January 2, 2008

In 48 hours I will be on a plane to Mumbai. I have gotten my Indian visa, immunizations (which caused me to pass out - shots are my greatest fear in life), plane tickets, Immodium, a fully loaded iPod, and am ready to dive in head first. Still, the 15 hour flight and 10.5 hour time zone difference are imposing hurdles.

Outside of the administrative rigamarole, three things have helped to acclimatize my mind in advance. Reading "India Unbound," by Gurcharan Das, provided a rich perspective of the social and economic gyrations that have colored modern India's character, strategic advantages, and competitive challenges. The two class meetings in College Park were invaluable to understanding the economic virtues of modern India, provided an opportunity to hear first hand from an expat with outstanding Indian business experience, and facilitated a Cliff's Notes overview of the companies we will be visiting. Lastly, today I sat down to lunch with a friend, colleague, and U.S. business owner with extensive knowledge of Indian culture and business. My next post will include some of the wisdom that he shared, combined with other expectations and premonitions.