Program(s):
I have chosen to examine the Free Market in India. I plan to research the developments and contemporary activities that position India as a capitalist nation. What I think is really neat about this research project is that I will actively researching it and contributing to it everyday on a small scale, simply by consuming goods and trading. I plan to interview a broad spectrum of relevant informants like businessmen and women, economics professors, government officials, and crafts workers.
So far I have found many interesting facets about India's Free Market. This includes something called MRP, which is government controlled pricing, a regulation that can be found on anything from a box of chocolates to a bottle of a liquor. On the opposite spectrum, haggling is a huge part of Indian consumerism and is something that has absolutely no government oversight or regulation in the marketplace. Also another important issue I plan to tackle is the existence of what is called "black money," which is secretive, usually tax-sheltered and politically condemned capital in India, and "white money", which is transparent and fair play capital.
Ultimately, my goal is to be able to grasp the big picture of India's economy. How it came to be, where it is right now, and how it might transform in the future. India is still largely underdeveloped, but it is easily one of the fastest growing countries in the world. With this in mind, I look forward to examining the triumphs, challenges and everything in between of India's dynamic and evolving free market.
In Chennai I had the pleasure of having two very different, but very valuable interviews. The first came from Sathiya Moorthy who works at the Observer Research Foundation. He shared with me a lot insight into India's driving economic forces. He also helped me grasp the issue of black money and it's prevalence in the modern day. The other interview I held was with an Indian-American entrepreneur I met on the street named Ashok Shastry. His business card reads Dog Lover and COO of DRIVEU. He is building a start-up in Bangalore to take on the likes of Uber and OLA. He told me about all the fun and insanity India's start-up culture is experiencing. He led me to believe it's an incredible and unpredictable market.
List of Completed Research Endeavors:
1. Interviewed the entrepreneur and owner of Ahuja Residency, Rushmi Ahuja 9/22
2. Interviewed an official from the Ministry of Shipping, Gagandeep 9/20