First Stop Delhi

With 4 hours sleep under my belt in the last 48 hours, I arrive in Delhi, meet up with my parents and get on a train towards Jaipur. The "express" train to Jaipur leaves from the Old Delhi Station and my parents, expecting first class luxury car are surprised to realize we have second class sleeper seats in a train that seems to be running 50 cars in a row. The old Delhi train station is extremely colorful and I'm jumping head first in a hard core Indian scene when we get off our car and carry our luggage down the platform for a long 15 minute long platfor. "You are in car A1! We must keep walking." My parents heave and ho as we warily look at the third class cars and see that the cars having been labeled S for the last 10 cars. Wondering if this is going in logical and alphabetical order I stare down the train tracks and wonder... are there a hundred cars to this train? After the 14th car the car numbers inexplicably change to B, then A and we look down the platform and see at least another 10 cars continuing onto the horizon. Never found out how long the train really was.

Two balding monkeys frolick and give a slightly menacing look as they climb up and down the entrance and if we stay still for 3 minutes we are surrounded by 15 Indians all staring at us in wonder. When we finally board the train my parents laugh out loud "what happened to the palace on wheels?" They were booked. "Oh so we're taking the servants car on wheels?" This is the highest class they had, its just like european trains, just without the glass partitions and a little rustier and the windows are yellowed. "You young people take such interesting trips, isn't this funny Papa? Even China has better first class cars now " Hush.

Through the yellowed and dirty windows I watch the scene change from Delhi city to country side houses and fields. Last semester in graduate school I had spent time doing research in the Chicago projects and Emerging markets and how design could play an important role. When I had visited the Chicago projects I remember being flabbergasted by corruption, the quality of the housing and the lives of the people fighting to get out of the projects. While I was doing that research project-I had also done extensive research into emerging markets and how companies could create projects that would help people in the bottom of the pyramid-those who live on one dollar or less a day. Watching the scenary through the trains I see women cooking outside, trash lined streets, buildings, waterways and fields. The buildings probably do not have running water and its exactly what I had seen in photos of my research. Its just weirder to see it in real life, albeit from the safety of my "first class" train window. My Indian classmate has commented that yes, the Chicago projects were bad--but Americans do not know real poverty. Looking out from the safety of my dirty yellow window I have to agree. It also makes you realize--we don't NEED alot to survive and humans are actually very resiliant and smart when it comes to figure out how to survive. But we all want to live comfortably. A small minority of the world has access to the opportunities to make the effort to improving their standing and living more comfortably. But so many people in the world probably closer to 75% or more probably have little to no chances of changing their lives.

In studying the "emerging markets" I had extensively about microfinance, read article after article about leapfrogging technology, sustainability. The power of good public policy is undeniable in its importance but many companies both multinational congolomorates and local corporations have taken it upon themselves to conduct corporate social responsibility to try to help those at the bottom of the pyramid. Only thing about work for the BOP is the headaches with regard to actual making income from individuals who have so little money to begin with, while considering so many other factors.

In addition there is the issues of working with non-governmental organizations, political issues and the issue of sustainability towards the environment. P&G had figured out that people cannot afford to buy a bottole of shampoo but can afford the few coins required to buy sample size plastic packets of shampoo. While this is great for personal hygene the streets and sewers are clogged with more rubbish that cannot be recycled. Although there is more trash on the grounds in delhi, India traditionally has their "untouchable" class who automatically sorts through trash and recycles anything that can be recycled. Sometimes the most environmental living happens through poverty and in all honesty if these people started living like American middle class families the planet would collapse in a month. Environmentally sustainable business products and services, while being socially conscious to financially improve others lives sounds like business strategy's impossible dream. Looking out the window I can only wonder where/how the world may or may not change in my lifetime.

Five hours later on the train ride and two wary bathroom breaks over a metal hole bathroom that opens to the train tracks below we arrive in Jaipur and my parents good naturedly laugh about the experience. Onto enjoying a tourist experience.