
Globalisation: A journey of trade, innovation, and disruption
While silk was primarily traded overland, spices were exchanged extensively across the Mediterranean and the Arabian Sea. Globalisation took root during this period, and the Age of Discovery accelerated its progress, even though the phenomenon was not yet recognised as 'globalisation.' The rise of Great Britain and the First Industrial Revolution significantly increased global trade. The French constructed the Suez Canal, which connected the Mediterranean Sea to the Red Sea, opening a vital artery of trade possibilities.
The Second Industrial Revolution, also known as the Technological Revolution, introduced new means of communication and transportation that revolutionised manufacturing and commerce. This era ended in crisis with the outbreak of World War I (1914–1918), which caused millions of deaths, widespread destruction, trade disruptions, and closed borders. The post-war years saw some global connections, but the Great Depression led to a breakdown of the worldwide economy. After World War II (1939–1945), the world entered a new era marked by the Cold War, with the Iron Curtain dividing the globe between the two superpowers of the time: the United States and the Soviet Union.
A monumental development occurred in 1989: the collapse of the Iron Curtain, which significantly altered global power dynamics. The world began to move from a unipolar to a more multipolar landscape. The formation of the World Trade Organisation further advanced globalisation through numerous trade agreements that spanned borders. The third industrial revolution gave new meaning to the word connectivity. The advent of the computer and the Internet removed barriers to communication and connection across borders, opening doors to the possibilities of trade, work, and economic growth. This led to the unprecedented growth of global connectivity.
The advent of the Internet led to a significant surge in globalisation, exponentially expanding international trade and benefiting a substantial portion of the world's population. Rapid technological developments and innovations ushered in the Fourth Industrial Revolution, bringing a wealth of technologies, including artificial intelligence, robotics, the Internet of Things, and others.
These developments and advances in transportation and communication have ensured the world is now deeply interconnected through globalisation and trade. At the peak of globalisation, the Covid-19 pandemic struck, exposing vulnerabilities to global supply chains and causing a sudden halt in international trade. Even in 2025, post-Covid-19, the world stands at the crossroads of escalating war, globalisation, protectionism, trade wars, immigration challenges, climate crises, and automation.
In conclusion, globalisation is a dynamic phenomenon shaped by the unpredictable forces of the world, including pandemics, trade wars, conflict, technological advancements, innovation, and industrial ambition.
From the Silk Road to the era of artificial intelligence, it has unlocked enumerable possibilities and exposed vulnerabilities. As the world faces unforeseen challenges—ranging from pandemics and trade wars to climate change, technological disruption, geopolitical tensions, and health crises—it is clear that globalisation is neither inherently good nor bad. Instead, it is a two-edged sword that must be used with wisdom and foresight. Global leaders and communities must collaborate to ensure that the benefits of globalization are equitably and sustainably shared worldwide and that the risks are mitigated for future generations.
Dr Mythili Kolluru
The writer is an assistant professor at the marketing and management department of the College of Banking and Financial Studies in Muscat.
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Observer
17 hours ago
- Observer
FARM TO PHONE
Gao Chaorong knows what it takes to turn out good crops of sweet potatoes, peanuts and wheat, but tasty produce is no longer enough to draw China's app savvy crowd. To prevent her crops from rotting unsold in the fields, the 56-year-old is now back in school, attending a 'hands-on livestreaming bootcamp' to learn to take her vegetables straight to consumers via their mobile phones. Gao and her classmates are gunning for online popularity as China's 'new farmers' -- people who use the latest technology in agricultural production or services. The number of new rural creators has soared 52 per cent on China's TikTok sister app Douyin over the past year as they hope to capitalise on the country's one billion Internet users, the world's most. Sisters (L-R) Tian Dongying, Tian Wenxin, Tian Chunying and Tian Junying, livestreamers and e-commerce experts born to farmers who organise monthly training camps for 'new farmers', posing at the rural revitalisation office in Penglai, Yantai city, China's eastern Shandong province. - AFP On the Instagram-like Chinese app Xiaohongshu, the hashtag 'new farmers' has been viewed more than 227 million times. Local authorities are even sending some officials to learn livestreaming and help farmers get online. "It's been harder for farmers to sell their produce, especially offline," said Chen Xichuan, a Communist Party cadre in the small Shandong city of Pingdu who was among those asked to set an example and help growers take their trade online. Live in action outdoors, Chen squeezed a ripe green pear he held up to a phone secured on a tripod. "Just look at the juice," Chen, wearing a straw hat to shield himself from the blazing sun, told his viewers. With Chinese consumers buying anything from clothes to makeup to garlic online, livestreaming has become an essential marketing platform for farmers to entice and engage customers directly. A participant with a notation photo on a phone alongside handwritten notes during a 'hands-on livestreaming bootcamp' for farmers at the rural revitalisation office in Penglai, Yantai city, China's eastern Shandong province. - AFP Users can make purchases at the click of a button, as well as comment during live broadcasts or ask sellers about their products. The Tian sisters, livestreamers and e-commerce experts born to farmers, organise the training camp monthly, charging around $698 for four days of intensive lessons and "lifelong" follow-ups. Students learn how to hook audiences using compelling scripts, props and visually appealing backgrounds. In the classroom, a dozen students watched as Gao held up a sliced eggplant and gushed, with barely a pause or a stutter, about the best way to cook the vegetable. "Remember, when you're selling products, it's not just about memorising your sales script," teacher Tian Dongying said, as she reviewed Gao's mock livestreaming session. "You need to understand who you're talking to," she said. Tian, who founded the livestreaming school with two sisters and a cousin, said all her students deserved "full marks". "They've never done this kind of thing before and just being able to stand up and speak is already a challenge," she said. "Because they want to earn this money, they have to push past their own limits." Gao said she attended the bootcamp because farmers like her face fierce competition and "can't stick to the old-fashioned way of farming anymore". She grows her crops at the foot of Shandong's Maling Mountain and has started to post videos on Douyin, gaining more than 7,000 followers. Participants of a 'hands-on livestreaming bootcamp' for farmers conducting a livestream sales presentation at the rural revitalisation office in Penglai, Yantai city, China's eastern Shandong province. - AFP REFUNDS GUARANTEED China's agricultural sector is becoming more important because industries like real estate are "no longer as prosperous" and unemployment is rising, said livestreaming school principal Tian Chunying, Dongying's eldest sister. "Agriculture is becoming the cornerstone of China's ability to support its population," she said. President Xi Jinping has identified rural revitalisation as a key priority for China's development since taking office in 2012. He has also emphasised the vital role that agriculture plays in China, the world's top producer of commodities including rice and wheat. "A country must first strengthen agriculture to make itself strong," Xi said in 2022. Digital tools such as livestreaming have transformed public perceptions of rural life in China, said Pan Wang, an associate professor at Australia's University of New South Wales. "Traditionally, Chinese farmers have been depicted as working from sunrise to sunset -- poor, old-fashioned, disconnected from technology," Wang said. However, hurdles remain for farmers as they try to become more tech-savvy. "Livestreaming and making videos are all new," farmer Gao said. - AFP


Observer
6 days ago
- Observer
Globalisation: A journey of trade, innovation, and disruption
Over 2,000 years ago, the earliest form of globalisation began with the Silk Road. Trade has been a part of human existence since ancient times, with silk and spices exchanged between Asia and Europe. Trade links were established through the Silk Road and, later, the spice routes. History shows that trade thrives when nations protect it and collapses when they do not. Recent history has echoed these patterns: Trade War 1 (2018-19) and the ongoing Trade War 2 have disrupted international trade and reoriented global supply chains. While silk was primarily traded overland, spices were exchanged extensively across the Mediterranean and the Arabian Sea. Globalisation took root during this period, and the Age of Discovery accelerated its progress, even though the phenomenon was not yet recognised as 'globalisation.' The rise of Great Britain and the First Industrial Revolution significantly increased global trade. The French constructed the Suez Canal, which connected the Mediterranean Sea to the Red Sea, opening a vital artery of trade possibilities. The Second Industrial Revolution, also known as the Technological Revolution, introduced new means of communication and transportation that revolutionised manufacturing and commerce. This era ended in crisis with the outbreak of World War I (1914–1918), which caused millions of deaths, widespread destruction, trade disruptions, and closed borders. The post-war years saw some global connections, but the Great Depression led to a breakdown of the worldwide economy. After World War II (1939–1945), the world entered a new era marked by the Cold War, with the Iron Curtain dividing the globe between the two superpowers of the time: the United States and the Soviet Union. A monumental development occurred in 1989: the collapse of the Iron Curtain, which significantly altered global power dynamics. The world began to move from a unipolar to a more multipolar landscape. The formation of the World Trade Organisation further advanced globalisation through numerous trade agreements that spanned borders. The third industrial revolution gave new meaning to the word connectivity. The advent of the computer and the Internet removed barriers to communication and connection across borders, opening doors to the possibilities of trade, work, and economic growth. This led to the unprecedented growth of global connectivity. The advent of the Internet led to a significant surge in globalisation, exponentially expanding international trade and benefiting a substantial portion of the world's population. Rapid technological developments and innovations ushered in the Fourth Industrial Revolution, bringing a wealth of technologies, including artificial intelligence, robotics, the Internet of Things, and others. These developments and advances in transportation and communication have ensured the world is now deeply interconnected through globalisation and trade. At the peak of globalisation, the Covid-19 pandemic struck, exposing vulnerabilities to global supply chains and causing a sudden halt in international trade. Even in 2025, post-Covid-19, the world stands at the crossroads of escalating war, globalisation, protectionism, trade wars, immigration challenges, climate crises, and automation. In conclusion, globalisation is a dynamic phenomenon shaped by the unpredictable forces of the world, including pandemics, trade wars, conflict, technological advancements, innovation, and industrial ambition. From the Silk Road to the era of artificial intelligence, it has unlocked enumerable possibilities and exposed vulnerabilities. As the world faces unforeseen challenges—ranging from pandemics and trade wars to climate change, technological disruption, geopolitical tensions, and health crises—it is clear that globalisation is neither inherently good nor bad. Instead, it is a two-edged sword that must be used with wisdom and foresight. Global leaders and communities must collaborate to ensure that the benefits of globalization are equitably and sustainably shared worldwide and that the risks are mitigated for future generations. Dr Mythili Kolluru The writer is an assistant professor at the marketing and management department of the College of Banking and Financial Studies in Muscat.


Times of Oman
01-07-2025
- Times of Oman
India's digital decade, next 10 years will be more transformative: PM Modi
New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi shared a blog titled "A Decade of Digital India" on his official LinkedIn handle, celebrating 10 years of the Digital India mission. He described how India has transformed from limited internet access and digital services in 2014 to becoming a global leader in digital technology in 2024. PM Modi said that earlier, people doubted if Indians could use technology well. But the government trusted the people and used technology to bridge the gap between the rich and the poor. Today, digital tools have become part of everyday life for 140 crore Indians -- from learning and business to accessing government services. In 2014, India had about 25 crore internet connections. Now, it has over 97 crore. High-speed internet has even reached remote areas like Galwan and Siachen. The country's 5G rollout is one of the fastest in the world, with nearly 5 lakh base stations set up in just two years. PM Modi highlighted platforms like UPI, which now handles over 100 billion transactions yearly. Through Direct Benefit Transfers (DBT), ₹44 lakh crore has been sent directly to people, saving nearly ₹3.5 lakh crore by cutting out middlemen. He shared how platforms like ONDC and GeM are helping small businesses grow by connecting them with big markets. ONDC recently crossed 200 million transactions, and GeM has reached over ₹1 lakh crore in sales in just 50 days. The SVAMITVA scheme has given more than 2.4 crore property cards and mapped over 6 lakh villages. India's digital tools, such as Aadhaar, CoWIN, DigiLocker, and FASTag, are now being used and studied by other countries. CoWIN helped in managing the world's largest vaccination drive, issuing 220 crore certificates. India is now among the top 3 startup ecosystems in the world, with over 1.8 lakh startups. The country is also growing fast in artificial intelligence (AI). Through the India AI Mission, India is offering access to powerful AI tools at very low cost, making it a global hub for digital innovation. PM Modi said that the next 10 years will be even more transformative. India is moving from using digital tools to leading the world with them. He called on innovators and entrepreneurs to build technology that helps and unites people, and to make India a trusted global partner in the digital world.