It is natural to chide governments all over the world for their inefficiency and lack of business acumen, especially when compared to the private sector. History, however, is replete with examples of those who have shown remarkable ingenuity. DARE looks at some Indian examples
Most of the capitalist world and some of the most influential sections of the recently-converted-to-capitalism world would have you believe that they shudder at the thought of government in business. And they are not entirely off the mark, for governments have, more often than not, proved them right. Yet, modern economic history is replete with instances of individuals in government helping set up successful business ventures or governmental administrative reforms that stand the test of time.
In the last six decades since independence, India, like most of the world, has undergone tectonic changes in its administration and economy. Time was when private investment in most economic sectors was positively discouraged in India, as most of them were reserved for state-run companies. In other words, the government managed not only the country's administration and law and order, but was also the biggest business conglomerate in the country. Over time, the excessively controlled economy and indeed the huge administrative structure became the primary reasons for India's economic backwardness, eventually leading up to the Balance of Payments crisis in 1991, which ushered in economic liberalization. Even so, by a conservative estimate, upto 40 percent of the economy remains government-controlled.
Yet, chided as most government servants rightly were, for their inefficiency, mis-administration and utter lack of business logic, some notable exceptions among them stood out. Had it not been for people like Verghese Kurien, MS Swaminathan, Homi Bhaba, RC Bhargava et al, India may never have seen Operation Flood/Amul, the Green Revolution, the nuclear bomb, Maruti Udyog, and so on. Such achievements have become so iconic that they are inseparable from independent India's history.
So what was it that made these few people stand out among a sea of those that were in no way remarkable? Simply put, they had all the hallmarks of being great leaders. Also, fortuitously for the country, they made things happen at the right time. So was it just providence or did these people have any common leadership traits that held them in good stead? While there are no straight answers to this question, if one were to try and analyze, a few important common characteristics stand out.
| A Few Good Men Some of India's most outstanding government servants and why they stood out |
| Verghese Kurien He is the "Father of the White Revolution in India" and the driving force behind Amul.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- E Sreedharan
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- RC Bhargava -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- TN Seshan -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Dr MS Swaminathan -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Field Marshal Sam Manekshaw -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Dr Homi Bhabha -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- PC Mahalanobis |
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written by Calvin Klein Men's Belts, December 21, 2010
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