This is a relook on Rahul Dev Sharma's "Knowledge Base Industry".

The industry in Manipur could be defined as a half definition of Industry. It is high time to re engineer the industry in Manipur, and how is a big question.

It is true that when we speak about present industry in Manipur the only thing we can visualize is Takyel, handloom, handicrafts goods produced in a Shangoi, or maybe a slightly broader category of products which are not essential amenities.

However those are the face and the body of industry in Manipur.

It maybe assumed that none of these industries is successful comparing to the success story that everyone (or maybe only those who knows what is industry) has heard of. The irony is that, those who has made a judgment about success and failure hasn't given a thought about something called "surviving".

There are small businesses, which you may call as industry, going through the survival of the fittest phase and more to that they are not equipped with any kind of self protective shield (business model or strategies or planning or whatever terms in business) to fight the phase out.

The focus of the entire struggling entrepreneur in Manipur is getting good ROI. The "R" (Return) in ROI (Return on Investment) would be good only if the "I" (Investment) is good (assuming a success) which is not the case.

Resources would only become an input when you put investment to convert it into an output and the output would only be good if you have a good way of processing the input and the good processing would only happen with a good investment. Not very confusing I suppose, even if it is, that's the rule of the game.

Talking about knowledge based industry it requires a prolific amount of quality Manpower resources to prove that those people could be converted into a high quality knowledge product. I don't deny that we have those kinds of people but how much?

And out of them how much are willing. The new trends in the outsourcing market "KPO" Knowledge process outsourcing could be dragged in as an example to simplify the view.

Everyone in the market says it's going to boom in India because India has the required quality resources to cater to such nature of business and when they say quality resources they are talking about people who can be tagged as an "expert".

A profitable business where maximum people resources could be utilized is BPO (first level, whereas KPO could be considered as 2nd level in terms of complexity) Now a question worth asking is before we go down the dream lane of knowledge base industry do we really know what it is? What kind of people resources is going to fit in? Do we have those kinds of people resources in numbers to think about an industry?

"Low cost place" for doing business would obviously be a Strength (SWOT), however if that low cost place applies to only people resources then it would be wrong to generalize for other factors like Infrastructure cost, IT cost etc.

It is very well understood that infrastructure are developed based on the requirement and requirement are created based on the need. The need for Infrastructure will only take its shape when we have a supportive environment for business and that environment is to be created by the people which we are talking about as "Human resources".

Now, if I am asked how do we do that? I won't have even a slight clue about it, but I can only say that "I think about that at times".

I am going to make a suggestion to everyone and only those think alike may do it. What about doing a SWOT analysis on yourself and find out where you stand in the human resource pool of Manipur. Here is mine

Strength:

I am aware that Manipur is not in a state to be called a socio economic stable State and I also know that it is never too late to put your share for good. I also seem to know the problem in hand and find myself good in doing cause and effect Analysis.

Weakness:

Not understanding my strength, Inhibition of contributing my share as a Manipuri, Good in talking about the weakness of Manipur and bad in talking about good things, Doesn't know the market of Manipur as much as I know about other part of the world.

Opportunity:

I can be a good opportunist. I can fit in myself (with a little bit of bribe, if that is the need of the hour) in any new private firm in Manipur (provided it pays me good).

Threat:

Emotional attachment to Manipur, It might ultimately help me become jobless.

Funny? Don't laugh; you could very well see yourself having the same SWOT features like me.

For those who are in the process of becoming the pillar of tomorrow by studying outside of Manipur, make sure that you atleast give the interest back to Manipur if not the principle.

I am talking about the small/big salary that you get every month without fail from your parent who hardly get a salary. (Hope Govt. also behaves like the parents atleast in the salary part).