Overseas Indians in Silicon Valley watch and wait

SAN DIEGO: Ten thousand miles away, the overseas Indian network in the Silicon Valley, bristles with caution-lined excitement over the change of guard at the Centre.
The "India Shining" message of BJP was followed with avid interest by the Bay Area residents during the past one year. But, now, the sentiments have been hit by a temporary roadblock - "What''s going to happen now?"
Says Prakash Bhalerao, a leading venture capitalist (VC) in the Silicon Valley, "Any industry or a business does not like any kind of uncertainty.This sudden change of scene in India brings in that huge element of uncertainty. The only known factor is Dr Manmohan Singh who is really the father of reforms, the fruits of which India is now reaping."
But the California-based Vivek Paul, CEO, Wipro Technologies takes a more optimistic swipe at the new political developments here. "There is a great pride in our democracy that allows a nation of over billion people to have a smooth transfer of power despite it being so unexpected, and secularism that allows for a Muslim President and a Sikh Prime Minister," he says.
Moreover, there is also great respect here for the fact that both the President and Prime Minister are accomplished professionals and not just career politicians.
Sanjiv Sidhu, a billionaire-techie and fellow Punjabi who heads i2 Technologies, is in a celebration mood and recalls his father''s close association with Dr Singh. "My father, Dr G S Sidhu, former Director General of CSIR knew Dr Singh well. When I met him, I too was very impressed by his intellect. He asked piercing questions about the challenges I faced as an entrepreneur in the US and also spoke about facilitating successful entrepreneurship in India," Sidhu recalls.
But, the moot question remains unanswered. Will self centered politicians step out of Dr Singh''s way and let this leader, with a clean image and a vision for igniting India''s economic power, have his way without handcuffs?
Ajay Chopra, COO, Commerce Velocity, a local product firm, feels that it is too early to tell whether he can really pull it off. "Will he be just a one man band? Or will he have an effective back-up? Now, everything depends on the team he puts together. Moreover, it should have the flexibility and the autonomy to win the confidence of the business leaders to continue the progress to the next level" he notes.
But the IT sector in the country has been the image builder of the country though it contributes to only 3 per cent of the GDP. "No political party can afford to spoil the party. Even CPM has been wooing IT investors to West Bengal and has been making significant legislative changes to grab attention," points out adds K B Chandrasekhar, CEO, Jamcracker, a local firm.
Undoubtedly, one strident chord that runs through the overseas Indian community - everyone seems to be very involved emotionally with India. "India''s success is our success. Today, Internet has made it so easy to get news from all the leading newspapers. I am waiting to see all Indian TV channels being available on DSL piped to our homes. And, it is really not that far away. As a matter of fact, closer than you think," Bhalerao says with a smile.