Lucky that i found this post today. This software job has made me a donkey. In my college days i had many ‘ideas’ and have dreamnt a lot about them but not now anymore!!

These posts have made me pull my tech papers from my old college bag….

Thank You Guys.

I’m ready to help every body who wishes to be here.

The point is, we are advocating the same cause, the sorry state of Indian IT industry and ways to overturn our images. Albeit, we have different methods. I will go the Japanese way and you do it the German way. The end result is same.

I can assure you, India is already building, rather re-building. If my ideas can contribute at least 0.001% of the total growth, I will feel blessed. Not that I’m stopping there…

All you biggies………. here we come!

Tell me, why Infosys, Wipro, TCS, <other big IT co.s), with thousands of computer science on bench, waiting for some IT biggie from USA to give them some work, aren’t developing a browser, or silverlight, or working on a weos or creating wordpress or phpBB or whatever. Well, there might be ongoing projects – I don’t deny that. But come on, Infy, TCS have been there for more than 20 odd years. Where my Indian Firefox?

I’m not against Indians. I just want a mass realization that ’services’ and ‘end-to-end’ solutions isn’t the only way to survive. Because that’s when India will become a superpower. Let’s have Tatas, Ambanis who will cross the boundaries and capture that Jaguar or lay fibre optic cables around the world. Let’s have more Bharati Mittals and capture telecom companies around the world.

I do not agree with Sapna-

“It is time we start advertising quality and creativity as our strengths apart from cost advantage. And if that translates into companies outsourcing thier core competencies then why not?”

Yet again – you want us to be working for the guys from the West. You want us to acquire ISO, CMM, CMMI, BSMS, what not certifications so that they are ‘convinced’ about our ‘processes’, ‘talent’ & ’skill’. Come on !

I need a break!

Let’s build an India that outsources to USA and EUROPE and Australia. Let’s build an India that calls shots in everything. Let’s have a currency that gets accepted all over the world. Let’s build an India that world envies. Let’s build an India where the Americans die to go for MS studies. Let’s build an India where the forigners would show the pic in front of Kutub Minar to their families back home, with pride (as against, a photo in front of Niagara falls).

Shift will happen. But the first step is to realize what we are and where we stand.

[Official declaration: No further comments on this post from Big K]

May be you are right, we totally suck at new technology. Lets accept the fact that we may not build a Linux or any other OS. But we can know it like no body else. Mind you, being a first mover is not always an advantage. Think Boeing, Think Oracle! And who else but the Japanese have mastered this art. They rebuilt on American principles. And now they have outdone them by far.

Sapna-
Thanks for advocating my point. Its time to spread the word… globally.

This post of yours reminded me of a debate we had a couple of years back. The topic of debate was “Are Indian software engineers hi-tech coolies?”. And it also reminds me of a post of Mr.Dasarathi (in.rediff.com/money/2004/mar/03guest1.htm) who called Bangalore a “Coolie Valley” and not a “silicon valley”.

I was furious when I read his post. He probably was frustrated with B’lore and thought he could vent it out with such comments.
And now the comment for the post “You can’t turn a donkey into horse by just calling it a horse”

While the fact remains that end-to-end solutions companies do not utilise the full potential of their engineers it does not mean we are not capable or that we do not innovate. What happened to all those R&D centres we have in India(even if they are set-up by US companies) and not to forget the number of Indians working in the US Silicon valley where innovative ideas are born.
India has moved up the ladder in the past few years and is no more just a out-sourcing hub or “world’s back office”.

Surely now its time we gained some self-respect and start calling ourselves software engineers and not just some cyber coolie or a bug-fixer. Now we have all the resources(not just man power) like the infrastructure, liberal govt. policies and the like.. and ofcourse the drive to innovate and willingness to dare to take risks.

It is time we start advertising quality and creativity as our strengths apart from cost advantage. And if that translates into companies outsourcing thier core competencies then why not?

India is ready to take up such a challenge!!!

Look dude! If you think we ‘have it’ in us – it would have been visible. Tell me, why is this country – of billion odd people – that produces thousands of ‘engineers’, ‘doctors’, ‘lawyers’ – is still a developing country?

It all boils down to attitude.

You say “We lack exposure and experience”. Humm, no one got exposure / experience by just thinking about it. Where are the ‘doers’? Where are the people who can dream the next Google (just for the example’s sake). We’ve plenty of Guruji.com / asklaila.com – all are copies of Yahoo & Google.

Let’s accept the fact first – we are donkeys. That’s when we feel bad obout ourselves and thinking about turning into lions. The trouble is we’re so happy thinking we are ‘horses’. I’ll show you 100s of software engineers who think they know ‘linux’ because they know 15 odd linux commands and can setup a linux server. Let’s get real! Let’s accept that we totally suck when it comes to technology.

…and need I tell you this? Everyday, we get posts from budding engineers who ask “Give me readymade report & project”. Its not in our blood, but doesn’t mean we can’t get it in us.

I reiterate my point on patriotism. When we think about the well being of our nation – we understand the ins & outs. Why don’t we love our country like the Japanese & the Germans do? Why are we so happy copying the west?

I might be contradicting myself – but I still believe there are few of the Indians who are going to redesign the future of India. I count on them – not everyone.

I’ve babbled about Indians not being creative number of times on my blog. We just copy everything – from music, to dressing, to movies, to work culture, to language, to eating habits, to lifestyle from the west. Things need to change. Let’s do something that makes them copy us.

India has a great future – but as I said – it lies in the hands of few talented Indians. Others will continue to be donkeys.

Well my point is, we are not short of ideas for sure. What we lack is exposure and experience. You say what the IITs have done? They have created the whole new generation of extremely talented engineers. Its sad that most of these are now settled in US. May be because probably they too believe India is no good place for them to grow, forgetting that India constitutes of millions of people like them.

You wrote {Understand that you can’t turn a donkey into a horse just by calling it a horse. Indians like us, who used to be the most creative & talented people, aren’t existent anymore – I mean, in bulk.}
And then you wrote {In my opinion, India still has the power to lead}
If you wish to call yourself a donkey, please do so. But do not generalize. You are by no means being patriotic by doing so.