Blue Shirt With A White Collar

Yuppies have been one of the central characters of the well-chronicled "India Shining" story. No account of the country's economic surge would be complete without glowing references to record salary increments, unheard of perks and a massive consumer spend fuelled by the emergence of the rich twenty something professional. The brightest, smartest, wealthiest and the youngest of footloose Indian executives – mostly living in big cities and swanky offices – hog all the limelight and make it to glossy magazine covers. We've been swamped by heady accounts of freshly minted Bschool grad and IITians striking it rich or of compulsive IT and BPO job hoppers who manage to nearly double their salary with every move.

But in reality, white-collar workers or those in supervisory, non-manual jobs are very different from the popular mediahyped imagery. Contrary to the stereotypes, most of the white-collar employees are over 35, and have put in almost 12 years in the profession. And anybody who spends at least five years in a job won't qualify as a job hopper. Half of the whitecollar workers are plain graduates drawing an average monthly salary of Rs 13,000. Around 70 per cent belong to single-income households and an equally big number of them come from non-metro cities.

Just when you may have decided to switch off on this strange breed, here's what might sound familiar – 8 out of 10 want to change job in the next six months - salary being the biggest grouse.

For the world, white-collar workers in India have a glamorised face often referenced to signal the surging fortunes of a nation on the rise. Dominant themes around fat salaries, multiplying job offers and global work environment for the jet-setting lot provide easy and dazzling imageries of a changing India.

In reality, the world of executives is changing – though not as fast and as dramatic. What's the real face of white-collar workers? Where and how do they livework ? What do they aspire for? Has the job-hopping bug hit all? Is salary 'The Factor'? The Corporate Dossier-Juxt-Consult, an online research arm of Indicus Analytics, conducted one of the largest studies to understand and unravel white-collar workers in India. With 16,500 respondents, covering 4,700 companies in 31 cities, the study has been designed to represent 160 million urban Indians.

They aren't as glossy as often perceived. The survey reveals a face that's middle-aged, conventional, stable, mostly graduates with a majority (8 out of 10) employed in the private sector. With 68 per cent living in non-metro cities and close to 46 per cent drawing a monthly salary of less than Rs 13,000, "their white collars appear greasy – not starched," says Sanjay Tiwari, director, JuxtConsult. Only one in eight are very well off having more than Rs 50,000 monthly income.

But that's a face that's changing dramaticall . In the next seven years, India is expected to add around eight million new workers every year – one in every four new worker in the world will come from India. This will happen at a time when the government's role is increasingly shrinking both as a job creator and attitude influencer in India's job market as private sector outpaces them. "Stable, 9-to-5 job with defined predictable career-paths - everything that defined a government job is getting redefined," says economist Laveesh Bhandari who also heads Indicus Analytics.

These shifting tendencies are already beginning to show.

While in one hand average white-collar workers (surveyed) have spent close to five years in their last job, a high 80 per cent say they will be open to or may consider a job change in the next six months and one in four aspire for ESOPs. The stability-loyalty on the surface is being stirred by a dramatic questioning of norms on the inside. If nothing, this shows a growing willingness to experiment across age, hierarchy and sectors. White-collar workers will change in many other ways. The entry-level age – of 23 years that the survey reveals – too is coming down with the younger generation. It is expected to settle around 20 years, experts say.

So far clerical jobs of accountants, general management, administration dominated the entire pool comprising 33 per cent of the total. Emerging but critical functions of the future like IT, HR, designing comprised barely 7 per cent, 3 per cent and 5 per cent respectively. As the services-led economy grows, some of these new upcoming functions will gain importance even as some of the old clerical jobs get eliminated due to automation and standardisation of processes. "Changing nature of economy will demand a new definition of white-collar workers," says Manish Sabharwal, chairman, TeamLease.

Communication skills, basic computer literacy – softer skills will become critical for gaining entry into this class. Madras University has made it mandatory for postgraduates to clear a course on soft skills. CII in partnership with BPO firms is helping train 250 teachers in Chennai for the course. After the pilots, the course will be made mandatory for the undergraduates as well.

There's another potential area of change in the SME segment. Forty per cent of the white-collar workers are from SMEs where productivity and efficiency levels are poor. The survey reveals that on an average, one senior manager manages only six white-collar workers, the ratio getting better with size. "I see that already changing," says B Santhanam, chairman, national committee (HR), CII.

Absence of processes and lack of standardisation means higher level of human intervention required – this is what explains the poor manager-worker ratio. Smaller companies, growing rapidly, are actively looking at automation and outsourcing of non-core functions to improve efficiency levels. "This is the only way they can handle growth, attrition and employee aspirations, they realise," says Santhanam.

Overall, only 30 per cent of the whitecollar worker households come from multiple income households (read working spouse). This dips further in the government and PSUs to 20 per cent of the families as against 33 per cent in the private . Further, most under Rs 20,000 income households are single income and the likelihood of it being multiple income rises as one moves up the economic ladder. Both the drivers for a working spouse – better incomes and more private sector jobs – will only strengthen in future.

But what doesn't seem to be changing is the geographical skew in jobs available for white-collar workers. So far it's the government and PSUs who have been the biggest creator of these jobs in the north and east whereas private sector has dominated the south and west India (66 per cent of the jobs). As the government vacates its role in larger number of economic sectors and private sector jobs outpaces them, this skew will intensify in future . "You will see lot of political reaction on issues like reservation etc going forward ," says Abheek Barua, chief economist , HDFC Bank.

Simply because a large chunk of new workers will come from the northern and eastern part of the country where fertility rates are still higher whereas more jobs will be created in the west and south. But remember, a large part of India's workforce will remain in the self-employed segment, warns Ajit Ranade, group chief economist, Aditya Birla Group. Poorer BIMARU states like UP and Bihar, with weak educational infrastructure and even weaker job prospects, are adding more workers.

The transition from blue to white will be a long and ardous journey.

Courtesy: Economic Times

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The sweet and sour Indian story from Viswanathan Anand

(The author is world chess champion, Viswanathan Anand)

In 2007, as we complete 60 years of Independence as Indians, we seem to have got a new sense of identity. Not just the kind of identity that comes from having Aloo Tikki burgers or Bollywood pop but a true sense of being a country. As we add to an impressive list of billionaires and top class corporate, Indians are extremely proud of seeing the Indian Tricolor fly high.

For me personally, becoming World No. 1 meant that it was not a first for me but a first for my country. Recently I was with the mayor of a picturesque German town. She mentioned that they were now keen to have Indian tourists rather than Japanese. This was an eye-opener. She said Indians came, stayed at the best hotels and spent on fine food and wine. They were not keen on mass tourism in crowded buses. This is a paradigm shift. India is now seen not as a country with a future but a country where the purse strings are beginning to open and the purse itself is bulging. As the Sensex zooms to new levels, Indians silently feel that the country is prospering. Images of patriotism are now new symbols of prosperity.

All this makes me feel very proud to be part of a country that is rich in its past and more likely in the future.

Recently a Spanish magazine ran an article on the state of Indian women. To say the least it was highly derogatory and general in its assumption. My wife called the editor to complain about the lack of sensitivity and the general assumptions made to call all Indian women subservient and modern-day slaves. It was most saddening to see that some countries perceive us as an impoverished society. The fact that we have elected women as President and Prime Minister, CEOs, traveled to space didn't cut. The answer was coldly that "but most of your women don't have a chance".

Although I hate to admit it, female infanticide still exists in certain states. It is altering the gender ratio in some states that are among our more prosperous states. This is what is disturbing -- economic wealth alone is not an indicator of social progress. We have women at two ends at the spectrum fighting against odds to achieve. For some, the odds are just life and death.

As we power ourselves to be the knowledge powerhouse of the world, we are proud to bring computers to the farmer. I have myself seen such touching examples of women using the stone they use to roll chapattis as mouse pads. Micro credit has been a boon to many farmers and big corporate have come up with novel ideas of giving the farmer a better deal. But being a highly fragmented country you see some farmers self-immolating themselves for the lack of the very same privileges some of their fortunate brothers now seem to use as normal business practices.

I have travelled to many countries and met Indians in countries like Iceland and Estonia. The one striking feature is we blend in very easily. We are able to assimilate other cultures and never impose our beliefs on others. Somehow we are able to leave that baggage at home. When I hear of untouchability being an issue or caste issues being raised it rattles this equilibrium.

It takes just one tale like that to mar 100 perfect images of the Indian story. It then becomes the story we get identified with. When someone asks me which caste I belong to or does my caste mean I go to heaven, I, honestly, have to say I don't think of it. My main aim in life is that I play chess. They always find that answer irritating or rather un-mystic. But somewhere they have been given to believe that that is what India is.

There are two perceptions of India. One, of the people who have interacted with India from the economic side, have worked with Indians or travelled on business and they generally have a fairly positive one. The others get their perceptions from reading general articles. Most articles are fairly complimentary when they talk about culture, colors or customs. But sometimes dowry, female infanticide or caste violence will raise its ugly head. There are foreigners who have been to India and have been mesmerized by the experience. There are some who have gone and the only thing they seemed to have noticed are the cows and poverty. In some western countries you do notice similar things but somehow I find it difficult to tell a person that "in your country you know, I hate the way the trains are".

We now seem to shop the same way as our American cousins and truffles and foie gras are something you buy in your local delicatessen. But you look closer. These brightly lit stores need generators to battle the unstable electricity grid that is reeling under the weight of our consumption. The water has to be specially brought and the roads feel like one roller coaster journey until you arrive at the cool Indian mall. We need to go beyond the shop window and actually look at how to improve basic utilities. Not just in cities but also in rural areas. That is how progress is measured .Many of our people still having no access to drinking water. Roads need to exist and electricity at times becomes a luxury. I am not against consumerism. Brightly lit malls are also providing employment. I think each one of the Indians has a right to be a consumer not only for goods but also for utilities and we need at least a basic level of service. Aspiration and the need to live better will make Indians more competitive and drive the need to study more. Aspiration, albeit not for just luxuries, but also equality, education and emancipation.

I recently travelled on the Delhi metro. This was one of the best public transport services I have ever been on. I am one of those people who take my carbon emissions seriously. So I love using public transport if and when possible. The Delhi Metro is much cleaner and safer than its European avatars. We handle more crowds but still the people seemed to be almost proud of it and that dirtying it would be a crime. It is the same India with its same bureaucracy that made this possible.

Similarly certain roads in India are just world class. If we could do it in a few sectors why can't we be able to take it to the whole country?

It takes time, resources and initiative. We have the talent to make it happen.

All of us feel extremely proud when we watch the Incredible India campaign. But sometimes we need to look beyond the glossy picture and look at the real story. The real story in India is not always sweet or always sour. Taking both together may make it the best taste yet.

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In London, more chronicled and more vibrant India at 60 forced little blood-brother into shadow!!

Pakistan was forced into the forlorn shadows even as it marked its 60th birthday, as British and European news coverage focused on Indian Independence day and "the arrival of a golden (Indian) age".

In an unusually thoughtful, if nuanced, nod to India's rise to prominence on the world stage, the former Raj marked the eve of Indian Independence Day with a paean to India, almost ignoring the fact that it was the 60th year of Pakistan's existence.

Mainstream British newspapers have been running 'India at 60' series, while The Times , London produced a special India supplement and The Guardian devoted its entire features pull-out to "The New India". The Guardian's India special's theme was expressed by its cover headline: "This is the best place in the world to be born right now".

Tuesday's India specials are the culmination of a fortnight-long focus on India by the British press.

They include The Independent 's attempt to answer the question, "60 years after Partition, why is India doing so much better than Pakistan?"

The paper said, "Now, at the age of 60, India's image is that of a resurgent, confident regional power racing to compete with China and the West. Meanwhile, Pakistan's image - at least in the West - is as a broken, backward country that provides a safe haven for extremists."

But in an acid corrective, it said these perceptions may not be entirely accurate. It pointed out that while India's "economy is currently growing at about nine per cent a year. Pakistan's is also growing.

One government minister said recently it was the third fastest-growing economy is Asia. Over the next four years it is expected to grow at about six per cent. The UN Human Development Index - which measures a series of economic and lifestyle indicators - ranks Pakistan 134th out of 177 and India 126th. In India and Pakistan, life expectancy is 63.6 and 63.4 years respectively, the adult literacy rates are 61 per cent and 49 per cent and the GDP figures are $3,139 and $2,225."

The Daily Telegraph , meanwhile, headlined the third part of its 'India at 60' series, "Independence has failed to reduce poverty". The piece quotes 60-ear-old Nanu Singh, "an almost toothless villager" on "what six decades of freedom and 20 years of economic growth had brought him... kuch-nahi ...I was a poor boy then, and I am still a poor man now."

The paper points out that "Without education or good health - 49 per cent of Indian children under six are malnourished, as can be seen from their stick-thin limbs and vacant stares - it is impossible to break the poverty trap."

The sobering assessment of India's astounding failures and equally eye-catching successes is seen to be typical of Britain and much of Europe's cautious optimism about 21st century India.

South Asia-watchers here point out that every Western article about India's remarkable rise is balanced by eye-watering accounts of its poverty, casteism, corruption, poor governance and the growing divide between rich and poor. But this, they say, is not necessarily a negative thing.

"There is no such thing as bad publicity," said one British academic, pointing to Pakistan's unmissable half-life as the country less chronicled than its bigger, more vibrant blood brother.

Source: TOI

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Time celebrates India's awakening as a young giant

There is hardly a board-meeting finishes in the world without discussing India, and there is yet a lot to be done, Time comes up with an special article on the awakening of India ...the most prosperous economy of tomorrow!! Here is the gist sourced from economic times...

Sixty years after independence, India is beginning to deliver on its promise, "unleashing a torrent of growth and wealth creation that is transforming the lives of millions", says Time magazine in a special cover issue.

"India's economic clout is beginning to make itself felt on the international stage, as the nation retakes the place it held as a global-trade giant long before colonial powers ever arrived there," says the US magazine's Aug 13 issue.

The special issue on "A Young Giant Awakes" has articles looking at the country's middle class, religion, politics and the transformation of its economy, besides a write-up profiling the conflicts, trends and turning points that shaped modern India.

"Twenty years ago the rest of the world saw India as a pauper. Now it is just as famous for its software engineers, Bollywood movie stars, literary giants and steel magnates," notes Time.

"It is worth remembering this as India aspires to superpower status, economic futurologists all agree that China and India during the 21st century will come to dominate the global economy," says William Dalrymple, author of "The Last Mughal: The Fall of a Dynasty, Delhi 1857".

"Various intelligence agencies estimate that China will overtake the US between 2030 and 2040 and India will overtake the US by roughly 2050, as measured in dollar terms. Measured by purchasing-power parity, India is already on the verge of overtaking Japan to become the third largest economy in the world," he says.

"Today, things are slowly returning to historical norms. Last year the richest man in the UK was for the first time an ethnic Indian, Lakshmi Mittal, and Britain's largest steel manufacturer, Corus, has been bought by an Indian company, Tata.

"Extraordinary as it is, the rise of India and China is nothing more than a return to the ancient equilibrium of world trade, with Europeans no longer appearing as gun-toting, gunboat-riding colonial masters but instead reverting to their traditional role - that of eager consumers of the much celebrated manufactures, luxuries and services of the East," says Dalrymple.

Another article notes how real estate prices have skyrocketed in India. A 2006 study by the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI) and professional-services firm Ernst & Young found that total revenue from sales of commercial and residential property throughout India had grown 30 percent a year for the previous three years.

Land prices in some areas have tripled in value since 2004, while office rents in Mumbai and New Delhi are now more expensive than those in Paris, Hong Kong or midtown Manhattan, Time says citing a 2007 survey by real estate consultant CB Richard Ellis.

"Yet the boom may still have room to run. Merrill Lynch forecasts India's property industry will grow to $90 billion by 2015, up from $12 billion in 2005," it says, noting that "as its economy grows, India will need millions more square feet of offices as well".

"Industry analysts estimate India has less modern urban office space than a single large American city. India's infrastructure demands too should keep plenty of companies in business. The government estimates the country needs $320 billion of investments in roads, ports and bridges by 2012.

"It's not a bubble," says Arjun Divecha, the California-based manager of investment firm GMO's $15 billion emerging-markets fund. "In India the reason why prices have risen so rapidly is because there has been so little increase in supply. If you look at the experience of other emerging markets, the real wealth escalator has been real estate and I expect the same in India."

Another article on "India's Democratic Advantage" says "sixty years of freedom have bound all Indians, rich and poor, to a single commitment: democracy".

"With a sixth of humanity living within its borders, India is more linguistically diverse than Europe. But apart from a few hiccups along the way, it remains one of the most stable and unified societies in all of Asia," Time notes.

Source: Economic Times

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