Shri Dhirubhai H. Ambani Memorial Lecture

"GROWTH IS LIFE"

I am happy to be present here to deliver the first Shri Dhirubhai Ambani Memorial Lecture. At the outset my prayers for the Ambani family on this day and best wishes to all the members assembled here. For me, Shri Dhirubhai Ambani represented a strong mind which propagated that having small aims is a crime. His actions gave courage to the small entreprenuers to think big and work towards it. His legacy will be always remembered for having imparted hope to budding entrepreneurs and instilled courage in them to take risks and face all odds bravely to accomplish their goals. Having successfully created a following of over 33 lakh share-holders, he demonstrated how even first time entrepreneurs by their determined efforts and commitment to their dreams can grow from strength to strength to become a major player in the market economy.

In recalling what Smt.Ambani told her son when the news was broken to her about the passing away of her husband would be one of the best tributes that one can pay to him and I quote her: "Your father has gone to heaven - that is his permanent home. God sent him to earth on a mission. He chose India, and he chose this family. Now there are others to carry on his mission here, so God needs him back in heaven to do his work ". Her message is clear. Mission makes the man.

Indomitable Spirit

Shri Dhirubhai Ambani had a mission and a great entrepreneur who had seen successes. For success in any mission what we need is indomitable spirit. Let us study the characteristics of indomitable spirit. It has two components. The first component is that there must be a Vision leading to higher goals of achievement. I would like to recall a couplet from Thirukkural by the Poet Saint Thiruvalluvar written 2500 years ago.

It means that whatever may be the depth of the river or lake or pond, whatever may be the condition of the water, the lily flower always comes out and blossoms. Similarly, if there is a definite determination to achieve a goal even if it is impossible to achieve, the man succeeds.

Many of us have gone through large programmes and projects. We would have experienced that success is not in sight and there are many hurdles. The same poet reminds us at this point of time through another couplet:

It means successful leaders can never be defeated by problems. They become master of the situation and defeat the problems.

I consider these two Thirukkurals characterize the indomitable spirit. Shri Dhirubhai Ambani, whenever encountered problems he gave problem to the problems. He exhibited the indomitable spirit in successfully implementing complex missions.

Now friends, I have selected the topic for this memorial lecture in tribute to Shri Dhirubhai Ambani is - Growth is Life.

Knowledge Society

A knowledge society can be one of the foundations for the vision of Developed India. Knowledge has many forms and it is available at many places. Knowledge has always been the prime mover of prosperity and power. The acquisition of knowledge has therefore been the thrust area through out the world and sharing the experience of knowledge is a unique culture of our country. India is a nation endowed with natural and competitive advantages as also certain distinctive competencies. But these are scattered in isolated pockets and the awareness on these is inadequate. During the last century the world has undergone a change from agriculture society, where manual labour was the critical factor, to industrial society where the management of technology, capital and labour provided the competitive advantage. Then the information era was born, last decade, where connectivity and software products are driving the economy of a few nations. In the 21st century, a new society is emerging where knowledge is the primary production resource instead of capital and labour. Efficient utilisation of this existing knowledge can create comprehensive wealth of the nation and also improve the quality of life - in the form of better health, education, infrastructure and other social indicators. Ability to create and maintain the knowledge infrastructure, develop knowledge workers and enhance their productivity through creation, growth and exploitation of new knowledge will be the key factors in deciding the prosperity of this Knowledge Society. Whether a nation has arrived at a stage of knowledge society is judged by the way the country effectively deals with knowledge creation and knowledge deployment. A task team of the Planning Commission has generated a road map for transforming India to a knowledge society.

In 1960, agriculture areas employed in parts or in full 74% of people of the country and it reduced to 62% in 1992 and expected to further fall to 50% of people in agriculture by 2010. Whereas, the demand of agricultural products will double in quantity. productivity using technology and post harvest management will have to compensate the manpower reduction in farming and agricultural products sector.

In the case of industry, in 1960, 11% of the population was employed in small scale and large scale industries. The trend continued with 11% even during 1992. However, it has to increase by 25% in 2010, as the GDP growth with high technology in the situation of opening up of the economy under WTO region. The pattern of employment will take a new shape. Service with knowledge industry component from 15% employability in 1960 has increased to 27% in 1992. And further it will increase to 50% in view of infrastructure maintenance areas, financial sector, IT sector and entertainment demands. This big change will demand in all areas more trained skilled human power and technology personnel. Our industrialists, commercial chiefs and technologists may have to get ready for such transformation in agriculture, industries and service - knowledge industries for which human manpower with knowledge and skills has to be evolved in a mission mode. Creating capability for knowledge workers and thereby knowledge products, transform India into a developed nation gets focused.

Second Vision for the Nation

After 55 years of independence (which was our First Vision), the aspirations are mounting that India should become a developed country - the second Vision for the Nation. How we can prepare ourselves for achieving this Vision? To become a developed India, the essential needs are:

(a) India has to be economically and commercially powerful, at least to be one of the six top nations in terms of size of the economy. Our target should be a GDP growth of 9 -11% annually and that the people below poverty line to be reduced to 10%.

(b) near self-reliance in defence needs of weapon, equipment with no umbilical attached to any outside world.

(c) India should have a right place in world forums.

Technology Vision 2020 is a pathway to realise this cherished mission. The Technology Vision 2020 consisted of 17 technology packages in the core sectors. The Task Teams with nearly 500 experts of our country worked for two years, deliberated national status of various branches of national development and generated 35 documents detailing the steps to be taken for creating wealth for the nation and the well being of our people. "Technology" is the most vital key for achieving the goals.

Five Mega Projects to transform the nation to Developed Country

We have identified five areas where India has a core competence for an integrated action. (1) Agriculture and food processing - we have to put a target of 360 million tons of food and agricultural production. (2) Education and Healthcare - we have seen, based on the experience, education and healthcare are inter related. (3) Information & Communication Technology (4) Reliable and quality electric power for all parts of the country. (5) Critical Technology & Strategic Industry.

These five areas are closely inter-related and lead to national, food, economic and security. A strong partnership among the R&D, academy, Industry and the community as a whole with the Government departments will be essential to accomplish the vision.

India is a vast country with tremendous natural resources apart from qualified, talented human resources. I firmly believe that with such rich resource potential our country, through appropriate policies and initiatives, can easily surpass any other in the field of economic development in the shortest time. All of us need to work together to make it happen. We shall certainly succeed in it.

We have been talking about our vision for a prosperous, peaceful and developed India. Our Prime Minister in his address to the Nation on the last Independence Day, spoke about this vision. We need balanced inter-sectoral and inter-regional development so as to avoid kinks in growth and also to ensure that the gulf between the rich and the not so rich is narrowed to the maximum. Our GDP has to double itself if we have to develop the way we want. It is gratifying to note that the Tenth Five Year Plan has set a target of 8% growth in the GDP. 260 million people are below poverty line. We have to strive hard to leave no stone unturned so as to bring this sizeable number above the poverty line. Achieving the target set for growth in GDP has thus become an imperative.

Economic development of the nation is a joint effort of the peoples movement and governance. There was a time when one used to think that bringing about development was the main task of the Government alone. In fact I would go to the extent of saying that the Government has to facilitate and monitor industries, agriculture and infrastructure services growth in high technology products. The programme of networking of rivers will be an important programme so far the nation has handled.

Knowledge powered PURA (Providing Urban Amenities in Rural Areas)

We all know that 70% of our population is in rural area and development of rural infrastructure cannot be viewed in isolation. In future, the development of urban infrastructure will further widen the urban-rural divide. Therefore an integrated strategy is required and the villages have to be connected suitably to form urban areas. An example of this is PURA that will bring rural wealth and prosperity. This model envisages a habitat designed to improve the quality of life in rural places and makes special suggestions to remove urban congestion also. Naturally our most demanding urban problem is that of congestion removal and efficient supply of water and effective waste disposal in every locality are the paramount civic needs. There is a minimum size below which a habitat is not viable and not competitive with the existing congested city. At the same time, the existing congested city is not economical compared to a new town once a minimum size of expansion is crossed. As against a conventional city say, rectangular in shape and measuring 10 km by 6 km, the model considers an annular ring-shaped town integrating minimum 8 to 10 villages of the same 60 sq. km area, and the same access distance of 1 km to transport arteries. It needs one and only one transportation route of distance half that needed for the rectangular shaped city; so frequency of transportation will be doubled having waiting times. It has zero number of junctions and will need only a single level layout. Also it needs only one route as against 8 needed for the rectangular plan, so people will no longer need to change from one line to another to move from any one point to any other. That saves transport time. Further, as all traffic is concentrated into one single route, high efficiency mass transportation systems become economical even for a comparatively small population. This cuts costs substantially and is more convenient for general public. Decentralisation of municipal governance and greater dependence on institutional financing and capital markets for resource mobilisation can be one of the means to develop urban centers in rural areas. Physical Connectivity, Electronic Connectivity, Knowledge Connectivity and Economic Connectivity will make the cluster of villages with urban facilities. PURA will tremendously boost the economic development of the country. Industrialists and NGOs must come forward to adopt many PURAs.

Networking of rivers

A major task before us is the networking of rivers which will ensure availability of drinking water to all regions, goods navigation, and transportation and cultivation land. Some of our experts still think this is impossible. A few environmentalists also has stated that there will be an environmental hazards by connecting rivers. I would like to assure that providing river connectivity will help the environment by facilitating cultivation of waste land. I would like to tell you that seeing Shri Dhirubhai achieving the impossible in implementing mega projects, everything is possible if one has the will to achieve. Let us give all the support to the Task Force appointed by Government.

Creative Leadership

For building the developed India, what are needed? We have natural resources and we have human power. There are 700 million people below 35 years in the population of a billion people. The nation needs young leaders who can command the change for transformation of India into a developed nation embedded with knowledge society from now to 2020. The leaders are the creators of new organizations of excellence. Quality leaders are like magnets that will attract the best of persons to build the team for the organization and give inspiring leadership even during failures of missions as they are not afraid of risks. I have seen and worked with creators of vision and missions. The vision ignites the minds and many missions emerge, with definite goals to achieve.

One of the very important ingredients for success of the vision of transforming India into a developed nation by 2020 is the evolution of creative leaders. I am giving a connectivity between developed India, economic prosperity, technology, production, productivity, employee role and management quality, all of which linked to the creative leader. Who is that creative leader? What are the qualities of a creative leader? The creative leadership is exercising the task to change the traditional role from commander to coach, manager to mentor, from director to delegator and from one who demands respect to one who facilitate self respect. The higher the proportion of creative leaders in a nation, the higher the potential of success of visions like "developed India."

Conclusion

Reverence for life is indeed possible in real sense if a philosophical thought of reverence can be transformed into actions by empowering various components of the society. When a child is empowered by the parents at various phases of growth, the child gets transformed into a responsible citizen. When a teacher is empowered with knowledge and experience, good young human beings with value systems emerge. When an individual or a team is empowered with technology, transformation to higher potential for achievement is assured. When a leader of any institution empowers his or her people, leaders are born who can change the nation in multiple areas. When women are empowered, society with stability gets assured. When the political leaders of the nation empower the people through visionary policies, the prosperity of the nation is certain. When religions are empowered and become spiritual force, peace and happiness will blossom in people's heart. Such an empowered stage will lead to creation of enlightened citizens with value system. Here I suggested a solution by evolution of enlightened human being with combination of education with value system, religion graduating into spiritualism and visionary policies for prosperity. Based on the core competence India has experience with the great qualities of leadership to manage the nation of billion people with various dimensions in every aspect of life. Now we should not allow any religion or any individual fanaticism to endanger our nation. Because, nation is very important compared to any individual or party or religion.

My best wishes and greetings to you all