PM Modi walks into the hall. The Indian-American elite of Silicon Valley is jostling like teenagers, iPhones ready for a selfie as the PM appears in their background (he’s walking in from the entrance at the back of the hall). The who’s who click away selfies and sigh with satisfaction as the Secret Service (and their Indian counterparts) usher the PM in. There are cries of “Modi, Modi, Modi” from outside the hall. And despite an explicit directive to the audience to not stand up while the PM is in the hall, everyone spontaneously rises and a thundering applause greets him. This, in a nutshell, describes the fascination of Silicon Valley with Narendra Modi.
This is the PM’s welcome to Startup Konnect (with the K, to denote ‘thousands of startups that will bloom’), an effort by NASSCOM, TIE and IIM Ahmedabad to promote Indian startups in the US. As the program gets underway, Reid Hoffman, Founder of LinkedIn and an investor himself, talks about the contribution of Indians to Silicon Valley. Indian Americans comprise less than 1% of the US population, but are founders of 15% of all startups in Silicon Valley. It’s an impressive achievement.
At 65, and wearing his trademark beard, the Prime Minister looks a lot like my father after he’s been keeping his beard for a few weeks. He’s attentive and nods at appropriate places. He looks fresh, and the hectic schedule doesn’t seem to have affected him much. He’s also clearly used to the attention, and settles in easily on the stage.
As dignitaries welcome the PM, they talk almost emotionally about how in their decades of existence, this is the first time they have seen an Indian PM who looks like he can turn India into the nation it deserves to be. There is tremendous hope, excitement, and deep satisfaction in their voice. The audience cheers, applauds, and takes pictures non-stop. I’m amazed by the reaction of the audience to a political leader. It feels like a special moment in time.
There are 40 startups at the exhibiton and most of them are from India (a few US-based), and I’m delighted to notice that the overwhelming majority are in the health / medical field. Earlier, each of them got 90 seconds to go up to the stage and pitch their ideas to investors and partners in the audience. This is a tremendous opportunity for them, pitching to an audience comprising of Silicon Valley luminaries like Suhas Patil, Kanwal Rekhi and numerous others.
With the Prime Minister, it’s difficult to guess whether he’ll pick English or Hindi for his speech. It’s English today. He exudes an infectious energy when he speaks. He talks intelligently about startups and how important his administration considers them to be. He announces BharatFund, and promises “to come to your aid whenever you’re stuck in difficulty”, alluding to potential bureaucratic hassles. I’m happy that the Indian Prime Minister gets startups so well. So does the audience, and the speech ends with standing ovation and prolonged applause.
After the PM leaves, we walk over to the SAP Center where the hockey stadium has been completely sold out, weeks in advance. As we walk by, a random person approaches to ask if I have extra tickets to the event. I don’t, and he walks away forlorn.
A massive screen has been set up on the lawns outside to cater to those who couldn’t get tickets. There are cries of Modi in the air, with some people dancing in front of the screen. But right near the SAP Center entrance, there are two extremely hostile looking group of people yelling into the air and with megaphones, and playing dhol (desi drums). These are Modi protesters and supporters yelling at each other, and there is armed police with pickets set up to separate the unruly crowd. There is screaming, yelling and dancing all going on at the same time. With the dhols, it’s almost festive – like a baraat about to arrive.
The TSA has turned up to frisk every attendee and after a rather long wait, we enter the massive stadium. KailashKher is on stage and the stadium’s amazing acoustics resonate with melody. Later on, the Bay Area’s Senator and several congressmen are ushered to the stage and introduced to the waiting crowd.
The SAP Center roars with applause when the PM walks in. This stadium has seen its share of screaming and beaming fans before, though usually reserved for rock stars and local sports teams. For a politician, that too foreign, to get such a welcome is mostly unprecedented.
His speech raises the collective self-worth of the audience, by focusing on theiramazing achievements and the potential for greatness it holds. It’s humorous at times and the clarity reminds you of Obama, though the energy is greater. He encourages the audience to play a role in India’s development, without beseeching them. The speech gives me a thrilling imminence of India’s rapid development. It’s inspiring. The possibility of the whole of India following Gujarat’s growth feels possible.
Afterwards at dinner, my father is reflective. “After Nehru, this is the first Prime Minister I have seen with the selflessness and zeal to transform our lives”, he says. I nod in agreement.
(The writer is CEO of GetApplause.com, a digital health company, and founded Fast Forward India, a successful non-profit entity based in Dhanbad)
