Speaking with a panache unmatched by recent visiting chief executives, John T Chambers delivered key note addresses to the who's who of the Indian industry that had assembled in two important forums in Delhi today-the Cisco Showcase 2001 and the CII Chief Executives' Address Series. The blue-eyed salesman of the Internet community outlined how India could take advantage of the changes that is taking place in communications infrastructure and businesses. 

Chambers emphasized again and again on education being the equalizer in life. "It's an area I am very passionate about. It's an area where my country is in deep trouble", said he, praising the quality and quantity of engineers that Indian universities produce (25 percent of Cisco engineers are Indians). India can take good advantage of this and its software capabilities in the new economy, opined he.

The CEO also spoke about closing the digital divide. "This is a chance to skip a generation", said he about the opportunity to deploy next generation networks. "You cannot build three separate highways for data, voice, and video. Why not just an integrated highway?" 

The key messages that he had for the industry:

• The network effect turns Internet pace into competitive advantage.

• The two equalizers in life are the Internet and education.

• The Internet is the network of networks.