Trip to Delhi

I was in Delhi to explore possibilities of getting a TBI, Technology Business Incubator status for my company. This is something that comes under the Department of Science and Technology under the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy ( MNRE).  It’s another world, and it’s interesting and amazing the number of options and schemes that the Government has  for development in the area of renewable energy, especially in rural areas. And it’s administered  by these really smart and committed officials too. We had extensive discussions on the issue and I realized I had a lot of pre-conceived notions of ‘the delhi babus’ which were beginning to fall off. There is the intelligence, the knowledge, the money, the schemes, and the will too, but there seems to be a black hole somewhere along the way. Corruption is an easy answer; but then it’s we who allow a few corrupt people to hold us and the entire system to ransom, right?  And  I think this is where companies like Selco and the tons of other NGOs  make a huge difference.  I found that the Government machinery is almost dependent on them for dissemination and also for lessons from the field for policy and ideation. It maybe small in comparison to what’s possible, but it is indeed heartening to see the good work happening.

Another interesting facet of my trip was Gurgaon itself. It’s like nowhere else in India I’ve seen and easily comparable to a Singapore or Dubai. The separation of downtown and suburb, the wide, clean and beautifully landscaped roads, the parks, the tall tall skyscrapers……everything extremely efficient and functional, feels very international. And then we have Delhi. Each time I’ve been here, the beauty of Delhi hits me and makes me proud to have Delhi as our capital. It’s nice to see how they’ve weaved in the modern with the old. There’s history everywhere you look; Yet, it’s so modern.  Just the thought that under connaught place buzzes the entire central station of the metro is so fascinating.  And through all this development, its so wonderful to see the city retain its historical charm, its tombs and gardens, its dhabas where I’ve just eaten my best possible road side paratha. Ah…mouth watering life !

Here’s two pics, which bring this out in a shot…pun intended :)

                                  View from Vishakha's house in Gurgaon

                      A lovely old banyan tree in Harshita's own backyard in Delhi