Responding candidly to a question in the Indian capital New Delhi, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman said: "The way this works is we're going to tell you, it's totally hopeless to compete with us on training foundation models you shouldn't try, and it's your job to like try anyway. And I believe both of those things. I think it is pretty hopeless." This occurred at an event organized by The Economic Times where Altman answered a question by Rajan Anandan, a former Vice President of Google in India and South East Asia and current venture capitalist.
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| OpenAI CEO Sam Altman in India |
Altman in Delhi:
Sam Altman, the young CEO of OpenAI, the company that recently launched its revolutionary Generative AI app ChatGPT, was in India as part of a six-nation tour to discuss AI regulation. ChatGPT has been trained on massive amounts of data and text from the internet, textbooks, newspapers, magazines and academic journals. It can write computer code and carry on sophisticated conversations on a lot of different subjects. Altman is also visiting China. He was invited to speak at an event sponsored by Indian publication Economic Times. Here's the full exchange between Anandan and Altman about the potential for an Indian AI startup:
Anandan: "Sam, we have got a very vibrant ecosystem in India but specifically focussing on AI, are there spaces where you see a startup from India building foundational (AI) models; how should we think about that. Where is it that a team from India, with three super-smart engineers having not 100, but USD 10 million each could actually build something truly substantial?"
Altman: "The way this works is, we're going to tell you. It's totally hopeless to compete with us on training foundation models. You shouldn't try, and it's your job to like trying anyway. And I believe both of those things. I think it is pretty hopeless."
Challenge Accepted:
Judging by social media responses, most Indians reacted angrily to Altman's negative remarks. They accused him of "arrogance". Others saw his statement as a challenge and responded by accepting the challenge.
Tech Mahindra CEO CP Gurnani said he accepts the challenge. “OpenAI founder Sam Altman said it's pretty hopeless for Indian companies to try and compete with them. Dear Sam Altman, from one CEO to another...CHALLENGE ACCEPTED,” tweeted Gurnani.
India's Tech Industry:
Americans like Sam Altman know that India's tech industry is made up mainly of companies that are essentially body shops. These companies like Infosys, TCS and others supply Indian H1B workers to perform routine tasks in IT operations departments of western companies. These companies' revenue, labeled India's "IT exports", comes from the substantial cuts they keep from the wages of millions of Indian H1B workers. These workers replace higher-paid American employees. Rapid developments in AI technology are now threatening such jobs.
In 2016, India filed a complaint with the World Trade Organization (WTO) when the US raised visa fees to $4000 for each H1B worker visa. Indian government argued that it is discriminatory to the country under its trade agreement with the US.
Indian startups are not based on any original ideas born in India. They are essentially copies of similar e-commerce or logistics or payments startups in the western world.
Altman in China:
Altman is also visiting China this week. “China has some of the best AI talent in the world and fundamentally, given the difficulties in solving alignment for advanced AI systems, this requires the best minds from around the world,” Altman told participants at the event hosted by the Beijing Academy of Artificial Intelligence.
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New York Times Cartoon
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"Its (India's) loss of a plane last week to a country (Pakistan) whose military is about half the size and receives a quarter (a sixth according to SIPRI) of the funding is telling. ...India’s armed forces are in alarming shape....It was an inauspicious moment for a military the United States is banking on to help keep an expanding China in check".
Der Spiegel Cartoon:
In April this year, German publication Der Spiegel published a cartoon as India surpassed China as the world's most populous nation. The cartoon poked fun at India's lack of progress relative to its northern neighbor. It shows jubilant Indians on an old and overcrowded train – many on the roof – as it overtakes a sleek Chinese bullet train.
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| German Cartoon Comparing China and India. Source: Der Spiegel |
Spanish Newspaper Cartoon:'
In May 2022, Spanish newspaper La Vanguardia published a story titled "La hora de la economia India" along with a cartoon showing an Indian snake charmer. Indian media reacted angrily to what they saw as a racist stereotype.
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| Spanish Cartoon on Indian Economy. Source: La Vanguardia |
US Disrespects India:
Notwithstanding the geopolitically-motivated public rhetoric of US presidents and other western leaders, the fact is that they do not respect India. "One hard truth that Indians have to contend with is that America has also had difficulty treating India with respect", writes former Singaporean diplomat Kishore Mahbubani in his latest book "Has China Won?". "If America wants to develop a close long-term relationship with India over the long run, it needs to confront the deep roots of its relative lack of respect for India", adds Ambassador Mahbubani. It's not just Mahbubani who suspects the United States leadership does not respect India. Others, including former President Bill Clinton, ex US President Donald Trump, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and CNN GPS host Fareed Zakaria have expressed similar sentiments.
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| Source: @BeltandRoadDesk |
Related Links:
Why Does India Lag So Far Behind China?
Modi's "Make in India" Hype
Digital Pakistan 2022
2021: A Banner Year for Pakistani Startup Funding
India's IT Exports Highly Exaggerated
Unemployment Crisis in India
Afiniti: Pakistani-American AI Startup
Over A Million Pakistani University Students Enrolled in STEM Fields
Pakistani Military Launches Defense AI Program
Riaz Haq Youtube Channel
PakAlumni Social Network
107 comments:
what would happen when an Indian takes over as a CEO of chatgpt in future.
Kumar: "what would happen when an Indian takes over as a CEO of chatgpt in future"
Most major US tech company CEOs, including Sundar Pichai and Satya Nadella, are professional managers with MBAs from US schools.
These CEOs don't develop technology; it's done by technologists.
Pichai and Nadella became CEOs of mature companies with significant revenues and profits.....not when Google and Microsoft were developing their core technology.
The Q is why was he in a hopeless place like India in the first place? He may as well have visited Pakiland, where he may have found a better ecosystem for AI.
Majumdar: "The Q is why was he in a hopeless place like India in the first place? He may as well have visited Pakiland, where he may have found a better ecosystem for AI"
No, the question is why India, a country geopolitically important to the West,, is so far behind China in every respect? And why is Altman's view of China so dramatically different than his view of India?
https://www.riazhaq.com/2023/03/why-does-india-lag-so-far-behind-china.html
Altman is also visiting China this week. “China has some of the best AI talent in the world and fundamentally, given the difficulties in solving alignment for advanced AI systems, this requires the best minds from around the world,” Altman told participants at the event hosted by the Beijing Academy of Artificial Intelligence.
Indian mainstream media headlines suggest that Pakistan's current troubles are becoming a cause for celebration and smugness across the border. Hindu Nationalists, in particular, are singing the praises of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and some Pakistani analysts have joined this chorus. This display of triumphalism and effusive praise of India beg the following questions: Why are Indians so obsessed with Pakistan? Why do Indians choose to compare themselves with much smaller Pakistan rather than to their peer China? Why does India lag so far behind China when the two countries are equal in terms of population and number of consumers, the main draw for investors worldwide? Obviously, comparison with China does not reflect well on Hindu Nationalists because it deflates their bubble.
Dear Sir
Thanks for the reply , excellent reply .Sir another important information that I wanted to share with you .Most of all these Indians who are working at top positions in India and in other countries specially in America are actually from 1 specific state of India called “ KERALA”. They are not from other parts of India like Eastern part of India or Northern part of India . Pls take the example of TATA which is a famous Indian company, it’s CEO or founder was from Kerala . The Indian CEO of Google and Microsoft Pichai and Nadella are also from Kerala .
Thanks
I must admit I have no clue about AI or startups (and I am curious to know what Sam Altman would have said about AI ecosystem in Pakistan and its prospects), but having worked in the Indian IT sector for over 9 years, my impression is that the emphasis of Indian IT firms have been about getting quick bucks with minimal investment. So rather than innovating or investing in new ideas or products, Indian IT companies ended up doing mostly low value back office IT work for global firms. When I happened to work in a product development project, the management lacked vision and the employees (including me) lacked motivation. Indian govt also made the mistake in the '90s of emphasising and incentivising IT sector exports too much at the expense of manufacturing.
But then Indian industrial economy isn't exactly a one trick pony either. It does have a vibrant manufacturing industry (though not to the scale as China), especially in the automotive sector. There are many successful domestic auto manufacturers that are beginning to go global with exports and overseas assembly plants. Most of these brands have traditionally exported its products to India's immediate neighbours and other developing nations. But Royal Enfield motorcycles has had great success in its exports to Western markets in recent times, and Mahindra too has been exporting its SUVs to Australian market. Others like Tata Motors (which owns Jaguar Land Rover), Bajaj Auto (which manufactures bikes for KTM and is about to start building smaller Triumphs), Hero Motocorp (the largest Indian motorcycle manufacturer, which is about to manufacture smaller Harley Davidson bikes) and TVS (which builds smaller BMW bikes) may be about to grow beyond their traditional business of exports to dveloping nations. Then there are companies like Tata, Ashok Leyland, Eicher and Mahindra who manufacture and export trucks and buses.
There is no question about Indian military being badly in need of modernization. The Russian-origin antiquities in its arsenal would need to be phased out and more modern stuff inducted, either from domestic manufacturers or foreign suppliers. I might be one of a minority of Indians who do not believe our government's narrative regarding the success of Balakot attacks and the subsequent air battle, and on the overall, IAF's recent strings of failures - botched bombing of Balakot, downing of Abhinandan's MiG-21, downing of an Mi-17 helicopter by friendly fire, and the "accidental" firing of an unarmed Brahmos into Pakistan - do point to sorry state of affairs in IAF and the urgent need for an overhaul. At present, it seems doubtful that IAF can win an air war against Pakistan, let alone China.
As for India's space program, the first time India did a successful orbital launch on its own was in 1981. India's space agency had its fair share of failures, but they learned from the failures and performed successful missions later. This year so far it performed 4 "routine" launches including Comsats, Navsats, EO sats and a commercial mission for OneWeb. ISRO is going at its pace and has done well within its limits.
That said, regarding economy I couldn't help adding that last I checked, India wasn't doing exactly bad while Pakistan seemed busy doing a hara-kiri.
GDP growth
------------
Pakistan - 0.6%
India - 6.4%
Inflation
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Pakistan - 27.5%
India - 5%
Forex reserves
---------------
Pakistan - $3.9 bn
India - $595 bn
Military spending as % of GDP
--------–----
Pakistan - 4%
India - 2.4%
"No, the question is why India, a country geopolitically important to the West,, is so far behind China in every respect? And why is Altman's view of China so dramatically different than his view of India?"
- India's failings largely had to do with its political class's decades of obsession with state socialism (which has often been called the "License Raj") - a period during which India's government and bureaucracy shackled its private industries and entrepreneurs, discouraging foreign investment, making it an ordeal to start even a small-scale industry and dictating limits to the volume of productions (thereby creating shortages).
Take a look at the history of China's and India's economies. With a larger population, China had a lower GDP than India during Mao era right until 1978. China surpassed India in per-capita income only in 1991. What happened in China in 1978? Mao was dead and a more pragmatic leader - Deng Xiaoping - came to power. He knew China needed industrial development and didn't mind if it involved private enterprise or foreign investment. China didn't have a good relationship with the USSR and therefore was happy to get closer to West (who, in turn, wanted China as an ally against the Soviets). Deng Xiaoping started large SEZs where labour laws were relaxed and invited foreign companies to set up factories. India, meanwhile remained stuck with Soviet-style socialism. It took India's leadership a shock treatment in the form of a balance-of-payments crisis in 1991 to start liberalizing its economy.
But the reforms have been slow and Indian economy has never witnessed the kind of double-digit growth rates that China enjoyed for long. Why? India is a messy democracy. For much of the '90s, India was ruled at the Centre by shaky coalition governments. Political parties were often more worried about giving freebies and subsidies for winning the next elections, rather than pursuing badly needed reforms. Much of the socialist-era bureaucratic hurdles and red tape remained and acted as bottlenecks in growth. Large infrastructural/industrial projects and their land acquisition faced protests from locals, environmental and interest groups and projects often ended up in courts.
It goes without saying that as a one-party totalitarian state, China faced none of these issues. Chinese land is state-owned. The Party has a tight grip over the police and courts. There are no human-rights or environmental groups to protest against evictions or damage to the ecology. The result? Chinese projects stick to their deadlines and get implemented at breakneck pace, while India's crawled along at what has often been lampooned as the "Hindu rate of growth".
"Why are Indians so obsessed with Pakistan? Why do Indians choose to compare themselves with much smaller Pakistan rather than to their peer China?"
- Let me ask the question back at you, sir. Why are you obsessed about India in your articles here? (Perhaps Indians are obsessed about Pakistan for the same reason?) Pakistan is facing an existential crisis at the moment while you, a Pakistani-American, choose instead to write more "triumphalist" articles about India's failings? Hasn't that seemed a bit odd to you?
"Why does India lag so far behind China when the two countries are equal in terms of population and number of consumers, the main draw for investors worldwide?"
- I have answered this above. For one, India started its economic reforms late compared to China (1991 vs 1978). The current GDP of the Indian economy ($3.5 trillion) is equivalent to China's GDP in 2007. Secondly, India's politics have more often been driven by populism to win elections rather than implementing hard, but necessary reforms. India still has a large constituency that still clings to old-style state-ownership and subsidies. (How Modi govt had to walk back on new Farm laws due to protests from a section of farmers is a case in point.)
"Obviously, comparison with China does not reflect well on Hindu Nationalists because it deflates their bubble."
- I agree with that.
Dear Sir
According to some Indians ,people of Kerala state of India insult the Indians from northern parts of India and say to them that you North Indians don’t do anything good or positive for the country . They further say to North Indians that you North Indians do is fight with each other on the differences of religious beliefs . And Sir it is also true that what ever religious discrimination exists in India , it is mostly their in northern ,central,western and eastern parts of the country . In the southern parts of India where the state of Kerala is located , people don’t fight or have any arguments based on the differences of religious beliefs . The Kerala state of India is very peaceful and this is why it is more progressive than other states of India .
Thanks
AI ?
AFTER THE 3 IN 1 TRAIN CRASH ?
AFTER MULTIPLE VANDE MUTRAMS HITTING BUFFALOS AND THE BUFFALOS SURVIVING ?
R WE SERIOUS ?
AI = ARE U INSANE ?
INDIANS ARE,WERE AND WILL REMAIN CYBER COOLIES AND TOILET CLEANERS !
SAMBHAR DOSA IN SOUTH INDIA = ALL SWEAT SHOPS!
THE US OPERATIONS ARE THE FRONT END,WITH THE FACE OF THE PEACOCK
AT THE BACK END,IS THE DONKEY ! THE DONKEY IS SHITTING IN INDIA,AND THE PEACOCK IS SMILING IN THE US !
BUT SAM HAS SEEN THE BACK SIDE OF THE BACK END,AND IT AIN'T LOOKING GOOD,AND SMELLS BAD !
AND SAM SPEAKETH THE TRUTH !
CHAIWALA HAS LOST THE AI WAR !
INDIAN PANWARI BANIAS ARE ONLY GOOD AT BRICK AND MORTAR - AS THERE THEY BRIBE CHAIWALA TO PLACE IMPORT TARRIFFS AND BAN FOREIGN COMPETITION !
AI = NO BORDERS, NO IMPORT BAN, NO IMPORT DUTY AND NO FREIGHT DIFFERENTIAL !
AND CHAIWALA HAS LOST THAT WAR TO PRC AND THAT IS Y THE PLA WILL ANNIHILATE INDIA !
WAR = AI !
UDING A HUMAN TO FIRE A GUN OR PILOT A SHIP OR PLANE WILL BECOME OBSOLETE SOON !
WHAT EVER A HUMAN HAS LEARNT BY SENSE PERCEPTION - CAN BE REPLICATED BY AI A BILLION TIMES BETER AS IT STORE AND PROCESS,A BILLION TIMES MORE
ONLY CATCH IS NOT EMOTION,LOVE AND ALL THAT JUNK !
ONLY THINK IS - HUMANS CAN INTUITE - THE LUMEN NATURALE ! CAN AI INTUITE !
NOT PREDICT ! PREDICTION IS EASY
INTUITION SEPRATES SENTIENCE FROM AI ! dindooohindoo
Ahmad: "Most of all these Indians who are working at top positions in India and in other countries specially in America are actually from 1 specific state of India called “ KERALA”"
Most the big name Indian CEOs in America are from South India.
There's a large and growing divide between the north and the south in India.
South is more advanced relative to the north.
The southern states make a huge contribution to Indian central government budget but they do not have the political power because of smaller population growth. This situation helps Modi and his BJP dominate India.
Please read this:
Modi Government's Latest Move To Further North-South Divide
By Mihir Swarup Sharma
https://www.ndtv.com/opinion/the-latest-humiliation-by-bjp-of-southern-states-by-mihir-swarup-sharma-1827296
What, you ask, could be at stake here? How could it be political enough to draw in three state leaders, and momentous enough to affect our destiny as a country? Well, Finance Commissions are a vitally important feature of our constitutional set-up. Every five years, the commission decides how tax revenue will be divided between various states (this is, of course, an even more important formula in the post-GST era). The more the commission's formula favours a particular state or set of states, the more money the state government gets from the national kitty to spend.
One of the criteria used in this division is the state's share of the national population. This is natural, and as it should be. But the population shares used for this calculation have traditionally been frozen at the level determined by the 1971 census. The next finance commission, however, has been told by the Modi government to use the population shares of the 2011 census. And that's where the controversy comes in. Because in the decades between the 1971 and 2011 censuses, the share of the south (and of several other states) in India's population has declined. In other words, the Hindi heartland will, thanks to its abysmal failure to undertake family planning, get a larger share of taxes, thanks entirely to this one decision by the Modi government.
It should thus be clear why this decision has the possibility of blowing up into becoming a major issue. Nor is it irrelevant that this decision has been taken by a government of the Bharatiya Janata Party, which is almost entirely a party of the North and West - and, even more importantly, is seen as such in most of the rest of the country. North-South relations in India have been kept from boiling over for decades mainly thanks to careful compromises which are rarely talked about politically. One such is the decision to freeze the number of Lok Sabha seats given to each state for decades. This decision, taken in 2002, postpones redistributing constituencies across states till the 2030s. As a consequence, the southern states have more seats now than their population share would really suggest they should have. This careful compromise was a product of the coalition era, in which neither the Congress, then a truly pan-India party, nor the Vajpayee-era BJP and the various regional parties that depended on each other for power in New Delhi, felt it was useful or wise to politicise the consequences of divergent population growth. Today's politics is different. The BJP is now dominant in Hindi-speaking India; it seeks to expand into the regions dominated by its erstwhile partners. The incentives of all political players have thus changed. The BJP is happy to increase the domination of its political heartland. And the regional players will be happy to corner the BJP by pointing out its Hindi-Hindu-Hindustan character.
India’s diaspora is bigger and more influential than any in history
Adobe, Britain and Chanel are all run by people with Indian roots
https://www.economist.com/international/2023/06/12/indias-diaspora-is-bigger-and-more-influential-than-any-in-history
Many of India’s best and brightest seem to prepare themselves to migrate. Consider the findings of a paper soon to be published in the Journal of Development Economics by Prithwiraj Choudhury of Harvard Business School, Ina Ganguli of the University of Massachusetts Amherst and Patrick Gaule of the University of Bristol. It considered students that took the highly competitive entrance exams for the Indian Institutes of Technology, the country’s elite engineering schools, in 2010. Eight years later, the researchers found that 36% of the 1,000 top performers had migrated abroad, rising to 62% among the 100 best. Most went to America.
Another study looked at the top 20% of researchers in artificial intelligence (defined as those who had papers accepted for a competitive conference in 2019). It found that 8% did their undergraduate degree in India. But the share of top researchers that now work in India is so small that the researchers did not even record it.
In America almost 80% of the Indian-born population over school age have at least an undergraduate degree, according to number-crunching by Jeanne Batalova at the mpi. Just 50% of the Chinese-born population and 30% of the total population can say the same. It is a similar story in Australia, where almost two-thirds of the Indian-born population over school age, half the Chinese-born and just one-third of the total population has a bachelor’s or higher degree. Other rich countries do not collect comparable data.
Softly, softly
Joseph Nye, a Harvard professor who coined the phrase “soft power“, notes that it is not automatically created by the mere presence of a diaspora. “But if you have people in the diaspora who are successful and create a positive image of the country from which they came, that helps their native country.” And, as he notes “India has a lot of very poor people but they are not the people coming to the United States.”
Indeed Indian migrants are relatively wealthy even in the countries they have moved to. They are the highest-earning migrant group in America, with a median household income of almost $150,000 per year. That is double the national average and well ahead of Chinese migrants, with a median household income of over $95,000. In Australia the median household income among Indian migrants is close to $85,000 per year, compared with an average of roughly $60,000 across all households and $56,500 among the Chinese-born.
In terms of number of AI (Artificial Intelligence) research publications from 2016-2020, China tops with 76,300 papers followed by US second with 44,400, India ranks 3rd with 27,000. Pakistan ranks 28th with 2,600 papers.
https://www.statista.com/statistics/939627/ai-publications-worldwide-by-country/
It is better to be ridiculed for lack of quality than being feared and treated with contempt like Pakistan. West saw China similarly 20 years ago like it is seeing India now. The only reason why world cares about Pakistan is due to fear of nuclear weapons ending up in "wrong hands". Someone like Sam Altman will never even bother to visit Pakistan.
US govt. no longer (since long) sees Pakistan as country hyphenated with India. Pakistani emigrants are also no longer easily dumped in the same pack as "south asian", you are being clubbed with Afghan and middle east immigrants (read unwanted).
Civilian politicians in Pakistan probably realize that Pakistan is in a dire condition and that is why there is some polite words. If any Pakistanis feel bad after reading this, do not. There was a writing by a Pakistani diplomat in WaPost. In that she wrote, what Musharraf hinself thought about Pakistan (he thought that tribalism and religious extremism makes Pak a difficult place to administer).
Regarding the IT firms I would like to put in my two cents. There is a term call moving up the value chain. When I started my career in early 2000 then obviously most of the work was code coolie work but over time things have changed. Earlier all the architects were used to be foreigners and we were getting the support related jobs. Now go to any Bay Area company and check on the list of tech architects you will get your answer.
A COOLIE IS ALWAYS A COOLIE
A TOILET CLEANER IS ALWAYS A TOILET CLEANER
Y2K WAS A COOLIE JOB
THEN CAME CODING FOR COOLIES
THEN CAME ERP FOR COOLIES
COST OF INDIAN COOLIES WENT UP - SO WHITE MASTER LOOKED FOR OTHERS ! AND IN SOME CASES TO LOWER RISK - COOLIES WERE SOUGHT IN OTHER NATIONS !
TAMILS CAME TO CHANGI AND KL AND TORONTO.... 30 YEARS AGO, TO CLEAN TOILETS ! THEY STILL CLEAN TOILETS - BUT AT MUCH HIGHER WAGES AND IN FAR BETTER CONDITIONS
THE PACE OF TIME HAS RAISED WAGES AND WORKING CONDITIONS.
BUT .......................
30 YEARS AGO,INDIANS WERE IMPORTING HIGH END US AND RUSSIAN DEF TECH AND THE DOG FOOD WAS MADE IN INDIA ! THE SAME APPLIES TODAY ! SUKHOI IS LICENCSED TO HAL, BUT THE OLD SUKHOIS !
THE GAP BETWEEN THE MASTER AND SLAVE REMAINS !
A SLAVE IN CALIF PAID 150000 USD TO CLEAN TOILETS,WILL GET A INTEREST ONLY LOAN OF 5 MILLION USD AND BUY A MANSION - WHICH MEANS NOTHING !
BOTTOM LINE IS - THEY ARE NOT IN THE AI GAME, NO MASS, NO CRITICAL MASS AND NO INTELLECTUS !
THAT TIME HURDLE CANNOT BE BRIDGED !
IT IS NOT ERP ! IT IS THE NEXT FRONTIER TO MAKE HUMANS REDUNDANT AND INDIA IS ALREADY REDUNDANT !
The first question comes why Sundar Pichai, an Indian only ? Why not Riaz Haq
Why not any other pakistani ?
Answer is level of education in India is better than pakistan .
Sarma: "The first question comes why Sundar Pichai, an Indian only?"
It's a mistake to assume that everyone wants to be a CEO of an established company.
There are many who choose to be entrepreneurs rather than corporate managers.
There's a long and illustrious list of successful Pakistani entrepreneurs in Silicon Valley and elsewhere in the world.
https://www.riazhaq.com/2016/05/pakistanis-make-up-silicon-valleys.html
"West saw China similarly 20 years ago like it is seeing India now."
Seventy some odd years ago, during Nehru's time, India saw China, or for that matter, East Asia, with contempt. India sees itself as the top dog in all of Asia (South and East) and certainly the new imperial power in the block in its own neighborhood à la the British Raj. British Raj was the source of inspiration. Nowadays, it seems India sees being bracketed with China as a badge of honor. What a change. Whether India is a poor's man version of the Raj or a Desi version of China in the sub-continent, neither is healthy nor helpful to India. India can never be other countries, just like no country can be India.
By the way, I don't see the West seeing India as China twenty years ago.
Generative A.I. Can Add $4.4 Trillion in Value to Global Economy, Study Says
https://www.nytimes.com/2023/06/14/technology/generative-ai-global-economy.html
The report from McKinsey comes as a debate rages over the potential economic effects of A.I.-powered chatbots on labor and the economy.
“Generative artificial intelligence” is set to add up to $4.4 trillion of value to the global economy annually, according to a report from McKinsey Global Institute, in what is one of the rosier predictions about the economic effects of the rapidly evolving technology.
Generative A.I., which includes chatbots such as ChatGPT that can generate text in response to prompts, can potentially boost productivity by saving 60 to 70 percent of workers’ time through automation of their work, according to the 68-page report, which was published early Wednesday. Half of all work will be automated between 2030 and 2060, the report said.
McKinsey had previously predicted that A.I. would automate half of all work between 2035 and 2075, but the power of generative A.I. tools — which exploded onto the tech scene late last year — accelerated the company’s forecast.
“Generative A.I. has the potential to change the anatomy of work, augmenting the capabilities of individual workers by automating some of their individual activities,” the report said.
McKinsey’s report is one of the few so far to quantify the long-term impact of generative A.I. on the economy. The report arrives as Silicon Valley has been gripped by a fervor over generative A.I. tools like ChatGPT and Google’s Bard, with tech companies and venture capitalists investing billions of dollars in the technology.
The tools — some of which can also generate images and video, and carry on a conversation — have started a debate over how they will affect jobs and the world economy. Some experts have predicted that the A.I. will displace people from their work, while others have said the tools can augment individual productivity.
Last week, Goldman Sachs released a report warning that A.I. could lead to worker disruption and that some companies would benefit more from the technology than others. In April, a Stanford researcher and researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology released a study showing that generative A.I. could boost the productivity of inexperienced call center operators by 35 percent.
Any conclusions about the technology’s effects may be premature. David Autor, a professor of economics at M.I.T. cautioned that generative A.I. was “not going to be as miraculous as people claim.”
“We are really, really in the early stage,” he added.
For the most part, economic studies of generative A.I. do not take into account other risks from the technology, such as whether it might spread misinformation and eventually escape the realm of human control.
Best universities for Artificial Intelligence in Pakistan
National University- FAST. ...
National University of Science and Technology. ...
Quaid-e-Azam University. ...
COMSATS. ...
Lahore University of Management Sciences. ...
Pakistan Institute of Engineering and Applied Sciences. ...
University of Karachi. ...
Air University.
https://academiamag.com/best-universities-for-artificial-intelligence-in-pakistan/
Lahore’s Tech Renaissance: From Astrolabes To AI
Amir Husain
https://www.forbes.com/sites/amirhusain/2023/03/29/lahores-tech-renaissance-from-astrolabes-to-ai/?sh=1388ed2e12c8
Contributor
Amir Husain is the Founder & CEO of the global AI company, SparkCognition, and the CEO of SkyGrid.
Zaib and I just concluded a fascinating visit to Lahore, Pakistan. We were joined on this trip by Prof. Bruce Porter, former Chairman of UT Austin Computer Science and Chief Science Officer of SparkCognition, along with colleagues from SparkCognition, SkyGrid, and Navigate.
Lahore is an ancient and vibrant city, once one of the largest manufacturing centers of mechanical computers, called Astrolabes. Built by Muhammad Muqim and his family in the 16th century, these computers came hundreds of years before the Jacquard Loom or Charles Babbage’s Analytical Engine. The city is now busily reinventing itself as a modern hub for entrepreneurship and academia. Our journey unveiled numerous innovative startups, cutting-edge research projects, and the thriving connections between the city’s entrepreneurial and educational ecosystems.
Lahore University of Management Sciences (LUMS)
Our first public event was at the Lahore University of Management Sciences (LUMS), a prestigious institution renowned for its research and entrepreneurial spirit. Prof. Porter and I had the opportunity to deliver talks on entrepreneurship and artificial intelligence (AI) to an enthusiastic audience of students and faculty members.
Prof. Porter's talk focused on the three generations of AI, tracing its development from search algorithms to expert systems and the Generative AI explosion. The lecture provided insights into AI's potential to transform industries and our daily lives.
After the talks, we connected with professors and students, learning about their innovative startups and groundbreaking research projects. It was inspiring to see the passion and drive on display at LUMS.
IoT, EVs, and Quantum, Oh My!
We encountered three standout teams pushing the boundaries of technology and innovation. The first was the quantum computing group at LUMS which has developed and indigenously built an experimental quantum information processor. I was told by Dean Anwar of the Syed Babar Ali School of Science and Engineering (SBASSE) that this device has two entangled physical qubits based on single photons from a heralded source. This effort lands LUMS on a short list of global quantum computing research organizations. Applications of quantum computing may eventually revolutionize materials science and much more. It was quite impressive to see a cutting-edge effort like this underway at the school.
Lahore’s Tech Renaissance: From Astrolabes To AI
Amir Husain
https://www.forbes.com/sites/amirhusain/2023/03/29/lahores-tech-renaissance-from-astrolabes-to-ai/?sh=1388ed2e12c8
Another intriguing venture spun off from LUMS is a startup that develops affordable three-wheel electric vehicles (EVs). As the world increasingly turns to sustainable transport solutions, this company aims to cater to the growing demand for cost-effective EVs in Pakistan and beyond.
The third group is running an agri-tech research initiative that combines AI and the Internet of Things (IoT) to control large-scale agricultural processes autonomously. The project seeks to optimize variables such as fertilizer, water, and pesticide, and monitor plant health, thereby increasing productivity in the farming sector.
Technologies such as these can lift the local economy, increase global collaboration, and scale exports.
Aitchison College
Our next stop was my old alma mater, Aitchison College, a prestigious K-12 school founded in 1885. Boasting one of the world's most beautiful campuses on a sprawling 200 acres of land, the school has evolved from an elite institution to offering full-ride scholarships for applicants from diverse backgrounds.
Michael Thomson, the Principal of Aitchison College, and his lovely wife, Elizabeth, gave us a tour of the school's museum, the impressive chemistry labs, and the nearly complete Artificial Intelligence, Robotics, and Biotech building. This new facility will be a massive asset for Aitchison and the student community, bringing research and entrepreneurship to the high school level.
One of the most inspiring stories we heard was that of a young graduate from the tribal belt along the Afghan border in North Waziristan. Upon meeting this impressive young gentleman, we learned that after receiving a full scholarship at Aitchison, he is now heading to Dartmouth for higher studies – a transformative opportunity for him, his family, and his village.
Entrepreneurs in Lahore
During our trip, we interacted with numerous entrepreneurs who have contributed significantly to Lahore's entrepreneurial ecosystem. Among them was the legendary Syed Babar Ali, founder of LUMS and Chairman of Packages Ltd. Babar Ali is one of the most admired Pakistanis globally. In his long list of laurels is his dedication to environmental conservation and a term as the President of the World Wildlife Foundation (WWF), which he took over from Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, in 1996. His contributions to industry and education are immeasurable. At the young age of 97, he continues to work from his office daily, maintaining a hectic and full schedule. His unwavering dedication and passion are truly inspiring.
We also met Aezaz Hussain, the founder of Systems Ltd., Pakistan's oldest software company. Mr. Hussain has led his company with great poise for over forty years. He has now expanded his enterprise globally through a network of affiliated companies. The Systems Ltd. network encompasses businesses in the UAE, Australia, Saudi Arabia, India, Europe, and the US. With around 10,000 employees, Systems is experiencing rapid growth and solidifying Pakistan's position in the global software industry.
Nabeel Ahmed, the founder of Core9, a new AI services company focused on industrial applications and a SparkCognition partner, took us on a tour of the Sundar Industrial Estate. Here, we learned about the nearly 650 manufacturing companies based in the park, spanning industries such as pharma, textiles, TVs, and chemicals. Meeting one of the newest SparkCognition clients, a multinational chemical manufacturer also located within the Sundar Industrial Estate, was exciting and inspiring.
Lahore’s Tech Renaissance: From Astrolabes To AI
Amir Husain
https://www.forbes.com/sites/amirhusain/2023/03/29/lahores-tech-renaissance-from-astrolabes-to-ai/?sh=1388ed2e12c8
The Lahore-based team at FiveRivers Technologies has been a tremendous partner for SparkCognition. But FiveRivers also impressed us by showcasing a suite of their domestically built software products gaining traction in international markets. Their SmartWindows application is one such example. The application enhances productivity for power users by supercharging window and state management on PCs. It’s quickly gaining users worldwide.
Later that night, at a wonderful ecosystem dinner organized by Usman Malik of power company, PITCO and Mahmud Hiraj of private equity firm, Baltoro Capital, we met many other members of the innovation ecosystem in Lahore. Usman heads the power plant design arm of PITCO, which traces its origins back to 1938. Mahmud is a founding partner at Baltoro Capital, a leading private equity firm in Pakistan. Mahmud moved back to Lahore after spending 15 years in the finance industry in North America. His fund, Baltoro, is Pakistan-focused and capitalizes on the country’s growing consumer market and rising export competitiveness.
Export is a key area of focus for many Pakistani entrepreneurs, particularly those building high-tech products. One of the guests at the ecosystem dinner was Salem Rehman of EMCO Industries. EMCO is Pakistan's premier manufacturer of high-voltage products for the electric grid. His company has a long history of catering to the domestic and regional markets but has now also started exporting to the United States.
Wrapping up
Our trip to Lahore allowed us to witness firsthand the energy and drive of Lahore’s entrepreneurs. The city is full of innovative startups, research projects, and academies focused on scientific development. This varied and fast-growing ecosystem is a testament to Lahore's immense potential and creativity.
As we continue our work in Austin, build new relationships in Munich, and explore partnerships in Lahore, we hope to contribute to the growth of entrepreneurial communities in all these innovation centers. By fostering connections between these vibrant cities, we can nurture AI and broader S&T collaborations that have the potential to change the world. The unyielding passion of the people we met makes us optimistic about the future of Lahore, of Pakistan, and indeed, of the world.
Dear Sir
Mashallah great news , but Sir don’t you think that they must also contact NED university and other universities in Pakistan and visit their research centers and collaborate with their managements inorder to improve the quality of research and development in these universities of Pakistan ? Their experience , knowledge and skills will definitely benefit the students and professors in these universities of the country and also they can allow foreign based IT companies specially those that are purely working on AI to invest in these research centers in the country .
@Mantou
"By the way, I don't see the West seeing India as China twenty years ago."
I certainly have experience where sometimes programmers in Germany saw Indian programmers contemptuously. I'm not a culturally sensitive person to get angry about that, however there is some hypocrisy and ignorance in their attitude. To begin with, there is a difference in quality between Western trained workers and Indian workers, but you have to consider the huge price difference as well which they conveniently ignore. The second aspect is that they often fail to acknowledge that India also produces some top notch scientists and programmers, but they do not work as code coolies for IT service providers. They are usually doing higher end work for R&D labs of big techs.
https://www.economist.com/asia/2023/06/15/in-conversation-with-subrahmanyam-jaishankar
the above interview has Zero mention of Pakistan...which shows that even Indians have stopped caring about it
Lightspeed says India not for the faint-hearted amid Sequoia split
https://techcrunch.com/2023/06/14/lightspeed-says-india-not-for-the-faint-hearted-amid-sequoia-split/
Tiger Global partner Scott Shleifer echoed similar sentiment earlier this year. India is likely to produce the highest equity returns globally in the future, he said, but admitting that the world’s second-largest internet market had delivered below average returns for the investor giant historically and the local startup ecosystem was grappling with governance and unit economics challenges.
“Returns on capital in India have sucked historically. If you look at the market-leading internet companies, whether it is Google, Facebook, Alibaba or Tencent, revenue for them got bigger than cost more than a decade ago. You had a great legacy of the last 17-18 years of materially profitable internet companies. So returns on equity in the internet got really high and the returns for investors have been really high. But that did not happen in India,” he said.
-----------------
Bejul Somaia, the founding partner of Lightspeed India, staunchly defended the allure of South Asia’s investment landscape, even in the wake of unsettling movements such as Sequoia’s decision to segregate its Indian venture.
“The startup and venture model is predicated on learning and adapting fast, navigating to high upside and understanding that the few companies that really succeed drive economies and humanity forward and create enormous value,” Somaia wrote in an essay, posted on Twitter.
“And those that don’t succeed contribute to a cycle of creative destruction that is essential to the development of an innovation economy. The potential of India remains incredibly compelling: a sizable market, high-quality founders and one-way adoption of technology. The question is not whether there is potential, but how best to navigate this potential.”
Somaia’s remarks come on the heels of an escalating critique from certain industry figures who have been openly skeptical about Sequoia’s decision to cut the India and Southeast Asia arm. The storied venture firm said earlier this month that it intends to separate its Indian and Chinese operations from the U.S. mothership, a move that has instigated heated debate in the industry.
Chamath Palihapitiya, the billionaire founder of Social Capital, said he was puzzled by Sequoia’s decision to split up the India business. “I was surprised why they would allow India to leave,” he said on his podcast All-In last week. “India is a country growing at 6% a year. It literally looks like China in 2008-09. I think you would want to attach them to yourself because it makes the U.S. business look better.”
Palihapitiya said he doesn’t buy the idea — the on-record justification provided by the venture firm — that Sequoia is splitting the business because of portfolio conflict concerns.
“Sequoia China is frankly over the last 15-20 years is as good or probably better than Sequoia U.S. Sequoia India, I don’t think, has much to talk about and maybe what Roelof [Botha, Managing Partner at Sequoia Capital] decided was that this team is just not very good, so we might just as well cut it and revisit it later.”
Sequoia India and SEA, the most prolific investor in the region, raised $9.2 billion across 13 funds over the past decade-and-a-half and backed over 400 startups. The firm, now known as Peak XV Partners, has delivered $4.5 billion of realized exits.
Lightspeed India, which also started investing in India over a decade ago, has raised $1.6 billion to date and returned about $1 billion to its limited partners and the value of its current asset holding is $3.4 billion, Somaia said.
“India is not for the faint-hearted. India is tough. But India is worth it,” he wrote.
"They are usually doing higher end work for R&D labs of big techs."
So? These R&D labs of big techs have people from all over the world from five continents.
"the above interview has Zero mention of Pakistan...which shows that even Indians have stopped caring about it"
That's great to hear. India should care about itself and itself only.
By the way, the article is hidden behind a paywall, and I can't read it.
JP Morgan downgrades Indian IT sector to underweight from neutral
https://www.business-standard.com/industry/news/jp-morgan-downgrades-indian-it-sector-to-underweight-from-neutral-123061400979_1.html
Infosys, TCS, MphasiS on JP Morgan's negative catalyst watch. Here's why
JP Morgan has reiterated its negative stance on Indian information technology (IT) services and downgraded the sector to underweight (neutral earlier post Q4-FY23 numbers), as it believes the overall demand environment for the sector still remains weak.
The research firm expects most companies in the sector to disappoint while announcing their first quarter numbers for the current fiscal (Q1-FY24). Among stocks, it has placed Infosys, TCS, MphasiS its ‘negative catalyst watch’.
“India IT Services offers investors an opportunity for a short IT Services trade for the second time in six months. After meeting 15 industry participants in Bangalore, we came away feeling that the demand environment for IT Services has likely weakened further in June,” wrote Ankur Rudra and Bhavik Mehta of JP Morgan in a recent note.
JP Morgan on Indian IT sector: Shares of most IT services companies were under pressure on Wednesday after foreign brokerage JP Morgan reiterated its negative stance on the entire IT services universe. The brokerage said it expects every IT firm to disappoint the street in Q1 and H2FY24. Further, it has placed Infosys, TCS, and Mphasis on 'Negative Catalyst Watch', as reported by Zee Business.
https://www.zeebiz.com/markets/stocks/news-jp-morgan-indian-it-sector-infosys-tcs-mphasis-lti-mindtree-persistent-systems-us-recession-239897
The brokerage has maintained an 'underweight' rating on Infosys with a target price of Rs 1,150. On TCS, too, JP Morgan is underweight and has set the target price at Rs 2,700. As regards Mphasis, the target price is set at Rs 1,550. That's an 18 per cent decline from the previous close of Rs 1,898. Moreover, it has downgraded Persistent Systems to underweight from neutral and cut the target to Rs 4,100 from Rs 4,200 earlier. The brokerage said it finds the stock expensive given slowing growth in a tough macro environment.
The brokerage mentioned that EPAM recently cut its guidance from +3% growth in CY23 to -2% and the cuts were led by a cut in discretionary digital engineering spending. Persistent Systems has the highest exposure to discretionary spending at 83 per cent as compared to peers' 40-75 per cent. Further, it has maintained an underweight stance on Tech Mahindra, but the target price has been raised to Rs 950 from Rs 900 earlier.
At the time of writing this news, the S&P BSE Information Technology index was trading nearly half a per cent lower at 29,087.66 levels. KPIT Tech was the biggest loser on the index (down nearly 5 per cent). Persistent Systems was next on the list with a 2.62 per cent loss. Cigniti, Ramco Systems, LTI Mindtree, and Mastek were also among the losers. However, the stocks trimmed their losses later. At close, the IT index stood at 29,174.47, down 0.17 per cent.
Nirmal Bang Securities is also cautious about the sector. In its latest report, the brokerage said it continues to remain cautious on the IT sector with an 'underweight' (UW) stance and "will wait for better valuations or evidence that the worst is behind us. Only capitulation by the US consumer would, in our view, signal that we are close to the end of the current cycle of pain."
The brokerage further said, "Management commentary/data points across global IT services players and cloud/SaaS players in the June 2023 quarter-to-date (QTD) as well as from the recent meetings we have had in Bengaluru with a few Tier-1 players suggest that the June 2023 quarter is likely to be weak for Tier-1 players as has been widely expected. The situation for Tier-2 players will be much more company-specific."
@Maontou
"
So? These R&D labs of big techs have people from all over the world from five continents."
I never said otherwise. All im saying is that given right environment and wages, Indians produce best quality work as well
"That's great to hear. India should care about itself and itself only.
"
India will probably continue to care about other countries and Pakistan. That's what the core message of the interview in TE. But that is not because Pakistan is important. India as a global player can no longer look inward like it used to be.
Now if Indian FM could give a 10 page interview w/o mentioning Pak a single time, I think that is growing up the old rivalry (only US, Russia and China are mentioned in the article.)
Bad times are just starting for #India's #IT outsourcers. JP Morgan has concluded "the demand environment for IT services has likely weakened further in June." All of FY2024 is going to be a 'washout' #technology #exports
https://www.theregister.com/2023/06/16/indian_it_services_grim_outlook/?utm_medium=share&utm_content=article&utm_source=twitter via @theregister
JP Morgan has predicted tough times are around the corner for India's big IT services outfits.
In a report released Wednesday, based on meetings with 15 players, the firm concluded "the demand environment for IT services has likely weakened further in June."
Author and JP Morgan's head of APAC telecoms and India TMT research Ankur Rudra noted "increased competition for a smaller pie could trigger falling win-rates, pricing and deteriorating deal terms" and projected that deferred project starts, project halts and cancellations are likely to persist.
The firm predicts recovery for the industry isn't likely over the next six to nine months, making all of calendar 2023 – indeed all of financial year 2024 – a "washout."
JP Morgan previously expected that only the first half of 2023 would be tough for India's tech services sector. It's since trimmed its estimates of the industry's revenue by one to three percent for Q1. The report also suggests the sector will not deliver investors' hoped-for revenue figures or growth expectations for around a year.
The report cut JP Morgan's view of Tata Consultancy Services FY24-25 revenues and earnings by one percent, noting that "the unexpected CEO departure could lead to periods of volatility in a time of weaker tech spend and rapidly evolving macro." That's a reference to K Krithivasan taking over from Rajesh Gopinathan as CEO of TCS earlier this month. After 34 years with the firm, Gopinathan stepped down "to pursue his other interests."
JP Morgan also cut its outlook for Infosys by one to two percent over FY24–FY26. Wipro and HCL Technologies predictions went unchanged.
Rudra advised the tough times facing the industry represent a chance for investors to take a short position – potentially profiting from the sector's woes.
India's top outsourcers struggled to hire and retain talent during 2022, when their order books ballooned. In the months since, the industry worried that workers didn't have enough to do and even reneged on job offers.
Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) CFO Samir Seksaria called FY23 "a year of transition" in the firm's Q4 2023 earnings statement. For most Indian IT outfits, that quarter was marked by missed revenue targets and slowed pipelines.
"There is a slowdown, but still, we believe there is a floor level which will be higher than the pre-pandemic cycle. And the time to recover also should be shorter," said HCL CEO C Vijayakumar in his firm's Q4 2023 call.
However, JP Morgan has ruled out any quick recovery, predicting less than five percent year-on-year growth. ®
"India as a global player can no longer look inward like it used to be."
When did India ever look inward?! India has always been looking outward. That IS the problem.
Don't be silly. I am not going to mince words. India is a nobody and is the butt of the joke in the world. You people are funny if not deplorable.
Mr. Majumdar
Exactly you are right but pls note that Sam Altman who is the CEO of Open AI is actually a Jew . And you must know that Jews and Isrealis actually look for business opportunities in other countries . He might be knowing that economy of India at the moment is strong and stable so he must be expecting the top multi billionaires of India or Indian tycoons to invest in Open AI .
It is not just about technological innovations and ideas . It is also about how to execute the ideas into reality . How to convert the innovative and technological ideas into something useful which could actually benefit the companies and organizations financially .
Thanks
Sir Mantou
It is true that India has its own importance not just in this region of South Asia but in many countries because India does have healthy and big economy which has benefited many countries in the world . India has advantage of its huge population and many doctors , engineers , IT professionals and other professionals have been produced in India and Indian government has no doubt taken full advantage of its manpower and skilled workers and exported them to many countries , it is a different story that Indian government doesn’t focus much on quality but more on quantity .
But Sir what role has India played in international politics ? Except for sending its diplomat , officials and businessmen in other countries specially in 1st world countries where they actually promote the economic interest of India which is something that should be appreciated and behind the doors , Indian lobbies working in America , UK , Canada and in Middle Eastern countries try to create misunderstandings about Pakistan and try to wash brains of Americans and Western people about Pakistan , what else has Indian government done ?
Can you show me 1 positive role which Indian government has played like bringing 2 rival countries on the table for peace talks ?
Sorry if these posts actually hurt your feelings but can you pls explain what role has India ever played internationally ?
Q. 1 Indian government claims that it supports the cause and freedom for Palestine and they even claim that Palestine should be given justice . These are verbal support given by Indian government which is no doubt good but pls note that their is a famous saying that “ ACTIONS SPEAK LOUDER THAN WORDS”. What has Indian government practically done for Palestine ? Has Indian government ever tried to have a table talk with Isreali government and tried to convience them that they should resolve the long lasting issue of Palestine ?
Q.2 What role did India play when Soviet Union( United Russia which was called USSR) before 1979 was in war in this region and when Soviet Union tried to invade Afghanistan . Did Indian government intermediate between both Soviet Union and Afghanistan and tried to bring both countries on a table for peace talk ? Pls note that India had good and close relations with both Afghanistan and Soviet Union at that time .
I hope this helps thanks
Mr. Mantou
Pls relax when we say that Indian government looks inward , it means that Indian government has a foreign policy which is based on just national interest . It means that the diplomats and the delegates which Indian government sends to other countries , they only talk about increasing trade and business and the intention of these Indian diplomats and businessmen who are part of the delegates is to gain maximum benefit from these trades and businesses for India .
Even in the political matters , India is a country which looks inward and looks for political benefits for its own country .
Thanks
"When did India ever look inward?! India has always been looking outward. That IS the problem.
Don't be silly. I am not going to mince words. India is a nobody and is the butt of the joke in the world. You people are funny if not deplorable."
-----
Indis was part of non alignment. Otherwise, it had only wars with its immediate neighbours, very reluctant to commit to anything. Now if you are a Pakistani who doesn't like India, I recommend that you do not switch on any media for 2 weeks. Modi is in USA soon and more denial you are, the bitter it will be. Your insults and hate mongering probably comes from bitterness, but matters very little to India because India has its place in the world as 5th largest economy and a stable country and the latest TE is full of praise even to Modi. You can dismiss it, but who cares.
Mr. Zen
Pakistan is also an important country and pls check the statement of former President Obama when he visited India and answered questions of some Indian students . When an Indian student asked a question to President Obama that “ WHY IS PAKISTAN SO IMPORTANT AND ALLY TO AMERICA THAT IT NEVER CALLS IT A TERRORIST STATE “?
President Obama replied by saying that “ PAKISTAN IS AN ENORMOUS COUNTRY AND ITS PEOPLE HAVE ENORMOUS POTENTIAL . IT IS NOT JUST STRATEGICALLY IMPORTANT TO AMERICA BUT FOR THE WORLD”.
Pls check the YouTube and see what President Obama said .
Thanks
"Your insults and hate mongering probably comes from bitterness, but matters very little to India because India has its place in the world as 5th largest economy and a stable country and the latest TE is full of praise even to Modi. "
What I said is indeed insulting, but it's true. What Donald Trump said about India behind closed doors is a hardly unique sentiment. I think at heart is India's lack of self-awareness and the craving for respect, to the point of being grotesque.
Blow for TCS! Transamerica Life Insurance cuts short $2 billion contract with Indian IT giant
https://www.businesstoday.in/latest/corporate/story/blow-for-tcs-transamerica-life-insurance-cuts-short-2-billion-contract-with-indian-it-giant-385873-2023-06-16
The deal between TCS and Transamerica Insurance was signed in January 2018, as per a release by the IT services company. The deal ensured that TCS earned at least $200 million in annual revenue.
India’s largest IT services company, Tata Consultancy Services (TCS), has confirmed that its 10-year deal with Transamerica Life Insurance Company, which was signed in 2017, has been ended before completion due to the current macro-economic environment. The 10-year deal was worth $ 2 billion.
The company said in a statement, “Considering the current macro environment and respective business priorities, Transamerica and TCS have mutually agreed to end the administration arrangement for Transamerica life insurance, annuities and supplemental health insurance, and other employee benefit products.”
The deal between TCS and Transamerica Insurance was signed in January 2018, as per a release by the IT services company. The deal ensured that TCS earned at least $200 million in annual revenue. The release from January 2018 also highlighted that TCS was signed to simplify the service of more than 10 million policies into a single integrated modern platform.
“Transamerica and TCS will work together to ensure a smooth transition of the administration of these products to a new servicing model, which we expect to take approximately 30 months,” they added.
For the financial year 2022-23, TCS has reported a 14.8 percent year-on-year (YoY) increase in consolidated net profit. The profit for the quarter ended March 31, 2023 stood at Rs 11,392 crore.
The consolidated revenue from operations of the IT company came in at Rs 59,162 crore, up 16.9 per cent, from Rs 50,591 crore YoY. In the December quarter of FY23, it stood at Rs 58,229 crore.
The revenue rose 10.7 per cent year-on-year (YoY) in constant currency (cc) terms. Earnings before interest and taxes (EBIT) stood at Rs 14,488 crore with EBIT margin contracting 0.5 per cent YoY to 24.5 per cent. Net margin came in at 19.3 per cent.
This development comes as the IT services company's new CEO, K Krithivasan, started his term on June 1.
Blow for TCS! Transamerica Life Insurance cuts short $2 billion contract with Indian IT giant
https://www.businesstoday.in/latest/corporate/story/blow-for-tcs-transamerica-life-insurance-cuts-short-2-billion-contract-with-indian-it-giant-385873-2023-06-16
The deal between TCS and Transamerica Insurance was signed in January 2018, as per a release by the IT services company. The deal ensured that TCS earned at least $200 million in annual revenue.
India’s largest IT services company, Tata Consultancy Services (TCS), has confirmed that its 10-year deal with Transamerica Life Insurance Company, which was signed in 2017, has been ended before completion due to the current macro-economic environment. The 10-year deal was worth $ 2 billion.
The company said in a statement, “Considering the current macro environment and respective business priorities, Transamerica and TCS have mutually agreed to end the administration arrangement for Transamerica life insurance, annuities and supplemental health insurance, and other employee benefit products.”
The deal between TCS and Transamerica Insurance was signed in January 2018, as per a release by the IT services company. The deal ensured that TCS earned at least $200 million in annual revenue. The release from January 2018 also highlighted that TCS was signed to simplify the service of more than 10 million policies into a single integrated modern platform.
“Transamerica and TCS will work together to ensure a smooth transition of the administration of these products to a new servicing model, which we expect to take approximately 30 months,” they added.
For the financial year 2022-23, TCS has reported a 14.8 percent year-on-year (YoY) increase in consolidated net profit. The profit for the quarter ended March 31, 2023 stood at Rs 11,392 crore.
The consolidated revenue from operations of the IT company came in at Rs 59,162 crore, up 16.9 per cent, from Rs 50,591 crore YoY. In the December quarter of FY23, it stood at Rs 58,229 crore.
The revenue rose 10.7 per cent year-on-year (YoY) in constant currency (cc) terms. Earnings before interest and taxes (EBIT) stood at Rs 14,488 crore with EBIT margin contracting 0.5 per cent YoY to 24.5 per cent. Net margin came in at 19.3 per cent.
This development comes as the IT services company's new CEO, K Krithivasan, started his term on June 1.
It is said that after the end of Vietnam war an American officer was visiting Vietnam and was discussing the war. His host surprisingly asked him "haven't you read out history? don't you know that we have been fighting for a thousand years?".
That is the problem with west and specially US. It has no sense of history.
India, as a civilization, has a history of only fighting with weak. Just look at the armies that passed through Kyber pass and Bolan pass. How many came from the other side and how many went from this side? I think Ashoka was the last person who crossed Khyber pass from this side.
Who did Indian's fight against? It fought against smaller, weaker neighbors. That is why the Cholas were able to colonize many areas in south east Asia. Sri Lanka alone has fought at least three wars on it's land against Indian colonizers.
So, US is mistaken if they think that India would be it's proxy against China or will even stand up to China. If push comes to shove India will run with tail between it's leg.
G. Ali
@Montau
"
What I said is indeed insulting, but it's true. What Donald Trump said about India behind closed doors is a hardly unique sentiment. I think at heart is India's lack of self-awareness and the craving for respect, to the point of being grotesque."
---
You don't get the point. Donald Tr. may have insulted India, so did Henry Kissinger. Now this week's TE specifically mentions how Kissinger who had once called Indians "dirty bastards" is now full of praise. But you seem to think that a country's worth or importance is neg correlated by how much they get insulted. In fact, the opposite is true. Behind the scenes, Obama and Sarkozy insulted UK, Israel etc. DT frequently insulted Merkel and Germany. But all of these countries are at a level where they can say, who cares? India is at that level.
So there are two things: One is trend, which is positive in India's case. (I'd leave it to you to check that for Pakistan). Given that Russia and China have shown their faces with Ukraine war, India as a democracy (however flawed you argue) with growing economy will only trend higher, atleast in Western circles. This would be a bitter moment for Pakistanis living in west, and they who hated India for their entire lifetime will have to see their adopted country, either being ruled by brown people, but from a rival country/faith. Add to that, Pakistan is mentioned usually in connection with Taliban only whereas my employer (a medium sized one) has 5 dev. centers and 2 industrial production centers producing very sensitive software and hardware. Check whether this is gonna happen in Pakistan.
The second is when a country reaches a certain prominence, others would hate/insult etc. Part of living upto the greatness is being able to deal or ignore that. India seem to be approaching that stage which is really surprising. This also means certain restraints in many areas. Being a superpower is not easy and staying one is not easy either. Now, DT and many other politicians are from an era where Indians did not enjoy much high opinion in US. Also Indian politicians of Modi's age are from that era, so they crave for respect from west (part of colonial mindset) like you mentioned. New gen thinks entirely different and in any case, if you have a decent life, you can ignore others.
The truth is that contrary to what you say/believe, rivalry with Pakistan and Kashmir were never the sole occupation of Indian rulers and this may have worked out positively. Riaz may have convinced himself that there are no prominent Paki CEOs because that is not the goal of everyone (like sour grape syndrome). However there are not so many Pakistani professors or scientists at the highest level either (check out how many Indian Americans got nobel price, turing award and Abel price and compare similarly with Pak-Americans). Pakistani origin are less or least socially immobile as per UK gov report as well. That says that people matters.
@Ahmed
US Prez who visits India used to also visit Pakistan. Then gradually it became just a stopover, usually to discuss just aid and security. Then the visits stopped, and it became only some empty statements and that's how it became at Obama time (that too only when asked). The same Obama killed Bin Laden in Pak territory without even informing Pak military, showing how much importance he put to his own words. Now fast forward, DT or JB may not even bother that much like Obama to mention Pakistan. That is how the trend went.
#India’s #Modi is a right-wing despot — not a rock star. Modi, like his far-right contemporaries & fascists from past, has the ability to draw large, adoring crowds in his own country & from diaspora overseas. That includes #US, where he will be flying in this week for his first official state visit. https://chicago.suntimes.com/columnists/2023/6/17/23759480/narendra-modi-bjp-india-joe-biden-hindutva-muslims-gujarat-human-rights-rahul-gandhi-rummana-hussain
Hate and fear coated with the veneer of economic prosperity sells.
So Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, like his far-right contemporaries and fascists from the past, has the ability to draw large, adoring crowds in his own country and from the diaspora overseas. That includes the United States, where he will be flying in this week for his first official state visit.
President Joe Biden and some other Western leaders may have serious concerns about India’s belligerence against its religious minorities, particularly Muslims, oppressed castes, dissidents, journalists and other marginalized groups.
But the politicians have found themselves playing along, publicly sidestepping Modi and his Bharatiya Janata Party’s horrific human rights record for the sake of bolstering a strategic relationship with India, in hopes of countering China’s influence in the Indo-Pacific and possibly Russia’s aggression.
“I should take your autograph,” Biden reportedly joked to Modi at a summit in Japan last month. Biden went on to tell the Hindu nationalist that the White House has been inundated with invitation requests for his upcoming stop in Washington, D.C., according to the Indian press.
“You are too popular,” Biden apparently gushed, as if he were a nerd talking to the coolest kid in the high school cafeteria, not the despot who was once banned from the U.S. for his alleged complicity in the deadly 2002 Gujarat riots.
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese also piled on with the flattery recently, likening Modi’s stage presence to rocker Bruce Springsteen’s. That’s an insult to the Boss, who has spoken out against Donald Trump’s Muslim ban and wrote a song that features qawwali, devotional music deeply rooted in Islam.
If anything, Modi has more in common with the bombastic and bigoted “Motor City Madman” Ted Nugent, who has compared Muslims to Dalmatians that bite.
When asked by Reuters in 2013 about the massacre in Gujarat, Modi, then chief minister of the western Indian state, also pulled out a dog analogy of his own. Modi didn’t express much remorse about the violence that left more than 1,000 people, mostly Muslims, dead. But he did say he was about as sad as he would be if someone drove over a puppy.
Modi, long suspected of failing to stop the bloodshed in Gujarat, was unable to set foot in the U.S. for nearly a decade under a little-known law that bars foreigners who have committed “particularly severe violations of religious freedom.”
But since he was elected prime minister in 2014, Modi has been allowed to slither back in to rile up support from Indian Americans who share his views of Hindu supremacy, or are at least willing to ignore it.
#India’s #Modi is a right-wing despot — not a rock star. Modi, like his far-right contemporaries & fascists from past, has the ability to draw large, adoring crowds in his own country & from diaspora overseas. That includes #US, where he will be flying in this week for his first official state visit. https://chicago.suntimes.com/columnists/2023/6/17/23759480/narendra-modi-bjp-india-joe-biden-hindutva-muslims-gujarat-human-rights-rahul-gandhi-rummana-hussain
Modi advocates in the U.S. consistently appropriate the language of social justice in an attempt to discredit other Americans of Indian descent from all backgrounds and faiths who are trying to raise awareness about the deteriorating conditions in the country they or their parents once called home.
This weekend, Modi fans, giddy over his state visit, are holding “unity” marches in several major cities, including Chicago. Unbeknownst to most Americans, this unimaginative bunch is shamelessly stealing a page from the playbook of Indian opposition Congress party leader Rahul Gandhi, who walked over 2,000 miles across India to unite his fellow citizens against divisiveness spread by Modi’s government.
Gandhi, who just finished a speaking tour in the U.S., was sentenced to two years in prison and booted from Parliament a few months after he completed the Bharat Jodo Yatra — Unite India March — earlier this year.
The offense? Pondering aloud, in a 2019 rally, why “all thieves” have Modi as a surname.
Modi may have stolen the hearts of some Indians, but they don’t represent the entire 1.4 billion-plus population. Similarly, many of us Indian Americans won’t feel seen when Modi is cheered on as Biden rolls out the red carpet.
Before Modi’s arrival in D.C., Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International will be screening the damning two-part BBC documentary that was blocked in India for raising questions about his culpability in Gujarat.
Protesters are also expected to flock to the capital and other parts of the country, to remind lawmakers and fellow Americans the carnage in Gujarat was just a gory trailer to the horror show that has since taken center stage in Modi’s India.
“I don’t think Modi’s foreign visits affect Muslims in India, except that some of us cringe at the spectacle,” a journalist from India told me. “... the struggles remain the same.”
The global lovefests have also left many of us wondering if Modi will ever be held accountable, leaving future generations to ask, once again, why so many from the international community stood by, watched and did nothing.
Rummana Hussain is a columnist and member of the Sun-Times Editorial Board.
@Riaz
Blogger Riaz Haq said...
#India’s #Modi is a right-wing despot — not a rock star.
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Modi enjoys adulation and as a politician, he knows adulation has another side. The fact is that broad geopolitical considerations are more important than a riot that happened 20 yrs ago. Other world leaders knows his vainglorious nature to some extent and this feeds into his charisma at home and abroad among diaspora.
There is nothing unfair in it, if you think that most Muslim Arab leaders and Israeli leaders have the blood of a few thousand people any given year. Not to mention Chinese leaders.
"So there are two things: One is trend, which is positive in India's case. (I'd leave it to you to check that for Pakistan). Given that Russia and China have shown their faces with Ukraine war, India as a democracy (however flawed you argue) with growing economy will only trend higher, atleast in Western circles."
The trend is India has been on a long and slow decline ever since the British left town. This talk of India's manifest destiny is not anything new. It goes all the way to Nehru's time. And where is India's standing now globally? India today is quintessentially at the bottom end of third-world countries. Even Mexico or Malaysia is many times better than India. When people from third-world countries look down on India (some even feel pity for India), that says it all. The only thing India catches the world's imagination is its population size. And this is where India trumps Pakistan. That is all. One thing I observed is that it doesn't take much to tickle Indian's imagination to no end. A visit here or a visit there will be the talk of the town for Indians. Younger Indians are especially susceptible to this kind of delusion of grandeur. As you grow old you will be wiser and jaded because you will have seen it all.
"However there are not so many Pakistani professors or scientists at the highest level either..."
Again India's population is ten times of Pakistan. Why you make and be proud of such a comparison is beyond me.
Zen: "The fact is that broad geopolitical considerations are more important than a riot that happened 20 yrs ago"
What happened 20 years ago was just the beginning of a long nightmare for India's Muslims and other minorities.
Today, Manipur in India is burning while Modi is basking in the glory of his upcoming visit.
400 Churches Burned, 70 Christians Killed amid Ongoing Violence in Manipur, India - Milton Quintanilla
https://www.christianheadlines.com/contributors/milton-quintanilla/400-churches-burned-70-christians-killed-amid-ongoing-violence-in-manipur-india.html
According to The Christian Post, the predominantly Hindu Meitei community — Arambai Tengoll, also known as “black-shirts,” and Meitei Leepun — were alleged to be responsible for the violence.
Earlier this month, violence broke out at the Imphal Valley and Churachandpur, resulting in at least four days of turmoil. Christian tribals associated with the Kuki-Zo communities reside in the Churachandpur.
As reported by The Indian Express, more than 1,000 weapons and 10,000 rounds of ammunition were stolen from the Manipur Police Training College, two local police stations, and an IRB battalion camp in Imphal by members of the Meitei ethnic group during the first few days of the violence.
At the time, 73 people, 64 of whom were Christian tribal residents, were killed, while 200 people were left injured. Over 1,700 residences were also damaged, destroyed, or set on fire. As a result, the turmoil forced 50,000 individuals to abandon their homes. Among those affected were about 35,000 belonging to Christian tribal communities.
According to The Christian Post, a local source noted that tribal residents from the Imphal Valley have all fled in light of the violence. In the same manner, all Meiteis previously residing or working in Churachandpur, including government and police officials, have also abandoned their homes.
The source also pointed out that 397 churches and six Christian institutions were either damaged, burned or destroyed in light of the alleged violence of the Meiti Hindus. The churches affected were primarily places of worship for Meitei Christians.
In response to the violence, Archbishop Dominic Lumon of Imphal, whose jurisdiction overlooks all of Manipur, has called for an appeal for funds to help those affected.
India should not have been in Manipur in the first place. No northeasterners like the mainlanders. They are strangers. Indians dislike colonialism only if they are at the receiving end. Despicable.
India's population is 5.6 times that of Pakistan. Its representation is approximately 20x higher in all fields of achievement - in line with GDP essentially.
The point is if a malaysian or thai or mexican mocks an Indian it still makes sense to a degree since they have a significant advantage.
But they don't do it because they mostly constructive mindsets and see India's potential to rise in a manner that changes the world for the better.
It's always Pakistanis denigrating India out of desperation, the one country that has completely failed to keep up with India on every metric which is hilarious.
" And where is India's standing now globally? India today is quintessentially at the bottom end of third-world countries. "
No, that would be Pakistan - the country that is behind India on GDP per capita, education, health, poverty and all fields of achievement.
"But they don't do it because they mostly constructive mindsets and see India's potential to rise in a manner that changes the world for the better."
Change the world for the better?! You can't even change yourself for the better. Don't be silly. They don't do it to your face because people are polite. They might even say some nice things to Indians just because. I can assure you that just mentioning the word Gange or India often evokes involuntary repulsive reactions from people who are not used to the shock filthiness of India. When people talk about India without the presence of Indians, more likely than not, it is not in flattery terms but the butt of jokes. Donald Trump's pithy remark on India may not be politically correct, but its essence is widely shared.
@Mantau
"The only thing India catches the world's imagination is its population size. And this is where India trumps Pakistan"
--
only if you think that military takeover, violent extremism which kills own kind (because not many other people left) and frequent bailout by IMF (largely by blackmailing based on nuclear) is better than having a stable, democratic country with functioning institutions. Actually it is Pakistani diaspora which is in denial for reasons which I mentioned already.
"Again India's population is ten times of Pakistan. Why you make and be proud of such a comparison is beyond me.
"
----
Then, it'd be fair to expect 1/10th of the output, right? Also in places like UK where similar amount of people migrated from both countries, under similar circumstances, Pakistanis are at the bottom end.
@Montau
As you seem to catch DT's words, he said "Look at India. It's filthy. The air is filthy." This was in the context of Paris talks. Beijing etc. are most polluted cities, but that doesn't make them less powerful.
@Anonymous Observer
Pakistanis are aware that their country has lost in all respects, but I think they do not want to admit it. Actually some of their criticisms were valid until maybe 10-20 years ago, since then India had nice growth whereas Pak went spiraling down. Now talking about comparative image, Pakistanis for fear of being associated with everything bad in the world tries to brand them as south asians or even as Indians. e.g. "Indian cuisine" etc. Who cares what Malaysians, Thais etc. think of India? In west, image has improved steadily as seen by polls. But o.t.o.h., polls do not matter. My first hand experience is that tech companies here sees India as a partner and work with her. Never heard of anyone thinking about Pakistan.
The problem with old Pakistanis is that they have an outdated image about India from the past where things were relatively equal.That nostalgic picture is what prompts them to cling on 1990s cricket matches with Miandad scoring sixer etc. in youtube. Nowadays who cares about those stuffs?
I have some respect to India not because of Modi, Sundar Pichai etc. who at the end are self serving individuals. It is enough that India did not become a hotspot for terrorism or drug trade the same way Pakistan or many countries in Africa went. Add to it, a few extra positives like being a hub for software etc. which helps to cover valuable services for us living in west.
Aren't you proving @Mantau's point. Little criticism is enough to rattle indians?
G. Ali
Excerpts of "India is Broken" by Princeton Economist Ashoka Mody
And economic inequalities now had become much wider. With exquisite timing, on April 22, four weeks into the lockdown, Vogue India invited its readers into another Mumbai world, the twenty-seven-story Mumbai home of Mukesh Ambani, India’s reigning business tycoon and one of the world’s richest people. The Ambani home, located eleven kilometers (seven miles) away from cramped Dharavi, has ceilings so high that the structure is tall as an average sixty-story building. It is equipped with three helipads, a theater that can accommodate eighty guests, a spa, and a garage for 168 vehicles. The “sun-kissed living area” offers a “breathtaking view of the sea.”11
In the India of 2020, the Hindu-Muslim divide and egregious economic inequalities were reverberating echoes of Bengal in the 1940s. And disconcertingly, despite decades of economic progress, the echoes also sounded in the economic desperation of the reverse trek from the city to the village. The ongoing reverse trek revealed the continued risk of sudden income loss, health catastrophe, and the loss of even woeful living spaces: it revealed an India that was broken for hundreds of millions of Indians.12 This book is my attempt to explain why India, for so many, is broken.
Mody, Ashoka. India Is Broken (p. 5). Stanford University Press. Kindle Edition.
Excerpts of "India is Broken" by Princeton Economist Ashoka Mody
The grim reality is that, to employ all working-age Indians, the economy needs to create 200 million jobs over the next decade, an impossible order after the past decade of declining employment numbers.1 Right from independence, the Indian economy produced too few jobs. For more than 80 percent of Indians, the informal sector employment became the safety net, where workers idled for long stretches, earning below- or barely-above-poverty wages. Demonetization in 2016, a poorly executed goods and services tax in 2017, and COVID-19 in 2020 and 2021 struck hammer blows on the informal sector while creating no new options. Indeed, technology accelerated job destruction, especially in retail and wholesale trade. More Indians just stopped looking for work.
Set against this bleakness, many pundits and leaders look back to celebrate and draw hope from India’s high GDP growth rates of the 1990s and 2000s. That celebrated celebrated growth, however, was an outcome of unusually buoyant world trade, rampant natural resource use, and a domestic finance-construction bubble. Even as wealthy Indians accumulated astonishing riches, job creation remained weak. The most severe forms of poverty came down, but still afflicted over 20 percent of Indians; another 40 percent lived precariously, ever at risk of falling back into a dire existence. The median Indian lived in that vulnerable zone—and, looking through a government-induced data fog, still lives there.
The unchanging problem through the post-independence years has been the lack of public goods for shared progress: education, health delivery, functioning cities, clean air and water, and a responsive and fair judiciary. Along with scarcity of jobs, the absence or poor quality of public goods makes the lived reality of vast numbers
Mody, Ashoka. India Is Broken (pp. 398-399). Stanford University Press. Kindle Edition.
Excerpts of "India is Broken" by Princeton Economist Ashoka Mody
The Indian GDP growth story was nearly over. In its 2018 annual report on India, the IMF confirmed that the demonetization and GST implementation shocks had taken a significant toll on the Indian economy. Non-performing loans of banks (loans that were not being repaid on time) had risen from about 4 percent of all loans in late 2014, when RBI governor Rajan first rang the alarm bells, to about 9 percent in 2017. For government-owned banks, almost 12 percent of all loans in 2017 were non-performing (Figure 21.3). The government had done little to discipline big companies for not repaying their debts. Instead, the government once again used scarce taxpayer money to refill the hole that the defaults left in the capital of the banks they owned. These bank recapitalizations added up to about $13 billion in the fiscal year 2017–2018, with similarly large amounts anticipated in each of the next two years. Choked with bad loans, major government-owned banks drastically slowed their lending. The industrial sector, saddled with debt, virtually stopped borrowing. Although GDP growth remained mysteriously high—above a 7 percent annual rate—corporate investment was evaporating.32
Mody, Ashoka. India Is Broken (pp. 343-344). Stanford University Press. Kindle Edition.
Aren't you proving @Mantau's point. Little criticism is enough to rattle indians?
G. Ali
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@Ali
Things are not black and white. There are some Indians (out of a billion) who are indeed sensitive to every cartoon in western media. That is exactly my point. They are an older gen of Indians who want to be validated by west. But the trend is what is important. Their voices have diminishing value and a more confident, self assured India has been on the making.
I'm not validating his points because his comments are deeply hateful without offering any concrete criticism (saying that people all the way from malaysia to thais sees Indians poorly is not an objective criticism) and I'm just pointing out the denialism about the plight of Pakistan.
Dear Sir
Thanks for sharing this a book titled “ INDIA IS BROKEN” by Mody Ashoka?
"I'm not validating his points because his comments are deeply hateful without offering any concrete criticism (saying that people all the way from malaysia to thais sees Indians poorly is not an objective criticism) and I'm just pointing out the denialism about the plight of Pakistan."
Yes you are. You said Indians don't talk about Pakistan anymore, yet when the going gets tough you instinctively bring up the Pakistan bogeyman and hide behind Pakistan.
You want concrete criticism? I don't have time here but I will talk about it in due time and when that happens the world will know that India is not just poor, filthy and dysfunctional but is also disgusting and despicable in a way that the world has never understood. The world (in particular the Western World) will look at India not only with contempt but hate it with a vengeance.
Ultra-rich individuals are projected to keep leaving India in 2023. Why do the rich migrate from a country?
https://indianexpress.com/article/explained/explained-economics/explainspeaking-ultra-rich-investors-leaving-india-2023-migration-8662000/
According to the latest edition of the Henley Private Wealth Migration Report (2023), India is expected to witness a net outflow of 6,500 ultra-rich. The more technical term for these ultra rich is High Net-Worth Individuals (HNWIs) and it refers to people so rich that they have an investable wealth of US$1 million or more. In rupee terms that threshold means Rs 8.2 crore or more. Investible wealth refers to an individual’s net investable assets, namely, all their investable assets (property, cash and equities) minus any liabilities.
India’s likely net outflow (net of inflow and outflow) in 2023 will make it the second worst performer on losing HNWIs after China. In 2022, India saw an outflow of 7,500 such individuals.
“The top five destinations for net inflows of high-net-worth individuals in 2023 are projected to be Australia, the UAE, Singapore, the USA, and Switzerland. On the flip side, the largest net outflows of millionaires are expected to come from China, India, the UK, Russia, and Brazil,” writes Andrew Amoils, the Head of Research at New World Wealth, the organisation that provides the data for this report (SEE CHARTS 1 and 2 for countries witnessing biggest net outflows and inflows).
To be sure, as of the end of 2022, India was among the 10 richest countries in the world — ranked 10th in the so-called W10 grouping — if one goes by the HNWI population. India has 3,44,600 HNWIs, 1,078 centi-millionaires (those with wealth exceeding $100 million) and 123 billionaires (those with wealth exceeding $1 billion or Rs 8,200 crore). India has a population of 1,428 million.
For comparison, China has 7,80,000 HNWIs and 285 billionaires while the US (with a population of just 340 million) has 52,70,000 HNWIs and 770 billionaires. The W10 includes (in order of HNWIs in each country) the US, Japan, China, Germany, the UK, Switzerland, Australia, Canada, France, and India.
Explaining what motivates the world’s wealthiest to migrate from one country to another, Juerg Steffen, CEO of Henley & Partners, writes:
“Affluent families are extremely mobile, and their transnational movements can provide an early warning signal in terms of a country’s economic outlook and future country trends. Like the proverbial canary in the coal mine, they alert us to dangers that may lie ahead as they are more sensitive to potential threats to their wealth and usually have the resources to take a corrective course of action to preserve their legacies. An increasing outflow of millionaires often points to a drop in confidence in a country, since high- and ultra-high-net-worth individuals have the means to leave and are usually the first to exit and vote with their feet when circumstances deteriorate.”
What are the top priorities of the wealthy?
Steffen writes that “political stability, low taxation, and personal freedom have always been key metrics for millionaires when it comes to deciding where to live. However, the priorities of affluent individuals are shifting to the intangible but equally vital elements that impact; their children’s prospects, the quality of their lives, and the legacies they leave.”
He points out that apart from being a safe haven for wealth, security is also a key factor, “which is why so much private wealth is flowing into countries that offer a robust regulatory environment where the rule of law is respected, and economic freedoms are guaranteed.”
Over 75% of the world's poor deprived of basic living standards (nutrition, cooking fuel, sanitation and housing) live in India compared to 4.6% in Bangladesh and 4.1% in Pakistan, according to a recently released OPHI/UNDP report on multidimensional poverty. Here's what the report says: "More than 45.5 million poor people are deprived in only these four indicators (nutrition, cooking fuel, sanitation and housing). Of those people, 34.4 million live in India, 2.1 million in Bangladesh and 1.9 million in Pakistan—making this a predominantly South Asian profile".
https://www.riazhaq.com/2022/10/multidimensional-poverty-india-is-home.html
#India’s deadly #traincrash: Forget the truth, blame it on #Muslims. It’s the latest instance of how in an #Islamophobic India, justice and accountability have themselves been derailed. #Hindutva #Islamophobia #Modi #BJP https://aje.io/dqenql via @AJEnglish
By Apoorvanand
Apoorvanand teaches Hindi at the University of Delhi. He writes literary and cultural criticism.
It happens only in India that even a train accident is used as an opportunity to demonise Muslims.
Just after the recent terrible train crash near Balasore station in the eastern state of Odisha, in which more than 280 people died, posts started circulating on different social media platforms and WhatsApp groups, blaming Muslims for the accident.
Could it be a coincidence that it was a Friday when three trains collided with each other in Odisha? As if the Friday angle was not sufficient, a lie was invented that the station master was Muslim. To make it look more sinister, the photo of a religious shrine near the railway track where the accident had taken place was spread on social media claiming that it was a mosque, suggesting that there must be some link between the mosque and the accident.
It was immediately exposed as a lie. It was a Hindu temple and not a mosque. But imagine if it had actually been a mosque – the baseless conspiracy theory would have received fresh wings.
Sadly, fact-checking only cements doubts created by fake news in minds that are already prejudiced against Muslims and are being told day and night that Muslims are conspiring against the nation. These are minds trained to think that there is a need to keep an eye on Muslims and to subjugate them using laws and, if necessary, violence.
The railway minister ordered an inquiry into the accident by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), which has long given up the pretence of acting as an independent investigative agency and is principally used to target political opponents and probe cases along ideological lines laid down by the country’s ruling masters.
In this case, handing the case over to the CBI circumvents the normal process in such situations, which is an investigation by the commissioner of safety. The result: Instead of paying attention to flaws in safety measures, which could raise uncomfortable questions for the government, the investigation into the accident will now keep alive a criminal conspiracy theory. It aligns with the rumours spread just after the accident.
Close on the heels of this accident, the chief minister of the state of Assam, Himanta Biswa Sarma, made a speech to discourage the use of chemicals in farming. Giving it an anti-Muslim twist, he vowed that “fertiliser jihad” would not be allowed. He was using this occasion to target Bengali Muslims in his state, whose main occupation is farming. Suggesting that they were spoiling the land by using chemicals, he was giving yet another justification for evicting Bengali Muslims and taking away their land, building on a campaign he has relentlessly pursued in recent years.
Sarma is recovering from the defeat of the BJP, his party, in the legislative election for the state of Karnataka, where he was a star campaigner. He, along with other leaders of the BJP, turned the election into an anti-Muslim hate campaign, saying that he had closed hundreds of madrasas and would ensure that all are closed. He also parroted familiar tropes about Indian Muslims, portraying them as against family planning. Statistics show that rates of polygamy are almost identical among Hindus and Muslims in India, and Muslim fertility rates have fallen sharply in recent decades. But facts are inconvenient when the aim is to spread lies about a religious minority community.
@Montau
"You want concrete criticism? I don't have time here but I will talk about it in due time and when that happens the world will know that India is not just poor, filthy and dysfunctional but is also disgusting and despicable in a way that the world has never understood. The world (in particular the Western World) will look at India not only with contempt but hate it with a vengeance."
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If I look at the above, I do not think that you belong to a group who has any critical mind. Live in your illusion, it is probably the above attitude that makes West nowadays treats AfPak people more or less like "human garbage" like a Polish politician said. You only validated what I wrote about Pakistanis. If you are a Pakistani living in West, this is the most humiliating times of your life and trend looks worst. This comes out as irrational hatred.
Ironically, it is not just West, even Saudis and UAE treats that way, so you can't blame. Meanwhile, hundreds of Pakistanis dies in Greek coast trying to escape to a culture they hate from an idealized Shariah paradise. Given that most of them are people with no capacity or intention to appreciate their host society in Europe, and are likely to run hijacked bus over schoolchildren, there is no sympathy from any corner, not even from traditional political corners.
Dear Sir Riaz
I was reading the comments and post of Mr. Zen Germany above , he said :
“
My first hand experience is that tech companies here sees India as a partner and work with her. Never heard of anyone thinking about Pakistan.”
He further said :
“ Pakistanis know that they have lost in all respective fields but they don’t want to accept it “
————————
Sir trust me I am not on the side of these Indians but can you pls tell me where is this fellow Mr. Zen Germany wrong ?
Isn’t it true that in almost all index ( productive index) Pakistan is lagging behind India ?
Don’t you think that we must be open minded enough to realise and admit the mistakes that we as a nation and our politicians have been making in the past ?
Thanks
Ahmad: "Sir trust me I am not on the side of these Indians but can you pls tell me where is this fellow Mr. Zen Germany wrong?"
India is a much bigger country than Pakistan. It's been the West's favorite partner and preferred investment destination for its size and changing geopolitics vis-a-vis China.
https://www.riazhaq.com/2023/03/why-does-india-lag-so-far-behind-china.html
But all the available data indicates that India is losing its best and brightest at a much higher rate than Pakistan or any other country in the world. Nine out of ten of the top scorers at the IITs leave India. High net-worth Indians are also abandoning India at an accelerated rate. That's why India, unlike its peer competitor China, remains among the most backward, hungriest and poorest nations in the world.
Over 75% of the world's poor deprived of basic living standards (nutrition, cooking fuel, sanitation and housing) live in India compared to 4.6% in Bangladesh and 4.1% in Pakistan, according to a recently released OPHI/UNDP report on multidimensional poverty. Here's what the report says: "More than 45.5 million poor people are deprived in only these four indicators (nutrition, cooking fuel, sanitation and housing). Of those people, 34.4 million live in India, 2.1 million in Bangladesh and 1.9 million in Pakistan—making this a predominantly South Asian profile".
https://www.riazhaq.com/2022/10/multidimensional-poverty-india-is-home.html
You can check all the global indices from education to health to nutrition and you'll find India at or near the bottom, in spite of all the advantages it has had over Pakistan for decades.
https://www.riazhaq.com/2021/03/indian-engineering-students-perform.html
The "lived reality" in India is described in great detail in a recent book "India is Broken" by Princeton economist Ashoka Mody. Modi's misrule has made things much worse for average Indians facing worst unemployment and hunger in decades.
https://www.riazhaq.com/2021/12/india-in-crisis-unemployment-and-hunger.html
Dear Sir
Thanks for the reply , Sir what I appreciate the most about you is that your perspective on such issues is different , you look at things and issues with different angle and this makes you mashallah unique .
And no doubt your approach to these issues are much different from how others view or perceive these issues .
Sir I am looking forward to your inshallah inshallah becoming either the chairman or director of higher education commission of Pakistan . I am sure Sir inshallah you will accept this position and will do everything possible to bring a positive and gradual change in the overall education system of Pakistan.
Thanks
Dear Sir
Trust me if you become the chairman of HEC( Higher Education Commission) of Pakistan . Things will start changing for Pakistan for good .
Inshallah I see a huge collaboration between Pakistan and western countries in the field of research , education and health in the future . And special emphasis must be given to collaboration between Pakistani universities and American universities in the field of IT and emerging technology .
Zen, Germany,
I was hoping that the arguments between you and Montau would be intellectually stimulating and eductional. But, unfortunately, you turned out to be the typical Indian, can't argue with facts so you guys start personal attacks, name calling and fall back to your vocabulary of 22 words.
The cartons in the main artcle and comments from Presidents Clinton to Trump show what the world thinks about you.
I just entered Modi in google news search and top two of the three articles had human rights in the seconds sentence of the heading.
Your country is
104th on hunger index.
126th on happiness index.
150th on press freedom index.
108th On Electoral Democracy Index.
Top in racism index.
IQ is lower than Afghanistan, suicide is higher than Pakistan.
Manupur is burning.
Periodic table and theory of evolution have been removed from text books.
ISRO chief is a nutcase who thinks that everything was invented in India and west just rebranded it and sold it to the world.
... and you are worried about Pakistan? Now please tell me of the above facts are you proud of?
Oh, sorry I forgot those are all western propaganda to malign India.
G. Ali
Riaz sb., regarding the cartoon in Der Spiegal. I saw an Indian anchor person talking about this cartoon and was accusing west of racism. Now this is from a country where every Bollywood movie set in west has at least one scene where the heroin is attacked by a gangs (mostly black) and is saved by the hero. Kind of strange that the pot is calling kettle black.
G. Ali
@Riaz
"You can check all the global indices from education to health to nutrition and you'll find India at or near the bottom, in spite of all the advantages it has had over Pakistan for decades."
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Indicator doesn't capture trend. India followed Nehrivian Fabian capitalism, which has run its course. With higher and more inclusive growth, things could be changing. Modi is taking credit for that, but tbh, I think it was reforms of his predecessor that was game changing. Also given globalization, every country has positive trends during last decade and noone is starving.
"India is a much bigger country than Pakistan. It's been the West's favorite partner and preferred investment destination for its size and changing geopolitics vis-a-vis China."
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How misleading! Only first sentence is correct. Pakistan was US#s favorite throughout cold war and even post 911. But The aid was siphoned off by elites and never reached the people and given that religious based anti-Indianism is the only dimension that people have in their heads, they don't know how to challenge their own leaders narratives.
@Ahmed
A country do not progress in vacuum. You need somewhat functioning institutions, stable (however corrupt) govt., and above all a middle class whose shoulders elite education can happen. You cannot just setup some IT cos. or elite universities and they start functioning out of blue..that doesn't happen anywhere. Or maybe in Saudi it happens in isolated pockets due to insane money they throw in there.
@Ali
"I was hoping that the arguments between you and Montau would be intellectually stimulating and eductional. But, unfortunately, you turned out to be the typical Indian, can't argue with facts so you guys start personal attacks, name calling and fall back to your vocabulary of 22 words."
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Your (and Riaz' for that matter) stats have been adequately explained by an old book on Stats. It is about choosing a metric that you want to see and making up a claim based on that. Probably worth asking yourself what is the story that you want to tell with Stats. Are Indians better off when compared to Indians 20 years ago when it comes to poverty, literacy etc.(maybe a mixed picture in best case when you look at the minorities, Dalits etc.), how the world overall did during the same period, what were the factors influenced etc. That is what an intellectual arg. would be, not calling India a filthy place or copy pasting any statistics from UN reports.
There is nothing "intellectual" per se in the arguments of any Pakistanis when it comes to India. Pakistani mindset is a product of a monolithic culture, probably driven by Madrassa education...to the extent that its erstwhile donor Saudis have "rehab camps" for these kind of intellectuals you have in Pakistan. Not saying the Hindutwa mind is far better, but there is some hope that centrists in India can come back unless Modi turns into a complete autocracy.
I never argued with any numbers/surveys you pasted, nor do any other politicians in India nowadays. These are the surveys that are all too mentioned by left and congress on a daily basis in India, where there is a multiparty democracy.
However, what I can say is that, Pakistanis who come up with these numbers are suffering daily humiliation, by having to watch how their countrymen are dying in migrant boats, getting named as rapists by even inconsequential UK politicians etc. I wouldn't say, that makes India's problems any better, but violent deaths from terrorism etc. are not a daily incident for Indians and country is having a geopolitical importance..something which is not reflected in surveys.
BBC and AlJazeera reports that Pakistanis were deliberately pushed to the lowest deck of the boat that sank. While I would have certainly thought that Pakistanis getting dumped to the lowest deck were no accident and that reflected their status in the world, some in Indian media were asking why did those people leave "Azad, infidel free Kashmir" of "land of Pure" to Europe to begin with, something which is ironic and humiliating.
Dear Sir
I hope you are doing well . Pls check the latest news on yahoo website . I just saw this news today that Prime Minister I think just went to America and met Elon Musk . He tried to convience Elon Musk to visit India and Elon Musk has shown interest to visit India . Atleast Prime Minister of India is meeting such great names and tycoons who are pioneers in the field of business and technology and trying to turn their attention towards India so that they could invest their money in India . Can you pls tell me what ghatia and neech government of PPP doing in Pakistan ? Have you seen the condition of many areas of Karachi? Can you expect these sick minded and 3rd class politicians of Pakistan to atleast have such level of vision for their country that an Indian PM has?
Now pls don’t say that I am supporter of India but Sir facts are facts .
Thanks
Hundreds of scientists in India have expressed concern over the removal of topics like theory of evolution and periodic table from tenth-grade textbooks.
https://www.npr.org/2023/06/21/1183578258/hundreds-of-scientists-protest-the-indian-governments-changes-made-to-textbooks
MARY LOUISE KELLY, HOST:
Hundreds of scientists in India have expressed concern over the removal of topics like the theory of evolution and the periodic table from 10th-grade textbooks. The latest omission is one in a series of changes made this year, including in history textbooks. Critics say that it's part of the ruling BJP government's agenda to replace Western scientific concepts with traditional Hindu theories. From Delhi, Shalu Yadav reports.
(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)
SATYA PAL SINGH: (Speaking Hindi).
SHALU YADAV, BYLINE: "For thousands of years since we've been hearing stories from our grandparents, no one has ever said that they saw someone go into a forest and seeing a monkey that turned into a man. Darwin's theory is scientifically wrong."
(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)
SINGH: (Speaking Hindi).
YADAV: Those were the words of India's ruling BJP party MP Satya Pal Singh in 2017, rubbishing Darwin's theory of evolution and advocating its removal from school curriculum. Six years on, his wish has come true.
(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)
UNIDENTIFIED PERSON: A certain circuit went on to say that there is a banning evolution in India.
YADAV: English naturalist Charles Darwin's theory that states that humans shared a common ancestor with apes has been removed from grade 10 science textbook. The government justified the move by saying that the theory is still a part of grade 12 syllabus, but the reality is that only a small fraction of students choose the science stream beyond grade 10, and even smaller fraction of those choose biology. And so the exclusion of this theory from grade 10 syllabus means that millions of students will never get to read about it. The chapter on periodic table has also been scrapped.
AMITABH PANDEY: We are trying to compete with China. We are trying to compete with the U.S. But how is it possible without scientific temper, without scientific worldview?
YADAV: Amitabh Pandey is one of the hundreds of scientists who wrote an open letter protesting the government's decision. He says depriving students of basic scientific knowledge is dangerous.
PANDEY: I'm afraid this is taking India backward. Last decade, we have lost almost two generations. But world is going ahead. Nobody will wait for us. Nobody will care for us.
YADAV: The belief that ancient Hindu practices are superior to modern science is not new in India. It existed way before the Hindu nationalist BJP government came to power in 2014. But this viewpoint, which used to be on the fringe, is now taking the center stage.
(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)
PRIME MINISTER NARENDRA MODI: (Speaking Hindi).
YADAV: This is the voice of India's Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, claiming that the world's first plastic surgery was performed in India thousands of years ago on a Hindu god, Ganesha, who sports an elephant trunk on his face. He also claimed that genetic science existed in ancient India. Taking a cue from the prime minister, many ministers and government officials have made similar unscientific claims.
MEERA NANDA: That whole business of ancient Indians being the first scientists is part of that whole agenda of making India great again. You know, it's Trumpian in that sense. You know, make India great again by making it Hindu again. That's sort of thing is going on.
A Pakistani University Employs Artificial Intelligence to Boost Agriculture
https://www.indepthnews.net/index.php/sustainability/food-security-nutrition-sustainable-agriculture/6251-a-pakistani-university-employs-artificial-intelligence-to-boost-agriculture
A member institution of the United Nations Academic Impact (UNAI) in Pakistan, the Iqra University, appears to have spared the South Asian country of an impending food crisis, predicted within two years.
Agriculture is an indispensable component of economic growth, food security, job creation, and poverty reduction in developing countries like Pakistan. It accounts for almost a quarter of Pakistan's GDP and employs over one-third of its population.
The team of Dr Mansoor Ebrahim, Dr Kamran Raza, and Dr Hasan Adil at the university's Faculty of Engineering, Sciences, and Technology has developed 'Smart Farming,' an innovative urban farming solution of its own, reports UNAI.
The project's primary goal is to create a test bed based on the hydroponics technique that integrates the so-called Internet of Things (IoT) and systems with artificial intelligence (AI) to create an effective, controlled, and autonomous environment for plant growth.
Smart Farming is the adoption of Web 5.0 technologies into agriculture, with hydroponics being a notable example. This process involves cultivating plants without soil in nutrient-rich water. Dr Mansoor said that despite the various projects underway around the globe, there is yet to be a comprehensive solution providing all related elements in one package.
This project strives to provide an innovative solution to various agricultural problems in Pakistan, combining both physical and digital technologies for maximum sustainability and adaptability.
In addition to designing a completely monitored hydroponic farming system, the team has also incorporated an IoT interface in order to measure Total Dissolve Solids (TDS), PH, humidity levels and temperature, and perform automated operations to ensure optimal crop health.
Outlining the project's technological elements, Dr Mansoor explained that the sensors are employed to ensure a steady state of plants. Data collected from the IoT sensors is then processed and analysed by an AI-based system trained on both images of plant stages as well as live pictures of crop yield provided by drone cameras set to collect information at regular intervals.
The overall system can be managed and reset conveniently using a user-friendly, mobile-based application. Its pioneering framework promotes a number of advantages, such as superlative water saving of nearly 90 per cent, 25 per cent reduction in fertilizers and low area utilization, and leads to substantial cost savings on transportation and carbon emissions.
As a result, 'Smart Farming' has been praised at the national level and has been awarded funding by the Higher Education Commission of Pakistan.
Dr Mansoor, the project lead, points out that favourable results in the first phase are already visible, with many vegetables successfully grown and initial targets achieved. They have been able to perfect the nutrient solution that has yielded excellent outcomes. This remarkable crop output clearly illustrates that 'Smart Farming' is a promising and environmentally friendly method of cultivation. Moreover, its automated system reduces labour efforts, cost and area needed for cultivation, thereby making it suitable for urban setting.
Perfecting the algorithm still requires vast amounts of data sets to be fed into the system, training it and enabling it to make accurate decisions and craft flawless communication for its eventual purpose—automating the agricultural process altogether. Until that is achieved, this project will need to continue being a collaborative effort between machines and people,” said Dr Mansoor.
The initiative has tremendous potential for replication on a large scale, which could both sustain and give strength to the current labour market of the farming world, he declares.
Over 100K ChatGPT accounts hacked, India & Pakistan top list of nations with most cases: Report
https://indianexpress.com/article/technology/artificial-intelligence/over-100k-chatgpt-accounts-hacked-india-pakistan-8679650/
A report from Group-IB, a cybersecurity leader based in Singapore, over 1,00,000 ChatGPT credentials surfaced on dark web marketplaces.
ChatGPT is the most popular application on the Internet right now. Owing to its super-intelligent abilities, millions of people are signing up for it around the world. Now, it seems thousands of ChatGPT accounts were compromised recently and India tops the list.
A new report has revealed that over 100,000 OpenAI ChatGPT credentials surfaced on dark web marketplaces between June 2022 and May 2023. Group-IB, a cybersecurity leader based in Singapore, identified as many as 1,01,134 stealer-infected devices with saved ChatGPT credentials.
The report by Group-IB’s Threat Intelligence unit said that Asia Pacific saw the largest number of ChatGPT accounts stolen by info-stealers, 40.5 per cent between June 2022 and May 2023. Meanwhile, the Middle East and Africa, and Europe stood at second and third spots with 24,925 and 16,951 instances respectively.
When it came to the country-wise number of compromised ChatGPT credentials, India topped with 12,632, followed by Pakistan with 9217 and Brazil with 6,531. Bangladesh witnessed the fewest instances with 2,463.
The company’s threat intelligence platform found the compromised credentials in the logs of info-stealing malware that was traded on dark web marketplaces over the last year. The number of logs containing compromised ChatGPT accounts reached 26,802 in May 2023. The company’s findings indicated that a majority of the ChatGPT credentials that were up for sale on the dark web belonged to the Asia-Pacific region.
In the last few months, more and more professionals were using ChatGPT to enhance their productivity, software development, and even business communications. The chatbot stores the history of user queries and responses from the AI. Resultantly, any unauthorised access could potentially jeopardise confidential information. This sensitive information can be later used to target companies and their employees. Based on Group-IB’s latest report, ChatGPT is wildly popular in dark web communities.
Info stealers are a type of malware that gathers information saved in browsers such as cookies, browsing history, bank card details, crypto wallet information, etc. They collect this information from browsers installed on infected computers and later share it with the malware operator.
The info-stealers can also mine data from instant messengers and emails along with other sensitive information from a victim’s device. This kind of malware works indiscriminately and can infect as many computers at once via phishing or various other means to collect data.
In a first, Pakistan sets up task force for ‘accelerated adoption’ of AI
https://www.arabnews.pk/node/2286746/pakistan
Key objective of task force is to develop roadmap for AI adoption in several government institutions
Minister says AI integration in governance, health care, education systems will revolutionize sectors
ISLAMABAD: The Pakistani government has formed a national task force to accelerate the adoption of artificial intelligence (AI) in different sectors, including business, development, governance, education, and health care, the Pakistani planning ministry said on Friday.
Governments as well as private sectors across the world are reaping exceptional benefits by integrating AI into their day-to-day functions. Global technology company, Intel, says that artificial intelligence can help companies and government institutions work efficiently, manage costs, and improve research, among other benefits.
The incorporation of AI in different government sectors will lead to improved decision-making processes, personalized medical treatments, and enhanced learning experiences and solutions that were previously unattainable, according to the planning ministry.
“Federal Minister for Planning, Development, and Special Initiatives Ahsan Iqbal has formed a 15-member National Task Force (NTF) on Artificial Intelligence (IA) for the country’s national development,” the planning ministry said in a statement.
“The key objective of the (NTF) is to develop a 10-year roadmap for accelerated adoption of AI in the business, development, governance, education, and health care sectors. The NTF force will comprise experts in artificial intelligence as well as representatives from the government and private sectors.”
The planning minister emphasized the importance of artificial intelligence for progress in the near future and stated that it would bring “transformative changes” in the fields of economy, governance, and education, according to the statement.
The task force aims to harness the power of AI for Pakistan’s development and growth while ensuring that the benefits are accessible to all segments of society.
“Establishing the NTF on AI is part of the government’s commitment to embracing AI and its potential to transform the country’s economic landscape positively,” the statement quoted Iqbal as saying.
By investing in AI, Iqbal said, Pakistan could unlock new opportunities for growth and development and improve the lives of its citizens.
“The integration of AI in our governance, health care, and education systems has the potential to revolutionize these sectors and bring about significant progress,” he added.
Explore the Transformative
World of AI
Witness AI in action at the AI Summit'23 - Pakistan's leading conference and expo on Artificial Intelligence.
https://aisummit.io/#summit-glance
The AI Summit will host a gathering of leading subject matter experts for talks & research presentations, along with specialized workshops on Artificial Intelligence.
The high-level conference will bring together forward-thinking enterprise brands, market leaders, AI & Big Data evangelists and start-ups to explore and debate the advancements in Artificial Intelligence & Big Data.
Join us for engaging talks, workshops & panel discussions, as well as interactive showcases of trailblazing work in AI.
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https://www.app.com.pk/national/pakistans-first-artificial-intelligence-summit-concluded/
ISLAMABAD, Feb 27 (APP):Pakistan’s first Artificial Intelligence (AI) Summit organized by a leading end-to-end digital services company 10Pearls concluded at the Pak-China Friendship Center here Monday.
The event was a massive success, with more than 1500 registrations, comprising professionals, students, enthusiasts and entrepreneurs.
The AI Summit, first launched in 2019, aims to ‘explore the transformative world of AI’, share the latest developments in AI, recognize innovations by emerging AI entrepreneurs, power conversations with leading international and local AI experts, and provide hands-on knowledge about various AI tools, technologies, and techniques.
The 2023 edition of AI Summit, held at the ITCN Asia, featured 30-plus eminent speakers who conducted enlightening tech talks, stimulating panel discussions, and engaging fireside chats. The Summit also hosted hands-on workshops and showcased demos of new innovations by emerging AI start-ups.
Syeda Sana Hussain, Senior Director of People and Programs, 10Pearls said that the AI Summit 2023 was a huge success! It garnered massive footfall; the conference track and workshops were fully packed with a super-charged and enthusiastic audience.
All the emerging AI start-ups that showcased their products received phenomenal response, attracting the interest of potential investors and the public alike. This is the incredible success of AI Summit 2023 shows the transformative role AI can play in addressing the complex challenges of today’s world, and 10Pearls is thrilled to be at the forefront of leading in innovation.”
54 Universities and Colleges are offering BS Artificial Intelligence in Pakistan
https://www.eduvision.edu.pk/institutions-offering-artificial-intelligence-with-field-computer-sciences-information-technology-at-bachelor-level-in-pakistan-page-1
Institute City Degree, Duration Fee Deadline
1. The Government Sadiq College Women University Bahawal Pur BS , 4 Years 31340 11-08-2023
2. The Islamia University Of Bahawalpur Bahawal Pur BS , 4 Years 47800 26-08-2023
3. Bacha Khan University Charsadda BS , 4 Years 0 17-10-2022
4. Gomal University D.i. Khan BS , 4 Years 0 18-11-2022
5. National Textile University Faisalabad BS , 4 Years 0 16-08-2022
6. The University Of Sufism And Modern Sciences Hala BS , 4 Years 24000 10-07-2023
7. University Of Haripur Haripur BS , 4 Years 38000 22-09-2022
8. Air University Islamabad BS , 4 Years 162340 07-07-2023
9. Bahria University, E-8 Campus Islamabad BS , 4 Years 172800 03-08-2023
10. Comsats University Islamabad BS , 4 Years 174000 12-07-2023
11. National University Of Computer And Emerging Sciences, Islamabad Islamabad BS , 4 Years 272000 05-07-2023
12. National University Of Modern Languages, Islamabad Islamabad BS , 4 Years 0 11-07-2023
13. National University Of Technology Islamabad BS , 4 Years 140000 02-05-2023
14. Mehran University Of Engineering & Technology Jamshoro BS , 4 Years 120000 22-05-2023
15. Dawood University Of Engineering And Technology Karachi BS , 4 Years 70000 10-08-2022
16. Sindh Madressatul Islam University Karachi BS , 4 Years 70000 14-07-2023
17. University Of Kotli Kotli BS , 4 Years 0 15-09-2022
18. Information Technology University Lahore BS , 4 Years 0 06-07-2023
19. Hazara University Mansehra BS , 4 Years 0 20-09-2021
20. Abdul Wali Khan University, Mardan Mardan BS , 4 Years 75440 30-09-2021
Joint Statement from the United States and India (part on AI cooperation) | The White House
https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2023/06/22/joint-statement-from-the-united-states-and-india/
President Biden and Prime Minister Modi welcomed the establishment of a joint Indo-U.S. Quantum Coordination Mechanism to facilitate collaboration among industry, academia, and government, and our work toward a comprehensive Quantum Information Science and Technology agreement. The United States welcomes India’s participation in the Quantum Entanglement Exchange and in the Quantum Economic Development Consortium to facilitate expert and commercial exchanges with leading, like-minded quantum nations. The United States and India will sustain and grow quantum training and exchange programs and work to reduce barriers to U.S.-India research collaboration. The leaders welcomed the launch of a $2million grant program under the U.S.-India Science and Technology Endowment fund for the joint development and commercialization of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and quantum technologies, and encouraged public-private collaborations to develop high performance computing (HPC) facilities in India. President Biden also reiterated his government’s commitment to work with U.S. Congress to lower barriers to U.S. exports to India of HPC technology and source code. The U.S. side pledged to make its best efforts in support of India’s Center for Development of Advanced Computing (C-DAC) joining the U.S. Accelerated Data Analytics and Computing (ADAC) Institute.
Both President Biden and Prime Minister Modi acknowledge the profound opportunities and significant risks associated with AI. Accordingly, they committed to develop joint and international collaboration on trustworthy and responsible AI, including generative AI, to advance AI education and workforce initiatives, promote commercial opportunities, and mitigate against discrimination and bias. The United States also supports India’s leadership as Chair of the Global Partnership on AI. The leaders applauded Google’s intent to continue investing through its $10 billion India Digitization Fund, including in early-stage Indian startups. Through its AI Research Center in India, Google is building models to support over 100 Indian languages.
Dear Sir
Thanks for sharing these details , Sir don’t you think America is going beyond its limitation to support India in these fields ? Just to counter the growing influence of China in this region , don’t you think America is doing more than what Indian government actually deserves?
Thanks
Dear Sir
Thanks for sharing this but are you happy with this level of agreement which is taking place between India and America ? What are the corrupt , hopeless and inompetent politicians of Pakistan doing ?Are they even worried about how these kinds of deals or agreements between American government and Indian government can impact this region of South Asia and how it can cause disbalance of power in the region ? And how these agreements and deals can even cause serious threat to the existence of Pakistan in the future ?
Jub Palestine mein Kuch hojaee toh foran yah behis , emotional nation of Pakistan active hojati hai .
Jub Kashmir mein kuch hojaee Ous waqt Pakistan kee kom ko problems start hojati hai .
Agar India ke Muslims ke sath koe ziadati yah Zulu ho Ous waqt yah kom foran action mein ajati hai ?
But when it comes to troubles which the country can face from such kind of foreign policies of Isreal and America but when it comes to how Indian agents have caused tremendous problems inside Pakistan by supporting and funding terrorist groups of TTP , this nation doesn’t care or is neither aware of it .
Dear Sir
These kinds of deals and agreements between India and America will not just further consolidate relations of America with India but it will also be a problem and huge risk for Pakistan in the future as India will gain technological and scientific advantage in this region . Pakistani government and politicians itself is hopeless , uneducated and doesn’t have good and educated family background . Most of these corrupt and the incompetent politicians of Pakistan belong to feudal families and landlords .
Do you think these corrupt and incompetent politicians of Pakistan know about importance and benefits of science and technology ? Do you think they have a vision of taking this country forward in science and technology ?
Dear Sir
Thank you for sharing such unique and useful information about how Indian government and American government is working on such deals and agreements of having cooperation in the field of high technology specially quantum computing and AI .
The question arises is the hopeless , and ignorant media of Pakistan which praises the economy and other achievements of India even aware of this ? Do they even know that without the support and investment of America and of other countries in the IT , business and other sectors of India , it is either impossible or very hard for India to make this level of progress in the these fields ?
Is Pakistani high commission or Pakistan consulate in America even aware of these developments ? Did they even contact American government and convey their concerns and reservations on these deals and agreements between Indian government and President Bidens administration ?
When their was a deal of F-16 aircrafts between America and Pakistan when Obama was President and when Indian government and Indian millitary learned about it . They started crying and Indian media started screaming about this deal of F-16 between America and Pakistan . Indian government went to an extent of calling the American high commissioner in their office in Dehli and even aggressively questioned him that “ WHY IS AMERICA SUPPLYING AND EXPORTING F-16 AIRCRAFTS TO PAKISTAN”?
The Indian government even raised concern infront of American high commissioner that Pakistan can use these F-16 planes against India ? Sir did you see any counter reaction from Government of Pakistan towards this ?
If Pakistani authorities are shameless and careless about such reaction of Indian government towards their deals which they are making with American government . Do you can see how silent Pakistani authorities are on these latest deals and agreements between India and America .
Sir by the way where is Pakistani lobbies in America ? Are their any Pakistani lobbies in America that can really and aggressively counter these deals and agreements between America and India ? Can these Pakistani lobbies in America take these issues seriously and react to them?
Thanks
Pakistan sets an audacious goal for AI in education system – Cryptopolitan
https://www.cryptopolitan.com/pakistan-audacious-goal-ai-education-system/
TL;DR Breakdown
Pakistan's Ministry of IT & Telecom has drafted an ambitious policy to integrate AI in its education system, aiming to transform into a knowledge-based economy.
The government plans to train a million IT graduates in AI and related technologies by 2027, recruiting 10,000 new trainers for the task.
By 2026, the policy seeks to fund 1,000 AI-led R&D initiatives and register over 2,000 AI-related patents.
Pakistan, in an audacious push for technological growth, has charted an ambitious course for the incorporation of Artificial Intelligence (AI) into its education system.
The country’s Ministry of IT & Telecom has forged a policy aimed at catalyzing the rise of AI, signaling its readiness to adapt to the rapidly evolving digital landscape.
In its pursuit to transform into a knowledge-based economy, Pakistan is gearing up to invest in and nurture human capital proficient in AI and related technologies.
Transforming the educational landscape with AI
Central to Pakistan’s AI policy is the goal of instilling AI competencies in the country’s workforce. As per a survey conducted by the Ministry of Information Technology and Telecommunication in 2022, a scanty portion of the IT and computing workforce – less than ten percent – were found to be adept in AI and allied technologies.
In a determined stride to bridge this gap, the government has declared its commitment to training one million IT graduates in AI and related technologies by the year 2027.
This monumental effort will necessitate the recruitment of at least 10,000 trainers who can deliver high-impact education in AI and associated fields, as stated in a draft of the National Artificial Intelligence Policy.
Not limiting its vision to education alone, the ministry has also set forth ambitious objectives related to research and development, and intellectual property.
By 2026, the policy stipulates the funding of at least 1,000 AI-led R&D initiatives in academic and private sectors. Furthermore, Pakistan aims to register over 2,000 AI-related patents by the same year.
A pragmatic approach toward digital currencies
As Pakistan strides toward an AI-enhanced future, it maintains a cautious stance toward the domain of digital currencies. The country’s Finance Minister, Aisha Ghaus Pasha, recently announced that cryptocurrency will never be legalized in Pakistan.
A stringent ban on digital currencies is being put into effect, with the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) and the Information Technology Ministry tasked with its implementation.
The ban on cryptocurrencies, although seemingly restrictive, has its roots in pragmatic considerations. The Financial Action Task Force (FATF), an intergovernmental body founded by the G7, has advised against the legalization of cryptocurrencies.
By aligning with the FATF’s directives, Pakistan seeks to secure a bailout from the International Monetary Fund and avert inclusion in the FATF’s gray list of countries with unsatisfactory Anti-Money Laundering and Counter-Terrorist Financing practices.
The grand vision underpinning Pakistan’s National AI Policy embodies a comprehensive strategy to capitalize on the potential of AI to boost the nation’s economy and improve the lives of its citizens.
The policy offers a roadmap for the responsible and effective adoption of AI, aiming for long-term and sustainable benefits. It sets forth a plethora of developmental initiatives to stimulate AI-led innovation and facilitate industry-academia collaborations.
Through progressive, evidence-based, and forward-looking measures, Pakistan aims to usher in a transformative era of AI-enabled growth. The country’s focused efforts to empower its young population with AI skills and foster a dynamic AI economy underscore its resolve to harness the next frontier of technological opportunities.
Dear Sir
Thank you for sharing such useful post about how Pakistani government is focusing on preparing such AI programs for education sector of Pakistan .
It is a very good approach taken by government of Pakistan .
Sir do you think that government of Pakistan has such long term vision to promote IT and technology in the country ?
Sir I am sorry to say many people in Pakistan are not even aware of what really AI is.They think AI is a part of IT , but infact AI is not a part of IT but it is a part of emerging technology .
Many IT professionals in Pakistan are not even aware that how in the future IT( Information Technology) is changing . The traditional IT which we know of is being transformed into New IT which includes edge computing , cloud computing , smart devices and etc .
Dear Sir
Thanks for sharing this article about how government of Pakistanis focusing on implementing or applying AI ( Artificial Intelligence ) technology in educational system of the country .
The article says :
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The grand vision underpinning Pakistan’s National AI Policy embodies a comprehensive strategy to capitalize on the potential of AI to boost the nation’s economy and improve the lives of its citizens.
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Comment :
Sir do you really think Pakistan needs such national policy to implement AI?
Sir as far as I know or understand , the more you nationalise anything the more you restrict its growth and potential of advancement .
Sir pls see since many years the IT ministry of Pakistan is under the control of Punjab government and the progress of IT is limited within Punjab province of Pakistan . How much progress and advancement have you seen in IT in the province of Sindh, Balochistan and NWFP?
This is exactly what happens , I sorry to say but authorities of Pakistan want to control technology sector specially IT sector and this is only possible by nationalising the IT industry or sector .
Sir what i understand and believe is that AI, data science and other emerging technologies or IT must not be kept under supervision and control of the government but it must be allowed to grow and this is possible when government of Pakistan makes such policies that allows private IT companies ( not nationalised companies ) to grow .
This growth of private IT companies whether they are software development companies , or any AI companies is possible when incentives are given to them and the pay scales of the employees working in them is increased and benefits like medical facilities and other types of facilities are given to IT students and software engineers who are working in these private IT companies . These benefits along with good pay scales will boost the productivity of these IT students and software developers and software engineers in the private companies and they will definitely not just benefit the companies but will also benefit the country .
Also the government of Pakistan must focus on increasing its budget and GDP which is spent on research and development .
Sir pls tell me honestly have you seen any IT company of Pakistan which has its own in-house research center or research lab?
Google , Microsoft and Facebook and other Giant IT companies or high tech companies in America and western countries have their own in-house research labs and research centers . You can’t expect new technological products or innovative technologies to come into existence without having research and development and this is where Pakistan is seriously lacking . I just read the survey reports of “ GLOBAL INNOVATION INDEX” , some indicators of Pakistan were really good but when it comes to institutions and government support , in these areas Pakistan performed very poorely . According to these survey reports of “ GLOBAL INNOVATION INDEX” , Pakistan was lagging seriously behind because of lack of support from institutes and governments .
According to these survey reports of “ GLOBAL INNOVATION INDEX” , Pakistani government only spends 0.2% of its GDP or budget on research and development . Now Sir pls tell me honestly do you think just 0.2% of the budget or GDP which is spent on R&D is enough for a country like Pakistan which is I think 6th largest population in the world and where their are many universities and colleges and where I think their are more than 40 million students ?
Top European Research Labs Select Three teams of Secondary school students-- One Each Netherlands, Pakistan and the US--For Own Accelerator Beam Experiments at CERN and DESY
https://home.cern/news/press-release/cern/three-teams-secondary-school-pupils-netherlands-pakistan-and-usa-win-10th
Geneva and Hamburg, 28 June 2023. In 2023, for the second time in the history of the Beamline for Schools competition, the evaluation committee selected three winning teams. The team “Myriad Magnets” from the Philips Exeter Academy, in Exeter, United States, and the team “Particular Perspective”, which brings together pupils from the Islamabad College for Boys, the Supernova School in Islamabad, the Cadet College in Hasanabdal, the Siddeeq Public School in Rawalpindi and the Cedar College in Karachi, Pakistan, will travel to CERN, Geneva, in September 2023 to perform the experiments that they proposed. The team “Wire Wizards” from the Augustinianum school in Eindhoven, Netherlands, will be hosted at DESY (Deutsches Elektronen-Synchrotron in Hamburg, Germany) to carry out its experiment.
Beamline for Schools (BL4S) is a physics competition open to secondary school pupils from all around the world. The participants are invited to prepare a proposal for a physics experiment that can be undertaken at the beamline of a particle accelerator. A beamline is a facility that provides high-energy fluxes of subatomic particles that can be used to conduct experiments in different fields, including fundamental physics, material science and medicine.
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“Congratulations to this year’s winners – may they have good beams, collect interesting data and generally have the time of their lives,” says Christoph Rembser, a CERN physicist at the ATLAS experiment and one of the founders of Beamline for Schools. “Every year I am astonished by how many young people submit very creative, interesting proposals. In 2014, we weren’t sure at all whether this competition would work. Ten years and 16 000 participants later, I am proud to say that it is obviously a resounding success.”
The fruitful collaboration between CERN and DESY started in 2019 during the shutdown period of the CERN accelerators. This year, the German laboratory will host its fifth team of winners.
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The Pakistan team “Particular Perspective” will measure in detail the beam composition of the T10 beamline of the CERN Proton Synchrotron accelerator. The experiment set-up they designed will make it possible to differentiate between different particle species and measure their intensity.
“I am grateful to BL4S for having provided me with an opportunity to represent my country, Pakistan, and its budding community of aspiring physicists. This is a chance for us to experience physics at the highest level and will inspire people with interests similar to ours to reach greater heights,” says Muhammad Salman Tarar from the “Particular Perspective” team.
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The “Wire Wizards” team’s experiment focuses on detector development. The Dutch students designed and built a multi-wire proportional chamber (MWPC), a gas detector able to measure the position of a particle interacting with it, and they plan to characterise it using the electron beam available at DESY.
“The BL4S competition provides us with a unique educational experience that will be a highlight in our time as students,” says Leon Verreijt from the “Wire Wizards” team.
The winners have been selected by a committee of CERN and DESY scientists from a shortlist of 27 particularly promising experiments. All the teams in the shortlist will be awarded special prizes. In addition, one team will be recognised for the most creative video and 10 teams for the quality of physics outreach activities they are organising in their local communities, taking advantage of the knowledge gained by taking part in BL4S.
Vulnerable employment, total (% of total employment) (modeled ILO estimate) - Pakistan, India | Data
Bangladesh 54%
Pakistan 54%
India 74%
https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/SL.EMP.VULN.ZS?locations=PK-IN-BD
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Sandeep Manudhane
@sandeep_PT
Why the size of the economy means little
a simple analysis
1) We are often told that India is now a $3.5 trillion economy. It is growing fast too. Hence, we must be happy with this growth in size as it is the most visible sign of right direction. This is the Quantity is Good argument.
2) We are told that such growth can happen only if policies are right, and all engines of the GDP - consumption, exports, investment, govt. consumption - are doing their job well. We tend to believe it.
3) We are also told that unless GDP grows, how can Indians (on average) grow? Proof is given to us in the form of 'rising per capita incomes' of India. And we celebrate "India racing past the UK" in GDP terms, ignoring that the average Indian today is 20 times poorer than the average Britisher.
4) All this reasoning sounds sensible, logical, credible, and utterly worth reiterating. So we tend to think - good, GDP size on the whole matters the most.
5) Wrong. This is not how it works in real life.
6) It is wrong due to three major reasons
(a) Distribution effect
(b) Concentration of power effect
(c) Inter-generational wealth and income effect
7) First comes the distribution effect. Since 1991, the indisputable fact recorded by economists is that "rich have gotten richer, and poor steadily stagnant or poorer". Thomas Piketty recorded it so well he's almost never spoken in New India now! Thus, we have a super-rich tiny elite of 2-3% at the top, and a vast ocean of stagnant-income 70-80% down below. And this is not changing at all. Do not be fooled by rising nominal per capita figures - factor in inflation and boom! And remember - per capita is an average figure, and it conceals the concentration.
8) Second is the Concentration of power effect. RBI ex-deputy governor Viral Acharya wrote that just 5 big industrial groups - Tata, Birlas, Adanis, Ambanis, Mittals - now disproportionately own the economic assets of India, and directly contribute to inflation dynamics (via their pricing power). This concentration is rising dangerously each year for some time now, and all government policies are designed to push it even higher. Hence, a rising GDP size means they corner more and more and more of the incremental annual output. The per capita rises, but somehow magically people don't experience it in 'steadily improving lives'.
9) Third is the Inter-generational wealth and income effect. Ever wondered why more than 90% of India is working in unstructured, informal jobs, with near-zero social security? Ever wondered why rich families smoothly pass on 100% of their assets across generations while paying zero taxes? Ever wondered how taxes paid by the rich as a per cent of their incomes are not as high as those paid by you and me (normal citizens)? India has no inheritance tax, but has a hugely corporate-friendly tax regime with many policies tailor-made to augment their wealth. Trickle down is impossible in this system. But that was the spiel sold to us in 1991, and later, each year! There is no incentive for giant corporates (and rich folks) to generate more formal jobs, as an ocean of underpaid slaves is ready to slog their entire lives for them. Add to that automation, and now, AI systems!
SUMMARY
Sadly, as India's GDP grows in size, it means little for the masses because trickle-down is near zero. That is because new formal jobs aren't being generated at scale at all (which in itself is a big topic for analysis).
So, our Quantity of GDP is different from Quality of GDP.
https://twitter.com/sandeep_PT/status/1675421203152896001?s=20
Exactly - the very top 10% of India's talent pool has always gone to the US. Who'd stay back in India if they could migrate ?
And these bhakts make it seem like India is a wonderful tech haven, better than the USA.
Indian experience with manufacturing has not exactly been stellar, whether hardware or software.
Aatif Awan
@aatif_awan
1/ Starting from Pakistan's heartland & now expanding to the world's farm (Brazil), what a journey it's been for the
@FarmdarOfficial
team. Congrats to them on launching AgromAI, a fintech venture in Brazil that leverages AI & geospatial data to create agri financial solutions
https://twitter.com/aatif_awan/status/1676570789913542657?s=20
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Aatif Awan
@aatif_awan
2/ Think insurers having highly accurate, individual farm-level intelligence to underwrite crop insurance. Imagine banks using the same information to provide credit to farmers. At $170+ billion, Brazil is one of the top agri markets. Crop insurance alone is at ~ $2B annually
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Aatif Awan
@aatif_awan
3/ What's amazing is that the tech is built in Pakistan by Pakistani product and engineering talent. And it's finding traction in one of the largest markets for agritech
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Aatif Awan
@aatif_awan
4/ Really proud of the Farmdar founders
@MBukhari80
,
@MujiManghi
, Ibrahim Akbar Bokhari and the entire Farmdar team on this huge milestone. Congrats team!
We hope this will inspire many other "Made in Pakistan, For the World" products
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Pakistan’s Farmdar Has Just Launched a New FinTech Startup in Brazil
https://www.techjuice.pk/pakistans-farmdar-has-just-launched-a-new-fintech-startup-in-brazil/
https://twitter.com/FarmdarOfficial/status/1676487324614402050?s=20
Named ‘AgromAI’, Farmdar’s fintech startup in Brazil will use artificial intelligence (AI) and geospatial data to provide financial services
Pakistan based agri-tech startup ‘Farmdar’ has just announced the launch of its new fintech venture. What’s unique about this new expansion is the fact that it is based in Brazil; a new industry in a new country, sounds exciting right?
Named ‘AgromAI’, Farmdar’s new fintech startup will utilize artificial intelligence (AI) and geospatial data in order to provide financial services, but how would it do so?
Well, according to Farmdar co-founder and CEO Muzaffar Manghi, Latin America is going through a severe climate change, therefore both rainfall and temperatures are evolving at a massive speed, putting both insurers and agricultural business at risk.
AgromAI, using its geospatial data and artificial intelligence systems, will make sure that financial institutions and insurers can avoid and respond to these risks. Having individual farm-level intelligence, these insurers and institutions will have the best insurance risk management in place, allowing an increased productivity and growth in Brazil’s agricultural sector.
“Pakistani technology will be used by some of the largest businesses in the world, and with more developed markets as a stomping ground,” said CEO Muzaffar Manghi while talking about the new startup.
“We are extremely proud to export our artificial intelligence and data-backed products developed solely by Pakistani engineers. This is a testament to the innovation of Pakistani talent and their potential to make a contribution to the global agritech industry,” said Farmdar in its official press release.
Agriculture makes up for a large part of the Brazilian economy, with the country being the world’s third-largest exporter of agricultural products and an agricultural production valued at $170+ billion, whereas Brazil’s crop insurance market, the primary target for AgromAI, accounts for over $9+ billion annually.
The West needs to get real about India | The Strategist
https://www.aspistrategist.org.au/the-west-needs-to-get-real-about-india/
by John McCarthy, ex Australian Ambassador to India
The first is that India’s economic promise—particularly as an eventual rival to China—is overblown.
Doubts about the extent of India’s promise have been around for a couple of decades—in fact, ever since some commentators started suggesting that India would one day outstrip China.
These doubts were cogently expressed by Harvard academic Graham Allison in a recent essay in Foreign Policy. Allison, inter alia, suggested that we need to reflect on several ‘inconvenient truths’:
We have been wrong in the past about the pace of the rise of India—namely in the early 1990s and the middle of the first decade of this century.
India’s economy is much smaller than China’s—and the gap has increased, not decreased. In the early 2000s, China’s GDP was two to three times as large as India’s. It is now roughly five times as large.
India has been falling behind in the development of science and technology to power economic growth. China spends 2% of GDP on research and development, compared with India’s 0.7%. On artificial intelligence, the figures are startling. For example, China holds 65% of AI patents, while India holds just 3%.
China’s workforce is more productive than India’s. The quality of their respective workforces is affected by poverty and nutrition levels. As one example, according to the 2022 UN State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World report, 16.3% of India’s population was undernourished in 2019–2021 compared with less than 2.5% of China’s population.
The second argument is that India’s worldview is quite different to that of most Western countries.
India rightly sees itself as a force in international affairs. It aspires to be a powerful pole in a multipolar world. It adheres to a doctrine of strategic autonomy. It is guided by what it thinks is best for India, not by alliances or what others want of it.
India’s China-driven strategic congruence with the US is not the same as a quasi-alliance relationship. India doesn’t operate within a framework of mutual obligation. It doesn’t expect others to come to its aid and it won’t join someone else’s war.
In a recent Foreign Affairs article entitled ‘America’s bad bet on India’, an American academic of Indian origin, Ashley Tellis, argues that New Delhi would never involve itself in any US confrontation with China that did not threaten its own security.
The Tellis piece has weight because he was a main intellectual force behind the ‘nuclear deal’ concluded in 2008.
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The problem is that Modi’s government can only lend itself to highly qualified identification with democratic principles.
Elections in India are generally fair, and Modi’s sway is vigorously contested by the main opposition party, by Congress and by regional parties. That’s good.
However, Modi remains an unabashed Hindu supremacist whose political machine largely disregards the aspirations of Muslims and other minorities. It reacts vengefully to criticism and scores badly on most of the international indexes that measure democratic freedoms. To some, India is an illiberal democracy; to others, it’s an electoral autocracy. But, for sure, it is not a liberal democracy.
Western interests dictate that we put grunt into our relationship with India with energy and determination. It is unquestionably an increasingly important country. But we must have realistic expectations of India and deal with as it is, not as we might like it to be. Otherwise, we risk disappointment.
Pakistani student uses AI to combat propaganda on social media
https://mmnews.tv/pakistani-student-uses-ai-to-combat-propaganda-on-social-media/
Muhammad Umar, A Pakistani student at Mohamed bin Zayed University of Artificial Intelligence (MBZUAI), has made a significant contribution in detecting propaganda on social media platforms, especially in cases where there is a mixture of low and high-resource languages.
Umar, who is from Pakistan and speaks Urdu as his first language, is one of many people who are contributing to the large amounts of research and time being spent on languages other than English for preservation, education, and language modelling.
Umar, who holds a Master of Science in natural language processing (NLP), is aware of the influence that language has on public conversation and the way that opinions are formed.
“Propaganda is a pervasive tool used to manipulate public opinion, and it is a growing concern in the digital age, especially in bilingual communities where little to no work has been done to detect it. Most propaganda detection work has been done on high-resource languages, such as English, leaving low-resource languages largely unexplored,” said Umar, who is part of the university’s first cohort of NLP graduates.
Umar noted that code-switching, which involves mixing multiple languages in the same text, is common in low-resource language communities and can make propaganda detection more challenging.
“In linguistics, code-switching refers to the practice of alternating between two or more languages or language varieties in a single conversation or text. In the context of my thesis, code-switched social media text specifically refers to social media text that uses a mixture of different languages, including English and Roman Urdu.”
Despite graduating, Umar is continuing his research and hopes to submit a paper related to detecting propaganda techniques in code-switched text at the 2023 Empirical Methods in Natural Language Processing (EMNLP) conference, one of the primary high impact NLP and artificial intelligence conferences for NLP research.
Taylor Swift, Selena Gomez in #Pakistan? #AI-generated pics of pop singers are viral. #Pakistani artist Saboor Akram also gave a traditional makeover to Harry Styles and envisioned him posing in a floral-print kurta set. Ed Sheeran, also dressed in a kurta, was imagined clicking a selfie with people in Rawalpindi.
https://www.indiatoday.in/lifestyle/celebrity/story/taylor-swift-selena-gomez-in-pakistan-ai-generated-pics-of-pop-singers-are-viral-2404539-2023-07-10
While Taylor Swift is busy regaling her fans with back-to-back concerts in the US, an artist imagined her flaunting a desi outfit while posing for a picture in Pakistan using Artificial Intelligence (AI).
Not just Swift, the artist also generated photos of several other international singers such as Selena Gomez, Harry Styles, Rihanna and Ed Sheeran, posing on the streets of Pakistan. Taylor, in the viral AI-generated pictures, rocked a heavily-embroidered red kurta set with a mustard dupatta. Selena, on the other hand, flaunted a floral-print ensemble.
Saboor Akram, an artist from Pakistan, also gave a traditional makeover to Harry Styles and envisioned him posing in a floral-print kurta set. Ed Sheeran, also dressed in a kurta, was imagined clicking a selfie with people in Rawalpindi.
That’s not all! The artist also gave a traditional makeover to American television personalities Kim Kardashian and Kylie Jenner. The sisters were seen dressed in simplistic kurta sets.
The internet appeared to be rather amused by the pictures. “Never knew I needed Harry Styles in a kurta until now God Damn,” an Instagram user commented. “Want Selena’s fit,” read another comment.
“This is so cool! Desi Taylor Swift,” another Instagram user wrote.
Salam Sir
Mashallah a great news , one of the media channel in Pakistan has launched its AI based talk show which is the only of its kind in the world of media . It is considered as a revolution in the field of media industry .
Many countries I think are surprised and were not expecting a country like Pakistan to take a lead in this .
Pls check this link :
https://www.globalvillagespace.com/pakistan-introduces-first-ai-tv-talk-show-launched/
Can you pls make a blog about it Sir ?
Thanks
Report reveals widening European interest and shift towards STEM
https://thepienews.com/news/interest-european-studies-shift-stem/
https://studyportals.typeform.com/to/PkDRfZl8/
Students from Pakistan and Bangladesh are driving interest in education across continental Europe – a region that is maintaining a “strong appeal” for international students – but government policy, among other factors, may be impacting students’ choices, according to new research.
“Although India generates the largest share of relative demand [at bachelor’s level], this fluctuates drastically and has gradually declined overall,” the report noted. “Conversely, you can see that Bangladesh and Pakistan have increased their share of the interest.”
The research tracks a similar trend in master’s, with India showing a “general decline in interest year-on-year”, with Bangladesh and Pakistan, alongside students in Turkey and Iran, showing “strong demand to study master’s programs”.
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Additionally, program preference is shifting towards artificial intelligence, data science & big data, business intelligence & analytics, entrepreneurship and engineering management.
Analysing data collected in the year up to May 2023, the Studyportals Destination Europe report delves into trends in master’s and bachelor’s programs, as well as taking a closer look at the business and management discipline – which the paper noted as most popular for international students in general.
One in five students looking to study in Europe are interested in the discipline, the company noted.
While Germany “holds significant global market share of student interest”, the analysis found a “drop in relative demand” for its programs, while Norway had seen the “largest decline” in relative demand. The drop is likely influenced by the introduction of tuition fees, the paper said.
At the other end of the spectrum, Italy is continuing to grow in its popularity among international students, at both the bachelor’s and master’s levels.
No homegrown Indian contenders have emerged to challenge the dominance of large language model titans such as OpenAI’s ChatGPT, Google Ventures–backed Anthropic, or Google’s Bard.
https://techcrunch.com/2023/05/03/where-is-india-in-the-generative-ai-race/
“While there are over 1500 AI-based startups in India with over $4 billion of funding, India is still losing the AI innovation battle,” say analysts at Sanford C. Bernstein.
To their credit, many of India’s major startups are using machine learning to enhance aspects of their business operations. For instance, e-commerce giant Flipkart uses machine learning to refine customer shopping experiences, while Razorpay utilizes AI to combat payment fraud. Unicorn edtech Vedantu recently integrated AI into its live classes, making them more accessible and affordable.
Industry insiders attribute India’s dearth of AI-first startups in part to a skills gap among the nation’s workforce. Now the advent of generative AI could displace many service jobs, analysts warn.
“Among its over 5 million employees, IT in India still has a high mix of low-end employees like BPO or system maintenance. While AI isn’t at the level of causing disruptions, the systems are improving rapidly,” Bernstein analysts said.
Dev Khare, a partner at Lightspeed Venture Partners India, recently assessed the disruptive potential of AI and warned that jobs and processes in industries such as market research, content production, legal analysis, financial analysis, and various IT services jobs could be impacted.
‘Super, super big’: Pakistan’s indigenously developed AI tool makes a worldwide splash
https://www.arabnews.pk/node/2294696/pakistan
The AI tool helps users create personalized raps, bios and dating profiles based on their Twitter posts
Within three days of its launch, AIAV reached over 200,000 users from 194 countries around the world
The AI tool performs its task by combining ChatGPT, widely regarded as the best generative large language model, with specialized technologies such as Elasticsearch and GoogleNLP. The result offers unparalleled speed, efficiency, and accuracy.
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When Pakistani artificial intelligence engineers Hammad Khan, 29, and Saad Mughal, 27, initially developed and released an AI tool, they meant to test the waters of the world of AI. Little did they know that the locally developed app would end up making a massive splash worldwide.
In layman’s terms, AI is a branch of computer science concerned with building and managing technology that can learn to make decisions and carry out actions on behalf of a human being. AIAV, developed by Khan and Mughal, residents of Pakistan’s southern port city of Karachi, helps users create personalized raps, biographies, and dating profiles all based on their social media persona.
Here’s what the tool does for you: Enter your Twitter handle and wait for the AI engine to scan all your tweets. Once it’s done rummaging through hundreds of your tweets and poring over content you posted on Twitter, AIAV produces the user’s brief biography, a personalized rap, and a dating profile.
Such was the tool’s popularity within three days of its launch that AIAV became one of the fastest generative AI products to reach more than 200,000 users from 194 countries earlier this month.
Khan and Mughal, co-founders of the tech consulting firm AlphaVenture that specializes in data and AI, said they developed the tool and launched it in the first week of April.
“I published this and went for an iftar party, and when I came back to my home, I realized that the tool has gone super, super big,” Khan, chief executive officer of AlphaVenture, told Arab News. “Because initially, I intended that maybe 1,000 people might use it or test it, but what we were seeing was astronomical as everything was crashing down.”
Khan is a graduate of the Shaheed Zulfikar Ali Bhutto Institute of Science and Technology, one of Pakistan’s leading private universities.
The AI tool performs its task by combining ChatGPT, widely regarded as the best generative large language model, with specialized technologies such as Elasticsearch and GoogleNLP. The result offers unparalleled speed, efficiency, and accuracy.
Khan said the next 72 hours after the launch were an “interesting experience” as the two founders slept less and had their hands full trying to scale the tool in accordance with its rising demand.
“Every time we would try to scale it, every time we would try to maybe build more things on it, 10,000 or 20,000 people would come in,” he said. “We were literally in awe.”
AIAV has so far reached an impressive 12 million users worldwide and clocked in over 400,000 user signups.
“Primarily, the whole idea of building this tool was to test it and maybe compete with the likes of startups in the Silicon Valley and see how far we can take it, and I think now it’s pretty well tested,” Khan said. “We have tested it with over 400,000 users. Now, I’m pretty happy with the result, but honestly, we didn’t expect this.”
The majority of the tool’s users are from the US, UK, and the Middle East. Many of them believe that its “personal nature” caused the AI program to attract people from all parts of the world.
Mughal said the duo was making modifications to AIAV so that the response generated by the context engine was more accurate. The founders are also in touch with a few venture capital funds for financing.
Buoyed by AIAV’s phenomenal success, Khan and Mughal, who live in Karachi’s middle-class Gulistan-e-Jauhar neighborhood, have their eyes set on broadening the tool’s application.
The ChatGPT API will allow developers to integrate ChatGPT into their own applications, products, or services. ChatGPT is a sibling model to InstructGPT, which is trained to follow an instruction in a prompt and provide a detailed response. Learn more about ChatGPT in the blog post. To learn more about the ChatGPT API, please visit our API articles.
Please note that the ChatGPT API is not included in the ChatGPT Plus subscription and are billed separately. The API has its own pricing, which can be found at https://openai.com/pricing. The ChatGPT Plus subscription covers usage on chat.openai.com only and costs $20/month.
https://help.openai.com/en/articles/7039783-how-can-i-access-the-chatgpt-api
Discover four Pakistani startups at the forefront of AI/ML
by Eunice Cheng | on 06 DEC 2022
https://aws.amazon.com/blogs/startups/discover-four-pakistani-startups-at-the-forefront-of-ai-ml/
Amazon Web Services (AWS) and Epiphany joined forces in 2021 to co-curate an artificial intelligence (AI)/machine learning (ML) bootcamp called AI/ML Reactor. AI/ML Reactor is a rigorous 5-week virtual program aimed at driving AI/ML awareness and empowering startups in Pakistan.
We received an overwhelming response for this program. Twenty-five startups were chosen out of 250 startups that applied from all provinces in Pakistan. Participants had access to exclusive master classes, a group tech mentoring session, and one-on-one mentoring sessions with AWS specialists and thought leaders. At the end of the program, they presented their AI/ML solutions to a panel of judges (see Demo Day).
Meet our winners from the 2021 Reactor!
Salesflo – 1st prize
Salesflo is one of Pakistan’s fastest growing software as a service (SaaS) platforms. They build tools to improve in-field sales efficiency for consumer goods.
Ozoned Digital Ltd (“Ozoned”) – 2nd prize
Ozoned is an insurtech startup that aims to digitally transform the insurance value chain. It services multiple stakeholders (insurers, insurance brokers, insurance agents, customers, and others) in the insurance ecosystem.
XpertFlow – joint 3rd prize
XpertFlow is an AI-powered preventative healthcare company founded in 2019. Its mission is to reduce mortality from hospital acquired infections (HAIs) that eventually lead to sepsis.
Trukkr – joint 3rd prize
Trukkr provides financial services and technology for logistics in Pakistan. It gives both large and small businesses a comprehensive technology platform to manage and provide all their logistical needs. Trusted by some of the biggest companies in the country, Trukkr saves organizations time and money, while providing them with deep data and powerful insights.
Ethnic Appropriation? ChatGPT Creator Mira Murati is an Albanian American, Not Indian American as Reported by Indian Media - American Kahani
https://americankahani.com/business/ethnic-appropriation-chatgpt-creator-mira-murati-is-an-albanian-american-not-indian-american-as-reported-by-indian-media/
What’s in a name? A slippery slope, if one were to go by the way some in the Indian media went to town claiming Mira Murati, Chief Technology Officer of OpenAI, the company that created ChatGPT, is an Indian American.
She is not. She is an American of Albanian origin. Although there is almost no biographical information available online, most websites identify her as an Albanian, including Albanian websites. One of them claims that the 1987-born technologist was born in Vlora, Albania.
ChatGPT has had a sensational debut last year because of its potential applications. As Cnet.com says, “this artificial intelligence bot can answer questions, write essays and program computers.”
The Indian media reports, however, widely quoted Murati’s recent interview with Time magazine where she expressed her concerns over its misuse, mainly using it as a peg to claim that she is an Indian American. Several leading newspapers published an Indian agency report that misreported Murati’s ethnicity.
One Indian blogger who runs “Biography Reader” even went on to claim that “she was born in a middle-class Hindu family. Her father’s name is Mr. Murati. Her mother’s name is Mrs. Murati.”
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Inside OpenAI, the Architect of ChatGPT | The Circuit
https://youtu.be/p9Q5a1Vn-Hk
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Mustafa Suleyman (Syrian Muslim): the Liberal Activist Ensuring Google DeepMind Benefits All of Humanity
https://www.businessinsider.com/mustafa-suleyman-the-lefty-activist-ensuring-google-deepmind-benefits-all-of-humanity-2017-12
Mustafa Suleyman is one of the three cofounders of DeepMind, an artificial intelligence (AI) lab in London that was acquired by Google in 2014 for a reported £400 million — the search giant's largest acquisition in Europe to date.
Listen to a few of Suleyman's talks on YouTube and you'll quickly realise that he's a left-leaning activist who wants to make the world a better place for everyone as opposed to an elite few. He differs from many of today's tech founders in that he genuinely seems to care about the welfare of everyone on the planet.
The 35-year-old — affectionately known as "Moose" internally at DeepMind and among his friends — lives in Peckham, South London, with his artist fiancée. He can often be seen on Twittermaking his thoughts known on issues like homelessness, diversity, and inequality, and also once retweeted Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn.
DeepMind may be owned by one of the largest companies in the world but Suleyman strongly believes capitalism is failing society in a number of areas. He explained this during a talk at a Google event in 2017.
Evolution of AI’s Significance in Pakistan
https://cscr.pk/explore/themes/politics-governance/pakistans-draft-national-ai-policy-is-a-hodgepodge-of-technospeak/
The hype around Artificial Intelligence (AI) has increased over the past decade, but in Pakistan, this began gaining momentum around 2017 onward. It began with a few opinion pieces in institutional publications calling for the securitisation of AI against “hybrid war” to proper governmental initiatives by two different political governments. Near the very end of its tenure in mid-2018, the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PMLN) government led then by Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi, inaugurated a National Centre for Artificial Intelligence (NCAI) at the National University of Sciences & Technology (NUST), followed by a Rs 1.1bn budgetary allocation for select universities (mostly in Punjab and Islamabad, one in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) and Sindh each); most importantly, NUST was declared as the headquarters from where these research and development (R&D) efforts on AI would be coordinated.
A month later (May 2018), the succeeding federal government of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), led by then Prime Minister Imran Khan, approved the Digital Pakistan Policy. This was the first high-level government policy to lay out a plan to set up innovation centres in different thematic areas across the provincial capitals and minor/auxiliary cities, which included AI as a special focus area. The year concluded with the President of Pakistan Dr Arif Alvi, himself a former PTI leader, ambitiously declaring his own Presidential Initiative for Artificial Intelligence & Computing (PIAIC).
On the practical side, it is a rudderless policy driven more by utopian ideals instead of factual appreciation of strengths and weaknesses.
Two years later (during the PTI government) in 2020, Pakistan Air Force (PAF) took the lead in setting up a Centre of Artificial Intelligence and Computing (CENTAIC). The next year (2021), PAF also inaugurated a Cyber Security Academy within Air University, during which the Air Force’s C4I lead also announced the intent to set up an Air Force Cyber Command.
Shortly after the deposition of the PTI government by the incumbent Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) alliance in the first half of 2022, the budget was approved to set up a Sino-Pak Centre for Artificial Intelligence (SPCAI) at the Pak-Austria Fachhochschule: Institute of Applied Sciences and Technology (PAF-IAST) in Haripur, which purportedly collaborates through linkages with academia and industries in Austria and China. Also, in the same year, the Pakistan Army announced the inauguration of its Cyber Command, which reportedly consists of two divisions, one of which (the Army Centre of Emerging Technologies) is reasonably believed to include AI in its focus areas.
The incumbent PDM government, through the Ministry of Planning, Development and Special Initiatives, had reportedly constituted a 15-member National Task Force (NTF) on Artificial Intelligence with the purported objective of supporting national development, even before the draft policy was published. The dichotomy is mind-boggling since MoITT has the primary mandate of supervising ICT-related initiatives.
Ignoring the Elephants in the Room
The authors of the draft National AI Policy are surprisingly oblivious or intentionally ignorant of major obstacles to its proper appreciation and implementation (adoption).
Forget world domination, India won’t catch up with China any time soon
https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3215379/hype-over-indias-economic-boom-dangerous-myth-masking-real-problems?module=hard_link&pgtype=article
It will take many years of stellar economic growth for India to begin matching China in economic importance, and no amount of miraculous thinking or “China plus one” investment is likely to accelerate that.
Also, many other important economic indicators remain problematic. India accounted for about 1 per cent of global manufacturing in 2000, compared with 7 per cent for China. By last year, India’s share had grown to 3 per cent against China’s 31 per cent. In 2000, India accounted for just 1 per cent of the world’s exports, and China 2 per cent. By last year, China accounted for 15 per cent of global exports against India’s share of 2 per cent.
India enthusiasts celebrate the youthfulness of India’s population, but ignore the reality that this is a problem rather than an advantage when they are poorly educated or even illiterate. To accommodate them, India must produce an estimated 90 million new jobs before 2030.
Allison reminds us that China produces twice as many STEM-qualified (in science, technology, engineering and mathematics) graduates as India, spends almost three times the percentage of its GDP on research and development, and produces 65 per cent of the world’s artificial intelligence patents (vs India’s 3 per cent).
As Bloomberg noted in April: “India is far behind China in key aspects important for manufacturing that include infrastructure, bureaucracy, attention to detail and even a sense of urgency.”
Supporters of India in search of a “hobble China” narrative have been encouraged by companies such as Apple and its main Taiwanese manufacturer Foxconn, which have made tentative steps to build investments in India, but ignore the challenges they have faced, and the reality that China remains their main manufacturing base.
They have ignored the withdrawals of companies like the Royal Bank of Scotland, Harley-Davidson and Citibank, and the many other companies with plans on hold. They have tended to celebrate the deliberate obstacles to prospective investment in China, even where China is a natural partner and the benefit of collaboration is huge.
Rather than harbouring dreams of dominating the world, India’s policymakers would benefit us all by opening up their economy and recognising that even if India does not surpass China, it can still be a huge driver in the global economy. China and India together account for one third of the world’s population, one third of the global consumer class, and a quarter of all consumer spending in purchasing power parity terms.
The 21st century may not be India’s century, but it is almost certainly Asia’s. Washington needs to come to terms with that, and perhaps New Delhi does too.
The Science of Self-Confidence
https://misesindia.in/2023/08/20/the-science-of-self-confidence/
POSTED ON AUGUST 20, 2023 BY JAYANT BHANDARI
Several of us had gone to visit a top Indian bureaucrat. While we entered his room and stood, he kept looking at his cell phone with his glasses reflecting his Facebook page. It took him a while to lift his face and recognize us. He perhaps thought we would be impressed by how loaded with responsibility he was. I was thinking about how juvenile in an adult body he was. What a life of stress he lived playing his drama day in and day out.
People worry about being confident in social affairs. Many courses run to polish social skills and to learn to radiate an aura of confidence. Many self-help books have been written, some good, some bad, and some that teach one to be psychopathic and manipulative.
While the tricks and put-on social mannerisms might help in the short term, one eventually becomes more confused. In this exploration, I draw upon my observations growing up in India, shedding light on what contributes to genuine self-assurance and what leads to confusion.
Indian culture is structured to control its populace through humiliation and punishment. Parents and teachers have no compunctions about beating children. The berating and demeaning behavior continues into adulthood. Nothing is on equal terms. One side must address the other as “sir.” The same people are either obsequious or arrogant, depending on whom they are dealing with. No one escapes this quagmire, not even those at the top.
Indians end up thoroughly broken, crippled psychologically and spiritually. The culture emphasizes might over right, overshadowing values like reason, morality, and fairness.
To cover up their psychological deficiencies, Indians desperately crave power. They need the crutches of a fleet of servants or bodyguards, a desperate attempt for status. But it is an escape. Their hearts know what they are. Those in power show their power by being busy and heavy-handed, forever afraid of getting too close to anyone, for it would entail the risk of their inner hollowness getting found out. They end up surrounded by mindless sycophants, an existence that any sane person would run away from.
Most people never make it that far and spend their life crawling up in a rat race for power, money, and status. They desperately need the approval of others and to be a part of a cult or group they can identify with. Many people chose to lose their identity in the mob, religious rituals, superstitions, or in being mindless slaves.
However, there is a way out for those who choose to be free, escape the maze, have their own minds, and have an honorable existence.
To Indians, Westerners look the most confident and self-satisfied. They think copying specific Western ways—their language, clothing, etc.—is how to get similar confidence. While these are valuable tools in their own right, they cannot build self-confidence.
Worse, Indians copy what is not even Western values: promiscuity, drinking, drugs, hip-hop, flirting, etc. They only see and find attracted to what the worldview they developed during their upbringing makes them.
Western confidence comes from being better rooted in universal principles. This is only possible in a culture of free exchange and criticism of ideas, a culture of reason, respect for others, “even” for children and animals, the search for truth, and a culture of introspection.
Beyond the Western world, the dynamics shift. East Asian cultures embrace elements of Western institutions while retaining a higher emphasis on honor and personal responsibility. However, they don’t encourage independent thinking as much as the West does, are socialized to participate in the rat race, and are left vulnerable to peer pressure. Their confidence suffers.
India's Modi is not the world's guru
https://asia.nikkei.com/Opinion/India-s-Modi-is-not-the-world-s-guru
Publicity campaign ahead of G20 summit strikes the wrong note
Swaminathan S. Anklesaria Aiyar
In the run-up to the Group of 20 summit this weekend in New Delhi, billboards and bus stops in every Indian city are plastered with images of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who will preside over the gathering of leaders from around the globe.
The posters hail India, via Modi, as a Vishwaguru -- a Sanskrit term for world guru or teacher to the world. Similar advertisements have covered the front pages of major newspapers.
India has never seen an advertising blitz of this magnitude. A former finance secretary estimated the cost at 10 billion rupees ($121 million) and rising. He sees the push as the start of Modi's 2024 reelection campaign.
It is of course convenient to have the government, rather than the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), pay for this ad campaign. Indian politicians of all stripes have done similar things in the past, but the scale of the current campaign beggars description.
By law, the most that can be spent on a campaign for a parliamentary seat is 9.5 million rupees. The legal cost to contest all 543 seats in the Lok Sabha would thus be no more than 5 billion rupees.
Critics who think Modi is trying to impress foreign visitors are clearly mistaken. This advertising blitz is aimed at financing the promotion of the prime minister in the election run-up, portraying him as a great leader of not just India but the world.
This message plays well with the Hindu nationalist BJP, whose members believe India was the greatest and richest civilization in the world in ancient times but then enslaved and impoverished by Muslim and British invaders. Modi himself says he has rescued India following centuries of "enslavement."
In the face of both threats and inducements, the Indian media is not talking much about Modi's use of government money to advance a personality cult or boost his election prospects. Dissenters of all sorts, whether in business, media or the nonprofit sector, have faced raids for supposed tax or foreign exchange violations that are likely to keep them tied up in court for years.
Indian media companies, meanwhile, are making millions of dollars from running Modi's advertisements, which they would lose if they played their intended democratic role of speaking truth to power. Very few are willing to pay this price.
Modi's notion of being the world's guru is just as ridiculous as his twisted history of "centuries of enslavement," which has been used to attack India's religious minorities.
A guru is nothing without disciples. If India or Modi himself is the world's guru, who are the disciples? The least likely candidates are Western powers which believe, rightly or wrongly, that they are the true global gurus.
It might seem that India's disciples would be most likely to come from its geographic neighborhood rather than distant lands. But even a cursory examination shows otherwise.
Does Pakistan regard India as a guru? No, it is India's greatest foe. It has allied with China, India's other major foe, to try and put India in its place. No disciples there.
What about Bangladesh, which India helped to achieve independence from Pakistan in 1971? There is now little gratitude for India's help, which is accurately viewed as a ploy to split and disempower Pakistan rather than an altruistic move to aid Bangladeshis.
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina is about the only Bangladeshi politician to express somewhat pro-Indian views, and even she has to step carefully. The Hindu share of Bangladesh's population has shrunk from 30% at the time of Pakistan's independence in 1947 to 7.5% today, as many have migrated to India to escape discrimination and persecution. No sign of Indian disciples in Bangladesh.
India's Modi is not the world's guru
https://asia.nikkei.com/Opinion/India-s-Modi-is-not-the-world-s-guru
Publicity campaign ahead of G20 summit strikes the wrong note
Swaminathan S. Anklesaria Aiyar
A guru is nothing without disciples. If India or Modi himself is the world's guru, who are the disciples? The least likely candidates are Western powers which believe, rightly or wrongly, that they are the true global gurus.
It might seem that India's disciples would be most likely to come from its geographic neighborhood rather than distant lands. But even a cursory examination shows otherwise.
Does Pakistan regard India as a guru? No, it is India's greatest foe. It has allied with China, India's other major foe, to try and put India in its place. No disciples there.
What about Bangladesh, which India helped to achieve independence from Pakistan in 1971? There is now little gratitude for India's help, which is accurately viewed as a ploy to split and disempower Pakistan rather than an altruistic move to aid Bangladeshis.
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina is about the only Bangladeshi politician to express somewhat pro-Indian views, and even she has to step carefully. The Hindu share of Bangladesh's population has shrunk from 30% at the time of Pakistan's independence in 1947 to 7.5% today, as many have migrated to India to escape discrimination and persecution. No sign of Indian disciples in Bangladesh.
Sri Lanka? Many there harbor ill will toward New Delhi in the belief that it supported the development of the Tamil Tiger insurgency when Indira Gandhi was India's prime minister in the early 1980s. The insurgency became a civil war in which up to 100,000 were killed. Hard to find disciples there.
What about Nepal, a predominantly Hindu nation? Ever since then-Indian Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru intervened in a royal power struggle in 1951, Nepalese have viewed New Delhi as an imperial power to be feared. India has on more than one occasion blocked essential supplies to Nepal to try to exert political influence. Nepalese may be Hindus, but they are anything but Modi's disciples.
What about the West? It sees India as a rising economic power to be wooed. Western investment is pouring into India and the West lauds India's success in digital payments, financial inclusion and social programs.
But some in the West also castigate the Indian government for eroding democratic values and human rights and suppressing civic groups. Freedom House, an American rights group, downgraded India from "free" to "partly free" in its 2021 index of political and civil liberties around the world. Sweden's V-Dem Institute classifies India as an "electoral autocracy."
In its annual World Press Freedom Index, Reporters Without Borders ranked India a dismal 161st. In the global Human Freedom Index compiled by the Cato Institute, India fell from 75th place in 2015 to 112th in 2022.
Indian government officials criticize these indexes as flawed. Maybe so, but the notion of India as a Vishwaguru sounds like a bad joke in the West.
India has certainly provided the world with yoga, transcendental meditation and the Bhagavad Gita. Indian mathematicians invented the concept of zero and sundry equations in ancient times. Bollywood has global fans today for its films and music.
This adds up to a reasonable amount of soft power. Alas, it is not the stuff of which world gurus are made.
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