Thoughts after watching "Corporate"

DISCLAIMER-This is not a movie review.

I watched the movie Corporate for the first time yesterday night.A movie I had longed to watch for quite sometime.

The movie depicted the dark side of corporate life beautifully.But two pertinent questions were raised in the movie to which there are no easy answers.I am saying this after 4 years of business management education (3 years BBA+1 year MBA).I am undergoing a course on "Ethics and Indian Values" in the third term at SDMIMD and I think the movie is an excellent case reflecting the way business is done in India (may be globally too, with minor variations)

Q1. Is the business of business a strong bottom line at any cost?
Q2. Does business need politics more or is it the other way around?

I have been thinking hard over these questions but reality seems to be a far cry from the ideal situation.

A free market economy must provide a fair/level- playing field to all players.But corruption and nepotism in the business-politics nexus deny a fair chance to all players, which stifles competition and defeats the very purpose of a free market economy.India is gradually transitioning from a mixed economy to a free market one thanks to reforms post-1991.But the transition is fraught with myriad issues pertaining to corruption,unethical behavior etc. that have put serious question marks on the India growth story.Business-politics nexus is found globally and history bears testimony to this.The giants generally bribe their way through whenever any obstacle arises in their plans--be it protest against land acquisition, public health or environmental impact.Regulators in general and Indian in particular, haven't been successful to that extent in curbing such unethical things, with far-reaching repercussions.

Lobbyists are hired to fight for corporates in parliaments (and paid millions of $) and its an open secret in developed economies like the US, but we don't have such an open system in India, though things are going on discreetly.

I think a stronger and more efficient regulatory mechanism along with a more aware/pro-active civil society can check this old menace that has the potential to jeopardize India's ambition of transforming itself into a TRULY developed nation.