Guts: Indian style

That India is one of the fastest growing economies of the world is old news. What is indeed gratifying is that an increasingly huge number of people -- mostly from the middle-classes, have chosen to become entrepreneurs by choice. There is some optimism all around, and one gets to see a growing service sector, that does seem to offset all the tensions associated with a huge mass of unemployed educated people.

The story is all about guts. It does seem to my mind that Indians have become more brave, they have embraced the path of adventure like never before.

What applies to corporates applies to individuals too. We now get to see hundreds of young entrepreneurs opening up internet centres, hotels, fast food joints, courier service centres, a huge variety of teaching shops offering the right and most lucrative tutions for just about every competitive exam -- the story of guts gets multiplied all over.

This guts is exhibited on the roads as well. One does see the younger generation riding on Indian roads as if there is no tomorrow, and often without helmets. In cities like Chennai, they race around in the most fancy motorbikes that make you wonder what they are all upto. Talk to them, and you get to find a great many answers. Youngsters who are barely twenty-five happily apply for housing loans that run into as much as forty lakhs, and this for an ordinary two bedroom flat in the heart of the city. The real living space may be just around 900 square foot, but does not matter. Being part of the rat race is.

Does this brand of guts have a positive connotation, a positive meaning? The answer is: yes.

It indeed is yes, for its is good for the economy and its growth. It does mean a good deal of confidence, a good deal of professionalism, a good deal of optimism, and a great deal of thinking big.

Cavinkare is a private limited organization in Chennai. Its CEO,
Mr. C K Ranganathan will go down in history as one young man with the greatest guts of taking on the mighty giant called Hindustan Unilever, and refusing to sell out, despite the best of offers. Cavinkare's brands like Chik shampoo, Meera shampoo, Nyle and the like have managed to hold to their own market-shares and have grown alongside the biggest of brands from the multinational giant. What really matters is the guts of this CEO, who has taught many lessons to any number of MBAs on how to do FMCG business in a growing market.

When globalization happened, not many gave a high ranking to the Public Sector banks. Many critics predicted that they would not really survive against the might of the multinational banks. The guts displayed by CEOs of many banks such as Union Bank of India, Syndicate Bank, the State Bank of India,and the Indian Overseas Bank, have proved them all wrong. The have adopted the most advanced technology, brought in online banking, anywhere banking, excellent ATM facilities and have dedicated branches doing brisk business in the very same way the multinationals do. A huge influx of MBAs has also helped.

Similarly, those who predicted death to the old private sector banks have all been proved wrong. Karur Vysya Bank, Federal Bank,Dhanalkshmi Bank, City Union Bank, and a few others, despite being headquartered in non-metro locations in Kerala and Tamil Nadu, have grown from strength to strength.

What essentially is guts? It is that will to do, to perform. It is that will to think big, and act big. It is that will to experiment, to think far beyond tomorrow, and to adopt the most modern practices. It is that will to really reach out to the challenge of the unknown.

This is the great Indian spirit, behind which the real economic growth story of this country is now going to be written. It is the story of mindsets that are modern, that just like breaking the status quo like never before.

It is indeed gratifying to note that such guts can transform an entire nation.

Three cheers to Indian guts!!!

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