Atlanta Dunia

Narsi L.S.=20 Narasimhan	Alka = Roy	Chand=20 Akkineni	Vijay=20 Vemulapalli
Narsi is the founder of Indian = Professionals=20 Network (www.ipnAtlanta.net/ipn), = =20 He is also the CEO and co-founder of Paalam, Inc., = (founded in=20 March 2003) a software services and BPO = company. =20 He is very active in Asian American community = (APAC)=20 and the mainstream technology (TAG, SMEA, CRMA) = communities as well. He is a former faculty member = of Georgia Tech's College of Management	An Electrical Engineer/ Strategic Planner. = Writer, choreographer dancer, and performing artist in = pursuit=20 of words, movement and the power of human spirit. Born = in=20 Ranchi, India, she now lives in Atlanta and works as a = Strategic Technology Architect. She is also a = founding=20 member and the Artistic Director of Kaya Collective http://www.kayacollective.org/ an=20 art collective for change. She is also involved with = Association of=20 India's development, > www.aidindia.org/atlanta=20 and Raksha, http://www.raksha.org/. =	Chand Akkineni, Founder and CEO of World = Online,=20 Inc. (http://www.wol.com/) and=20 SoftPros, Inc. (http://www.softprosinc.com/)=20 has been living in Atlanta since 1991. Chand holds a = Masters=20 degree in Computer Science from IIT, Mumbai and an = Executive=20 MBA from Georgia State University. He is keenly = associated=20 with "Festival of India" in Atlanta to celebrate = India's=20 Independence Day.	Vijay - a PhD from IIT Mumbai is a senior = software=20 consultant. He is extensively involved with Vibha = (http://www.vibha.org/ - an=20 organization that raises the awareness and funds for = child=20 development projects in India. Vijay is = married =20 to Madhuri for the last 14 years and has a=20 daughter, Divya (2 years=20 old)

As = India celebrated its Republic status on 26 January, = Indians=20 in
Atlanta pause a moment to reflect on what India means to = them, what=20
they can do for the country where their
hearts still = reside and=20
what it needs to put
India on the global map, where it=20 belongs.

"Literacy, Literacy,Literacy" Ask Vijay Vemulapalli what the = top three=20 ills plaguing India today are and this is what he offers. Once the = country=20 becomes more and more literate, the other problems, like = population,=20 poverty, Corruption, and communalism can be tackled, says the = software=20 consultant who has been working this last decade with an NGO = Vibha, for=20 the cause of underprivileged children in India. As he reflects on = the=20 country of his birth and upbringing, on the eve of Republic Day, = Vijay=20 sees the NRIs' contribution to India's development as a glass = that's=20 half-full. "In the last decade, NRIs have started focusing on = India, more=20 on business opportunities, which is a good thing; but a serious = effort=20 towards India's development hasn't started yet," he mulls." I = think NRIs=20 have been valuable in giving visibility to India and looking at = India in a=20 different way, opening it up perhaps," opines Alka Roy, on the = other hand.=20
A Strategic Technology Architect who's also a writer and = dancer, Alka=20 feels development needs to be defined as something that = moves our=20 society forward, improves the quality of our lives, as a whole, = and not at=20 the cost of majority of the people or the environment and other = valuable=20 resources. Which is why she believes, that although IT has put = India on=20 the technology map, the country's real development will come when = Indians=20 acquire a higher standard of living-- including in the areas of = access to=20 basic resources and basic human rights.And how can the diasporas = help in=20 achieving this? "NRIs have resources at their disposal and can = play an=20 active role in understanding and supporting India's needs. They = must want=20 to take the time to understand these needs though, not just push = their own=20 ideas," argues Alka, who herself works with the Association for = India's=20 Development (AID). "If the NRIs' expertise is in generating = resources, I=20 think they should work with local experts in implementations - = learn from=20 them as well," she points out.


Narsi =20 Narasimhan	Chand=20 Akkineni	Vijay=20 Vemulapalli

At a more macro level, suggests Chand Akkineni,"NRIs can = encourage=20 multinational corporations to give business to India or invest in = India.=20 NRIs returning to India can also start organizations or join = Indian=20 organizations, thereby providing knowledge transfer and sharing. = Their=20 organization skills are also helpful." Founder and CEO of World = Online,=20 Inc.and SoftPros, Inc., this software consultant is credited with=20 initiating the "Festival of India" in Atlanta, now become an = important and=20 popular annual event in Atlanta.
Many Indians in Atlanta = firmly=20 believe that the NRI community has been valuable to India's = development.=20 As Chand points out, "India's $100 billion foreign exchange = reserves were=20 partly contributed by NRIs. In addition, NRIs can bring in = technology and=20 investments for India's development."
Agrees Paalam Inc's CEO = Narsi=20 L.S. Narasimhan, "The goods and services generated by NRIs = worldwide is=20 almost as much as that of those residing in India. NRIs serve as=20 unofficial ambassadors," he reasons. On a more personal level, all = these=20 NRIs have, in their own fashion, contributed their mite towards = the land=20 of their birth. Chand owns 54 per cent of a publicly traded = software=20 outsourcing services company in Hyderabad. "In the US, I try to = create=20 business for them. I also direct customers to invest in India," he = says.=20 Narsi's weekly email broadcasts reach more than 4000 members of = the Indian=20 Professionals Network that he set up. "I am making it easier for = the NGOs=20 in India reach out to the IPN members with minimal effort," he = says.=20
Vijay, on the other hand, has worked for the last decade with = Vibha,=20 an organisation which raises awareness and funds for child = development=20 projects in India. "In the last 12 years, Vibha has supported more = than=20 125 such projects and reached more than 100,000 children," he = says.So, is=20 India a beacon to the emerging world? As Vijay points out, Only = because=20 India has a good education system, we are able to reap benefits of = the=20 information wave. "But, this only proves the point that that is = where we=20 need to invest even more to become a leader."
According to = Narsi,=20 India is fast becoming the back office to the world, thanks to the = telecom, computer and Internet revolution.But has that changed = overseas=20 opinion about India? Says Alka, "The perception of India among = non-Indians=20 is somewhere in between it being a poor country, a mystical and = spiritual=20 land and a place with a lot of bright software engineers. Just = like an=20 Indian's perception of non-Indians is generally inaccurate, so is = theirs."=20 But what really interests her is the diverse perceptions of the = NRIs and=20 Indian Americans about the land of their origin, "since they are = usually=20 the ones in the role to communicate the "real India" to Indians," = she=20 opines.
Narsi, Chand and Vijay are unanimous in their opinion = that=20 non-Indians' perception about India is changing. "Today's India is = characterized by technology driven economy, low-cost service = offerings and=20 business investment climate," feels Chand. Agrees Narsi, " My = non-Indian=20 friends have a very positive image of India. They think that = Indians are=20 very good in mathematics, science and technology. The American = government=20 certainly thinks of India as a balancing force to China. Many well = informed Americans are aware of India's role in that. They also = see=20 mutually beneficial partnership between India and the USA. = However, some=20 are concerned about the short term impact of outsourcing and = losing=20 American jobs. However, most Americans understand the virtues of = free=20 trade and its benefit to America in the long run."
Vijay too = feels=20 that the slow change of perception will help in the long run. But = the onus=20 of carrying the faith and building up this perception will depend = on the=20 next generation, is the unanimous verdict. Vijay, who lives with = wife=20 Madhuri and two year old daughter Divya in Atlanta, says the next=20 generation should be aware of how much one can make a difference = with even=20 one can contribute. "Think in terms of spending a summer with a = project in=20 India. In addition to the time and skills that they can give to = these=20 projects, their mere presence will open a lot of windows for a lot = of=20 children," he feels.Chand, who has two children Sreemanth and = Siddharth,=20 says "Firstly, the young generation needs exposure to India. Then = they can=20 participate in community development and educational activities." = Agrees=20 Alka, "I don't think much will happen unless younger generations = also take=20 an active role. Of course, the older generations can't wash their = hands=20 off it yet. They, by being an example, must show the younger = generations=20 why and how they can participate."Concerned as they are about the = myriad=20 problems plaguing India, including corruption, communalism and = illiteracy,=20 these and many more such concerned NRIs are adding their mite to = the=20 development of India.
Many like Narsi and Vijay get regular=20 information on the country through reports of outfits like Vibha, = CRY,=20 IDRF, Ekal Vidyalaya, IndiCorps, Freedom Through Education and = FDRI (which=20 supports Lok Satta in Hyderabad).
A Republic Day may seem just = an=20 excuse to pause and reflect on what non residents are actually = doing for=20 their people back home. For Vijay, Alka, Narsi and Chand however, = it's a=20 way of life. =