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We don't have one good product: Murthy Wednesday, December 12, 2001

SOURCE - TIMES NEWS NETWORK
AHMEDABAD: Selected as one of the 25 most influential men in the world by Time-CNN recently, N R Narayana Murthy believes there is not a single field in which Indians can confidently say they are the best in the world.

Delivering the convocation address at the National Institute of Design's (NID) 22nd convocation on Tuesday, the Infosys CEO asked the students, "Why is it that independent India does not boast of any product of international class and with world-wide recognition?"

Saying that Indians never gave importance to the need to excel, be it business, sports or art, he listed out the reasons for failure. The most prominent of them turned out to be his former belief, socialism "or what we understood of it", and the command and control economy.

"What was disturbing was the mind set equating high quality with exorbitant costs. Thus, the government felt reasonably justified in delivering substandard goods and services to its citizens. In all, we lacked confidence in our ability to provide world-class goods and services to our people."

He also attacked the bureaucracy and the tender process of awarding contracts saying that success in independent India was based more on who you knew rather than what you could do. Perhaps that explains why Infosys' impressive customer list, including everyone from ABN Amro to Adidas to Boeing and Airbus, does not boast of a single government agency. Only recently did the company agree to work in the public health sector in the UK.

Since liberalisation, however, he feels certain fundamental forces of change are at work with privatisation having become a global phenomenon, nearly 450 million users logged on to the Net and the mapping of the human genome capable of completing reshaping the quality of human life.

"As you step into the work life, ensure that you remain young at heart - remain open to new ideas. Never accept status quo. Further, when you leave this place, do not forget your dreams. You must endeavour to be the best in the world." Narayana Murthy also inaugurated the New Media Lab at the institute before the convocation ceremony.

After the 55 students had received their diplomas, NID executive director Darlie Koshy in his concluding remarks said they have further increased their intake from 115 to 170 for the next academic year with 60 at the undergraduate level and 110 at the postgraduate programmes. Among the new courses introduced are New Media, Film and Video Communication at the postgraduate level and an Integrated Programme in Textile and Apparel Design at the under-graduate level. NID will also launch online training programmes in design in collaboration with MacMillan India in January, 2002.

Koshy also listed out the various consultancy projects completed during the year bringing increased revenue for the institute. These include designing the patent office at New Delhi, the Geographical Indications Registry office at Chennai, and the Patent and Design office at Kolkata.

Other projects that NID is working on include the Punjab government's Khalsa Heritage Museum at Anandpur Sahib and tea stalls, kiosks and tri-cycles for the Gujarat Milk Marketing Co-operative Federation and their Amul brand.

News Source : The Times of India [India's best Newspaper]

 

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