Surpassing the Challenges of Robotics

This refers to your cover story Going, Going, Gone (June 18). It was an unambiguous study of automation and its impact on jobs in global scenario, and on Indian industrial canvas, without any exaggeration. Many reports have only terrified about job loss in countries and in certain industrial segments. But your article has really essayed to prescribe probable solutions, calling for pragmatic views and suggestions from economists to industrial experts to HR professionals to people-management consultants. The fast inclusion of robots in all aspects of life is quite impending. Robots will radically affect employment patterns and will drastically encroach upon social, economic and political inclinations. The policy-makers must buttress the industrial progress on a par with global systems. Original job retention will be impossible with technological advancement. India must develop a strategic national programme to engage high-profile workers and professionals through technical knowledge, vocational training and skill development. No stone should be left unturned to stall possible stalemate in industrial relations and unrest in industrial corridors. The Indian economy is increasingly market-oriented and rapidly integrated with global economy. We must apprehend that we cannot upgrade human resources overnight. India must manage and surpass the challenges of robotics and enlarge job creation exponentially. B. Rajasekaran, Bangalore Coca-Cola Fails to Realise Power of Public Opinion This refers to your article on colas ( Cola Dilemma, June 4). If the beleaguered giants – Coca-Cola and Pepsi – have lost their magic power to attract people, it is because of poor public relations. They failed to take into account the desires of people and respond appropriately as responsible business houses. The global shift away from colas is quite natural. In a way, the companies were all along fooling their consumers offering unhealthy products that lead to harmful effects in the long run. How long can people be duped? For any business to become sustainable, dealings should be beneficial to all the stakeholders concerned. As far as Coca-Cola is concerned, operation of their Plachimada unit in Kerala was detrimental to the entire community around. Not only were they awfully depleting groundwater resource in the locality, they were contaminating groundwater by releasing toxic wastes. The results were atrocious. What followed was a prolonged struggle by the local people, and NGOs leading to the eventual shut down of the plant. Coca-Cola failed miserably to realise the power of public opinions. The cola giant failed to understand that true reputation is the sum total of the goodwill of all stakeholders. The prime responsibility of a professional management must be to ensure that their products, services and policies elicit goodwill among all concerned so as tomake them acceptable. B. Unnikrishnan, Kochi Govt Must beef Up Defence Against Cyberattacks This refers to your article on cybersecurity ( The Sword of Damocles, June 18). Though government has downplayed the impact of the recent WannaCry attack, it is quite evident now that the present security infrastructure and expertise are not adequate to tackle big threats. As the Indian economy is rapidly transforming into a cashless one, the government must beef up defence against cyberattacks and engage in offensive mechanism. B.S. Acharya, Berhampur Send all your comments to: editor.bt@intoday.com