The ‘Global’ Sabotage

What happened to the aura that the word ‘globalization’ carried? 35 years ago, India’s foreign policy drew considerable applause after easing global trade and opening the floodgates to the Indian market. Our parents witnessed it; the flourishing Indian economy.

Today, we are in a state of what economist Pankaj Ghemawat calls, ‘Semi-globalization’. Global enough to take up employment in different countries, but local enough to still eat at Indian restaurants. This shows up in various instances. Dubbing foreign movies into Indian languages, entering a foreign hospital hoping to find an Indian doctor, and so on.

There are businesses that very smartly took advantage of this phenomenon. Jollibee is a famous fast-food restaurant that began in the Philippines. They were doing impressive numbers in their local market and were naturally thinking about expanding across the Philippines’ borders. Since Filipinos are known to immigrate to more developed countries and join their workforce, Jollibee decided to follow them and open up restaurants in the immigrant neighbourhoods, knowing that they have a guaranteed customer base there. And just like that, they became an international fast-food chain.

One aspect worth discussing is how Indians perceive the word “global”. It holds a unique balance between ‘wow’ and ‘nope’. For a long time, anything to do with a foreign country was met with raised eyebrows. Not because it was wrong, but because it was unknown. Surprisingly, it is still met with raised eyebrows, but for an entirely different reason. Uncertainty.

Skeptical eyes around the globe

Any effort towards building a global world gets buried underground by air strikes. Taking along with it years of sweet-talking and courage to open up borders. Our eccentric world leaders have made sure we hesitate before bringing up the topic. Increasingly, the policies and funding of states are focused on becoming self-reliant in every aspect of the supply chain. Which I would agree is an important and wise decision. But it worries me that its importance has only come to light at the sight of the global market faltering, seeing how it is more difficult to rise from a trough than it is from a flat land.

That being said, I don’t believe we will ever fully go back on the globalization ride, as its benefits are non-replicable. Businesses find more customers, cultures find new homes, and countries find assets to exchange. Consequently, there will come a time when national security and profitability will seem easier to achieve with a united front.

Be back soon,

Saanvi