rick shaw drivers often harrass women and the wait time for a rick can be unpredictable. Cabs in India are expensive and require waiting time. It seems that the country that is known for its respect for women…. well… doesn’t respect women.  For a woman to find a clean public bathroom is another nightmare of India.  It is not mandatory for India to have all of these unnecessary headaches.
 
The problem is that whatever mode of transportation you use, it either can’t move due to congestion, or you can’t get in the vehicle even if you really are a sardine.  Needs to be other options.  Here are some options that think outside the rick and solve these problems.

Also see:
Compilation of our most interesting articles from 2015
http://bpo.123outsource.net/2016/06/04/compilation-of-interesting-posts-from-2015/

India in 2140 — Rahul wanted a job at a multi-planetary company
http://bpo.123outsource.net/2015/05/29/india-in-2140/

Moving walkways
Near downtown areas where congestion is high, and distances are small, it is faster to walk. But, walking is itself an obstacle course, tripping over the front wheels of rick shaws, having your bag get caught on the handlebar of Rajiv’s bike, getting run off the road into a puddle by a truck. Its just not funny.  Moving walkways are expensive, but they solve a problem.  They would be elevated, and only pedestrians would be on them.  The walkway could move 4km/hour, and you could walk 5km per hour which nets you 9km per hour.  There could be coconut water salespeople, newspaper stands, and other conveniences on this moving network.  Additionally, a roof could go over the walkway giving protection in the monsoon season.  Get your exercise, while safely coming and going.  Additionally, traffic could move more easily without a zillion people trying to cross the road all the time. They could cross on these elevated walkways.  
 
Mini-Buses
I always remember comedian Yakov Smirnoff’s famous line, “Women are like buses”. Aparantly he felt that in Russia, women, were shaped like buses. But in India, women DON’T like buses.  Mumbai has the consideration to have women-only bogies (cars) on commuter trains..  Men will get arrested if they dare go in.  Women only buses, or women’s sections in elongated buses would solve problems for women.  Even a women’s waiting area with comfy seats and a bathroom with toilets that are cleaned throughout the day would be super.  To Americans this seems sexist, but try being a woman squeezed between four men who feel deprived of pleasure and you will very quickly see how gender separation is not only appropriate, but should be a universally enforced law.
 
Minibuses have the advantage of being small.  They can come more often, and can fit into smaller bus stations and smaller roads.  There can be particular buses for women only, or buses with larger seats that charge more for entry. You have flexibility with a minibus that a regular bus doesn’t have.
 
Also see:
Indians are used to noise, but do they like it?
http://bpo.123outsource.net/2014/07/08/indians-are-used-to-noise-but-do-they-like-it/

Why your sitar & tabla lessons are the most important traning for business
http://bpo.123outsource.net/2013/06/09/why-your-sitar-tabla-lessons-are-the-most-important-training-for-business/

Standing only?
Indian buses don’t make sense.  They are always so crowded that you can never get a seat, but you don’t have room to stand either, since the few square feet available have been monopolized by seats.  This is illogical and inefficient!  REMOVE THE SEATS.  If you get rid of most of the seats, then there is room to stand, and you can squeeze more people in.  In a country that prides itself on its ability to squeeze humans as efficiently as it squeezes a sugar cane stick for a glass of juice, they should do it correctly.  Charge triple for a seat, and then people will be able to find a seat.  People should be charged for what they get.  
 
Compartments
Now are are talking.  A bus with the seats removed could have standing compartments.  Spare yourself from the risk of pickpockets with a vinal sheet attached to padded poles.  Of course in India, they don’t like padding.  They want you to get HURT when the bus slams on the brakes leaving you hurled into a piece of metal.  There is no satisfaction if the driver can’t cause you some misery. But, in a few years, the joy of seeing others hurt will wear off, and safety and consideration will become the norm — and padded metal bars will be a standard feature. Imagine a vinal compartment big enough for you to get in.  Nobody can touch you or your wallet.  Maybe there could be a pocket for your briefcase or bag.  Safe and comfy.  I love it!
 
Considerate drivers?
Now I’m really  out there.  I may as well be talking about science fiction.  I’m not sure if its possible for a bus driver in India to have manners.  I have never seen a polite bus driver there. Everyone else in India is polite… so the rude people are outcasted and can only do jobs like being… a lowly bus driver.  But, if local governments require drivers to go to school to learn formalized manners and drive considerately (not running people into the ditch, and not slamming on the brakes constantly), bus drivers could get a completely new rep.
 
Luxury buses
The affluent classes in India see it as not only a comfort, but a status symbol to have a car.   Not having a car is almost as bad as not having a maid.  But, what if buses were so comfortable that they had large, wide seats like on a first class flight. What if designer drinks were served like a Mumbai-Mocha-Latte, or a Soy-Green-Tea-Masala-Chai?  Buses could easily become the in thing.  Drivers could have nice outfits, greet people, and not make jerky driving manouvers.  You could even have wi-fi on the bus!
 
Special roads for buses
If buses had their own elevated roads that were really smooth and level, then buses would be fast and comfortable to use.  With smooth and leveled roads, you could use your laptop if the bus would maintain a constand speed.  People would be less inclined to drive if they could have fast and comfortable alternative transportation.
 
Singaporian style taxes
Indians will never buy into this… Or will they?  Singaporian roads function because there is a highway tax.  For a permit for rush hour use you pay a hefty yearly fee, and off hours, you pay a lesser fee. Taking up space on highways is expensive, and people should pay for this.  Indian roads would open up if drivers wer taxed. More people would take buses, and people would save time. Instead of taking 90 minutes to go to work, 35 minutes would be all you would need. What is your time worth?

A snake train!
What is this? I never heard of this before! A snake train would be a train with hundreds of slowly moving cars that you could read, eat, exercise, or just relax in. Click here to read more about the snake train!

Excuses will kill you
Its easy to say, “Its too difficult, it won’t work, it can’t be done!” Those excuses will leave India behind and leave room for China to quickly gobble up its revenues which is happening as we speak. Take action and find sensible ways to fix this nightmare!

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You might also like:

Women programmers in India and the U.S.
http://bpo.123outsource.net/2013/06/17/women-programmers-in-india-and-the-u-s/

Is it important to have an English accent if you work at a call center in India?
http://bpo.123outsource.net/2014/03/01/call-centers-in-india-is-an-english-accent-important-just-do-your-job/

Is it fair that American jobs are outsourced to India?
http://bpo.123outsource.net/2013/09/04/is-it-fair-that-american-jobs-are-outsourced-to-india/

If you invested in training your BPO employees, what types of skills would you teach them?
http://bpo.123outsource.net/2015/03/28/if-you-invested-in-training-your-bpo-employees-what-types-of-skills-would-you-teach-them/

The effect of the British on India
http://bpo.123outsource.net/2013/02/02/the-effect-of-the-british-on-india/

2014 version: solutions to India’s transportation nightmare
http://bpo.123outsource.net/2014/08/23/solutions-to-indias-transportation-problems-2014/

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KPO Bangalore in the News

April 9, 2011 by 123outsource
Categories: India, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

KPO Bangalore News
 
Bangalore KPO
Bangalore is India’s main outsourcing hub, and has the highest concentration of KPO companies anywhere in the world.  Knowledge Process Outsourcing is a fast growth industry in Bangalore and India as a whole as India is leaning towards more specialized work which most of the highly competitive newer outsourcing nations can not compete with.
 
Wipro of Bangalore
Wipro, a Bangalore headquartered company, opened up operations in Brazil four years ago and is happy with the performance of their Brazilian employees.
 
GIIP – Bangalore KPO Training
According to pr.com, a company in Bangalore called Global Institute of Intellectual Property  is now offering an eight week training program where post graduate students can learn the skills they need to work in a KPO, LPO, MNC, or R&D company.  All of the students in the first batch have been successfully placed in relevent jobs, and more than 75% of the students in the second batch have been placed even before they finished the program.
 
Research and Development KPO in Bangalore
financialexpress.com’s May 10th, 2010 article called, “Going up the value chain” explains how Indian metros have their various niches in the KPO industry.  Bangalore was in stiff competition with Moscow and St. Petersburg for research and development, while Chennai was competing with Guang-Zhou for engineering services.  Hyderabad meanwhile was focusing more on healthcare related KPO work.  The main point here is that Indian metros are getting more sophisticated in their value offering, and niches are developing in certain areas.  
 
A joke about the Bangalore KPO industry
A young man named Ramesh, a research expert walks into a pub on Church Street in Bangalore.  He drinks to excess, falls unconscious, and the next day finds himself in one of Bangalore’s many KPO companies and was told that he would have to work there for the next six months.  Ramesh asks, “Have I been Shanghaid?”.  The reply was, “No, you’ve been Bangalored!!!”

You might also like:

India Call Center Developments

BPO Delhi in the News

Bangalore BPO’s in the News!

Accounting India in the News

April 7, 2011 by 123outsource
Categories: Accounting, India | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Accounting India Outsourcing News

OPI
prnewswire.com’s December 8th outsourcing article states that Outsource Partners International has partnered with financial software provider Blackline Systems to bring accounting and finance software to OPI’s global client base, many of whom are interested in outsourcing accounting. India has a very fast growing accounting outsourcing industry which could be very heavily effected by software developments in any part of the world.

Outsource Partners International has 3700 specialists working in its offices which span five countries including the U.S., India, U.K., Bulgaria, and Malaysia. This company focuses on drawing upon best in class practices, continuous improvement (called Kai-Zen at Toyota), and using outsourced accounting talent and enabling technology to make the clients’ experience optimal with finance and transform operations.

Eversheds
According to thelawyer.com, Eversheds has begin offering a support services outsourcing deal, sending procurement work to Accenture. Most of the HR, administration, accounting and BPO work will be outsourced to India.

Quickbooks
Outsourcing Quickbooks services saves companies a lot of money. Bookkeeping can be done by a specialist company domestically or overseas. They might provide more reliable, efficient, and cost effective services.

You might also like:

How to find an outsourcing job

How to write a resume for an outsourcing job

Hotels in India, what they do right and wrong