For something that is considered a lifeline and a unifying force, Indian Railways is a shame. From the lack of well-lit stations to the state of the railcars, it is a journey back in time. In fact, it is hard to imagine that anything worthwhile has been done to improve the railways ever since the British left.
Start with the stations. Most of them do not have lights outside. Unless you come very close you don't even know if it is a railway station. Even after you have come close to be able to read the board, assuming one is present, you may be disappointed since the board may be only in the local language. Does the railways expect people to travel only within their own states, or does it expect everyone to learn all of India's languages. The same holds true for most of the notices inside.
The platforms themselves are downright dirty, with people allowed to put down their mats and sleep anywhere. There are toilets, but they will scare you to death. Some stations have pay to use toilets. That sounds hopeful at first. But be prepared to be mighty disappointed. They suck and stink. Complaining, like I did, doesn't do much.
Have you seen shit & garbage on the tracks ? Sure. But have you seen a dead cow on the tracks within a station, and a dog picking pieces of it ? I have. Imagine dinner and sleep after that, especially once you realize that your train is going to do some more damage to the carcass!
The railcars seem like they have not been cleaned since the British left, and that is no exaggeration. They don't even have waste-bins. Result ? Every inch of railtrack in the nation is surrounded by garbage thrown out the windows. Not a single patch of rural scenery can be seen without seeing plates, cups etc right under your nose.
Finally, be prepared to deal with rude TTs & police. I have actually been duped by a TT into paying a fine. I refused to pay the fine without a receipt, and hence ended up paying double. Only later did I learn that I wasn't doing anything wrong, as I had assumed (and confirmed) in the first place.
Sunday, January 13, 2008
The heat is on
It is encouraging to see people taking to rooftop solar installations, especially for heating water. Though still affordable only to middle/upper-middle class, the recent incentives announced by the government will go some way to make adoption even more widespread.
Apart from independence from a state-run grid, this also relieves the state from having to build more power plants. The resulting spare capacity, and the seemingly successful UMPP, has the potential to fix India's power situation within a decade.
A larger incentive for adoption would be some ability to earn revenue from such installations either by feeding excess back to the grid or a way to store/transmit power to neighbors without expensive installations.
With solar installation prices set to fall further, Indian can realistically hope to see sunnier days ahead.
Apart from independence from a state-run grid, this also relieves the state from having to build more power plants. The resulting spare capacity, and the seemingly successful UMPP, has the potential to fix India's power situation within a decade.
A larger incentive for adoption would be some ability to earn revenue from such installations either by feeding excess back to the grid or a way to store/transmit power to neighbors without expensive installations.
With solar installation prices set to fall further, Indian can realistically hope to see sunnier days ahead.
Death of the PCO
There was a time when making a long-distance or international call meant walking to the nearest phone booth, and standing in line followed by a few minutes of claustrophobic experience. With the cellular network growth, and internet email/chat, these are going the way of the dinosaur. And rightfully so, since their time is up.
With another dozen or so players being allowed to start cellular services, prices are set to fall even more substantially soon. That will be final nail in the PCO booth.
On a positive note, it should be a little bit more pleasant now to walk on the sidewalks without these booths encroaching on whatever little space was available. Hopefully, a majority of the people employed by these booths will find replacement jobs with the cellular players.
Is the ATM booth headed the same way when payment through cellphone takes off ? Leapfrogging is good!
With another dozen or so players being allowed to start cellular services, prices are set to fall even more substantially soon. That will be final nail in the PCO booth.
On a positive note, it should be a little bit more pleasant now to walk on the sidewalks without these booths encroaching on whatever little space was available. Hopefully, a majority of the people employed by these booths will find replacement jobs with the cellular players.
Is the ATM booth headed the same way when payment through cellphone takes off ? Leapfrogging is good!
A turning point
This could very well be the fall of Berlin Wall event for India. Or it could just be yet another great disappointment in the making.
Mayawati, chief minister of India's most populous as well as underdeveloped state, announced a few weeks ago her intention to get a mega expressway built along the breadth of the state. Called Ganga Expressway the project seems to be moving very fast with bids expected soon.
Why this sudden change of heart towards real development ? Is this another lang grab scheme clothed as a development project ? One can only hope that this is a turning point. If other states follow along the same lines, announcing and implementing such ambitious projects without delay, India could really grow spectacularly over the next few years.
A good road network is what India lacks. An high impact highway like this one has the potential to accelerate growth. A handful of such road networks can lift national growth by a few points. Maybe India can achieve long term double digit growth after all ?
Mayawati, chief minister of India's most populous as well as underdeveloped state, announced a few weeks ago her intention to get a mega expressway built along the breadth of the state. Called Ganga Expressway the project seems to be moving very fast with bids expected soon.
Why this sudden change of heart towards real development ? Is this another lang grab scheme clothed as a development project ? One can only hope that this is a turning point. If other states follow along the same lines, announcing and implementing such ambitious projects without delay, India could really grow spectacularly over the next few years.
A good road network is what India lacks. An high impact highway like this one has the potential to accelerate growth. A handful of such road networks can lift national growth by a few points. Maybe India can achieve long term double digit growth after all ?
Friday, January 11, 2008
Need - a few more good men
That Indian ministers aren't generally selected for their honesty or their ability is well known. But how about getting more than just one good minister in every cabinet ?
In the previous NDA government, there was B. C Khanduri. In the current UPA government, there is Praful Patel.
The former was responsible for finally doing something on the infrastructure front. He started the work on upgrading some highways under the Golden Quadrilateral scheme. Unfortunately that work mostly came to a standstill after the new government took over - the agonizing story of development in India.
The latter, Patel, has been responsible for opening up the aviation sector. The spectacular growth in traffic and the general level of satisfaction, except with the airports themselves, is an indicator of huge progress. On the airports front - whether building brand new substitutes for the ones on the brink to opening up air travel to new regions - there is lot to be done. The potential is enormous, but will he have enough time to act ? Will the next government scuttle progress ?
In the previous NDA government, there was B. C Khanduri. In the current UPA government, there is Praful Patel.
The former was responsible for finally doing something on the infrastructure front. He started the work on upgrading some highways under the Golden Quadrilateral scheme. Unfortunately that work mostly came to a standstill after the new government took over - the agonizing story of development in India.
The latter, Patel, has been responsible for opening up the aviation sector. The spectacular growth in traffic and the general level of satisfaction, except with the airports themselves, is an indicator of huge progress. On the airports front - whether building brand new substitutes for the ones on the brink to opening up air travel to new regions - there is lot to be done. The potential is enormous, but will he have enough time to act ? Will the next government scuttle progress ?
Money talks, loudly
It is a trend, however minor. Countries that formally would rather chase away stinking Indians, are now a bit more open. With more money to spend on vacations and shopping, Indians are slowly becoming a group worth attracting. First, it was Sri Lanka, and then Malaysia followed, with their visa on arrival facilities for Indians.
The details even after months of the original announcement are a bit sketchy, especially so for Malaysia. A few sites talk about having a Singapore or Thai visa as a prerequisite.
Wonder if more countries will follow. I sure hope so. It would be nice if countries like Vietnam, Laos, Philippines, Namibia and Botswana did the same. There are thousands, make that tens of thousands, ready to go forth & explore.
India itself should unilaterally ease its visa policy for tourists, and medical visits. This should be extended to every country, with stricter fines on the airlines to cut unqualified visitors right at the source.
The details even after months of the original announcement are a bit sketchy, especially so for Malaysia. A few sites talk about having a Singapore or Thai visa as a prerequisite.
Wonder if more countries will follow. I sure hope so. It would be nice if countries like Vietnam, Laos, Philippines, Namibia and Botswana did the same. There are thousands, make that tens of thousands, ready to go forth & explore.
India itself should unilaterally ease its visa policy for tourists, and medical visits. This should be extended to every country, with stricter fines on the airlines to cut unqualified visitors right at the source.
Stuck in a different mindset
Retail banking in India has always been a nightmarish experience. Once nationalized, these servants of the people couldn't be bothered to work.
You could be standing there for a while, and still be ignored. You could be staring at the teller and he/she could be sipping coffee leisurely. You could be in tears, but he/she could still continue with her chatting.
If you go by the promotions and press-releases, we must be in a new customer-friendly era in banking. Scratch the surface, and you hardly see any difference. Lipstick on a pig doesn't make it much of a beauty. Part of the problem is that the changes have been very cosmetic, with hardly any new bank emerging. So we have the same nationalized banks with new logos, and a fresh coat of paint, and maybe new shiny buildings. There are also noises made about getting into wealth management and getting a makeover. Be prepared to be disappointed though. That is what happened to me recently at ING. There just doesn't seem to be even a formal/methodical way of dealing with requests. Getting lost is even easier, with no directions or help forthcoming.
One saving grace with all the banks is the sudden urge to open ATMs. This, as I have explained in an earlier post, definitely helps in avoiding contact with the banking staff. To that extent, banking with any of them is now much more pleasant.
Are there brand new banks that are a children of the new boomtimes ? I have been told Yes Bank could be a candidate. I haven't gotten a chance to try out their service. Have you ? Is it any good ? Or is it just a piglet ?
You could be standing there for a while, and still be ignored. You could be staring at the teller and he/she could be sipping coffee leisurely. You could be in tears, but he/she could still continue with her chatting.
If you go by the promotions and press-releases, we must be in a new customer-friendly era in banking. Scratch the surface, and you hardly see any difference. Lipstick on a pig doesn't make it much of a beauty. Part of the problem is that the changes have been very cosmetic, with hardly any new bank emerging. So we have the same nationalized banks with new logos, and a fresh coat of paint, and maybe new shiny buildings. There are also noises made about getting into wealth management and getting a makeover. Be prepared to be disappointed though. That is what happened to me recently at ING. There just doesn't seem to be even a formal/methodical way of dealing with requests. Getting lost is even easier, with no directions or help forthcoming.
One saving grace with all the banks is the sudden urge to open ATMs. This, as I have explained in an earlier post, definitely helps in avoiding contact with the banking staff. To that extent, banking with any of them is now much more pleasant.
Are there brand new banks that are a children of the new boomtimes ? I have been told Yes Bank could be a candidate. I haven't gotten a chance to try out their service. Have you ? Is it any good ? Or is it just a piglet ?
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