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Live from Hyderabad

Peter van Dyk | 17:40 UK time, Wednesday, 7 February 2007

Everyone's moved on to Hyderabad. Well, except Richard who was already there, and Rabiya who's in Mumbai waiting for her time in the spotlight on Thursday and Friday. And of course me, who's still at Bush House. With David. But you know what I mean.

Anyway, here are email and text comments that came into the programme, so add your thoughts as well.

Today in "Cyberabad" we're focusing today on the Indian economy, especially the new hi-tech economy that this city epitomises. Soo let's get going with an email from Ronald:

The success of the IT industry in India is based on work outsourced by western countries for dirt cheap prices. Indians with their herd mentality and lack of individuality are incapable of creative or innovative work and can never really make a success of IT. The only Industry India can succeed in is the Agriculture sector that can employ the majority of the illiterate. They all have the basics of farming, having lived on it for thousands of years. It will inturn provide the illiterate hinterland population with an opportunity to work, feed and fend for themselves. Instead of migrating to the cities in order to scrounge for left-overs and live in squalid slums, fit only for vermin and parasites. The ignorant and incompetent govt.on the other hand hasn’t done a thing to do so in the last 60 years and instead wasted time, resources and effort in order to be third class in technology and industry for which both the climatic conditions and workforce are unfit for.

Divas is a bit more upbeat:
it's good that Hyderabad is nowadays Cyberabad, yet I'm fond of the same Hyderabad which used to be famous for its mujra, shayari, and that irrestible thing, paan. But i've never been there, i'm commenting on the basis of my childhood days when i used to run away from my house to watch Amitabh Bacchan in a nearby Cinema Hall, dancing with the Hyderabadi paan in his mouth, singing " ham Hyderabadi.."
Seems that gone r those oldie days! A big hug to all Hyderabadies.

Jude in Vancouver, Canada, asks "So when do we see an Indian cricket video game?"
It saddens me that a vast and important country like India has such a small global cultural footprint, primarily limited to influence on cuisine. Put those amazing software skills to use and bring us video games inspired by Hinduism or a cricket video game that will put Electronic Arts to shame!

Andy in San Diego
Do Indians see that the IT and call center boom will only last as long as they are a source of cheap labour for American and European companies? The experience of most Americans is that the level service from these call centers is very low. I, for one, always demand to speak with a manager in the US whenever I call CitiBank or Dell. Therefore, India's only competitive advantage is the relatively low cost of labour. Dell has lost sales b/c of people's frustration with their Indian customer support. There are many cultural barriers that are starting to show.

Mohammed Yusuf, University of Abuja, Nigeria
If India is realy growing to be a responsible power, why not look for the lasting solution to end the crises between the Hindus and Muslims, before attempting the disput between India and Pakistan over Kashmir.

Anon from Spain
Does india have a minimum wage for its workers? Booms go bust.

Anon from Pakistan
If the IT industry introduces solar power exclusively, I think, in will be a service to global healing.

Lubna in Iraq
Hi friends, I have a question to your audience: give the Iraqi people a tip about your experience in including all huge number of religious and ethnic groups peacefully in ruling your country because Iraq contains only few religious and ethnic groups and sadly theyre eating each other. Tell us your secret.

Michael from Singapore
With China moving up the value chain and into knowledge based economy, I would like to find out from the audience if they perceive China's rise vis a vis India's rise as a zero sum game?

Erik, medical student, Houston, Texas
Great dialog. Keep it up. I hope so visit someday.

Haresh in Florida
The poor of India are victims of corruption and sliding socioeconomic scales, I hope that Direct Foreign Investment in the IT and manufacturing sectors lead to greater transparency in business standards and government accountability, which in turn will benefit the poorer segments of our population.

Anon from Oman
Indians are being self complacent. There are 300 million destitute people living under poverty line. So what's there to be proud of?

Mansur from Nigeria
You have made mentioned of job oppotunities without talking about Bollywood. Hasn't it contributed much?

Najeeb in Pakistan
We are listening about India that she is progressing by leaps and bounds from every corner but on the other hand listening, only 10 percent making most of that progress. But what about that who are still sleeping on roads. When and especially how, the road sleeping people will feel the effect of rising India

Anon from USA
Before we say that we want the 1 billion citizens of india to enjoy "western" lifestyles, we need to question the sustainability of such development. Is the issue of limited world resources being addressed in this growth?

Francis in Kenya
The Indian economy may be booming but so is corruption..

Sansa in Kano, Nigeria
I think the caste system should be abolished and economic disparity should be bridged.

Franz from Los Angeles
One question: All the talk has been about IT and commerce and economics. What about sports? Let us talk about India as a super power in sports: Unlike China, India's presence is international sports is very very small. Will soccer become more popular in India, besides in Goa? Question for the audience: When will India make it to the World Cup or even the U-20 World Cup.

Richard in Lusaka
To balance this week out, host your next session with the slum dwellers.

Ivy, Kenya
Ouch! my impression of India was cultured, spiritual, nonviolent - not squabbling! Some progress seems to be in the wrong direction!

GB - Oyster Bay
The people are so loud, annoying and talking over each other. I don't see that anything is accomplished.

Yogesh from Bolton, U.K.
Progress in India will boom tourism industry too. Fresh money from this industry will benefit everyone including poor. In other words tourism will act as multi vitamin in solving many unsolved problems.

Sajid in Virginia
A question for each one of the 50 people in the room right now: What are YOU doing as individuals for the same needy people that you are talking about? What are YOU doing for your community? What are YOU doing to change the current state? Most of all i m hearing is how this boom has helped YOU, but what do you YOU do to return that to the community? I hear that most are getting bigger places to live and nicer cars and such, but I do not hear about what type of programs that youa re involved in to help the people that cannot get the education and get the houses and cars and better food?

Fatema from Kuwait
I want to ask what are today's youth doing to make our country a perfect country? In how many years are we going to become a perfect.

Adnan from Pakistan
Is it possible for the people of India to boast of their growing economy untill and unless there is peace and stabilty in the reigon and good friendly relations with the countries next door to India?

Robert in Tanzania
Poverty can be eradicated. Libya did that.

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