Pakistan always brings about a range of emotions in India. And all those emotions are founded on a very troubled history that we share with our neighbor. But has anyone viewed Pakistan as a market?
Yes a market for made in India goods? A happy hunting ground for Indian brands of almost 180 Million people?
I know it is difficult to do that but let us for a minute put aside the emotions and look at our neighbor composed of 180 million people with real and latent needs. Also let us look at them as source of raw materials. Now I can see some of you visualizing the supply chain.
I started thinking of Pakistan in those terms due to an incident. I was in Delhi a few days ago and I met one of my neighbors who was hosting some of his relatives from Pakistan. The guests had come to India to buy utensils and to be precise pressure cookers. They said that the pressure cookers in Pakistan were not of good quality. This sent my pulse racing, if there was a lack of good pressure cookers in Pakistan what about other goods?
What about automobiles? I just wrote in a piece some time ago how the auto story in India was skidding. Now imagine if we could tap into the auto market in Pakistan? I can image Indian car makers like the Tatas and Mahindra helping Pakistanis maneuvering across the streets.
What about Indian Pharmaceutical Industry, Textiles and others who can tap into this market. Imagine Indian infrastructure and cement companies helping build Pakistani cities and Healthcare companies building improving their clinical outcomes.
Also Pakistan does produce raw materials specifically cotton and dry fruits which are essential raw materials for the textiles and food processing Industry.
Culturally Pakistan is very similar to the northern part of India and if guns and politics have not been able to settle the issue I am sure economics should be tried.
Currently Pakistan allows the import of only 1900 items from India, and these are a part of the positive list. On the other hand India allows import of most items from Pakistan having a very small negative list.
Going forward Pakistan is slated to reduce their negative list as well and lists are slated to go away by 2012 end. The current bilateral between the two nations stands at $1.85 billion.
Granting Pakistan the Most favored nation status is I think a step in the right direction. I know there are challenges.
For one the military establishment in Pakistan would never want this to happen as this de- escalates the conflict with India and would curtail their budgets. Also Pakistani business partners may actually be fronts for other anti- India activities.
Currently there is a lot of cultural exchange with Pakistan specifically the Hindi pop culture from Pakistan and the Bollywood exports from India.
India is about business, it has always been. It is not for nothing that the ocean was named after us. It is time we look at our neighbor as a business partner and create a win-win situation.
as long as the business networks are not misused by pakistan to promote terrorism
ReplyDelete@magiceye I totally agree. That is one of the biggest challenges in doing business with Pakistan.
ReplyDeletePakistan does offer tremendous opportunities and has a huge appetite for durable Indian products. The trade between these two nations can be helped with adoption of flexible and pro-business visa policy, which would allow provision of multi entry visa for one year or more period of time, exemption from police reporting and multi city visas.
ReplyDelete@Sumeet that is a good point, I forgot to mention the complexities due to Visa and police verifications. I am assuming it is both ways.
ReplyDeletesomething to cheer about :)
ReplyDelete@Sujatha I agree in my opinion economics can solve all problems. If we look at Pakistan as a business partner, and hopefully they see us the same way then we can create a win-win situation. The question is do they?
ReplyDeletePakistan is like having a pesky neighbour whose kid throws stones and breaks your windows whenever he gets the chance. The head of the household might shrug his shoulders and express his inability to control his kid, might even give the kid a token punishment but experience teaches us that the kid (or some other member of the neighbour's household)will be back again to smash your windows. All this will continue even while the wife or the daughter will assure you we are the same people and should live in peace, how the kid is breaking their windows too and so on!!!!
ReplyDeleteYou keep putting up with this nonsense 'coz you know you are stronger than your neighbour and so put up with it patiently thinking of all the advantages that co-operation gives you. However, experience teaches you that with unending regularity someone or other from that house will be back at you with malafide intent.
The danger here is that the day you have a fever and the rest of your family members are away the kid could be in a position to break open your front door and destroy your house (eent se eent bajaa de as we say in Hindi.)
History has shown us implacable and absolute hostile intent throughout our entire history with Pakistan. If its not the military, its the Kashmiri Mujaheeddin or terrorists or tribal lashkars that have shown a desire to destroy our country. The only difference has been that they have created a nuisance and heartburn but not succeeded only because they do not have that power. However, let us not forget that the desire to destroy us has been a constant with some or the other player emanating from Pakistan.
In such a scenario, I hope all Indians will understand that PAKISTAN IS OUR ENEMY!!!! and that we can only be safe if we approach that country with this mindset and a roadmap to reduce their power to hurt us over time. Only a weak Pakistan will make for a safe India.
In such a scenario, I think everyone who talks about stuff like aman ki asha and trade with Pakistan is deluded. It will never happen out of Pakistani compassion- it can only happen from Pakistani weakness.
@ Rahul Weak or Strong I see Pakistan as a market of 180 million people. I think the Mujahedeen and taliban see Pakistan as a market as well, a market to recruit more like themselves. And the reason they are able to do so is because there are no opportunities for the youth there.
ReplyDeleteAs an IBMer and a business professional you would know by now that trade has the been the reason for most conflicts and the current conflict in Pakistan is more to do with the drug trade. I feel providing opportunities in legitimate business to Pakistan is good for both countries.