India & USA – Similarities & learning for Indians
USA
50 States
3rd Largest by Size & Population
Capital : Washington D.C.
Motto : In God we trust
Oldest Democracy
Upper House – Senate
Lower House – House of Representatives
India
28 States
7th Largest by Size & 2nd biggest by population 1.4 Billion
Capital : New Delhi
Motto : Satyamev Jayate ( Truth Alone Triumphs)
Biggest Democracy
Upper House – Rajya Sabha
Lower House – Lok Sabha
Why is the USA the most powerful country in the World?
- Size – It is the 3rd largest country by size and by population with plenty of useable land
- No enemies at the borders – It has Canada in the North & Mexico in the Southern border with no border disputes
- Self Sufficient – All natural resources present in plenty plus vast useable agricultural land available
- Technologically Advanced – Most Advanced country with all tech giants having Head offices in the US
- Good Governance- A corruption free government which looks after its citizens flawlessly
- Patriotism in citizens
- Most advanced Armed forces which can strike any corner of the world with promptness effectively
- Biggest Economy in the world with a GDP of more than $ 21 Trillion
What can India learn from the USA to become a developed economy ?
Discipline
India is a big country with second largest population, most importantly 65% below 35 years of age but where do we stand in terms of basic discipline? When you travel to USA or any other developed country you see how clean those countries are. How well those people obey the law and rules. In the US generally the roads are so clean you can even sleep on the street. Why we can’t keep our roads clean like that? Are we a different species. No, it’s just we do not have the discipline and we do not know how to value the beauty of environment we got around us. These things should be practiced from our childhood. Kids should be taught to put the wrapper in the bag when ever they have candy, they should be taught to love the nature, animals, plant trees, water them, admire the natural beauty. Just see how we take pride in ” Not obeying ” the traffic rules!
I do not believe that democracy necessarily leads to development. I believe that what a country needs to develop is discipline more than democracy. Lee Kuan Yew, former PM of Singapore, cited in The Economist, August 27, 1994.
Wealth of a nation is directly connected to how much its citizens produce. On a very fundamental level it is actually that simple. The more citizens produce, the better off the nation.
For that reason, discipline plays a big role in a nation’s development. The discipline of a country automatically encourages an individual to work hard, manage his family assets diligently, to save and invest, then a lot of people are going to act like that, because this behaviour also brings social recognition and elevates an individual’s social standing.
If we want India to be a developed country then a drive to get our people disciplined must be a top priority.
Incorporate Technology to uplift the life of the common citizens
When technology is used correctly it can be extremely helpful in furthering the prosperity of a country like India. One such example of technology creating a positive impact on the economy is in regard to India — the Self-Employed Women’s Association uses SMS to send agricultural workers messages about commodity prices. This information helps farmers determine the best places to sell their produce. Farmers who participated in this program have said that they have been able to sell their products over wider areas, which has increased their incomes.
Another example, also in India, is the Hand in Hand Partnership (HIHP). The HIHP is an organization that provides women with mobile devices so that they can launch their own tech-driven businesses. The HIHP helps train and provide technical support for these women. By encouraging women to innovate ideas instead of just giving them technology, HIHP is helping to better the economy in a sustainable and long-term way.
The US has already applied the technology innovations of the private sector to the humanitarian and development community, the result is today its the most advanced, prosperous country in the world.
Corruption Free Governance
The levels of corruption in the United States are very low and nowhere near the levels in places like India, where people will openly ask for (and expect) bribes in everyday life, often just to do their jobs. For example, in the United States, if a person is stopped by a police officer for any reason, it is extremely unlikely that the officer will ask that person for a bribe, and it is extremely likely that if a person were to offer a bribe unsolicited to try to make the officer go away, he would get into even worse trouble. And, to their credit, the US government bureaucracies provide the same service to everyone, unlike in India where a common man is squeezed to pay even for something which is a free government scheme. In the US one cannot slip $10, for example, and skip to the front of the line to get a driver license or file government paperwork; there is no concern that the food system is contaminated because inspectors are taking bribes to look the other way, etc. The US is almost entirely free of this low-level corruption, and it is frowned upon and punished when it happens.
Women Empowerment
When 7 poor Gujarati housewives decide to borrow Rs.80 and start a business of lentil wafers or famously called as “Papad” and bring it up to a level where they do business of Rs.6 Billion per year with team of 45000+ ‘sisters’ !!!
“Shri Mahila Griha Udyog Lijjat Papad” -. Some may recognize it with an TV advertisement of a man wearing rabbit suit jingling – Lijjat Papad and some remember it as tasty crunchy side snack in their meals. The organization is known for their wonderful initiatives leading to empowering thousands of women across India.
Expanding opportunities for women to participate in the workforce could add as much as $28 trillion to the world’s economy. In the US, American women are an important part of the workforce. They make up almost 50% of the workers. Women work in all types of jobs. There are no jobs that are only for men or only for women. You may have a female boss.
Work Culture or Work Ethics
India is aiming to a $ 5 trillion GDP nation within the coming five years. India has to learn from the past experiences of several developed nations like the US, China, Japan, Germany, to achieve its target of $5 trillion GDP. Every organization government or private need to focus on changing the work culture in our offices. The USA has a very different kind of work atmosphere which one can easily judge by looking at the picture below of President Obama and his subordinates.
Respecting someone doesn’t mean fearing that person. In fact, Respect is born out of love. There is no love in fear. Truly respectable people will never demand obedience. They will get it from true learners and followers. We need to create a culture of meritocracy rather than sycophancy. Leaders should put themselves in subordinate’s position to check whether their attitude towards him makes him proud. A lot of giant corporate companies strive to provide an atmosphere of independence for their employees since they believe that is essential for innovation to happen. You can see all of this being the part of American work culture.
