As Indians perhaps we have lost sight of what we really want, as we got habituated with the way things happen around. One of my foreigner friends who went out to Bangalore recently came back to Visakhapatnam with lots of stories to share. Most of them were obviously cultural differences between various states within India, and sometimes significant differences between just two cities like in this case. Of all our discussion, during which he shared his rich experience, one of them caught my attention; his experience with Indian Banks.
He accompanied another friend’s daughter to an Indian Bank as she had to open an account. Despite having many identity proofs, residence proof, reliable introducers (long term customers to that same bank), willingness to put large sums of money in the account, and meeting all–generally considered necessary–requirements, she could not open an account since she did not have a permanent residence in that city. My foreigner friend tells me that this bank’s representative was too concerned about rule-following than business-making.
And the same girl walked into a branch of a foreign bank in India in that city with the same set of documents minus reliable introducers. But this time, the bank representative, as my friend tells says was in a problem-solving mode; and he helped them in identifying alternatives, filing documents, getting an account and making everything operational. This experience, my friend tells me, is one example that showcases the difference in approach to business between India and some of the other developed countries.
I put this little write-up here not to blame the entire banking system nor to blame the country for anything. But, to be less wrong, let us admit that we fail to give enough to our visitors and then claim to be one of the more developing nations. This visitor, fortunately my friend, fortunately someone who appreciates other things in the country, is upset about this. To me, that is the picture I get from a visitor about who we are, and it pains me that I can’t do much about it, except try to prove him wrong only to be proven wrong.
Those are moments I realize I have lost hope on a systemic transformation, and have learnt (may be, am habituated) to go through the inherent gaps. Is that what happens with you too? I am not sure if elements of inefficiency are tolerable to you, but they are not when your loved ones get affected by them.
