the.world.is.flat-第8章
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to rattle a metal ladle in order to get a little bit of noodles； a total turtle
delicacy 。 。 。 The problem was that there were many turtle battles for less than oodles
of noodles。 Every time they thought about grappling with the haggler turtles their
little turtle minds boggled and they only caught a little bit of noodles。〃
The class responded enthusiastically。 It was the first time I ever got an ovation
for speaking Minnesotan。 On the surface； there is something unappealing about the
idea of inducing other people to flatten their accents in order to compete in a flatter
world。 But before you disparage it； you have to taste just how hungry these kids are
to escapethe lower end of the middle class and move up。 If a little accent modification
is the price they have to pay to jump a rung of the ladder； then so be it…they say。
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〃This is a high…stress environment；〃 said Nilekani； the CEO of Infosys； which also
runs a big call center。 〃It is twenty…four by seven。 You work in the day； and then
the night； and then the next morning。〃 But the working environment； he insisted； 〃is
not the tension of alienation。 It is the tension of success。 They are dealing with
the challenges of success； of high…pressure living。 It is not the challenge of
worrying about whether they would have a challenge。〃
That was certainly the sense I got from talking to a lot of the call center operators
on the floor。 Like any explosion of modernity； outsourcing is challenging traditional
norms and ways of life。 But educated Indians have been held back so many years by
both poverty and a socialist bureaucracy that many of them seem more than ready to
put up with the hours。 And needless to say； it is much easier and more satisfying
for them to work hard in Bangalore than to pack up and try to make a new start in
America。 In the flat world they can stay in India； make a decent salary； and not have
to be away from families； friends； food； and culture。 At the end of the day； these
new jobs actually allow them to be more Indian。 Said Anney Unnikrishnan； a personnel
manager at 24/7； 〃I finished my MBA and I remember writing the GMAT and getting into
Purdue University。 But I couldn't go because I couldn't afford it。 I didn't have the
money for it。 Now I can； ＇but＇ I see a whole lot of American industry has come into
Bangalore and I don't really need to go there。 I can work for a multinational sitting
right here。 So I still get my rice and sam…bar ＇a traditional Indian dish＇； which
I eat。 I don't need to； you know； learn to eat coleslaw and cold beef。 I still continue
with my Indian food and I still work for a multinational。 Why should I go to America？〃
The relatively high standard of living that she can now enjoy…enough for a small
apartment and car in Bangalore…is good for America as well。 When you look around at
24/7's call center； you see that all the computers are running Microsoft Windows。
The chips are designed by Intel。 The phones are from Lucent。 The air…conditioning
is by Carrier； and even the bottled water is by Coke。 In addition； 90 percent of the
shares in 24/7 are owned by U。S。 investors。 This explains why； although the United
States has lost some service jobs to India in recent years； total exports from
American…based companies…merchandise and services…to India have grown from
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2。5 billion in 1990 to 5 billion in 2003。 So even with the outsourcing of some service
jobs from the United States to India； India's growing economy is creating a demand
for many more American goods and services。 What goes around； comes around。
Nine years ago； when Japan was beating America's brains out in the auto industry；
I wrote a column about playing the computer geography game Where in the World is Carmen
Sandiego？ with my nine…year…old daughter； Orly。 I was trying to help her by giving
her a clue suggesting that Carmen had gone to Detroit； so I asked her； 〃Where are
cars made？〃 And without missing a beat she answered； 〃Japan。〃
Ouch！
Well； I was reminded of that story while visiting Global Edge； an Indian software
design firm in Bangalore。 The company's marketing manager； Rajesh Rao； told me that
he had just made a cold call to the VP for engineering of a U。S。 company； trying to
drum up business。 As soon as Mr。 Rao introduced himself as calling from an Indian
software firm； the U。S。 executive said to him； 〃Namaste；〃 a common Hindi greeting。
Said Mr。 Rao； 〃A few years ago nobody in America wanted to talk to us。 Now they are
eager。〃 And a few even know how to say hello in proper Hindu fashion。 So now I wonder：
If I have a granddaughter one day； and I tell her I'm going to India； will she say；
〃Grandpa； is that where software comes from？〃
No； not yet； honey。 Every new product…from software to widgets…goes through a cycle
that begins with basic research； then applied research； then incubation； then
development； then testing； then manufacturing； then deployment； then support； then
continuation engineering in order to add improvements。 Each of these phases is
specialized and unique； and neither India nor China nor Russia has a critical mass
of talent that can handle the whole product cycle for a big American multinational。
But these countries are steadily developing their reseach and development
capabilities to handle more and more of these phases。 As that continues； we really
will see the beginning of what Satyam Cherukuri； of Sarnoff； an American research
and development firm； has
called 〃the globalization of innovation〃 and an end to the old model of a single
American or European multinational handling all the elements of the development
product cycle from its own resources。 More and more American and European companies
are outsourcing significant research and development tasks to India； Russia； and
China。
According to the information technology office of the state government in Karnataka；
where Bangalore is located； Indian units of Cisco Systems； Intel； IBM； Texas
Instruments； and GE have already filed 1；000 patent applications with the U。S。 Patent
Office。 Texas Instruments alone has had 225 U。S。 patents awarded to its Indian
operation。 〃The Intel team in Bangalore is developing microprocessor chips for
high…speed broadband wireless technology； to be launched in 2006；〃 the Karnataka IT
office said； in a statement issued at the end of 2004； and 〃at GE's John F。 Welch
Technology Centre in Bangalore； engineers are developing new ideas for aircraft
engines； transport systems and plastics。〃 Indeed； GE over the years has frequently
transferred Indian engineers who worked for it in the United States back to India
to integrate its whole global research effort。 GE now even sends non…Indians to
Bangalore。 Vivek Paul is the president of Wipro Technologies； another of the elite
Indian technology companies； but he is based in Silicon Valley to be close to Wipro's
American customers。 Before coming to Wipro； Paul managed GE's CT scanner business
out of Milwaukee。 At the time he had a French colleague who managed GE's power
generator business for the scanners out of France。
〃I ran into him on an airplane recently；〃 said Paul； 〃and he told me he had moved
to India to head up GE's high…energy research there。〃
I told Vivek that I love hearing an Indian who used to head up GE's CT business in
Milwaukee but now runs Wipro's consulting business in Silicon Valley tell me about
his former French colleague who has moved to Bangalore to work for GE。 That is a flat
world。
Every time I think I have found the last； most obscure job that could be outsourced
to Bangalore； I discover a new one。 My friend Vivek Kulkarni used to head the
government office in Bangalore responsible
31
for attracting high technology global investment。 After stepping down from that post
in 2003； he started a company called B2K； with a division called Brickwork； which
offers busy global executives their own personal assistant in India。 Say you are
running a company and you have been asked to give a speech and a PowerPoint
presentation in two days。 Your 〃remote executive assistant〃 in India； provided by
Brickwork；
