India, Oct. 9 -- It was a stark contrast, one that got my attention. Usually, U.S. Route 101 North from San Francisco International Airport is sporadically lined with billboards of aspiration -new cars, real estate developments (both promising easy financing), local businesses in search for growth, and tech companies with shiny products often poking fun at each other. This familiar stretch of asphalt has always served as Silicon Valley's unofficial welcome mat, especially welcome after a long flight. But a few weeks ago, whilst being driven towards Sunnyvale, I noticed the billboards were telling a different story. May well be a broader Silicon Valley shift, but I didn't have time to verify.

A new overarching theme was clear, that is tec...