In’grain’ed forever

IIPM : EXECUTIVE EDUCATION

Move over equity markets, the era of commodity exchanges has just about begun in India, says Joseph Massey, CEO, MCX

In an exclusive interaction with 4Ps B&M, Joseph Massey, MD and CEO of MCX, talks about the past, present and future strategies of this commodity exchange. Excerpts:

4Ps B&M: What are the most popular commodities being traded by the Indians these days?
JM: There are whole lot of non-agri commodities like Gold, Silver, Copper, Crude Oil, zinc, etc. and agricultural commodities like Cardamom, Pepper, Ref. Soyoil, etc. that are most popular commodities being traded.

4Ps B&M: An IPO is due shortly. What preparations are on?
JM: Strengthening the processes, improving transparency, efforts to identify benchmark industry practices and following them are the major activities that are being undertaken by the exchange to cater to both the pre-and post-IPO requirements as this would remain the first issues of IPO by the company.

4Ps B&M: How have you cornered 75% of the comex pie?
JM: Our first challenge was to identify the right talent and make strategic tie ups to undo the 40 years of unlearning. So training was strategy number one. Secondly, we educated end users about micro details via intensive education for intermediaries, at management and agri business colleges. Then, of course we had the technology advantage as provided by our parent Financial Technologies, which specialises in applying technology to and establishing market places.

4Ps B&M: How has MCX’s timings (the exchange closes just before midnight) helped it to link with international markets?
JM: These commodities are global, so we decided to give prices for longer hours. We extended timings to gain European and US time advantage. Besides, we thought that actual users of size are going abroad, but SMEs are not following for lack of money or intermediaries. So we cross listed products on global exchanges that gave global efficiencies in the local market.

4Ps B&M: Are these exchanges actually benefiting farmers?
JM: Almost every farmer in the country is benefiting. If you make a good road in a village, every farmer benefits, though not all farmers drive cars. Knowing future prices in advance, benefits farmers both directly and indirectly. The farmer may still go to his traditional selling agent, but now he knows the price four months from now and bargains better. Second, post futures, it does not matter which villager is going to which intermediary but all these markets were acting as homogenous market, all aligned to a national price. This is a huge indirect benefit.

4Ps B&M: What’s the potential that you foresee?
JM: MCX and its intermediaries have invested about Rs.5,000 crore in building the marketplace. Our target is that in this new industry, 5 years from now, close to a million jobs can get created and almost Rs.25,000 crore of investment can be absorbed by this industry and its institutions. Exchanges globally are now moving from natural commodities and indices to synthetic instruments. MCX will trail a similar route.

4Ps B&M: Plans for retail investors?
JM: It has been statistically proven that when you introduce commodities in your portfolio, it gives better returns. Multiple options been given to the retail investor based on gold where they can come to futures market – invest in 1 kg gold, 100 gm bar or an 8 gm coin. But yes, they are not a significant percentage because the largest community on our platform is that of hedgers.

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Source : IIPM Editorial, 2008

An Initiative of IIPM, Malay Chaudhuri and Arindam chaudhuri (Renowned Management Guru and Economist).

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RFID is conquering the last yard in retail

IIPM Programme :- SUPERIOR COURSE CONTENTS

RFID is streamlining inventory management & improving customer service for retailers the world over

Amit Mukherjee,
Group Chief Information Officer, RPG Enterprises

Retail is one of the largest industries in India, accounting for over 10% of the Indian GDP and more than 8% employment. Industry analysts say that it is on a high growth trajectory with a projected $453 billion potential by 2011(E), fuelled by the Government of India’s (GoI’s) increasing focus on achieving 9-10% growth in GDP, and the growing consumer income level and aspirations. With such a huge demand and an operations-intensive supply side, Indian retailers are gradually realising the power of technology as a key growth enabler. Retail organisations are leveraging information technology (IT) to reduce costs, improve performance, and create competitive advantage. A key technology player would be Radio Frequency Identification Device (RFID), which is proliferating rapidly throughout the retail industry. This is also good news to the Indian software players as they can now look inwards for business. With a broader market for RFID & more software players with expertise, it is also becoming viable for small retail players as well.

The retail fever gripped India in 2000, but the automation process started only a couple of years back. The main reason for the technology laggardness was the lack of scale. The industry was very nascent, share of organised retail was a miniscule percentage of the total market base and the retailers were still experimenting. As the industry grew by leaps and bounds, the high performance companies started rethinking the fundamental business processes and strategies that can be enabled by RFID - and started using these to differentiate them in the marketplace by developing cost-effective and efficient supply chain applications and capabilities.

Major impact on supply chain can be created through RFID - automated devices can keep track of a product from distribution centre to the store. This enables adequate inventory management and advance planning so that demand can be met timely. Proper planning would ensure economies of scale while a product is being ordered, better tracking would mean better control of shrinkage and therefore result in a lot of savings, part of which can be transferred back to the consumer. So RFID will also have a positive impact on consumers, as well. No wonder, global retail giants like Wal-Mart focus so much on RFID technology and they had in fact implemented such technology some twenty years back.

Even though, RFID adoption in India is comparatively new but statistics show that India’s growth in organised retail has been much faster than in the other matured markets of US and Europe. As the Indian retail players grow and acquire scale in operation and as they wake up to the benefits of technology and become more and more savvy, we will see significant investments in RFID adoption. It is difficult to forecast accurately, but within five years, investment in RFID would be to the tune of Rs.50-100 crore.

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Source : IIPM Editorial, 2008

An Initiative of IIPM, Malay Chaudhuri and Arindam chaudhuri (Renowned Management Guru and Economist).

For More IIPM Info, Visit below mentioned IIPM articles.
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Microsoft LifeCam NX-6000

IIPM Programme :- SUPERIOR COURSE CONTENTS

Technical Specification

Camera: 2MP (1600 x 1190); Zoom: 3X Digital Zoom; Microphone: Built-in Face tracing with CMOS Sensor; Viewing Angle: 71 degree.
PRICE: N.A.

With definite conviction, this gizmo is only for notebook users, and this is palpable from the spring loaded LCD clip on the back. Like any other product from Microsoft, this one is scratch-resistant and has a brushed metal finish; no wonder the Microsoft LifeCam NX-6000 has enough to beckon the consumer. There’s more! And to protect the miniscule CMOS sensor from being drenched, the sensor has been placed behind a big piece of flat plastic. According to a Delhi based wholesaler, the gadget is, “Easy to handle and is brilliantly weather-resistant, all which makes this product different from those offered by rival Sony.”

Marketers’ delight: Easy to carry anywhere and its palpability will delight the customers.

Tester’s note: Pros – 2 Mp camera. CMOS sensor. Good protective casing and collapasible lens. Cons – Clasp restricts suitability to thinner notebooks. Frame rates drop at higher video resolution.

For more articles, Click on IIPM Article.

Source : IIPM Editorial, 2008

An Initiative of IIPM, Malay Chaudhuri and Arindam chaudhuri (Renowned Management Guru and Economist).

For More IIPM Info, Visit below mentioned IIPM articles.
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?e? ?????µe t?? ap??t?s?!!!

Now IIPM's World-Class Education... for everybody!!

Strapped for cash, fighting to breathe, Novartis seems to be hitting blind by investing valuable cash in M&As

The Bible has one of the first references to Quo Vadis, aka, “Where are you going?” A question the world seems to be asking of the Swiss drug behemoth, Novartis, quite pertinently. Sectorally, the global drug industry is anything but in good health; and Novartis seems to be trying hard to combat this losing battle by diversifying – the recent $39 billion acquisition of a 77% stake (25% now and 52% between 2010-2011) in the eye-care firm Alcon (from Nestlé) a leading case to point.

Danielle Vasella, Novartis Chairman and CEO, is pretty clear that he needs to find newer avenues for growth; and overt reliance on precociously radical pharmaceutical is not a remedy he can rely on. Digest this. In 2005, Vasella doled out $13 billion to buy out cheap generic German drugmakers Hexal and Eon Labs. And in year 2006, Vasella splashed out $5.7 billion to acquire US vaccine maker Chiron in a bid to enter global vaccines market. On the positive front, the global vaccine market is expected to touch $20 billion in 2009 (more than 100% increase over 2004). And creditably, even Novartis’ generic arm, Sandoz, is No. 2 worldwide.

So what’s right with the Alcon deal? It’s the leading player of the $25 billion eye care industry. Claudia Lenz, Bank Vontobel analyst, told B&E, “Alcon...will undoubtedly become a profitable source of growth for Novartis once it acquires the majority sometime in 2010 or 2011.” Novartis already has a massive hold on the global contact lens business; and with Alcon’s globally sold glaucoma drugs and cataract surgery products (double digit sales growth), the company will also help Novartis tap developing economies, where Alcon’s markets grew 21%.

So what’s wrong with the deal? “This acquisition removes the financial flexibility of Novartis to meaningfully address its structural problems as the company heads for a patent cliff in 2012,” asserts Karl Heinz Koch, leading pharma analyst at Bank Vontobel. Even Morgan Stanley forecasted that Novartis, in the next four years, will be facing generic competition to approximately one third of its revenue sources. Add to this the hitting Bear Sterns assessment that clearly downgraded the deal as rank expensive.

If diversification were Vasella’s paradigm, one wonders why last year he sold off the top performing Gerber Foods to, hold your breath, Nestlé itself (for $8 billion). It’s a predicament he’s yet to resolve, especially at a time when cash at Novartis is disappearing faster than Elvis left the building! Quo vadis Mr. Vasella?! We know what his grudging response (in Greek, of course) would have been, “?e? ?????µe t?? ap??t?s? [I don’t know the answer!]” Elvis fights on...

Priyanka Rajpal

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Source : IIPM Editorial, 2008

An Initiative of IIPM, Malay Chaudhuri and Arindam chaudhuri (Renowned Management Guru and Economist).

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WEN JIABAO - Time for chindia!

IIPM INTERNATIONAL - NEW DELHI, GURGAON & NOIDA

WEN JIABAO
Time for chindia!

Being the Premier of the State Council of the People’s Republic of China, Wen Jiabao has gained lots of acclaim of being a poised, practical and a great leader. To complement the point, Mohammed Saqib, Fellow, Rajiv Gandhi Institute says, “Wen is a very good leader. When today, China is our largest trading partner, surpassing US, the duo is bound to be friendly with each other and it’s a compulsion.”

With dollar and pound weakening, there would be higher competition in foreign markets, besides the incessant struggle to gain energy resources. Besides, of course there are other crippling issues, the border being one of them. The need of the hour is to strengthen the tactical and supportive partnership. Wen, having been named ‘the people’s premier’, has a commoner figure with the public, and his more amicable qualities are held to contrast with the enigmatic and somber President Hu Jintao. Jiabao as President (which people feel he should be) could surely achieve much more Indo-China relations. Perhaps he could just lend the maturity and sensitivity needed to ensure lasting camaraderie between the two emerging superpowers.

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Source : IIPM Editorial, 2008

An Initiative of IIPM, Malay Chaudhuri and Arindam chaudhuri (Renowned Management Guru and Economist).

For More IIPM Info, Visit below mentioned IIPM articles.
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ANIRUDH DHOOT - Indian samurai

IIPM INTERNATIONAL - NEW DELHI, GURGAON & NOIDA

ANIRUDH DHOOT
Indian samurai
When he first entered the office of Videocon, he proposed grand diversifying plans for the company like entering into entertainment complexes in smaller cities such as Nashik, Aurangabad, Surat and Nagpur. In fact, his idea of entertainment was not just confined to multiplex theatres but was aimed at offering the consumers almost every mode for spending ‘quality’ free time. He also planned to open sports bars, shopping complexes, art galleries, gymnasia and oxygen bars, and if these weren’t enough, he even tried his luck in an online lottery and 24 hr. entertainment channel, but all in vain.

He went ahead and invested half of Rs.500 million (of earmarked investment) tying up with Reliance Infocomm to source 2,000-odd fixed wireless terminals, but the project met a silent end. Anirudh Dhoot might have failed in his first attempt as a businessman, but today, as CEO of the Electrolux Division of the Videocon Industries, he has moved on like how.

Anoop Kumar, President, Consumer Electronics and Appliances Manufacturers Association, comments on Anirudh Dhoot, “Anirudh Dhoot is now in a position to establish a firm global footprint for Videocon. Undoubtedly, Dhoot will spearhead more acquisitions for Videocon to make it a globally successful consumer durable company.” His latest plans are to take Electrolux refrigerators to West Asia, Africa & SAARC nations. So the ambitions of Dhoot seem to be soaring not only within India but internationally too. And led by the Videocon resurgence, the era of Indian pre-eminence in consumer durables may not be too far away.

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Source : IIPM Editorial, 2008

An Initiative of IIPM, Malay Chaudhuri and Arindam chaudhuri (Renowned Management Guru and Economist).

For More IIPM Info, Visit below mentioned IIPM articles.
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Education for All

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The World Bank’s one of the seven millennium goals “education for all” has been a slogan of Indian bureaucrats for years, unfortunately with far lesser ramifications to celebrate. India’s very strength, 300 million plus young population can simply turn into the explosive weakness if they are kept deprived of modern education and skill enhancements.

India has over 388 degree granting universities, it comprised of 221 State Universities, 24 Central Universities, 11 Private Universities, 114 Institutions Deemed to be Universities, 13 Institutions of National Importance and 5 Institutions established under State legislations. Unfortunately they are capable to provide mere 50% seats of the total applied for a degree. It may meet the gap if India increases the number to 750 state and central universities with 100% capacity utilisation in the next few years. Though as per the All India Council for Technical education the number of recognised engineering colleges touches 1617 by the end of 2007, over 60% of them are concentrated in just five states Tamil Nadu (286), Maharashtra (181), Karnataka (134) and Uttar Pradesh (125). This is not enough as developing countries like china are producing more engineers or IT professionals than India. Thus another 750 autonomous engineering colleges with equal concentration in each state may help to meet the gap. Moreover, 75 IITs (Indian Institute of Technology), 75 IIITs (Indian Institute of Information Technology) and 75 NITs (National Institute of Technology) should be started across India. Number of medical colleges in India is only 271 where 255 are recognised and the number of seats remains as low as 30,000. The country is in short of 600,000 doctors. Thus another 75 new medical colleges on the lines of AIIMS have become imperative. Number of seats for PG courses is just 11,005 which forces pass-outs to choose foreign destinations permanently.

However, mere seat increase and expansions of existing renowned colleges might not be the only solution. Proper performance based incentives for faculties to reduce their attrition rate, perfect utilisation of existing space for it is, IIMs, IITs are important.

For more articles, Click on IIPM Article.

Source : IIPM Editorial, 2008

An Initiative of IIPM, Malay Chaudhuri and Arindam chaudhuri (Renowned Management Guru and Economist).

For More IIPM Info, Visit below mentioned IIPM articles.
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Lalu is from mars, Pc is from uranus

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While Lalu ‘Karan’ Yadav has emerged as the reformer, who’s keen to introduce world-class processes in Indian Railways, Palaniappan ‘Arjun’ Chidambaram has introduced proposals that smell of tacky populism, if not downright vote-bank budgeting. It’s a clear case of Politics vs Privatisation

T hough the concept of reincarnation had been written about and captured on reel too many times before, it was the 1995 movie, Karan Arjun, which took the concept of reincarnation to a new sibling level. We had, lo and behold, two brothers, living in a rural village, who’re killed in one birth (of course, how’ll they be reincarnated otherwise), and are reborn again in a few years in a city – with each bro’ having a starkly different personality – to come back together to avenge their earlier ‘early’ demise!

Well, consider the stunning similarities this movie has with our hero duo, Lalu Yadav and P. Chidamabram (PC for us; works in movies too), and their recently presented Budgets. While both Lalu and PC suffered huge near-death political setbacks in their political lives, a few years down the line, they seem to have been reincarnated with a rejuvenated verve towards gaining political power in India. It’s quite surprising but Lalu and PC, just like Karan and Arjun, though (perhaps) having a similar objective, actually have different attitudes towards life – theirs, as well as those of the 800-odd million thoroughly disadvantaged poverty-ridden Indians living below $2 per day (UNDP data). Think about it! While Chidambaram, to woo vote banks, has shrewdly kept the hooting horn blowing 24x7 to ensure his Budget is perceived as populism incarnate itself, the fashionista’s nightmare Lalu Prasad Yadav has doubly ensured that his reforms are pristinely focused towards earning money and less about playing to the masses! In other words, while Lalu is focusing on earning money for the future elections, PC is focusing on losing money, of course, for the future elections! B&E compiled a few choice examples.

Though Lalu ‘Karan’ Yadav has given a few sops to passengers (like reducing fares, more as a matter of lip service), it’s quite clear that he knows that Railways earns almost 90% of revenues from freight only, reason enough for Lalu to ensure maximum focus on this segment only. His focus on building a new coach factory in Kerala is extremely tactical, as the coaches from this factory would be lighter and would allow more wagons per train, increasing payloads by almost 78%! That’s a humungous increase simply by process reengineering – that is, by increasing yield per train than load tariff being charged. In fact, Lalu has most cleverly reduced freight rates. In another brilliant tactical move, Lalu has started focusing more on commodities that have a higher potential for revenue generation, for example, steel, export goods, cement, etc. Look at where has it brought the Railways. Under the NDA government, while costs were almost 96% of revenue, under Lalu, costs are only 75% of revenues, displaying record operating margins. Accidents have dramatically decreased and, at the same time, Railways profits have increased this year to Rs.25,000 crore, which is a benchmark 21% return on capital. Lalu has cleverly achieved 15% rise in earnings simply by increasing freight volumes by 8.6%. And this year, the volume is again expected to increase by 7.6%, which can consequently add a staggering 10.4% more to the revenues.

Now look at what Palaniappan ‘Arjun’ Chidambaram has conjured up. Firstly, the purely populist and definitely pompous Rs.60,000 crore loan waiver for small and marginal farmers seemingly is targeted towards the misery-ridden downtrodden farmers. Unfortunately, with more than 50% of farmer families already entwined in debt traps, and nearly half of those with private non-institutionalised sources, this waiver in reality would fail to reach the true disadvantaged farmers, but would still ensure superhot hype and wasteful government investments!

But PC populist Arjun doesn’t stop here. Income tax threshold has been raised to Rs.150,000, banking transaction tax is being withdrawn, hospitals are being given five-year tax holidays, corporate taxes remain unchanged, so does peak customs duty, central value-added tax is being reduced to 14%, pharma excise duty down to 8%, excise duty on two and three wheelers cut to 12%, small car duty cut altogether, petrol and diesel ad valorem duty cut completely and replaced with standard duty that’s almost half of previous, fertiliser subsidy (Rs.310 billion), special purpose tea fund (Rs.400 million), farm credit target (Rs.2.8 trillion), food subsidy (Rs.327 billion). Almost everything smells of tacky populism, if not downright vote-bank budgeting!

And where has he openly tried to increase the government’s revenues? You’ll die laughing if you hear it. PC’s planned to levy a 5% customs duty on naphtha imports by polymer units! You tell us, if this is not playing to the masses, then what is. It’s quite clear that though Lalu’s reforms might not be perceived by the masses as impressively as PC’s, the fact of the matter is that Lalu is closer to ground realities of business, as PC is perhaps to the ballot!

It was John Gray who glamorously used planetary symbols to define the differences between men and women in his book, Men Are From Mars, Women Are From Venus. As the Budget story goes now, the Martian Lalu surely seems closer to Earth with respect to practical revenue generation than ‘Uranusian’ Chidambaram, whose misplaced budgetary ambitions might yet work out, not purely for the actual advantage his proposals give to the disadvantaged masses, but more so for the potential ‘populist’ marketing hype that can be generated throughout India within hundreds of millions of unlettered civilians.

Well, it’s not just by chance that 61 years into Independence, our intellectual politicians have safely kept more than 400 million Indians as thoroughly illiterate, and also utterly poor and distressed. Now, what do you say?

For more articles, Click on IIPM Article.

Source : IIPM Editorial, 2008

An Initiative of IIPM, Malay Chaudhuri and Arindam chaudhuri (Renowned Management Guru and Economist).

For More IIPM Info, Visit below mentioned IIPM articles.
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Ferociously ambitious!

IIPM : EXECUTIVE EDUCATION

Blair aims for EU presidency

He is a warmonger; an American poodle and last but not the least a money spinner, busy converting his international political capital into lucre. These are some of the criticism the former British Prime Minister Tony Blair is facing in his run-up for the European Union Presidency. In addition to Blair, currently, there are two more candidates – Taoiseach Bertie Ahern of Northern Island and Luxembourg Prime Minister Jean Claude. While Nicholas Sarkozy is all for Tony, the former French president Giscard d’Estaing has expressed his apprehension, “Tony Blair cannot be President of Europe because the new President of Europe must come from a country, which respects all its European commitments.”

“Presently, EU does not have any legal provision for a President. The post will probably come up for grabs after the Constitution of the European Union comes into force by 2009. It will be a two-and-a-half year term for the president, who will be elected through a long process extending up to one year, but one cannot say that the process will be democratic because it will not involve the European population directly in electing their president,” says Naseer Ahmed editor Atlantic Affairs, a UK-based website while speaking to B&E.

Tony Blair’s aspirations to be the first President of EU are bound to raise controversies, especially in view of his closeness to Bush and his Iraq war policies. However, if he is able to turn things around in the Middle-East and usher in a new era of lasting peace in the region, his acceptability may improve in the coming days.

While Blair’s love for Anglo-Saxon economic model may endear him to the French President Sarkozy, but will the French public let another proponent of liberalisation be their leader?

B&E edit bureau: Atul Bharadwaj

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Source : IIPM Editorial, 2008

An Initiative of IIPM, Malay Chaudhuri and Arindam chaudhuri (Renowned Management Guru and Economist).

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The torch bearer

IIPM : EXECUTIVE EDUCATION

2008 Olympics is Guo’s baby

Just nine months ahead of the Olympic Games, China’s communist party has picked Guo Jinlong, as new mayor of Beijing. Guo, a native of Nanjing, Jiangsu province, is considered to be a stranger to Beijing city. With most of the planning and execution for Olympic Games nearing end, Guo appointment is certainly a political move that has very little relation to the Olympics. But all said & done, Guo will be one of the fastest emerging stars in China’s communist party at the end of successful games.

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Source : IIPM Editorial, 2008

An Initiative of IIPM, Malay Chaudhuri and Arindam chaudhuri (Renowned Management Guru and Economist).

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Are Bush & Mush nuclear allies?

IIPM’s 36th Glorious Year of Academic Excellence

America holds crucial leverage over both, the Pakistan nuclear weapons & Musharraf

The recent political unrest in Pakistan has again revived the old debate. How secure are the nuclear weapons of Pakistan? One thing is clear. Protecting Pakistan’s nuclear weapons, either through coercion or through inducement, have occupied the centre-stage of the Bush Administration’s South Asia policy in the post-9/11 order.

Fuelling the debate, a well-referred intelligence journal recently claimed that the US took control of the Pakistan nuclear assets soon after September 11. In what could open a Pandora’s Box in US- Pak strategic affairs, the journal stated that Pakistan was given an ultimatum by the US to either allow the Americans to take control of the nuclear weapons or to be prepared to face the consequences. If Pakistan protested, “the US would be left with no choice but to destroy those facilities, possibly with India’s help,” stated the journal. “This was a fait accompli that Musharraf, for credibility reasons, had every reason to cover-up & pretend it never happened, & Washington was fully willing to keep things quiet,” it added. Earlier the US press had reported that the Bush Administration had already spent about $100 million to help Pakistan secure the nuclear safeguards. A New York Times report claimed that the US was building a training centre for nuclear security inside Pakistan. Does the US really have a grip on Pakistan’s nuclear arsenals? Is it the major reason for uninterrupted Bush’s support to Musharraf?

It is a fact that Musharraf has used the threat of a possible jihadi takeover of arsenals to ensure American support even for his dictatorial moves. The central goal of the general’s strategy is to convince Washington & the European capitals that the nuclear country would be plunged into deep crisis if he was removed from the helm. This ‘deluge-after-me’ strategy appears to have gone down well at least with the US. The military regime lets the Americans enjoy control over the warheads, in return the US continues its assistance to Islamabad. This was evident when State Department spokesman Sean McCormack said, “... ultimately, the major responsibility for that (securing arsenals) falls with the Pakistani Government. They have made public comments to the effect that the arsenal is secure, that they have taken a number of different steps to ensure that. We ourselves see no indication to indicate to the contrary.” The question, however, is that how long the ‘super power’ & Cold War ally continue this cat & mouse game? How long the US continue its support for a general who is almost disowned by his own people? The classic crisis the US faces is, it can’t disown Pakistan overnight. But the longer it extends support to Musharraf, the deeper Pakistan’s falls. The more, not the merrier, at least in this case.

B&E edit bureau: John Stanly

For more articles, Click on IIPM Article.

Source : IIPM Editorial, 2008

An Initiative of IIPM, Malay Chaudhuri and Arindam chaudhuri (Renowned Management Guru and Economist).

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Are Bush & Mush nuclear allies?

IIPM’s 36th Glorious Year of Academic Excellence

America holds crucial leverage over both, the Pakistan nuclear weapons & Musharraf

The recent political unrest in Pakistan has again revived the old debate. How secure are the nuclear weapons of Pakistan? One thing is clear. Protecting Pakistan’s nuclear weapons, either through coercion or through inducement, have occupied the centre-stage of the Bush Administration’s South Asia policy in the post-9/11 order.

Fuelling the debate, a well-referred intelligence journal recently claimed that the US took control of the Pakistan nuclear assets soon after September 11. In what could open a Pandora’s Box in US- Pak strategic affairs, the journal stated that Pakistan was given an ultimatum by the US to either allow the Americans to take control of the nuclear weapons or to be prepared to face the consequences. If Pakistan protested, “the US would be left with no choice but to destroy those facilities, possibly with India’s help,” stated the journal. “This was a fait accompli that Musharraf, for credibility reasons, had every reason to cover-up & pretend it never happened, & Washington was fully willing to keep things quiet,” it added. Earlier the US press had reported that the Bush Administration had already spent about $100 million to help Pakistan secure the nuclear safeguards. A New York Times report claimed that the US was building a training centre for nuclear security inside Pakistan. Does the US really have a grip on Pakistan’s nuclear arsenals? Is it the major reason for uninterrupted Bush’s support to Musharraf?

It is a fact that Musharraf has used the threat of a possible jihadi takeover of arsenals to ensure American support even for his dictatorial moves. The central goal of the general’s strategy is to convince Washington & the European capitals that the nuclear country would be plunged into deep crisis if he was removed from the helm. This ‘deluge-after-me’ strategy appears to have gone down well at least with the US. The military regime lets the Americans enjoy control over the warheads, in return the US continues its assistance to Islamabad. This was evident when State Department spokesman Sean McCormack said, “... ultimately, the major responsibility for that (securing arsenals) falls with the Pakistani Government. They have made public comments to the effect that the arsenal is secure, that they have taken a number of different steps to ensure that. We ourselves see no indication to indicate to the contrary.” The question, however, is that how long the ‘super power’ & Cold War ally continue this cat & mouse game? How long the US continue its support for a general who is almost disowned by his own people? The classic crisis the US faces is, it can’t disown Pakistan overnight. But the longer it extends support to Musharraf, the deeper Pakistan’s falls. The more, not the merrier, at least in this case.

B&E edit bureau: John Stanly

For more articles, Click on IIPM Article.

Source : IIPM Editorial, 2008

An Initiative of IIPM, Malay Chaudhuri and Arindam chaudhuri (Renowned Management Guru and Economist).

Read these article :-
ZEE BUSINESS BEST B SCHOOL SURVEY
B-schooled in India, Placed Abroad (Print Version)
IIPM in Financial times (Print Version)
IIPM makes business education truly global (Print Version)
The Indian Institute of Planning and Management (IIPM)
IIPM Campus
The Hindu : Education Plus : Honour for IIPM
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IIPM ranked No1 B-School in India :: Education, Careers ...
The Hindu Business Line : IIPM placements hit a high of over 2000 jobs
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Uttarakhand

IIPM Ranked No. 1 B-School In Global Exposre - Zee...

Blessed with prisitine beauty, right resources and now the instigation to perform, the land of Gods has finally awakened. Will the state succeed in its endeavour? 4Ps B&M’s karan mehrishi explores...

Predating even the vedic periods, Uttarakhand or the Northern Country has been the abode of Gods themselves. For centuries the mystique north Indian region ensconced in the Himalayan range has been a focal point of Hinduism and unparalleled pristine beauty. Not many regions consist of natural sacrosanct marvels such as Hemkunt and Gangotri (the origin on the holy river Ganges). Holy shrines such as Kedarnath, Badrinath and national parks such as Corbett, Nandadevi and Rajaji make Uttarakand a place of dreams. Truly, Uttarakhand is a heavenly territory and attracts thousands of national and international tourists (close to 12-13 million on annual bases) and the number is increasing by the day. With better transportation facilities and access points coming into play, more people are willing to explore the diverse natural fantasies, which are abundant in the region. For the utmost utilisation of the resources and the provision of maximum satisfaction to the visiting tourists, the state has envisioned a total investment of $254 million in the direction. This includes the ‘Char Dham’ infrastructure development and eco-tourism infrastructure.

Uttarakhand has also provided a five year exemption from excise and entertainment tax for setting up of amusement parks and ropeways. As far as business is concerned, after breaking away from Uttar Pradesh in 1999, the state of Uttarakhand has become an investment magnet. Inviting big ticket inflows from both national as well as international firms, Uttarakhand is now slowly metamorphing into an economic powerhouse. Industries are specially attracted by the states’ investment friendly environment and favourable policy structures. “We have a number of companies showing interest in the state and that includes various pharmaceutical, automotive and IT companies. The reason being the very competitive package (like tax holidays) we offer to these companies,” Subhash Kumar, Principal Secretary, Uttarakhand shares with 4Ps B&M. Some of the big ticket investments in the state include Hindustan Unilever, Hero Honda, Tata Motors, Minda Industries and Sonalika Tractors among many others.

“The proximity to OEMs and the industry friendly policy of the government were the two most important criterion for selecting Pantnagar over other states,” reasons N. K. Minda of Minda Industries. In fact, the new Hero Honda plant in Haridwar has been christened as the ‘shrine of technology’ and will employ flexible production techniques enabling production of a variety of products. The plant is expected to contribute to Hero Honda’s export markets as well. Tata Motors is another large investor in the relatively nascent state and already manufactures small capacity commercial vehicles. “Uttarakhand is actually a very investment friendly state and they have provided us a very competitive package,” avers Debasis Ray of Tata Motors. Even arch rival, Ashok Leyland is betting big on the state. The truck major is all set to invest Rs.10-20 billion and intends to manufacture close to 40,000 units at its new plant in Pantnagar. “We want a strong presence in the north and support our operations in the east, through this plant. The tax incentives and the entire financial package is also one of the reasons to invest in Uttarakhand,” a spokesperson from Ashok Leyland tells 4Ps B&M.

As an investment destination, the state of Uttarakhand has attracted close to Rs.50 billion in the initial stages itself. With the 3,400 acre industrial estate in Pantnagar and 1,150 acre in Haridwar, Uttarakhand has already been successful in creating an environment conducive for investments. The state’s strategic location has been sagaciously appealing to a number of companies as well. A number of companies which are strong in regions other than northern India find a presence in Uttarakhand specifically important.

In order to streamline the initial establishment experience, there are several policy instruments in place. Single window facilitation and clearance, Deemed clearance and Udyog Mitra are just some of the institutional mechanisms set in place by the state government. As far as the much sought after power requirement is concerned, Uttarakhand government claims to have been blessed with adequate power. Hydro Power production is estimated to breach the 5,000 MW before this decade ends. The state plans to provide power to industries at competitive rates as and when an additional capacity is introduced. For the sake of access infrastructure, the state government has initiated a number of investments. According to Kumar, “The Jolly Grant Airport in Dehradun is now a fully functional domestic airport with two airlines already operating and two in the process. The Pantnagar Airport handles cargo and will be soon upgraded to offer passenger services.” Apart from conventional industries, the state is ready to provide infrastructure for businesses related to Information Technology, Floriculture, Biotechnology and Pharmaceuticals as well. The State Infrastructure and Industrial Development Corporation of Uttarakhand (SIDCUL) is already in a process to build a state-of-the-art IT Park in Dehradun. MoUs with companies like Cisco Systems, Intel and IBM have already been signed and more are expected to follow. Moreover, a world class pharma city in Selaqui has been specifically utilised for the purpose and much beyond.

Gods are surely generous on their state and it seems that a lot of positives have been doing the rounds lately. It now has to be seen how far this heavenly abode can reach

For more articles, Click on IIPM Article.

Source : IIPM Editorial, 2008

An Initiative of IIPM, Malay Chaudhuri and Arindam chaudhuri (Renowned Management Guru and Economist).

Read these article :-
ZEE BUSINESS BEST B SCHOOL SURVEY
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S. Ramamurthy (29), O&M.

IIPM Ranked No. 1 B-School In Global Exposre - Zee...

S. Ramamurthy (29), O&M. For most people, flunking their 12th Boards, is a sure shot recipe to an uninspiring future. But for Ram, things began to look interesting around the time he flunked his Maths paper in the class 12th Board. During his forced sabbatical from education, he met Paul Issac (a copywriter) at a bus stop in Bangalore. And that meeting helped him to decide what he wanted to do with the rest of his life – sit with his feet on the table, surrounded by funny people and conjure up ideas to sell products. He started his career with a small dotcom in Bangalore. “I wanted to be in advertising, so I quit that in three months to join a small advertising agency called Akshar,” says Ram. He’s also worked with Trikaya Grey (now Grey Worldwide), Contract and moved to O&M four years back. In his short career span, Ram has worked on a host of accounts, including, Britannia, Wrigley’s Chewing Gum, Lee Jeans, Arrow Shirts, 3M, Kerala Tourism, Blaupunkt Car Stereos, MTR Ready-to-Eat Foods, Godrej Shaving Cream, Shoppers’ Stop, Cadbury’s, Allianz Bajaj Life Insurance, Bluestar ACs, Listerine Mouthwash, Marriott, Zee TV, and many more. Currently, he is heading the creative team on Neo Sports, Principal Mutual funds and the IPL Mumbai team. Oh, and by the way, he eventually did finish his schooling. College is another matter though! He started college, only to drop out in the final year to become a copywriter.

For more articles, Click on IIPM Article.

Source : IIPM Editorial, 2008

An Initiative of IIPM, Malay Chaudhuri and Arindam chaudhuri (Renowned Management Guru and Economist).

Read these article :-
ZEE BUSINESS BEST B SCHOOL SURVEY
B-schooled in India, Placed Abroad (Print Version)
IIPM in Financial times (Print Version)
IIPM makes business education truly global (Print Version)
The Indian Institute of Planning and Management (IIPM)
IIPM Campus

For More IIPM Info, Visit below mentioned IIPM articles.
4Ps Power Brand Awards 2007
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IIPM, GURGAON
IIPM - Admission Procedure
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Why Study Abroad When IIPM Gives You 3 global Advantages!

The Bullion Bull!

IIPM Ranked No. 1 B-School In Global Exposre - Zee...

The market dynamics and the love for Gold indicate that the golden days are here to stay...

You can blame it on the geo-political turmoil, struggling dollar, soaring global crude prices, concerns over the US recession, Fed rate cuts, troublesome inflation, global economic woes et al but the ‘historical anomaly’ of surging gold prices has definitely made a comeback. While the choppy ride at the bourses saw investors suffer some great loses last week, gold prices were busy hovering over $1,000 an ounce (before sliding down this week). Given the fact that the equity markets are underperforming, bonds and fixed deposits are giving negative returns (taking inflation into account) an investor is bound to head to safer havens. What else than gold could find a resting abode to those wary band of investors?! Swapnil Pawar (Director, Park Financial Advisors) avers, “Gold is a very good investment option now. It is considered a safe haven in times of crises like now. It is a better store of value than any specific currency and even debt instruments.” Sounds logical, as the class of investment has bucked the trend of seasonal variations and has outperformed peers. And if there is a further slump in the stock prices it could probably take profit booking in gold to next levels.

“Gold can always form a part of one’s investment allocation. This is because gold historically has been seen to have negative co-relations with other asset classes like equity and even the US dollar. So typically if equities go down, gold could go up and hence if your investment basket is diversified and includes gold, your downside will be protected,” Krishnan Sitaraman, Head, Fund Services & Fixed Income Research, CRISIL, futher supports the reason. But with the bullion prices scorching at record highs and the purchases of the yellow metal apparently drying up is it still a viable option? “Gold is due for some short term correction. We see gold correcting to levels of $875-850 by May, 2008, which are very attractive levels to go long. By July ‘08 one can see a bounce back in the prices of gold and by year end gold is expected to trade at $1,200 levels,” avers Pritam Patnaik, Associate V P, Kotak Commodities. “Though it’s difficult to predict but another 10-15% increase in dollar terms is not ruled out,” adds Swapnil. And in this scenario, gold exchange traded fund (GETF) also called ‘paper gold’ seems to be an attractive investment option.

GETFs listed on the stock exchanges offers the investors’ exposure in the underlying commodity without taking the physical delivery. Add to it the fact that ETFs do not feel the pinch of the tanking markets as they are not benchmarked against the equity market index. To put things into perspective; while the Sensex has lost more than 27% in the last three month, Benchmark AMC (the first one to launch GETF) have given a return of 36% (compound annualised)and over 28% in the last three months.

Moreover, there are several other reasons as to why gold should form an integral part of one’s portfolio (be it in the physical form or the dematerialised form); the first and foremost being the ease of trade, an investor can take the advantage of the soaring gold prices through a demat account without bothering about the nuances of transportation, security, purity, insurance et al. Well, the added benefit in the form of tax advantage (no wealth tax, no securities transaction tax) and the ease of purchasing (of course selling as well) in small denominations are always there to make the deal all the more lucrative.

Gyanendra Kashyap

For more articles, Click on IIPM Article.

Source : IIPM Editorial, 2008

An Initiative of IIPM, Malay Chaudhuri and Arindam chaudhuri (Renowned Management Guru and Economist).

Read these article :-
ZEE BUSINESS BEST B SCHOOL SURVEY
B-schooled in India, Placed Abroad (Print Version)
IIPM in Financial times (Print Version)
IIPM makes business education truly global
The Indian Institute of Planning and Management (IIPM)
IIPM Campus

For More IIPM Info, Visit below mentioned IIPM articles.
4Ps Power Brand Awards 2007
When IIPM comes to education, never compromise
IIPM, GURGAON
IIPM - Admission Procedure
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Why Study Abroad When IIPM Gives You 3 global Advantages!