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The article also points at how – the huge salaries of IT people have led to the sky rocketing of real estate prices, which in turn has affected the non-IT persons’ dream of owning a house in the city, how the IT people have congested the city and polluted it beyond repair, and how the IT people have affected India’s culture by splurging money on West-influenced lifestyle.

I read a hoarding recently, which said – “Earn more than your father within 2 years”…join our IT course. It is very true that the money the IT people make today is 4-5 times or more than that which their parents made in their lifetime. I met a person who used to make 10k per month after 30 years experience in a bank, and his daughter started making 75 k with in 2 years in the IT industry. Now the real problem is how the non-IT people or the previous generation going to handle or react to this sweet TRUTH.

Firstly any new generation is always more intelligent and smarter than the previous one, and also life and society always moves towards better luxuries. The only thing the previous generation cannot digest was – the speed at which this jump from struggle for livelihood to luxury took place. It hardly took 10 years. And due to this very fact it became difficult for the non-IT people to handle IT’s success stories out of mere jealousy!

IT & Real Estate

I moved into my new house 2 years back when the rent was Rs 3500 – and I personally feel that it isn’t worth more than that any day. But today it is 7 k, which of course I feel is exorbitant - but when there are instant takers it can even go up to 10 k or 12 k. End of the day the price of any commodity depends on the buyer’s capability and its demand. And the IT guys have all the power and money to buy it - and we need to accept it.

If I am unable to pay the newly revised rent, I neither can ask my house owner to behave saintly and be non-greedy in life nor can I blame the IT guys for earning more. The only option left is to keep my mouth shut and move towards outskirts of the city where I can afford a decent house, without any complaints. Didn’t Darwin say – it is survival of the fittest - this holds true for all non-IT guys!

This was a foreseen problem, and if the government really wanted to help its citizens it could have asked all the IT companies to provide residential quarters for all their employees compulsorily in their premises. This would have kept the real estate value at check, would have avoided congestion of roads, would have reduced pollution, and also would have saved travel time for all the employees.

IT and the Previous Generation

It was not that our parents or the government employees out their chose to earn less for spiritual reasons and that they had an option to be a millionaire. In fact they never had any other option but to slog their butts to make few thousands, and get exploited at the hands of employers for decades together. House and car, which were considered to be their retirement plans is just 1-year away from the new generation.

The older generation can now just blame their fate to have born in the wrong era, and accept their bad luck, and should happily pave way for the newer generation.

IT and Indian Culture

The local Bangaloreans say that IT guys have tormented the Indian culture….

From the day I know Bangalore – all I could remember is sexy babes on MG Road, beers, and pubs. They were always there. How have the IT guys influenced them? May be they have helped them increase their business multifold in the last decade – which is a good sign for Indian economy.

And what Indian culture are we talking about? Even before IT boom happened in Bangalore, I have heard about Swingers sex parties and couple swapping being held in the city.

Indians tend to flaunt their monogamous stature to the world thinking they have better control on their erection, while the matter of fact is lack of elite brothels and professional prostitute have forced them to exist without any choice.

Pick any 10 culturally strong Indians and put them in the US – and the first thing they will ask for would be striptease joints! I don’t know whether we are culturally strong, but I can assure that we are all hypocrites by birth.

IT, sex and money

There is another set of argument, which says that IT guys don’t know the value of money, and they don’t even know how to spend it wisely – as if others do. Who cares anyways? The one who earns it has all rights to spend the way he/she wants it.

I know someone in the Textile ministry who makes 1 crore a day! They aren’t hard earned money but money which comes through corruption and red-tapism. When compared to Indian government the IT industry is far better for there is no corruption, and the taxes are paid rather snatched correctly on date.

The only problem with these politicians is they cannot use the money they earn for the fear of Income Tax department and the media. They can’t buy expensive cars – they have to travel by Ambassadors, they cannot wear expensive clothes – they have wear khadi, they cannot hire prostitutes – they might be victim of paparazzi. On the other hand the IT guys have all the freedom and the money – so why be jealous about their celebration?

IT & purpose

As rightly pointed out by Subroto Bagchi of Mindtree, most non-IT people really don’t know what the IT people are doing in those posh offices. All that we see from the outside is – neatly dressed men and women, with a company tag on their neck enter the office around 9 am and come out at 9 pm. They are picked up in the night and dropped at home in the morning. And for this they are paid a hefty salary.

The IT has helped India in many ways – right from bringing the mobile charges to 40 paise from 16 rupees per minute, to making a Chennai-based Indian astrologer to make you read this article sitting in your a/c fitted office – free of cost!