#657
Note to myself from my Journal Entry:-
(Prompted by Anand Driving 200 Km in 2 hrs- to begin weekend every Thursday)
Karthik, your frustration with the lack of predictability, stability, and reliability in India resonates deeply, especially when contrasted with the precision you’ve observed elsewhere—like your brother Anand’s clockwork commute in Oman or the pinpoint accuracy of space missions. The “expect the unexpected” mindset, the last-minute rush, and the constant derailment of plans despite meticulous preparation are indeed pervasive across India. This post, explores why this is the default state more than 50% of the time, delving into historical, cultural, systemic, and societal causes, and proposing potential solutions.
The Curse of Unpredictability: A Personal Reflection
I’ve always been a planner, someone who thrives on structure and foresight. Yet, in India, my carefully laid plans—be it for a family event, a work meeting, or even a simple commute—often unravel. Deadlines shift, resources vanish, and coordination feels like herding cats. It’s maddening. Contrast this with my brother Anand, who drives 200 km between Sohar and Muscat in exactly two hours, every single time, for past 17 years, with the precision of a Swiss watch. Or consider space missions, where rockets travel millions of kilometers and arrive at their destination to the exact second. Meanwhile, in India, even the grandest events, like festivals or corporate launches, are marked by a frantic last-minute scramble. Why is this chaos our default? Why can’t we emulate the London Olympics, where arrangements were ready a year in advance, while in India, we’re lucky if things come together 365 minutes early? I witness travel without planning, meetings without agenda, visits works on adhoc pulling people like chicken for slaughter, why can't we plan for 10% of time and execute with 90% even as bare minimum? Never seems to happen.
Why Is India So Unpredictable? Root Causes
1. Historical and Cultural Context
India’s history of improvisation, or jugaad, has shaped its approach to problem-solving. Born out of necessity in a resource-scarce, colonial past, jugaad prioritizes quick fixes over long-term planning. While this ingenuity is a strength, it often leads to a reactive rather than proactive mindset. Culturally, a relaxed attitude toward time—sometimes called “Indian Standard (Strechable) Time” IST,—normalizes delays. Unlike societies with rigid, clock-driven cultures (e.g., Japan or Germany), India’s social fabric often values relationships and flexibility over punctuality.
2. Systemic Inefficiencies
India’s infrastructure and governance systems are stretched thin. Overpopulation, bureaucratic red tape, and underfunded public services create bottlenecks. For example:
Transportation: Overloaded roads, unpredictable traffic, and inconsistent public transport make commuting a gamble, unlike Anand’s predictable drives in Oman.
Resource Allocation: Poor coordination between departments leads to misaligned priorities, with resources often diverted at the last minute.
Policy Implementation: Even well-intentioned plans, like urban development projects, get stalled due to corruption, political interference, or lack of accountability.
3. Societal Attitudes
Indian society often prioritizes immediate needs over long-term goals. This manifests in:
Last-Minute Culture: From students cramming for exams to companies rushing project deadlines, the tendency to procrastinate is widespread. This stems from a belief that “things will work out” (ho jayega), which, while optimistic, undermines planning. Also, everybody wants to be a rule breaker, rules are for others and enage in activities of their own which hinders those who have plans and try to execute.
Low Value on Time: Time is rarely seen as a finite resource. Meetings start late, events drag on, and deadlines are treated as suggestions. I have sat through a meeting scheduled for 1 hr stretching up to 3 hrs. (Luckily I quit the organisation in weeks- Not my style).
Risk Aversion: Fear of failure discourages early action. People delay decisions until the last moment to avoid committing to potentially flawed plans.
4. Overload and Complexity
India’s sheer scale—1.4 billion people, diverse cultures, and competing priorities—creates a chaotic environment. Coordinating large-scale events or projects is exponentially harder than in smaller, more homogenous nations. The London Olympics, for instance, benefited from a centralized authority and a smaller population, while India’s events often involve multiple stakeholders with conflicting agendas.
5. Lack of Accountability
There’s little consequence for delays or failures in India. If a contractor misses a deadline or a government project runs over budget, accountability is diluted across layers of bureaucracy. Compare this to space missions, where precision is non-negotiable, and teams are held to exacting standards. I was told the 2023 Cricket world cup planning was a mess, with nothing got ready with just days left and then it was mad scramble! No wonder, everybody feels cheated/ let down post event.
Global Contrast: Why Doesn’t This Happen Elsewhere?
Your global travels highlight that this unpredictability is uniquely pronounced in India. In countries like Japan, Germany, or even Oman, systems are designed for reliability:
Infrastructure: Well-maintained roads, efficient public transport, and robust supply chains minimize disruptions.
Cultural Norms: Punctuality and planning are ingrained. In Japan, trains apologize for being a minute late.
Accountability: Clear consequences for delays ensure discipline. For example, the London Olympics’ early readiness was driven by strict oversight and penalties for non-compliance.
Simpler Systems: Smaller populations and streamlined governance make coordination easier.
India, by contrast, juggles a far more complex reality, where systemic gaps amplify cultural tendencies toward flexibility and improvisation.
The Toll of Unpredictability
This lack of predictability takes a toll:
Mental Stress: Planners like you, are left frustrated, constantly adjusting to unforeseen hiccups. While it doesn't affect mental health, the irksome feeling is genuine for a short time.
Economic Costs: Delays in projects, from infrastructure to corporate deliverables, cost India billions annually. For instance, a 2020 report estimated that delays in infrastructure projects alone cost India $100 billion yearly.
Reputation: India’s global image suffers when events or projects miss deadlines, reinforcing stereotypes of inefficiency.
Missed Opportunities: The last-minute rush often compromises quality, whether it’s a corporate pitch or a public festival.
Solutions: Can India Break the Curse?
While deeply entrenched, this unpredictability isn’t insurmountable. Here are solutions across different levels:
1. Individual and Community Level
Value Time: Shift cultural attitudes by emphasizing punctuality and planning. Campaigns like “Be On Time” could normalize treating time as a resource.
Lead by Example: Individuals like you, can model reliability in personal and professional spheres, inspiring others.
Community Accountability: Local groups—resident associations, professional networks—can set standards for timeliness and hold members accountable. Spread the word! (Would people take it seriously, I doubt?)
2. Organizational Level
Better Planning Tools: Companies should adopt project management software to track progress and flag delays early.
Incentives for Punctuality: Reward teams or contractors who meet deadlines, while penalizing chronic delays.
Training: Invest in time management (Again a myth, but I will write on this later) and coordination skills for employees, addressing the root cause of last-minute rushes.
3. Government and Systemic Level
Infrastructure Investment: Improve roads, public transport, and digital connectivity to reduce external disruptions.
Streamlined Governance: Simplify bureaucratic processes and enforce accountability through transparent tracking of project milestones.
Public Awareness Campaigns: Government-led initiatives, like those for cleanliness (Swachh Bharat), could promote a culture of reliability and planning.
Learn from Successes: Emulate ISRO’s precision in space missions by applying similar rigor to public projects. ISRO’s success shows India can achieve predictability when systems are aligned.
4. Education and Long-Term Change
Teach Time Management: Introduce planning and organizational skills in schools to build a generation that values structure.
Celebrate Success Stories: Highlight examples like ISRO or individuals who value and execute puncutality/ reliability, to inspire a cultural shift toward reliability.
A Vision for a Predictable India
Imagine an India where trains run on time, events start as scheduled, and projects are completed ahead of deadlines. It’s not a pipe dream—ISRO’s space missions and individuals like Anand prove it’s possible. The challenge is scaling this precision to a billion-plus population. It requires a collective shift: valuing time, investing in systems, and holding ourselves accountable. Until then, planners like me will continue to marvel at the chaos, grit our teeth, and—ironically—plan for the unexpected and still something will go off the rails.
Do I see some shift in this in my lifetime? I don't think so!!!
What do you think?
Karthik.
3/5/25. 9am.
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