Editorials
by Rajen Kumar
No Escaping Social Media
Running a magazine concentrating on issues of small and medium enterprises and managing with limited resources is a like living life on the edge. In this rush of meeting deadlines,...
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Special Reports
Apr 2012EMRC, Brussels Associates with SME WORLD as its New Media Partner
EMRC has promoted business partnerships with the developing world and has organised dozens of business forums in key decision-making cities, such as Amsterdam, Rome,...
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The Last Word
The Taste of China: Industries in China
Rajen Kumar
Nov 2010
Nov 2010
As I was being driven from airport to the mainland in China, I had many apprehensions of different kinds. Being my first visit to China as a business journalist, I thought, I might meet people who may like to discuss politics also a bit. I was wondering as to how I will discuss any sensitive issues, if raised. I expected people to open up and speak in hush hush voices as the country is a totalitarian state.
During the course of week-long stay, I met a number of businessmen mostly comprising small and micro entrepreneurs and others of all hues. What surprised me was the degree of contentment and the smiling faces. They were never inquisitive and were engrossed in work. As the Indian markets are revolutionized by Chinese products, I thought I will find many goods still cheaper in the markets. To my surprise, I could not find a single product in the market which we come across in India as Chinese product.
“We do not export these products to India,” the shopkeeper confided in me in Hangzhou, a city of 65 million about 180 kms from Shanghai and further enlightened me, “the products which you find in India are all custom-manufactured mostly in dedicated areas.”
I visited a sanitary ware unit in the industrial area and found the products are of incredible high quality. “Do you export to India?” I asked the Director. “Not yet but we want to. We had some enquiries from India but they found our products too costly.” I immediately understood that only cheaper goods are made for India. He clarified “many Indian businessmen visit us and insist that we make products at much cheaper price and reduced quality. We explain them that cheaper quality products are not long lasting and they must sell the products with high quality.”
What was most pleasantly striking was my failure to make out as to who is the boss and who is the employee. I found most of them with smiling faces wearing the same attires. With language as the main hindrance, I found most of the shop keepers welcoming me with warm gestures.
It is very easy to find cabs running on the roads and the available cabs dutifully stop by your side answering your gesture for hiring. They will never ask you 'where to go' before you make yourself comfortable in the seat. I found most of the people helping and friendly.
I have never seen more clean and neat city than Hangzhou anywhere in the world. The roads are nicely laid out with colourful and tastefully built pavements. Greenery is everywhere, Road are artistically lined up with trees and nicely crafted bushes all along. There is no haphazard growth of plants as they are beautifully cut regularly adding an unusual charm all around. It was amazing to find not a single leaf or a waste paper on the road. I saw water trucks cleaning almost all the roads twice in a day.
My thoughts were immediately drawn to our cities. Why can't we do it? It doesn't cost anything. We have to develop only a culture for living well and happy.
A Gesture in Hong Kong
Hong Kong is said to be wholly commercial city. People are too busy and have hardly any time for favours. I went to Kowloon area exploring some electronic gadgets. I was unaware of the exact route to follow to my hotel. I saw two young men looking Indians standing outside a shop. I thought they will help me. I asked one of them in Hindi. They also replied in Hindi. I enquired how can I make a call to India. He said it is difficulty to find a public telephone these days and offered me his mobile. I hesitated but he insisted that I use his phone. I made a call. I asked him about the money. He said it's ok. No need to pay. I thought an Indian is being friendly with another Indian. Then I asked him where to find a bottle of water. He immediately asked the other young man to fetch one. He asked me if I wanted tea or coffee or a soft drink. I thanked him. The water bottle was given to me. I offered him money but he again refused.
I asked him to direct me to take the best route to my hotel address. He smiled and suggested me to go by the subway (metro rail) and even offered to escort me and get the ticket and show me directions of the train to catch. All this for a stranger, I imagined and thanked him profusely. Before departing, I asked him where in India he comes from. He very politely told me that he was from Pakistan. “Oh, my friend, I will not forget you. You helped me a lot. I told him as I shook hands with him. “Why thanks sir. We are brothers, afterall.”
SME WORLD story Hijacked
Five months ago, a senior columnist of SME WORLD, with his 40 year credibility intact, scooped the story of ANTILLA – Mukesh Ambani's fairy tale 27-storey tower, along with even its architectural lay-out. His June effort was incorporated in our July issue.
Clearly, the copyright was ours. And lo ! behold, in September, it was picked up, say plagiarized, by a leading English TV channel of New Delhi, and later, in October by a leading British Daily which in turn also fed it to an English tabloid as a part of its news-exchange deal.
We leave it our esteemed readers to adjudicate: should SME WORLD have been given the credit due to it or a straight lift masked by a new text be dismissed as the dawn of a new but ugly face of journalism?
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The Last Word
More Learned than Educated, You were!
I was speechless. Rather hesitatingly I asked him, “So, what have you decided, Sominder ?” His reply was curt and candid, “I have told the doctors that I don’t want to live life as dumb. Only...
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