February 2022

Driving in India is an exercise in constant short-term attention. A vehicle might suddenly cut across your path, a pedestrian could appear out of nowhere, and, of course, a cow might decide to take a nap in the middle of the road. Every few seconds, a new variable emerges, demanding immediate reaction. But paradoxically, long-term attention is almost unnecessary—there’s no real need to anticipate a lane merging a kilometer ahead because no one follows a structured merging system anyway. You drive moment-to-moment, adjusting in real time.

Now compare this to driving in the West—say, Europe or the U.S. The process of merging into another lane begins far in advance. Signs appear well before the turn, road markings guide you smoothly, and fellow drivers expect you to signal and merge predictably. Here, driving demands a constant long-term focus—thinking ahead, anticipating movements, following a system. There’s little immediate chaos, but a lack of long-term attention can be dangerous.

This fundamental difference in driving mirrors a much deeper reality—how societies think.

Short-Term Thinking in India

Indian systems—whether in business, politics, or governance—operate like our roads: reactive, adaptive, and driven by short-term necessities.

• Employment: Most jobs are seen as transactional, with little focus on long-term career growth. Employees chase salary bumps rather than skill-building. Employers optimize for immediate gains rather than investing in talent.
• Government Policies: Policies change with election cycles, aiming for instant public approval rather than sustainable impact. Infrastructure projects stall midway, and band-aid solutions are preferred over foundational change.
• Business and Economy: Companies prioritize quarterly profits over long-term brand building. Startups rush for quick exits rather than sustainable scaling. Even in agriculture, farmers switch crops based on last season’s market prices rather than soil health or long-term yield.

Long-Term Thinking in the West

Western cultures, like their driving systems, are structured around long-term planning.

• Employment: Employees expect long-term career progression. Companies invest in upskilling their workforce.
• Governance: Policies are designed with a horizon of decades. Infrastructure is built with durability in mind. Urban planning considers future expansion rather than just present needs.
• Business Strategy: Companies invest in research and development, branding, and market positioning with a 10–20-year vision. Family businesses survive across generations rather than selling out at the first opportunity.

The Cost of Short-Termism

The result? India is always hustling but rarely building. We excel at quick adaptations—like our jugaad mindset—but we struggle with creating robust, long-lasting systems. Roads are repaired only when potholes become unbearable. Education is pursued for marks, not knowledge. Political leaders rarely make hard decisions because the rewards won’t be visible within their tenure.

Meanwhile, nations that embrace long-term thinking slowly but steadily build reliable infrastructure, stable institutions, and social security nets that last.

Can We Shift Gears?

There is no inherent flaw in short-term adaptation—it’s why India thrives in unpredictability. But at some point, we need to switch lanes. We need to balance our agility with vision, our improvisation with planning.

The next time you’re stuck behind a cow or dodging a rogue auto-rickshaw, think about this: is our nation driving itself forward, or are we just honking our way through the present?