Vishipedia

The History of The Yamaha RD350

2012-03-04T19:06:00.001+05:30

It may have had a mere 35 bhp, an air – cooled 350 ccparallel twin engine, and a top speed of 160 kmph; but it still is a bike thatleaves enthusiasts swearing by its name!

Yamaha launched the RD350 (RD stands for Race Developed) in1974 with the 350A model. They mated a parallel twin, 350 cc 2 – stroke engine toa 6 – speed transmission, all packaged into an awesome chassis. This chassis wasdeveloped from their experience in motorcycle racing, something Yamaha was a partof since 1951.

The Legendary Yamaha RD350 ad.

The RD350 had a top whack of ONLY 100mph (160 kmph), but it was the way it got there that left riders speechless. Shiftinto 1^st gear, open the throttle and be off! The RD would throw backthe rider and wrench his gut right until she reached her top end. The worldwould turn into a blur! That unmistakable exhaust note warned everyone aroundthat the RD was on its way and would splatter mud into the face of even thefastest 750. 100 mph was reached in a matter of mere seconds when the rest ofthe bikes would still be entering their power band. The bike wanted to wheeliein the 1^st, 2^nd & 3^rd gears and it took aprofessional hand to be able to tame that wild beast (not that anyone wanted totame her; ‘handle’ is a more apt word). The sheer manner in which she reachedtop speed and left others in her smoke was a journey in itself. That journeyleft riders grinning from ear to ear (or in my case, screaming inside thehelmet with blood pounding between my ears).

The chassis inspired a lot of confidence when one threw itinto a turn. Fast as she was (and still is), she was accommodating. She gladlyheld her line when treated with respect and blasted out of a turn with youholding on for dear life. But accelerate too hard & have a not – so – good swingarm setup and she would spit you off (yeah, actually made you feel like Superman).

The Rajdoot RD350 LT.

The RD350A had a successor, the RD350B. The B was a superhitworldwide and Yamaha entered it into the Indian market in collaboration withAuto Escorts Ltd. in 1983. Unfortunately, the RD350B could not repeat itsworldwide success in India. We didn’t know how to handle the power, thesuspension was not setup for India, we didn’t have knowledgeable mechanics andall we wanted was average/mileage. Escorts launched the Rajdoot 350 LT (LowTorque), a tuned down version of the Yamaha RD, which was lower on power(produced around 26 – 28 bhp) and offered slightly more mileage. However, theRajdoot failed to succeed and Yamaha pulled the plug on the project in 1990. Afew RDs were sold until 1992.

The RD350 is still a legend across the world, Indiaincluded. Many bikers still swear by the RD, even though they’ve ridden many1000 cc bikes. The sheer pleasure of being able to zip through traffic in thecity, yet being able to rip open the throttle and leave the world behind on anopen road is unmatched. In my next article I’ll outline some problems faced byRD350 owners in India and how they can be tackled, as I’ve been through thesame (read that story here). Those tips will be useful for RD owners who are despairingover its maintenance, or those who want to buy one now.

An Idea To Get Rid Of Corruption [VIDEO]

2012-02-22T17:06:00.000+05:30

How tired are we of corruption? And how much do we do to arrest it? Precious little.

My MBA classmates and I shot and composed this video in the fall of 2009 while we were studying at Bharati Vidyapeeth Management Institute. It's our take on how we can combat corruption without entering the system.

This video won awards wherever it entered a competition - Father Agnels' Institute, IES MBA Institute and others. The video was also applauded by renowned Marathi actor Sachin Khedekar. The following was his take of our video:

"I'm not so concerned about videos which constantly portray the problems we face. I don't want to hear people constantly say "It's not possible", "We can't do anything", "It's always been like this", etc. I want to see a positive sign where we are provided with a solution to such issues. This video is a classic example of such solutions." - Sachin Khedekar.

The team with Sachin Khedekar. The one on the extreme right is me.

We must stand as one against corruption. The process of reducing it (elimination is impossible) will be painstakingly long, but every bit worth it! We must not lose hope. It's important to stand as a united force and oppose corruption. If we do this, we'll fix the problem of rampant corruption without having to enter the system. Forget the saying "Apna kaam banta, bhaad mein jaaye janta (As long as my work is done, the world can go to hell)" and stand as citizens of one country.

5 Awesome Books for Reading!

2012-02-17T10:46:00.000+05:30

I’ve blanked out! I’m neglecting my blog! I’m woefully short of ideas & topics, feeling quite blue and appear to finally have HIT the phenomenon called ‘Writers’ Bloc’.

To keep my blog going, I’ve compiled a list of my 5 top favourite books. These books have pretty much moulded my thought patterns and outlook towards life (in & around me).

1.) India Unbound: Arguably the BEST book depicting the India story. The author, Gurcharan Das, analyzes India since the days of Alexander and brings us to speed with the current scenario. Historic, economic, political, social and cultural aspects are looked into to give us an in depth idea as to how India has developed through the ages. The New York Times sums it up best as "Something tremendous is happening in India, and Das, with his keen eye and often elegant prose, has his finger firmly on the pulse of the transformation.” Truly an amazing book which I can (and do) read over & over again.

2.) Predictably Irrational: This book shot author Dan Ariely to fame, and quite deservedly so! We humans are endowed with brains which differentiates us from animals. Hence, we must take rational decisions. However, we humans defy logic and take a lot of irrational decisions. That irrationality, however, has a pattern to it; that irrationality can be predicted! Dan Ariely shows us how through witty experiments and case studies. A must read for someone who wishes to understand human psychology better.

5 of my all time favourites. What about yours?

3.) Chanakya Neeti: Many self help and personality development books are sold worldwide. However, there are some books which drive wisdom and composure. These lessons are more valuable towards leading a peaceful and stable life than all the self help books cumulatively. Contrary to the common belief, Chanakya and his lessons existed long before Niccolò Machiavelli, which makes the former the pioneer of such lessons. These lessons are not on how to handle people and win friends, but how to live a fulfilling life.

4.) Rich Dad, Poor Dad: Robert Kiyosaki, in this best seller, talks about something which supplements EQ & IQ to aid us in finance management – FQ (Financial Quotient). He points out (again, through examples) how we can construct and maintain a financial portfolio to lead a better and more financially secure life. The pointers he provides in the book are not difficult to implement; they simply demand a certain level of innovation and intelligence to handle finances. That innovation and intelligence is present in all of us… we simply have to use it to our benefit.

5.) Linchpin: My sister hates self help books, and frankly speaking, so do I. Let’s face it – most of us hate these Achieve Your Dreams books. The name and the tagline of this Seth Godin book sound very similar to one of those and the book starts off slowly. However, as the chapters progress, we get a glimpse into Godin’s lateral thinking mind. He focuses on the well known fact that there is little to differentiate amongst us. How can we really be different? By adopting a lot of principles which the world refrains from using. He leads us onto a mindset which we can adopt; a mindset which does not have to be filled with positivity. His book further substantiates the proverb “To be seen, be different.” And his idea of being different is being logical, which 90% of the herd does not adhere to.

Apart from these, there are awesome novels like The Immortals of Meluha series, The Animal Farm, Paths of Glory, etc. Do share your favourite books with me. It’ll be fun to get to know and read new stuff.

Cheers.

5 Great Online & Social Media Tools For Everyday Use!

2012-01-29T22:11:00.000+05:30

You have (or are looking for) a good presence on social media. But, you also have a social life. You’re looking to balance both. Also, you’re looking to share good content with your friends and followers; you don’t want to pepper your social media contacts with stuff like you’re spamming them; you’re looking to reduce manual work on Facebook and Twitter, etc.

These two sites (and others) are great ways to direct traffic to your blog and ensuring the right content is posted at the right time. Using appreciate social media tools is key to achieve that goal.

I haven’t spent too long researching social media, but have come across 5 great tools which make life much easier for you in the online world. Some people already know about these, but those who don’t can experiment and see which one works best for them.

1. Instapaper: We’re all familiar with the concept of bookmarks in our browsers. Sometimes, however, we have bookmarks stored in different browsers (home computer, office laptop, mobile browser, etc.) and it’s hard to access them from different places. That’s what Instapaper fixes. All you have to do is create an account, install the ‘Read Later’ option on your most used browsers and you’re all set. Read anything interesting online? Simply click on the ‘Read Later’ option in your browser and it automatically gets saved into your account. You can log into Instapaper from anywhere and access the link. You can even share it on Twitter, FB, Pinstorm, Tumblr or Evernote at your convenience. Robert Clay introduced me to this tool, and it works like a dream.

Some tools to make you a Social Media Rockstar

2. TweetDeck: There are many similar apps, but TweetDeck seems to be the most popular one. It allows you to post an update on both Twitter and FB. True, Twitter itself gives you the option of posting your updated on FB. TweetDeck though, allows you to choose the site which you want post the update on. So you can toggle between FB & Twitter, or update both. Access your FB & Twitter accounts from a singular location. Plus, TweetDeck allows you to post a tweet with more than 140 characters. It becomes an extended bit.ly link instead of you having to type (contd...) and posting another tweet to complete your point.

3. Buffer App: So you don’t want to bombard your Tweeple (Twitter people) with ten tweets at once. Buffer allows you to time when your tweets are posted on Twitter. Create an account, install the Buffer extension, set the timings when you want your tweets to be posted and you’re set. Your browser now has a Buffer option at the bottom. If you want to tweet the link with a message, simply click on the Buffer button and it’s ready to be tweeted at your stipulated time. You can also select just 1 line from the article and click on Buffer. As a result, that one selected line and the link become the tweet. You have many more options like editing tweets, arranging the order of your stored tweets, deleting some, adding some, etc. So it won’t look like you’re peppering people with tweets; neither will it look like you aren’t tweeting if you’re busy.

4. SocialBro: Your ultimate Twitter profile analysis tool! Download the software and let it analyse your profile. The free version calculates the best time to tweet, the time when you get maximum RTs, replies and interactions based on your top 100 followers. SocialBro provides a wide range of features: You can see which users are online, monitor a specific group of users via a Twitter list, monitor search terms… in short, find out more about who is tweeting right now. A SocialBro algorithm determines when most of your followers are online to see your tweets; a couple clicks later and you can set those times within Buffer.

5. HootSuite: Rather than being on one social network, HootSuite allows you to connect to multiple social networks from one website. HootSuite helps you use the social web to identify and grow your audience, and distribute targeted messages across multiple channels. Using HootSuite’s unique social media dashboard, teams can collaboratively schedule updates to Twitter, Facebook, Linkedin, Wordpress and other social networks via web, desktop or mobile platforms plus track campaign results and industry trends to rapidly adjust tactics.

Using these tools wisely and to their full potential can make you an online superstar. You can command how your social media works for you, while mere mortals will be left wondering how you’re doing it. Share links of your articles using these tools and you will receive a lot of international exposure, along with the potential to connect with interesting and like minded people.

So which social media tools do you use?

The Best Thing In Life Is...

2012-01-22T17:06:00.000+05:30

FREE! Yes, the best thing in life is FREE! Your family! The family that brings you into this world, nurtures and nourishes you, teaches you values which steer your life, stands you up on your feet and then supports you for the rest of your life. This family includes your parents, grandparents, wife and maybe children.

But there is a price we pay for sustaining this family and maintaining its strength; the price of sacrifice, hard work, time, thought and effort. It’s a price we all gladly pay. Every individual has to do her/his bit to ensure the family functions smoothly (I know ‘functions’ sounds a little crude word, but you get the idea, right?). True, there are bad times, but as we have to remember what William Shakespeare says – “This, too, shall pass!”

Today’s manic world demands a lot of our time. So much time that we spend a lot more time with friends, colleagues, work buddies, etc. than with our families. I had talked here about how we youngsters have started focussing more on materialistic things. Technology, elite goods, fast food, movies, trash TV programmes, etc. now take up a lot of our time which we otherwise could have spent with family. More time spent with work colleagues than with a significant other is one reason for the spurt in extra marital affairs. We’re gradually being pulled away from our roots and being plunged into the culture followed in the West, something we prided on avoiding earlier.

File photo of my family some 2 decades ago

Our relatives, I believe, don’t make a part of the core family. More often than not, our parents end up doing more than expected for them. Or maybe, we have to, on the insistence of our parents. I’ve heard lots of stories where doing for relatives has drained a family of effort and money, and when it was time to give back, the relatives have backed off, leaving families to fend for themselves. That is saddening. Also, we nowadays see more children abandoning their parents. It was theatrically depicted in movies like Baghban. These are not reflections of what parents have taught their children. Sometimes the children turn out to be rotten apples and there is little that can be done to fix it. That’s why I’ve not included children as part of the family that’s most cherished all lifelong. Conversely, it could also be due to parents not dedicating enough time to their children or setting a bad example; something the children follow.

The key lies in following what Harish Rajagopalachari of PwC says – “It helps to step back and introspect every once in a while.” He was talking about entrepreneurship, but this philosophy can be applied to real life also. We should pull away from useless temptations and focus on what really matters more. Family is the most important aspect here. So let us reduce talking on the cell phone, obsessively checking e-mails and BBMs, staying connected to the net 24x7, watching meaningless TV shows and spend time talking to our family members. Asking them how was the day, what are they up to, whether we can do some chores, etc. Take them to dinner more regularly, on a vacation, have dinner together on the dining table without the TV on, are some things. You already know so much more that you can do. This will also help us to break the shackles of the loneliness that might grip us as we keep spending time online. Connect more with real people, especially family, and watch your personal life improve considerably. Cheers!

Unparliamentary Behaviour, Really?

2012-01-15T18:34:00.000+05:30

I will focus my attention today from daily musings to a phrase in English – ‘Unparliamentary Behaviour.’

I was fooling around in office one day, pulling people’s legs (something I’m good at) when one of the copywriters told me to stop my ‘Unparliamentary Behaviour’. And that’s when the discussion started.

I am not the 1^st to question this term; it’s been questioned by a lot of people before. But how did the people who coined the term agree to it in the 1^st place? Yes, ‘Unparliamentary Behaviour’ is a term to describe unruly behaviour on the part of a person/people. Quite a paradox, that! Not just India, parliaments across the world have witnessed various instances of more than mere unruly behaviour while the house has been in motion.

It’s hard to find images of unruly parliamentary behaviour online, but Isreal, Zimbabwe, Nepal, India, Sri Lanka, Taiwan, etc. have all seen many instances of vandalism in the parliament. Research states that about 22% of the parliament’s time is lost due to such misbehaviour. Australia and some other countries have proposed a fine on politicians who misbehave and cause damage in the parliament. This should rein in those hooligans. Pity it won’t work in India, though...

So, is ‘unparliamentary’ an apt term for unruly behaviour? You would agree it should be the opposite, isn’t it? ‘Parliamentary Behaviour’, right? But it’s highly unlikely this change in diction will be implemented because it’s gonna be a major blotch on the so – called image of these politicians.

I still don’t get it! Do these politicians & bureaucrats assume their behaviour is an example for us? Where is the correlation between misbehaviour and behaviour of bureaucrats? My office colleague and I are still scratching our heads. Someone please make sense of it for me! :(

The TeS2011 Experience... An Entrepreneurial Summit...

2012-01-07T17:18:00.000+05:30

I had attended the TiE Entrepreneurial Summit (TeS2011) at Bangalore on 15^th & 16^th December, 2011. I know it’s almost a month since the event was held, but there are some insightful points I want to share with you.

The Indus Entrepreneurs (TiE) is a community which was initiated by a handful of successful entrepreneurs almost 20 years ago; the most noted name of those being Vinod Khosla. Today TiE exists in 57 cities, 14 countries and spans across 5 continents.

A lot of accomplished and prolific entrepreneurs had come as speakers. They shared their knowledge and experiences with budding and wannabe starters. Some of those speakers were Dr. N.S. Raghavan (Founder Infosys & NSRCL), Sachin Bansal (Flipkart.com), Kunal Bahl (Snapdeals.com), Hari Rajagopalachari (PwC) and Dr. G. Sridhar (ACE Learning). Lunch, dinner and tea sessions provided good opportunities for attendees to connect with each other.

I’ll quote some insightful and interesting points shared by a few of them:

1. N.S. Raghavan (Founder INFOSYS & NSRCL):

a. Perception of unfairness in an organization (and real life) can be mitigated by increasing transparency & communication.

b. Humans are filled with ‘Unrealistic Optimism/bias’, i.e. the hope that things will get better, about many situations in life despite credible information and data to oppose the belief.

c. Behavioural economics & neuroeconomics (subjects that highly interest him) are already playing a key role in businesses pricing and positioning their products & services.

2. Jack Rivkin (Director Dale Carnegie Associates & Inc)

a. USA has witnessed 47 recessions in its 220 year history. All cases have extended into global crises.

b. In 2011, India has had a $15 billion trade surplus with the US. Also, in this year, the US has exported goods & services worth $1.4 trillion but imported worth $1.8 trillion. (This goes to show how difficult it is for US to control the fiscal deficit and borrowing, which is already 120% of the $14 trillion GDP).

3. Sachin Bansal (Founder & CEO, Flipkart.com):

a. The fundamentals of e – commerce in India are strong.

b. Selection of products is the largest property of an e – com organization.

c. Talent, infrastructure and payment methods, amongst others, are the biggest challenges for an e – com service in India today.

4. Kunal Bahl (Founder & CEO, Snapdeals.com):

a. The 3 key pillars of an e – commerce company are – Value, Assortment & convenience.

b. In 2 years, around 3, 00,000 online transactions (purchases) are expected to occur in India daily.

c. Tier I cities prefer online retail for convenience & choice, while Tier II do so due to lack of options in offline retail.

5. Lalit Bhise (CEO Mobisy):

a. If things are easy, we generally don’t want to get into it. Entrepreneurs get kicks out of doing the hard stuff.

b. Initially, every entrepreneur feels superhuman; like there are 48 hours in a day. Then reality sinks in. Not giving up, however hard you are enticed to do so, is the key.

c. Get a good job, get married to the right partner, and then give entrepreneurship a thought.

6. Mukund Mohan (CEO, Jivity.com):

a. Failure teaches a person how to build character.

b. 94% of the successful companies today have built themselves without Venture Capital (this, in contrast to the thousands who believe a having a VC is more important to run a business).

c. Successful entrepreneurs are endowed with 'Temporary Forgetfullness', which helps them move on from failure towards success.

7. Hari Rajagopalachari (Executive Director PwC):

a. A higher purpose than profitability is what leads to sustainability of a venture.

b. An organization not scaling with time is limited in leadership, not organizational capabilities.

c. Introspection every now and again by a person is what keeps her/him in sync with passion & governance and not give into selfishness and greed.

8. Dr. G. Shridhar (ACE Learning):

a. Technology is the future of education.

b. Technology, if used to make the teacher look like a superstar, will gladly be adopted by the teaching faculty.

This experience was one of the most enriching ones of my life. I also got to meet a lot of budding entrepreneurs and it was fascinating to hear their ideas, beliefs and strategies. One who really enchanted me was Ritheesh Shetty, founder & MD of SUN ITeS Consulting Pvt. Ltd., a BPO which provides employment to the challenged. The firm was initiated a few years ago in his bedroom, and today is an income source for almost challenged 60 employees. However, he is very down to earth, shy, calm and blows no trumpets. Another one was Praveen Singh of 99tests.com

The confidence and passion of the speakers at the event was contagious. The event was very well organized. The host, Lakshmi, was professional. Her experience and command at interaction stood out distinctly. It was great to tweet at the event and connect with others. The social media manager for the event, Sneha Kataria, deserves accolades for a job superbly done. Overall, congratulations to the TeS2011 team for such a well managed event. All of us should attend at least one event sometime. It’s held in Mumbai & Bangalore.

How Emotional Are We Humans Really?

2011-12-25T17:50:00.000+05:30

I was reflecting on the Sharad Pawar slapgate incident. Now, this is not the 1^st time he’s been ill treated in public. Do we remember the ICC Champions Trophy some years ago when the Australian Cricket Team pushed Pawar off stage in public? Well, he laughed off the ICC CT incident. A lot of us were outraged at that incident, but were delighted slapgate occured. Now while we despise Sharad Pawar, a lot of us secretly want to be like him to a small extent. We do not want act unethically, but we have to doff our hats to the guy who has his fingers in almost every business in the country (and a lot outside India also).

The differentiator, I think, is emotion. Ever noticed how we humans get carried away by something that delights or infuriates us? We’re either over the moon celebrating or up in arms dropping everything else. We have witnessed numerous instances of people taking to the streets, burning effigies and holding demonstrations for bad performances by cricket teams, players not being picked, poor umpiring, etc. Sharad Pawar’s minions and sycophants conducted such protests when slapgate occurred (surprised they didn’t go to Australia and protest the team’s behaviour towards Pawar saaheb), but did we see Pawar even bat an eyelid? Richard Thaler, in his book NUDGE, states that very few humans respond to incentive while making a decision, while most of us react emotionally. James Brauer, in an excellent article here, says that the best way to have our idea shared is to appeal emotionally to the audience. Often, he says, people share content if they have emotionally connected with it. The best marketers manage to have their products sold by connecting emotionally with their target groups. So that means that we focus less on actual matter and more on emotional appeal. I wonder, is that how it should really be?

People who get emotional about events and incidents generally take decisions which are counter productive. They even might end up doing ineffective things rather than focus on something constructive. Actions like pelting cricketers' houses with stones and burning effigies when the team performs dismally is purely emotion driven and achieves nothing. Ditto for politicians' minions who conduct morchas if they are hurt over some petty caste sentiment. Then again, if you reflect, these pathetic actions are conducted by them to try and influence the emotional side of others; that side which substantially impacts decision making for most humans. And those who support these politicians due to such shameless actions and vote for them are, once again, taking emotional decisions.

I am not trying to admonish any action here; neither am I trying to downplay the events that actually make a difference. I simply wonder how we humans can combine our emotional and logical side. Noted authors Richard Thaler and Dan Ariely (well, even I) believe all of us have both sides to our personality. History has shown that people like Einstein, Gandhi, Dhoni, Schumaker, and the likes have been very successful in making decisions because they allowed logic to dominate their mind, although they might have portrayed that they were emotionally swayed during something critical.

If we increase the amount of logic in our daily lives and reduce emotion, we'll experience a lot of improvement in our lives. Emotion blinds us to shortcomings and faults of loved ones, prohibits us from arbitrarily sorting issues, prevents us from seeing how we can benefit from many decisions... keeps us from visualizing the bigger picture. While it's important to have a splash of emotion in our lives, increased use of logic will further reward us. After all, we've been gifted with a developed brain. We need to use it better!

The 'Namma Metro' Journey...

2011-12-18T22:03:00.001+05:30

Last week I had been to Bangalore to attend a seminar, which lasted 2 days. I was scheduled to leave on the evening of the 3^rd day. That day, I got a chance to experience the recently started Bangalore Metro railway service. This Metro, christened as ‘Namma Metro’, is a JV between the Government of India and Government of Karnataka. More info on the service can be found here.

My friend and I had to meet a friend at Baiyapanahalli, which is the last stop of 1 of the two Metro lines. We boarded the metro from M.G. Road and reached the destination. There were 8 stations in between. There, our friend conveniently gave us kalti (left us hanging in the lurch) & apologized saying he wouldn’t be able to meet us. So we took the next train from Baiyapanahalli and came back to M.G. Road.

The experience was awesome. The stations are really cool and clean. They’re well covered and have a 1^st world country feel; well, so do the trains. All the stations arrive on the left side only, which saves passengers the trouble of wondering which side the station will arrive on. Passengers were not many, since it’s been just 2 months since the service has started. The doors open in unison, stay open for about 20 seconds and then the train leaves. The initial movement of the train does give a slight jerk and those unprepared might be thrown off balance, but that’s fine. Each door is manned (also womanned) on each station by a guard. The stations are relatively close to each other. It feels good to see yourself tower over the city and bypass daily city traffic. The toughened plastic glass windows allow you to have a good perspective of the city. There is not a lot visible; just buildings, and roads sometimes. But gardens etc. are barely visible as the walls on either side of the tracks are a little high too.

The journey felt great. It was the best train journey of my life; albeit the collective time taken for the journey to and fro was about half an hour. I felt like a kid again; excited and smiling all the time. What’s also commendable is how well the Metro system is planned. Tickets are circular plastic coupons which we have to deposit in the machine while exiting. Those tickets will be reprogrammed and used by other travellers, which ensures zero wastage. Plus, there is no way one can skip a ticket machine, as all the other exits are sealed. I felt proud to see this service in our country and I applaud all the partners who have got it working. I hope the service, whenever it starts in Mumbai, is just as good as in Bangalore, if not better. All you people should try it once, even if just for thrills. Below is a very simple video, I shot showing snippets of the station and the train. I don't know what happened to the voice; guess we'll have to make do without it.

5 Ways To Get Better At Blogging & Twitter...

2011-12-04T09:37:00.000+05:30

How many of us want to have good presence in the social media world? Well, I’m sure most of us. But how many are successful are achieving the targets set? Compared to the number of social media users out there, they’re very few. We don’t quite get the hang of Twitter, comment on others’ blogs and wait for some of them to return the favour... But there are more concrete ways to power up one’s followers online (be it blogs, Twitter, Facebook and even on Youtube).

Purvesh (His Blog & Twitter handle @PureWaste) is one personality who knows how to leverage the power of social media to work for him. His 500 followers on Twitter may not be similar to the 3 – 5000 others have. However, considering that he spends more time offline than on the internet, he’s built a good base for himself on social media. The quality of his followers on Twitter is excellent. Plus he gets more hits and comments on his blog in a day than I get in a week. Let’s take 5 tips each on how to build our blog and Twitter networks from Purvesh:

"BLOGGING: Blogging is a passion. I look at blogs as a mode to rest and recuperate. Being an occasional blogger, I prefer to maintain a personal blog, although I have a speciality blog as well. A few tips from my side purely based on my blogging experience:

1.) Categorise your blog: When you start to blog, be clear as to what you want the blog to communicate and who would be the target audience. In other words, categorize your blog. It could be something like a personal blog, or a speciality blog.

2.) Maintain your style: Every writer has his own style of writing. Some use long sentences. Some use short. Some use complicated language. Whatever be the case, stick to your style. With this, the reader knows what to expect from you. But if you are new and want to establish yourself first, then keep your language simple. Use short sentences and simple language. Maintain a flow too.

3.) Blog at regular intervals: Do leave your blog unattended for longer period of times. There is no right regular period, but as a general rule, blog at least once a month. If you are a professional blogger, the frequency may be higher then.

4.) Publicize your blog: Your blog doesn’t exist if people don’t read it. Use other forms of social media to publicize your blog. Use Facebook, Twitter and blogging networks to publicize your blogs and generate traffic. I generally also use blogadda and indie blogger too.

5.) You get what you give: To get something, you first have to give something! This here means that read what others are blogging about and comment on it. And in no time, will you see that the traffic on your blog too increases multi folds.

TWITTER: I have been on twitter for long enough to understand the dynamics of twitter. A few tips from my side to enhance your twitter experience:

1.) Handle Name: To start off with, give a good handle name (in case of twitter, username is called a handle.) The best way to name a personal handle is first name and last name. But in most of the cases you will find that the handle has been already been taken by someone. In those cases, find a good name that suits your attitude.

2.) Appropriate DP: In case of a formal personal handle, choose a good recent photo of yours and post it. Make sure it is a passport size photo. In case of a casual handle, you may choose to hide your identity. All said and done, put a DP that immediately captures the attention of the followers.

3.) Elaborate Bio: Put your favourite areas of interest in the bios. See a few bios before you make your own. The best way of teaching people what to expect from you, is use keywords in your bio. In fact, initially the bio should only be keywords.

4.) Be interactive: Answer all your mentions. Even if someone RTs your tweet, thank them for their RT. Twitter helps us to feel their world better and more efficiently. Use polls, pages or short links to gather traffic on your handle.

5.) Don’t take twitter seriously: Twitter is a place where sentiments play a bigger role than the truth. Do not take twitter seriously, any time. Most of the time tweeps tweet on the trending sentiments attached to any topic. My serious advice is to take twitter lightly. Amen"

Social Media, just like a lot of things in life, takes time to show results. One should maintain quality and stay consistent in efforts to build and sustain the image. Once the cycle starts, social media starts benefitting us even if we reduce our efforts spent on it. I wish you all the best to achieve the goals you set for yourself on Social Media.

Saurabh... A Salute to Your Courage...

2011-11-27T17:31:00.000+05:30

The tea stall is below my office. I visited it at 7 pm one evening. I took a wada pao (Indian burger) and sat down to eat it. The sun had set, the lights had come on and it was reasonably dark outside.

There he sat. In a dark corner, all alone and lost in thought. I recognized him as the new boy who had started working at the tea stall. Then I saw it. The unmistakable imprint of tears on his cheek (even though it was dark). I asked him what happened but he said nothing. Just to give him strength, I told him not to worry as all works out in the end. And then he broke into tears. However, he didn’t cry aloud. I asked him his name, and he said Saurabh. I asked Saurabh if he wanted to drink tea and talk to me. But on the contrary, he immediately drank up his tears and grief and brought me a jug of water and a glass. Asked me and the other people there if we wanted tea... as if nothing had happened. I was awed by his courage and asked for a cup. It came promptly. Then, he retired to the dark corner and was lost in thought again.

The next day, Saurabh was in high spirits. I asked the owner of the stall what happened the previous night. The owner said “Usse maa ki yaad aa rahi thi.” (He was remembering his mother).

We sometimes feel miserable about the lives we lead. But Saurabh’s life is worse. Left his family in UP to come here, work, earn some money and send it back home. He lives with 5 other people in a one room kitchen, works at the stall from 9 in the morning to 8 at night, and then does odd jobs in his spare time. But as I look at him, he’s still smiling; braving all the odds and still dreams of making it big someday (a dream I hope is not shattered). There are many Saurabhs like him out there. They teach us life is a lot simpler if we choose to make it. They teach us to be brave, to face whatever comes our way with courage and bravery. This post is dedicated to the thousands and millions of Saurabhs out there. We are honoured to know you and learn from you. We salute your courage and resilience.

My Yamaha RD 350's Restoration... An Impossible Task... Or Was It?

2011-11-21T21:07:00.000+05:30

It all started with the desire to own a new bike. I was going to receive a substantial amount of money as an incentive from my company, and I had zeroed down buying the Hero Honda Karizma to replace my aging TVS Fiero F2 for a thrilling ride. As the time to receive the money drew near, I started looking for a showroom to buy the bike from.

And then it happened... My friend allowed me to spend 5 minutes with the all famous Yamaha RD 350 – the bike I had heard so much about! But I never really had the chance to experience what the ‘fuss’ was all about. I don’t think I need to rave and rant about the exhilarating experience I had – we all remember our first ever RD ride, don’t we! The intoxicating drone of the twin exhausts, the backward thrust felt when I accelerated (mind you, I was literally nursing the RD around; I was nervous and didn’t know what to expect), the respect given by people playing cricket on the road when I approached by voluntarily giving way, the concern evident on the owner’s face when I returned after a good 5 minutes; all were a part of the awesome experience. That was the moment I knew I had to have one.

The hunt for an RD which was not in pristine condition started in January 2007. I did not want to own a spanking machine right from the outset since I had seen many RD owners simply waste the machine away because of the so called ‘troubles’ they suffer at her hands. ‘Troubles’ are only faced if one does not treat her like a high – maintenance mistress and regularly give her what she needs. And one of the most enjoyable parts of having a mistress is the period of courtship; or so I am told. That is why I decided to lay my hands on an RD which needed some work to be done on it along with demanding me to roam around looking for good quality parts which would make their way onto the bike. RDs had started costing anywhere between a good 30,000 – 45,000 rupees and sellers were attributing it to the DHOOM phenomenon. I was prepared to wait it out and ensure I lay my hands on one which would cost below 25k.

Finally, in April 2007, I found her. The RD was not in the best of conditions (quite appalling, actually) and had been standing still for above 5 months. However, 3 kicks and she lazily came to life. My friend who accompanied me is an expert on RDs and told me the bike did not respond the way an RD should under heavy acceleration. However, RD prices were soaring at almost twice the inflation index and I was beginning to get concerned. The owner settled at a figure of 20,000 bucks and encouraged me to get work done on it; of course he would, he had still not gotten the papers transferred onto his name. I still followed my instinct and went through with the deal. I now owned the bike; all I needed to do was to ensure she would end up in the condition she deserved to be in.

Preliminary inspection revealed that the RD did not remotely resemble itself from its heydays. The mudguards were made of fabric, maroon in colour and cracked. The fuel tank had gold sparkle and the head and tail lamps were of the Royal Enfield Bullet. The bike would sometimes run faultlessly for long distances, but more often she would either sputter up and stop or not start at all, sometimes leaving me stranded on the road with no option but to tow her for kilometres. Repeated visits to a certain expert mechanic yielded no result. “That is what an RD is all about”, “Sell this one and buy another one in better condition even if it costs more”, “The hassle is simply not worth it”, etc. were things I was hearing and I started losing heart. Thankfully, I stuck to my resolve of restoring the very same bike and not giving into easier (but possibly more expensive) options.

Enter Krishna Kadam a.k.a. Balu. A medium heighted, bespectacled, unassuming person with the upper button of his shirt always open, he did not exactly look like the person who would turn the bike and its fortune around. He informed me that he was going to stay in Mumbai for only 3 weeks more, after which he would permanently be moving to Bangalore. Balu inspected the bike and informed me that the problem mainly lay with the electrical and ignition wiring. To add to the woes of horrid cosmetics, there were issues with the clutch also which would not allow the bike to idle rev and she would keep moving if in gear. The lights, indicators, etc. were not functional, the silencers were mismatched (one was of an LT & one of an HT), engine firing was way off and I was apprehensive of even riding her myself, let alone lending her to someone else for a ride. Hell, she has been working great for the past 2 ½ years and I still generally say ‘NO’ to most people asking for a test ride.

The next 3 weeks were probably the most hectic weeks of my life, and also the most productive and fruitful. Since I was working in a BPO, I would work night shifts and the days were spent in buying items for the bike and working on her. Balu and I visited Suraj Auto at Grant Road where we picked up the alternator, magnet, meters, mud guards, tail lamp and wiring to replace the existing shoddy parts in and on the bike. The cam key, alternator housing plate, bend pipes, one silencer, tail lamp mounting and the ‘ears’ above the front forks were bought from Chor Bazaar after days spent on searching and negotiating for them. Kiran Bhide provided us with the TCi kit that would be (and still is) used for the ignition mapping on the bike. Along with these, Balu bolted on the original clutch spacer, chain guard and rear U – guard onto the bike; some things I would have struggled a lot to find if it were not for him. Nominal items like petrol corks, filters, cables, tubes, etc. were being bought consistently while all these items were been installed onto the bike side – by – side. The wiring for the electricals and ignition, the new parts that were bought were all installed onto the bike with 3 days to spare; all that remained now was to fix the awful looks of the bike. Balu said I could get the painting done at my own pace, but accepted when I told him I wanted to get it done under his inspection. Frankly, that turned out to be another excellent decision. We started, as earlier stated, with 3 days to go by choosing the colour I wanted on the bike (which was a Chrysler blue and was quite similar to the Yamaha blue) and then handed the fuel tank, the ears and the panels over to the painter, who completed making the paint and applying it onto the bike in 2 ½ days. That very evening, we took the painted parts to the person whom Balu knew for getting the taping done. After the taping was completed which took around 2 – 3 hours we again rushed back to the painter to get lacquer applied onto the items. Thanks to Balu knowing the bloke well, he agreed to apply the lacquer that night itself (it was already 10 pm by then) and have it ready for us by morning. The final day arrived and we were called by the painter to collect the parts at around 12. Once we got those parts, we hurriedly ate lunch and then settled down to load all those parts onto the bike. Along with the new parts, the rear tail mounting, the tail lamp and new silencer (with the mud guards and bend pipes, which we had gotten chromed alongside all these activities) were slipped on. By the time we were finished, it was 9 pm and Balu had just 1 hour to board the bus to Bangalore for good. Now that’s what I call getting work done in the nick of time. I left Balu to the bus stand, bid him adieu, and slept peacefully after a long time that night.

Today, my bike may not be the best looking one in the group; but she sure was the pioneer in getting my fellow RD owners enthusiastic about getting their rotting machines restored. I felt a deep sense of satisfaction when my friend rode my bike after she had been restored and said “Take the keys of my RD. I want you to supervise the entire work of getting my bike up to as good condition as yours.” People who see the bike marvel at its looks and raw power she so conveniently produces and keep questioning me about where I found the parts and how my bike stays in such great shape. All I can say is that I now believe in that age – old saying “You can even find GOD if you care to look.”

India's New Generation Impatient?

2011-11-17T17:40:00.000+05:30

India’s economy is growing at a record rate! All business channels are talking about India’s ROBUST CONSUMPTION STORY! The young Indian is unafraid, impatient, knows what he wants and gets it! That’s because Indians have started earning good sums of money. And those Indians want to spend on luxury, on enjoyment, on what they deserve. We Indians are living up to expectations! We’re buying expensive consumables; we’re going on expensive vacations, compromising on nothing less than expensive brands for perfumes, clothes, electronics, mobile phones, laptops or anything else.

There are 2 concepts in economics – Conspicuous Consumption & Conscientious Consumption. The former is applicable when brand equity overshadows value for money as consumers want to be seen using snob value goods. This is what was applicable in developed countries until now. However, it’s now more applicable in India while the latter (conscientious consumption) is applicable today in developed countries. Conscientious Consumption is when value and functionality of goods has more weightage in consumers’ minds than the brand.

Indians today are splurging on expensive branded goods, on weddings, vacations, durables, cars, houses, furniture, etc. More people are encouraged to buy more than they can afford because of loan schemes being offered on everything. So we buy all we want, keep paying off the loans and live on a paycheck – to – paycheck basis. But what’s the ulterior motive in this?

The media (newspapers, TV, internet, etc.) is encouraging us to buy more saying that we can afford it; that we deserve it. So we shell out dollops of our hard earned money to buy things we want. We seemingly take pleasure in using high quality commodities thinking they provide respite from our mundane work lives. The big guns (politicians, big industrialists, etc.) are covertly having the media drive into us the logic that we can buy expensive iPads, cars, Sony BRAVIA TVs, etc. to enjoy the spoils of our earnings. This, we’re made to believe will make the frustrations at work feel worthwhile. But whose coffer is all this feeling? The sellers, loan providers and invariably, through various taxes, the government. So who thinks they’re richer? We. But who actually grows richer? Those people suck the money out of us.

This logic gets me to another point. In the desire to own more, we start putting up with all sorts of crap at our jobs. True, we job hop… but we’re still working for others. This yearning for money to buy more ensures we do what the higher ups want us to, the way they want us to, when and how they want us to. Some of us try being entrepreneurs, but how many of us seriously risk all we have for something we’re passionate about? The fear of losing it all has been instilled in us by those very big guns. So we toe in line and do not venture off in directions which might make it hard for them to retain talent for less. This is the same reason why the education curriculum does not get revamped either. They (politicians, big industrialists, etc.) want us to retain the mindset of learning all we NEED to for a JOB. We focus on placements, salaries, etc. and continue doing the work they have chalked out for us to fatten their pockets. We are exposed to redundant educational curriculum to ensure we learn doing things the way they were and are being done. Innovation is barely ever encouraged, unless it makes money for the big bosses.

We’re being conned gradually, and we don’t even know it. The bigwigs don’t want us to think. They act like they’re offering us a lot of freedom, but it’s all well orchestrated. We spend; we make money for banks, industries, the government. The savings in U.S.A. has come down drastically from 8% of the GDP some years ago to less than 0.5% now. All because of this Conspicuous Consumption. The repercussions are the average American $22,000 being in debt and has led to Occupy Wall Street and other protest rallies. The format is now pilfering down to us. Are we prepared to see the truth the way it is? Or are we going to learn the hard way! I guess only time will tell…

Seems We Humans Are Living On The ANIMAL FARM!

2011-11-07T11:34:00.000+05:30

Read the book “Animal Farm” by George Orwell? Animals on Manor Farm can think for themselves and talk. They decide to rebel against the injustice meted out to them by humans. They succeed in taking over the farm and think life will get better. It does, for some time. Enter politics and vested interests. The pig (Snowball) which wants to improve life for animals on the farm is driven away by a tyrant pig (Napoleon). The latter then chastises the former, claiming Snowball was hand – in – glove with the humans. Everything known about Snowball is portrayed as if he was the defector. Napoleon flaunts all the rules laid down by the farm. He makes his own to suit himself, his family and his type (pigs). He exploits animals and cruelly discards them when they’re rendered useless. The world admires the Animal Farm for the way it works, but the animals’ wish for a good life remains a distant dream.

Have we seen instances like in life? George Orwell has magnificently laid out the plot of politics and power struggle in this classic. 2 instances come to my mind. One was in MOTOGP, when Valentino Rossi & Max Biaggi got into a fistfight in the change room. The 2 were reprimanded by DORNA (the governing body of MOTOGP) and requested to stay away from the media. Rossi obeyed, but Biaggi didn’t. He portrayed himself as a victim and Rossi as the problem in front of the media, whilst the scenario was probably vice versa. Biaggi has maintained a bad reputation before and after that incident, which is why most of us give Rossi the benefit of doubt.

While the above example was relatively smaller in magnitude, the next example is much bigger. I’m talking about the strike at Maruti’s Manesar plant, and the events that ensued. Sonu Gujjar and Shiv Kumar were the key drivers in the biggest labour strike at Maruti in 2 decades. The contract workers were being thoroughly exploited. Gujjar & Kumar wanted better and equal working conditions for all and led the strike that caused huge losses to the Maruti coffers. In fact, the strike spread to neighbouring companies and states. Discomfort increased amongst investors and even government intervention failed. Now, the Maruti management claims the 2 union leaders fled after receiving lakhs of rupees from the top leaders. Gujjar and Kumar have been unreachable since and the Maruti management is trying its level best to correct its image amongst the workers. Gujjar and Kumar are accused of being defectors; that they were never concerned about anyone but themselves; that they had been covertly working out deals for themselves with the management. The Maruti plant will go back to functioning the way it did, the world will admire Maruti for its efficiency, and all, it will be claimed, is back to normal. But I have my doubts. There is more than meets the eye here. The management may have given the 2 workers some money, but also threatened them with consequences to their and their families’ lives if they continued to work at Manesar. Consequently, Gujjar & Kumar may have been forced to resign. One never knows what happens behind the curtains. What will follow though, I believe, will be straight from the Animal Farm novel.

Something like this happened to me a couple of days ago. Thankfully I was able to turn the tables on my nemesis due to insider help. However, it goes to show the book is not just a novel. It’s one of the most tried, tested and used theories in politics; not just at country level, but even amongst common men. It’s important we humans stop falling for such traps and become more aware. Never assume something at face value. There is always more to it than one can see and believe. We humans have been gifted with a mind. We must think, ponder, reason and try to find what causes these actions. Invariably, the people we believe are going to mould our minds, and probably shape our lives. It’s imperative we wisely choose whom we must believe and what we will achieve in return. The same thing applied to society will improve the quality of our daily lives. We must make conscious efforts to look at the bigger picture rather than just wanting to carry on with our daily lives. That will improve lives of us, our families, society, the country and the world at large.

Cheers India... 5 - 0

2011-10-26T09:45:00.000+05:30

Did we really whitewash the Englishmen 5 – 0? You can bet everything you have we did! And we thumped them, mauled them, butchered them... you can put in all the verbs you want! We ran through their entire batting line up in 4 out of the 5 matches. Those 4 matches ended up being totally one – sided; only one match was closely fought viś –a – viś 2 matches when India were in England.

India were still missing their big guns. We were without, amongst others, Tendulkar, Sehwag, Zaheer, Ishant and Yuvraj. The average age of the team was 24. Quite a few youngsters debuted in this series. Gambhir was batting one down instead of his regulation opening slot. Mind you, all this with the British team at almost full strength. However, performances stood out in all aspects of the game; batting, bowling & fielding. Praveen Kumar batted for the 1^st time in the series in the 5^th ODI. Kohli, Gambhir, Dhoni, Jadeja, Raina and others were in sublime form. Aaron, Umesh Yadav, Vinay Kumar bowled with real pace (in the 140s) and successfully troubled a lot of English batsmen. Ashwin and Jadeja not only tied down the Englishmen with their spin, but also were some key contributors in picking up wickets. The fielding was one par excellence. Tiwary, Jadeja, Raina, Kohli led the way and all others (including the Indian bowlers) followed suit.

The team must have been under enormous pressure before this series. India had badly suffered at the hands of the same opposition a month ago and were still missing their big guns. The youngsters surely wanted to prove themselves. Many Indians were under fire; Dhoni for his captaincy, Raina for his batting, the bowling and fielding had been criticized. But none of that showed in the matches. Dhoni was the shrewd, nonchalant captain that he has always been. His mental toughness was commendable and rubbed off on all players and they delivered. He marshalled his troops beautifully in batting and bowling. The Brits were dismissed twice for below 200 and only once did they manage to score above 250. The English bowlers could not bowl the Indians out in even one match.

India showed why they deserve the World Champions crown. Many may argue that the team is a lion at home, but the same applies to England and Australia too, doesn’t it? How many teams have been able to beat India in our den? We salute you, dear Indian cricketers. You have been sensational, nothing short! We’re sure you will continue to give your best on the field. We look forward to similar performances when you go overseas also. We will never lose faith in you. For us, you are INVINCIBLE! Thanks for this awesome Diwali gift. Happy Diwali everyone.

Why "Occupy Wall Street"?

2011-10-20T10:48:00.000+05:30

Michael Moore said “This was inevitable! We’ve rewarded greed until now. 1% of the population gets 99% of the pie, and the remaining 99% is expected to fight over the left over 1%.” He was just reiterating the well known fact – 96% of the world’s wealth lies with 4% of the people, and 4% wealth is left for the remaining 96%.

“Occupy Wall Street” as phenomenon, spread like wildfire across the world. Rebadged “Indignant” in Spain, this movement has spread to UK, Rome and many other countries. What started with a mere dozen protestors in New York now has hundreds of thousands of participants rallying all over the world. These demonstrators in nine hundred cities protested against corporate greed and wealth inequality. Protesters from London to Sydney echoed the anti-capitalist, populist rhetoric of the Occupy movement in what was deemed a "global day of protest" (TIME).

Is it unjustified? Are we going to claim that the governments are being arm – twisted by citizens, like quite a few people stated about the latest protests in India?

Well, unemployment continues to hover around the 10% mark in the US. GDP is growing at 0.4%. The 2 Quantitative Easing programs implemented by the US government have barely done the country any good. A mounting European sovereign debt crisis has contributed to ongoing market volatility and fears of another global economic recession. Joblessness is on the rise everywhere; be it Nokia, or HP, CISCO… the list can go on and on! Research reports have stated it was greed and malpractices on part of certain banking institutions that led to the sub – prime crisis and the Greece default. Legitimate action against any perpetrators is still pending.

The Great Depression, according to the documentary Zeitgeist, was engineered by certain powerful banks in USA. So were the recent recession and the financial disasters in European countries. The famines in India in the 70s, the tyranny in Egypt and Libya, relentless terrorist attacks in Pakistan; all have been orchestrated by powerful entities which wanted to fill their pockets at the extent of common man. A handful of powerfully connected and wealthy entities continue to push common man against the wall.

The Indian media declares this Occupy Wall Street movement to being spurred by the Anna Hazare anti – corruption campaign in India. But I would beg to differ. This has been the Year of Revolutions. Starting with Egypt, revolutions spread to Libya, the Gulf, Yemen, India, US, UK and now Europe. Karl Marx had theorized that there is always one point in society when the labour class goes at war with the bourgeois. Malcolm Gladwell, in The Tipping Point writes that there comes a point when a sort of saturation level is reached and the balance of the scale tips. This tip in scale brings about actions to counter the existing norms; be it violent or non – violent. Are we seeing the beginning of one such revolution in human civilization now?

Some Interesting Pointers About Sonia GHANDHI...

2011-10-08T21:31:00.000+05:30

Dr. Subramanium Swami, in his letter to Dr. Manmohan Singh asking for permission to file a legal case against Sonia GHANDI, brought out some interesting facts (Yes! I know they've not been proven in court yet):

1. Sonia Gandhi manipulated Rajiv Gandhi to abet the crime in the Bofors gun purchase committed by Ottavio Quattrocchi against the nation. She stationed her brother – in – law, Walter Vinci, in Sweden to influence her husband to finalize the deal.

2. When the law started catching up with Ottavio Quattrocchi in the early 90s, the Congress Government (led by late Narasimha Rao) allowed him to quietly escape India. However, his accounts where money was stashed still stayed frozen. Subsequently, under pressure from Sonia Gandhi, the leader of the UPA, the CBI quietly allowed Quattrocchi to withdraw the money stashed in India. The then Solicitor General of India was sent to London to facilitate the deal.

3. Sonia Gandhi holds money in Switzerland (more than $2 billion in 1991) as a legatee, the corrupt money which was banked in the name of her late husband or deposited by her of funds obtained from the erstwhile KGB, or by sale of illegally exported antiques into the country. Many intelligence reports in the 80s stated that Rajiv Gandhi had received a lot of money from the KGB of USSR as bribe and kickbacks.

4. In 1972, Sonia Gandhi was exposed as functioning as a benami insurance agent of public sector insurance companies and giving her address as that of the Prime Minister of India. Consequently, Mrs. Indira Gandhi informed the Rajya Sabha that Mrs. Sonia Gandhi resigned from that agency earning commissions.

5. From 1973 – 1975, she held the position of MD of Maruti Technical Services on salary despite it being an offense against FERA. Later, she became MD of Maruti Heavy Industries Pvt. Ltd. with an even bigger remuneration. Justice AC Gupta found her guilty of multiple offences under FERA & IPC.

6. Sonia Gandhi acquired Indian citizenship at record speed in 1983. She did not submit documents from the Italian government to relinquish her Italian citizenship. In 1992, she retrieved her passport which effectively means cancellation of her Indian citizenship.

7. Sonia Gandhi was interested in applying as prime minister in 2004. Her citizenship made her application void, but she was willing to override that using 340 party members for support. When Dr. Subramanium Swami brought out this clause of her nationality, Dr. Manmohan Singh was brought in to save face at the last minute. Thus, the so called SACRIFICE of hers was actually an eye wash.

8. These facts were put together under a full page advertisement in New York Times in 2008 by NRIs. The Congress Party filed for a $200 million defamation suit against the NRIs, but Sonia Gandhi refused to appear in court and be cross examined. Therefore the case was dismissed.

9. Sonia Gandhi gave a sworn affidavit as a candidate that she studied English at Cambridge University. According to Cambridge University, there is no such student ever.

10. Sonia Gandhi was one of 13 benefactors from pay – offs in the Iraqi Oil – for – Food scam of 2002. She received oil for support from the now deceased Saddam Hussain for support for Iraq. She sold the oil at market price through Mark Rich, a notorious swindler who was convicted by the US court for 350 years.

11. Hassan Ali, currently being protected by the Congress, was involved with Adnan Khassogi, the international arms dealer, who was found to have supplied arms to the LTTE for the assassination of Rajiv Gandhi in 1991.

12. He, who had nothing 10 years back, had billions in his and his associates accounts by 2006. The probe into him was rendered directionless which indicates the government was keen, even desperate, to bury the Ali case.

13. On the next day after the raid on his house, Ali’s collaborator Kasinath Tapuriah told the ED that two senior Congress leaders had been protecting him and introduced both of them. Hassan Ali, who was hiding from the ED/IT Department, stayed in a Lonavla bungalow from July to December paying Rs. 5,000 per day.

These facts have not been proved, but the GHANDI family (please note Indira was also never a Gandhi but a GHANDI) has never disputed these allegations and others. Just makes one want to reflect on whether we really want HER son to take up the PM position in future.

How To Become Indispensable?

2011-09-30T15:27:00.000+05:30

So what makes you invaluable in today’s times? Most of us are involved in the routine office – work, job – hopping, spending whatever time we get at home and then repeating all activities. Many get frustrated with this life, start up a new venture and shut it down within a few years. So where are YOU headed?

Seth Godin, in his book Linchpin, says “You are not doing enough to stand out if you still have to make a résumé.” Well, that’s easier said than done, right? Not so, says Godin. He believes that in order to become indispensable (rather than just a cog in a machine) you can do things which cannot be measured by a price.

Compare Google & Apple. People drool over Apple because of their amazing gadgets and products. But guess which is the home site on Safari on a MacBook or an iPad? Bright chances are it’s Google. Apple evangelists (and I know there are many of them) will crib and wail if the company shuts down. But Google will take the whole internet world with it if decides to close.

What we buy from Apple can be compared to the price we pay. But we possibly cannot quantify what Google gives us. Why? You know the answer.

The same holds true for people who diligently work towards betterment of society & the environment. Mumbai Dabawallahs, bus & train motormen, free photo providers on the net, SACHIN TENDULKAR… What’s common in all of them? We cannot quantify the work they do and relate it to a price. These people are doing much more than we would expect and can imagine. They’re doing things virtually impossible to link to a price. How we can repay them pales in comparison to what they give us.

So if you want to be indispensable, share your knowledge and efficiency with people. Do something which they cannot repay you for! Publish free eBooks, become a gateway to knowledge without any riders, reach out and do more for people (clients, customers, company, society, team) without expecting something in return. THAT is what makes you a linchpin… THAT makes you unique… THAT wins you more friends and hits on your site… THAT makes you different in today’s world!

10 Steps To Becoming A Better Writer...

2011-09-18T22:01:00.000+05:30

Write.
Write more.
Write even more.
Write even more than that.
Write when you don’t want to.
Write when you do.
Write when you have something to say.
Write when you don’t.
Write every day.
Keep writing.

(courtesy - www.copyblogger.com)

Some Unsung Heroes of Our Daily Lives...

2011-09-05T10:45:00.000+05:30

They drive buses all day (and most of the night). They put up with crazily potholed roads and stop go traffic almost every minute. It’s a part of their routine. They transport hundreds of people in every journey from one place to another. They are pressurized to deliver a certain amount of fuel average (2.5 kmpl in the case of B.E.S.T.). They do not behave like notorious rickshaw drivers who refuse most passengers; on the contrary they pick up and drop more people than they can. Their buses are in pathetic conditions. Other drivers abuse them for rash driving. Other drivers turn abusive (and sometimes violent) when they don’t (or can’t) give way. They sometimes suffer from heart attacks due to the amount of stress endured. They get paid peanuts compared to the amount of work they do.

And yet, they continue doing it everyday. Sometimes they are vocal about their pitiable conditions, but more often than not they take it with a pinch of salt and move on. They continue doing this thankless job day – after – day without expectation of gratification. They, along with train motormen are the lifeline of India. This article is dedicated to the government bus drivers across India. Whatever people think, I salute you and thank you from the bottom of my heart for all you have done and continue to do!

Photograph © - Rohit Hariharan

"Corporate Loyalty" - An Oxymoron!

2011-08-29T10:59:00.000+05:30

“Attrition is so these days! Nobody wants to stick around!” quips a corporate professional (probably some days before he decides to jump companies himself). Job hopping has become a common phenomenon these da
ys. A person who sticks for long in a company is looked at either suspiciously or sympathetically.

'Corporate Loyalty' has now been termed an oxymoron by a few pundits. Apparently no employee likes to hang around in one organization for more than 2 – 3 years. But when and why did this phenomenon occur? Cynics claim it is because we are part of the so – called impatient generation; that we do not like sticking around. I beg to differ. Are we not brand loyalists? Don't we stay loyal to brands and fail to adopt anything else even if the latter is better? Don't we have friends whom we have known for decades? We still stay in regular touch with them however busy we may be.

The answer, I believe, lies within the companies itself. It lies with their favourite word – Consolidation. This adopted concept in which they have started 'compartmentalizing' jobs is the main cause of this unrest amongst individuals.

When organizations were just planting their feet in the ground, people who joined faced challenges. Their job roles were varied and encompassed a lot of responsibilities. They were not restricted to departments, designations, procedures, manuals, etc. Instead they wrote manuals for the years to come. There was a sense of enjoyment, accomplishment. They looked forward to going to work to handle and conquer a new challenge. They stayed loyal to same company, and got rewarded accordingly. Monetary benefits did not matter much; recognition and gratitude did. They liked gifts they got from their organizations which made them feel cared for.

Then companies stabilized. They started 'consolidating'. They started restricting job roles of employees. Anything new attempted by an employee was shot down by procedures and policies. And the warmth between employees and employers ended somewhere there. Now employees are expected to do a certain amount of work, and it is compared to the amount of money they are paid. That is the new benchmark. Respect, recognition, etc. seem to be lost and salary increments, petty politics, the demand for unearthly hours without any remuneration other than monetary have taken over. The fun is gone; there are no more challenges. People have their jobs decided by the industry and it is weighed vis – a – vis their pay. Is it surprising that they jump jobs to do the same thing all over again for a slightly larger pay?

Organizations, in order to improve employee morale and loyalty, need to look at non – monetary benefits. Many claim they implement job rotation, but how beneficial is it? Organizations must look at building a more human relationship with its employees. I don't think I need to list those steps as a lot of those are already listed in books; the only problem is very few organizations care to implement them. The bond between an organization and its employees decides how 'loyal' one is to his/her organization.

Relativity & its Impact on Perception...

2011-08-21T09:04:00.000+05:30

Which circle is larger? For most, it is the 1st. But both are of the same size. That's the point; relativity impacts our perception.

Perception is defined as the process whereby sensory stimulation translates into organized experience. But perception, in simpler terms, is the after effect of what a person experiences in a given situation. It can vary from person to person. Interpretation and perception are inter – linked; interpretation involves making sense of a stimulus.

So you decide to buy a book. It costs $35 at the store you are currently. You decide to go onto www.flipkart.com or www.amazon.com because you believe you will get a better deal. You see it costs $28 on a website (a saving of $7) and you immediately place the order, feeling pleased about having got the book for a bargain. Now, you have to prepare for your brother's wedding and decide to buy a suit (sorry gals for being such a chauvinist, but I thought it would be better to talk about something I know about). You zero down on a suit which costs $407. But a fellow shopper whispers in your ear that the suit is available for $400 at a store 10 minutes away. Do you take that 10 minute drive to save $7 on this instance? Mostly not! But it is the same $7 we are talking about. The saving in both instances should give you the same euphoria. But perception here, is impacted by relativity. The $7 saving looks much more in a $35 deal vis – a – viś a $400 deal. The relative prices of the commodities have made all the difference in our perceptions.

We humans like to compare everything. Our scores with our classmates, our performance in office with our colleagues, our salaries with those of our close friends, etc. We even like to compare between cars, clothes, computers, mobiles, etc. when we want to buy one or even formulate an opinion. Thus, it is not the features of an object/experience that count, but its features relative to another relevant one. We feel demotivated if our existing jobs pay lesser than those of our colleagues, if our clothes or houses or cars are not as good as theirs, and start perceiving our lives as failures. We start losing self – esteem which hampers our work, our thoughts and our lives overall.

One way to get out of this mess is to genuinely be aware of this trap. And to genuinely attempt to steer clear. This can be done by conscious attempts to move away from people/situations which might make us feel inferior or unhappy. Stave clear of people who are influential or who like to flash their wares, which keep changing very often. When we compare our lives with ourselves; what happened in the past and the circumstances we have faced; we will make better sense of it. Being content will lead us to giving our best at work, home and amongst friends. So let your perception be free of any comparison, or the concept of relativity. Try it, and do let me know if you see a visible difference for the better.

Why Global Companies Prefer Indians At the Helm...

2011-08-11T08:57:00.000+05:30

This article is dedicated to successful Indians at the helm of a lot of global companies; and many more still to come.

What do you think is one of India's leading exports? Time magazine has recently given an interesting answer to this. It says that CEOs are one of India's most important exports to global companies.

Yes, if you look around the global boardroom, the evidence comes pouring. There is a long list of Indians heading global companies. Anshu Jain was recently named co-CEO of Deutsche Bank. This means that once Jeurgen Fitschen retires, we'll see an Indian leading Europe's most powerful bank. Vikram Pandit is already the top boss of Citigroup. Indra Nooyi heads Pepsico. Sanjay Jha heads Motorola.Vindi Banga once led the food and personal care behemoth Unilever before he became a partner at a private-equity firm. His brother, Ajay Banga, was last year elevated to the position of CEO of MasterCard. We could go on naming many more names. In fact, even Warren Buffett has an Indian by the name of Ajit Jain heading his reinsurance business. And he's also one of the probable candidates who will take over the reins of Berkshire H athaway from the Oracle of Omaha .

It's clear that Indians are the preferred breed for the top jobs at global companies. But what makes them so apt for the position? Let's go the other way round. What is it that global companies value the most apart from obvious things like knowledge and leadership skills? The answer is multiculturalism! In an increasingly globalised world, you need leaders who can easily merge into different cultures, adapt to different environments and have the skills to deal with changing and challenging business dynamics. Interestingly, many Indians grow up doing exactly those kinds of things.

India has a rich and varied culture. We have 29 languages, each of which is spoken by at least a million people. There are another 122 which are spoken by at least 10,000 people. Apart from linguistic diversity, we have people following different religions. So Indians learn early on to mix and adapt with various cultures and traditions. That puts them at ease when faced with similar situations in the global arena.

Secondly, Indians learn the precious art of negotiation pretty well given the political red tape that they have to face in their native country. They learn to kick open rigid doors or create new ones if the need be. The third important ingredient is the gift of the English language, a legacy left by our erstwhile colonial masters.

These facts are some which have led to more and more companies wanting to have Indians on board. Let's hope our entrepreneural spirit stays as strong as it is (if not become better) and more Indians find their way to the top around the world.

courtesy - Equitymaster.

Cometh The Future, Cometh Google+ !!

2011-07-31T13:35:00.000+05:30

So I’ve spent more than a month on Google+. And I already feel that this site is much better than Facebook. I know I have done a lot of Social Network bashing on this blog, but I just had to try this one out. Well, I can attribute that desire to 2 facts; 1.) I am a huge Android fan. I like (& trust) them so much that my 1^st (and only) smart phone so far has an Android OS & 2.) the hype they created around the site and then delayed people joining up was a masterstroke. Now they may indeed have overloaded servers in ß – testing, etc. but it successfully managed to arouse interest and excitement in a lot of people (including yours sincerely) to sign up and check out what it is all about.

I am not going to post the regular Facebook (FB) v/s Google+ review here. Yes, I will talk a little about how + is generically better than other sites and features and advantages over the others. But then I think I’ll touch up on some more points in this article also.

The overall interface of Google+ is pleasing and accommodates more than just the regular social networking options. Google has a lot of features we use like Gmail, Orkut (well, that’s passé now), Search Engine, Picasa, Google Docs, Youtube, Translator (sometimes), Blogger and much more. Google has their hand in nearly everything online and we know how much we depend on the California – based company. We see hyperlinks to all these sites on the top left of the home screen, thus making all these sites easily accessible to us. No more URL typing, no more visiting Favourites to open these tabs; it’s all right there once we log into Google+. Plus, it allows one to connect all her/his links/sites on the profile page (Twitter, FB, Blogger, LinkedIn, Flickr, etc.; anything you want can be linked right onto your profile page so others can reach you on those locations also). Features like "Circles" and "Hangout" are very innovative. You do not need to share all information with all your contacts here, plus you can add one contact to more than one circle. The amazing sensory function in "Hangout" which almost always accurately brings the person talking on the centre screen is simply genius. Plus, one can start a Youtube video and have the other members on the Hangout view it alongside – simply awesome. You don’t even need an Xbox avatar to chat with many people located at different places; + lets you see all the others in flesh and bone.

With all this happening, Google+ still does not seem to be picking up pace as fast as expected. Many attribute FB’s still all powerful account base to this. Some skeptics are not even sure if + will hold on to its own because Orkut and Buzz were flops. But I don’t think we should call Orkut a flop. It was the 1^st ever genuine social networking site and a super hit for well over 2 years. Google then learnt some more lessons through a couple of failed ventures and have now come out with this ingenious all – in – 1 portal. Michael Dell already proposes to use Google+ for customer service also to make life easier for his company’s customers. Many more will follow suit and try to device methods in which they can use this site for business (clients and vendors alike). Plus, Google+ has sorted a lot of safety concerns which were rampant on FB and taken care of a lot of loopholes lurking on FB.

When Orkut was introduced, people jumped onto the wagon like there was no tomorrow. They took time to move onto FB, but have been hooked onto the latter ever since like a fish. History will most probably repeat itself and people will inevitably transition over to Google+. Orkut was the SN of the past, Facebook is of the present, while Google+ is the SN of the future. I used to wonder what the SN sites of the future would have to offer. Google, ladies and gentlemen, has all the answers!

Existing For Our Customers!

2011-07-05T18:16:00.000+05:30

These are excerpts from Gurcharan Das' book 'The Elephant Paradigm'. An increasing number of businesses are focussing on other aspects and losing sight of what their core is. This article aptly addresses all those pointers:

"The only job of a business, I believe, is to create and retain customers. A successful manager has to be obsessed with satisfying customer needs. The irony is that all the money a company makes is made outside the company, and almost all the time company people spend is inside the company. Time is usually spent inside the company battling over turf, whereas spending time in the field makes one realize that the real battles are fought outside, against your competitors and winning the hearts of your customers.

Why is this so? I reason, I think, is that most of us don’t see customers when we work. We see only other employees and we get busy building empires or arguing over whose department is more important or whose office is bigger. One must ensure he/she meets the customers of the organization at least once a month. This reminds one not only who pays him/her the salary, but more payoffs are gained in terms of good ideas to improve products and services.

The greatest benefit of this belief in staying close to customers comes in R&D. When scientists regularly visit the bazaar they realize that they are not working for science but to improve the lives of ordinary people. When R&D becomes customer focussed, the rewards come in very rapidly. Little improvement in some areas – even in packaging – have a major impact in customer satisfaction and on the bottom line. Ultimately you succeed in business because you sell a product that is better than your competitor’s. If your efforts are directed at making a product better, and doing so constantly, you will win. No matter how much advertising or good marketing you may do, if your product does not deliver what it promises, you will not succeed. This very simple idea begins with the belief that we all exist for our customers."

Thus, however big one is, he always has customers somewhere. And he survives and sustains because of them. It is very important to keep that in mind and work towards better customer satisfaction. That leads to a sustainable business model and a chance to grow (in revenue, customers and customer loyalty).

Why We Should Invest in the Indian Stock Market...

2011-06-15T21:15:00.000+05:30

The stock market is one sector which a lot of us want to avoid. We’ve heard terrifying stories of people losing money like never before and going bankrupt. We have conditioned ourselves to believe we are not capable of understanding financial markets and decide to stay away. But FDs give us about 10% interest annually, MFs something like 12 – 13% after all fees being cut and inflation is consistently rising; it’s currently at 10%. Are we really making enough money to secure our futures?

We have geniuses of minds when it comes to professions. We come up with ideas that sometimes make crores for the company and also those which save costs and increase efficiency. But we believe we don’t have the financial wisdom needed to earn, and that alone prohibits us from venturing into unchartered territories of stocks & equity. We mostly invest in Mutual Funds to save on taxes without understanding how much potential they have for us rather than commissions for the agents.

The Stock Market gives us a chance to see a lot more of this

It does not take an Einstein to invest and make profits in the stock market. Yes, derivatives and intraday trading need some practise and understanding. But to start with, long term investing is no rocket science. One can look at current & future trends, company management and potential, valuations, Price to Earnings, etc. and make an estimate. These terms can be explained by any stock broker and do not take much time to comprehend. There are shares which have grown 3 – fold in as many years, and some have experienced a little lesser growth (some even more) but shown solid performances. So if you had invested Rs. 10,000 in ITC Ltd. in 2006, it would have grown to roughly around 40 grand by now, including bonuses and dividends, etc. The same amount invested in Page Industries (licensed marketers of Jockey) and Jubilant Foodworks (distributors of Dominos Pizza) would have become 150,000 and 72,000 respectively. There are patterns to technically analyse stocks (Wedge, Head & Shoulders, etc.) which allow understand what the possible movements of the stock prices will be. A little practice, experience, etc. will enable one to be able to perform much better in the markets. Technical analysis will even help in intraday trading and money making. Of course, if one loses money in the market, he/she analyses his/her mistakes and gains an even better understanding of this volatile market. Spend 30 minutes lesser a day reading novels and invest in reading in a business paper or watching a business channel with the experts speaking, and see the difference.

Mutual Funds are actually much better performers over a longer period of time; more than the 3 years we park our funds in them. MFs like HDFC Top 200 have given almost 30% returns over 10 years vis – a – viś 11% over 3 years. Systematic Investment Programmes (SIP) over a period of 7 years or more (the more the better) with a little bit of R&D on the fund will give much better investment returns than short term investments. Factors to look for are fund manager reputation, returns over the last few years, sectors and companies the fund invests in, how often they change investments (that’s a bad sign), whether the agent himself invests in the fund, etc. Try applying the concept of Compound Interest with an average of 25% over 10 years to the amount invested via SIPs and compute the returns you get at maturity. For any queries about it feel free to leave a comment or e-mail me.

India is still in its infancy when it comes to investment. The penetration into equity is less than 2% in India, while our country contributes to only 0.63% of the worldwide MF assets. More and more foreign and Indian investors are bullish on the market growth. This temporary hiccup of inflation will soon be sorted by whichever government wants to stay in power. Why should we lose out on the party? Yes, there will be instances when we will lose out on money invested (even experts lose money after playing in the market for decades) but that will make us only more seasoned. Try starting with virtual stock games like www.khelostocks.com and http://money.rediff.com where the movement is real but the money is virtual. One can afford to take more of risks when one is young (portfolio can comprise of 70% equity and 30% debt in one’s 20s and change inversely as age and responsibilities increase). So don’t wait for long. There is a huge bull run still to be witnessed in the Indian stock market. Try and make sure you are a part of it for a more financially secure future.

"I Don't Want It."

2011-06-05T18:42:00.000+05:30

This is probably the most powerful sentence in today’s environment; exactly opposite to what people believe gives them power i.e. “I want it!” How often do we use these words today? And do we know what results it yields?

Google exposes us to new things almost every day. The world has become a much smaller place. New Apple/Android phones can be purchased even before they are officially launched in a country. Our desires have increased, and so have our wants i.e. our desire to own something backed by the ability to purchase it. But this increase in disposable income for us has also been beneficial to manufacturers and service providers. Not just because their sales have increased, but also because the surplus demand has gradually allowed power to shift to their hands. Impatience has become an innate tendency amongst buyers and sellers are cashing in on this.

Scarcity of a particular item has led to, amongst others, rise in prices, increase in waiting periods and outrageous demands by the providers of products and services. Sometimes these demands include extra charges we consumers must pay for issues which they (sellers) create. I have come across 2 such examples in the past 2 months. The 1^st one was when I was buying a new cell phone. The shopkeeper increased the price saying it included various taxes. When my friend said we were getting a better deal elsewhere and got ready to leave, all their taxes vanished and we got the handset cheaper than what was quoted at the other store. The 2^nd one was when I was buying a new car. The dealer told me about 3 – 4 ridiculous clauses and said I had to adhere to them as it was part of standard procedure (Details of those may prove very boring). Since I was not desperate for the car, I told them I didn’t want the car. They kept saying I would have to follow the procedure and that it was for my own good, and I told them I would approach another dealer who could see things the way I do. Once again, all clauses were done away with and my terms and conditions were accepted.

We pride ourselves on being the impatient generation. TVs, cars, durables, laptops, consoles, mobile phones, etc; we want them at the push of a button. Sometimes, maybe out of desperation, we pay a premium and also may end up being harrowed by sellers for more money under the pretext of ‘setting’. All this extra money is pocketed by sellers while we are made to believe they united heaven and earth to get our work done. Similar is the case of telecom service providers (TSPs) also. They do not care how much we complain about poor service or billing issues (as long as we are adding to their ARPUs). If one threatens to leave the service, they don’t mind; they believe they’ll find many more. But the same applies to us too. True, it is an oligopolistic market (few sellers, many buyers) for TSPs, but we have the option of other providers too. MNP just makes it that much more convenient for us.

India has evolved, or rather revolutionized, since the early 90s when we had to wait years for everything. Barely any company has a monopoly in the market now; the market is far more competitive and there are people implementing good business models to meet our needs. So we do not need to depend on someone for selling us what we can buy from anywhere. If our desires have increased, so have the options to fulfil them. Let’s use the best information source – Google, to find alternate people/places/techniques that will fulfil our needs without us having to cater to their whims and fancies. If we can induce some patience in ourselves and remove the cap on the time limit to fulfil our needs and wants, we will end up realizing we got what we wanted and it was a bargain. We save money, are more knowledgeable and feel good about it. Besides, it will once again dawn upon sellers that the customer is king. We just need to know how and where to prudently use the words “I don’t want it!”

The Inflation Conundrum...

2011-05-30T08:35:00.001+05:30

So the RBI has raised interest rates 9 times this fiscal year; the last one by 50 bps. The GoI and RBI claim this is being done to counter inflation, which seems to be steady between 8 – 9%. Developed countries suffer from stagnating capital markets, while developing countries have to combat inflation.

Inflation is mainly of two types – supply driven and demand driven. Supply driven inflation means the supply outscores the demand, leading to a reduction in price due to abundance and surplus of goods & services in the market. Demand driven inflation, on the other hand, leads to increase in prices as the demand is larger than supply. The Indian government seems to be treating the existing inflation issue as demand driven. It believes there is surplus liquidity in the market and hence asks the RBI to raise interest rates to make money more valuable. But this action seems to be doing very little save adversely impacting our country’s growth figures. Hoarding of some primary food items has been occurring on quite a few occasions (sugar in 2009, onions last year, etc.). The demand is thus, much higher than the presence of those commodities in the market and this leads to increase in their prices. But a 150% price jump? And that too for basic food items? Does the GoI think the poor, who form 60% of India’s population, will be able to afford it? And does the GoI think this problem will get sorted by increasing lending and deposit rates in banks? Think again.

The lower class needs food to survive, and this dwindling of food supply is the primary cause of food inflation, which I can presume is in double digits. 22 lakh tonnes of food grains get wasted annually due to sub – standard storage facilities set up by the governments. Infrastructure (highways, railways, connecting roads, etc.) are in appalling conditions. Over 1 lakh litres of rain water annually get wasted per city because the government has no storage set ups for it. Imagine the wonders reduction on dependence of rain water could do for farmers. They could be lesser worried about uncertainty, food harvests would be close to bumper crops every year, more mouths could be fed and proper infrastructure could ensure the food commodities reach all the people.

The central government needs incentivize farmers to produce more crops. Private companies like Reliance, Future Group, ITC are doing something on those lines by offering farmers more money for their produce and eliminating middlemen. This is also increasing supply chain efficiency and benefiting the urban customer. Companies like Jain Irrigation can build a lot of water storage areas and ensure that the farmer is less dependent on rains and ground water and feels more secure at his profession. Tax benefits need to be increased to companies which work on developing hard and soft infrastructure (the latter includes hospitals, toilets, schools, colleges, etc.) in backward villages. The government needs to encourage companies carrying out such activities which will lead to overall growth of rural areas and still maintain our food production and supply, so that we do not have to depend on foreign countries some decades later for food grains.

True, the suggestions I have made may sound a bit farfetched as India has a lot of leaks in its system. But if anyone can make it possible, it is the team of Dr. Manmohan Singh, P. Chidambaram, Montek Singh Ahluwalia and Pranab Mukherjee. We have a very formidable team at the head of the Central Government, along with a very able chairperson of the RBI. It is about time these leaders pay attention to glaring problems in the Indian economy. These development policies will not only help India continue on its growth drive avoid getting stunted, but also ensure that happy and satisfied citizens of India revote the Congress into power for at least the next 2 terms. It remains to be seen what the politicians of India really want from this country and their positions.

How Google Changed the World

2011-05-22T21:47:00.000+05:30

The year was 1996. It had only been 15 years since 1981, when Microsoft had introduced their revolutionary DOS operating system on IBM and other PCs, and started their ambitious goal of putting a personal computer into every home. The world had also just started to transition to the colour of Windows 95 monitors after more than a decade immersed in monochrome monitors. Two years ago, in 1994, Yahoo! had created the first comprehensive directory of the World Wide Web with their Yahoo! directory. The internet for the general public was born in the mid 90s, as many people rushed to post information onto the internet, supporting its initial growth.

With all this information on the internet, it was critical to find a way for people to find information. With a way to find information that people needed, it would further support the growth and continued use of the internet. During the late 90s, the search engine Alta Vista became the most popular search engine in the world, allowing people to find some of the information they were searching. However, its search results were mostly trashy, as it was difficult to pinpoint relevant information for which one was searching.

Fortunately, in 1996, a new university graduate project collaboration between two graduate students, Larry Page and Sergey Brin, was under way. It used an innovative approach. Instead of merely using a forward mechanism of searching for pages, it calculated a web page’s importance or relevance based on backlinks linking to a certain site, through PageRank, after crawling and indexing as many pages as possible. The result was a highly-targeted search engine, which allowed for highly precise search results, truly allowing people to find a needle in a haystack. What, in the past, may have taken days, weeks, months, or even a lifetime of searching, just took a few seconds. The company, Google, was incorporated in 1998. Like many of us, Google’s initial beginnings were humble. As poor graduate students, the founders of Google sometimes looked for microprocessors that were being dumped and not used by the university any more in order to use them for servers. Gradually, knowledge about the relevance and usefulness of Google’s search engine spread throughout the world. In 2000, Google tried to sell its search engine to Yahoo! for $1 million, but Yahoo! unfortunately, did not have the foresight and declined.

After the .com crash at the turn of the millennium, many more useless internet companies had to fold. Throughout this time, Google, who provided a highly essential service to people, was able to plough through this difficult period and give the internet its needed structure and stability. Eventually, Google figured out a way to monetize its search engine through AdWords in 2002.

Today, Google contributes to everything we can think of online. Picassa is one of the best online photo sharing applications, Google Maps is an application almost everyone uses for directions before they visit a new location, the Android OS has already dipped into about 30% of the iOS’ market share of tablet PCs and mobile phones, Orkut was quite a social networking hit before Facebook eclipsed it, the Google Blogger site which allows bloggers to maintain online diaries and share their thoughts if they choose. We don’t need to mention the Google search engine which is arguably still the best in the world and keeps updating itself e.g. the iGoogle search engine which allows one to personalize his/her search page. “Google it!” is a new term that is used by many people when looking for information. Google has not only synchronized the World Wide Web, but has empowered most people with information on virtually anything they want. Indeed, Google has changed the world!

The Week That Was...

2011-05-08T19:54:00.001+05:30

The week from 1^st to 7^th May, 2011 was quite an eventful one in context of happenings across the world. The killing of Osama bin Laden, Sony’s CEO Howard Stringer apologizing for the hacking of Playstations and offering $1 million per user in remuneration, more 2G scam revelations coming to light, the BSE rallying up and down, etc. were some of the events that occurred. We’ll focus on a few that really made the headlines in morning papers.

Osama bin Laden was reported dead on late Sunday evening. US Navy SEALS infiltrated into his Pakistan quarters and successfully killed him. This was timed perfectly to occur just before Obama begins his election campaign. Bin Laden wasn’t brought back to the US like Saddam Hussain and electrocuted on the chair! Instead, he was shot in the head and his remains buried at sea. A bit too convenient, it seems. And was bin Laden really responsible for 9/11? The documentary Zeitgeist proves otherwise; more so that it was an inside job. Also, the bin Ladens were especially close to George Bush Snr. and managed to get a lot of favours from Bush Jnr. right after 9/11. That is not to say that the news may not be true, but I have my reservations. What the news has done, though, is that it has spread a lot of euphoria amongst US countrymen. That, and additional jobs created, have increased Obama’s popularity drastically. He has almost reserved a stint for himself at the White House for the next few years. He can afford to spend nothing for his election campaign and still be a major contender for the position of President of the United States.

For the 9^th time this fiscal year, the RBI increased interest rates; this time by 50 bps. This, they declared, was one of the key measures in controlling inflation in India, though it was not investor friendly. This policy, along with possibilities of a global economic recovery, led to the SENSEX dropping for 9 successive sessions before rising on Friday. A lot of people also lost money invested in silver as it lost its shine by almost 30% in this week alone. Experts cite the reduction in imports into China as the main reason for this slide in not only silver, but other commodities also. This might encourage those investors to enter the stock market and possibly help it rally upwards in the near future. Crude also dropped to below $100 a barrel after long. This could spell good news for India and other countries as the prices of fuel may now not rise as sharply as expected. Also, a reduction in dependant palm oil and other raw material could reduce input costs and margin pressures for many industries. Also, reduction in edible and cooking oil could lead to control in food prices and positively impact inflation. That being said, all we can do is wait and watch if the Indian government proactively takes some more measures to benefit the common man.

Kanimozhi has finally been named in the CBI chargesheet and was presented in court this week. She looked extremely tense, bordering on tears. Ram Jethmalani defended her staunchly in court saying she claims her main fault is she is Karunanidhi’s daughter and hence she is being targeted though she had nothing to do with the 2G scam, and that it was all Raja’s fault. She now wants to be granted bail on the grounds that she is a woman. Strange... she did not think of all this when she was one of the main perpetrators in the 2G scam, something the evidence accumulated by the CBI clearly shows. It is amusing how Kalmadi, Sheila Dixit, Kanimozhi and other politicians amass all the wealth when they can, but blame the entire world when they are exposed. Anyway, I am sure I speak for most people when I say that I hope justice is dished out to all those guilty, man or woman.

Of course, I have not mentioned the Royal wedding of Prince William and Kate Middleton. The who’s who of the world were present, and the paparazzi ensured the high profile wedding was covered from all angles; attendees, fashion, celebrations, etc. I didn’t follow it to be able to write a lot about it, though.

We didn’t have only one headline repeated over and over again this week, though the media were more than keen on constantly covering the death of Bin Laden. So the world did see highs and lows this week, and it was fun. It’s a pity such weeks do not come often to keep us interested and thinking. Now, the consequences of the events that have unfolded remain to be seen. Hopefully they will be positive; the world has witnessed too much bad news in the past few months.

20 Things To Let Go!

2011-05-03T08:12:00.000+05:30

A wonderful article which my professor shared with me:

You are in an imaginary hot air balloon. It’s just you and all of your belongings in the wicker basket. Something went wrong and you are losing altitude fast. You will hit the ground in less than ten minutes if you don’t come up with something quick.
The only immediate solution is to get rid of excess weight and throw off at least half of your belongings. It’s that or hit the ground in ten. You look at the things and hesitate for a few seconds but then you do what you have to do and start throwing the things you have gathered half your life one by one. The cargo gets lighter, the descent slows down then you are floating up again back to altitude. You are relieved beyond comprehension.
This happens to all of us in less dramatic circumstances. We attach ourselves to things that we have accumulated over the years. Some of them might have some practical value. Others we just have attached ourselves sentimentally to over time. Some others are just clutter.

Our mental life follows the same fate. We carry with us a lot of things in our heads along the years – Our life story, emotional attachments, beliefs and other things which can linger in our minds for many years. Some of them are useless ideas that drag us down considerably. Some are emotional debris from difficult moments in our past. Some are just beliefs which we have attached ourselves to for no apparent justifiable reason. Some others are just self-destructive habits and fears.

So if you were in the hot air balloon situation, which of these mental barriers should we let go? I have listed down 20 here. Do you have any more?

1. Let go of attachments: According to Buddhist Philosophy, attachment is one of the roots of all suffering. I can’t agree more. We attach ourselves to all sorts of things even the most self-slapping stupid notions in the universe. Are you attached to something? How much are you attached? Is it keeping you back from something? Is it making you suffer? Look at it straight through – break the illusion. Know that every attachment can be detached.

2. Let go of guilt: Guilt has absolutely no function whatsoever. Think about it – what could guilt possibly resolve? It just holds you imprisoned to self-mortification and sorrow.

3. Let go of Negative thinking: Pessimistic thoughts and negative attitudes keep you locked in a dark aura that permeates in everything you do. It’s a dangerous line to follow. Know that thoughts influence the world around us. Enough said

4. Let go of self-criticism: Many times we are our biggest pain in the neck. We criticize ourselves with the best of intentions but then go over the acceptable limit. Criticism then turns to disempowering messages. Let go of it and be kind and gentle to yourself.

5. Let go of prejudice: Prejudice keeps you bitter and resentful. It restricts your opportunities to connect meaningfully with others.

6. Let go of compulsive thinking: Do you keep on doing something just because you feel you have to do it without any apparent reason? It’s time to honestly reflect on its usefulness and its side-effects.

7. Let go of the need for others’ approval: We often tend to seek approval by others. This is an attention-seeking behaviour and one which threatens our self-confidence and authenticity.

8. Let go of limiting beliefs: Most of our limits are self-imposed. Life doesn’t have defined limits. Our beliefs do. Learn to identify those beliefs which narrow down your possibilities for action and let go of them.

9. Let go of grudges: Let me put it this way – grudges are bad for your heart. Keep them long enough or numerous enough and your health will eventually suffer. Research is showing the relationship between heart disease and emotions such as anger and grudges.

10. Let go of the “I’ll do it tomorrow” attitude: This is a delaying tactic of your subconscious saboteur trying to keep you from accomplishing important tasks. Try to be aware of it when you think it and consciously push yourself to do at least the first part of it. Naturally you will then continue the whole task because the hard part is only the beginning.

11. Let go of anxious thoughts: These are born out of our fear of the unknown and uncertainty about the future. The thought that something unpleasant may happen is only an unreal thought we have created ourselves. Ask yourself: “Is this thought based on real evidence?”

12. Let go of past heartbreaks: A heartbreak can take quite a long time to heal. Your heart is locked as your mind keeps on hovering over the same thought. The thing to realize is that in heartbreaks it is not the loss that make you suffer but the idea you create in your heads about that loss.

13. Let go of bad memories: Sometimes we remember unpleasant things that stir up some sad feelings in us. Bad memories make you relive those sad moments in the present. Keep them where they are – in the past.

14. Let go of useless things: We also attach ourselves to things of all sort. Sometimes we clutter our life with useless objects. Let go of them and simplify your working and living environment.

15. Let go of bad company: If there are people around you that are insincere, harbour envy, are highly pessimistic or disempowering, keep away from them.

16. Let go of the idea that you are a product of your past: One very common mistake we fall into is the belief that we are determined by our past experiences. This limits our view on future possibilities since we are stuck in believing that the future can only be more of the same as our past.

17. Let go of identifying yourself with your job/role: This is one of the risks of modern day life. Since roles are always becoming more specialized we think that we are part of our roles. This makes us lose perspective of our true nature.

18. Let go of counterproductive habits: These are the repetitive patterns of behavior that obstruct or distract you from constructive and productive behavior. They can be anything from watching too much TV and overeating to self-destructive behavior such as drug abuse.

19. Let go of taking things too personally: Very often we are disturbed emotionally because we interpret people’s words and actions from a very subjective perspective. When we take things personally we get irritated, hurt and disappointed. When you look at life from a more detached and objective point of view, we stay emotionally balanced and focused on our priorities.

20. Let go of the ticking clock: Time is one of our biggest sources of stress. Well, not time really but our perception of it. Sometimes we are enslaved by the concept of time even in our moments of leisure. This has devoured a lot of our genuine freedom and space. Learning to spend moments without the constant awareness of time can be liberating and finally productive.

The Thing About Silence Is...

2011-04-27T09:50:00.000+05:30

We are used to it by now – watching people listening to their iPods, music players or talking on the phone when jogging, taking a walk, travelling, etc. alone. Maybe some of us are even a part of this recent fad! Music and friends keep us company when we are alone; they ensure that our minds are constantly occupied, that we are having fun, and that we feel connected to the world around us, and so on. Most people we see who have adopted this culture are until about the age of 40 years.

But why?

It’s probably the fear of being left alone. Today, no person wants to be left alone for the fear of negative thoughts engulfing his mind. Pressure at work, tussles with friends, ups and downs with family, road rage and much more probably are circulating in people’s minds when they have time to themselves. The thought of thinking now seems to frighten us and we constantly look for other things to keep us busy. Or maybe we don’t want to think anymore. This clutter of TV soaps, social networking sites, music channels, radio, etc. has made us so used to chaos that the calm now disturbs us. We reason that these so – called entertainment channels actually keep us informed about what is happening in the world. But is it really? There were a whole lot of generations who came and went before the idiot box and iPods took control of our lives; they turned out ok! Do we need to know how much is being imposed on us? And how much of what we know is actually true? Noted author Robin Sharma states that it is important for an individual to spend at least 30 minutes every day in complete silence. How many of us are able to achieve a target of even 10?

We now are proud to be a part of Gen Y – the Impatient generation, who get whatever they want in a jiffy. We are ready to substitute our need for human relationships with materialistic ownership and that is probably reducing tolerance in us. We do not want to adjust to others; rather vice versa. This is further reducing the overall life span of marriages, which seem to have hit an all time low recently. All this, because we don’t want to take sometime out to be silent, to think, to be with ourselves and reflect.

It is great to have things you want to possess; after all, they are made for you and that is what most people earn for. But it also helps to spend some time in silence. Maybe while travelling, or at night before going to bed, or anytime which you can squeeze in. It allows you to reflect on what happened in the day and what you could have done better. You can probably find where you erred or some situation you could have handled better to your advantage. It not only increases your focus, but also ensures you give back to society and enrich yourself - something I believe everyone wants to do. Invariably it helps in making you a better person. Almost all successful people I have known have adopted this technique of remaining silent for sometime in a day. Isn’t it about time we started doing the same?

Is it Criminal to Think Small in India? (An article by Gurcharan Das)

2011-04-11T09:06:00.000+05:30

There are two spaces in the politics of India. And one of them is empty. The two spaces reflect the classic division between those who look ahead and aspire versus those who look back and complain. Our political parties cater to the second--to the victim in us through their politics of grievance. The present gridlock in the parliament is also symptom of the same dispirited politics—no party is sufficiently hungry for reform to break the logjam. No one reflects the spirit of a rapidly growing India. Nor is anyone thinking big--and it’s criminal to think small in India. Until the second space is filled, our politics will not be whole.

Congress appeals to the victim in the ‘aam admi’ with an ever expanding menu of job guarantees, food, gas and kerosene subsidies, and more. The BJP panders to the sufferer of historical Muslim misrule and to Congress’ minority vote-bank politics. Mayavati and caste parties focus on the historical injustice to Dalits and OBCs. The Shiv Sena gratifies the injured pride of the ‘Marathi manoos’. All of this is about the politics of grievance and injustice.

India, however, is changing dramatically. It is nothing short of a miracle that it has become the world’s second fastest growing economy in the midst of the most appalling governance. With high growth, mobility, and a demographic revolution of the young, Indians who aspire will soon overtake those who see themselves as victims. Pew surveys show that a majority of Indians believe that they are better off than their parents and that their children will do even better. The person who got the 750 millionth phone number last month was a village migrant whose dream keeps slipping as his calls keep dropping partly because A. Raja corruptly handed out the 2G spectrum. India’s 100 millionth internet user in 2013 will have information which only the most privileged could access twenty years ago. No one in India’s political life captures their hopes.

China’s politicians do a far better job. While we debate if growth is pro-poor, China talks about growing rich. It understands that performance is a function of expectations. Those with higher expectations get higher performance. China no longer thinks itself a Third World country—it is challenging America today. In India, only a few politicians-- Nitish Kumar, Sheila Dixit, and Narendra Modi--appeal to the aspirers. They speak the language of governance, roads and schools. But we need many more of them.

When I put this to a powerful Congress politician, he said that ‘India shining’ had died in the 2004 election. I gently reminded him that India’s high growth economy had delivered 300 million into the middle class; another 250 million had been lifted out of poverty since the 1980s. So, a total of 550 million aspirers are surely worth fighting over. ‘Ah, but there are still another 550 million whiners, and their votes are more reliable than the shiners!’ he said. If poverty were to magically disappear in India, the Congress party might lose its reason to exist.

Aspirational politics would tackle our problems differently. Take, for instance, food inflation. The politics of grievance applies short term bandages--it tries to catch hoarders, stops forward trading, forbids export of grains when the country has had a bumper rice harvest and expects a record wheat crop (while ignoring Rs 17,000 crores of grains rotting under the tarpaulins of FCI). The politics of aspiration would recapitalize and reform agriculture and raise long term supply—it would allow competition against FCI in the warehousing of food, permit foreign investment in retail to establish cold chains, and allow farmers to lease their lands in order to raise productivity.

Who will fill the empty space in Indian politics? None of our parties understands that we live in a time of revolutionary change. Could it be Rahul Gandhi? But so far he hasn’t given any hint that he thinks big. India has doubled its cotton crop in the past five years; yet there have also been suicides of farmers in the cotton growing areas. Both facts are correct. Rahul Gandhi has chosen to focus on suicides. The future, however, will be built by those who focus on the first, who think big and give young Indians a sense of limitless possibilities.

Courtesy - http://gurcharandas.blogspot.com/

Some Welcome News in Testing Times...

2011-04-04T14:17:00.000+05:30

The last few months kept springing unpleasant news for us. Scams being unearthed, unrest in East Asian countries, petrol prices rising again, natural disasters in Japan, the SENSEX constantly falling, speculations of below expectations Q4 results and many more. Amidst all this negativity, we witnessed something exceptionally pleasing; India won the 2011 ICC World Cup.

India had started as favourites for the Cup, and they made it amply clear that they wanted to win this World Cup for Sachin Tendulkar, but the momentum seemed to be losing steam as time progressed. Some great batting displays at the top of the order were all that seemed to be making the team hold on against the opposition. Middle and lower order collapses and a seemingly toothless bowling attack saw India lose to South Africa and just about hold out against England and Ireland. The batting let India down against West Indies also but the bowling seemed to be striking some sort of form. Fielding was nothing to write home about in most of these matches. India had comfortably made it to the quarter finals, but I felt they were staring down the barrel here as they had to face the World champions next.

However, we witnessed a different team India from the quarter finals onwards. India’s fielding went up by notches against every opposition, and the bowlers seemed to strike some form as well. For the 1^st time in 12 years, the cricket world would witness a new world champion. After eliminating Australia, India performed very well against Pakistan under tremendous pressure to keep up the tradition of beating Pakistan in every World Cup match until date. Amir Khan was spot on when he said that India was facing 3 final viz. Australia, Pakistan and then the finalists. For the 1^st time, a home team had made it to the finals of the World Cup. The toss did throw up some controversy and the Indians did seem dejected. However, none of this impacted India when they bowled and fielded like a team possessed. While batting, it was very reassuring to see the youth brigade stabilize the innings and then Dhoni silenced his critics by scoring when it counted the most. India looked like the Aussies did for so long – INVINCIBLE. After 28 long years for us, and for the 1^st time for a team at its home venue, we are World Champions.

India’s efforts saw many of us Indians living a dream of feeling proud of having bagged the ultimate prize. The Indian team had stated they wanted to win the World Cup for Sachin, and they did. Not just the Indian cricket team, most of the country watching was also teary eyed as the fact started setting in. The team put up a brave face in all adverse conditions and almost every time came out on top. These last couple of months united all Indians, and the euphoria after victory can simply not be put into words. This World Cup has given us a lot to celebrate in these trying times. Forget the sarcasm, the criticism, the cynicism, match fixing allegations, etc. You guys did what you set out to do! You guys made us proud and made sure Sachin does not leave the game without the ultimate trophy. It is nice to see some people achieve what they promise, especially you promise to reach the very pinnacle. We are now no. 1 in Tests, and have won the T20 and the ICC Cricket World Cup. Dhoni and boys, take a bow! We love you!

10 Tips for Leading A Better Life Today...

2011-03-30T09:04:00.000+05:30

Here are 10 tips on how to lead a better life today with the world hurtling ahead at breakneck speeds :

1. Throw out nonessential numbers. This includes age, weight and height. Let the doctors worry about them. That is why you pay "them!"

2. Keep only cheerful friends. The grouches pull you down.

3. Keep learning. Learn more about the computer, crafts, gardening, whatever. Never let the brain idle.

4. Enjoy the simple things.

5. Laugh often ... long and loud. Laugh until you gasp for breath.

6. The tears happen. Endure, grieve, and move on. The only person who is with us our entire life, is ourselves so Be ALIVE while you are alive.

7. Surround yourself with what you love whether it's ... family, pets, keepsakes, music, plants, hobbies, whatever. Your home is your sacred refuge.

8. Cherish your health. If it is good, preserve it. If it is unstable, improve it. If it is beyond what you can improve, get help.

9. Don't take guilt trips. Take a trip to the mall... even to the next county ...to a foreign country, but NOT to where the guilt is.

10. Tell the people you love that you love them. ..at every opportunity.

REMEMBER that life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away.
May you all make it to a healthy 100 and a half!

Is an Instinctive Decision Really Instinctive?

2011-03-25T17:04:00.000+05:30

I was watching a MOTOGP race with my friend one evening, and one rider made a move to pass the other. Before we could see what happened next, I blurted “No! He’s gonna run wide!” And he did! This was not the first time I was making such a call (and I have at least an 85% accuracy record when I do). My friend asked me how I could judge such things even better than the commentators, and my reply was the clichéd “Gut Feeling!” However, that night I sat wondering how I developed this gut feeling. Or for that matter, how do most people who instinctively make the right decision manage to do it? Top – level managers of MNCs, team bosses & engineers of successful racing teams, good traders on the stock market, the Joker from The Dark Knight; how are they blessed with the power to make these snap judgements and still have the advantage over millions who may take ages to do the same with much more information at hand? How can one automobile fanatic differentiate between two BMWs while the other is all at sea? How can one see 2 – 5 minutes of their favourite TV serial and predict how it’s going to end? Why are Warren Buffett’s “gut feelings” so much more profitable than 99% of the other investors? Try and find similar examples in your daily lives; I am sure you’ll find enough. Is a “gut feeling” really just that much or is there more to it?

We all have opinions and intuitions; being Indians we probably have a few more than needed. But how often are those correct and accurate? We have studied that a BRAND is a gut – feeling. But why? Why do some brands give us such positive vibes while some makes our guts feel like they are being wrenched? I believe that it is repeated exposure to certain circumstances and experiences (or goods and services) and our ability to comprehend and analyze the happenings that helps us to develop a good instinct. Our mind does not necessarily compile and calculate all the occurrences or weigh every strand of evidence. It sometimes considers only what can be gathered at a glance. So the more we go through certain experiences, the better and quicker we understand the probable outcomes. Developing an expertise in a certain field equips us to make more educated guesses in it. The unconscious side of our mind has already considered the important factors for making a split – second decision. And, before we are even aware of what happened in our mind, we are adhering to what we believe is our instinct. That’s probably why jewellers can glance at a gold necklace and realize whether it’s real or fake; drivers can make a guess quickly whether their car will fit into the gap while driving, so on and so – forth. Experiences and knowledge about a certain brand also make us instinctively decide whether the product/service will indeed be worthwhile. A superman CEO like Jack Welch may have entitled his autobiography Jack: Straight from the Gut, but he makes it amply clear that what developed those gut feelings were carefully charted management and operational theories.

The next time you feel your instinct telling you something, just stop and think about why. Have you been in a similar situation before? Do you have prior experience on the matter? Do you think you are equipped enough to be able to substantiate that feeling? If most answers are YES, then by all means, follow your gut. You will mostly be proved right. And following your gut feeling (when you have faith in it) saves you a lot of time than making the same decision with a lot of information at hand and time spent in pondering.

Is Gold Still the Primary Crisis Currency?

2011-03-24T09:03:00.000+05:30

You may have spent a lot of your childhood hearing from your elders about how much money could buy in "those old days". And how over time everything became expensive, politicians got more corrupt and so on. It is very intuitive for people to invest in precious metals. They may not know about monetary policies, fiscal deficits and such sophisticated jargons. But gold has been a safety haven since time immemorial. It still continues to be. Now, silver is increasingly becoming a global monetary metal. And there are fair chances that silver prices will outpace those of gold in the coming times.

Inflation in India and China has been on the rise. And not so surprisingly, silver's role as a monetary metal is gathering the most momentum in emerging economies. Industrial and Commercial Bank of China (ICBC), the world's largest bank by market value, sold 418,000 ounces of physical silver to Chinese citizens in January 2011 alone. Now compare that with 1.06 m ounces for the whole of 2010. China was a net importer of over 100 m ounces of silver last year. It is important to note that a few years ago the dragon economy was exporting an equal amount annually.

On the other hand, can the mining community match up to the burgeoning appetite for silver? Not really! Silver is primarily extracted as a by-product of gold mining - an industry that's already operating at peak capacity. So an explosive demand coupled with inelastic supply translates into guess what, higher prices!

Both gold and silver have rallied significantly. Of late, silver has stolen much of gold's sheen. Its spot price rose by 83% last year, whereas gold posted a relatively modest gain of 30%. If this is any indication, then silver's dominant outperformance of gold is set to continue. Silver's lower unit price makes it the poor man's gold. Think about it, 90% of the world's population is poor.

Courtesy - Equitymaster.

India Inc. – Moving Ahead, or Staring Down the Barrel!

2011-03-24T08:58:00.000+05:30

India Inc.’s GDP has grown on an average of 8 – 9% in the past few years and the IIP looked steady until now, albeit relatively low. A lot of economists and investors are looking at India as the next destination to sustain and expand wealth. More and more companies are looking to establish their presence in India to gain access to Indian resources and the population. Investors are increasing the amount of faith and money they place in the Indian stock market. India seems to be on a roll and the growth is at a maniacal pace.

But is this growth sustainable or eyewash? Or is it all a bubble simply waiting to burst! Fund managers cite 5 – 6% as the long term inflation figure to be considered. However, inflation figures hovered around the 12 – 15% mark for the last 2 years. This has mainly been dominated by wholesale food prices, which constitute 47% of India’s inflation figures. The UPA’s stint has been mired in controversies and volatile political issues and much of the time has been spent in fire fighting rather than actually taking time to implement population friendly policies. Sharad Pawar stated that his priorities mainly lay with the ICC rather than food and agricultural development and management in India. Ashok Chavan, Suresh Kalmadi, A. Raja, etc. were too busy in taking advantage of their positions to favour themselves and relatives. Unrest has consistently increased in Kashmir and Naxal affected areas, while all political parties are only trying to gain brownie points and mileage out of any scandals in India. Large projects with enormous investments have been stalled citing reasons like flouting of environmental norms, which could very easily act as a deterrent for companies planning setting up large projects in the country. All the RBI is doing to combat inflation is increasing basis points of its lending rate; the fear of this has already led to $900 million flowing out of the ever – so volatile Indian stock market. GST and other such policies are encountering roadblocks constantly, while petrol prices seem to have no control ever since deregulation has occurred. New laws of DTC are all set to further discourage common man from investing in the stock market and his savings will further dwindle away.

There seems to be a huge lethargy on part of the central government on encouraging our country’s growth. Many politicians are busy amassing all the wealth they can while they are in power for fear of not being re – elected in this democracy. Until recently, the government was in denial about inflation being a hindrance to growth and development, and when they finally gave in, it led to pandemonium on Dalal Street. This is evident in the drastic drop in SENSEX figures since the past 2 – 3 weeks.

The members in power need to dedicate time and effort in strengthening the economy which has tremendous potential in it. Alternatives should be provided for companies which cannot set up at locations off – bounds due to environmental regulations. Improvement in logistics for food items is quintessential. Reducing the number of intermediaries should be a part of the exercise to eliminate hoarding and spiralling of prices of important food items. The government can also look at its policies regarding export of important items to ensure there is no shortage of the same in the country. It will be good for India if the UPA and NDA concentrate on control of inflation and encourage more than just the existing 2 – 3% of the population to invest in the stock market to make it more robust and stable. Those funds will also empower the listed organizations to work on their expansion plans and aid in development of the country. The need of the hour is to concentrate on finance – friendly policies and reining in inflation rather than squabbling over pointers like lapses in Rahul Gandhi’s security. In all this, we are frittering away the momentum gained by the country until now.