Dear Friends,
I continue to write my blog simply because I feel good sharing the experiences of my life with all of you. Many years are behind me with lots of challenges, lots of suffering but today I am in search of new horizons. I am on the look-out for new ventures, new businesses, and new ideas. All of you are aware that the world has become very competitive with countries facing financial problems, especially in the European zone.
I am an Indian and I live in India. I do business in India and I also do business in the U.S. and in other parts of the world. I do travel a lot and in between my regular work, I am constantly studying and searching for new opportunities and trends. Two months back I went to Mexico. I saw some opportunities there, which I am pursuing seriously. Three weeks back I was in India and a week later I traveled to Indonesia from there. I also went to Singapore and Dubai, all the while with the sole intent of searching for new opportunities.
Now I am back in New York looking at furthering the existing business relationships. During the past two weeks of my stay in the US, I have been able to conclude some deals that were really un-imaginable which makes me feel good about a job well done. When you get that feeling of accomplishment, you look back and say, How did I do that? How did I do that or how many people who are more successful than I am would have done that? It’s simply because they watch and keep their eyes and ears open.
I am traveling tomorrow to Santo Domingo, the capital of the Dominican Republic, a country that I have never been to. This is in Central America. I go to the Dominican Republic with an empty bag. But I am going to see if there are any opportunities there that may be waiting for me. It is a five hours flight and I am going to make this effort to go there because I believe these are economies that are going to contribute in the future.
Everybody talks about India and China. The Chinese economy is already struggling with high costs. Labor costs are going up, operating costs are going up, and manufacturing costs are going up. Hence, I see there is going to be a shift in the outsourcing policies of America and some of the European nations. I would anticipate that something is going to happen in India. You take a new recruit in India, a fresh graduate coming out of college who wants close to or equivalent to $ 50 to 60,000 per annum. Let it be an IT professional, programmer, or engineer. They are all becoming expensive. So, what does this mean? These emerging economies, these emerging markets according to me are going to reach a point of saturation. And today I see a worsening trend where the ‘supposedly’ emerging markets including India are going to face serious challenges with political instability, no decision making, bureaucratic delays, and of course unfortunate corrupt practices that happen especially in India. Am I getting frustrated? I think many are. I being a businessman based in India have to certainly turn my spotlight to newer avenues. This is what gets me to go forging ahead.
As I write this blog, I am currently in New York, watching what is happening in this country. America is changing. In 2008 we all saw the crisis that hit the financial market in the United States of America. Banks failing, Lehman Brothers going out of business, Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae going bust and every financial institution in this country coming under tremendous pressure which impacted the economy. There were so many people suddenly out of jobs and unemployment reached close to 11%.
Today I am focusing mostly on the United States of America because I feel that this economy is going to revive and come back with its glory the way America used to have. I think most of you know that the unemployment rate is dropping, the GDP is showing a sense of growth, and the stock market is getting better. Today the Dow Jones average has crossed the 13,000 benchmarks. Interest rates are at the lowest levels in history and the FED has made a long term commitment of keeping the interest rates low till 2014. What does this mean? This simply means that America is one economy that will sustain and weather all the challenges and I think eventually the jobs are going to come back here.
Chinese and Indian outsourcing partners are going to become more and more expensive and I anticipate that the economy is going to turn around here in the U.S. In the past I have talked about the potential of Africa and Central America. I am still searching. I am on the look-out and I will continue to accomplish my business desires, my commercial desires to grow my organization, and to eventually become successful which is the ultimate goal of any businessman.
Friends, I hope all of you continue to pursue your career and nurture your businesses. All of us should continue to curb wasteful practices and to stop wasting time doing unproductive things. On the contrary, we can make a whole new world for ourselves by utilizing the time we have on this earth to be more creative and to find avenues that will benefit us, our families and the whole world.