By the time you read this, our crew will be back in the United States, having spent 14 days gathering material in India. I suppose, then, that this is the hardest entry to write. The last in any series carries with it the expectation that it will tie everything up in a nice, neat package, as if the other entries are evidence leading to some sort of conclusion. But this is by no means an ending. Now our real work begins.
Up to now, what you have read here has been a behind-the-scenes look – through my eyes – at what it has been like for Darren, Steve and I to travel around India, gathering string for our series and special, “India’s Promise.” I have divulged very little detail about the meat of our stories, other than alluding to people we’ve spoken with or sites we’ve visited. For some reading this travelog, that approach has made these entries routine. And that is why the greatest challenge lies ahead. Now that we’ve collected hours and hours of material, we must put it all together in the sophisticated and thoughtful fashion characteristic of Nightly Business Report coverage.
To be sure, we have a lot of material to work with.
We have spoken with government leaders, rural farmers, medium-sized business owners, slum dwellers, and corporate executives, among others.
We have seen middle class neighborhoods, rural villages, urban slums, multi-million dollar apartment complexes and urban redevelopment projects.
We have ridden on modern highways, dirt roads, narrow city streets and a new, sleek metrorail and have listened to Hindi radio, watched Bollywood films and read Indian newspapers.
We have seen a lot on this trip, but my impression has been that I could spend a lifetime in India and still not see half of it.
One overriding constant, however, has been the optimism of the people here. Sure, some are more cautiously optimistic than others, but of all the people we talked to – and there were many – I don’t think we met a single pessimist. I think that optimism will come through in our coverage, whether we’re discussing the opportunities or the challenges facing India.
And the opportunities and challenges facing the country are many. But we knew that before stepping off the plane in Delhi. What I hope our series can bring to the table is a sharper look at specific hurdles, successes and near-term prospects, as well as a longer term outlook for the economy. It will be an intense and time-consuming undertaking, but I think we are up to the task.
Dana Greenspon is part of the NBR team traveling India to report for the upcoming NBR series and special, "India's Promise." For more info, check out the India's Promise Travelog.
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dear miss,mr
hallo,I had several mail and two fax to susie gharib please reply to me. if you cannot reply to me please say to me where place or address mail I can relate for reply. thanks
Please try to create PIE chart for different countries already invested and planning to invest in india if possible be sector specific.
Also like to know how US Dollar and Indian Rupees are interlink.Thank You.
Dana,
You are right on the mark about the sense of optimism amongst Indians today. The average Indian today is a lot more ambitious, assertive and risk-taking than ever. However, it was not always this way. If we rewind the tape to just ten years ago, the educated elite preferred to move to the west for jobs or higher education. In the last 5 years or so, foreign investors have been pouring money and jobs into India. "Western" opportunities are now copiously available right at home and they pay handsomely. The average Indian graduate never had it better. You gotta be daft not to be optimistic in such a situation !
Ms. Greenspon and Team,
Thank you for taking the time to post first hand information through your blog entries. Although my parents are Indian, I myself have never had the chance to visit. In the past few years I have been following the Indian economy very closely and have even tried my hand at an investment or two. I have scoured the internet for first hand economic information at the micro level, but have found primarily national GDP figures, current account balances, etc. I am eagerly anticipating your series in May.
Thank you,
Asad Subedar
Univesity of Florida
Hello Dana,
I am one who recommeded Wendie Feinberg for India Sensex to be shown in NBR as India's capital market is rising leaps and bounds.
I was so much frustrated with cows and slum photos you were posting for almost 10 days of your tour. Thinking you are just a kind of person of half glass empty. I infact wrote immediately to Wendie about all this and sent him "Truth alone Triumph" on India. Hope you might have gone through that.If you have not then I can send that to you on your mail ID.
Any way after reading reply on the same issue on Darshan's mail I will see your coverage on tv which could be pleasant surprise... hoping you have not really wasted your time in India.
Dana and the team,
It was intersting to read your daily blogs. I enjoyed it. I appreciate your realization that the you could spend a lifetime in India and still not see half of it. It can also be said about the different people in India, as diverse as the regions they come from. I hope when your team edits the information for the program to be aired, temptation to generalize people from India (tserotyping) is avoded.
Good Luck and thanks for the job well done.
Welcome home!
Thank you
Dilip M. Parikh
Ellicott City, MD