SPARE A THOUGHT...only if your mind permits the entry of that thought.
My admission into a Business School has ensured that I now take much more interest in reading business news than I ever did before. Every morning I wake up and open the newspaper to read about interviews of corporate honchos, the latest environment-friendly office building set up by a leading industrial house, multi-billion dollar acquisitions made by multinational corporations, and similar stuff like these. But somewhere down the line they make me wonder... Is business all about these things only? Surely, these are the stuff which make the world go round, no sane person would have the guts to deny that. But what about the man who sits by the dark corner of the pavement in his tiny tea-stall? Doesn’t he do business? He surely does, if we go by the dictionary definition of the word “business”. What about the possibly thousands of small-scale industries in every nook and corner of our huge country? They are responsible for a major share of the GDP of the country, but still they are relegated to the darkest corners of public memory. It is time we opened our eyes to spare a thought for them and acknowledge them for what they are.
As I switched on the television last night, I was greeted by the sight of the svelte and beautiful international supermodel Petra Nemcova in a campaign to promote a new brand of jeans. Is there a single person amongst us who cannot resist the temptation of wearing a pair of “Levis” originals? Sure, wearing a pair of jeans is the ultimate fashion trend and it is also the most comfortable attire, there is no denying that. But the leather tag displaying the status of the wearer is hardly important, isn't it?
If you go out on a hot, sultry day, you will find scores of teenagers crowding in front of soft-drink joints, but not even one among them sipping green coconut water or a glass of creamy lassi. It is not that there is anything wrong in consuming soft-drinks, since I myself am one of the biggest fans of colas. But what is so very wrong with a “desi” refreshment, that the mere thought of drinking it at times of thirst doesn’t even cross our minds? These are just some of the questions which have remained at the back of my mind since I don’t know when, and I do not know if anybody would ever be able to give me a proper answer to my questions. Would you be able to provide an answer?If you indeed can, then please do so. I would be eagerly waiting for your response. So long till my next post.
An immensely thoughtful, thought-provoking article. I feel this is the bane of globalisation, 'cuz it wasnt exactly the same with our parents. At the same time, old trends are coming back, mnay of my really cool frendz do go 4 nariyal pani to keep fit!
ReplyDeletea good article... u have tried to look at the human side of "business"... i guess a time will come when all of us will have to think on similar lines...
ReplyDeleteI guess advertisements make all the difference. They lure you, make things look glossy, and in a process motivate the way you think.
ReplyDeleteWhile corporate big fishes spare a fortune on ads, it's not possible for a small scale business or a "chai-wala" to do so. They barely earn the living.
Now, for our generation, the belief is around the lines of "jo dikhta hai, woh bikta hai".
It's no wonder that colas and denims are making business in our markets.
As far as promoting our desi antics like khadi or nariyal pani goes, the government has failed to act.
Now, we can hope if big corporates look into this matter as part of Corporate Social Responsibility and create a brand value for our native items. Only then, there can be some hope.
Imagine Salma Hayek doing a pole dance with a sugarcane stick to promote "Aakher Ros". :D
I bet it will be popular.
Good post, nice to see some lateral thinking in this dog-eat-dog world.