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The engagement of the global Indian

Beyond the affluence and the influence, position and power, is there anything to note in the success stories of non-resident Indians, specifically for the rest of us back home in India? These thoughts emanated from a series of conventions and celebrations involving well-placed Indians in the United States.

Summer in the Silicon Valley is a time for conferences invoking India. It may be the temptation to travel for those professionals who want a break from the torrid Indian heat in the balmy Californian weather that is conducive to get-togethers, or it is vacation time in Indian institutions. Whatever the reason, this summer saw the first-ever global convention of the venerable Indian Institute of Science in Bangalore, now in its 100th year; the fifth Pan-IIT convention that brought together about 4,000 ex-IITians from all over the world; the annual conference of ‘The Indus Entrepreneurs’ (TiE) which is billed as the largest meeting of entrepreneurs anywhere in the world, and in a different locale the gathering of the ex-IIM fraternity. This pantheon of Indian institutions taken together has produced India’s best and brightest in the fields of science, technology, and management. As the resident diplomat, this writer had the privilege of participating in all the events.

Apart from the goodwill and the get-togethers, is there a larger meaning or message in all this? Sorting out one’s impressions from these meets, there are inferences — some obvious and others less so — regarding the current engagement between Indians abroad and at home in these fields.

To start with the readily visible ones, the numbers of successful Indians abroad in the fields of science, technology, and management have now reached a critical mass whereby their reputation, credentials, and collective influence are well established. For instance, the profile of an IIT graduate is now almost a legend in the corporate sector. Out of an estimated 160,000 graduates the IITs have produced, over 25,000 are believed to be in the U.S. Their arrival in America, that began from around the mid-1960s and gained momentum in the 1970s and 1980s, seems to be tapering off with the changes in the Indian economy. But apart from the numbers, many of the IITians have now reached influential positions. It is for this reason that the Pan-IIT meet saw Senator Hillary Clinton addressing them (by satellite as it happened in the last minute since she could not come to California); the chief of GE, one of the largest and most powerful corporations in the world, not only attending but also bragging about the number of IITians employed by the company; and scores of major corporates ranging from Microsoft to Google supporting the meeting one way or the other. The IISc with its stellar record in science and the IIMs with a more recent history have equally eminent alumni. They are yet to establish their brand name fully, but it is evident that there are enough of their graduates for them to establish a powerful network.

Another well-understood aspect is that these high-profile and influential groups have helped change the public perception of India and Indians in the West. Their numbers and success have not only given them a degree of pride and confidence but have spread these feelings widely. An obvious purpose of such networks is to help one another, including new graduates emerging from these institutions, and more significantly, help their alma mater back home. Thus comes the generous funding to IITs towards entire blocks or management schools or new endowments for faculty by some of the more prominent alumni (such as Kanwal Rekhi or Vinod Gupta.)

These are no doubt useful. But going beyond the individual success and collective confidence, the more important question is whether a greater engagement with India is emerging as an objective. A message that there is much to gain by the connectivity, and that a focussed and imaginative engagement can impact on India’s development, came through in varied forums. The word ‘transformative’ seemed to be the leitmotif.

Thus, the then President, A.P.J. Abdul Kalam, in his live tele-speech to the IISc meeting asked that after a hundred years the IISc should be “transformed into the International Institute of Science” where scientists and technologists from many countries should work together to solve common problems such as climate change, energy, water, health care, and materials resources. If he suggested a specific action plan, for instance vaccinology and nutrition as challenges in the field of health, R. Chidambaram, Principal Scientific Adviser to the Government of India and himself an IISc alumnus, identified areas of priority research undertaken in consonance with developmental priorities which will make a difference to India, for example food processing. The IIT panels had subjects such as ‘Clean energy-Life beyond fossil fuels’ or ‘Integrating Technology with India’s grassroots needs.’ One of the objectives at these conclaves was to see how this body of experts and technocrats can play a role in the huge enterprise of transforming India. At the macro level the idea is that for some of the challenges before us — energy, water, low cost housing or disease — technology and management can be harnessed in the search for solutions. And that this is a task in which the global Indian can play a role with his Indian counterpart. How is he qualified to play this role?

In the words of Rajat Gupta, Chairman of the Global Pan-IIT Board, “the alumni of our institutes, equipped with advanced technical and scientific expertise, armed with discipline developed during intense years of study, and guided by the entrepreneurial skills honed through the years — have developed a particular duty to live up to the hopes and the dreams of the nation.”

Apart from the focus on development, there were other aspects of looking “beyond technology.” It can take diverse forms: political engagement (as yet very nascent), an interest in social issues, a desire to work with Indian NGOs, and inclination towards the cultural or the spiritual. At a personal level, the commitment to Indian roots in terms of music or film or yoga is pronounced and all areas of creativity are benefiting from the global spread they now enjoy as a result of the connectivity. But it was equally heart-warming to see at both the TiE and IIT conventions, notable social activists and NGOs from India being invited to make presentations. The concerns ranged from environment to education for the underprivileged; from clean drinking water to cheaper building materials; from the digital divide to mosquito nets. The emphasis was on finding low-cost and mass-application solutions. It was possible to envisage that with all the talent, imagination and ‘can do’ spirit available, and capital too, the application of ‘mind to matter’ for some of our problems may yield at least a few results.

Will it happen? One can see that the engagement of the global Indian with his home is already impacting on some areas: IT and communications, media and entertainment, even civil aviation. What about the more difficult areas such as health, education or energy? Here, the absorptive capacities in India and the ability to adapt relevant technology on a large scale are among the questions that come into play. There are some early examples of success, and of frustrations too. A priority is to establish mechanisms to concretise and harness the goodwill and good intentions manifest in these groups to effect larger changes. It is heartening that efforts are under way in this direction at both ends.

(B.S. Prakash is India’s Consul General in San Francisco and can be reached at cg@cgisf.org.)

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