1/ I believe the most important economic and social priority for India and other developing nations should be to acquire complex technological know-how.
2/ Global inequality is mainly driven by lack of know-how because economic value added primarily goes to those that have it.
2/ Global inequality is mainly driven by lack of know-how because economic value added primarily goes to those that have it.
2/ Even within countries, regions with complex technological know-how (such as San Francisco Bay Area or Bengaluru) do vastly better than places such as Stockton/Fresno (not far from SF) and Dharmapuri (not far from Bengaluru).
This inequality has become deep and structural.
This inequality has become deep and structural.
3/ The world cannot be at peace with such a frightening level of inequality, both within nations and across nations.
Silicon valley thinkers propose ideas such as universal basic income and I am afraid this denies the have-nots the dignity and self-worth of earning one's way.
Silicon valley thinkers propose ideas such as universal basic income and I am afraid this denies the have-nots the dignity and self-worth of earning one's way.
4/ There is a better way. It is possible to spread know-how and enable more people to be active participants in their own economic and spiritual well being.
At Zoho, we long made a commitment to ourselves to hire people who would not have had an opportunity otherwise.
At Zoho, we long made a commitment to ourselves to hire people who would not have had an opportunity otherwise.
5/ There are now thousands of stories in Zoho of men and women from very modest backgrounds succeeding in complex work.
I meet them every day.
Most recently I have worked with a young team that builds sophisticated software tools and their parents are daily wage workers.
I meet them every day.
Most recently I have worked with a young team that builds sophisticated software tools and their parents are daily wage workers.
6/ Now that I have moved to a village in India, I get to meet many young people in whom I see innate talent that can flower if someone gave them an opportunity.
This is one small village and there are 600,000 such villages in India.
This is one small village and there are 600,000 such villages in India.
7/ It has become a religious mission for me to figure out ways to unleash this hidden potential.
I have set a goal for our upcoming small rural offices to not only be places of work but also take part in identifying and nurturing rural talent.
I have set a goal for our upcoming small rural offices to not only be places of work but also take part in identifying and nurturing rural talent.
8/ I will share what we do, how we do it, what approaches worked and what didn't work widely as we learn more from our smalll rural work centers.
I hope talented people from urban areas will consider this move. This is good for the world and it is also good for our own spirit.
I hope talented people from urban areas will consider this move. This is good for the world and it is also good for our own spirit.
