(Text/Observer Network Guo Guanghao)
On July 1st, the renowned American think tank Hoover Institution released a video of a conversation between Indra Nooyi, the former chairman and CEO of Pepsi in India, and former U.S. Secretary of State Rice. The two discussed their personal experiences, management expertise, and international situations. Indra Nooyi expressed positive views on China during the interview.
Lu Yingde was born in Chennai, India. He later became a U.S. citizen and joined Pepsi in 1994. He served as the Chairman and CEO of Pepsi.
Lu Yingde said that when talking about Asia, China and India must be discussed. 'If you have been to China, you will find that the competition within China is very intense. Even in the beverage industry, the number of brands that appear on shelves is astonishing. Anyone who thinks there is no competition in China is wrong. Although China does not have the extreme hyper-competition like the United States... the competition is still intense. Companies use new technologies and products to defeat their competitors. This is why you can see a faster pace of innovation in China... China is actually a very exciting and competitive market.'
Rice immediately said that although Chinese is difficult for American students, more and more American students are starting to learn Chinese. In comparison, the number of students going to India is much smaller. Rice expressed regret about this, while Lu Yingde answered this question quite straightforwardly.
She believes that, as a tourist, it is definitely easier for you to stay in China for a while than in India. India is a chaotic country. The charm of India lies in its chaos—absolute chaos.
"If you're familiar with India, or have been to India before, and you like the chaotic atmosphere surrounding it, then go to India. It's like a drug; you will become addicted to it. If you prefer order, cleanliness, and an orderly lifestyle, India will make you find it unbearable. When you see cows and cars sharing the road simultaneously, you will think 'What on earth is going on?!' This is what life in India is like."
Lu Yingde lamented that India has a certain spirit, believing that 'everything will pass'. He said, 'Maybe India will develop better, but having cows on the road is part of life.' Indians have become accustomed to this.
Finally, Lu Yingde expressed his respect for China's system, "because it has led China out of the dark times and back to being a world power."