Innovation, Now!

The continuing financial Tsunami has ceased to make waves. We ought to have seen it coming but were too scared to open our eyes. Like we’ve done in the past – all we’ve ever learnt to do is to solve problems based on ‘fitting historical patterns’ – we believe that we’re at the bottom of the economic downturn and things will look up from here on. Anybody noticed that the slide has been going on since September 11, 2001? And we’re satisfied waiting. The time for innovation is here and is urging us to do something – differently.

Talk to technology and business people and they will tell you that innovation is a tool. Therefore researching a need and then developing a solution to address it is called innovation. Then why call it innovation, why not keep calling it R&D? Are we simply using the word because it sounds nicer?

Innovation 2.0 – US-based Indian invents clean power device

This moment pulled me back into the blogosphere … A proud moment for REC Trichy and the start of a new, clean age.

US-based Indian invents clean power device:

A team of Silicon Valley based technocrats, led by an Indian, K.R. Sridhar launched an energy server on Tuesday which they claimed could convert air and virtually any other fuel source into clean el…read more…

An India welcome for Barack H Obama!

I have a confession to make. I never generated enough interest in watching an American President being sworn in to office. Even yesterday, for me it was an event meant for American Nationals and so I hadn’t planned on watching the inaugural ceremony. It must have been some kind of collective consciousness at work because I found myself sitting in front of the TV tuned into CNN at exactly the time the ceremony was to start. Scenes from Bruce Almighty and Oh God! flashed across my mind as I found myself watching the whole inauguration of the 44th President of the United Sates of America, Barack H Obama. Now I know that it was probably meant to be and I also know that he was meant to be. For the first time in my life, the TV was not playing a digital image. Mr. Obama was right there in my living room just a few yards away whom I could have chosen to meet or shake hands with had I wanted to. Such was the power I witnessed of the ‘human’

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Mumbai strikes – tandoori soup for India’s soul

 

Fire the Home Minister – Done!

Fire The Chief Minister – In Progress …

Fire the Government – Elections are around the corner. In fact, even while the ordeal was on, Delhi was voting. I’m guilty too!

The headlines are screaming as are the articles. 24×7 TV news continues to sensationalise. I was watching an interview with M N Singh, former Commissioner of Police, Mumbai. His is a powerful take on whether firing politicians is enough of a response to last week’s Terror ordeal in Mumbai.

In essence, his view is that national security is not a political subject. For the BJP or the Congress to overturn initiatives that the opposite party had proposed/implemented during their reign simply because it would give legitimacy to the other party is criminal.

So everybody’s angry. Frustrated. Insecure. Frightened. And finally resigned. We’ll shout, scream, debate, blog and then go about our lives resigned to our destiny. That’s what Indian National Character has become.

I promise you that if we had a World Cup for the BlameGame, India would win hands down. Each and every time! That’s one game where we have all the talent in the world. And when we can’t find a target we’ll blame Miss Fortune.

This morning’s Hindustan Times carried a balanced view from Seema Goswami – The buck stops where?

As Mumbai recovers from the carnage of last week, the predominant emotion on the streets is not sorrow or despair. What comes through most strongly is the anger of its citizens. And frankly, how could they not be angry? Their city has been brutally ravaged, their iconic landmarks targeted, their people used as gun fodder. Anger is a natural response in the circumstances. What surprised me, though, was the target of that anger.

Her conclusion is hard hitting and on target …

Yes, India has exposed itself as a soft State where dealing with terrorists is concerned. And the politicians must take the blame for that. But we the people must bear some measure of responsibility for having helped create this soft State. Let’s not forget that at the end of the day, a government is only as strong as its people.

Finally, here’s a view that makes eminent sense to me!