In the next 3 days, we will start hearing about the laments of how a billion people can produce fewer than 10 Olympic medals. The outrage will last for a week; some companies/ people will (hopefully) donate some money to the Olympic Gold Quest and assume their responsibility is over. The media will move on (has it already moved on?) and we will revisit this in 2016; of course there will be the odd clamour when we will qualify in some sport, get walloped in others.

Compare this with what happened after the bomb blasts in Pune : outrage for 3 days, politicians, RJs, news anchors talking about the Government's failure/responsibility; assurance of insurance for the good folks at the BDDS (finally), increased vigilance at hotels, malls, public places for 3 more days and we're back. Sometimes I wonder if the terrorists must be feeling what a waste it is to execute such acts – nothing happens; people don't even bother to think why the blasts happened. Is this the secret policy of the Governments to tackle terrorism – bore them into defeat.

Let's take the case of the water problem – every year, the monsoons cause flooding, dams release water in July/August, we have water shortage starting from March, running up to July. In Amit Paranjape's words, we just about meet the required run rate in July.

There is no silver bullet for any of these problems (jargon to show off my mngmnt. background). Ok, there may be a 'direct solution' to each problem – talented sportsmen who can be coached to win medals, an efficient intelligence, policing and judicial system, a water management authority etc. Many responsible people, although well-aware of the gravity of the problem feel they can't contribute to the solution because they are not equipped to be the 'direct solution'. Ohh! I can't box; my son is not interested in sports. Someone else should be able to contribute more than me.

This isn't true. Waiting for, planning for, hoping for the 'direct solution' to work independently will be like living in a fool's paradise.

Like they say, for start-ups to work, they need an ecosystem – a culture of patient, risk-taking angel investors, a student community that will readily take up a job opportunity with a start-up, other businesses making it possible to work with start-ups (typical example being logistics companies are needed for most e-commerce companies to thrive) etc. for families to get ready to support entrepreneurs/people taking up jobs in start-ups.

Like how an individual doesn't have to become an entrepreneur herself to support the culture of entrepreneurship, one doesn't have to take up the sport himself to support India's improvement in Olympics. A parent could encourage her child to become an excellent physiotherapist; a dietician contributing to more healthy people is ensuring a healthier nation which is bound to increase the chances of spotting a better talented sportsperson. An excellent marketer could make sports fashionable for kids to get attracted to. A library could get kids to know more about different games. An IT Services company could do more back-end IT work for managing sports tournaments! All this will contribute to creating a movement which will translate into the 'direct solutions' to thrive. So please don't get discouraged that you don't have sporting talent at your disposal; you can contribute in whatever way you can.

For tackling the terrorism and water problems – in fact any problem which affects the whole community, we need to have a similar approach. Contribute in whatever way we can, and there will be someone who will put his hand up to take the solution to the last mile (the OGQ/the Army in the case of Olympics).

The only thing we need to be wary about – not let cynicism creep in, about how we can't directly contribute to solving the problem. We need to build a culture – an ecosystem for all the 'direct solutions' to thrive.