DREAMING BIG
My Journey to Connect India
Sam Pitroda (with David Chanoff)
Penguin
699 pages; $304
The vehicle for that change was the Centre for Development Telematics, C-DoT. Mr Pitroda's self-imposed challenge was to introduce his expertise in emerging digital technology into India's telephone exchanges, not through imports or import-substitution, the buzz-word of the "Licence Raj". Mr Pitroda writes how he recruited Indian graduate engineers, motivated them to design and build exchanges that, unlike their foreign equivalents, would be relevant for the rugged conditions of rural India. Alongside came the idea of community-owned phones leading to the ubiquitous "STD-booths" of the 1990s, making phone communication universally available and providing business opportunities to millions.
Coincidentally, India had a young technically-minded Prime Minister, Rajiv Gandhi. The Technology Missions that he initiated were conceived on President Kennedy's successful moon-landing mission but altered in thrust towards social development for India's needs of literacy, immunisation of children from polio and tuberculosis, drinking-water availability, improved farming of oil seeds, and telecommunications. Mr Pitroda's demonstrated management abilities in leading technology ventures resulted in his appointment as the commissar for these Technology Missions.
The success of these Missions was varied. Those in which technology was prime were easier to implement than those in which delivery required negotiating through tortuous administrative systems. Drinking water supply fell into the first category. Satellite technology identified water sources for drilling wells, chemical treatment made water safer for drinking, and information disseminated to villages made repair to pumps more practical. In contrast, the distribution of immunisation vaccines required development of refrigerators and cold-cabinets suitable for rural conditions, then implementation through a long chain of bureaucracy that was not attuned to targeted delivery.
Following roadblocks to setting up a Telecom Commission, Mr Pitroda's appointment as the government's secretary for telecommunications gave him his first experience of leading bureaucracy towards goal-oriented objectives. Mr Pitroda writes how he introduced planning processes, thus ensuring scrutiny and accountability. In his words, he tried "to change the organisational culture that was deeply rooted in a system based on perks, privilege, patronage, personalities, and antique procedures."
Those familiar with the civil service are likely to be bemused with this caricature of risk-averse, file-pushing babus. Indeed, if Mr Pitroda's impact had been so deep, it is difficult to reconcile all the machinations that have taken place in that department over the past decade. In any organisation, the introduction of a professional outsider is intended to bring change. But, as Mr Pitroda cites, success can only be gauged by the institutionalisation of that change. The continuing demand for administrative reform is an indicator of how little has changed in the past 25 years in spite of the vastly altered economic and business environment. Concomitantly, Mr Pitroda's reluctance to deal with corruption since "an anti-corruption campaign would inevitably lead down the road to political people, business people, whole swathes of administrators in national, state and local offices" would have eerie repercussions in the spectrum auctions.
Acting outside his immediate responsibilities, Mr Pitroda writes of his meetings with the heads of large American corporations to bring business to the fledgling Indian software industry, a template for the modern role of government as facilitator rather than controller. When the US government refused to supply India with a supercomputer because of security concerns, the Centre for the Development of Advanced Computing (C-DAC) was established on the model of C-DoT to indigenously develop India's first supercomputer. Mr Pitroda also lobbied for the indigenous manufacture of optical fibre cables rather than the easier route of imports. More controversially, he opposed the early introduction of cellular phones since "only politicians and rich people would have them". Even prescient forecasters can err.
Technology Missions essentially ended with Rajiv Gandhi's electoral defeat in 1989 and Mr Pitroda returned to the US. He returned to India again after the Congress-led government was elected in 2004, and he was appointed to head the National Knowledge Commission, set up to explore and recommend changes to India's knowledge infrastructure. Once again the frustrations of implementation are summed up in his words that "it is difficult to institutionalise change in a democratic system".
But that is what India desperately needs. After more than two decades, India has a prime minister who is technology-minded, launching initiatives like "Digital India" and "Make in India", which are close to Mr Pitroda's heart. Like Mr Pitroda, he is encountering obstacles to bringing about change through a democratic Parliamentary system. Mr Pitroda closes his book with an inspiring dissertation on innovation, and vignettes on studies to improve the Railways, Prasar Bharti, and BSNL, but what is missing is actionable guidance on how to put such good ideas into practice.
The reviewer was a member of the Science Advisory Council to the Prime Minister which launched the Technology Missions and projects like C-DAC.
My Journey to Connect India
Sam Pitroda (with David Chanoff)
Penguin
699 pages; $304
Also Read
Phones are so universal in India now that it would be difficult for today's young generation to imagine that three decades ago the waiting time for a phone could run into years, and a city-to-city call could take hours to mature. Pivotal to that change was technologist and entrepreneur Sam Pitroda. Dreaming Big is his story. It captures the energy and excitement of the son of an impoverished Gujarati farmer, his launch into the American business world, the fulfilment of his dream to become a millionaire by his mid-thirties and then his mission to transform the communications scene in India.
The vehicle for that change was the Centre for Development Telematics, C-DoT. Mr Pitroda's self-imposed challenge was to introduce his expertise in emerging digital technology into India's telephone exchanges, not through imports or import-substitution, the buzz-word of the "Licence Raj". Mr Pitroda writes how he recruited Indian graduate engineers, motivated them to design and build exchanges that, unlike their foreign equivalents, would be relevant for the rugged conditions of rural India. Alongside came the idea of community-owned phones leading to the ubiquitous "STD-booths" of the 1990s, making phone communication universally available and providing business opportunities to millions.
Coincidentally, India had a young technically-minded Prime Minister, Rajiv Gandhi. The Technology Missions that he initiated were conceived on President Kennedy's successful moon-landing mission but altered in thrust towards social development for India's needs of literacy, immunisation of children from polio and tuberculosis, drinking-water availability, improved farming of oil seeds, and telecommunications. Mr Pitroda's demonstrated management abilities in leading technology ventures resulted in his appointment as the commissar for these Technology Missions.
The success of these Missions was varied. Those in which technology was prime were easier to implement than those in which delivery required negotiating through tortuous administrative systems. Drinking water supply fell into the first category. Satellite technology identified water sources for drilling wells, chemical treatment made water safer for drinking, and information disseminated to villages made repair to pumps more practical. In contrast, the distribution of immunisation vaccines required development of refrigerators and cold-cabinets suitable for rural conditions, then implementation through a long chain of bureaucracy that was not attuned to targeted delivery.
Following roadblocks to setting up a Telecom Commission, Mr Pitroda's appointment as the government's secretary for telecommunications gave him his first experience of leading bureaucracy towards goal-oriented objectives. Mr Pitroda writes how he introduced planning processes, thus ensuring scrutiny and accountability. In his words, he tried "to change the organisational culture that was deeply rooted in a system based on perks, privilege, patronage, personalities, and antique procedures."
Those familiar with the civil service are likely to be bemused with this caricature of risk-averse, file-pushing babus. Indeed, if Mr Pitroda's impact had been so deep, it is difficult to reconcile all the machinations that have taken place in that department over the past decade. In any organisation, the introduction of a professional outsider is intended to bring change. But, as Mr Pitroda cites, success can only be gauged by the institutionalisation of that change. The continuing demand for administrative reform is an indicator of how little has changed in the past 25 years in spite of the vastly altered economic and business environment. Concomitantly, Mr Pitroda's reluctance to deal with corruption since "an anti-corruption campaign would inevitably lead down the road to political people, business people, whole swathes of administrators in national, state and local offices" would have eerie repercussions in the spectrum auctions.
Acting outside his immediate responsibilities, Mr Pitroda writes of his meetings with the heads of large American corporations to bring business to the fledgling Indian software industry, a template for the modern role of government as facilitator rather than controller. When the US government refused to supply India with a supercomputer because of security concerns, the Centre for the Development of Advanced Computing (C-DAC) was established on the model of C-DoT to indigenously develop India's first supercomputer. Mr Pitroda also lobbied for the indigenous manufacture of optical fibre cables rather than the easier route of imports. More controversially, he opposed the early introduction of cellular phones since "only politicians and rich people would have them". Even prescient forecasters can err.
Technology Missions essentially ended with Rajiv Gandhi's electoral defeat in 1989 and Mr Pitroda returned to the US. He returned to India again after the Congress-led government was elected in 2004, and he was appointed to head the National Knowledge Commission, set up to explore and recommend changes to India's knowledge infrastructure. Once again the frustrations of implementation are summed up in his words that "it is difficult to institutionalise change in a democratic system".
But that is what India desperately needs. After more than two decades, India has a prime minister who is technology-minded, launching initiatives like "Digital India" and "Make in India", which are close to Mr Pitroda's heart. Like Mr Pitroda, he is encountering obstacles to bringing about change through a democratic Parliamentary system. Mr Pitroda closes his book with an inspiring dissertation on innovation, and vignettes on studies to improve the Railways, Prasar Bharti, and BSNL, but what is missing is actionable guidance on how to put such good ideas into practice.
The reviewer was a member of the Science Advisory Council to the Prime Minister which launched the Technology Missions and projects like C-DAC.