2010 India Trade Mission

Today, the delegation met with the mayor of Hyderabad, Mrs. Banda Karthika Chandra Reddy.  Interestingly, Mayor Reddy was a homemaker prior to being elected to her position in 2009.  Although her husband has been involved in politics, she essentially had no political experience.  She and I discussed at length women and politics in India.  It is very common to have women in high-ranking political positions and it is not uncommon for these women to have been homemakers prior to their political roles.  There is a lot of family and cultural support for women in positions of authority and leadership and it is culturally acceptable for these women not to have had previous experience.  There are many prominent women in medicine, teaching and government as well as politics.  In fact, one of the most popular Indian prime ministers of all time was female, Indira Priyadarshini Gandhi.

India scores low, compared to the U.S., in an individual's personal identity revolving around themselves (based on research done for Professor Geert Hofstede's Cultural Dimensions).  Because the Indian culture tends to have a stronger sense of responsibility for family, it's appropriate that they support those who have been in "care taker" positions before shifting into more business or political roles.  The rights of the family (or common good) are usually more important than the aspirations of the individual.

Hyderabad is the financial, economic and political capital of Andhra Pradesh (India's fifth largest state by population) and is known as the "City of Pearls."  It is the most populous city in Andhra Pradesh with a population of over four million.  Andhra Pradesh has a population of eight million.  Hyderabad is the biotechnology and pharmaceutical center for India, as well as being a major hub for the information technology (IT) industry.  Many American companies have a strong presence in Hyderabad including: Microsoft, Accenture, ADP, Google, GE, IBM, Motorola and Hewlett Packard.

We also met the Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh, Konijeti Rosaiah.  His role is similar to that of our governor.  I've noticed when you're greeting someone it is very common to either shake hands or put your hands together and bow down slightly to the person.  In one of the meeting rooms there was a huge, almost life-sized, picture of Gandhi.  There were many things discussed in our meeting, including: IT, biotechnology and tourism.  One of the other issues we discussed was the importance of having direct flights from Hyderabad to the United States, specifically Indianapolis.

An interesting thing I learned while talking to Hyderabad's city manager was that traffic is under the control of the state police.  Traffic has become a major issue and is wildly chaotic.  There are no stop lights or stop signs and everyone is weaving in and out of everywhere - cars, scooters, motorcycles and motorized rickshaws.  One of the only traffic control devices they use are roundabouts.  The city has absolutely no authority over traffic and can't do anything to get it under control.  The officials we met with were shocked to learn that we have city police and fire.  They were amazed that from a budgeting standpoint the mayor is able to manage both.

There aren't strong restrictions on who can obtain a license and mass transit is not very popular, although it has taken off in a few cities like New Delhi.  In general, the people, similar to Americans, like driving their own vehicles.  When there is mass transit, capital expenditures are covered by the private sector and the costs of operations are handled by the state. 

The trade mission is occurring in the middle of summer, so it's very hot (about 102) and very humid.  The heat hasn't deterred my excitement of the trade mission and culture.  The Indian people have been very welcoming and very warm.  There has been genuine excitement about the trade mission.  Hyderabad had previously been talking to U.S. cities like New York and Chicago.  They've now begun building relationships with Indianapolis.

In the evening we traveled to Mumbai.  I would make the comparisons that Hyderabad is like Chicago and Mumbai is like New York City.  New Delhi, which is where we're headed after Mumbai, is similar to Washington, D.C.  Mumbai is densely populated and there was business establishment after establishment from the airport to our hotel.  There are stores with open fronts where merchants are selling food, clothing, jewelry and Internet services.

Tomorrow, we meet with numerous government and business officials.  I'm looking forward to visiting the "Gateway of India" and the "Indian Railways."  The Indian Railway system is considered to be one of the most efficient rail systems in the world.