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Non Linear Thinking will indicate
- that the free global movement of people and
goods should fall below our future projections
and expectations. Though this is contrary to the
efforts of every economic decision maker and Governments
- it is most likely because our current linear
approach and systems are not equipped to include
the “new dynamics and changing environments’ within
free trade. With more countries entering the free
market based on adoption of democracy ; we need
concepts that go beyond attempting to create closed
group trade areas like EEC or NAFTA .
It is important to acknowledge
that our economic logic and trade skills are limited
and attuned only to expand trade. More often than
not in todays ever changing environment. there
is also a need to “cut back”. For this there is
no “preparedness” in our system because there
is rarely a “basis” - or methodology that has
been predetermined.
OPEC is an example. Their economics
have been in shambles till they were able to “increase
their revenue based on a reduction”. This is a
Non Linear strategy which the world can only counter
( as it did in the 70’s and 80’s) through a “reduction”
in its own consumption. Unfortunately having beaten
the cartel in the 80’s, the developing economies
once again fell into the trap of ‘cheap energy’
with falling prices of oil. The linear approach
to increasing consumption just because of lower
costs has again reversed the situation. The final
solution in this Non Linear era is to reduce consumption
so as to reduce costs, not increase production
of crude oil to reduce costs!!! ( The Republican
Linear logic that will now be promoted. )
Output based systems have helped
evolve “one way” skills. These are not appropriate
for the long term .The aspirations of globalisation
are noble and correct but - FIRST our systems
require to promote “relative equalization”. With
the increasing dominance of democracy and increase
in the numbers entering the free trade systems,
we will be required to ‘reduce somewhere in order
for new entrants to have a relatively ‘equal opportunity’
to participate in global trade. The assumption
that the current high consumption economies will
continue their linear growth in their own consumption
is not sustainable. Assuming that the citizens
in developing economies can also be a theoretical
potential on a similar per capita consumption
as the developed world is unrealistic.
Amongst “unequals”, free trade
can only bring about increasing disparity and
tensions if attempts are made to integrate them.
When Industry and production is shifted from a
developed economy to a low wage, low cost region
for manufacture and reimport - this freedom is
currently based on the Democratic principles of
free trade. Today - we are reaching relative saturation
of this formula – as it is now becoming unfair
and undemocratic to the workers and citizens “within’
the developed economy who lost their jobs.
In low income countries, the
lack of basic infrastructure, poor employment
opportunity permits exploitation of workers which
inturn promotes the typical urban slums with unhygienic
living conditions for the workers with negligible
health care. To the worker in the poor country
it would appear that a living income is an acceptable
economic barter - that should not be the intended
plan of globalisation.
Is it fair and democratic to
the citizen of the developed world who have lost
their jobs?The developed economies have progressed
to a stage where workers are paid a fair minimum
wage (bviously high from global standards).They
receive medical benefits to live in security and
dignity protected by legislation that also considers
the protection of the environment based on increasing
levels of civic socio-economic standards.
These achievements after decades
of development paradoxically become the disadvantage
- because of the continued use of linear and “old
logic and definitions” for democracy, economics
and free trade.While society is the loser – the
few corporate entities are the only beneficiaries.
The Relative Saturation of our inputs start to
become evident when the beneficiaries start to
narrow. While the promotion of free trade areas
and pacts are clearly desirable; the issue is
one of “inequality”. In today's Non Linear
era, only “relative equals” can trade as partners
and economically integrate using correct Democratic
ideology and economic principles.
The key change in the Non Linear
era requires the global community to accept that
Globalisation is NOT likely to be created through
global products BUT services. Though the trend
is self indicative; we should need to incorporate
Non Linear Thinking. Global brands, in a Non Linear
era would have to change their “content and form”
to adapt to local needs. They would in effect
lose their global identity. It is important to
observe that the growth of Global products has
been a result of the services sector. Education,
music, sports, are able to create a lifestyle
or image that now has a greater power to integrate
consumers - than the product alone through quality
or price.
Global
Free Trade is no longer sustainable only the basis
of lower cost!
Non Linear Thinking will identify
the need to change our definitions and parameters
for globalisation almost in synch with the “rapidity”
of change in technology. Shorter life cycle of
products, obsolescence of technology indicate
that we must start to define our economic systems
in terms of their “Lack of changeability"-
whereas we continue to seek durability. Our instinctive
effort and struggle to retain our markets - must
redeploy the same energy – to help us change.
The continuous linear savings
that the Consumption economies have made through
sourcing lower cost produce will in the future
start to shrink - because the share of production
within the total product cost is continually falling.
Pre and Post production Intangible costs at the
consumption end now keep increasing. At some point
despite the lower labour costs, the current result
of shorter product life cycles and the continuous
need for “niche” branding will tilt the scales.
Finally, the ease of localized inventory management
will make it economical to manufacture nearest
to the point of consumption.
In the Developed economies, the
initial phase of import provides huge savings
to a consumption based economy through lower costs
to the consumer. This first creates an environment
where the cost of essentials start to decrease
vis-a-vis the “high growth of incomes”. In the
1970's and 1980's this created the inflation that
accompanied the consumer spending boom. Today
- falling costs contribute to “low inflation”.
Technology and import sourcing reduces the “manufacturing
jobs”, in every sphere of production, specially
in the developed economies.
BUT - there is still a value
that is missing. The huge margins in saved costs
when importing from lowest cost manufacturing
location has helped few products such as “electronics”.
In other areas most of the benefits have been
“absorbed” by the new added - values and costs.
This has offset a lot of potential consumer savings
in the West.
Today the “New added - values”
that absorb most of the costs are in marketing,
advertising, retail and legal costs which now
constitute the majority in total cost of any product
or service. With increased imports from lower
cost locations - the “added savings ” were absorbed
by these new services. This created the employment
demand of the 70's and early 80's, created by
growth in the services sector. Unfortunately,
these suffer the consequences of a recession.
Jobs are the first to go. With the increase of
added - value in the post manufacturing phase
- the employment volatility and effect has increased
on the consumption side.
The disadvantage - in a recession
in the Non Linear era is that any fall in product
demand removes more jobs than it did in the past
and effects more parts of the economy than before.
This is an inherent ill-effect of consumption-based
economies.
Perhaps this should be explained.
Normally and in the past, a drop
in product demand would mainly effect the producer,
as PRODUCTION took the majority impact within
the cost. So 100 units less at 100 Dollars per
unit meant a loss of 10000 Dollars to the total
trade. In the past almost 60 - 70 per unit or
6000 - 7000 Dollars was the manufacturing value
returned to the producer. The majority of the
loss in the linear era was thus concentrated at
one point leading to structured closure or restructuring
of the manufacturing plant.
Today the production point receives
a smaller share of say 3000 in the 10000 dollars
of product value recovered. When the added value
vanishes today in the importing country there
is a loss of 6000 that is suffered after the point
of production. So while the producer has obviously
lost his added value the MAIN loss is in the “Consuming”
economies. This amount is further fragmented and
spread over the “services” that absorb the majority
of costs. This is a chain effect - over advertising,
marketing, distribution, retail and legal service
businesses. Even a small percentage drop in numbers
in this Non Linear era within a ‘developed economy’
has a disastrous effect . However, boom times
provide equal benefit - when a small growth provides
wide spread employment. These are the Non Linear
economics of this era.
The consumption economies are
Non Linear as they have “fickle” incomes because
they are based on the erstwhile “intangibles”
that drive their commerce. YET Linear theories
remain the priority and they continue to be dependent
on continuous growth in trade as the minimal need
for survival. The “effect” of small fluctuations
are thus greater than before. Frequent upheavals
become inevitable.
Non Linear Thinking also identifies
other reasons for the reducing potential for export
production from the low labour cost environments.
Manufacturing countries using Child labour, Animal
testing, with Human rights violation, poor environment
management, or using toxic raw materials, are
all targets of protest. Products from such countries
should start to be refused under “human value”
trade sanctions, a category that will emerge as
a new component within free trade. Consumers in
the developing World will increasingly influence
Brand owners to stop purchase from lowest cost
source, because the savings from low labour cost
countries are a very small percentage relative
to final price. The human value perception could
be much greater and would justify an “added -
cost” of manufacture.
Non Linear Logic could thus forecast
an increase in manufacture nearer to the point
of consumption for a number of reasons; leading
to a drop in global trade in products. This
will be a beneficial reversal for the developed
economies - and must mean an increase in purchase
of services and only low investment sweat shop
products from the populous countries.
MORE REASONS: Unfortunately
continuous disasters, shortages, crises will ultimately
provide society with the “correct valuation” for
natural products, only after we have suffered
great “economic losses” from environmental damage,
oil spills, waste dumping and the exhaustion of
natural resources. These are all indicators that
globalisation of trade based on goods will no
longer be sustainable.
Linear economic and valuation
formulae have never considered the cost of “renewability”
of a natural product, to be a part of the cost
of a natural resource. The erroneous valuation
method has always considered only the cost of
“acquisition”. The availability is taken for granted
as nature's eternal free gift to mankind.
We should forecast that the “cost”
of transport of crude oil could be a significantly
higher based on the cost of risk than what is
conveniently perceived today?
When transporting oil - it will
at some point be necessary to add value of the
cost of renewability - in event of a spill. This
disaster scenario can no longer be considered
a “rarity” - conveniently covered by an insurance.
The cost has by experience been far greater than
our simplistic linear logic - and there is no
fund that has been provided for this within our
“economic systems”.
While it appears that World trade
is getting globalized - it is necessary to consider
that technology is reducing distance, and increasing
incomes continuously in populous regions. This
offers us the opportunity of greater volumes in
a smaller geography. Information and services
will thus have a greater value than product -
as only they can be instantly adapted and “transported”
safely . Raw material and Goods must become increasingly
expensive to transport because of increased costs
of fuel and environment care. Regions can then
again come full circle as in the past and focus
on the development of regional technologies and
raw materials for local consumption.
This is a global opportunity
for human input by all - but having regional significance
in terms of product and goods.
So, in the future we would be
“glocalised” by using local products based on
global technologies that provide the support and
services. For managers of the future we must have
the expertise and acceptance - to go “Back to
future” - taking with us our new information technologies.
^top
Redefining
Employment Laws for Sustainable Globalisation
Paradoxically rapid Linear growth
has helped create a society, where despite a relatively
fair minimum wage structure, and reasonable infrastructural
benefits where the majority can live as equals;
the developed economies are now prone to ‘high
impact unemployment conditions’ whenever unemployment
crosses even 5%. The continued use of ‘free trade
principles’ that created the growth in the past
now threatens stability in the Non Linear era.
Development of a relatively good
quality of life and living standards for industrial
workers in the developed World should have been
considered to be an achievement that deserves
some preservation and protection. Non Linear logic
would reveal that the ability to shift production
on the basis of “lowest cost” to any country or
location should no longer be perceived as a right
based on the democratic principles of free trade.
In the future when a corporate
shifts its industry base from a “developed environment”
to an unregulated poor economic environment; Non
Linear logic should also consider the move as
an exploitation of the displaced citizens in its
home country. The developed economies are consumption
driven, and hence low cost imports trigger economic
growth. In developing economies like India the
income levels are too low for any import to create
a growth within the economy and promote employment.
We therefore cannot have the same approach to
free trade. Even export led industrial manufacturing
investments are unable to create employment as
todays technology requires less than 10 persons
per Million dollars of Investment. It would thus
be almost impossible to create employment for
a few million to create a “national” difference
in India. In this Non Linear era jobs will have
to be created for local services and local product
requirements. International free trade in industrial
products can be a source of income if the product
is ‘home grown’. But as jobworker industrial products
can no longer be considered a source of employment
for countries like India. Low Investment sweat
shop labour based products are the only ones that
create some impact.
Intellectuals, economists and
researchers should infact research the effect
of the loss of say 10,000 manufacturing jobs from
say North America to the gain in economic terms
and employment created in the low wage countries.
In the developed economy there is a greater economic
“chain” effect from services within a developed
infrastructure. The huge “multiple” loss in value
through services must far exceed the linear savings,
or the benefit to the new supply source. In the
linear era the “savings” in products cost continued
to decrease prices in proportion to the decrease
in costs. Today “labour content” remains a constantly
falling value based on automation that keeps increasing
productivity. Unfortunately all calculations are
based on linear logic.
Democratic values must insure
that through economics systems must seek to pitch
“Relative equals” against one another. For the
developing economies the maximum benefit will
in future occurs where the product technology
is totally dedicated to the local consumer and
where the production facility is located near
the point of consumption. In almost every country
there is now a fluctuating cycle of unemployment
which becomes the “ticking time bomb” that
creates unrest and losses. The “cost” to society
in todays time of violence, is enormous. The losses
caused by the reaction and after effects of unemployment
are perhaps greater than the symptom or savings
to the creator of the unemployment. ( see India
Centric Issues: "Labour
- Hire and Fire" )
- As per linear logic, the “greatest” management
turnaround skills in the developed economies
seem to be based on the sacking of people -
to lower costs.
- The ability to hire and fire is seen as the
epitome of Free trade, and economics. Experts
had evolved a linear theory for reducing costs
and the verdict was out. The theory showed that
society would ultimately benefit with this freedom.
The linear logic and benefit is based on the
assumption of continuous Utopian growth, and
a just economic order.
- But - a recession throws out all the fundamentals
of an economic theory.
- While we must perhaps still accept this as
a democratic right without reserve, we need
to categorically acknowledge that today - it
is not working for the people, and above all
cannot work in a highly populous, poor country
which has no social benefits and infrastructure.
Non Linear Thinking can tread
on toes, and attempt to look at this in the context
of correcting democratic values because of “Relative
Saturation”.
There are “few technologies or
investments” that can absorb 10000 or 30000 jobs
that are being dumped by some of the erstwhile
infallible big corporates. These super stars of
our past were always assumed to be the protectors
of our future. While some have not been able to
forecast or changing technologies or the increasing
shift towards services; the common feature is
the inability to identify with the consumer and
his basic application needs. Laying off employees
is today considered the natural democratic right
in developed economies. In a Non Linear environment
it can force a regression in free trade as we
know it. In this Non Linear era increasing fluctuations,
poor forecastability and rapid change will force
societies to demand a return to protectionism
and one can expect an even greater loss through
trade wars, hidden tariffs, and economic tensions
that mark a quick return to old errors. Defense
spending cuts that are being planned and implemented
by the developed economies could be reversed because
of changed “political scenarios” brought about
by deterioration in global trade relationships.
The cause would be the failing of our economic
systems. The arms trade that has formed a hidden
but ‘critical backbone’ to international trade
is an example where the short term revenue gain
has been negligible compared to the cost of containing
terrorism , local insurgency and civil wars. What
is happening here is that instead of “change”
creating the paradox. We are creating paradoxes,
and the increase in recurrence and frequency can
only lead to self - created “Chaos”.
^top
What
should be our Employment Laws within Free Trade?
First the change in perception
that relieving jobs is a Democratic right! Democracy
must mean freedom to choose, but compulsorily
the better choice for society not self! Individual
rights of a business cannot be above society in
the short term . ( see "Redefining
Democracy for Sustainability")
BUT it should be accepted that
this would not acceptable to free trade supporters
per se as it would appear to bring forth a“socialistic”
thought process. This thus needs to be considered
in hard economic and management terms. We should
accept and convince ourselves that after years
of adding 1000’s jobs every year, an institution
or corporate should not be permitted to suddenly
decide that they have 30,000 Extra. This is not
a tough “management” decision. It is an “autocratic”
license to jeopardize the career and future of
families and the local economy – showing that
management has poor skills and little regard for
planning. This is “bad management” and must be
seen as such by all of us. But the right to retrench
and replace must remain because history and experience
have shown that guaranteed employment breeds inefficiency
as in the public sector of India, erstwhile Soviet
Union etc. etc. Our solutions therefore cannot
be based on “this” or “that”.
“This” approach means
removing protection for the community and society
and
“That” approach breeds inefficiency, corruption
and huge economic losses.
There has to be a another way!
We must give companies the “right
to replace” as a fundamental right anytime they
want. Replacement is the “correct” democratic
principle that retains human values, and democratic
rights - and provides the incentive to be efficient.
The “right to fire and retrench” must thus be
based on further controls that retains some responsibility
on management.
As a “first option”, Industry
must “replace” and can opt for “lower cost”, “younger”,
replacements. While we must retain the “democratic”
right to fire, we must add responsibility - which
is the missing Human Value in our current democratic
definition. There must therefore be the natural
right to scale down employee strength based on
changing markets. But – this must be restricted
on an annual basis - perhaps matching the employment
cycle during growth. This should be perfectly
acceptable - because the COST to society and economy
of a sudden “offload” is far greater than the
saving to the company. Governments would easily
afford to support this with fiscal and tax incentives.
The additional and delayed
cost would thus be the real responsibility of
“bad management”.
In a Non Linear era expected
to be consistently turbulent - dumping debt, goods,
assets will not be considered prudent in financial
management ( though very efficiently done for
profit ). Yet “people” as a resource is expected
to be dumped because it is democratic. This is
not sustainable for the future. A fair 2nd Stage
“growth” towards correction should thus be to
allow a maximum retrenchable percentage in any
ONE YEAR related to the average total employment
of last 3/4 years. A fast employment growth should
permit an equal pace of retrenchment. Non Linear
Thinking will reveal that in a democracy the “impact”
of a recession is the real “creator” of a longer
recession. The reasoning is economic not philosophical
or socialist. If the economic impact can be reduced
- then the cost and benefits will be better to
the entire community and economy.
In a Non Linear era, democracy
and laws have to be “upgraded” to place “human
resource” above other resources and bring in critical
changes.
- The larger “percentage” of those that have
to be removed, must be replaced by people as
per “choice of employer”.
- Any further percentage of “job” cuts must
be limited to a fair value of the total on an
annual and staggered basis.
In this way even though there
would be a “COST” - the cost can be an
investment in the form of -
- Training new recruits, graduates. ( In the
chapter on "Education",
we have seen that this will help the future
economy and the “new students” by giving them
opportunity despite recessions.) This should
be a true corporate responsibility that will
give huge profit to both the economy and the
corporate in the future.
- Increasing research staff in a recession to
develop better products to improve profits in
better times.
- Improving efficiency in customer service,
maintenance, design, software, data processing,
while sales are low.
The ideal is NOT to add social
costs and ideology but democratic principles,
given credence to Human Resources and being “conscious”
of the need to control the urge to add and subtract
people as an “inanimate” resource. There could
be ancillary benefits to this policy for Industry.
This must lead to savings and better profits,
because it will “LIMIT” the ability and bad practice
to jump on the industrial “me-too” bandwagon.
Today any product having a good demand leads to
indiscriminate expansion, hiring, based on “poor
management perception” because of the freedom
to fire when demand reduces. This is not fair
on employees who cannot be expected to forecast
the business acumen of entrepreneurs or corporates.
These Non Linear systems should
be considered as “additions” to our democratic
values - NOT as a reduction in democracy and free
trade. It is earnestly hoped that this process
is not branded “socialist or leftist” because
those in the Hierarchy and therefore controllers
of Economics and Information are easily convinced
of the dangers of meddling with free enterprise.
For their benefit NLT must also forecast specific
advantages. Today big companies pay more than
smaller companies. This can be “reversed” in the
future where upheavals will be more frequent.
If large companies adopt correct “values” they
would probably need to pay less because of their
strength, coverage of health costs and relatively
secure employment. In a Non Linear era small companies
would have to pay more in the form of “entrepreneurial
wages” to those willing to take the risk of taking
employment with a small company - and survive
amidst uncertainty.
In India, China, Soviet Union
-the millions of unproductive labour employed
by public sector - are all facing the dilemma
of an “exit policy”. Overseas investors are increasing
their pressure on the Governments to allow freedom
to hire and fire! Linear logic cannot be applicable
in countries where 20 - 30 million are unemployed
and 100’s of millions have low incomes. The political
chaos and mayhem that can be created by unemployment
would prevent commercial activity itself -negating
the logic of economic freedom and the democratic
rights of hire and fire.
The FIRST critical need is to
change the diseased attitude of state owned and
public sector workers that they cannot be fired.
So replacement must be the FIRST right given to
all in industry. To reduce the chaos of sudden
and further unemployment - a further ability for
a percentage reduction can be given on annual
basis according to some norm to retain equilibrium
and correct the current ills of low productivity.
Salaries of less than 1000 US $ per annum, cannot
be crippling - if productivity is even marginally
improved.
It is unfortunate that in the
search for the “perfect solution” attempting appeasement
of Unions on one side and foreign investors on
the other - the dithering of governments continues
and investment inflows suffer bringing no benefit
to either. Unfortunately the search for a solution
is based on retention of control, not economic
logic.
NLT can help evolve solutions
that do not create confrontation.
In any solution design correction
is painful - and impractical if it ONLY asks for
a change in ideology. Usually it is never implemented
and written off to “philosophical banter”.
NLT will provide solutions that
are democratic, but always involuntarily integrated
with economic logic for effective results.
In all matters of policy our
decision makers must look for signs of “Relative
Saturation” where democratic principles no longer
protect the “larger unit”. This indicates the
need to enlarge the democratic principles.
^top
INDIA
CENTRIC ISSUES
Countries like India that are
uncompetitive due to their recent emergence in
the Global markets have been disadvantaged by
decades of poor government policy on protectionism
For free markets to develop trade partners must
at first identify areas where there is relative
equality in “one”or more economic sector or product
group. These are sectors where the ‘developing
country has some “global competitiveness and hence
equality”. These have to be thrown open to free
trade internally within the country first. This
experience and development will “create” the guidelines
for the future addition of more areas - leading
to the final integration.
- In a Non Linear era we can no longer expect
to keep increasing customers and markets based
on past experience. Different products and technologies
are needed to match different living standards.
This is largely ignored when linear logic is
applied to economic growth within the quest
for globalisation. Many transnationals would
have experienced the need to drastically alter
their original plans and adapt and reposition
their products ‘lower down’ to be able to address
the mass consumption products for ASIAN markets.
- Currently our Linear systems within technology
and commerce always seem to aspire towards the
goal of equalizing the per capita consumption
of global products.
Developing countries need to
be informed of their priorities. Their “FIRST”
focus for manufacturing, and globalisation must
be based on utilization of “human resource” alone
- with minimal investment in export based manufacturing
and capital goods. There should be minimal diversion
of capital to manufacturing - because maximum
capital is to be retained for infrastructure like
Power, Road, Water Resources etc. In a Non Linear
era, creating industry through increased debt
is a trap and cannot be sustained because of the
“decreasing” share of ex-factory cost within a
faster obsolescence of technology. The focus must
shift to services, and reduce the dependence on
products for global trade. The need for foreign
exchange as seen in India can be ideally met by
the huge availability of Human-Hours - with the
minimal need for additional scarce capital and
infrastructure to be exclusively used for export
production.
Though the Software Industry
is booming it is not based on ‘design or intent’
as it is the creative spirit of free markets and
the success of the overseas Indian professional
community. BUT for the country to take advantage
of this “new” opportunity there is first the urgent
need for honesty to acknowledge that there is
no available resource or Industrial technology
that can provide “employment” for current and
future “Indian” levels of manpower availability.
Planning by negation becomes necessary. The limited
funds that are available for infrastructure cannot
be diverted from “local needs”. Though the software
industry needs its own infrastructure ( which
is again woefully short) its needs are miniscule
compared to the returns they generate IF compared
to the infrastructural needs for an export manufacturing
industry If foreign exchange is the need than
Indian should “first” use its existing resource
of “man-power” to provide a return in foreign
exchange.
“China” has managed to create
huge export surplus in its ‘first stage’ of export
led growth using their manpower for relatively
“low - tech” manufacture. But China has the 'PARADOXICAL
advantage' of being able to prioritize its need
by Economic Logic - not Democracy and hence
Indian policy cannot be fairly compared.
In India the population is conditioned
to democracy, and the Government and politics
is steeped in ‘control based economic policy’.
India has not permitted itself to use its human
resource as a ‘resource’ because of poor political
will, and thus we have been unable to grow through
the natural abilities of our population. So growth
has and will always remain minimal based on Government
policy. Only infrastructure investments and minimal
management (negation and inaction) will result
in growth. India has a unique opportunity in this
one area where one strong infrastructure could
guarantee huge returns based on our established
success and credibility in the area of software
and I.T enabled services. This can support the
entire country’s foreign exchange needs based
on the availability of “low cost overseas communication
facilities”.
While it requires full Government
input and commitment to take advantage of this
opportunity – the poor approach towards telecom
as indicated by continued BUNGLING of policy is
indicative of our most likely loss in opportunity
to exploit our natural strength.One can infact
forecast continuation of poor policy based on
Non Linear logic because the basic frame work
of our past politics is based on the basic desire
to retain control; as the last bastion of political
instinct. They are perhaps aware that there is
little chance of subsequent control by Government
once any business is conducted through the open
sky! Years of control and restrictions seems to
made it obligatory and reflex for Government policy
to “allow”, direct, or regulate investment and
growth.
With improving communication
technologies, reducing cost, and the fact that
communication uses only “space” as the infrastructure
- a developing economy like India has a unique
chance to have an Equal infrastructure - compared
to any other country - i.e. in communication.
In all other areas of infrastructure like transport,
roads, shipping, ports, energy and power - India
cannot aspire to have adequate infrastructure
or the funds to create an internationally competitive
efficient infrastructure capacity that can be
exclusively devoted to an “export” industry. Since
our main resource is human power we are unlikely
to create a competitive manufacturing industry
that starts with the disadvantage of poor infrastructure.
The ONLY way that industry would become competitive
IF policy continues to prevent free trade is “continued
devaluation” of our currency. AT some rate our
currency will create ‘competitiveness by default’.
Perhaps at 100 rupees to the dollar every PSU
will also become the lowest cost producer in the
World. In a Non Linear era our foreign exchange
reserves are also unable to protect our currency
value which will continue to depreciate till it
equals the ‘true value of our goods and services’.
The current success of our service industry is
holding the rest of industry afloat. This cannot
be a sustainable policy for ‘globalisation’ for
India.
It is possible however to become
EQUAL to any and all other countries in “overseas
communication and transmission of digitized resources.”
For India - only 2-3 Million
English speaking University Graduates (amongst
a huge availability of 20 Million) can create
the needed revenue to cover any shortfalls in
foreign exchange. This existing resource has to
generate a small turnover ( not net earning or
income ) in international terms - while living
in India. The foreign companies are already aware
of this and as the permissions are available they
have started to set up their infrastructure, which
basically provides Indians the employment but
the added value in the forms of savings to the
overseas companies. For the moment an acceptable
barter. There is enough human power resource in
India to provide all the needed foreign exchange
to purchase what is needed from the lowest cost
source - rather than chase prehistoric and archaic
ideologies of self - sufficiency. The Indian purchasing
power alone will give a boost to global trade
and further increase the export of “human hours”.
This is already obvious, as most
have experienced that the real low cost of Indian
worker is not on the shop floor - but in the low
cost white collar technocrats. “Digital workers”
must provide support services to overseas economies
while they live in India. Once this is understood
then India can focus its large investments to
manufacture what is needed locally in large quantities
for the mass markets. Overseas technologies can
at best create product requirement that has limited
consumption. These should be imported based on
the lowest cost and reasonable tariff - so as
to get the best return and revenue from the limited
incomes and capital available in the country.
A country like USA will not be able to sustain
their growth based on ‘immigration’. The purchase
of man-hours is the correct substitute and a fair
trade.
We have already seen that there
is a desperate need to increase all “inputs” and
input evaluation. This cannot be afforded by the
developed economies unless they purchase human-resource
hours from countries like India. Today input cost
in the developed world, reduces the economic viability
of research, innovation, risk based development.
These inputs control the future, success and growth
of any corporate or economy. This infact would
be the “correct” global trade in inputs - because
it is based on equitable sharing of existing resources
and strength of each country.
The opportunity referred to here
need not be thought of in conventional terms as
an opportunity to merely increase Indian “market
share’ in Global software. This is Linear logic.
This trade opportunity is not part of an existing
trade - but an “emerging” one and a very obvious
new business opportunity that can be “created”
easily because it uses existing resources. The
true interpretation of free trade between India
and the developed would - will be easy import
into India of products not required by mass markets
- and the export from India of our existing resource
- Human Power in Digital hours.
“Reprioritisation” is
always the “best-first-option” when faced with
limited resources. The focus of sustainable self-sufficiency
must first and always be based fiscal and not
"Physical self-sufficiency"
- perhaps a small spelling error that has prevented
growth and equalization in so many developing
economies.
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