We are from India!
A small story I wanted to share from our time at Eurobike 2019, Germany — our first international show!
Visitor: Hey! where are you guys from?
Me: India!
Visitor: What? really?
Me: Why are you so surprised?
Visitor: I couldn’t have imagined a bike like this would be made by a young Indian company.
(conversation continues later)
Sounds familiar?
Think about it. If I ask you to pen down the names of the 5 nations that make the best automotives in the world — would India even come to your mind let alone in the rankings.
Well, this was one of our biggest motivators when we at Calamus, set out to create the world’s best vehicles starting with the world’s safest E-bike. We have always believed and fantasized about making India what Germany has to the automotive world for so many years, in the next few decades.
Visitor: But, I am also enraptured by what you guys have achieved.
Me: Delighted to hear this! (I was not expecting that comment)
Most of us sit on our office chairs complaining about the inefficiencies and redundancies of government Babus, authorities and administration. Now, don’t get me wrong here, we complain because we face problems but is that all we can do?
Certainly not. Let me shed some light on some achievements by Indian companies even with the innumerable hurdles:
- Mahindra is the number 1 tractor selling brand in the world
- Hero cycles is the world’s 2nd largest cycle manufacturer
- ISRO launched 104 satellites from a single rocket in 2017.
- Tata built the worlds cheapest car at just $3,000 USD!
- Tata Consultancy Services is the global leader in IT services.
Some achievements by Indians on a global stage:
- Mukesh Ambani — 4th richest person on earth.
- Gita Gopinath — Chief Economist at IMF.
- Indra Nooyi — Board of director at Amazon, former Chairman and CEO, PepsiCo
- Arvind Krishna — CEO, IBM Group
- Sundar Pichai — CEO, Google LLC & Alphabet INC
- Satya Nadella — CEO, Microsoft
Last but not the least where does India stand today?
- It is the 5th largest economy by nominal GDP.
- Major attraction for investors for FDI.
- 6th richest country, increasing 10% year on year.
- Second largest 2 wheeler manufacturer and the 6th largest car manufacturer.
Times are changing, the tides are shifting. We are here, and we are here to stay.
What India will look like on its 100th Independence day celebration is contingent to what we do today. We can continue to sit and whine about how other countries are better or take a stand today to make India the country of your dreams.
When we started Calamus we had a small idea and big dreams. Now we are in 27 countries in just over 3 years! This is only because we believed we could and people across the world believed in our dream too. We promise, we will settle for nothing less than making India an esteemed automotive superpower!
Happy Independence Day to all fellow Indians!
