CONNECTED  AGE 

The Connected Age by Sudhakar Ram ; Published by Collins Business ; Pages  238 ; Price Rs. 350/-

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The author of the book under review bagged the CNBC Asia’s Business Leader of the Year, 2007. He has distinguished himself as the co-founder and CEO of IT services company Mastek . Mastek is one of the oldest software companies in India with a major global presence.

The book consolidates Ram’s discoveries and insights into how the world post the Industrial Age should look like—in an era he christens “Connected Age”.

The book is divided into four sections—“The Twenty First Century Context” ;  “Individual Change” ; “Structural Change” and a “ Call to Action”.

The first Section sets out the context and explains Ram’s motivation behind this work, the challenges the World faces today with its causes and the principles—all of which would lead the world to a “ Connected Age”. The Earth’s ecosphere has witnessed widespread depletion. The clean air, potable water, amenable climate that was taken for granted are  clearly under serious threat.

The second Section deals with empowering and enabling oneself to make a difference. Ram proves that we have a choice to be powerful enough to pursue our true calling, to be totally committed to life-long learning and to become highly responsible. He explains how we can individually take more ownership and responsibility for our own lives and how we can get in harmony with the world while at the same time  recognising our basic interdependence. The Connected Age will be about people rediscovering their individuality, uniqueness and life’s purpose. It will define success as all-round personal fulfillment rather than the hoarding of material wealth. “Realise your potential and be the best you can be”.

“ Structural Change “ is the next Section’s subject and is an analysis of how organisations, markets and governments need to transform themselves and how everyone can help in the evolution. He deals with new approaches to running companies, NGOs, market places and governments. Ram has evolved new basis for organising group activities such as subsidiarity, smallness, interdependence and empathy .The Connected Age will see organisations evolving into much more powerful relevant and effective entities to contribute to the well-being in their unique ways.

The last Section is a guide to application of the principles to our daily life. This is one man’s vision of the twenty-first century. Ram appeals to readers to develop their own vision. What can enable the birth of the new “Connected Age” is a rich diversity of ideas and methods. Ram calls for personal as well as structural changes where the various areas of personal change are directly within our control. We only have influence over the structural changes, not direct control. But if a critical mass of people exercise this influence, we can see the requisite transformation.

This book is a voyage of discovery of human frailty and strength and a rational attempt at charting out steps to victory in our battle for survival and advancement. What are the causes of the miasma that envelops mankind in discontent, degradation and powerlessness?. Ram has not a trace of doubt that mankind has in it to make our lives happy and wholesome. What he argues for is an emphasis on our mutual dependence and close connection between man and man. Ram writes extremely well and leads us into a magical world built on day to day facts and facets. 

 Ram succeeds in convincing us that we have misused the generosity bestowed by Mother Earth—in fact we have been both callous and careless in plundering the wealth of Nature. According to him we have been abusing our privileges.

What then is the solution?. Mahatma Gandhi famously said “ You must be the change you want to be “. This is exactly what Ram advocates. He wants each one of us  to be the ideal person always acting in the correct manner. This is doubtless an ideal situation but not beyond reach. Each one of us has to think and act as a citizen of the world. There is a role for every man, woman and child in this voyage to prosperity.

According to Ram “ You can be  the Best You Can By Reinventing Your World ”. A strong self-respect and social consciousness will induce a lot of changes in you.

 Every point shared across the different chapters is put across convincingly, thanks to the examples from the author’s own life, the stories of CEOs, ideal figures from sports, entertainment and politics. He actually makes the readers believe that they can make it, that it’s not all that tough if every individual has a strong vision and adequate drive to achieve it.

In an eloquent Foreword Peter Senge, eminent  M I T Professor and  author of  “ The Fifth Discipline” sums up Ram’s efforts—“India is well positioned to leapfrog the reductionism and materialism of the West just as it leapfrogs technologies and infrastructures.”

 The Connected Age is required reading for anyone wanting to make this globe a better and happier place to live in than when he entered it. The volume is the  result of serious thought and useful experience and the methods suggested by Ram are surely firm steps towards a  “ Modern Ram Rajya”.

P.P.Ramachandran.

12 /  08  /  2018