raising children who straddle indian and global...

06 | ParentEdge | November - December 2011

Global Indians

“Obama is not a racist when he talks about placing restrictions on US jobs going to Indians. We just have him running scared!” exclaims Arjun Doshi, a Grade X student of Hillspring International School, Mumbai. When President Obama launched the ‘Race to the Top’ fund and the “Education to Innovate” initiative in 2009, he was investing in education that he realised would be necessary if Americans were to take on the Indians and the Chinese in the race for jobs. Since then Obama has also advised that Americans focus their educational efforts on improving the quality of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) if they are to stay globally competitive.

Closer to home too, similar concerns are being raised about the quality of education in India. Many critics of the Indian education system hail the arrival of international curricula in India as the beacon that is going to light the way and show parents how an entire generation of Indians can be ‘globalised’. At least, that’s what we thought when we set out to write this article – what does it take to raise Indian children

Global WorldsRaising Children Who Straddle Indian and

over StoryC

who straddle both Indian and global worlds? We were prepared for disillusionment, complaints and a tendency to reach out to the west for something better. Happily enough, our hypothesis was disproved! ParentEdge spoke to a wide range of people – teachers, parents, school principals, students and educational leaders – to understand if and how the Indian ethos and education system is contributing to the growth of ‘global Indians’, and the result was quite revealing. We invite you to discover it for yourself….

In Researching this Article, Parentedge Conducted Extensive Interviews with Principals of Schools, Educational Leaders, Teachers and Parents. We Also Organised Group Discussions with the Students of Three Schools In Bangalore and Mumbai, In An Effort To Understand the Youth's Perspective on this Topic.

November - December 2011 | ParentEdge | 07

Cover Story Global Indians

It’s a great time to be Indian! With the ‘flat world’ theory gaining ground, it does seem that India is poised to be an economic giant and wrest power out of the hands of our ‘betters’. A recent study by Egon Zehnder of S&P 500 companies found that there are more Indian CEOs than any other nationality, except American, in this list. Two professors from Wharton and the China Europe International Business School studied C-suite executives in the 2009 Fortune 500 list and found that the list featured 13 Indians.

And it’s not just at top echelons of business – the 27 million global desis scattered around the world are also making a mark for themselves and earning dollars, pounds, euros and yen on par with anyone else. World Bank figures show a dramatic increase of almost 162% in the remittance that India receives from overseas Indians over the last eight years, from $21 billion in 2003 to $55 billion in 2010. In fact, in 2010, India received the highest remittance compared with any other country in the world!

In other fields too, whether chess, tennis, music or art, Indians are gaining respect and recognition the world over.

It is an exciting era for the current generation of Indian children. The world is their oyster; opportunities abound as they are exposed to a whole new world and cultivate an increasingly global outlook. And this global outlook is not just about brands and dressing style – it is an awareness of the world around them, an appreciation of the different cultures and the confidence that they have an important role to play. While they have ambitions to make it big in the global playing field, they simultaneously retain their ‘Indian-ness’, its values and ethos, educational and otherwise. There is a growing consensus that this is a desired state of affairs – a winning combination that will help them be successful in today’s dynamic and global economy.

The rise of India-trained business minds

Growing up in India provides people with the experience critical to succeed in the global economy:

Multi-culturalism which makes for adaptability

Complex and competitive environment

Resource-constrained developing economy

Knowledge of English – the global business language

Familiarity with the workings of bureaucracy

Source: India’s Leading Exports: CEOs, Time Magazine

When I was growing up, my parents told me, ‘Finish your dinner. People in China and India are starving.’ I tell my daughters, ‘Finish your homework. People in India and China are starving for your job.’

– Thomas friedman

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Defining ‘Indian-ness’

But what is this Indian-ness? How would you define it? Can it even be defined easily? Surprisingly, it seems it can! Our respondents were very clear on what it means to be Indian, and how this Indian-ness can help them succeed in the global arena.

To most people, being Indian is exemplified by being deeply rooted in family values, bounded by an ethical system, and accepting of and adaptable to, diversity. Worldwide, it seems that ‘Indian’ has come to be synonymous with hard work, discipline, and a hunger to succeed. Perhaps we are driven to succeed because we do not have a ‘sense of entitlement’; millions of Indians compete for a handful of opportunities. Nothing seems to come easy to us and the only formula for success – whether to eke out a living or to move to the top of the corporate ladder – seems to be hard work. No more are we seen as the land of elephants and snake charmers, but as a progressive nation that is churning out people who, while rooted in their traditions, also have the wherewithal to succeed on a global platform.

Perhaps the most important attribute of being Indian is to be adaptable. Born and raised in a country that is an amalgamation

of cultures, languages, and identities, we learn early on to be accepting of differences. Meeting people from every walk of life, from different religions and a variety of socio-economic backgrounds has taught the Indian to be flexible, adaptable and tolerant, aware of the importance of co-existence and harmonious living – so essential to doing business successfully in the global arena! We seem to revel in this rainbow-hued Indian identity today. And the youth more so than others.

India’s youth stress the importance of staying true to your roots even as you reach out for the stars. They recognise the value of traditions, cultural norms and ethics and believe that these are what contribute to a strong identity. “The West”, in turn, is regarded with a balanced eye – we are not jaundiced to everything that is western, considering it to be the devil’s snare, nor do we think that everything western is automatically good. There is a growing acceptance that, to succeed globally, one needs to retain the best of what is Indian, and imbibe the good qualities of other countries as well – being independent, accountable for your own actions and importantly, respecting dignity of labour.

I’ve observed Indian children to be more obedient to the guidance of their parents. They seemed to have a deeper understanding that their parents are sharing good information with them concerning their future, and what is best for them. They don’t appear to be very adversarial with their parents. Due to the respect they have for their parents, it seems to influence their overall choices, making them less materialistic.

– Gabriel Boyd, teacher and Owner and Director, En Passant

Chess Club, America.

Parents are more accepting of infiltration by an outside culture – in food, clothing, gadgets, etc. Earlier, a western way of life was taboo to a middle-class family. Children read books, did their homework and didn’t question their elders. They simply followed instructions – they were meant to be seen and not heard. But today, the influence of TV and technology has broadened the child’s experience. Children are more inquiry-based, they want a reason for everything and look to satisfy their doubts. Parenting has to change to meet these needs. Parents today realise that exposure is important beyond the four walls of the house. Parents themselves travel for the right reason – it’s not just for shopping anymore, but to understand new cultures, for the joy of the experience of travelling. To sum up, parents are more accepting of foreign culture today.

– nalini pintoprincipal, hillspring international school, mumbai

Being Indian has its advantages and disadvantages. We are better endowed intellectually and numerically than most of the western world. But we also tend to be hampered in emotional intelligence, nuanced communication, consideration for others, etiquette and sense of dignity, and we are highly susceptible to mass media and mindless consumerism.

– neelesh marik, now lives in kolkata after relocating from the uk where he lived for 10 years

Things don’t come easy to Indians (I’m talking about the Indian middle class here), and we need to and are ready to walk that extra mile to achieve something. This work ethic and willingness to work hard make Indians successful in the global economy.

– nalini pinto

Perspectives on Indian-ness

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While being true to your Indian identity is not such a shameful thing anymore, we also realise the importance of being global in outlook and cultivating a world-view. While many qualities inherent in Indians (adaptability, accepting of differences, etc.) do contribute to a ‘global’ outlook, there is so much more that we still need to imbibe that will form a well-rounded personality. For, being a global citizen today is no more a matter of choice. With the flattening of the world, and the disappearing of borders, any person who wants to succeed and take advantage of the ‘globalisation’ phenomenon has to extend his own personal boundaries and learn to grow beyond his ‘Indian-ness’.

But what is being global truly about?Is it about adopting the European style of dress, the South-East Asian love of brands and the pronounced American accent? Does travelling to a foreign locale every year make you global? Or is it a distinctive mind-set that allows you to empathise with people no matter where they come from? Is it the ability to understand, appreciate and assimilate differences in outlook and thinking and still be able to synthesise these differences into one coherent whole?

Being global

Dr. (Mrs.) Y.G. Parthasarathy, Dean of the Padma Seshadri Group of schools and an eminent educationist believes that being global is about going back to your Indian roots. “Tolerance, compassion, acceptance leading to unconditional love – these are the characteristics of a global citizen. In fact, traditional Indian beliefs and values, if practised well, will help us become global citizens… An overly materialistic attitude has led to selfishness and greed in place of sharing and looking out for each other, which is so much a part of Indian-ness. Indian history is replete with examples of achievements through persuasion, negotiation and non-violence. We need to go back to these values… It (Indian-ness) will definitely help in minimising clashes and accepting differences (agree to disagree) while celebrating common united bonding. History shows that Indians have always assimilated other cultures and practices while retaining their core. We have also been strong advocates of non-violence even when faced with aggressive and provocative behaviour- such traits are important in a global world.”



Being a global citizen: multiple viewpoints, common themes

Global citizenship requires a world-centric worldview, as opposed to an ethno-centric or ego-centric worldview. It requires appreciation and understanding of principles of systems theory,

complexity theory, and integral theory. It requires a deep experience of the wholistic nature of reality, as opposed to a fragmented, separatist one. To do this, one needs to change the focus from ‘characteristics’ to ‘quality of awareness and perception’.

Yes Indians can be successful, because we have a rich legacy of wisdom. However we need to take off the veil of ignorance that we are donning.

– neelesh marik

The world is definitely abounding in opportunities because of technologies like the internet. Things that used to take months or even years before now can be finished in seconds. E-mail allows us to communicate with people on opposite sides of the world, and so applying to universities outside India becomes a lot more easy. Social networking sites redefine the meaning of conversation and give us more opportunities to keep in touch- to converse with people that in a different world would have been left behind because of globalisation. For job opportunities, today’s world is definitely a better place for a prospective employee. A man can hold his head high anywhere and be judged on only his personality. You don’t feel like a fish out of water anywhere in the world anymore, because of globalisation. A globalised company can outsource to anywhere in the world and create opportunities for employees that wouldn’t have previously existed. A globalised man could have been born in one country but remember his heritage from another, and learn to respect all beliefs of the world.– ishan s., student group discussion, The international school bangalore

Globalisation is happening on multiple fronts. Indians move away to another place and then return once a year to their hometowns to see their family, which is rooted in their tradition. Nowadays there are so many Indians living in other places. When I go to London, it doesn’t seem like I’m not in India anymore because there are so many Indians there. Let’s take another example- news channels: before there used to be one main news channel, but nowadays there are so many other channels – BBC, CNN – which allow exposure to the outside world. Even airlines-Jet Airways and Kingfisher Airlines are now flying outside India, and they give a better opportunity for Indians, at a lower cost, to be exposed to other cultures besides their own. And lastly, if you take the example of this school, TISB, and also other schools like Greenwood and Indus, they’re adopting IGCSE and IB which are international programmes and so they educate you on the history and cultures of other countries as well as India’s.

– James s., student group discussion, The international school bangalore

Being a global citizen today is when we understand and accept differences of all the people around the world. Different races have different things that they deem appropriate and inappropriate. Global citizenship means having an open mind and not being constricted by your own views and thought. You need to respect and appreciate your own inputs and ways of thinking for sure, but you also have to understand that someone else’s way of thinking may also be right and multiple views exist. A global citizen tries to look for solutions for all the problems and possible problems of the world, tries to minimise wastages, understands the scarcity of resources, cares for the environment, and understands that all these things need to be solved on a global level but

A global citizen needs to be open-minded and appreciative of outside influences and foreign cultures. He should be a team player; if you cannot work collaboratively, you really will be a loser in the global economy. He should also be multi-lingual – language skills are important if you want to work in the global arena. Finally, technology has broken all geographical barriers and made ours a flat world. Global citizens should be able to integrate well with different cultures and be good collaborative planners.

– nalini pinto

cannot be done unless people start on an individual level. – student group discussion, Jamnabhai narsee school,

mumbai



Arriving at the winning combination

The answer to success in the world economy lies neither in being completely Indian nor in forgoing your roots altogether. The ideal state to attain seems to lie somewhere in the intersection of the two. What is the ideal mix to achieve to be a successful global Indian? – ask this question and the number of attributes that the ideal Global Indian needs to have seems pretty difficult to attain, and yet, according to our interviewees, we are attaining it.

“I would say the mix is – Indian in values, American in work ethic.”– nalini mahadevan, nri settled in america

for the past 30 years

The ideal Global Indian – attributes

The winning combo: in the words of our respondents

Retain• Deeply rooted value system – respect for elders, others and

oneself• Adaptability• Hard work and disciplined work ethic• Secularism – acceptance of differences• No sense of entitlement• Strong educational foundation, especially in Maths and Science• Desire to succeed

“I think that India was a microcosm of multiculturalism even before it became the buzzword that it is now in the west. Indians succeed because of several factors: our ability to work very hard, the way education is valued and that we have no sense of entitlement – we do not expect or demand anything from our government and work to live and retire on our own money. All these are our strengths and they help us very much in the global world. From the other cultures we need to imbibe open-mindedness, acceptance of all kinds of people, willingness to listen and not judge quickly.”

– Nalini Mahadevan

“Yes, there are a lot of Indian values that are extremely important- the most important is family. Indians give so much importance to the family. But, in other cultures abroad, after you finish school, you leave home and go and live in another place. I think that is also important because it gives you independence and you see more things. So, a combination of giving importance to your family and having that independence is important. Also the Indian system of education – it is mostly about reading from a text book to learn the same thing again and again. I think that has worked in India, but the Western approach of practicality and application is also an important aspect of education, so again, you need to blend the both of them by learning from a text book but also being able to do practical work. So I think in every aspect, there needs to be a balance between Indian and Western cultures.”

– Sasha M., Student Group Discussion, The International School Bangalore

“We have to learn to project our Indian identity – this builds respect for you, but at the same time you have to learn to communicate your identity, beliefs and ideas in a way that is understood by other cultures.”

– Mihika Shilpi, Student Group Discussion, HillSpring International School, Mumbai

Imbibe• Respect for other cultures and openness to outside influences• Teamwork• Creativity and innovation – entrepreneurial capabilities• Independence• Good communication ability• Enquiring mindset• Leadership skills• Non-academic, extra-curricular skills for all-round development



The role of education in fostering global Indians

In the midst of all the debate on what this ‘ideal mix’ is that goes towards making a successful Global Indian, a common factor that kept reappearing was the importance of the education system in this process. One cannot question that education has a fundamental role to play in shaping the children of today into the adults of tomorrow. Education, and by extension, schools and teachers, are essential to moulding our world-view and inculcating in us characteristics that will either help us scale the ladder of success, or impede our progress. The core of nurturing a global citizen is really to give him a global education.

So the discussion naturally turns to education – what is the model of education that our country needs to follow if we are to ensure that our children are raised as globally aware citizens, capable of coming into their own in a global and competitive environment?

Contrary to our initial beliefs, we were pleasantly surprised to discover that the current generation of youngsters is quite appreciative

“Education is not all fun. Education is difficult, but the idea that you have to make education fun at some point becomes self-defeating. You can’t make certain kinds of mathematics fun. You can’t make difficult things fun. And that’s not why you are doing education…If you go to American universities now, why is it that all the departments of mathematics, engineering are filled with Asian students? They come from systems where the rigour is drilled into them from a very early age.”

“Our system is delivering an education which in many ways is competitive internationally — and at what cost? It’s less than one per cent of that cost. How will our society generate this kind of money for this (American) kind of education? It’s ridiculous.”

– amitav ghosh

of the competitive system of education in India. After all, the model serves its purpose well – to educate millions of students and train them to be competitive enough to battle for a handful of opportunities. The Indian education system is based on a foundation of hard work, discipline and learning to process copious amounts of information, which stands a student in good stead when he enters the working world.

Author Amitav Ghosh, in a recent interview to a newspaper remarked on the strengths inherent in the Indian education system, which he believes are not properly articulated. Indians are so used to exalting the western way of living that they automatically assume that the American education system or European education system is better than our own, little realising that our system serves the needs of our country. Ghosh stresses that rote learning, a characteristic of the Indian system, is essential at some point in order to properly ground theories and build a strong foundation.


The Indian education system: from the perspective of high school students

Model of education that will grow Global Indians: list of attributes

“I think in most Indian families, by the time the child is seven or eight years old, he’d have already been pushed by his parents enough to say that excellence is almost a given; he’ll want to be the best. And that desire will come from within him. And he’ll want to work hard. You have to be rooted in your culture and tradition; almost all Indian kids are brought up with the belief that you have to work hard, because there are hundreds and thousands of people competing for a few hundred seats at a good university. So you definitely have to work hard to make it to those seats. That’s one good thing about the Indian system: it promotes hard work. But, at the same time, an Indian living here, without much experience of the outside world would not be very diverse; he would have the one goal of getting into a good university in mind. I don’t think that’s the right way to go, he should be adaptable in practical situations which really don’t exist here. And you have to blend both because too much of one of them would not benefit the student.”

– Ishan S.

“Our education system prevails, compared to others. Concepts are grilled into you, strong foundation, focus on fundamentals… Rote learning also has its place. Learn the concepts first, figure out how to utilise them later.”

– Farrzad Shroff, Student Group Discussion, Hillspring International School, Mumbai

“In India, education is a lot more than only school. The whole community and family participate.”

– Tanya Hathiramani, Student Group Discussion, Hillspring International School, Mumbai

“Today’s education system is based on marks as well as understanding and it is strong as compared to many of the systems abroad. This is obvious from the Indians who are leaders of many multi-national companies.”

– Student Group Discussion, Jamnabhai Narsee School, Mumbai

Of course no one denies that the Indian system is also riddled with faults – too much emphasis on rote learning, commercialisation of education, poor teaching quality, too much of stress on academics in exclusion to other aspects, etc. The answer does not lie in completely discounting it and embracing a wholly western way of education, but in retaining the best points of our system and imbibing the great points of the other. So we come back to it again – what is the ideal mix of attributes that a high-quality global education system should have?

• Top-quality education that is benchmarked to global standards

• A good understanding of global culture and global perspectives

• Focus on Science and Math – encouraging scientific spirit, literacy and reading

• Practical lessons to make theory more real• Multi-lingualism• Exchange and interaction with students from other parts

of the world• Focus on working collaboratively rather than competitively• Educational trips that broaden perspectives and inculcate

acceptance of and respect for differences• Social responsibility• Government and private investment in education in order

to upgrade the infrastructure, curriculum and quality of teachers




Tweaking the system: an amalgam of views

“I think there is no place like the US for high school and higher education. In that sense, we were lucky we moved when we did to the US. What is different about the US is the flexibility in the curriculum, the range of activities that a child can participate in, the resources at your disposal and the quality of teaching. The system here teaches you to think, it also makes a child more expressive as the student-teacher relationship is quite different than in India.”

– Jayanthi Murali, NRI in America, with one teenaged son

“The Indian education system is rigorous and good, the IITs have been recognised the world over as premier institutions of learning. But what about new ideas, innovations, applying that learning? Indians know what is in the book, and know it better than anyone else. But what about applying those theories to everyday life, using for practical purposes? This is where the western system scores.”

– Arjun Doshi, Student Group Discussion, Hillspring International School, Mumbai

“Mere focus on scoring high marks is insufficient; there should be an equal emphasis on emotional intelligence. More time for social work, etc. should be part of the school objective.”

– Dr. Sandhya Koushika, scientist, TIFR

“If you think about it, the Indians who are successful here are the ones who have taken the best of both cultures and created something new.”

– Sudhir B., NRI relocating to India in 2012

“The education system should teach you to work in cohesion rather than in competition. Being part of the peer group, building relationships, empathising with people, consensus… this matters on the global scale.”

– Mihika Shilpi

“The Indian way of teaching caters towards passing exams with high grades and is theory based whereas the western way of learning is to gain knowledge and is application based. Culturally and socially too, international education is important as the students to get know about different cultures.” – Shobha Sundar, teacher, Vidya Niketan School, Bangalore;

mother of three boys

Education has to be highly skill-based and knowledge-based. This means that schools should focus on concepts rather than content. Education must enable students to make connections – from what they learn to what they see and experience. Technology has given us access to more content than we can ever hope to use. But gleaning what is important from that content comes only through understanding. We believe that the first step is really to doubt. From doubt comes the desire to enquire and thus the process of learning. Our focus is really on living what you learn.

– Nalini Pinto



The ideal model to follow thus seems to be a combination of our Indian system as we know it today, and the Western inquiry-based model of learning. While each system on its own has its own merits, together they can beautifully answer the needs of a burgeoning global generation.

People also feel that a global education should be more than just academics – it should include extra-curricular activity that leads to wholistic development and also an inculcation of the values of social responsibility and accountability. And finally, one cannot be truly global unless one interacts with peers from across the world.

In the final analysis, the world has become flat and we cannot escape the reality of globalisation. It is not a question anymore of whether we should encourage our children to develop a global outlook and attitudes, but rather, how we should do this. Our interviews showed us that parents are more accepting of Western culture – it’s not all about soap operas and scanty clothing – teachers are striving to blend the best of both worlds, and children themselves are smarter, more aware of their world, and eager to reach out for the new and unknown, while holding on strongly to their identity and roots. A generation of Global Indians is already here!

Recipe for successIndian system’s hard work + strong focus on foundations and core concepts + discipline + Western system’s inquiry-based learning + application-based lessons = top-quality, rounded, global education.


Prakash ChellamPrakash currently works with an Investment Bank in Mumbai, where he has been living with his family since 2008. Prior to this, Prakash spent seven years in Continental Europe in France, Netherlands and Scandinavia working for a large Indian Information Technology services firm, and two years in Australia and Hong Kong, working for a start-up. Prakash is an MBA graduate from IIM-Ahmedabad and has a Bachelor's degree in Engineering from the College of Engineering, Guindy, Chennai.

Raghav SundarOriginally from Bangalore, where he studied in Vidya Niketan till the 10th grade, Raghav won a scholarship to study in Singapore when he was 16. He continued onto university in Singapore, where he completed his MBBS. He has specialised in Internal Medicine and is currently doing a further specialisation in Oncology, all in Singapore. He is married to Aparna, also a doctor.

Excerpts from some of the interviews that we conducted

You have lived both abroad and in India. What does it mean to be a global citizen today?I would say that living abroad gives you a wide range of exposures. You get the opportunity to see and experience lots of different cultures. You try to understand that each culture exists for a particular reason. Living in a foreign environment helps you to assimilate and understand it a lot better. You can understand different view-points better from the perspective of the socio-

What does it mean to be a global citizen today?In today's world, almost everyone is a global citizen. The world has become a smaller place, with everyone connected to everyone, via the internet, mobile phones and radio. However, some people have had the opportunity to experience more of the world than others. Some have lived in several different countries, or visited other countries through travel. These people have a broader outlook to life as they may have seen the world run differently in different parts of the world. These people also use their experiences from other places and apply them back in their own countries.

Do you think Indians can be successful abroad? What is the ideal mix of

cultural region. Thus, you end up being a lot more open.

Do you think Indians can be successful abroad? What is the ideal mix of characteristics that they need to be successful in a global economy?Yes, they can be successful. There are enough examples to prove that they can. Indians tend to have a high-degree of adaptability and the hard work crucial for success. However to be able to succeed, a person needs more than these innate

characteristics. They should be able to appreciate and integrate other cultures into their own. This will make them more successful than they are normally. There should also be a mutual respect for other cultures. Openness towards other cultures and making a conscious effort to mix with non-Indians is crucial.

How would you describe ‘Indian-ness’? Is ‘Indian-ness’ an advantage or does it get in the way of success?It’s hard to generalise, but Indian-ness does play a part in achieving success. I would come back to the fact that Indians have a strong desire to succeed. They are extremely ambitious and hardworking, and are able to adapt to any given environment. All these characteristics make Indians more success oriented. As you can see, more and more Indians are succeeding worldwide.

characteristics that they need to be successful in a global economy?This isn’t a question that needs to be asked anymore. Indians have proven themselves to be massively successful abroad. Those who were brought up in India, and then moved abroad after their childhood, have a distinct advantage over others as they have survived a rat race like none other (except for the Chinese from China of course). Having the exposure to the way a fully developed country works, with the street-smartness that is required to survive in the gullies of India is a fantastic combination to survive in today's cut-throat economy.

Is the current generation of youngsters poised to take advantage of this phenomenon?

The current generation has entered the world when it is at its best. Things are changing at a rapid pace, and the current generation is comfortable with the speed at which things change. The only constant in today's world is change.

How would you describe ‘Indian-ness’? Is ‘Indian-ness’ an advantage or does it get in the way of success?"Indian-ness" has its good and its bad. Several countries have recognised the fact that Indians are good at some things. However, the fact that we come from a country that has over a billion people, has resulted in a ruggedness that sometimes shows up in ugly ways.

You have lived in India and abroad – do you have a harder time forging your identity or would you say that you enjoy the ‘best of both worlds’?It’s a little bit of both. I feel bad that sometimes I don't celebrate Indian festivals and do "Indian" things. But I also believe that I have benefitted a lot by studying and working abroad.



Divya KolakadaDivya is a grade XI student in Kuala Lumpur. She moved to Malaysia 10 years ago and has thus spent much her childhood and adolescent years there.

Pramod JoshiPramod has over 25 years of experience in the High-Tech and IT industry, about half of which was acquired while living abroad. He has lived and worked in France, Mexico, and USA, and relocated to India around 10 years ago.

What does it mean to be a global citizen today?I think a global citizen is one who treats everyone as an equal, no matter what their background and culture. He should not have the mentality that he is better than anyone else or that his country and culture are better than others. He should also be able to interact with anyone from any background with ease.

Do you think Indians can be successful abroad? What is the ideal mix of characteristics that they need to be successful in a global economy?Yes, Indians can be successful abroad. To

When and why did you relocate to India?I relocated to India from the US in 1998. The main reason was that I wanted my kids to grow up in a real Indian milieu, and be able to enjoy the company of their grandparents, uncles, aunts, cousins, etc. Also, I could see India developing into a vibrant, resurgent country, and felt I could be a part of this great change.

Why did you want your children to grow up in India? I had to make a choice - either stay on in the USA and let my kids grow up as any normal American kid, or bring them back to India and let them experience an Indian childhood and youth. I believed that in the long run, they would benefit from the typically Indian values that I had grown up with. I felt that if we stayed in the US, they would become

be successful I think they would need confidence, good-communication skills, reliability, integrity, leadership skills, the ability to stay calm and comfortable with anyone else from any other background and passion and devotion towards their work- the same as anyone else would need.

Are the current generation of youngsters (like yourself) poised totake advantage of this phenomenon? Yes, I think so. As more people migrate from place to place, countries become more international, more cosmopolitan. This helps because it exposes us to diverse cultures and

their values. This is important for everything, from business deals to life-long friendships. The youth of India today are exposed to an international community, without any barriers. So we are growing up with some degree of comfort with other cultures, and are more accepting and understanding of differences.

How would you describe 'Indian-ness'? Is 'Indian-ness' an advantage or does it get in the way of success?"Indian-ness", I think is the set of characteristics that we developed as a culture, for example: respecting your elders and superiors no matter what, wearing our traditional clothes or even haggling with shop owners. Usually "Indian-ness" doesn't affect success- I think it is important to be grounded in our roots before we reach for the stars because when we are unsure about some decisions that we have to take, we can always come back to our roots.

a conflicted lot, not being able to really become American, and not being able to appreciate the Indian-ness that their parents represented. I made the choice of giving them the Indian upbringing.

According to you, what does ‘Indian-ness’ refer to?Indian-ness is a combination of the traditional family values of sacrifice, humility, respect for elders, accommodation, truth, equanimity, patriotism, secularism, et al. It cannot be easily described, but easily felt. It is the one thing an Indian can recognise anywhere around the world. It is the one thing an Indian misses the most when he is away from India and roaming the world.

How can an Indian learn to be a global

citizen? Is there an ideal mix that can lead to success – what is this? How can it be inculcated?An Indian is a natural at being a global citizen. The diversity she sees in her own country makes her ready for experiencing the diversity in foreign lands. So all that is needed for an Indian to be a global citizen is some global knowledge - culture, language, food, etc. The rest is in her DNA.

Success is different things to different people. If here we mean material success, then there are enough qualities in an Indian to achieve the same - tenacity, discipline, hard work, aversion to debt, adaptability, etc. If we mean happiness, then the Indian needs to develop qualities of compassion, teamwork, creativity, innovation, value-driven behavior, etc.

Inculcation can happen through coaching and mentorship by parents/senior friends/relatives. Not much is required in a person who is well read and aware of the need to become a global Indian when she steps out of the country.



Vish A Viswanathan Vish is an engineer from College of Engineering, Guindy, Chennai. He relocated to USA and completed his Master’s in Operations Research and Business Management from SUNY, NY. He then worked for 21 years in a US-based Fortune 500 company in Texas holding several leadership/management positions. He relocated back to India in 2003 and currently works as an Executive Management Consultant with a large, diversified, MNC company. He lives in Chennai with his wife and two teenaged daughters.

What does it mean to be a global citizen today? Do you think Indians can be successful on a global platform? What is the ideal mix of characteristics that they need to be successful in an increasingly global world?To be a global citizen means that you have to be able to relate to, understand, and work with people from all over the world. This may include working, collaborating, partnering, helping, learning from and competing with people from other countries in academic, corporate, business and professional careers.

I strongly believe that Indians can be very successful on a global platform. There are already several shining examples of this phenomenon. A strong academic background, being pragmatic and not idealistic, being humble yet bold, a positive attitude, clear and effective communication, patience and diligence, ability to collaborate and innovate, listen, understand and accept alternate views are some of the essential ingredients for success in this global world.

How would you describe ‘Indian-ness’? Is ‘Indian-ness’ an advantage or does it get in the way of success?First, the idea of Indian-ness could be very subjective. For us, it means people with a strong and deeply rooted value system, hardworking, educated, fiscally prudent and

tolerant. All of these are the good traits. Opportunities for improvement are in the areas of communication, entrepreneurship and leadership.

How can an Indian learn to be a global citizen? Is there an ideal mix that can lead to success – what is this? How can it be inculcated?We need to reduce the emphasis on academic performance and start promoting other skills as well. This includes sports, and social and communication skills that help us work well with others. The best way is to start changing our school education system and emphasise and place higher stress on these non-academic skills. Lots of practical exercises should be included in the school curriculum.

You have lived both abroad and in India. When and why did you relocate to India? Was wanting your children to grow up in India a factor?I relocated to India in 2003 after living in the US for 17 years. Relocation reasons included to take care of aging parents and support them, to provide an opportunity for the children to experience, enjoy and learn from our culture and diversity, to provide our parents, our siblings and other relatives an opportunity to interact and enjoy our children and vice versa, and to avoid the chance of our kids getting influenced by

the western way of life, including over-indulgence.

Having been exposed to education and work-styles in the west, is there any aspect you would adapt from the west in raising your children? Yes. Emphasis in the western education system is on practical applications of learning and knowledge and no emphasis on rote memory learning. It provides opportunities and requires research and practice versus text book knowledge. Western systems also encourage people to pursue their real interests as opposed to stereotyping. All these would be things that I would like to adapt from the western way in raising our children.

Specifically with regard to education, would you as a parent emphasise certain areas/aspects to complement what the Indian system offers/ supplement what it does not offer to equip children with skills to deal with a global world?Focus on communication skills (Reading, Writing, Public Speaking and Presentation skills) is missing in the Indian education system and can be imported from the western way. Emphasis on self-learning through research should be promoted. Teachers should be encouraged to adopt innovative methods in teaching - to make the subject interesting to the students. The school administration should provide the necessary infrastructure and the flexibility to the teachers to try different teaching methods. The evaluation system should include academic performance, sports, cultural, communication and social skills. In other words, we need an all-around performance evaluation rather than academic performance only, as is currently practised.


raising children who straddle indian and global...

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