During my childhood, my parents never bought Japanese toys — though these toys used to be cheap, their quality was very poor. What a contrast to the reputation for quality the Japanese gained in the 1960s and 1970s. In fact, in the 1980s, Japanese manufacturing efficiency and quality left large segments of western industry, from automobiles to consumer electronics, unable to compete, giving birth to “Japanophobia”. And, one of the major drivers of the manufacturing revolution was Toyota, the automobile manufacturer which became the world’s largest auto maker last year, from when it started 60 years ago: “The Toyota Way” became a synonym for quality and efficiency, an icon for a nation obsessed with craftsmanship and quality.

><table width='100%' border=0 cellspacing=0><tr><td style='FONT-FAMILY: Arial; FONT-SIZE: 18px; FONT-WEIGHT: bold; COLOR: #0253B7;'><B>A V Rajwade:</B> Complexity for its own sake</td></tr><tr><tr><td style='FONT-FAMILY: Arial; FONT-SIZE: 11px; '>Whether it is auto manufacturing or financial instruments, the human mind can no longer grasp what

A V Rajwade: Complexity for its own sake

Whether it is auto manufacturing or financial instruments, the human mind can no longer grasp whats happening

More From This Section

Ajai Shukla: Rafale's July take-off

Alokananda Chakraborty: It is okay to procrastinate

Sukumar Mukhopadhyay: GST - 'Paradise lost' from fractured design

Daniel Gros: Saving Europe's social model

Explore News