Is the world becoming a smaller place because of a change in priorities and affluence?? Or are digital devices actually postalising distance ?

Is the world becoming a smaller place because of a change in priorities and affluence?? Or are digital devices actually postalising distance ?

Forty years ago, the cost of a delhi mumbai air ticket was half of my monthly salary. One had to book a week in advance. Rajdhani chair car was a fifth of the price , but tickets were harder to get. One had to plan travel in advance and think a lot before travelling.

Now look at the situation today. A delhi mumbai air ticket is maybe 2.5% of a young iit graduate’s monthly pay cheque. Rajdhani train ticket by two tier AC is similar in cost to an indigo air ticket. Both air and train tickets are easily available.

Now come to leisure travel. People think nothing of spending Rs 5 lacs to take a trip to the Mahakumbh from mumbai or even Silicon Valley. When we have a typical alumni get together – say 200 people show up. But they come from all over the world just for a meeting. And the cost of putting a meeting together is probably a million dollars. Some time ago, it was unthinkable that we would collectively spend a million dollars for a social meeting. This is not a destination wedding and this is not work. The meeting is purely optional and there is no penalty of any kind for not attending.

This Sunday we had the 100th iit alumni council get together at the sidelines of a birthday party at the Amelia at BKC One in mumbai. Last week we had the 99th get together at the side lines of a wedding. This one had close to a thousand people and was at the Air Force auditorium lawns in New Delhi.

All this is a new phenomenon after covid. Priorities have changed. People value relationships more. Also IITians now own hotels and restaurants around the world. Even in China, one of the finest hotel chains – the naked group of hotels – is owned by an IIT alumnus. Lemontree promoter is from IIT. If we take the top ten restaurants in Mumbai – six of the top ten are owned by IITians including Bombay Canteen which is the number one followed by Amelia at BKC One and O pedro. Even in the airlines business – promoters of both SpiceJet and Indigo are IIT Alumni. The most eminent member of the Taj Hotels board is a global veteran who has headed at least three global hotel chains – is also an IITian. Wonder why and how IiTians end up in all kind of places.

For digital devices – a person next door has the same communication cost and latency as someone in another corner of the world. We don’t think before clicking to talk.

Distance is no longer about kms or about cost. It is about priorities. Just as age is a state of mind, distance is also a case of prioritisation. Also people take out time. Each of these meets had CEOs, billionaires by the dozen, defence chiefs, university chancellors and vice chancellors, senior civil servants and even godmen (yes lots of IITians here)