Thursday, July 03, 2008

Cool Superpower

The Economist has just run a special feature on alternative energy. ALTERNATIVE ENERGY. Made me sit up and think. 
  • Indian companies or institutions featuring in the all-encompassing study - NIL. 
  • Indians working in India featuring in the study - NIL
  • Come to think of it Indian originated science and technology advances in last sixty years - NIL
  • Indian originated products wanted by anyone else over the last sixty years - NIL 
  • Indian originated services wanted by anyone else in the last sixty years - NIL 
On the other hand 
  • Indian public schools without full teacher strength - 50% 
  • Indian children who are malnourished - 50% 
  • Indian young mothers-to-be without medical care - 50% 
  • Indian seniors without pension / healthcare - 75% 
Who are these people who talk about super-powerdom? Emerging or otherwise. Where do they live? What do they read and see? What do they think? Why don't they think?
 
ps: The rare Subeer Bhatia, Vinod Khosla et al who live and work in a different culture do not count for this purpose. 
pps: "Monkey-see Monkey-do" products and services do not qualify. 
ppps: The country is in turmoil over some Government land in a Muslim majority state being given, needlessly and stupidly, to a Hindu temple trust.