India’s IT Boom – Need for a Human Angle

Bee,

This was written in 2007 during a visit to Bangalore. Parts of it were published in the Indian Express.

India’s economic boom times are on. It is one of the favourite emerging markets for foreign investors. Though anlaysing the sustainability of the boom is of interest to economists and policy makers, every stakeholder of the boom likes to think that it will be sustainable, and India’s march towards development will be firm and rewarding.

India is currently one of world’s most ‘happening’ places, where the IT sector is concerned. The steady growth in the past decade in the field had been monumental with Bangalore attracting the lion’s share of its IT investment.

However, the term development is one that invites a lot of scrutiny and critical comment depending on how one views ‘development.’ The word has far surpassed its dictionary meaning due to large-scale globalization and the resultant ‘edge’ it acquired in the process.

India’s IT development makes one wonder whether we need to redefine the old proverb- ‘slow and steady wins the race.’ India’s IT sector has been fast and steady and not slow in maintaining its steadiness. The stupendous growth in the field of communication and a multitude of other signs of tangible change taking place in the social fabric comes across strongly when some one visits India on a regular basis, like an expatriate. One finds more Internet cafes now than conventional coffee shops, which used to be the hubs of heated discussions on politics and movies.

With all these overwhelming indicators of seeming development, it would also be interesting to analyse the human cost involved in our march towards further IT development– the Indian human cost.

Bangalore – a Snapshot

Bangalore, the silicon city of India, witnessed the massive growth of the IT industry. Nearly 1500 IT firms – almost all giants have invested here. Big names. Big companies. Attractive perks.

While massive infrastructure development to house the firms is galore in one part of the city, in the other part, people still answer the calls of nature in perfect abandon, watching the skies! (The fruits of development haven’t reached them- the approach had not been ‘top-down’ or ‘bottom-up’, or ‘middle-out’). If one travels by train to reach the capital city, one passes through this stark reality (between Krishnarajapuram and Majestic stations to be specific) before the Bangalore boom hits hard in the face.

Most of the IT companies hire fresh college leavers who mostly join through a campus selection. Before they complete their final year, many of them are short-listed by a prospective employer with all the big perks. Studying IT is the ‘in’ thing now for sure employment. Thus, we have a generation who are largely IT savvy (and in most cases, ‘only’ IT savvy). Their life centers around the anatomy of the hardware and software industry, or shooting troubles of some important client’s laptop or a desktop. Yes. A generation of IT whiz kids we have out there, who are mostly between 20 and 25 years of age, and even more under 30. It is easy to identify them – many are grey-haired even though they are under 30.

It may be opportune at this moment to analyse at what cost are we ‘developing?’

The body of the New Generation IT Professionals (let us call them NGIPs) functions differently, because they are used to a different biological clock – it is either 11 hours or 5.30 hours behind IST, depending on who the ‘Boss’ is. They are a day late for anything Indian. Their ‘Bosses’ (the Big Bs) control their clock, even their biological functions, including the early morning ablutions.

A major local indicator of ‘development’ is the rise in land value.
Most of these IT geniuses are immigrants from the neigbouring states of Kerala, Tamilnadu and Andhra Pradesh who end up paying ridiculously high rates on rent for a small room they lease out for their ‘existence’ (yes it is far from ‘living’). Many in the suburbs of Bangalore make handsome money through leasing out such rooms, which has resulted in the emergence of a ‘new-rich’ class (another indicator).

Mushrooming of fast food places is yet another local indicator of ‘development.’ There is even provision where one can stand and eat (in Bangalore I have witnessed one), showing how time-bound are we in our march towards ‘development,’ and do not have half an hour for ourselves to sit and have a meal.

IT and Family

With the emergence of ‘nuclear families,’ the conventional definition of ‘family’ underwent metamorphosis. The definition is still undergoing change to match the fast-tracked modern day living. Sometimes, life’s rhythm is as fast as if it could reach a note of discordance.

NGIPs’ lives go on at this hectic pace as long as they are generally single and free from family responsibilities. Once married, the picture turns bleak. Marriage among IT professionals is even more so. “When I go to work, my husband will be asleep. When I come back after work, he will be gone to work,” said a newly married professional. “We try to match our ‘off days’ to spend some time together. Even that is not possible always; we then take leave to be together,” she added. “I am scared to even think of the day I may conceive and become a mother,” she exclaimed.

Some restrict themselves to having one child as they do not have enough time to bring up another. Some others try hard to conceive, but fail.

Infertility is a growing concern in many a metropolis now. A leading Ayurvedic doctor in Thiruvananthapuram, whose family tradition had been offering indigenous medical services, had this to say when asked about the growing trend of infertility among young people: “Most of my cases now deal with addressing the infertility problems of young females. Surprisingly, all of them are IT professionals. Changing the biological clock, haphazard eating habits, lack of physical exercise, sitting in front of computers for long hours – all these are contributing factors. This indeed is a scary phenomenon that we need to pay attention to.”

Kerala Decides to Go Smart

At last ‘Gods own country’ has also decided to join the band wagon. The Smart City concept is taking shape in Cochi after much ado. It will create enormous amount of job opportunities and make God’s own country what God couldn’t -IT savvy.

The local indicators are already up. The land value has rocketed up even in neighbouring districts. Even foreigners are eyeing to own property as they see definite indicators of stocks going up.

The Smart City may put a stop to Kerala brain drain. A large number of NGIPs are already short-listed and ear marked after campus selection for the City going Smart. (The ‘campus selection’ itself is in one way a retrograde concept as it largely hampers further academic pursuance). Thus, Cochin is also going to witness a new life-style of NGIPs, where they will also be 11 hours or 5.30 hours behind IST depending on their Bosses. The American boss will put them to sleep during day and wake them up at night. The British boss will make them do the same 5.30 hours behind IST.

There will be eateries where one has ‘no time to stand and stare’ (as the poor poet said) but stand and eat, plentiful of junk food and fizzy drinks, coffee to supplement a meal etc etc.

Not to Remain an Island, but…

Globalization is a phenomenon as old as human history, though the term is a catch phrase of the modern times. We have always been reaping its benefits though we have not been constantly made aware of it.

While globalization has brought undisputable benefits, especially in the field of communications, it seems to eat into the personal lives of people who are the direct drivers of the process, the IT professionals for example. With the concept of ‘global village’ gathering momentum, one cannot remain an island and watch the wagon from far either. At some point we need to get into it. So what do we do? We need a balance (before IT turns an ‘Inevitable Trouble’), where we are not mere consumers of a fast moving market but are also people with social and family commitments. What these New Generation IT Professionals need is more than a decent balance where their brains are not just leased out to the IT industry and the world outside is lost on them. They need an opportunity to spend time for themselves and their families, have normal biological functions and not engineered ones where they do not always live a day late than others and do not get complacent and fat with all attractive perks on offer!

Who has to strike the balance and negotiate a middle path? Is it the policy makers, investors, or the young IT professionals themselves?


April 2007