Life at IMDR

Mr. Sunil Ankalgi

Global & Vocal for Local

Going with the theme of Vocal for Local, we decided to talk to one of our esteemed alumnus, who is settled outside the country for many years, about how he is a “Global but Vocal for Local” Indian. The conversation is summed up below:

1 . What being an Indian means to you?

When we first moved to Singapore, we were treated as foreigners and, by default, we became a benchmark of India, its culture, values and principles. Our mannerisms and the way we behave and work within the local environment tells people not only about us but also the country where we come from. We (family and I) became ambassadors of India by choice and by context. For me, being Indian means that I carry the pride of India’s rich culture and traditions and carry the responsibility to represent India in the best possible way in every walk of life.

2 . Are you Vocal for any Indian Local product? (The idea is to know the story about your favourite Indian product, which you still continue to use or miss very much)

I am not necessarily vocal about any specific Indian local product but wherever I have travelled in the world (and I have travelled a lot), everyone loves Indian food, admires the Indian traditions (yoga, Bollywood song and dance etc.), people respect the sincerity, integrity and intelligence of hard working Indians. In this regard, I am very vocal about promoting Indians in the corporate world and very vocal about doing my part to bring development to India through the business domain I work in. On the other hand, more developed economies are way ahead in areas of technology, efficiency, timeliness, discipline and intellectual property where we need to adapt, adopt and excel. Hence, I am also vocal about integrating the “Indian way” with the larger world by attempting to bring global best practices to India within my own business domain.

3 .Your opinions & suggestions on the Aatmanirbhar Bharat campaign

This is more philosophical and open to debate but being self-reliant is not a choice anymore, it is an urgent necessity. Within the current global context, we are currently experiencing a generational impact due to COVID in addition to expansionism, terrorism and financial stress brought on by external agencies. For India to grow and be recognised in the global arena the focus has to be on increasing the internal strength of the nation, its people and the economy while projecting outwards through diplomacy and intellect.