The Hindu Business Line : No stopping of outsourcing: Vinod Khosla

OUTSOURCING will continue despite election-year political rhetoric. Change is never smooth - it is inevitable and persistent, according to Mr Vinod Khosla, General Partner, Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers and co-founder of Sun Microsystems.

"Outsourcing is an economic decision that makes organisations more competitive. But we should be sensitive to the pain it causes the US employees', he said, addressing students at the ISB at an interactive session.

Mr Khosla while comparing investments in India and China, said, "I find the Chinese edge over India in attracting global investments mysterious and frustrating. As India gets better known, the perception of risk will decrease and it should be India now."

On `reverse brain drain', Mr Khosla said, "I think heterogeneity in a workforce is important. Homogenous countries are insular, too protected. For a new industry to succeed, you need to take the best of ideas, of people, and mix it to make a successful venture."

Talking about the challenges of new ventures, he said no business plan succeeds as per the plan. "You discover the right answer accidentally. It is important in a culture to encourage risk-taking. Reward risks or you eliminate experimentation. Success can be measured in many ways - to be happy, measure yours in a personal way."