Are Indian IT companies prepared ?

The appreciating rupee and anticipated US recession has claimed its first victim. IT major IBM recently offloaded about 700 trainee programmers to offset the dollar . It came close on the heels of Indian giant TCS reducing the variable component of salaries by 1.5%. Does this signal the end of the era of India's IT dominance ?

Probably not. However, the explosion of ITeS is likely to be revised to a mere surge. Fools die and only the Strong survive, said Puzo. This will be tested in the current market. Startups and niche companies will face the brunt of the shockwaves. Organizations which have spent effort and time to increase functional and technical resources, expand into new technologies and avoid a bloated organizational structure will survive. In short, free lunch has ended - the guests who saved and invested can pay for the meal, the moochers will be out on the street.

This applies not just to organizations, but also to individuals. Performance will now be scrutinized under a microscope. The other professionals will heave a sigh of relief as IT salaries are right-sized to more manageable proportions. While this may hurt in the short run, it will ensure the long-term survival of the sector and help maintain its cost advantage.

But it is time that Indian companies gradually grow out of their cost-center mentality. Indian IT professionals have given ample evidence of talent and motivation while working as a backend for American innovation. Why do Indian companies not recognize the value of product innovation and use the same cost-pressure tactics in the product development domain ? As realization dawns, Indian will be suitably poised to take advantage of other emerging cost centers while at the same time retaining its strategic position.

We are in for some exciting times ahead. Just hope that the knee-jerk reactions can be avoided and cold reason applied.

Beautiful game gets a bad name

Consider this - A picturesque open field in the English countryside. An athletic young man runs in about 20 yards and hurls a red sphere at about 90 mph. At the receiving end, another young man puts his left foot out and guides the ball past the fieldsman to the edge of the field, his wooden bat making a pleasant "thwack!!". All players applaud the quality of the shot while the batsman winks at the bowler, "Maybe next time," is what he seems to be saying.

This was what cricket was all about. The "undefinable" spirit of the game. There was competition, sure, but not without that precious word - perspective. There used to always be time for a shared joke, a common appreciation of the beauty and joy the game bestowed on all of us. It originated as a gentleman's game, a game of the previliged elite (even it's HQ is called "Lords'") and remained so until recently.

Sadly, in this era of so-called professionalism, it has gone to the dogs. It seems to have descended into frentic chaos. Teams engage in mental disintegration of the opponent. Taunts are fired from all corners of the field. Tremendous pressure is exerted on umpires already rendered redundant by technology. Batsmen refuse to walk when out, and, those that do are criticized. The picturesque field has been replaced by floodlights and cheerleaders. Where then is the spirit ?

One team seems to have led the world in the descent of cricket. The Australian team was always known for its tough-as-nails approach. However, they seem to have taken the concept too far. For a long time, they were the only proponents of the "mental disintegration" methodology. Unfortunately, this co-incided with the arrival of almost stupendous talent which led them to record-breaking success. Confusing the effect with its cause, other teams decided to "give it back". However, ignoring the cricketing aspect, they focussed instead on the mental aspect.

The Aussies, when faced with aggressive opponents, did not seem to know how to react. Instead of understanding why other teams adopted this approach, they decided to up the ante and even viler methods of torture were devised. On occassion, this has made for obnoxious scenes witnessed live by millions of viewers - McGrath v Sarwan, Symonds v Harbhajan are illustrative. Nothing has been done by the sport's governing body.

The ICC needs to be careful. A new power is rising - the Indian subcontinent. Flushed with cash and buoyed by new-found optimism, they are willing to fight it out with the Aussies, on and off the field. It's like the teenage years - the influences on this new powerhouse will determine the shape of things to come. There will come a time when talent in Australia is reduced and a new team ascends to the the numero uno position. The legacy of its teachers will be important - does it take "mental disintegration" to the next level or does it return to the halcyon days of the West Indian greats ? Time will tell.

Until then, expect cricket matches to carry a "Viewer discretion is advised" warning.

Hello World !!

Tilt 23.5 is born on the 29th of January 2008.

Allow me to explain why I chose such an odd name for the blog. 23.5 degrees is the amount the earth's axis of rotation is tilted from the vertical.

"So what ? " you might ask. While this tilt may cause us to think of it as an "imperfection", it does lend a variety to the planet - seasons, solstices, equinoxes et al.

I wanted to convey the same thoughts. There is always a mix of imperfections and beauty in our lives. We have greed, poverty, irrationality on one hand. On the other, we have art, literature, sciences. A curious mix of failures and achievements of our race.

I plan to examine topics of interest which cover both categories, on these pages. Till then, mind the tilt !!