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to be increasingly driven by the individuals who understand the flat world； adapt
themselves quickly to its processes and technologies； and start to march
forward…without any treaties or advice from the IMF。 They will be every color of the
rainbow and from every corner of the world。
The global economy from here forward will be shaped less by the ponderous
deliberations of finance ministers and more by the spontaneous explosion of energy
from the zippies。 Yes； Americans grew up with
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the hippes in the 1960s。 Thanks to the high…tech revolution； many of us became yuppies
in the 1980s。 Well； now let me introduce the zippies。
〃The Zippies Are Here；〃 declared the Indian weekly magazine Outlook。 Zippies are the
huge cohort of Indian youth who are the first to come of age since India shifted away
from socialism and dived headfirst into global trade and the information revolution
by turning itself into the world's service center。 Outlook called India's zippies
〃Liberalization's Children〃 and defined a zippie as a 〃young city or suburban resident；
between 15 and 25 years of age； with a zip in the stride。 Belongs to Generation Z。
Can be male or female； studying or working。 Oozes attitude； ambition and aspiration。
Cool； confident and creative。 Seeks challenges； loves risks and shuns fear。〃 Indian
zippies feel no guilt about making money or spending it。 They are； says one Indian
analyst quoted by Outlook； 〃destination driven； not destiny driven； outward looking；
not inward； upwardly mobile； not stuck…in…my…station…in…life。〃 With 54 percent of
India under the age of twenty…five…that's 555 million people…six out of ten Indian
households have at least one potential zippie。 And the zippies don't just have a
pent…up demand for good jobs； they want the good life。
It all happened so fast。 P。 V。 Kannan； the CEO and cofounder of the Indian call…center
company 24/7 Customer； told me that in the last decade； he went from sweating out
whether he would ever get a chance to work in America to becoming one of the leading
figures in the outsourcing of services from America to the rest of the world。
〃I will never forget when I applied for a visa to come to the United States；〃 Kannan
recalled。 〃It was March 1991。1 had gotten a B。A。 in chartered accountancy from the
＇Indian＇ Institute of Chartered Accountants。 I was twenty…three； and my girlfriend
was twenty…five。 She was also a chartered accountant。 I had graduated at age twenty
and had been working for the Tata Consultancy group。 So was my girlfriend。 And we
both got job offers through a body shop ＇a recruiting firm specializing in importing
Indian talent for companies in America＇ to work as programmers for IBM。 So we went
to the U。S。 consulate in Bombay。 The recruiting service was based in Bombay。 In those
days； there was always a very long line to get visas to the United States； and there
were people who would
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actually sleep in the line and hold places and you could go buy their place for 20
rupees。 But we went by ourselves and stood in line and we finally got in to see the
man who did the interview。 He was an American ＇consular official＇。 His job was to
ask questions and try to figure out whether we were going to do the work and then
come back to India or try to stay in America。 They judge by some secret formula。 We
used to call it 'the lottery'…you went and stood in line and it was a life lottery；
because everything was dependent on it。〃
There were actually books and seminars in India devoted entirely to the subject of
how to prepare for a work visa interview at the U。S。 embassy。 It was the only way
for skilled Indian engineers really to exploit their talent。 〃I remember one tip was
to always go professionally dressed；〃 said Kannan； 〃so ＇my girlfriend and I＇ were
both in our best clothes。 After the interview is over； the man doesn't tell you
anything。 You had to wait until the evening to know the results。 But meanwhile； the
whole day was hell。 To distract our minds； we just walked the streets of Bombay and
went shopping。 We would go back and forth； 'What if I get in and you don't？ What if
you get in and I don't？' I can't tell you how anxious we were； because so much was
riding on it。 It was torture。 So in the evening we go back and both of us got visas；
but I got a five…year multiple entry and my girlfriend got a six…month visa。 She was
crying。 She did not understand what it meant。 'I can only stay for six months？' I
tried to explain to her that you just need to get in and then everything can be worked
out。〃
While many Indians still want to come to America to work and study； thanks to the
triple convergence many of them can now compete at the highest levels； and be decently
paid； by staying at home。 In a flat world； you can innovate without having to emigrate。
Said Kannan； 〃My daughter will never have to sweat that out。〃 In a flat world； he
explained； 〃there is no one visa officer who can keep you out of the system 。 。 。
It's a plug…and…play world。〃
One of the most dynamic pluggers and players I met in India was Rajesh Rao； founder
and CEO of Dhruva Interactive； a small Indian game company based in Bangalore。 If
I could offer you one person who embodies the triple convergence； it is Rajesh。 He
and his firm show us what happens when an Indian zippie plugs into the ten flatteners。
Dhruva is located in a converted house on a quiet street in a residential neighborhood
of Bangalore。 When I stopped in for avisit； I found two floors of Indian game designers
and artists； trained in computer graphics； working on PCs； drawing various games and
animated characters for American and European clients。 The artists and designers were
listening to music on headphones as they worked。 Occasionally； they took a break by
playing a group computer game； in which all the designers could try to chase and kill
one another at once on their computer screens。 Dhruva has already produced some very
innovative games… from a computer tennis game you can play on the screen of your cell
phone to a computer pool game you can play on your PC or laptop。 In 2004； it bought
the rights to use Charlie Chaplin's image for mobile computer games。 That's right…a
start…up Indian game company today owns the Chaplin image for use in mobile computer
games。
In Bangalore and in later e…mail conversations； I asked Rajesh； who is in his early
thirties； to walk me through how he became a player in the global game business from
Bangalore。
〃The first defining moment for me dates back to the early nineties；〃 said Rajesh；
a smallish； mustachioed figure with the ambition of a heavyweight boxer。 〃Having lived
and worked in Europe； as a student； I was clear in my choice that I would not leave
India。 I wanted to do my thing from India； do something that would be globally
respected and something that would make a difference in India。 I started my company
in Bangalore as a one…man operation on March 15； 1995。 My father gave me the seed
money for the bank loan that bought me a computer and a 14。4 kbp modem。 I set out
to do multimedia applications aimed at the education an