The picture of an auto-rickshaw has been cropped from a larger painting by Feroz Khan, a young artist based in Delhi. ________________________________________________________________
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Riding the Elephant began in April 2007 as a twice-weekly column on Fortune magazine’s website - http://money.cnn.com/magazines/fortune/. This expanded the website’s coverage of India in the run-up to Fortune’s big Global Forum conference in Delhi that October. After the Forum, I wrote posts about once a week till the end of July 2008 when, following budget cuts at Fortune.com, the blog began its independent existence here.
I aim to write about India, and sometimes its neighbours, about once a week, focussing on issues that seem to me to be interesting and important – hoping that they stimulate interest and comment. I also plan to use subjects in the blog as the basis for a book. Very occasionally I comment on something in the UK.
The blog also appears on the website of The Independent (UK) newspaper. The latest posts are headlined on the Hong Kong-based Asia Sentinel’s home page, where they sometimes appear in full. Posts used to appear occasionally on the FT.com India page, and I have a link on Tina Brown’s US-based The Daily Beast. See Blogroll for links to these and other useful sites.
I’m a British journalist and have been in South Asia for a total of 20 years, writing initially for the Financial Times and, since the mid-1990s, mostly for Fortune magazine and The Economist plus, till 2003, the New Statesman.
Here’s some other career details:
Financial Times’ first South Asia correspondent (1983-88), following several years in London as the FT’s labour editor and industrial editor.
In 1988 moved to Hong Kong as the FT’s correspondent for the territory, southern China, and Taiwan. In 1991, left the FT and spent just over three years in the Hong Kong Government as public affairs adviser to the Chief Secretary, then returned to India in 1995.
Past President of the Foreign Correspondents’ Club of South Asia (2007-09) and of the International Association of Press Clubs (2008-09).
Publications:
“Foreign Correspondent – 50 years of Reporting South Asia” – Editor with Bernard Imhasley, Simon Denyer. Penguin India. April 2008 hardback http://www.penguinbooksindia.com/Bookdetail.aspx?bookId=3599
November 2009 updated paperback http://www.penguinbooksindia.com/Bookdetail.aspx?bookId=3743
“India and China – Asia’s New Giants: Stepping Stones to Prosperity”, Rajiv Gandhi Institute of Contemporary Studies (Delhi 1995).
“Conflict or Co-operation: The Growth of Industrial Democracy”, Kogan Page (London – hardback 1977, updated paperback 1983). http://www.abebooks.com/9780850381061/Conflict-Co-Operation-Growth-Industrial-Democracy-0850381061/plp
John Elliott
I must say your weblog is outstanding! I’ll undoubtedly arrive again again!
By: New England Patriots on February 6, 2012
at 7:09 pm
With groundwater loss and loss of soil fertility India has big problems that are going to become worse. I hope you look into that as well.
Here is something else to keep in mind.
http://www.globalfuturist.com/images/docs/Canton_Megacities-2.pdf
The extreme future of Megacities
Meanwhile, India is still clinging to its 19th century urban systems that are long past their sell by date.
By: May on January 3, 2012
at 10:48 am
Refreshing perspective on Indian politics. The CPM in Bengal is undoubtedly the most corrupt and self serving party in India. Change is essential but will the TMC provide the sound reform and guiding hand needed to help the distressed state? I am afraid corruption is embedded in the culture now.
By: Shyamadas Banerji on May 11, 2011
at 12:48 am
Having grown up as a foreigner in Delhi, I am always looking for useful and thoughtful commentary on the problems generated by the development process. As a planner, I, too, am appalled by the failure of people to understand the basic trap of endless growth in consumption. A friend shared with me your column on Jairam Ramesh, and I am intrigued that he represents a Buddhist approach to development on behalf of India at Cancun. I agree that only by learning to forgo desire and envy for the unsustainable US model do we stand even a hope of bringing the earth back to something approaching a sustainable future.
By: David Stein on November 24, 2010
at 5:44 pm
I think the most succinct comment on the CWG came from Mani Shanker Aiyar in one of the NDTV shows where he said (I think with telling and painful accuracy) that Indians are past masters of STARTING to erect the pandal, long after the baraat has been cited!
One only hopes that this time around the baraat would not arrive to a pathetic half-hearted attempt of India’s desperation to arrive on the world stage!
Sad that it should be so! We ARE, one hopes, capable of doing so much better!!! Rahul, whre have you been?!?! You could have done well (in this case) to follow your father’s footsteps!!!
By: Sidhartha Ghosh on July 20, 2010
at 4:56 pm
You have a unique style of portraying India ,Mr.Elliot. It’s quite different and more true to the core,I feel, than the usual references India we Indians are used to see in newspapers and weekly’s. I mean, we are used to see India’s potentials and strengths being glorified in Indian publications and the foreign ones mostly showcasing India’s weak points in the international arena and its dark spots. But your views, I see as the reality of what we experience in daily life. The real India.
If one shows us the glimpse of a possible future, the other reminds us of a grim past and somehow wants us to stick to it. But you’re giving us both and still managing to show us the present, which is the most important one. Without which we can’t really go into a bright future for we will be trapped with the ghosts of our past.
Thank you for providing us with an opportunity for a much needed reality-check.
And expecting much more in this regard from you in the future.
Wish you all the best!
By: ANJ on July 11, 2010
at 11:00 pm
Dear Mr. Elliott,
You have been consistently so good in your writings that it becomes very difficult to comment on your stories. You are fair in your observations and impartial in your criticism.Your style in writing makes reading your articles a pleasure. The only trouble is it becomes a monotonous job, suspect in credibility, to write about your excellence repeatedly. How would you resolve the dilemma if you were in my place?
….thank you Tushar – I’d keep reading and send some comments, maybe sometimes question my conclusions, or endorse them! je
By: Tushar Bhatt on December 19, 2009
at 5:23 pm
I find your articles unbiased, well researched, critical to all the concerned on the current issues, which makes one & all to rededicate themselves to the society,
By: laxmivenurao on December 19, 2009
at 9:39 am
John I love to read your blog posts…They are very thought provoking.
By: indiangal_in_oz on November 1, 2009
at 11:07 am
Being a journalist since 1962, I have been an avid reader and an admirer of your ability to identify issues,articulate them objectively and always be eminently readable even while tackling complex subjects. Your coverage of India in FT was superb and when you left it I missed your stories.Then, roaming the net a few days ago I suddenly found your blog, which it is needless to say, is very good. Wish you all the best.
By: Tushar Bhatt on October 30, 2009
at 12:38 pm
Really enjoy your writing, reporting and blog. Thank you.
-Nadja
http://yehhailife.wordpress.com
http://www.yehhailife.com
By: YehHaiLife on September 19, 2009
at 5:31 am