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There's been a recent surge in American companies investing in India primarily through Reliance Jio (owned by Mukhesh Ambani who's got a good connect with the c

by amrrs 6y ago

There's been a recent surge in American companies investing in India primarily through Reliance Jio (owned by Mukhesh Ambani who's got a good connect with the current ruling Government). It's been spiking since the Anti-China sentiment led Buy and Use 'Made in India' cries. Government has even asked eCom Flipkart and Amazon to display Country of Origin for each product. With all these, This investment from Google seems another strategic move by an American company to say that we're truly concerned about Indian growth. So that their development centers here or products made for India don't get flagged as American. Reference - Foxconn, Intel, Qualcomm, Facebook https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/tech/hardware/apple-supplier-foxconn-to-invest-1-billion-in-india-sources/articleshow/76931415.cms https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/tech/hardware/apple-sup... https://techcrunch.com/2020/07/12/qualcomm-to-invest-97-million-in-indias-reliance-jio-platforms/ https://techcrunch.com/2020/07/12/qualcomm-to-invest-97-mill... https://www.cnet.com/news/after-facebook-intel-invests-into-indias-largest-telecom-jio/ https://www.cnet.com/news/after-facebook-intel-invests-into-...

mytailorisrich 6y ago
I think this rather shows the continued weakness of India. On one hand, China and nationalism are used as a tool by the Indian government (not least while the Covid-19 situation goes pear-shaped), on the other hand they are at least as dependent on US companies, if not more. I think India should rather reflect on China's industrial strategy, including investments in infrastructure and fostering the development of national giants when India is lacking on both fronts.
- throwaway_12351 6y ago
  bruh, dead Indian soldiers on the border isn't a "tool", have some empathy for the people who lost their loved ones. India has experience of dealing with China since 1965, your patronizing comment comes across massively condescending.
  - jdck1326 6y ago
    >your patronizing comment comes across massively condescending Not the case if you give the comment a charitable reading.
    - throwaway_12351 6y ago
      fuck your charity, and fuck yourself and the parent as well. once you lose some loved one in a military skimmish, then call them a tool.
- chvid 6y ago
  More broadly maybe one should think of the China model as state-led capitalism and note that it did not origin in China but in Japan and succesfully carried countries such as Taiwan, South Korea, Singapore out of their development country status. It is not the same as nationalism and in particular for India, strong nationalism has the flip-side of igniting dormant conflicts with it sizeable muslim minority.
  - Ericson2314 6y ago
    It was accompanied by nationalism in all of those cases, however. Also don't forget the Prussians, where Japan got it from.
- blueblisters 6y ago
  > I think India should rather reflect on China's industrial strategy, including investments in infrastructure and fostering the development of national giants when India is lacking on both fronts. I think it's much easier to make massive investments in infrastructure when you have a current account surplus. The Indian government is trying to push the industry to be more export focused but years of protectionism and import-substitution norms have made the industry less competitive.
ritwik310 6y ago
"data" x_x
frequentnapper 6y ago
I don't see how it's not alarming for Indians that one key person/company connected to the govt is the sole beneficiary of incoming businesses into India.
- pankajdoharey 6y ago
  Well there are a lot of people who are not aware of the fact and then there are those who are onboard because they are onboard with the government. So the alarmist kind are a minority which media doesn't show. Also 90% of the media channels are owned by the aforementioned person.
  - kburman 6y ago
    Man you're commenting full on since yesterday about Indian government. Is there something that bothered you a lot?
    - yati 6y ago
      Why does speaking up about the Indian government inevitably bring up questions like this? Ambani's relationship with this government bothers me a lot (among many other things about any government, particularly this one).
      - newyankee 6y ago
        Sonia Gandhi literally flies in Reliance jets for her Western sojourns but you are only flagging the existing Govt. dishonestly.
        yati 6y ago
        Sorry, I cannot exhaustively list all possible issues with the country's politicians everytime I have something to say about the current government that is supposed to be accountable to Indians (because they are in power, Sonia Gandhi is not!). Again, I've seen this pattern: Question this government and immediately be branded as a Congress/AAP/$party sympathizer. At best people ask questions like yours, and at worst they come to an agreement that you should immediately leave India and go to Pakistan. This for questioning your government.
signal11 6y ago
To say Mr Ambani has good relations with the current government is underselling his influence. He has good relationships across the spectrum of Indian political parties (except maybe the communists who are effectively irrelevant). However you feel about how Jio got its foothold in the telecoms game ([1] has details), it’s sheer scale makes it an attractive investment. It’s one of two major national 4G networks and an astonishing amount of data moves through it. They’ve big ambitions on the 5G front. They’re also building India’s largest last-mile fibre network. Given that Ambani wants Jio to be debt-free by next year, and an upcoming IPO for Jio by 2024, key industry players falling over themselves to grab a pre-IPO piece isn’t surprising. The concern, of course, is the complete lack of privacy legislation in India, and how this impacts Jio’s ambitions re “monetising” its users and their clickstream activity. [1] https://m.thewire.in/article/tech/reliance-jio-telecom-regulation-trai-anil-ambani https://m.thewire.in/article/tech/reliance-jio-telecom-regul...
base698 6y ago
Also, https://www.theatlantic.com/international/archive/2018/03/us-india-trade/554321/ https://www.theatlantic.com/international/archive/2018/03/us... https://m.economictimes.com/news/defence/india-us-sign-3-billion-deal-for-purchase-of-15-chinook-heavylift-and-22-apache-attack-helicopters/amp_articleshow/49142634.cms https://m.economictimes.com/news/defence/india-us-sign-3-bil... https://m.economictimes.com/industry/energy/oil-gas/us-deadline-ends-india-stops-purchasing-iranian-oil/amp_articleshow/69475495.cms https://m.economictimes.com/industry/energy/oil-gas/us-deadl...
screye 6y ago
> Mukhesh Ambani who's got a good connect with the current ruling Government To be fair, Mukesh has got good connections everywhere. He is India's most powerful person. Amitabh and the Shahrukh (some of the world's richest actors, both half billionaires) both volunteered as servers at his daughters wedding as a show of appreciation. If a man can command the most powerful of his country to such level of willful subservience, then every Govt. will try to curry favor with him. I will add, that while his intentions might be entirely selfish, the pace at which Jio was able to bring affordable 4G to the whole country is incredibly empowering for rural / small town India. That being said, adding money to the pool of what is quickly becoming a monopoly is not a "fund to digitize America" as Pichai put it.
- derefr 6y ago
  > volunteered as servers at his daughters wedding ... subservience I don't know about you, but when I hear "working as a server at a wedding attended by many powerful people", I don't think "subservience", I think "unique opportunity to make connections, and to potentially snoop insider information."
  - viklove 6y ago
    You must not know of Amitabh and the Shahrukh -- they're not some smalltime actors that need to get a leg up. This would be like Tom Cruise and Brad Pitt offering to be servers at Jeff Bezos' daughters wedding. It's absurdly subservient.
    - mycodebreaks 6y ago
      Do not ignore cultural differences. If you see such an activity as a job, then you would arrive at a conclusion like yours. In India, it's common for hosts to serve food as a sign of respect to their guests. Close friends and family of hosts also join. This only showed the closeness of the relationships among Mukesh and other stars. Seeing it as a subservient act isn't accurate, no big star would sign up if it were so.
      - 6y ago
PopeDotNinja 6y ago
On the topic of country of origin, they list the country of origin on all produce I've purchased here in the UK. It blows my mind that it is profitable to ship grapes to the UK from South Africa.
Sangama34 6y ago
India's potential is limited only by the incompetence of Indian government (irrespective of who is in power). Too many shady powers being involved here pulling the string. India's data localization law was in fact lobbied for by the real estate firms as they wanted foreign companies to be arm twisted into investing in real estate in India. You can search news for who benefits from this sort of wasteful expenditure.
- naruvimama 6y ago
  Given its huge population which is a growing market, it does make sense putting data centers closer home. Cheap power and cooling might be a factor, but India is also building huge solar and wind capacities, and not to forget the solar alliance and cross border solar energy exchange/grid.
- sabujp 6y ago
  corruption is caused by wealth, health, educational inequality, lack of familiy planning in many cases. If people can't feed themselves or their families they will turn to corruption and use any means to get ahead

by amrrs 6y ago

mytailorisrich 6y ago

I think this rather shows the continued weakness of India. On one hand, China and nationalism are used as a tool by the Indian government (not least while the Covid-19 situation goes pear-shaped), on the other hand they are at least as dependent on US companies, if not more. I think India should rather reflect on China's industrial strategy, including investments in infrastructure and fostering the development of national giants when India is lacking on both fronts.

throwaway_12351 6y ago
bruh, dead Indian soldiers on the border isn't a "tool", have some empathy for the people who lost their loved ones. India has experience of dealing with China since 1965, your patronizing comment comes across massively condescending.
- jdck1326 6y ago
  >your patronizing comment comes across massively condescending Not the case if you give the comment a charitable reading.
  - throwaway_12351 6y ago
    fuck your charity, and fuck yourself and the parent as well. once you lose some loved one in a military skimmish, then call them a tool.
chvid 6y ago
More broadly maybe one should think of the China model as state-led capitalism and note that it did not origin in China but in Japan and succesfully carried countries such as Taiwan, South Korea, Singapore out of their development country status. It is not the same as nationalism and in particular for India, strong nationalism has the flip-side of igniting dormant conflicts with it sizeable muslim minority.
- Ericson2314 6y ago
  It was accompanied by nationalism in all of those cases, however. Also don't forget the Prussians, where Japan got it from.
blueblisters 6y ago
> I think India should rather reflect on China's industrial strategy, including investments in infrastructure and fostering the development of national giants when India is lacking on both fronts. I think it's much easier to make massive investments in infrastructure when you have a current account surplus. The Indian government is trying to push the industry to be more export focused but years of protectionism and import-substitution norms have made the industry less competitive.

ritwik310 6y ago

"data" x_x

frequentnapper 6y ago

I don't see how it's not alarming for Indians that one key person/company connected to the govt is the sole beneficiary of incoming businesses into India.

pankajdoharey 6y ago
Well there are a lot of people who are not aware of the fact and then there are those who are onboard because they are onboard with the government. So the alarmist kind are a minority which media doesn't show. Also 90% of the media channels are owned by the aforementioned person.
- kburman 6y ago
  Man you're commenting full on since yesterday about Indian government. Is there something that bothered you a lot?
  - yati 6y ago
    Why does speaking up about the Indian government inevitably bring up questions like this? Ambani's relationship with this government bothers me a lot (among many other things about any government, particularly this one).
    - newyankee 6y ago
      Sonia Gandhi literally flies in Reliance jets for her Western sojourns but you are only flagging the existing Govt. dishonestly.
      - yati 6y ago
        Sorry, I cannot exhaustively list all possible issues with the country's politicians everytime I have something to say about the current government that is supposed to be accountable to Indians (because they are in power, Sonia Gandhi is not!). Again, I've seen this pattern: Question this government and immediately be branded as a Congress/AAP/$party sympathizer. At best people ask questions like yours, and at worst they come to an agreement that you should immediately leave India and go to Pakistan. This for questioning your government.

signal11 6y ago

To say Mr Ambani has good relations with the current government is underselling his influence. He has good relationships across the spectrum of Indian political parties (except maybe the communists who are effectively irrelevant). However you feel about how Jio got its foothold in the telecoms game ([1] has details), it’s sheer scale makes it an attractive investment. It’s one of two major national 4G networks and an astonishing amount of data moves through it. They’ve big ambitions on the 5G front. They’re also building India’s largest last-mile fibre network. Given that Ambani wants Jio to be debt-free by next year, and an upcoming IPO for Jio by 2024, key industry players falling over themselves to grab a pre-IPO piece isn’t surprising. The concern, of course, is the complete lack of privacy legislation in India, and how this impacts Jio’s ambitions re “monetising” its users and their clickstream activity. [1] https://m.thewire.in/article/tech/reliance-jio-telecom-regulation-trai-anil-ambani https://m.thewire.in/article/tech/reliance-jio-telecom-regul...

base698 6y ago

Also, https://www.theatlantic.com/international/archive/2018/03/us-india-trade/554321/ https://www.theatlantic.com/international/archive/2018/03/us... https://m.economictimes.com/news/defence/india-us-sign-3-billion-deal-for-purchase-of-15-chinook-heavylift-and-22-apache-attack-helicopters/amp_articleshow/49142634.cms https://m.economictimes.com/news/defence/india-us-sign-3-bil... https://m.economictimes.com/industry/energy/oil-gas/us-deadline-ends-india-stops-purchasing-iranian-oil/amp_articleshow/69475495.cms https://m.economictimes.com/industry/energy/oil-gas/us-deadl...

screye 6y ago

> Mukhesh Ambani who's got a good connect with the current ruling Government To be fair, Mukesh has got good connections everywhere. He is India's most powerful person. Amitabh and the Shahrukh (some of the world's richest actors, both half billionaires) both volunteered as servers at his daughters wedding as a show of appreciation. If a man can command the most powerful of his country to such level of willful subservience, then every Govt. will try to curry favor with him. I will add, that while his intentions might be entirely selfish, the pace at which Jio was able to bring affordable 4G to the whole country is incredibly empowering for rural / small town India. That being said, adding money to the pool of what is quickly becoming a monopoly is not a "fund to digitize America" as Pichai put it.

derefr 6y ago
> volunteered as servers at his daughters wedding ... subservience I don't know about you, but when I hear "working as a server at a wedding attended by many powerful people", I don't think "subservience", I think "unique opportunity to make connections, and to potentially snoop insider information."
- viklove 6y ago
  You must not know of Amitabh and the Shahrukh -- they're not some smalltime actors that need to get a leg up. This would be like Tom Cruise and Brad Pitt offering to be servers at Jeff Bezos' daughters wedding. It's absurdly subservient.
  - mycodebreaks 6y ago
    Do not ignore cultural differences. If you see such an activity as a job, then you would arrive at a conclusion like yours. In India, it's common for hosts to serve food as a sign of respect to their guests. Close friends and family of hosts also join. This only showed the closeness of the relationships among Mukesh and other stars. Seeing it as a subservient act isn't accurate, no big star would sign up if it were so.
    - 6y ago

PopeDotNinja 6y ago

On the topic of country of origin, they list the country of origin on all produce I've purchased here in the UK. It blows my mind that it is profitable to ship grapes to the UK from South Africa.

Sangama34 6y ago

India's potential is limited only by the incompetence of Indian government (irrespective of who is in power). Too many shady powers being involved here pulling the string. India's data localization law was in fact lobbied for by the real estate firms as they wanted foreign companies to be arm twisted into investing in real estate in India. You can search news for who benefits from this sort of wasteful expenditure.

naruvimama 6y ago
Given its huge population which is a growing market, it does make sense putting data centers closer home. Cheap power and cooling might be a factor, but India is also building huge solar and wind capacities, and not to forget the solar alliance and cross border solar energy exchange/grid.
sabujp 6y ago
corruption is caused by wealth, health, educational inequality, lack of familiy planning in many cases. If people can't feed themselves or their families they will turn to corruption and use any means to get ahead