Why India? – Page 34

The changing mindset of India

The mindset of India has split into two camps – one, the traditional, opposes spending and innovation – the other, entrepreneurial, chases innovation and adventure. It can be tough to navigate.

I was talking to an Indian colleague the other day about collaboration around Hydroponics – growing vegetables and some fruits in a liquid solution combined with various forms of protection such as glasshouses.

This is ideal for India – does not need good land, uses less water, produces the same quality 365 days per year and so on. Plus it grows crops that India’s growing urban populations demand – fresh capsicums, lettuce, broccoli, cucumber and strawberries.

But the early India response is an insight into the competing mindsets.

From one quarter of traditional banking, no thanks, it would cost money to install. Forget the benefits. Forget the competitive advantage. If it costs money, NO.

From another side of the India mindset comes an enthusiastic response – an entrepreneurial and CSR view. This can make money plus help poor rural farmers and poor rural women. So, YES.

As an optimist, I am guessing the YES side will win on this one.

The Australian Government is probably facing this varying mindset as it seeks to heavily promote Australian coal exports to India.

Yes, our coal can provide India with uninterrupted power, increasing efficiency and quality of life (and add to the already overwhelming pollution).

No, it would cost money and we put up with interrupted supply anyway. And, No, because we do not have the distribution network so alternatives such as solar are attractive for rural villages (even if interrupted, “it’s better than nothing”).

I am guessing that the NO side might win on the coal issue. But let’s wait and see.

Why is the west being so jittery about the rise of Asia?

Trade war on China. Military action here and there.

The west is jittery. Yet all we have is the return to the normal state of affairs – until exactly 200 years ago China and India were major global economies. Now they are again.

So, why is the west so jittery about the rise of Asia?

First, the west “won” the cold war against Russia without firing a single shot. Great victory – but the pride of that has become hubris and shows in a belief that only western liberal democratic countries can succeed. And here comes China. Not western, not liberal and not democratic. Jittery.

Second, 9/11 was a shocking event that dominated the mind of the west then – and now.

Wile we focused on 9/11, two things happened – rising China joined the World Trade Organisation and the lowest earners in the USA were hit by a 50% decline in income.

Hence – Trump. And hence, lots of jittery decisions being made throughout the west.

Can the west get back to rational, calm and innovative leadership? I hope so.

Thanks to Kishore Mahbubani for inspiring some of the above.

IndiGo is modern India – starting in 2006 and now the biggest airline

IndiGo airline is the story of modern India.

Now India’s largest airline, IndiGo expects to see a growth at 30 per cent a year over the next few years.

It is the largest airline in India by passengers carried and fleet size, with a 48.1% domestic market share as of June 2019.

Yet the company started flying in 2006.

IndiGo commenced operations on 4 August 2006 with a service from New Delhi to Imphal via Guwahati.

According to Dutta, chief executive of the airline, “We expect that half of that growth will go international, half will go domestic.” He is positive about the international operations of the airline.

The airline presently has around 238 aircraft in its fleet comprising of ATRs and narrow body aircraft. The airline is looking at wide body aircraft.

Modern India – things change fast.

Ho Hum! “Trade war” not worrying Indian companies active in China

Seems Indian companies active in China think that the USA-China trade war is all a bit “ho hum” – or maybe an opportunity?

Indian organisations working in China don’t expect any critical effect of the escalating trade war among Beijing and Washington on their business, a new survey conducted by the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) has stated, including that most of the companies intend to put more in Beijing in 2019.

The survey of Indian organisations working in China indicates cautious optimism and certainty when contrasted with the past survey a year ago. “Most organisations don’t see a significant effect of the present trade situation between the US and China on their business,” said Mr Chandrajit Banerjee, Director General, CII.

In excess of 120 Indian organisations work in China separated from a sizeable number of merchants who have workplaces here; 57 of the organisations reacted to the CII poll.

As per the survey, two-fifths are considering inclining up their investment more than 2018. More IT and BPO organisations intend to make extra investment in 2019 contrasted with 2018.

My “top 10” of Indian companies active in China:

Adani Global; Essar; Jindal Steel & Power; Reliance ADAG; TCS; Tata Sons; Union Bank of India; Allahabad Bank; Bank of Baroda; Bank of India.

Also in China are Zee TV; Jet Airways; Apollo International; Ashok Leyland.

What is the “fourth industrial revolution” and why is India important?

The First Industrial Revolution introduced the use of steam power to mechanize production.

The Second Industrial Revolution saw a number of groundbreaking inventions in transport, telecommunications and manufacturing, including the use of electric power to generate mass production.

The Third Industrial Revolution brought the internet and other technological innovations, which have ushered society into the digital era.

Today, society is challenged by a Fourth Industrial Revolution, an age in which scientific and technological breakthroughs are disrupting industries, blurring geographical boundaries, challenging existing regulatory frameworks, and even redefining what it means to be human.

Emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI), blockchain, drones and precision medicine are swiftly changing lives and transforming businesses and societies, inevitably posing new risks and raising ethical concerns. How can society ensure that its policies, norms and standards are able to keep up with these rapidly evolving technologies?

The World Economic Forum has chosen India as the base for its Centre for the Fourth Industrial Revolution – India is the world’s largest democracy having the second highest number of scientists and engineers – shaping the future.

Happy Independence Day to young and vibrant India

On this Independence Day for India, 15 August, it was a privilege to attend the flag raising ceremony at the Indian Consulate in Melbourne (picture below).

It made me reflect on one amazing statistic about India – more than 50% of its population is below the age of 25 (that’s 600 million) and more than 65% below the age of 35. It is expected that, in 2020, the average age of an Indian will be 29 years, compared to 37 for China and 48 for Japan.

This “Demographic Dividend” will drive economic growth and cultural change.

Happy Indian Independence Day!

Time for the Nehru-Gandhi family dynasty to end for Congress Party

For almost 100 years, generations of the Nehru-Gandhi family have led the Indian National Congress Party – is this dynasty coming to an end?

This question pre-occupies Indian commentators as Rahul Gandhi (pictured above) quit after leading the party to a disastrous 2019 election loss to Narendra Modi.

The modern Indian electorate is aspirational and finds little to like in the conservative and history obsessed Congress Party.

One key element of becoming a leader is that you are driven to do it, that becoming leader is your life’s passion. Rahul Gandhi never convinced in this – he looked like a man forced to run because of the dynasty.

In 1919, Motilal Nehru (pictured below) became the president of India’s oldest party, the Indian National Congress. Rahul was his great-great-grandson.

This dynasty goes from Motilal Nehru to his son Jawaharlal Nehru (independent India’s first Prime Minister), and then to Nehru’s daughter, Indira Gandhi (who had married a man named Feroze Gandhi, and since then the dynasty has been called the Nehru-Gandhi dynasty), and her two sons, Sanjay Gandhi and Rajiv Gandhi. After Rajiv Gandhi was murdered by a Tamil terrorist in 1991, the party eventually convinced his Italian wife, Sonia Gandhi (born Sonia Maino), to take over the steering wheel. Sonia brought into Indian politics her two children: Rahul and Priyanka, making them the fifth generation of the Nehru-Gandhi family line within the party leadership.

Sonia Gandhi returns as fill in leader of the Congress Party as it contemplates the future

Many say Priyanka Gandhi Vadra (pictured below) has all the leadership qualities Rahul lacked, and could succeed to the leadership.

The huge victory for Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party has only underlined how the BJP has replaced the Congress as “India’s natural party of government”.

Congress has been decimated, with only 52 (up 8) national parliamentary seats compared with the BJP’s 303 (up 21) and none from 19 of the country’s 36 states and territories. It is estimated that the BJP won 92 per cent of contests with a Congress candidate and only 52 per cent of direct contests with other parties.

“The Congress Party must radically transform itself,” Rahul Gandhi wrote in his resignation letter. The question is – can it look beyond the dynasty to find a new, modern leader and political brand?

Watch Out! Divided world ahead!

You can see the world dividing, as the USA and China continue locked in a trade war.

The global division began when Trump pulled out of the Trans Pacific Partnership – of which Australia was a part. With the TPP, Trump could have dealt with China on behalf of “the world”. Once this was gone, he was free to just speak for America and that is where the divisions began. This seems to be what he wanted all along.

Then the trade war with China revved up and seems unstoppable.

One result (unintended consequence) of the Trump approach has been to unite the 15 countries trying to create the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership – the biggest free trade deal in history. Australia is part of this, as is, surprisingly, India. So too are Japan, China and Indonesia. The USA is not.

So what would a divided world look like? China on one side (potentially with Japan, Australia, India and the other 15 RCEP countries), USA on the other, different digital technologies and communication platforms – much more fundamental that just selling cheap shirts and tennis shoes. This is a huge divide, not just about trade.

Australia can probably play this division on both teams – we probably have to, but it will be one hell of a balancing act. Remaining close to America while engaging with China and others in the RCEP could see a win-win for Aussies. But others might have a different view.

AustralianSuper leads the way on Indian infrastructure investment

The National Investment and Infrastructure Fund (NIIF) of India has just announced that AustralianSuper, Australia’s largest superannuation fund, and Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan (Ontario Teachers’), Canada’s largest single-profession pension plan, have each signed agreements for investments of up to USD 1 billion with the NIIF Master Fund.

The agreements include commitments of USD 250 million each in the Master Fund and co-investment rights of up to USD 750 million each in future opportunities alongside the Fund.

AustralianSuper and Ontario Teachers’ will now join the Government of India (GOI), Abu Dhabi Investment Authority (ADIA), Temasek, HDFC Group, ICICI Bank, Kotak Mahindra Life Insurance and Axis Bank as investors in the Fund.

Pictured Mark Delaney, CIO, AustralianSuper

AustralianSuper and Ontario Teachers’ will also become shareholders in National Investment and Infrastructure Fund Limited, NIIF’s investment management company. Domestic investors HDFC Life and Kotak Mahindra Life Insurance have further committed INR 600 million in the third round.

With this, NIIF Master Fund becomes the largest infrastructure fund in India with assets under management of over USD 1.8 billion and a co-investment pool of USD 2.5 billion, which will enable the Fund to invest at the scale required for the large infrastructure requirements in India.

Well done AustralianSuper – leading the way for investing in India.

India and Australia to be key players in world’s largest free trade deal

Australia and India are poised to be key players in the world’s largest free trade deal – the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership which should be signed by mid 2020.

There are 15 countries in RCEP excluding the USA. Major players are China, Japan, Indonesia, India and Australia.

RCEP will have a market of over 3.5 billion people and almost 33% of the world’s GDP.

As we have noted before – Trumps’s trade war with China has given some urgency to RCEP negotiations and the 15 countries are set to complete the deal.

Pictured the two Prime Ministers excited about RCEP – Australia’s PM Morrison (left) and India’s PM Modi