Why must we always live our lives to western standards?

A financial newspaper recently carried a report on how car makers design their vehicles using data on physical attributes of users. Interestingly, such data has never been available for India.

“Indian and foreign car makers sold 1,551,880 cars, and utility and multi-purpose vehicles in India last year, but none of these was made for Indians. Car makers design their vehicles using data on physical attributes of users. Such information, called anthropometric data, includes details such as height, weight and key physical specifications of people who are likely to drive or be driven around in the car. In the absence of this data, which has to be collected on the basis of a study of the Indian population, car makers such as Maruti Suzuki India, Mahindra and Mahindra and Tata
Motors rely on mannequins (dummies) based on US, Japanese, European or Korean specifications,” said the report.

I do not know how the American size of 6 ft and 75 kg suits Indian drivers in terms of brake and clutch operations. The report suggests that such data on Indians is being collected now.

In a similar vein, but with much more disastrous effect, the condoms available in India are not appropriate for Indians since they are made for international sizes. I had mentioned in an article in 2007 how a survey of more than 1,000 men in India —- according to BBC and covered in many Indian newspapers —- in 2006 had concluded that condoms made according to international sizes were too large for a majority of Indian men. The survey had found that more than half the men measured had penises shorter than international averages.

This has led to a call for condoms of mixed sizes to be made more widely available in India.

The two-year study conducted by the Indian Council of Medical Research using 1,200 volunteers from all parts of India had their penises measured precisely, down to the last millimetre. The report suggested that the sample was representative of India as a whole in terms of class, religion and urban and rural dwellers. It was found that nearly 60% of Indian men have penises 3-5 centimetres shorter than international standards used in condom manufacture.

The study concluded there was an obvious need for custom-made condoms, as most of those currently on sale were too large.

This is a serious issue due given the failure rate on family planning and HIV related issues. Yet, there has been no report to suggest the situation is any different even today.

Another area where we have not developed our own standards is in readymade garments for men and women. We have European numbers and American sizes, but none for Indians. That is the reason for the ill-fitted shirts and trousers into which Indian men try to get into.

Unfortunately, even after more than 60 years of independence and 20 years of globalisation, the situation does not seem to have changed. Every time I buy a coat I try to “fit myself in to it” instead of getting a coat which fits me.

The picture regarding inner wear is more problematic for both men and women since US standards are totally useless in our context. The same is the issue with footwear —- both shoes and chappals. Hurting shoes is a part of our day-to-day living.

The other issue is regarding the use of first name, middle name and surname. Many of us do use only one name and it is not considered as “universal standard”. But the forms are designed for global standards and hence my father or village name is used as my surname and everyone in foreign countries calling me by my father’s or village name.

We need to explain that in many parts of India we do not have this surname business.
The Indian consumer/ customer is very tolerant and the level of acceptance of shoddy goods/ services are fairly high.

Still, there is significant need to create Indian standards in many products/ processes for different uses. These are the ones which affect our day-to-day living. Standards and measurements specific to Indians will give us a sense of pride. Who won’t be happy if in a London store or Singapore mall they are asked about Indian size 8 or 9 for shoes or Indian size 38 for shirts?

It might be argued that given our heterogeneity it is not easy to develop common standards, but that does not seem to be an acceptable argument. The market is large and we are as much heterogeneous as perhaps the enlarged EU. The cost of developing standards may be another issue. But a large number of businesses can pool their resources and conduct or finance conducting such studies.

Fortunately, majority of Indians burn their dead. Otherwise, coffins of Japanese standards would be the norm to suffer even after death!

It is a shame that after more than 60 years of Independence, we are yet to develop standards for our day-to-day living, even though we claim to be becoming a global power. Blame it on our colonial genes to carry on globalised condom sizes, ill-fitting pants and oversized cars. Will we ever have yardsticks entirely our own?

The writer is professor of finance and control, Indian Institute of Management -Bangalore, and can be contacted at vaidya@iimb.ernet.in. Views are personal.