Creating a Flat World

THE WORLD IS FLAT”, the bestseller penned by Thomas Friedman, apparently draws its title from a conversation between the author and Nandan Nilekani. While the ancients too believed that the world was flat, in today's world it means that the competitive playing field between advanced and emerging economies is levelling and—thanks to technology—location no longer matters. An outstanding example of this is India's IT industry.

- By KIRAN KARNIK

BUILDERS FLATTENING THE WORLD

There is, though, another industry that has taken the phrase to a different—and flatter—level. Builders in India have elevated this to a new high in cities and hill-stations around the country. They deserve credit for their attempts to make this a truly flat world. In many urban settings—including Pune, Hyderabad, and Gurgaon—the hills are no longer “alive with the sound of music”; instead, they are echoing with the hammer blows of bulldozers as they go about their mission of creating a flat world.