The euphoria generated in recent years about the growth prospects of the IT industry in India is giving way to more realistic assessments (Sun-Up Dials, Nov 17). Outsourcing as a global phenomenon will continue to grow. Corporate managers of the global economy have hugged the free trade of merchandise, the free flow of capital and now the free flow of jobs. If our IT industry can maintain the current momentum, it’ll be able to seize a sizeable chunk of the offshore pie. We must build capabilities not only in software but in overall IT infrastructure management.
G.S. Rao, Bangalore
Your cover story was excellent but it mostly dealt with call centres when there are other bpo segments like accounts, insurance, pharma and HR outsourcing (back office).
Chetan Avinash, on e-mail
Indians initially were not so friendly towards the bpo buzzword. But today this sector has made India a superpower of sorts. It has given our youth another option apart from an mba or infotech. Its progress rate is only rising with each year and the day won’t be far when it will be a major contributor to India’s GDP.
Bibhav Sinha, on e-mail
Your cover story portrayed the whole bpo business in a light manner and failed to answer the basic question: whether it’s similar to the IT boom or is it just a bubble ready to burst?
Rajat Agrawal, Delhi
The BPO phenomenon is probably the best business development next to the software boom to have happened to India. Besides the potential earnings and the job opportunities created, this burgeoning sector has also helped us make a move to better, higher-end tasks. It is exposing the younger generation to modern and sophisticated business practices which they can imbibe to improve their own. One only hopes bpo business leaders in India will divert this experience to other areas of work in India, especially governance. The Indian bureaucracy can do with a generous dose of productivity boosters.
K. Girishankar, Marlton, US
It’s not reverse brain drain, it’s a process of cost reduction and an effect of globalisation.
Vedula Krishna, Visakhapatnam
Global outsourcing is certainly fraught with global risks like terrorism, war, political uncertainty, language and logistics barriers, shortage of skilled professionals and all mncs worth their salt know this. So, if India’s emerging as the global hub for outsourcing, then Indian professionals fully deserve the credit. Even if the boom doesn’t last long, a true professional will always find something else. As Churchill said, "A pessimist sees difficulty in every opportunity, an optimist sees an opportunity in every difficulty."
Suresh Behera, Ranchi
Sure, if the web bubble could burst in the US, so will this bubble. Let’s make the most of it while it lasts.
Tipu Ali, London
Anita Pratap’s column Bad Faith, Bad Taste (Nov 17) seems to have been written in anger. Justifiably so. Anyone interested in the betterment of Indo-Pak relations feels frustrated at the childish behaviour of the officialdom on both sides. The Indian side may have been hurt by the "immature" response to its proposals, but the Pakistani side might feel equally tricked by not seeing any reference to talks on the "core" issues. Our nations are trapped in a subcontinental malaise: scoring points and trying to belittle opponents by loud talk (what is called barak in Punjabi). This mindset has to go if we are to have any meaningful progress in our relations.
F. Aslam, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
A whopping Rs 11,000 crore on barbed wire fencing across 400 km of the LoC only shows India being on the defensive. The militants will still find innovative means to cross the LoC and surprise the security forces. If a drunkard on the road abuses you, running inside and shutting the door behind you won’t muffle his voice. You have to go over and give him a tight slap.
Aniket Saharan, Army School, Ambala Cantt
Hardly committing to peace and friendly ties with each other, India and Pakistan are busy building their nuclear arsenal (Peace Games, Nov 10). Their proposals resemble a sweet smile that covers a rotten tooth. When will they forget their mutual aggressive stand and truly oppose terrorism and religious fundamentalism? Ironic that the political leaders of both countries prefer a nuclear catastrophe to a harmonious and peaceful settlement between their beloved countries.
R.R. Sami, Tiruvannamalai
The prevailing cold war between the Sri Lankan president and prime minister amounts to brushing the ltte issue under the carpet (Island Retreat, Nov 17). It’s a foregone conclusion that the ltte wants a definite say in the administration of the northern part of the island nation and the government can’t wish it away.
K.R. Sudhir, on e-mail
What sort of government do we have that it can’t prevent the crimes of its own ilk (Devil’s Inc., Oct 27)? It does everything but govern the country. Such are the conditions which bring about violent revolutions. It’s already happening in Bihar but before such a thing happens on a mass scale, it’s time the middle class gave up its cowardliness and stopped tolerating its politicians.
G.D. Thapar, Ambala Cantt
I totally agree with J.M. Lyngdoh when he in his interview (Nov 10) quotes Marx as saying that a revolution ought to be started by intellectuals. The so-called educated middle class has let down India and its working classes and toiling masses by not providing the required leadership. Instead, for professional progress, they have allowed themselves to be coopted by the political and the capitalist class.
Suresh Suratwala, Mumbai
Credit card frauds are hi-tech frauds and are happening both offline and online (World Wide Web, Nov 17). I don’t see how just e-commerce alone will be affected. This is because credit card holders always have the right to refuse any transaction, as in the case of somebody else having done your shopping using your card number. Also, credit card numbers are usually taken from payments made at hotels, etc, so e-commerce can’t be blamed. I am associated with e-commerce venture hamaracd.com and till now haven’t come across any complaints. Though it can happen, we do know that the proliferation of credit cards will only make e-commerce more popular in the near future.
Purnendu Kumar, Bangalore
While babylessness may be caused due to stress (Bioclock Alarm, Nov 10), the situation is more a factor of couples choosing to postpone parenthood to pursue ambitious careers. In a competitive work environment, the timing of promotions, mobility and the flexibility to work late get affected if you have to raise a child. So if a career is so important to these couples, they should also learn to accept babylessness. If they do crave for a child, there are so many orphaned children who could do with well-to-do parents. In the age of ready-to-eat, ready-to-wear, ready-to-live housing, etc, why not ready-to raise babies as well?
K.R. Karpagam, Chennai
I was surprised to see Outlook join the bandwagon of Bala hypers (Lord of the Crypts, Nov 17). His films are a mere collage of strong negative characters and several sequences minus any storyline. His earlier films just extol drinking, violence and plain rowdyism among collegiates.
Gowri S. Raman, Manipal
Many directors have tried to be auteurs of Tamil cinema, with Mani Ratnam making socially sensitive films, K. Balachander treating his movies with finesse and now Bala. But no matter how good the movie, actors and directors from the south are not entirely appreciated as remakes of some really good movies have sunk sans trace in Bollywood.
Tittoo Iyer, Chennai
That was one of the most pathetic reviews of the best trilogy ever (Glitterati, Nov 17). I do not think Sandipan Deb has any idea of the hard work behind the trilogy and unnecessarily trashed Revolutions. He calls himself a Matrix fan but I don’t think he’s got what the film’s about. God knows why he thinks the fight between Neo and Agent Smith comical. Agreed Revolutions is slow compared to the first two, but what he condemns as philosophical bullshit is the key to the Matrix. Perhaps he has not understood a word of the conversation between Neo and the Architect and the Matrix still hangs heavy on his mind.
Parth G. Adhikari, on e-mail
Sandipan Deb’s review of Matrix Revolutions reads like a vituperative litany. If the film is as bad as he says it is, he could have said so in a few simple words without sounding redundant. It was K.A. Abbas, I think, who wrote this real and succinct assessment of a production published in The Blitz some 30 years ago:
Name of the movie: So and So
Cast: So and So
Music: So and So
Direction: So and So
Produced by: MISTAKE
M.K.M. Samdani, Hyderabad
From the very beginning, Tamil cinema (and others too for that matter) is mired in rusted sentiment, puerile dogma and odious personality-oriented stories built on fixed formulae (Lord of the Crypts, Nov 17). Bala is among the few to have stepped out of the traditional mould to break strongly-built and strictly-followed barriers.
Dr P. Selvaraj, Pondicherry
Lord of the Depths of Nadir. That’s all I can say after seeing Pitamahan. Seriously, can anyone make head or tail about what Bala wants to say? An atrocious movie on all counts, I can’t fathom why the media’s going ga ga over it and singing paeans about the director. What crossover movie are you talking about? This differentiation—commercial, art, crossover—is too simplistic. A movie should entertain and also educate if possible but not degenerate into mindless crap as Bala’s movies do. After promising starts, they just go haywire. Strong characterisation is fine but a strong storyline wouldn’t hurt either. Just because he’s had a tough life and a drug problem doesn’t mean he can screw my happiness.
Sriram Venkatesh, Chennai
