Innovations from East India
There is no question about India’s leading position in Information Technology. It may be surprising, however, that the communistically governed state of West Bengal (which has been so for 30 years now) has made amazing progress with regard to IT and is now showing the highest growth rates in India. Through reforms following the Chinese example, the democratically chosen government is actually pursuing the aim of ensuring education and prosperity for the over 80 million inhabitants. Kolkata, West Bengal´s capital, is turning into one of Asia´s new High-Tech centres. Also here, the technical revolution has led to the construction of various IT parks and Special Economic Zones. In Kolkata for example, after Sector V in Salt Lake and New Town in Rajarhat a third IT-centre with 630 acres of land is at present arising covering nearly 3 times the area of Salt Lake. Other flourishing IT centres of West Bengal with software technology parks can be found in the cities of Durgapur, Kharagpur, Siliguri and Haldia. Investors can profit from West Bengal`s main strengths: a cooperative government, low cost of operations, highly qualified staff, reliable availability of energy (a rare thing in India), the required infrastructure and good contacts with consulates and associations – all which make this region interesting, and not just for the IT industry. The professed aim of the government is to be one of the Top 3 Indian IT locations in 2010. These plans appear practicable if, as announced, large parts of the population can have access to education and technology competence as well as knowledge of government business (E-Governance). Researchers of West Bengals academic institutions, such as the renowned Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur not only ensure the education of highly qualified employees but are already cooperating closely with the IT industry. The positive technological changes lead to increased internationalization. West Bengal is becoming a strategic investment location for East and West. Su Yu Xi, China’s ambassador in India, regards Kolkata as the knowledge capital of the country and is certain of the strategic advantages for Chinese business people there. The first large Chinese investment for an Indian IT project will therefore take place in Kolkata. In 2006, the year of the Chinese-Indian friendship, the construction of the Bengal Peerless Nanjing High Tech Industry Investment Zone for 6 million U.S. dollars was agreed upon and initiated in March 2007. Both China and India see the necessity for intensified technological cooperation. Knowledge-based technologies like IT and biotechnology will be promoted in the new zone. After Nanjing, Bengal is planning cooperations with all the Chinese provinces, the first will be Beijing. Apart from this High-Tech zone, AXIS, a futuristic shopping centre with a range of Chinese and European goods on display will also emerge in New Town, Rajarhat. One cultural highlight of this lifestyle complex completed in the summer of 2008 will be a Mozart centre, and even more European presence is possible. This increased orientation to Europe is discernible through innovative media projects like the new European-Indian news agency INEPNEXT or the Bengal Website Europe News Today, projects with the aim of strengthening the exchange of knowledge and experience between the two continents. Kolkata’s principle focus in Europe is Germany. The German ambassador in India, Bernd Mützelburg, is impressed by the new look of the “City of Joy”, Kolkata. He confirms the great support of the dynamic Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee for German investments (e.g. the recent “Hunger Hydraulics”) and points to the corresponding German response like the direct flight from Kolkata to Frankfurt three times a week. Inseparable links between Germany and West Bengal have now been forged and the time has come to diffuse the strengths of this knowledge and technology region to a broader audience.
Text: Anita Shukla
Picture: (c) Purvi Shah-Paulini
Episode 12/21: The Wisdom Workshop “Rethinking Business in Family Businesses” with Daniela Sarrazin (Interview in German)
By nature, Daniela Sarrazin is a down-to-earth person who is characterized by passion, courage, a strong will and clarity. Her heart beats for building bridges between generations as well as for the desire to open new doors for people and thus enable growth and self-determination. Life has shown her that it is important to live in the here and now and to let the past be and the future come to you.
Her guidelines for her actions and doings – also for today’s podcast titled “Rethinking Business in Family Businesses – are:
In motion, something gets moving. Water always finds a way. Follow it and you will find yours. Value creation through appreciation. Development in family businesses.
Listen to what the successful leadership developer and coach has to say.
Episode 11/21: The Wisdom Workshop 4th Interview with Ajahn Michael on “Forgiveness” (Interview in German)
“Forgiveness is a coping strategy to be able to mentally accept an actual or assumed wrongdoing of others without expecting any reaction from the other (such as an admission of guilt, remorse, apology) or demanding justice (retribution, prosecution).”
But the question arises, how exactly do I go about doing this? That’s what I’m talking about with Ajahn Michael.
Enjoy listening.
Episode 10/21: The Wisdom Workshop 3rd Interview with Ajahn Michael on “The Dependent Arising”
Whatever happens, happens because (under all the circumstances that could have been present) the very circumstances were present that led to the specific occurrence of the event.
This is about pure non-judgmental observation of the movements of our mind, which leads to understanding the impersonal nature of the process of arising of thoughts, feelings or emotions, as the whole chain of Dependent Arising sets it out, and the Four Noble Truths. It is about realization of the True Nature of things.
(From the course materials of Ajahan Michael)
Episode 9/21: The Wisdom Workshop Interview with Rolf Lutterbeck about “Consciousness Development” (Interview in German)
Rolf Lutterbeck, computer scientist, former executive, today systemic coach and trainer talks about the different levels of consciousness. We talk about the different perspectives that can be taken from level to level and what influence this has and can have on business and politics. What is needed for a hopeful future for future generations?
Thank you, dear Rolf, for your deep friendship. It’s nice that we know each other!
Enjoy watching the video, which is accompanied with really informative slides.
Episode 8/21: The Wisdom Workshop 2nd Interview with Ajahn Michael “How does suffering arise?” (German)
Why does Buddha define complaining, birth, sorrow, etc. with the term “suffer”? You could say that these terms lead to suffering. Actually, they are not suffering per se. But Buddha defined it as above. Why? This is one of the questions Ajahn Michael has long asked himself. Through long research in neurology, psychotherapy and psychopathology, he has found tools to exactly understand this. He shares his interesting discoveries with us in this interview. Especially the discovery that Buddha’s teachings are congruent with the aforementioned sciences.
This interview is a continuation of the first interview with Ajahn Michael. But it stands for its own and can therefore be watched independently.
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