Letters: Japan Inc in India

This refers to the editorial “Dignified and efficient” (March 20). There is no doubt about the fact that the Japanese responded to the huge tragedy their nation faced with much dignity. As a visitor in Japan, I found their decorum and concern for public standards of conduct and manners unbelievable. However, the record of Japanese companies in India is not a shining example. They do not respect collective bargaining and all major companies, whether it is Honda, Toyota or Suzuki, have had serious labour-related troubles. They do not respect laws, whether it is income tax or labour. They have not been very accommodating when dealing with the demands of labour union leaders either. Suzuki announced plans for a separate company for manufacturing cars, which is an example of bad governance as far as the shareholders of Maruti Udyog Limited are concerned. Also, nobody has gone into the pricing of parts sourced from the parent company vis-à-vis sourcing from other vendors, Japanese or Indian.

Hari Parmeshwar, on email