India – Taking it all in (1/11 – 1/13)

Foggy mornings, historic temples, crowed streets and spicy food.  All of these have been experienced during my first three days in India.  But in describing my experience so far, I feel the best place to start is with the traffic.  It may seem like an odd place to begin, but since it is something we have been interacting with extensively over the past three days – and is very different from the roads back west – I feel it is appropriate.

The Drivers of Delhi makes those in New York and on Long Island seem like the senior citizens back home who make a point to always drive 10mph below the speed limit.  Virtually anything goes on the roads of Delhi, leaving pedestrians to fend for themselves.  Though crosswalks do exist, yielding to pedestrians is virtually unheard of.  When it comes time to cross a street, one must either wait for a long gap in the oncoming cars or just make a run for it and hope for the best.  Fortunately, Professor Gupta has been more than happy to take on the role of “group crossing guard”, in order to ensure our safety.   The drivers also lean on their horns as if their lives depend on it and have no respect for the ludicrous idea of staying in lane.  We even passed by a sign on are second day instructing drivers to “Drive Sane, Stay in Lane.”  Obviously this simple idea, which we take for granted back in the states, is virtually non-existent on this side of the world.

The food in India, from what I have experienced so far, demands an adventurous eater.  Most dishes are difficult to identify and even when I do inquire about what I am eating, I have more often than not never heard of it.  Spicy food is very abundant.  All meals – breakfast, lunch and dinner – have at least one spicy dish. Since meals are typically spread out – dinner sometimes being served seven or eight hours after lunch – the amount of food served can be abundant.  At a restaurant we visited on our first night, the appetizers – which consisted of several meat and vegetarian items – were so overflowing that we actually thought Professor Kahai was joking when he told us the main course would be served in ten minutes.  We have also fallen back on some western food by having McDonalds take out for lunch.  Despite the lack of any beef items on the menu, McDonalds India is pretty similar to its American counterpart.

Our business visits have been very insightful and informative.  So far we have visited PWC, Dunnhumby , and HCL.  PWC was a good place to begin our visits since the presentation gave an overview of the Indian government and infrastructure.   A large portion of the presentation was spent discussing E-Governance and PWC’s role in initiating it in India.  Though the individual giving the presentation was very optimistic about how E-governance will do wonders for the Indian economy, we knew not to take everything he said at face value.  Given that PWC has much to gain if the government commits to e-governance, it is doubtful that the company would spend much time critiquing the idea.  This fact was underscored for me when a member of our group asked if E-Governance has met much criticism in India, since it will inevitably reduce employment by making several jobs obsolete.  The presenter was quick to inform us that E-governance will have just the opposite effect, since the demand for the services being covered by E-governance will increase.  Though this may be true in the long term, I believe in the short term that it will result in a reduction of jobs and I feel it is an issue that he should have addressed.

Dunnhumby, a multinational retail consultant, is home to a former Binghamton University School of Management Professor who returned to India after leaving academia.  The Indian Dunnhumby office – led by an American – acts as the head quarters for the entire corporation.  This is a curious fact since the company does not have any clients in India.  However, given the growth rate of the Indian economy, establishing a strong foothold in the country is a very strategic move.

The HCL presentation involved an hour long Q&A session with the CEO, Vineet Nayar.  Prior to the visit, we listened to a presentation on a case study about Mr. Nayar and his revolutionary “employee first, customer second” leadership strategy.    During the Q&A, I asked about Special Economic Zones – which HCL was located in – and how they negatively impact the economy through lost tax revenue.  Mr. Nayar informed me that the SEZ allows HCL to hire additional workers, all of which have to pay income taxes.  Since the increase in income tax revenue exceeds the revenue the government would be receiving from HCL were it obligated to pay corporate taxes, he feels that SEZ’s do not harm the economy.

In addition to business visits, we have also visited several “touristy” locations.  On our first day we traveled to the India Gate – a war memorial for the Indian Military.  The structure was extremely similar to the Arch of Triumph in Paris, which I visited a couple of summers ago.  We were fortunate to arrive while several members of the Indian armed forces were practicing for an upcoming celebration.  We were able to watch several foot and cavalry units march in formation in front of the gate.  Surprisingly, we were just as a big a hit for the Indian forces as they were for us.  As they marched by our group, several of them took out their cameras and cell phones to take pictures of us.  I guess a group of American students was a surprising site at 8am on a Tuesday Morning at the India Gate.

Later in the day, we traveled to the Parliamentary Museum.  The museum was on the grounds of the Indian Parliament, so the security was very thorough.  We ended up going through two checkpoints.  Both checkpoints had us walk through metal detectors and undergo a frisking from a guard.  The second checkpoint, which was outside the museum, seemed rather redundant.  We later learned that redundancy such is this is common in India for the sole purpose of creating jobs.  The tour of the museum itself was a little dull, largely due to the very unenthusiastic tour guides.  Nevertheless, we did learn a lot about how India’s current government came to be.

We spent the evening of the 12^th at the Kingdom of Dreams.  The complex, from what we saw, consisted of a large dining area, several bars and restaurants, gift shops, and a large theatre.  The entire place was given an artificial India look, which almost made me feel as if I was in Epcot India back in the States.  Our time was spent watching an Indian play (In Hindi) and exploring the various dining establishments.  As I said earlier, India demands an adventurous eater.   Though most of the menus had pictures of the actual plates, it was still very difficult to identify what was what.  I ended up taking a shot in the dark and ordering what looked like miniature hamburgers.  Though I still have no idea what the center of the burger consisted of, it actually turned out to be quite good.

On the morning of the 13^th we traveled to the Akshardham Temple Complex.  Despite looking like a very old structure, the entire complex was only built five years ago.  The temple itself was absolutely beautiful, as was the surrounding complex.  A significant amount of our time at the complex was spent learning about Swaminarayan  – an important figure in Hinduism.  The learning experience consisted of several short films, an IMAX film, and a boat ride.

We concluded the night of the 13th with a party at the Gupta Residence for the Lohri festivities (the first day of spring in India).  Before the party, some of us went shopping in Delhi for some traditional India clothes.  Part of this trip included riding on a bicycle rickshaw which, despite being a little scary as the driver weaved in and out of traffic, was quite fun.  The vendor we purchased the clothes from offered a discount for buying in bulk.  Since a group of us were buying clothes, we qualified for the discount.  When the time came to pay, the store owner was not able to make change for me.  Since we were in a rush, I told him that it was not a big deal, and that he could just give me part of the change back (which would eliminate the discount).  He quickly waved me off, telling me that he wanted me to get the full discount.  He ended up running to a nearby store to get the necessary change.  After thanking him for his generosity, I walked away hoping that my future interactions with Indian store owners would be similar to this one.  The party was a fantastic opportunity to interact with local Indians.  All of them were very happy to have us there for what turned our to be a very enjoyable evening.

Red Forts and Congested Streets (1/14)

We began January 14^th with a visit to DSCL, an Indian business with a heavy investment in rural development.  The presentation provided several interesting facts about rural India.  For instance, despite making up 70% of the population, the rural inhabitants of India only contribute to 50% of consumption.  Most rural inhabitants have been dependent upon locally run stores for purchasing basic amenities.  Many of these stores owners have strong relationships with their customers, and will often let customers buy on credit.  However, according to the DSCL executives, many local store owners exploit the monopoly they have over the local residents by charging very high prices.

DSCL is undertaking a project known as the Harryali Experience.  The project strives to build small convenience stores in rural areas.  The stores provide basic services and amenities to rural residents.  When asked how the project was being funded, we were told that the stores are being funded entirely through internal funds – no dept has been issued.  The stores have been growing very rapidly due to their popularity in rural areas.

A major benefit of these stores, according to DSCL, is that they force local retailers to offer fair prices in order to stay competitive.  This works to prevent the exploitation mentioned earlier.  However, the presentation failed to mention how the Harryali stores could potentially have a Wal-mart like effect on local stores by utilizing their efficient supply chains to undercut the local stores’ prices and put them out of business.

After the DSCL visit, we ventured onto the strees of Chandi Chowk.  The streets were packed with vedors, patrons and residents.  Every spot of available real estate – including narrow alleyways, some no wider than two should lengths – was used for store space.  Most vendors were selling similar products, including scarves, tapestries, miscellaneous apparel, and jewelry.  Despite being pressured by several retailers, I did not buy anything.  On another note, I noticed that the air quality in Chandi Chowk was exceptionally poor.  Granted, many of us have commented on the poor quality of air in other parts of Delhi, but it seemed amplified in Chandi Chowk.

We ate dinner at a small dining establishment (I feel “restaurant” is not the appropriate term to describe this place) in one of the alleyways I mentioned above.  Professor Gupta had warned us that those who went with him would be in for an adventurous eating experience.  Hoping to get the most out of my time in India, I was more than happy to go with him.  We at something call Parattas, which were similar to Pita bread stuffed with a food of our choice.  I had my first Paratta stuffed with cashew nuts and my second with bananas.  The parattas were served on a plate with various sauces and turned out to be quite good.  We concluded the night with a light and sound show at the Red Fort.  The fort itself, with its expansive walls and red stones, was actually a lot more interesting than the show.  Upon return to the hotel, we prepared for our trip to Agra and Jaipur.

Rural India and The Taj Mahal (1/15)

On January 15^th we began our bus ride towards Agra and the Taj Mahal.  The bus ride was our first exposure to rural India.  The terrain was predominately flat and was covered with fields of yellow flowers which Professor Gupta believed to be mustard plants.  As we approached Agra, the number of cows we began to see along the road increased substantially.  There had been some cows in the streets of Delhi, but the novelty of seeing them quickly began to fade as we approached Agra.  I was surprised to learn that many of the cows we were seeing were actually wild cows, not owned by a farmer.  Professor Kahia told us later that night that, since cows are sacred in India, it is typical for a farmer to release a cow once it has become too old to produce milk or work on the farm rather than kill it.

When we arrived at the Taj Mahal, we were immediately ambushed by several street vendors, selling everything from whips to miniature Taj Mahals.  We experienced some hagglers in the streets of Chandni Chowk, but they were not nearly as persistent as the ones outside the Taj Mahal.  We quickly learned that asking the price of an item – or in some cases just making eye contact with a vendor – essentially committed you to buying one of their items as far as they were concerned.

We escaped the vendors on a camel cart which we rode to the entrance of the Taj Mahal.  The driver of the cart offered to, for a small fee, let us sit on the camel as it pulled the cart.  Though doing this cost no more than 20 rupees, it reinforced the notion that nothing is free in India.  For instance, on the bus, we passed by a man on the side of the road with a cobra in a basket.  When he played his instrument, the snake would slowly rise from the basket.  I’m not sure the term for such an individual – snake charmer perhaps – but it is very common to see them in cartoons a movies.  The cartoons, however, will never show this man demanding compensation for allowing you to take a picture of the snake.  We encountered a similar situation later on in the bus trip at a toll.  As the bus waited to pass through, several men with monkeys on leashes approached the outside of the bus.  After we took several pictures of the monkeys from the bus, they began banging on the windows, demanding we pay them.

The Taj Mahal was absolutely stunning.  We were fortunate to arrive on a very sunny day with clear blue skies.  The impossibly white structure against the blue background was one of the most beautiful sights I have ever seen.  As we approached the mausoleum, we as asked to place bags over our shoes to ensure we did not spread dirt on the marble surface.  The main room inside the Taj contains a replica of the crypt which holds Shah Jahan and his wife.  The actual crypt lies underneath the structure, but is too dangerous for tourists to enter.  According to our guide, across the river from the Taj is the foundation for the “Black Taj” – the rumored second Taj Mahal ordered by Shah Jahan but never completed.

Wrap Up (1/18-1/20)

Our final day of business visits began at WIPRO, an IT consulting firm.  The firm first entered the IT business in the early 1980’s after IBM opted to leave the country rather than comply with the new joint venture laws enacted by the Indian government.  Currently, about 90% of the firm’s profits come from its IT ventures.   Ironically, they had some IT trouble of their own during the presentation when it came to projecting the image from the laptop onto the overhead screen.

Our second visit of the day was to ICICI (Institutional Credit and Investment Corporation of India) Bank.  ICICI is the second largest bank in India and was the first bank to introduce the ATM to India.  The presentation improved my understanding  retail banking in India.  Overall, it seems very similar to retail banking in the United States.

At dinner that evening, we were fortunate to have Professor Kahai’s Uncle, a well known astrologer in India, come speak to us.  Prior to the evening’s discussion, I knew very little about astrology outside of the horoscopes printed in the newspaper.  I was surprised to learn that there is actually a tangible scientific component to astrology.  According to Professor Kahai’s Uncle, the gravitational pull of the moon and the planets affects the fluids in our bodies, just as it affects the tides of the ocean.  This impact on our bodily fluids helps astrologers understand how the position of the planets will affect our everyday lives.  After giving a brief overview of astrology, he opened the floor to questions.  Many of us took advantage of this opportunity to learn the future of our lives and world events.

We began Wednesday with an early morning bike ride of Old Delhi.  Though seeing Old Delhi was the purpose of the tour, simply navigating through Delhi traffic on a bike was an enjoyable and memorable experience in and of itself.  Considering how crowded the streets were at that early hour I can only imagine what it would be like riding on them later in the day.

After finishing the bike ride, we visited Humayun’s Tomb, a site President Obama visited on his trip to India.  While there we met up with our E-buddies.  I was very excited to meet my E-buddy – Pooja – who I had been exchanging e-mails with in the months leading up to the trip.  While at Humayun’s Tomb we discussed a number of things about our lives as students and discovered that there are a number of parallels.  A key difference though was the level of diversity in our schools.  I was very surprised to learn that I was the first American she had ever met.  She explained though that there are very few international students at her school, so she has not had many opportunities to meet foreigners.  After I thought about it for awhile, I realized that I had no reason to be surprised.  I think I take for granted the fact that I interact with students from all over the world everyday at school.  Had I attended a less diverse school, it is possible that Pooja would have been the first Indian student I had ever met.

After visiting a lotus temple, we returned to the hotel and experienced something that had been unheard of previously on this trip – free time.  I spent this time catching up on blogs and also spent some time walking on the streets around the hotel.  Having had little time earlier in the trip to simply walk around at my own pace and take in the surroundings, I was glad to have the opportunity that afternoon.  Upon returning to the hotel, I attempted to have a conversation with the doorman.  Though he seemed very eager to speak with me, his English was very poor which made communicating difficult.  We did manage to agree though – I think – that we both felt the weather was very nice outside.

That evening we attended another family party at Professor Gupta’s parent’s house.  While there I had two great conversations with members of his family.  It was interesting to see how these two individuals, about a generation apart, had two very different views on where India will be going in the future.  The first, an older uncle, felt that India had successfully capitalized on its massive population and will overtake the United States economically within the next two decades.  The second, a younger cousin, felt that the corruption and inefficiencies which exist in the Indian government are crippling the country, preventing it from overtaking the United States anytime in the near future.

Our final day in India was spent shopping.  I had been slacking as far buying gifts for friends and family, so I planned on taking full advantage of this day.  The metro, which we used to get to the shopping district, was surprisingly much nicer than the New York subway.  We were, however, crammed into the cars like sardines.  Over the course of the day, we all began to develop ways to effectively bargain with stores owners.  I found that more often than not, if your price is not accepted by the vendor initially, walking out of the store will usually bring them around.

As I write this final blog back in New York, I must say that I am extremely satisfied with how this trip went.  The schedule was demanding, but given that we only had ten days to work with, it is clear that it needed to be.  The group of students was fantastic, as was the leadership from Professor Gupta and Professor Kahai.  This trip was, in my opinion, the ideal way to be introduced to India.  I am sure all of us would agree that it set a solid foundation for our future trips to the country to be built on.

Where’d We Park the Elephant? (1/16 – 1/17)

We arrived at the Bharatpur Bird Sanctuary on the chilly morning of January 16^th.  As we entered, we were met with a sign warning us that a tiger was present on the grounds and that we should stay on the main trail.  After mounting bikes, which looked and felt like they were built sometime prior to India’s independence, we made our way into the sanctuary.  The wildlife we saw on the ride included antelopes, monkeys, several types of birds – including bright green parakeets – and cows.

We traveled to Jaipur later that afternoon.  One of our stops included Jantar Mantar, an observatory which is home to the world’s largest sundial.  The tools found in this observatory, despite being hundreds of years old, were truly amazing.  The methods used for measuring time or locating stars and planets were so sophisticated, yet the designs were so simple.  Our final stop of the day was the Jal Mahal or “The Water Palace”.  The palace sits in the middle of a lake inside the city. We were fortunate to arrive at night while the palace was lit.  The bright palace, sitting alone in the middle of the dark lake, with the palace lights reflecting off the surrounding water, was a memorizing sight.

As we made our way to the hotel in Jaipur, we passed by a wedding precession marching along the road.  The precession was surrounded by bright lights and made up of about 50-75 people.  The groom sat on top of a horse towards the back of the group.  The groom’s father saw us on the side of the road taking pictures and invited us back to the bride’s parent’s house for food and drinks.  We politely declined the invitation and made our way back to the bus.  As we left, a friend of the groom stopped us and insisted we go with them, even for just a short time.  What a welcoming culture!

While at our hotel, which was more of a resort than a hotel, we were treated to a traditional Indian meal.  This involved sitting on the floor behind low tables, eating out of leaf bowls, and, of course, eating Indian food.  While exploring the grounds of the resort later that night, we came across a man offering elephant rides for 30 rupees.  Though the ride only lasted for about 2 minutes, and there were six of us crammed on top of the elephant, it was still a memorable experience.

The next day – January 17^th – we drove up the long and windy mountain road to Amber fort.  Despite being roughly five centuries old, the fort was still in good condition.  Inside the fort sat the largest cannon in the world (at least according to the guide).  It is interesting to think how a cannon of that size was designed more as a deterrent than as a weapon for regular use.  Any force aspiring to take the fort knew that as it made its way over the rugged and unforgiving mountain terrain, it would be bombarded by the fort’s cannon, even from as far as 30 kilometers away.

That afternoon we drove to an NGO Orphanage outside of Jaipur.  We learned about the orphanage from Dean Dhillon, whose son volunteers there.  The orphanage is home to about 60 kids, ranging from 2 to 18 years of age.  Some of us were surprised that the orphanage was not operating at capacity, considering the large number of children we had seen on the streets of New Delhi and Jaipur, begging for food and money.  One of the administrators of the orphanage told us that many of the children we see begging are not living on the streets going hungry.  Most of them have families who, despite living in poverty, are still able to provide for their children.  The children, most of whom do not attend school, spends their days gathering money from tourists.  Many of them enjoy doing it and almost see it as a game.  But she went on to say that a small percentage of these children actually do live on the streets.  These are the ones the orphanage seeks out.

After spending some time playing cricket with the kids and watching a dance performance, we began the long and bumpy ride back to New Delhi.