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Trip to India by
Robert Feenstra in 2005:
Sponsored by the National Bureau of Economic Research, the trip
began in Bangalore, a city of over 6
million in the south of India,
best known as a center for high-technology (and also film). We
visited three high-tech companies: Infosys, Wipro, and Texas
Instruments. The first two are among the largest high-tech
companies in India,
and include activities in business process outsourcing. The third
is a research and development arm of Texas Instruments USA.
NBER
group arriving at Infosys
Martin
and Kate Feldstein
Ken
and Natasha Rogoff
Alan
and Janice Gustman
Ann
Harrison and Anne Krueger
Bob
Gordon and Graham Ingham
Mihir Desai
Campus
of Infosys
Rob
and Bob at Wipro campus
Arriving
at Texas Instruments
The next day we traveled to Delhi,
and the first afternoon I walked to Hamayun’s
Tomb. This was built in the 16th century as a tomb for the second Mughal emperor Hamayun, and
serves as a blueprint for the Taj Mahal (located some distance outside of Delhi).
Front
of the Tomb
Back
of the Tomb
Inside
the Tomb
Tomb
detail
Gate
at the Tomb
Old
Gate at the Tomb
There I met an auto-rickshaw driver who served as a tour guide for the
next several mornings.
Auto-rickshaw
Driver
Along
the Road
A
beggar and her baby
That evening I visited with American friends – Dan and Kristen
Kelleher – who live and work in Delhi.
Kristen
Kelleher and Carolina
Dan
Kelleher and Elise
The
Kelleher Family
The next morning saw Bob Gordon and I zipping around Old Delhi in the
auto-rickshaw and visiting various sites, including:
Fatepuri Masjid Mosque
Rob
at the mosque
Inside
the mosque
Workmen
repairing tile
Red
Fort (built in 1639-1648, at the peak of Mughal
power)
At a memorial for Mahatma Ghandi, the military
was practicing exercises in preparation for Republic Day, on January
26.
Memorial
for Gandhi
Memorial
for Gandhi_2
Memorial
for Gandhi_3
Along the way we brushed up against an elephant on the road, who was most likely being brought to a wedding, where
the groom traditionally arrives on an elephant or a horse, amid much
fanfare.
An
elephant on the road
Groom
and boy on horse
That morning ended with a trip to a Sikh temple that our driver wanted to
show to us (and maybe show off us)! A wedding had just finished
there.
Bride
and Groom at the Sikh Temple
Entrance
to the temple
Bob
with head covering
Rob
with head covering
Inside
the temple
Two
boys outside
In the afternoon several of us presented seminars at the National Council
of Applied Economic Research, who were the local hosts of the trip.
Anne Krueger, First Deputy Managing Director of the International
Monetary Fund, also presented a public lecture there, attended by various
dignitaries.
Suman Bery,
N.K. Singh and Richard Clarida
Richard
Clarida, Anne Krueger and Pradip
Baijal
Lecture
by Anne Krueger
The next morning Bob Gordon and I again hopped aboard the auto-rickshaw
and saw other sites, including the home of the industrialist Birla, where Mahatma Gandhi was assassinated on
January 30, 1948, and the Indian Parliament buildings.
Rob
at Birla’s house
Shrine
to Gandhi
Mural
of Ghandi
Gandhi's
last steps
Where
Gandhi was killed
Where
Gandhi stayed
Parliament
Buildings
Parliament
Buildings_2
That afternoon we attended a luncheon at the home of N.K. Singh, a
distinguished member of the Planning Commission in India.
Richard
Clarida and Mihir
Desai
Bob
Gordon, Marty and Kate Feldstein, and N.K. Singh
Janice
and Alan Gustman
Angus
Deaton, Natasha and Ken Rogoff, Ann Harrison
Anne
Krueger, Govinda Rao,
Bob Gordon and Graham Ingham
Alan
Gustman, Radha Singh
(Secretary of Agriculture) and Rob
Chatting
before lunch
The next day we traveled to the Neemrana
Fort-Palace in the neighboring state of Rajasthan, which is where the
conference took place. Dating from the 15th
century, the Fort was recently restored.
Neemrana Fort Palace
Neemrana Fort Palace_2
Neemrana Fort Palace_3
The conference included the dozen or so visitors from the US, as
well as many Indian economists and policy makers. On the final
morning we were joined by the Honorable Chief Minister of Rajasthan, Ms. Vasundhara Raje Scindia (an elected official).
Anne
Krueger, Martin Feldstein and P. Chidambaram (Minister of Finance)
Ken
Rogoff presenting
Bob
Gordon presenting
A
tea break
Esther
Duflo and Angus Deaton
Esther
Duflo presenting
Alan
Gustman presenting
Chief
minister of Rajasthan, N.K. Singh and others
The conference sessions filled much of our three days in Neemrana, but there was time one morning to go into
the small village
of Neemrana.
Donkeys
in Neemrana
Boars
eating garbage
Camel
resting
Wild
Peacock
Cows
being fed
Delivering
milk
Child
on the road
Martin
Feldstein in the village
Boys
in their school uniforms
Girls
at the well
Woman
sweeping
Tents
outside the village
The final evening featured an display of
traditional Indian dance.
Musicians
Dance_1,
Dance_2,
Dance_3,
Dance_4,
Dance_5
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