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IIPM DELHI: ADVERTISING & SOCIO CULTURAL TRENDS

2012-01-16T14:58:00.001+05:30

IIPM: What is E-PAT?

An activity to bring out the creative side of the students and to help them understand the dynamics of advertising was put together at IIPM.

This special session involved the making of a 'Nokia' television commercial by the students and then making a presentation to Ms. Babita Baruah on the same. Ms. Baruah is currently serving as Vice President and Client services Director at JWT.

The event was kicked off by Ms. Baruah who made an elaborate presentation on the Advertising and Socio Cultural trends in India. She showcased some of the most popular India centric advertisements including the Dairy Milk 'Kuch Meetha Ho Jaye' and The Women Horlicks adverts. Ms Baruah also followed this up with a discussion on the strategy and core idea behind these advertisements. This allowed students to link the basic marketing concepts to the practical implications on advertisements. She was of the opinion that creating an advertisement gets easy if you have that drive to think beyond and make a connection to the Indian audience.
Overall 5 teams presented their creative ideas on the advertisements and the best entry was awarded with the certificates as recognition. The judges included Prof. Ranjan Paul, Prof. Pushp Lamba and Ms. Babita Baruah and each of them confessed of thoroughly enjoying the creations by the students.

This session helped students to understand to understand dynamics between advertisement and the social culture prevalent in India.

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IIPM BHOPAL: INDUSTRY VISIT TO 'BHOPAL SAHAKARI DUGDH SANGH MARYADIT, SANCHI'

2012-01-14T17:48:00.001+05:30

IIPM Mumbai Campus

An Industry Visit to “Bhopal Sahakari Dugdh Sangh Maryadit, (Sanchi)” was organized for the students of IIPM Bhopal on September 19, 2011, Monday. This activity was facilitated by SMG.

Sanchi is the apex organization at the top of a 3 tier structure of dairy cooperatives in Madhya Pradesh. It formulates policies, monitors and assists the Milk Unions in implementation of dairy development activities in the key functional areas including – Marketing, Field Operation, Quality Control, Monitoring & Planning. Administration, Finance, Purchase. Students were taken to the manufacturing plant where the various milk products are manufactured like different types of Mild, 'Ghee', White Butter, 'Shrikhand', 'Lassi', 'Peda', Flavoured Milk and many more. Mr. R.K. Khare, Manager-Marketing, briefed them about the entire plant operation process from the receipt of milk at the dairy dock to dispatching of milk & milk products for distribution. It was an exciting educational experience for all students as they gained practical learning from the visit.

IIPM HYDERABAD: INDUSTRIAL VISIT TO DECCAN CHRONICLE PRESS

2012-01-14T17:45:00.001+05:30

IIPM BBA MBA Institute: Student Notice Board

The students of IIPM-Hyderabad went to Deccan Chronicle Press Office on 21/10/2011 as part of the Industrial Visit. In total 25 students attended the Industrial visit along with Mr. Mufaddal Poonawala & Ms. Puja Garg from the Academics Department.

As part of the visit the students were enlightened on how press organization functions & how the printing of newspapers, editing, and the over all bigger picture of how a newspaper company runs.
Students were also explained about the machines that are used in the making of a newspaper and how much manpower planning is needed. Students enjoyed this Industrial outing and were perfectly oriented towared the working of a newspaper company.

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New Galaxy Tab launched by Samsung

2011-07-20T18:09:00.000+05:30

IIPM Mumbai Campus

Samsung Electronics Co launched a thinner and lighter version of its Galaxy tablet in its lucrative home market, trying to halt the runaway success of Apple Inc's iPad.

The Galaxy Tab 10.1 is an upgraded version of the 7-inch Tab introduced in October.

Apple sold 14 million iPads in the first half of the year, compared with analysts' sales estimates of about 7.5 million units for the Galaxy Tab over 2011.

"As our smartphone business grew very fast within a very short period of time, I believe it's just a matter of time for our tablet business to improve," J.K. Shin, head of Samsung's mobile division, told reporters.

Samsung is Apple's nearest rival in the booming mobile device industry as it leverages its cost competitiveness and access to chips and core tablet components.

It has sharply narrowed the gap with Apple in the smartphone market, but remains a distant second in the tablet market, which research firm Gartner forecasts will surge to 108 million devices next year from an estimated 70 million in 2011.

"Apple's quarterly results showed again it's indeed the strongest rival to beat. Samsung will have a tough second half due to growing competition from Apple as it is set to introduce a new iPhone," said James Song, an analyst at Daewoo Securities.

The sale of the Tab in Korea is Samsung's fifth launch after its U.S. debut a month ago and its sales kickoff in Indonesia, where the company says it commands a 65 percent market share. It has also launched the device in Italy and Sweden.

Pricing for the new product, slightly thinner and lighter than the iPad 2, starts from $500 in the U.S. market, the same price as the iPad 2.

Samsung faces the challenge of moving beyond being a hardware company, clever at copying ideas, to becoming more creative and better adept at software at a time when consumer gadgets are getting smarter.

Samsung reiterated Wednesday it aimed to boost tablet sales by more than five fold this year. It didn't provide specific numbers but analysts expect the company to have sold about 1.5 million units last year.

SBI stops lending in Noida Extn & Greater Noida

2011-07-09T14:49:00.001+05:30

There may be trouble finding a lender if you are scouting for a house in Noida Extention or even Greater Noida. Concerns over title of land are forcing banks such as SBI to hold back fresh sanctions.

A senior SBI executive told TOI that they were not providing any loans to projects in Noida Extension as maps for several projects were unavailable. Some SBI associate banks such as state bank of Travancore builders said, are, however, still providing loans.

The sales representative of a builder who had set up a stall for the second phase on an under-construction project said lenders such as HDFC, the country's largest mortgage player, had suspended sanctioning loans recently. "They are verifying the title deeds and doing their own investigation. They may resume lending soon," the sales executive said when asked about funding options.

An e-mail sent to an HDFC spokesperson in Mumbai late on Thursday afternoon remained unanswered.

An IDBI Bank executive said the bank was still providing loans and was using the Right To Information (RTI) Act to get details of title deeds. "That is the best way to find out the status. Wherever the Noida Authority or the Greater Noida Authority is telling us that the land is free of encumbrances, we are sanctioning loans," the executive in the bank's home loan department said.

Other lenders such ICICI Bank refused to comment saying they were studying the court verdict.

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Despite an elaborate and dynamic policy framework, the road to the next level for MSMEs continues to be hindered.

2011-06-26T11:03:00.000+05:30

Globally considered as the driver of all economies (developed & developing) and a medium for promoting equitable development, SMEs in India contribute significantly to the manufacturing output, employment and exports of the country. According to the 4th All India Census by GoI, Ministry of MSME, it is estimated that in terms of value, the sector contributes 45% to manufacturing output and 40% to total exports. The sector is an umbrella for around 30 million units and is the biggest employment provider after agriculture; providing employment to 59 million people (2006-07), which is supposed to grow to around 70 million by 2010. However, the sector is still suffering from some fundamental problems.

Of all the problems faced by MSMEs, non-availability of timely and adequate credit at reasonable interest rates is the most significant. Despite its commendable contribution to the nation’s economy, SMEs do not get the required support from the concerned government departments, banks, financial institutions and corporates, which hampers its competitiveness in the national and international markets. One of the major causes for low-availability of bank finance is the high risk perception of the banks in lending to SMEs and consequent insistence on collaterals (despite strict RBI guidelines not to insist upon collateral against a loan), which are not easily available with these enterprises. Manas Kumar Nag, CGM-SME, SBI, adds another perspective to the problem, “Generally, SMEs coming for loans are not aware of their financial position, which leads to lack of transparency and hesitation from our side.” The problem is most acute for micro enterprises and first generation entrepreneurs requiring small loans.

In India, the situation is further complicated by the fact that the preferred mode of finance is either self or other sources. According to the MSME Annual report 2009, more than 85% SMEs source finance either through the self-finance route or are unable to get funds, while only around 15% of the total approach financial institutions and non-institutions like moneylenders. In addition to the above, the government has recently emphasised on the importance of ‘credit rating scheme’ to help smoothen the loan facility process by banks and financial institutions for the SMEs. Under this scheme, the credit rating agencies assess a company’s credit worthiness and give it a rating which is widely accepted by the financial institutions. This certainly helps SMEs by facilitating hassle free flow of credit. To add to it, the government reimburses 75% of the fees charged by the rating agency subject to a ceiling amount. T. R. Bajalia, Executive Director, IDBI Bank says, “Credit agencies have played a vital role as we wel
come independent and reliable credit assessment. As credit agencies have done due diligence for an enterprise, it lessens our work and fastens the entire loan granting process.” Still, MSMEs are facing a lot of trouble as most of them are not aware of this credit rating facility. And it's clear from the fact that only 1.5 million of the 30 million odd MSMEs are registered in the country.

Micro finance is another booming industry, which directly comes to the rescue of the MSME sector. In India, micro-credit programmes are run primarily by NABARD in the field of agriculture and SIDBI in the field of Industry, Service and Business. In case of programmes in partnership with SIDBI, the institution accepts security deposits from MFIs (Micro Finance Institutions)/NGOs and in lieu of the deposits (25% by the MFI/NGO and 75% paid by the government) doles out loans to MFIs/NGOs. The cumulative loan amount provided by the Government of India so far under these schemes stands at Rs 12.99 billion (March 31, 2010) benefiting around 2.021 million individuals.

However, the lead sources of funds in the micro-finance space in India are global Non–Profit Organisations (NPOs) like Unitus and the Grameen Foundation-US. Overseas funding had dropped from 31.4% in 2002 to 25.8% in 2005 after the government imposed regulatory restrictions external commercial borrowings (ECBs) as it was the cheapest loan provider for the MFIs charging a minimal interest of 2% to 6%. However, after the removal of the restrictions in 2005, in flow of funds through this route has flourished like never before. But in the mean time, usage of domestic funds too have surged notably. According to a CRISIL study, while the share of traditional sources of funding like NABARD and overseas funds dropped from 63% to 59%, MFI borrowings from banks have more than doubled from 13% to 28% in 2005, mostly due to the removal of interest rate ceiling on MFI loans and declaration of treatment of the sector as a priority sector lender.

Despite easing of restrictions, MFIs continue to face major problems. And the biggest of the lot is the financial viability, which refers to maintaining the operational costs of running small-scale firms. MFIs have always been criticised for charging high interest rates to lenders (SHG’s charging 24% to 36% per annum). But then, the average borrowing costs are already at a high (12% in 2005). Thus, high borrowing costs coupled with high operating expenses (ranging between 4% to 19%) constrain MFIs’ ability to offer competitive rates. Nevertheless, the government has been pressurising them to reduce their lending rates.

MSME sector has always provided the thrust of progress both in the economic and social sense by creating large scale job opportunities, which, in turn, help in reducing regional and rural-urban disparities in terms of growth. Apart from this, it has acted as a shock-absorber during crucial times like the 2008-09 global economic crisis. When developed economies were reeling under complete financial instability, powerful developing economies like India were not affected to that extent, in part due to the strong resilience of MSMEs. India, after all, has largely been a bottom up story; unlike the Chinese. But it need not necessarily stay that way. MSMEs need to be able to fulfil their entrepreneurial ambitions and expand in scale to unleash the next wave of growth, which would be a great boost for the Indian economy as well. For that to happen, it is a must for the capital impediments to be removed.

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Candidates in Bihar's latest elections have dumped pamphlets and posters and embraced Munni with gusto, so what if she is 'badnaam',

2011-06-22T10:01:00.000+05:30

When, sitting in her dingy, cramped quarters in Muzaffarpur's Chaturbhuj Sthaan, famed courtesan Munnibai penned and sang the bawdy composition Launda badnaam hua Naseeban tere liye, she could scarcely have imagined that one day a brazen rip-off of her composition would catch the nation's imagination. And how!

She would also never have imagined that the people would bowdlerise raunchy the ditty and throw her own name into the mix. Decades later, standing amid the madding crowd at an election rally just a furlong from Chaturbhuj Sthaan, one can hear the rip-off and the rip-off of that rip-off blaring from out-of-sync CD players. From Muzaffarpur to Mumbai and back to Muzaffarpur, life has indeed come full circle for Munnibai.

Unmindful of its history and the intended irony, some listless policemen are seeking some excitement. For the last two hours, they have been treated to old patriotic songs and are clearly not amused. The man they, and the madding crowd, are waiting for is none other than Congress general secretary Rahul Gandhi. Over-enthusiastic sycophants, probably the only species that is not endangered, shouted slogans every now and then. A few street dogs mill around the place. It appears these canines aren't aware of the modus operandi of “the greatest festival of democracy”. Chances are, most of them were not born when the last time it was held. Boredom hung heavy in the air.

Suddenly, the campaign SUV of an influential Independent candidate comes to a screeching halt. Its Xplod speakers and Blaupunkt music system are in overdrive. The song? You've guessed it, Munni badnam hui. The policemen leap to their feet and try to match their steps with those of Salman Khan's. The paunch restricts their performance drastically. But clearly, the unknown face with an unknown election symbol has managed to catch their attention with a tawdry rip-off – what the supporters of the Gandhi-Nehru scion could not do with their patriotic songs. Welcome to Munni's own Bihar.

Munni badnaam hui is indeed the flavour of the season. Every party worth its salt, Independents included, have made parodies of this rendition to woo the electorate. Parodies have always been used here; but clearly they are the most potent tools this time around. The strict expenditure norms imposed by the Election Commission had clearly taken the lustre out of the campaign. Free liquor and non-veg feasts are on their way out and so are posters, cut-outs, banners and insignias. When it appeared that the traditional campaign was on its way to the ICU, Munni, the arch-angel of rustic pop-dom, intervened. Bihar is anything but a monolith. The agenda, inspiration, priorities, differ from region to region. The only shashwat satya, universal truth, is that Munni is badnaam everywhere.

A national leader concedes, “One has to read the pulse of the people. It is all market.” The Leftists can keep distributing their boring manifesto pamphlets. The mainstream is riding hard on Munni. No intended pun here.

The pedigree of the song is such that you can fit any lyrics on it, it can never be even remotely as bawdy as the original. Performed during Launda naach prior to a marriage, the Hindi heartland equivalent of a bachelor's party, the song describes sexual union by using household objects and kitchenware as rough and ready metaphors. It is not a “double meaning” song. It means just one thing.

Braj Bihari Mishra, a veteran of election parodies for 15 years, says, “No song ever caught the people's imagination like this. It is the first choice for every candidate. Lots of them come with already penned lyrics. If Munni decides to fight today, everybody will lose their deposit.”

Such is its impact that JD(U), which tried to keep a respectable distance from the song, lost its guts when candidates of the rival RJD came up with their version. The Chatth numbers and patriotic songs were soon discarded. Munni was ushered in with fanfare. And guess what, she has the party swaying.

Sitting in his recording studio in Patna's Dariapur Gola, Pradeep Gupta does not know what hit him. His studio is cutting 10 CDs every day on an average. He has prepared a catalogue of 50 popular Bhojpuri and Hindi songs that he shows to every prospective customer. Here, too, Munni gets special treatment. Every CD has 4-8 renditions punctuated at regular intervals by rhetoric and shayeri. Pradeep says, “While preparing the songs, we give preference to the latest hits. This catalogue of mine is now a complete waste. It's of no use anymore. Munni has vanquished everybody hands down.”

And mind you, Munni is certainly not without merit. The metre of the song is so tight that it is easy to spin out its parody. The tune, with due respect to the original composer, is also pretty catchy and, as the entire nation has discovered, foot-tapping. There are other lesser mortals in the fray too. Mehengayi dayan (from the Aamir Khan-produced film, Peepli Live) is a popular song for the opposition parties everywhere. NDA is naturally wary of it here in Bihar,” adds Gupta.

Another popular Bhojpuri composition, Tu lagawelu jab lipstick is also a mega hit with the poll candidates. It has been adapted in every language from Angika to Maithili. A sexist rendition that equates parts of the female anatomy with desserts and beverages, the song is a first choice for female candidates.

But between Munni and Lipstick, there are some surprise entries. Welcome break is provided by, hold your breath, Mirza Ghalib and Meer Taqi Meer. One particular Meer couplet talking about communal harmony has all-rounder status.

Since the candidates do not have much to say to the electorate on real development issues and visionary politics, the old, time-tested lines of Meer and Ghalib come in handy as fillers. These fillers are necessary to break the mundane monotone talking about candidate's biographies.

The singers, musicians, lyricists and sound recordists; everybody is making merry. Who said capital does not trickle down in India?

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Section 377 may have been reworked, but not social attitudes.

2011-06-18T10:39:00.000+05:30

Sylvester Merchant at Lakshya Trust continues to struggle for acceptance for homosexuals like him in the hearts and minds of people.

The quiet corner, the isolated building and the climb up the creaky stairs could never lead one to guess that the office on the first floor housed a chirpy group of people devoted to a cause that raises eyebrows at best and draws violent abuse at worst. In Vadodara (Gujarat), the ‘queer’ group at Lakshya Trust serves as a benefactor for homosexuals who have been rejected by the society.

The foundation of Lakshya starts with the story of a young boy, Sylvester Merchant, who at a very young age of 20, courageously stood for his identity. “I always kept myself abreast of what was happening in the world, which is how I knew that this world also has homosexuals. It also helped me identify myself as one,” explained Sylvester who dedicated himself to Lakshya along with a few kindred souls.

Sylvester’s personality catches one’s attention for not only the obvious, but also for his knowledge and confidence. When questioned about his struggles, Sylvester held forth willingly, “The first thing I learnt when I realised I was gay was not to get into the trap of self-pity. I started reading a lot about homosexuals, socialised with them, and began interacting with the media. I think one of the reasons I did not invite comments about my sexuality was because I was very comfortable and confident about what I was.” Having counselled many gays, lesbians, and their parents to accept their children as they are, Sylvester laments the fact that he could not convince his own mother to accept his identity. “She’s still not comfortable with the fact that I’m gay. I’m dealing with the situation… managing it… it will happen,” he said with a calm smile.

Sylvester’s association with Lakshya Trust, established in 2000 for the benefit of the LGBT community, was like a dream come true. Harbouring dreams of becoming an activist and establishing a legal and respectful status for homosexuals, Sylvester found the perfect platform in Lakshya. “I can never thank Prince Manvendra (Gay Prince of Rajpipla) enough for roping me in this association, which was his initiative,” he said. A close knit group of about 15-20 people – none heterosexual – this organisation works towards building awareness in the society and provide support to victims of abuse and disease. “There was a time when we faced a lot of cases of sexually transmitted diseases (STDs), but as people have become more aware, I’ve noticed a tremendous dip. One of our major focuses is on condom distribution campaigns where our people from different centres in Gujarat and other parts of India go to various areas within their city to distribute condoms. When gays or lesbians do this and talk to other homosexuals, i
t makes them accept the practice of safe sex more easily. The other issue that I’ve noticed is fear of discrimination. It badly scars homosexuals. And the only solution to this is education. I’d say that the Gay Pride Parade in 2008, and repealing Section 377 did make a difference,” he points out.

Our conversation was interrupted by an employee who strode into the room and gushed about her impending operation. I was introduced to Geeta by Sylvester, whose sex change operation (from male to female) was long due and she had just got a go-ahead from the doctors. After a breathless explanation of the process that was detailed by the doctor, Geeta almost flew out to share the news with the others in the organisation. “At Lakshya, we also provide funds to those like her,” said Sylvester.

Sylvester’s life wasn’t an easy ride and he intrepidly admits that it isn’t going to be so in the future either. What drives him is the desire to make the world a happy place; for homosexuals too. He talks of cases when his employees were harassed by the cops during their awareness campaigns and of situations where young gay boys were disowned by their families. “Imagine how traumatic such incidents can be at that age,” sighed Sylvester. Relentlessly working towards his ‘Lakshya’, Sylvester and his ilk bring hope to homosexuals of the world.

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A 15-point plan has been in place for decades for the uplift of Muslims but it has led to no visible improvement in the community's lot

2011-06-14T10:56:00.000+05:30

Succour punch

Beyond political speeches and public posturings lies the truth. The ruling class has paid lip service to the community for decades and large sections of India's Muslims have struggled to keep up with a nation on a rapid growth curve. Even the Prime Minister's 15-point programme, devised to eradicate the problems of the minorities, hasn't been of much help.

Says Nafees Ansari, former principal of Zeenat Mahal Government Senior Secondary School: “In our country, formation of committees is the only solution. These committees take forever to diagnose an ailment. The process is so lengthy that by the time a treatment is prescribed the ailment either takes a new shape or becomes incurable.” The 15-point programme, she adds, is no different. "The suggested remedies remain on paper."

Dr Zafar Mehmood, chairman, Zakat Foundation of India and former bureaucrat, echoes the same sentiment. He was associated with the Sachar Committee and is now aggressively pursuing the implementation of minority welfare schemes. “Solutions are available. The problem is at the bureaucratic level. The bureaucracy does lacks the need will.”

Dr Mehmood says: “There is need for proper monitoring of schemes. The ministry of minority affairs has now appointed state-level monitors in the hope that this would speed up implementation.”

Praising the work done in Moradabad district of Uttar Pradesh, Dr Mehmood says: “Excellent work has been done in this district but the situation is rather disappointing in the rest of the country”.

He adds: “The Union government decided last year the Centre would pay salaries of Urdu teachers in minority-concentrated areas. An order on this was to be issued by state governments. Nowhere except Maharashtra has this been done."

In 1980, a high-level committee was constituted by the Union government under the chairmanship of Dr Gopal Singh. Based on the committe's findings, a 15-point programme was launched in 1983 to hasten the socio-economic development of the minorities.

In its early stages, the focus was on communal riots, representation of minorities in services and ensuring the flow of benefits to the targetted groups. In 2005, this programme was revised. On June 22, 2006, the revamped plan was approved by the Union Cabinet. The emphasis was now on education, modernising madarsa learning, healthcare facilities and recruitment of minorities in the services.

But five years on, little has changed for the minorities. Most initiatives taken under the programme have at best been symbolic in nature.

One of the agenda items at the Delhi government's last Cabinet meeting was “Action taken/proposed to be taken by various departments... with regard to implementation of Prime Minister's New 15-point programme..."

TSI accessed a copy of the Cabinet note. It revealed that the Delhi government has done virtually nothing for the minorities in the field of education with regard to points 2 and 3 of the 15-point programme – improving access to school education and modernising madarsa education.

The note states: “The Directorate of Education, government of NCT of Delhi has informed 10 additional classrooms have been constructed in Buland Masjid School, Shastri Nagar, District North-East, 14 classrooms (Nand Nagri-04, Chauhan Bangar-06 and Seelampur-04) have been constructed in MCD schools. It was further informed that four classrooms are under construction in Rouse Avenue, District-Central, New Delhi. It is proposed to open Kasturba Gandhi Balika Vidaylaya in a rented building in Mustafabad, District-North-East”.

The Cabinet note is completely silent on modernisation of madarsa education. Another point of the programme is greater resources for teaching Urdu. With regard to this point, the Cabinet note states, “It was also informed that nine posts pf PMT and six posts of TGT in Urdu are vacant. These posts have not been filled in spite of a request to Urdu Academy.” The Delhi CM is chairperson of Urdu Academy.

Asked about this, the secretary of Urdu Academy, Marghoob Abidi, says: “Actually there were some problems regarding recruitment rules but now they are ready and have been sent to the department”.

The former chairman of Delhi Minorities Commission, Kamal Farooqui, told TSI, “Shiela Dikshit wanted appointment of Urdu teachers to be done immediately. In one meeting she even asked the Department of Education to form a separate selection board for appointment of Urdu teachers but nothing had been done”.

In the Cabinet note, there is a mention of the Delhi Police response with regard to recruitment to Central and State Services. The note states: “The Delhi Police informed that no posts are reserved for minority community. However, direct recruitments are made by advertising the vacancies in leading newspapers and Employment News. Delhi Police has developed a highly professional and transparent recruitment process, which has been given ISO 9000-2000 certification.”

It elaborates: “Delhi Police follows a transparent system such as video graphing of outdoor and indoor tests, rotation of interview board on a daily basis and only 10 marks for interview. One officer belonging to SC/ST category is nominated in the interview board. Moreover, efforts are also made to nominate a member from the minority community... It was also decided appropriate publicity of recruitment will be done (among minorities).”

Blaming the bureaucracy for non-implementation of the 15-point programme, Farooqui asks: “When the PM has himself asked for representation of minorities in every service selection board, why it is not being implemented?”

Senior journalist and columnist Zafar Agha says: “Minorities, particularly Muslims, were optimistic after the Sachar Committee report was tabled. But not even 1% of the work has been done.”

Rajya Sabha member Mohd Adeeb says: “The will to implement decisions is missing in the government machinery. Because of non-implementation, these decisions remain mere political slogans.”

“Muslims," he adds, "face an awkward situation. They get nothing, yet end up becoming targets of the majority community. One political party takes credit for being pro-Muslim, while the other screams appeasement of minorities”.

Blame it on what you will, the welfare of minorities on the ground level isn't visible. Problems continue to haunt the community. The disease has been diagnosed, the medicine has been prescribed, but the treatment has to begin in right earnest.

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Shelter from the storm

2011-06-10T11:32:00.000+05:30

An 82-year-old man runs his own free ration shop in a small town in Gujarat, helping more than 300 haplessly poor families, Hitesh Ankleshwaria reports

At first glance, it looks like a typical government ration shop. The sizeable crowd that has gathered for the doors to be unlocked adds to the perception. The faces are wrinkled and lustreless. These people are caught unaware by the mathematics that defines poverty line in this country. They are neither BPL nor APL. So, for long, they did not get the benefits of the BPL category. They did not even get enough food after working extremely hard.

But an 82-year-old man, Navneetbhai Manibhai Shah, decided to intervene about 10 years back. Navneetbhai has managed to change the face of Verasa village on the outskirts of Balasinor town in Kheda district of Gujarat. The mud houses have been replaced by concrete structures. Children study in a big primary school building with a huge playground.

Balasinor is a small town with 38,000 residents as per the records of the Nagarpalika. More than 45 villages surround it. Balasinor is peculiar in nature, it falls in the ultra-rich Kheda district but is bordered by the tribal districts of Sabarkantha and Panchmahal. The two main cities of Kheda district, Anand and Nadiad, are 65 to 70 km away from here. The land is rocky, the landscape arid, life is hard. The terrain is marked by small mounds every here and there. In Balasinor, Hindus and Muslims are in equal proportions and communal tension is a normal thing. Kshatriyas, Thakor, Targara, Muslims and tribals make up the population of the nearby 45 villages.

Verasa is a tribal village, 3 km away from Balasinor. Ten years back, it had only around 50 mud houses and lacked every basic amenity like a primary school, a health centre or a PDS ration shop. Poverty and superstition reigned supreme.

The man who changed all of that is just five feet tall and weighs around 55 kg. He says, “I can not walk easily.” But he gets up early in the morning and starts his work from 5 am. His day ends at 8 pm. At noon, he rests for an hour. He lives alone in Balasinor and does all the work himself. His family members live in Mumbai. Out of his six children, three are settled in the US and three are running businesses in Mumbai.

Navneetbhai retired at 70 from his hardware business. He had noticed how the government provides ration at a concessional rate to BPL families through Pandit Dindayal shops. BPL families can get grain, sugar, oil and kerosene from these shops. But the ration shop he launched at Balasinor’s Patva Sheri, named “Rahat yagya nu ration card”, is unique. Here, all things are distributed for free. For that, Navneetbhai has identified 300 needy families from the villages surrounding Balasinor. These families get grains, oil, sugar, kerosene, soaps and washing powder absolutely free of cost eight times a month. Navneetbhai has prepared his own ration cards for these needy families which contain their names, addresses and even photographs.

Navaneetbhai calls his work “Rahat yagya nu ration card”. He has created the Mahtama Gandhi Trust to oversee the work. He recalls, “After retirement from my business, I decided to spend rest of life in native Balasinor. I migrated to Mumbai as a 17-year old in search of a job. I came from an ordinary background. At that time, Balasinor offered virtually no employment opportunity. In Mumbai, I started my own business. Hard work made me prosperous and I bought a house near the White House in Valkeshwer. All my six children are well educated and settled. My eldest son is 63 years old and I have 11 grand children. I was not ready to sit idle after retirement. I intended to do some thing, not to earn but only to serve. In 1995, I returned to my native Balasinor. Everyday I went to the temple and prayed. And then it happened.”

The old man continues, “I can remember it very well. One evening evening, during my regular stroll, I came across a little tribal girl, malnourished and in torn, dirty clothes. She was transfixed on something and I stopped to see what she was up to. There was a dead lizard. She picked it up and was about to swallow it. I stopped her. She said she was very hungry. I had never witnessed something like this in my life. She was scared and hungry. I took her home and gave her some eatables. I got her name and that of her village. Next day, I walked to her village, Verasa. There I saw how tribal people lived in absolute penury.”

Navneetbhai takes off his spectacles, wipes off the small droplets of tears that have started rolling down his cheeks.

On that fateful day, he met his friends Dahyabhai Master and Rasikbhai Lakdavala. “I persuaded them to help these poor people. Our Dashnama Vaishnavite community has always stood ahead for the service of the poor. I decided that even if I had to stand with folded hands before anybody for the sake of these poor people, then be it. I decided to build a school and pakka houses for these people even if I had to go begging from house to house. I started visiting that tribal village regularly. Rasikbhai gave me Rs 2.5 lakh and I decided to transform the village. But after roaming here and there for a few months, I found that it was very difficult. So I decided to try another way,” says the crusader.

Navneetbhai made a list of his relatives, well wishers and friendsfrom India and abroad. He says to TSI, “I elaborated on my plans and surprisingly received positive responses with plenty of money.”He pauses and then starts again, “I did not want to run this scheme like a government scheme. So I did some research work. I got good support from Pravinbhai Sevak (a resident of Balasinor) who is a retired bank officer. We both visited Sabat, Karanpur, Sahiyawadi, Kotarbot, Sakaria, Sarola, Pepatiya and other nearby villages and went from hut to hut. We looked at the conditions of every family and prepared a list of potential beneficiaries. We also set up some rules e.g. to enroll only those families whose family members work very hard but hardly get two square meals a day, those who do not have any home appliance, where no male member has any addiction, so on and so forth.”

Navneetbhai shows TSI the ledgers, lists of donors and other documents. “We started our work with 250 families. The donations we received from donors were used to buy food grain from Ahmedabad. Then we called the beneficiaries, made their entries on the cards and distributed the grain amongst them. We made a rule that no beneficiary would misuse or resell these grain or other items. To make the system foolproof, we frequently visited their homes and kept a watch on them. The card would be cancelled if any beneficiary was found to violate any rule,” he says.

Navneetbhai shows TSI a list of around 100 beneficiaries whose names have been cancelled for violating the rules. His passion towards this work was splendid. Pratap Rupanayak from Verasa is a beneficiary. He doesn’t remember his age, is illiterate and physically challenged and a bit short of hearing. He has been regularly getting essential commodities on the ‘Rahat Yagna’ ration card for the last five years. One of his sons is a labourer in Surat. Pratap and his wife don't have any other livelihood. TSI can see the changes Navneetbhai's efforts have induced. Bhuriben Bala, a 70-year-old lady, is from Karnapur, 10 km from Balasinor. One of her sons is mentally challenged, another one is a labourer. She used to struggle to feed her family of eight. After receiving this relief, Bhuriben has admitted her three grandsons in schools. Her eyes are full of satisfaction and gratitude.

Right now, Navneetbhai's ration scheme has 300 beneficiaries. In a country where lakhs of tons of grains rot in government godowns, 600 million live in abject poverty and the Union agriculture ministry finds it impossible to distribute grains for free, Navneetbhai’s ‘Rahat Yagna Ration Card’ scheme is a slap in the face of the establishment.

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Why your wife or girlfriend seems "off sex" of late?

2011-06-06T11:30:00.001+05:30

Dr Suman Bijlani lists women's common sexual concerns and what they mean for men

Wonder why your wife/girlfriend seems "off sex" of late? Why does she complain of a headache just when you are in the mood? Fact is, as with men, sex is a big issue for women too. Only, due to conditioning or lack of awareness, most women don't articulate them.

Generally, women realise they have sexual problems only when:
» It affects their relationship
» Their partner starts complaining
» When they are depressed
» When they themselves get involved in an extra-marital affair.

Also, the nature of problems differs slightly with age.

Younger women:
Sexual problems relate more to body image issues and 'performance anxiety'. Especially if they feel sex is the only way they can hold on to their relationship.

Older women:
Sex boils down to a chore or duty after years of marriage/relationship. It then manifests in pains, aches, lack of orgasm and other physical symptoms.

The bottomline:
Don't blame your dull sex life on her PMS or mood swings. Gynaecologist Dr Suman Bijlani of Gyneguide tells you how to read between the lines.

Problem: Lack of interest
Message: Foreplay continues throughout the day
A woman wants her man to make her feel special throughout the day. This sets up her mood for the special night. In a marriage, being interested in the house or taking care of the children is important. Conflicts with kids affects her relationship with her husband.
Hence make that special effort to show you care — through messages, gifts, a special outing etc.

Problem: Poor body image
Message: I want to feel beautiful when I'm with you
A woman might shy away from intercourse due to poor body image — a result of low self-esteem. If her partner nags her about her lack of perfection, it can affect her sexual confidence. It's foolhardy to say things like 'your hips are too wide' or 'breasts are too small' and later expect her to perform in bed. For a woman, the only solution is to work on herself as a person. Men get attracted by a woman's confidence.

Problem: Faking it
Message: Orgasm isn't everything
Men tend to focus only on orgasm, but often for a woman, great foreplay is enough. Hence, ensure she is happy with the quality of sex. If she fakes an orgasm, it means she isn't satisfied and doesn't trust you enough to tell you. Such a behaviour points to chinks in the relationship, hence work on them first.

Problem: Frequency issues
Message: I am no sex machine
Some men want sex every day, but with women, many other factors need to be in place. There is no ideal time or frequency for sex,but if the frequency of desire is very disparate, seek help. If a woman is stressed or has resentments towards her man, it reflects in lack of interest in sex.

Problem: Pain during sex
Message: Be considerate in bed
A common problem, painful intercourse can result from vaginal infection or if the partner is very aggressive. Pain is of two types. Superficial pain: which occurs at the time of insertion. Or deep pain: that's usually pathological or due to endometriosis or infections. This needs to be taken seriously. Using a lubricant or increasing foreplay can help.

Problem: Body odour
Message: Please be pleasant
Both men and women can suffer from fungal infections, tinea infection and similar problems that lead to body odour. To stimulate a woman's interest in sex, it is essential that the man maintains a pleasant personality and smells good as well. Taking the point further, he should make an effort to look good for his woman. It leads to a better response in bed.

Problem: Fear of pregnancy
Message: Take care of protection
It's often the fear of pregnancy that makes women shy away from sex. For good sex, it's important for both partners to be equally aware and responsible for contraception.

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Bomb blasts kill 10 in Nigeria

2011-05-31T18:01:00.001+05:30

At least 10 people were killed and nine injured when three bomb blasts ripped through a market inside a military barracks in northern Nigeria, hours after President Goodluck Jonathan assumed office, police said on Monday.Police said they are probing the blasts.

Violence, frequent shootings and bomb attacks are among the challenges facing Jonathan, a southerner who was sworn in for a full four-year term after defeating his major opponent, General Muhammadu Buhari from the north.Though no group has claimed responsibility for the blast, it has all the signature of Boko Haram, an Islamic sect that wants to install Sharia government in the country. Post-election violence in the country claimed more than 800 people in the north but the sect was not part of the sporadic uprising.

The violence has been linked to members of Buhari's Congress for Democratic Change (CPC) which was defeated by Jonathan's Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

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Miller's worth

2011-04-30T10:30:00.000+05:30

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Since breaking out of prison on tv in the highly acclaimed and popular 'prison break', the good looking wentworth miller is back strutting his stuff in the latest installment of the resident evil franchise. Neha Sarin catches up with the actor to find out what challenges chris redfield's character had for him

How was it for you to come to this franchise? Were you familiar with "Resident Evil"?

I'd heard of it! (laughs) I hadn't seen the movies; I had never played the video games. I was aware that it had a significant presence in pop culture but it was new to me, so I knew I had homework to do and my approach was to try and balance a number of influences as best I could and one of them was to watch the video games. I had the producers cut together sequences that spoke to me (about my) character's back story and then I went online and did my research as there is a lot of conversation and expectation among the fans as to who Chris Redfield is or should be and then there is also Chris Redfield as imagined by Paul. I had to fit into his vision. It was a good time. I especially enjoyed coming from an experience like prison break.

Did you ever feel like "I have no control over my fate, so I am sticking to acting"?

Yeah, you stick to it because you have a choice. You stick to it because you like to do it above anything else in the world. Even when I wasn't working, I was in class and doing scenes and doing what I love, which is to tell stories... to touch people and to inspire people whether it's on stage or in front of the camera. It makes no difference at the end of the day. I am lucky enough that I am at a place in my career where I can pick and choose. I wasn't always like that, but now that I am, I want to proceed as carefully as possible.

What were your early experiences on stage?

As a kid, I think it was a Thanksgiving Day play and I got to play one of the pilgrims and my parents came and they all toddled out on stage with homemade costumes. I think it was that first round of applause that clued me into that very special connection between an actor and his audience. There is nothing like it and that's why I can't walk away.

How was it working with Milla Jovovoich?

I think she is the walking embodiment of this movie. I think one of the reasons this franchise is so successful is because her character is so distinct, strong, smart, driven' a vulnerable woman who happens to be the action figure in the centre of an action adventure franchise. I don't think we tell enough of those stories, but if you look back to Sigourney Weaver in 'Alien', her character Ripley, Milla is kind of the direct descendant of that line and it's at the core of this movie's appeal. And for me to jump on to this train that's many miles down its track, it was important to look to on the set, to copy, to role model myself after, in terms of what is this universe, what's the level of expectations, what's required of me and like I said, she is kind of the walking example of all those things. Now that your role in the series, 'Prison Break", is over, would you come back to TV?

Absolutely! I think there are some amazing stories being told on TV and let's be honest, the things you can do with a character over the course of four seasons, you can't do in a movie. Therefore, that is tremendously appealing. At the same time, having come from a TV show that went for four years, we shot for ten months and the other two months were spent promoting. It's nice to be involved in a movie where I shoot it for two months, come back for a month of press and I am done, so I can turn my attention to something else.

What's your favourite TV show?

I am watching reality competition shows actually ' 'Top Chef', 'Project Runway' and 'Work of Art' which was great and unexpected, going through the artistic process.

Have you seen the completed version of Resident Evil 4? Since the movie is shot in 3D, how was the experience?

I have not. I have seen only bits and pieces. While we were shooting in 3D which in its best usage is not a distraction from the story but is actually being used to tell the story. It's a nice integration of the technology with the particular tale they wish to tell. I wish to see amazing kick-ass stunt sequences, that's why we put it together, that's why people will want to see it. My job as an actor is to try and layer the character in and around the gun fights and the battle sequences when something horrible happens to Claire or Chris or Alice It registers with the audiences who care at some level.

What do you like about the pop culture. No video games?

Naah, no video games! I grew up in a house where it was all about homework. There wasn't really any opportunity for video games or comic books, they were kinda frowned upon. So this is my opportunity to have a second childhood. But I love going to movies, I love certain kinds of TV. I love classical music, not in a know-it-all, aficionado kind of way. I couldn't tell you the name of composers or different pieces. I just like it as a background music; it's inspiring and music is something I use when I am approaching a character or a scene. It can be anything that gets you in the right mood .

So what did you listen to for this role?

Ummm! I think it was some Eminem' playing it kind of loud and aggressive.

If you had to pick your next favourite character, what would you like to play?

I would love to find 'My Shining'. I would love to do a Jack Nicolson in it. I think it's a great example of a horror movie that has a lot of psychological meat on the bone.

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Dabangg for your buck

2011-04-26T10:28:00.000+05:30

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TSI Five-O: Action packed entertaining Salman starrer; 'nuff said!

Getting into the skin of Chulbul Pandey would have been perhaps the easiest thing for Salman Khan, given that he was pretty much playing himself ' someone with a mischievous attitude combined with a heart of gold. Salman seems to be enjoying every bit of the antics he gets to do on screen (from implausible looking stunts to delivering punch lines specially crafted for the seeti-taali set) and it shows. 'Dabangg', with its plot stitched together from shreds of clich'd story line fabric, seems to revel in celebrating the irreverent (check out the comic book fight scenes and you'll know) and Salman is the face of that celebration. Sonakshi Sinha also gives a good account of herself and proves an able foil for Salman.

The story is that of Chulbul Pandey, a cop who calls himself Robin Hood Pandey and acts pretty much the same way. Local goon Chhedi Singh (Sonu Sood, trying the hardest he ever has to ape Amitabh Bachchan) doesn't quite see eye to eye with Chulbul's methods and decides to manipulate Chulbul's brother Makhan (Arbaaz Khan, quite average) into acting against him. There are some other subplots that do enough to present one entertaining sequence after the other.

The timing of the film and its over the top execution works wonders to deliver a thoroughly enjoyable ride, one where you'll keep pointing out mistakes yet get mysteriously enamoured by the silliness of it all. Even the songs have a fun factor about them. And you will have Sallu to thank for that. If you're going, one suggestion ' learn how to whistle!

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RESIDENT EVIL, AFTERLIFE: Uber-cool Zombie land

2011-04-22T01:25:00.000+05:30

After Irom Sharmila last year, Anna Hazare wins IIPM's 2011 Rabindranath Tagore Peace Prize of Rs. 1cr. To be handed over on 9th May

TSI Five-O: If you love video games, you'll fancy this one

The fourth installment of 'Resident Evil, Afterlife' is an action packed graphically-sound sci-fi flick which is clearly not cut-out for critics. The movie resembles an ultra-cool video game, sadly giving no more depth to the characters or the plot.

Dressed in a sleek black leather suit, Alice (Milla Jovovich), the protagonist, and a number of her clones have taken it upon themselves to destroy the cruel company Umbrella Corp. A matrix-style fight scene in the Tokyo headquarters of Umbrella follows. The target man, Chairman Albert Wesker (Shawn Roberts) senses danger and flees from the 'bloody' mess in a super-jet. Mid-journey, Alice ambushes from nowhere and attempts to kill Albert, only to be injected by a serum which neutralises her super powers. As the two are busy exchanging dialogues, the plane crashes and burns to ashes. As fate would have it, Alice survives without a scratch and within months is flying around in search of survivors.

The irony is she is impeccably dressed and flaunts fabulous lipstick and make-up. Wonder who she's trying to impress with no one around!

After months of solidarity and speaking to her camera, she finds a rather savage looking amnesiac, Claire (Ali Larter) who she takes into custody. Further, they get lucky as they spot a few survivors residing on the roof of a high security prison which is surrounded by swarms of zombies.

The movie will impress a masala-action aficionado. Though the cinematography is visually appealing and the techno-metal score suits the nonstop action, the movie is no-brainer. It is also hard to ignore that the fight scenes share striking similarities with the ones in 'The Matrix'. The dialogues are below par and the sporadic humour raises laughter for its sheer stupidity.

That said, 'Afterlife' reiterates that there is a market for its kind and the producers are more than happy minting the millions guaranteed with each sequel.

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This haat beats for art

2011-04-19T15:15:00.000+05:30

After Irom Sharmila last year, Anna Hazare wins IIPM's 2011 Rabindranath Tagore Peace Prize of Rs. 1cr. To be handed over on 9th May

Bringing artists, collectors, art enthusiasts, and curious citizens together, Art Mart II proved to be much more than just a platform for buying and selling art. Anu Gulmohar paints the picture of Art Mart II in a little less than 1000 words'

Gurgaon is the millennium city with its high rises, posh hotels and a fair share of people with a taste for the finer things in life. It's of little wonder then that an art fair has begun to be held annually here and artists from all over India and beyond converge at the Art Mart. On one hand it aims at meeting the needs of Gurgaon and NCR residents who wish to deck-up their homes with affordable paintings and sculptures, and on the other hand it offers works of a hundred and more artists for the pick of connoisseurs and corporates. While the capital plays host annually to the prestigious Art Summit, which boasts of some of the biggest names on the art scene, its satellite city got a sampling of a unique melange of art, in this second edition of Art Mart, which was held between 10th and 12th September. The three-day event featured not just art works but even workshops and seminars that gave regular people a rare opportunity to interact and learn from the artists and experts in the industry.

Inaugurated by Dr Karan Singh (MP, Rajya Sabha & President, Indian Council for Cultural Relations), an enthralling performance by Sidigoma, the tribal Sufi Community of East African origin based in Gujarat, set the stage for Art Mart II, an initiative by Old World Hospitality. Playful installations by artists like Dharmendra Rathore and Anjolie Ela Menon welcomed people, while stall after stall of paintings brought here by galleries and artists awaited them inside. Showcasing contemporary art in its multifarious forms ' drawings, sculptures, ceramics, installations, photographs, prints, digital and video art, mixed media and performance art ' Art Mart II went on to also hold an Art Appreciation Course, a Draw and Paint workshop, Snap it Up photography workshop, Face 2 Face for buyers with artists, On The Spot Painting Competition for children, an Art Camp for artists, a Panel Discussion for experts, live sessions of portrait-making and caricature painting for the public. There was even an Art Book Caf' and a Collectors' Lounge at the Mart. These courses and discussions were meant to further engage and encourage people toward art.

So if you're relatively new to the world of art collecting, the 2-day Art Appreciation Course could've provided you with a leg-up. Conducted by Sushma Bahl, she shared with us some rules of the trade. 'Before the investment, one should look at the quality of the art work and how one responds to it, in terms of technical finesse, what the work is saying to you, how it looks, how the artist has created it, who's the person who has created it. And then of course, its value in terms of the cost, whether the artist has done well so far, which way he's going. One needs to study all this. It involves knowing, understanding the work itself, knowing about the artist, where he comes from, from where he's started, where he's today, which kind of shows he's done so far. All of these factors ought to be considered before one decides to buy a work of art. And if you spot talent at a young stage, then you are a gainer in every respect. First of all, the quality of his technical work will improve and of course the value of the work also jumps quickly,' said Bahl. Amandeep Singh, a resident of Gurgaon and an amateur photographer, was among the participants of Snap it Up, a photography workshop by Sandeep Biswas. Sharing his experience with us, he said, 'I was not too sure what to expect, but needed some clarity on certain issues. To some extent, I got critical answers, along with a better understanding of photography. I got some new ideas and perspectives from the workshop.' Dinesh Khanna curated another photography initiative, the Gurgaon Wall, which was a community effort and featured photographs of Gurgaon sent in by professionals and amateurs.

Claiming to have garnered business worth crores in its first year, Art Mart had considerably heightened the expectations of all parties involved. Bahl filled us in about this year's sales. 'Almost all galleries did sell something and the few that didn't sell made some important contacts and links that they're now pursuing,' he said. Of the 40 paintings brought in from Africa by Muzu Sulemanjee, nine were sold. 'We haven't got all the figures yet; I think some more sales will materialise in the next few days,' reassured Bahl.

As Art Mart II claimed to be promoting emerging artists, the more prominent artists and galleries were seen missing from action. Whether it's a deliberate decision or a teething problem we're not sure, but it left some people rather discontented. Alakananda Saha of Montage Arts gallery was among one to comment. 'Only five-six stalls had good serious art. Next year the organisers should select more judiciously and select serious art. So the serious buyers are attracted and even if someone buys something small for their homes, they should have something they can cherish all their lives, and it would also be something that will have future value,' said Saha. In its effort to be so much at once, Art Mart II might have missed the bull's eye on certain parameters, but overall it was a laudable effort by Old World Hospitality. As a resident of Gurgaon, I am already looking forward to Art Mart III.

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Mysore sex workers run and man a restaurant as an attempt to reintegrate themselves with the mainstream

2011-04-15T15:09:00.002+05:30

After Irom Sharmila last year, Anna Hazare wins IIPM's 2011 Rabindranath Tagore Peace Prize of Rs. 1cr. To be handed over on 9th May

Almost every eating joint in the city claims to have a USP. But before we delve into Mysore-based Hotel Ashodaya's USP, let's talk about the food served here. In the morning, they serve idly, dosa, ricebath and a variety of side dishes for the breakfast. In the afternoon, proper lunch is served. As one enters the hotel, waiters would hand over the menu with a smiling face and a gesture of respect. The food here is delicious, the surroundings clean.

But despite that Ashodaya was not a hit with the locals even after quite a few months of its opening. The reason? Well, the hotel was actually founded and is manned by the city's sex workers. So, many people avoided it.

Hotel Ashodaya was founded by the Ashodaya group, an NGO that works for the welfare of sex workers and transgenders. 'It was in 2008 that we started the hotel to help men and women from our community and even the non-community people who support our work,' informs Prakash, a male sex worker who works for Ashodaya.

In 2004, a core team working for the welfare and safety of sex workers launched the Ashodaya group, to unite them and bring them to the mainstream by brushing aside the social stigma heaped on them. 'Dr Sushena, Dr Sundar Raman, Senthil and Kaveri were in the core team and Ashodaya was their brainchild. In the beginning it was a small group of sex workers with technical support from the non-community people.

As days passed by, sex workers of Mysore city started joining this organisation,' says Akram Pasha, a male sex worker serving as the deputy director of Ashodaya Samithi and coordinator for the hotel project.

It is hardly a five-minute walk from Mysore Palace. The road next to Dalavayi School will take you directly to Ashodaya. 'We provide breakfast and lunch facilities to the customers and by 6 pm, our outlet is closed as the sex workers move on to their usual profession. Sex work is their profession and hotel work is like a side business. At present five sex workers and three non-community workers are working in this hotel,' says Prakash.

'The profit from the restaurant helps the progress and empowerment of sex workers. The income generated here directly goes to our Care Home project,' says Nagarathnamma, a female sex worker. Those care homes are exclusively for the safety and protection of exploited sex workers. 'We have started our 'care homes' in six districts of Karnataka. In the evening, doctors visit our care home and treat men and women who are neglected and uncared for,' explains Shashikala, a sex worker of the group.

Shashikala had no idea about a condom before she joined hands with Ashodaya. 'I didn't know what a condom was and how it could be used... I was ignorant of all those preventive measures. But after entering the Ashodaya group, I learnt the safety measures. Thereafter, I insist on condoms for my clients. If a client does not accept it, he can take a hike,' says Shashikala. Akram Pasha is also one of the trainers at the Ashodaya Academy. 'We use our personal stories to educate the female, transgender and male sex workers in preventive healthcare, legal literacy and skill-building for HIV prevention,' he informs. Ashodaya hotel also provides catering service to several educational institutions, corporations and companies. 'Many of them gave good feedback about our service and food. It's really helping us to improve ourselves and provide more services to our customers,' says Prakash.

Previously, only sex workers used to work in the hotel, but when non-community men came forward to work for the hotel, sex workers were actually surprised. 'That was a progressive move. The restaurant has paved the way for parity and has lessened the gap between sex workers and the public,' observes Rathnamma, a sex worker and a senior member of the group.

'When Ashodaya hotel was opened, locals avoided it as the staff were professional sex workers. But reasonable pricing, good taste, hygienic food and cleanliness perhaps made them rethink,' recalls Rathnamma.

An assistance of Rs 1.5 lakh from the World Bank eventually paved the way for the hotel project in 2008. Since then, it has completely changed the mindset of sex workers. They have started thinking as a part of the mainstream.

The families of some of the sex workers have started accepting them back after the latter found a space for themselves in the mainstream after joining Ashodaya. 'But more Ashodayas are needed for this to happen fully, only one association in Mysore cannot reach all the sex workers,' opines Jinendra, a male sex worker and a member of Ashodaya.

'We do not force men or women here to carry on with sex work. If they are happy about the profession, then it's our duty to make them aware of all the safety measures and to avoid complications. We have managed to check the number of HIV-positive cases in Mysore, which was on the rise, over the years,' says Fathima who works as a technical supporter in Ashodaya.

Ashodaya hotel is a ray of hope for the sex workers but no one wishes to leave the profession. 'This is our profession. We are going in the right path without harming the public or anyone. The society needs to accept it,' is the argument of these sex workers.

'We are happy that even the government is supporting us, especially people like Shobha Karandlaje, the former rural development minister of the state. We don't need anybody's sympathy but acceptance as a part of the society,' concludes Girija, a transgender.

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Lalu Prasad Yadav: Bihar wants me back as CM

2011-03-26T10:48:00.000+05:30

IIPM Proves Its Mettle Once Again...

It is difficult to keep the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) supremo Lalu Prasad Yadav down for very long. He was a constant headline-grabber until the last general elections pushed him out of the media glare. But he was back in the news last week. For 80 minutes, in a 'mock' Lok Sabha session after the Lower House was adjourned by deputy Speaker, Kariya Munda, over an uproar triggered by the debate on an enhanced salary for Members of Parliament, he assumed the post of Prime Minister. What exactly was going on in the mind of the irrepressible politician? It is difficult to tell off-hand, but in an exclusive interview, he told Praveen K Singh that the people of Bihar have seen through the hollowness of Nitish Kumar's "tall claims" and will vote the RJD back to power in the next Assembly elections. Excerpts from the conversation:

How do you react to the fact that the RJD has lost the status of a national party?
I am not too perturbed. Such decisions are a part of the political process and they do not really affect anything within the party. Our electoral symbol ' the lantern ' was given to us not because the RJD was a national party but because it was a powerful political force in Bihar and many other states of the country. In fact, If only we had received just one per cent more of the votes in Jharkhand in the last parliamentary polls, we would have retained the status of a national party. However, this development will certainly not in anyway have long-term repercussions on the party's political fortunes or its manner of functioning.

The RJD as a political force would continue to move forward with its agenda of fighting to provide respite to the people of Bihar from the corrupt Nitish Kumar government. Nitish Kumar and his supporters are trying to mislead voters by spreading false rumours about the cause and effect of the RJD losing its national party status. There is going to be absolutely no threat to our electoral symbol. I would request you to wait until the next Jharkhand elections. We will be back on the list of national parties in a matter of days.

Chief minister Nitish Kumar has been saying that the return of the Lalu Prasad Yadav-led alliance will pave the way for another 'rule of terror' in Bihar. He insists that by projecting himself as a chief ministerial candidate, Lalu has only made the NDA's task much easier in Bihar. How do you react to this jibe and how do you rate Nitish Kumar as chief minister of the state?
The Nitish Kumar administration has been the most corrupt ever in the history of Bihar. The ministers and bureaucrats are up to their necks in corruption. Welfare schemes meant for the poor are limited only to certain districts of Bihar where Nitish Kumar has pronounced vested interests.

He has all along been promoting people of his own caste whereas the RJD has always believed in taking people of all castes together. Regarding the fact that I am being projected as a chief ministerial candidate, let me assure you that the people of Bihar have realised their mistake and they want to bring me back to power. It is being said that Lalu Prasad has changed now and he is trying to woo the upper castes to whom he had paid no heed in the past.

Would you agree that you have changed?
Lalu Prasad Yadav is not the leader of Yadavs and Muslims alone. He has the blessings of people of all castes in Bihar. Otherwise, he wouldn't have been in the saddle for more than 15 years. What I want to say is that let us dissolve these artificial differences between backwards and forwards.

I appeal to everyone in Bihar to reassess their standpoint and think about the development of the whole nation. Whether it is Bhumihars or Rajputs or Brahmins, we have always respected everyone and tried to take them along on the path of growth. With the blessings of the people of the state and the Almighty, I was able to rule Bihar despite the evil designs of my detractors.

If, as you claim, caste combinations have always been in your favour, then why did you lose the last parliamentary elections?
Caste combinations slipped away from us. CM Nitish Kumar has promised many things to many people. As a result, many of our one-time supporters have deserted us. But this will not last forever. These people are already regretting their decision. I come from a humble background where people cannot dream of achieving what I have managed to do. It is only because of our democracy that I have been able to reach where I am today.

Since 1977, I don't think there has been another politician in this country who has received more love, affection and support from the people than I have. As for the last elections, my vote base declined by 20 lakh. Polling in Bihar was between 25 per cent and 30 per cent and it went up to a maximum of 40 per cent. In effect, that meant that 70 per cent of the voters were turned away from the polling booths. The government and the Election Commission are equally responsible for this low turnout. I raised my voice against the voter I-card but nobody listened to me.

About 70 per cent of voters in Bihar do not have I-cards and thus could not vote. None of us in the party, not I, not Rabri Devi, ever thought that we would find ourselves in this sort of situation in the 15th Lok Sabha, but ups and downs are an integral part and parcel of life. The world will remember our work. In Bihar, we did everything we could for the welfare of poor people. I brought projects worth Rs 55,000 crore to Bihar along with industry. People can today travel for Rs 3 in trains whereas they once had to shell out Rs 20 to commute in buses.

The Congress party has announced that it will contest the next Bihar Assembly elections on its own. Do you believe that the RJD is a part of the UPA or do you consider yourself a part of the Opposition to the UPA government at the Centre?
We have extended our unconditional support to the United Progressive Alliance government but we are outside the government. The UPA believed in maintaining its pre-poll alliances and so we are not a partner at the moment. The UPA chairperson, Sonia Gandhi, is a good woman. We have great mutual respect for each other. It is the media that carried completely fabricated stories that claimed that Lalu Prasad Yadav has fallen out of favour with her.

All these media reports are absolutely false and a figment of somebody's fertile imagination.

Is your tirade against the media not the familiar refrain of politicians who have no respect for democracy and public opinion. Why don't you instead heed the media's message rather than try to shoot the messenger?
The media always thrives on masala. It invariably misquotes and misinterprets the statements that are made by political leaders. And Lalu Prasad Yadav has always been a source of masala for the whole media community. The electronic media is particularly guilty of this. They have nothing substantial to show. So, on many occasions, you will find them repeating the same visuals over and over again. Sometimes, they go to the extent of passing off old visuals as new. Lalu Prasad Yadav has always been a hot topic of discussion for the media. The media, it seems, cannot do without me.

What about your avowed ambition to become the Prime Minister of India one day. Do you see yourself holding that post anytime in the future?
No, I do not harbour any such aspirations. In fact, nobody knows what will happen tomorrow. But in case I do become the Prime Minister, I will definitely enforce a ban on all fascist forces in the country. I will make this country secular, peaceful and a world power.

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Mike Sorrentino: A good 'situation' to be in!

2011-03-23T10:31:00.001+05:30

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Reports have it that Mike Sorrentino has amassed a bank balance as huge as his massive ego! With Mike aka "The Situation" planning to make endorsements worth a whooping $5 million by the end of this financial year, he is slated to become the highest paid reality star. To add to his coffers, his autobiography is underway, so is an endorsement deal with a vodka company, a pending swimsuit line and if things go according to his plans, he might also join the cast of 'Dancing with the Stars' season 11. Now, that's a situation anybody would love to be in!

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Katy Perry: I kissed a girl

2011-03-19T10:16:00.000+05:30

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Katy Perry has proved her critics wrong! Once labelled as a one-song wonder, with the release of her second album, the "I kissed a girl" singer has been receiving a lot of applause once again. On the personal front, a recent survey tells us that Katy's nuptials with funnyman Russell Brand later this year has topped the list of celebrity weddings that people want to attend, beating even Prince Williams and Kate Middleton's wedding! Looks like everything seems to be coming this popstar's way, who recently threw an 'Alice In Wonderland' themed bridal shower for herself!

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Hard talk on Asian Cinema

2011-03-15T15:55:00.001+05:30

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Network for the promotion of asian cinema threw its 20th birthday bash last week and the connoisseurs of cinema, who came to celebrate, were in for more than just a sampling of the best of asian cinema.

There is nothing new about film festivals. There are the Cannes, Locarno, Vienna where the A-listers sashay on the red carpet and pose for the paparazzi. Then there are the relatively smaller though still immensely influential film festivals like Rotterdam, Munich and Toronto where too films enjoy excellent exposure. An unrivalled platform for world cinema, filmmakers contend for the various awards and the attention of the distributors at all such festivals. Awards won in the festival circuit generate much excitement and credibility for the film, and this often translates into box office success too. In 1990, Network for the Promotion of Asian Cinema (NETPAC) was set-up with the aim of helping Asian countries discover each other's endeavours in alternate cinema. In an attempt to help Asian cinema get its time under the spotlight in festivals around the world, NETPAC instituted the NETPAC Award that would honour deserving Asian filmmakers. Today, the award is given at 30 international film festivals. In its effort to bring Asian cinema at par with European and American, NETPAC started two film festivals as well ' the Cinefan in New Delhi, and the Jogja-NETPAC festival in Jogjakarta. Having completed 20 years since its inception, the organisation wasn't about to organise just another film festival. The Imaging Asia Film Festival did take place in the capital between August 18-22, 2010 where NETPAC Award-winning films were screened at various venues, but along with it, exhibitions and performances of the pre-cursors of cinema ' hand-painted narrative scrolls and shadow puppets ' were featured as well, and a 5-day conference titled The Culture and Politics of Asian Cinema was held. Together, they constituted Imaging Asia: The Netpac Festival.

The Film Festival featured 30 outstanding films from the past 17 years, which included Garin Nugroho's 'And the Moon Dances', Adoor Gopalakrishnan's 'Vidheyan' (The Servile), Aparna Sen's 'Mr & Mrs Iyer', Dang Nhat Minh's 'Nostalgia for the Countryside', Asghar Farhadi's 'About Elly' and Wang Xiaoshuai's 'So Close to Paradise'. The exhibition showcased narrative scrolls from Bengal, Jharkhand, Andhra Pradesh and Rajasthan and the shadow puppeteers hailed from not just various parts of India but also China, Malaysia, Indonesia and Iran. The most vital and significant facet of the Festival was the conference that brought together 25 internationally-renowned film personalities who specialise in Asian cinema for a dialogue, which brought to the table various issues plaguing the Asian alternative filmmakers, and possible solutions. Led by NETPAC President Aruna Vasudev, the panellists included Filipino filmmaker, scholar and Conference Director Nick Deocampo (Philippines), Pusan Festival Director Kim Dong-ho, renowned filmmakers Xie Fei (China) and Garin Nugroho (Indonesia) and Arab cinema specialist and programmer Intishal al-Timimi, apart from many critics and representatives of funding agencies. They discussed about the impact of globalisation on Asian cinema, contemplated about the role of film festivals and how they need to be re-fashioned for the times, and about various subjects pertinent to the independent filmmaker, such as how to get international funds and find distributors for their films. 'There are some people from Europe, more people are from Asia; they are all just trying' sometimes conflicting, sometimes exchanging, listening to each other, so as to try and build a network of a different level ' for producing, for distributing, for making things understandable for one another,' said Jocelyn Saab, Franco-Lebanese award-winning director, photographer and producer, who was among the luminaries at the conference. They discussed ways of accessing international funds and even exploring social networking sites for finding finances! While one cited instances of filmmakers raising enough money through such sites, another contended that this cannot however be a general solution as donors receive petty tokens in return, like T-shirts of the film.

'People who keep going to festivals are all saying that this has been so wonderful, because usually in festivals everyone keeps running around looking at films, but it was the first time we all sat down and had a chance to talk and exchange ideas. And that has been the purpose of this festival, not only to exchange ideas but talk very seriously about the current situation and the future, where should we go, what should we be doing, what should we be looking at'' said Aruna Vasudev. 'I think NETPAC has been playing, is playing, and will continue to play a very important role as each country tries to promote their films and each continent tries to support its own industry and filmmaking. Asia needs such efforts too,' remarked Intishal al-Timimi.

'I'm really emotional about this conference, because this meeting over cinema is more about tolerance. The base of tolerance is each one knowing the other and not rejecting the other, and we're doing it through cinema,' said the visibly moved Jocelyn Saab.

It's 20 years old, yet is among the handful of organisations proactively working to support the alternative filmmakers of our time. Already brimming with ideas to take NETPAC and Asian cinema to the next level, Aruna remarked, 'Asian cinema is already at par with European cinema. Asian cinema is already there; it's arrived. And now we need to push it into the audience's consciousness.' Ready for the next take already, NETPAC's come of age.

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Increasing Diversity by Increasing Access

2011-01-31T10:13:00.001+05:30

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an initiative by Kolkata's WB National University of Juridical Sciences, aims to draw grossly under-represented and disadvantaged sections into the ambit of legal education

Our Einsteins live in our villages: that assertion by Dr CNR Rao, principal scientific advisor to the Prime Minister, has found an echo in the spirit that drives Shamnad Basheer's dream project, 'Increasing Diversity by Increasing Access (IDIA) in legal education'. 'Our Palkhivalas are in our villages,' he could well be saying.

Does the late jurist and economist Nani Palkhivala need an introduction? In a nation driven by the "either-a-doctor-or-an-engineer" credo, he probably does. And that explains why legal education remains out of bounds for large swathes of India.

In June, a project team engaged in the IDIA sensitisation programme in Tumkur, Karnataka, faced a similar situation. As a part of the programme, some clippings of famous lawyers such as Mahatma Gandhi, Abraham Lincoln, Jawaharlal Nehru, SM Krishna, Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama were played. Surprisingly, the students seemed most excited when told that Malavika Avinash, a Kannada television actress, was a lawyer who graduated from the National Law School of India University. In fact, the number of students who recognised Malavika was far more than those who could identify the US President.

After the IDIA pilot project at Pelling, Sikkim, Prof Basheer admitted one of the main challenges: "Some of our brightest students (in Sikkim) who had done well in the aptitude test and seemed eager to seriously consider law as a career faced resistance from parents and teachers because they wanted them to be either doctors or engineers.' The situation is similar in Basanti High School in the Sunderbans. Here the IDIA team realised that school students had little idea about law as a career. Though they had heard of the three-year course they did not have any idea about the five-year integrated course that the National Law University offers.

But the team IDIA still believes that 'if all goes well, we can all hope that a legal Phunsuk Wangdu (the protagonist of 3 Idiots) will come out of a National Law University soon. After all, the 400 patents of the fictional Phunsuk Wangdu will need a good patent attorney!'

With this notion, IDIA the 'mass movement' for a more diverse legal profession, kicks off at WB National University of Juridical Sciences, Kolkata. IDIA is an initiative of the institute to make law education popular among economically and socially backward classes, the minorities, ethnic groups and the physically challenged.

The national law schools are widely seen as the preeminent legal institutions in India. But over the years these institutions have turned into elitist hubs with a severe lack of representation from marginalised sections, particularly economically weaker sections. A variety of factors have contributed to this, including the extremely high fee structures, an entrance examination (CLAT) that now requires extensive and expensive coaching as a prerequisite, and most important, a lamentable lack of awareness about law as a career among low income students in small towns, rural areas and non-mainstream institutions. An 'IDIA' whose time has come The net result is that the current student composition in many of these law schools lack any serious diversity and comprise mainly English-medium educated students from middle class or upper middle class families. The numbers from rural areas, small towns or non-English speaking schools are deplorable.

IDIA seeks to find ways to reach out to the hitherto marginalised and under-represented groups and help those interested to acquire admission to law schools. It is hoped that such access to legal education in favour of the marginalised and under-represented would empower them and the communities that they represent. According to Prof Basheer, who heads the project: 'An efflux of diverse student populations would make for a more optimal melting pot of views and perspectives at such law schools and consequently enrich the process of education.'

The programme has already travelled to Murshidabad and Pelling (in Sikkim). For the immediate future, apart from Bengali medium schools in Kolkata, southern India (Kerala) and central India (Chhattisgarh) will be covered. Keeping CLAT in mind, earlier this year, NUJS student Ramanuj Mukherjee, under the inspection of the university, independently launched an online social networking platform 'CLAThacker: don't just crack CLAT, come hack CLAT with us'. The main idea is to help those from poorer backgrounds to "crack" the CLAT online. Not only that, in June IDIA Hyderabad conducted an aptitude test in an intermediate college run by Devnar Foundation in Ranigunj, Hyderabad.

Talking to TSI, Mr Mukherjee expressed concern regarding the present scenario in legal education, 'I can still remember when I decided to quit medical school after a year and get into NUJS, an army of relatives/well-wishers/acquaintances descended upon my parents asking how they could allow me to do something so "stupid"! Thankfully, my parents are of the opinion that children should be allowed to choose their own careers. But how many parents in India think along the same lines?'

No doubt this is a great effort by the NUJS team. But will it at all be helpful for the masses? Questions have already started emerging. As one NUJS alumnus speculates, 'A diverse selection of students would mean that more students would opt to litigate - their command over their local languages, added with premier education, would be an advantage that the entire legal community in the country will benefit from. But the fact is most of those who account for a majority of the students in law schools, do not litigate. Most actually opt for a comfortable life with a high-paying desk job instead of running around in courts and learning the "real" stuff.'

'But yes, the fact remains that we need more "good" lawyers from different walks of life - law is, after all, meant for everyone, and not just for a high-flying, English-speaking bunch,' he says. That is why the idea that IDIA has come up with is so welcome.

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

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Father, son and the holy vote

2011-01-29T09:03:00.001+05:30

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Naresh Nunna reviews Y. S. Jaganmohan Reddy's political play called 'Condolence Tour' and finds him slipping against a seasoned K. Rosaiah and an adamant Congress High Command

Y. S. Jaganmohan Reddy (Jagan) keeps repeating that his Odarpu Yatra (Condolence Tour) is merely a 'personal tour', which the party and the government have nothing to do with. But the cause of Jagan's dissidence is too obvious. The plans of this Kadapa MP, the only legal heir of the late Y. S. Rajasekhara Reddy who was killed in a helicopter crash in Nallamalla forest in last September, to step into his father's shoes were dumped aside by the Congress High Command. But, Jagan, with his many business ventures, some known and many unseen, needs a lot of government support. In other words, he must be at the helm of the government to run those ventures uninterruptedly.

Thus, frustrated by the High Command's stubborn reluctance to make him the chief minister, Jagan has been allegedly planning major political disturbance to dethrone K. Rosaiah, trying to prove the latter as inefficient.

'The real strategic role of chief minister K. Rosaiah lies in provoking stone pelting openly,' sources close to the chief minister told TSI under the condition of anonymity. Rosaiah, a 76-year-old veteran with five decades of political experience and a man who has introduced the state budget 16 times, including seven in a row (a record in the country), is apparently weak and an abiding loyalist of the High Command. With the same visible weakness, he started poking Jagan silently, leading the High Command to take a dig at Jagan.

After taking over the reins of the state after YSR's sudden demise, Rosaiah shunted out bureaucrats and police officials close to his predecessor. Major among them was the replacement of V. Rajagopal, director of mining and chairman of Andhra Pradesh Mineral Development Corporation (APMDC), with an IAS officer Praveen Prakash. Rosaiah also transferred another senior IAS officer, Y. Srilakshmi, secretary in industries and commerce department, who was handpicked by YSR and entrusted with key task of handling mining lease and licences. Both Rajagopal and Srilakshmi allegedly aided and abetted YSR's kith and kin, as most of the galaxy mines of Prakasam district and Barites mines in Kadapa district are in their control. YSR's close aide and later the mining minister of AP, Balineni Srinivasa Reddy, YSR's co-brother Y. V. Subba Reddy, YSR's nephew Dushyant Reddy, Raghava Reddy of Midwest Company, Koneru Prasad and a few other luminaries of the mining world have been often accused by opposition parties for illegal mining. The loot during the YSR tenure was estimated by opposition parties to be worth a whopping Rs 75,000 crore.

Rosaiah made the department levy heavy penalties on YSR's kith and kin i.e. of Jagan following fresh enquires into the old irregularities. It was the last straw and Jagan trained his guns directly on Rosaiah. Meanwhile, Rosaiah silently leaked truce proposals from the Jagan camp to national dailies, including The Hindu. Rosaiah also added fuel to the fire with his direct interaction with the High Command during his visits to Delhi. Thus, the subtle tactics of Rosaiah made Jagan wage a direct war not only with Rosaiah but also with the High Command. Rosaiah was also successful to wean away Jagan's loyal cadre in the state Cabinet. Several ministers in the Rosaiah Cabinet used to call on Jagan whenever the latter visited city. The shift of loyalty is clearly evident when a section of YSR loyal ministers made a scathing attack on Jagan, countering the latter's remarks on Rosaiah. The ministers accused Jagan of amassing thousands of crores of rupees in a short span. The ministers and some MLAs have understood this and are gradually isolating him. Father, son and the holy vote Jagan's condolence tour is meant to console the families of those who died after the demise of his father. It has drawn serious flak from the Telangana agitators as Jagan claimed himself as a pro-United Andhra leader. The Congress High Command has issued a 'no yatra' writ which Jagan defied, asserting that his tour had no political overtures. However, the police arrested Jagan and put an end to the drama on the grounds of a law and order problem. So, in a do-or-die situation, Jagan has initiated the next phase of his tour on his father's birth anniversary i.e July 8 from the northern coastal region of Srikakulam with multiple political aims. First among them is to understand the real strength of the 'YSR constituency' and flaunting the same before the High Command. The YSR constituency refers to the number of loyal voters of YSR. Jagan wants to assess the size of that loyal constituency and weigh the chances of transfer of that votebank to him.

'It is difficult to statistically separate the loyalty of the voters between the party and the individual leader,' senior journalist Ashok Tankasala told TSI. In the 2009 elections, the Congress won 33 MP seats. Each MP constituency has 7 Assembly segments, but the party won only 156 Assembly segments.

'If YSR's charisma was the reason for the Congress party's success, the party should have won more than 230 Assembly segments or at least 200 seats. The empirical evidence further shows that the difference between the victorious Congress and defeated TDP was only 1.8 per cent votes. If one factors in Chiranjeevi, whose PRP party obtained 16.22 per cent of the total votes, had not been present, the results would have definitely been different,' another analyst said.

'Jagan is able to mobilise people due to the power of his money which is in abundance,' Rajya Sabha member V. Hanumantha Rao told TSI. Some senior Congress leaders also alleged that many lorries were and trucks were engaged to transport people and that the Jagan camp was pumping in enough money to make his Odarpu Yatra a grand show.

'Chiranjeevi, in terms of crowd pulling ability, definitely supersedes anyone else. But, drawing crowds does not mean that will translate into votes,' veteran Congress leader Palvayi Govardhan Reddy told TSI.

Political analysts are sensing a haste in Jagan towards floating a regional party or towards creating a fissure in the state Congress with a YSR-loyal faction. If his 'dissident' act (yatra) provokes any disciplinary action from the Congress High Command, Jagan is ready to portray it as the Congress party's ungratefulness towards his father. But veteran strategist Rosaiah and the High Command has made Veerappa Moiley, the party's AP affairs in-charge, a close confidant of the Jagan camp, announce the suspension note of loquacious Rambabu Ambati. Enthralled by the versatility of the drama, the media swarmed around a seemingly disgruntled Jagan and sought his reaction on the 'warning' from the High Command. 'God is there and above all my father's blessings are there,' Jagan replied, indicating a fierce battle ahead.

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Mamata Banerjee is drawing flak for neglecting the ministry

2011-01-25T15:55:00.001+05:30

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but as a response to an RTI query from TSI shows, the railway minister isn't doing as badly as her immediate predecessors. A report by Vikas Kumar

If despair often blurs reality, chaos completely engulfs it. With the Indian Railways being rocked by another tragic mishap, the second in Bengal in two months, that is exactly what supporters of mercurial Trinamool Congress leader and Railway Minister Mamata Banerjee, must be thinking. The feisty lady is being pilloried ' and not entirely unjustifiably ' by her political rivals for neglecting her ministerial work and focusing her energies on Bengal politics even as the railways under her charge lurches from one devastating wreck to another.

But the question is: is the 63,000-km stretch of the railways and the musty corridors of Rail Bhavan any worse off under her than they were under her predecessors of the past two decades?

The fact is that Mamata is running for cover. The Railway Ministry, which was adjudged the best performing ministry during the tenure of Lalu Prasad Yadav, has suddenly started hogging the limelight for all the wrong reasons. But what may be apparent is not always true. Going by cold statistics, Mamata certainly isn't the worst Railway Minister of the last two decades.

Data available with the Commissioner of Railway Safety for the period 1991 to 2010-11 shows that she has fared much better than her predecessors. During the tenure of CK Jaffer Sharief, who served as Railway Minister from July 21, 1991 to November 22, 1995, Indian Railways saw more than 500 accidents every year. The number of accidents in 1993-94 was 587, resulting in a death toll of 226. In the year prior to that, when two railway ministers, George Fernandes and Janeshwar Mishra, held the post, the number of mishaps was 532 and the death toll crossed 200.

Nitish Kumar, the current Bihar Chief Minister who loses no opportunity to take swipes at Mamata Banerjee for running the railways from Kolkata, seems to suffer from selective amnesia. During his tenure of almost a year, the number of fatalities was 374, which is the second highest during a single-year tenure of any railway minister. Similarly, with 302 fatalities, Lalu Prasad's record as railway minister is only marginally better. Mamata is fifth on the list of worst performers in terms of rail mishaps. Mixed signals When it comes to misusing the railways, Mamata's record is once again far better than that of her immediate predecessors. The Railway Ministry, in a response to an RTI query filed by TSI, gave out data of railway passes issued by respective railway ministers. This makes interesting reading and reflects the differing approaches of the ministers.

As far as free distribution of railway passes is concerned, Ram Vilas Paswan was generosity personified. During his one-and-a-half-year tenure from June 1, 1996 to December 29, 1997, he issued 597 complimentary rail passes. Of these, 445 were issued in the last year of his term.

Nitish Kumar does not seem to be lagging far behind. He issued 414 passes during his first one-year tenure in New Delhi's Rail Bhavan. On the other hand, Mamata Banerjee, during her first term as Railway Minister, issued no more than four passes.

Nitish probably took a leaf out of Mamata's book and improved his record during his second term. He issued no free pass from 2001 to 2004. This discussion will remain incomplete without mentioning Lalu Prasad Yadav, who issued 352 passes, out of which 134 passes were issued in a single year span of 2008-09.

A senior level officer, on condition of anonymity, told TSI, 'During Nitish Kumar's second term, some steps were taken to improve safety standards of the railways. However, during the Lalu Prasad regime, safety concerns were put on the back-burner in a mad race to generate revenue. Modernisation of the railways was put on hold. The negative impact of that trend is being felt now.'

Subhash Chandra Agrawal, who filed a separate RTI regarding the Ministry of Railways, says, 'No recommendation has been made by the Railway Minister for her personal staff." On the other hand, another RTI response revealed that Lalu Prasad had made free lifetime passes for himself and an assistant. When Mamata assumed office she cancelled all these passes. She also drastically reduced VVIP quotas on all Bihar-bound trains. The RTI response also revealed that she does not use the official vehicle that she is entitled to as railway minister.

A hue and cry after a major mishap is nothing new for the railways. Lalu Prasad said, 'One should see why such accidents are taking place. This is a big lapse.' However, the Rs 17000-crore fund for the railways has remained unutilised. Ramavatar Singh, general secretary of the Railway Workers' Union, says, 'Two years ago, there were 7000 gangmen in Delhi. Today it is only 800. This is the situation in every department of the railways. How can we assure safety?'

Mamata can be criticised for not devoting enough attention to her Ministry, and it is true that the railways is suffering as a result, but her track record is much better than many of those who have handled the ministry in the recent past.

Arindam Chaudhuri GIDF Planman Consulting Business & Economy 4Ps Business & Marketing The Sunday Indian The Human Factor The Daily Indian Kkoooljobs.com Amaze, New Delhi IIPM Old Brochure IIPM 4Ps Quiz Prof. Arindam Chaudhuri's Alternative Budget For IIPM Students

KERALA MAGIC: A spellbound audience

2010-12-28T17:12:00.001+05:30

IIPM Prof Rajita Chaudhuri: The New Age Woman

Ammu first young Indian to drive two-wheeler blindfolded

When Ammu was only three years old she got the magic bug. As a young learner she was able to pick up the trick of the trade quickly. And at the age of 13 she drove a two-wheeler blindfolded. Since then she has never looked back, vowing her die-hard fans with her tricks. She was at the centre of attraction at the world women magicians' conference at Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, last month.

Internationally-acclaimed magicians, like Luna Shimada, who had converged on the venue to showcase their tricks were well impressed by the 16-year-old girl. Recognising her talent, they promised to help hone her magic skills. According to a famous magician Gopinath Muthukad, Ammu is the youngest girl to have driven a two-wheeler blindfolded, setting a national record. She performed her first magic show at the age of five and appeared on more than 5,000 stages, claims her father Muthukulam Rajasekharan, a freelance journalist. She won the Maya 2010 award at the world women magicians' conference.

Of late, she has been holding magic shows to eradicate social evils like smoking and alcoholism. It was extremely successful, says Ammu. 'Once an old drunkard watched my magic show and after that he thanked me for educating him. It is difficult to change habits, but such shows are useful,' she says. Also, she has performed in other states, including Maharashtra and Rajasthan.

Ammu has become a popular magician. Recently, the Regional Cancer Centre of Thiruvananthapuram, roped her in for a magic show in Kollam district against smoking, a major cause for cancer. Besides, she has also begun to impart training to students fond of magic. 'My aim is not only to win accolades but also to popularise the art of magic among youngsters,' she adds.

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

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Thirsty in the land of rivers

2010-12-14T13:28:00.001+05:30

Prof Rajita Chaudhuri follow some off-beat trends like organizing make up sessions

As Punjab's groundwater turns toxic and scarce, the state faces the grim prospect of a severe crisis, reports Jatinder Kaur

The land of five rivers is fast running out of water and its people are losing their cool. As the Punjab groundwater table sinks and a major crisis looms on the horizon, tempers are beginning to rise. But the state government seems unperturbed.

One recent incident should have served as a wake-up call. But one isn't sure that it has. In Jalandhar's Basti Sheikh, when a municipal corporation tanker was supplying drinking water, a violent altercation between two neighbours ended in the death of one of them.

Trouble erupted when one Nand Lal and his son were filling their buckets. Another Basti Sheikh resident, Vikas Manchanda, tried to jump the queue. Nand Lal protested. Fisticuffs ensued. The punches that Manchanda threw at Nand Lal proved fatal. The latter succumbed to the blows.

This tragic incident occurred just before the nor'westers brought some relief from the blazing sun. It highlighted the magnitude of the water shortage that Punjab is in grip of today. The state is anything but water-deficient, but the manner in which its residents have over the years exploited the life-giving resource has pushed Punjab to the brink of what could prove to be a catastrophe.

The state is in the throes of a severe water crisis that is getting worse with each passing year. Indiscriminate exploitation of groundwater for both agricultural and drinking purposes has led to rapid depletion. Of the 12,423 villages of Punjab, 11,849 are facing a shortage of drinking water. The water level in 30 per cent of the state was found to be 20 metres below the ground in 2005. Moreover, the water that is being drawn from the ground has alarmingly high sodium carborate content.

A survey conducted jointly by the Punjab Agricultural University and National Bureau of Soil Survey discovered that 57 seven per cent of ground water was not fit for consumption. In Muktsar, only 38 per cent groundwater is fit for drinking and agricultural purposes, in Faridkot 33 per cent, in Mansa 35, in Bathinda 19.77 per cent and in Moga 14.98 per cent.

The total area under cultivation in the state is 42.68 lakh hectares and the requirement for water is 43.7 lakh cubic metres. Availability is only 31 lakh cubic metres. The groundwater table has been going down 30 cubic meters per year. The water level has declined dangerously in 108 of the 138 development blocks that constitute Punjab. Most of the affected blocks are situated in the Malwa region. Despite the water crisis, Punjab has not formulated a water management policy. Union sports minister M.S. Gill has this to say about the worsening situation: 'We are dependent on canals, dams, tube-wells and rain water for irrigation. If these sources dry up, the agricultural tracts in the state will turn into wasteland. When I was the development commissioner of Punjab from 1985 to 1988, I had suggested that tube-wells should be installed only by licence and that a rule be framed for not boring beyond a particular limit. All should get an equal share of water irrespective of their economic status.' Gill's fears weren't unfounded. If such indiscriminate use of water continues, the land of five rivers, India's granary, will be reduced to a barren desert. Agricultural experts hold that water shortage is linked to the issue of water pollution. These two issues cannot be viewed separately. Along with misuse of water, there is excessive use of fertilisers and pesticides to get bumper crops. According to a survey, Punjab utilises twice as much fertilisers and pesticides as the rest of the country put together.

Most areas in Punjab are under wheat and rice cultivation. The latter is more dependent on water, so paddy cultivation has aggravated the water crisis in the state. The state government had passed an ordinance forbidding paddy plantation before June 10. The main aim of this ordinance was to curb the use of tube-well water. Monsoon hits Punjab only in late June but farmers seeking two crops of paddy start plantation early by using tube-well water. This has led to the depletion of the groundwater table. This year, paddy plantation in Patiala was started as early as end-May this year.

The government has been turning a blind eye to this flagrant violation of the ordinance. Organic farming campaigner Umendra Dutt says: 'Water is a gift of nature and is considered a purifying agent. We have polluted it so much that it has turned poisonous. We will have to pay a heavy price in the future.'

Dutt says that the responsibility for water conservation does not lie with the government alone. The entire population should be become a part of this essential mission. 'Punjab should have a water budget and proper water management should be introduced across the state. This should be done at the individual, town and zonal levels. Irrigational, industrial and household use of water should be regulated.'

The water crisis is also related to loans that farmers take for agricultural purposes. H.S. Randhawa, former professor of chemistry, Punjab Agricultural University, says: 'Earlier farmers would obtain loans for tractors or threshers, but now they are seeking loans in order to sink tube-wells too. But as the groundwater table goes down, these bore-wells are rendered unusable after a couple of years. The farmer is still repaying the old loan when the need for another loan arises.' If something isn't done about the water situation, Punjab agriculture might be living on borrowed time.

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

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EXCLUSIVE: His Last Mission

2010-11-30T12:30:00.001+05:30

Prof Rajita Chaudhuri on 'THEY ARE COMING TO GET YOU – NOT ALIENS SILLY'

Benudhar Pradhan, age 95. His last Mission ' Saving Jagannath Puri from Vedanta University
Plus - Endless Land Troubles in Orissa

His Last Mission He brushes aside any offer of help and walks slowly towards the courtyard. There is a mischievous twinkle in his eye. I simply can't believe he is 95 years old. Bare chested and with just a dhoti twirled around, he still looks fit. It is difficult to catch every word he says because his teeth have long gone. But we do manage to hear an interesting anecdote about how this former Congress worker and A-class contractor met Jawaharlal Nehru along with a young Indira Gandhi with her two kids Rajiv and Sanjay long, long ago, when they had come to Puri and Konark. Benudhar Pradhan of Beladala village, just a few kilometres from the holy town of Puri, has been there and done all that. You would expect someone at his age to be basking in nostalgia and spoiling his brood of grandchildren and great grandchildren. Not Pradhan. He is a warrior who speaks with determination and anger about possibly fighting the last glorious battle of his life. He is very clear about his 'Last Mission' ' to save the holy town of Puri that houses the world famous Jagannath Temple from what he calls 'desecration'. He has gathered a ragtag band of warriors from 22 villages who have made him the President of Vedanta Vishwavidyalaya Sangharsh Samiti (VVSS).

Pradhan and his warriors have picked a very formidable enemy. They are pitted against the corporate and monetary might of the $8 billion Vedanta Resources led by Indian-born and London-based entrepreneur and tycoon Anil Agarwal, who effortlessly finds a place in the Forbes list of the world's richest people. Agarwal and his company have already weathered a veritable hurricane of protests and controversies over mining and alumina projects in the tribal hinterlands of Orissa. Vedanta has gone all out with its lobbying efforts to make a sceptical media and activists see things from its perspective. In fact, our Deputy Editor Virat Bahri did travel recently to the Niyamgiri hills of Orissa and wrote about the controversy with a perspective that attempted to see things the way Anil Agarwal sees them. (Go to www.businessandeconomy.org). His Last Mission In contrast to controversies raging around the alumina project and the steel projects of Tata Steel and POSCO in Orissa and around the world, Vedanta University seems to be quietly chugging along towards completion. The aftermath of Laila that caused so much havoc in nearby Andhra Pradesh has resulted in rains and a tangy sea breeze as our car moves towards the proposed university site' about 50 km from Bhubaneswar. The prior evening, I had pored over some promotional papers on the flight from Delhi.

The project looks truly world class and fits well with the now fashionable image of India as a rising global power. Anil Agarwal Foundation will invest a whopping Rs 150 billion in building a university on the Puri-Konark road that will possibly rival leaders like Harvard and Oxford. There have been claims that Sam Pitroda, the man who arguably kicked off the telecom revolution in India, will be the first Vice-Chancellor. The university will apparently recruit the best from across the world, including Nobel Prize winners, who will lead cutting edge research in frontier areas like bio-technology and nano-technology, among other things. Once up and running, it will be home to some 100,000 students and 20,000 faculty and research staff. Could it be that this $3 billion project is inviting unwarranted criticism?

The reality is starkly different when our car reaches the villages. It is difficult to visualise spanking new laboratories, classrooms and libraries replacing the huts, houses, muddy streets, courtyards and cattle that are the hallmark of rural India. Gaindala village ' just a few km away from Puri ' will lose all its land to the project, including the cremation ground. Villagers here are not poor; they cultivate three crops a year and most have sent their children to schools and colleges. Just across the road from the village is the breathtaking Bay of Bengal. The entire village is now simmering in rage. People here seem to be well versed with intricacies of arcane laws like the Land Acquisition Act. Says Kailash Chandra Swain, a resident of Gaindala, 'The state government is playing mischief with us. Normally, land for a university is acquired under Section 2 of the Land Acquisition Act. But here, they are acquiring land under Section 7. which is meant for industries.' The villagers standing around Swain nod vigorously. One of the sons of Benudhar Pradhan is accompanying us, chewing paan. Clearly, villagers here hold Pradhan in deep respect. A local activist Bishnu Prasad Mishra, who is also the spokesperson of VVSS, proclaims, 'We will not give an inch of land?'

Land, I had always suspected, would also be at the root of this controversy. Who, after all, wants to surrender fertile land to someone whom locals consider to be an interloper? But there is clearly a lot more to this. Vedanta University needs 6,000 acres of land. Villagers, many of whose children have been educated in colleges and universities, wonder why the university needs so much land. It works out to almost 24.5 sq km, far more than what Puri at 2,800 acres can claim. Villagers talk about another slightly controversial university project promoted by the Sri Sri Ravi Shankara Foundation elsewhere in Orissa. This university has been given 186 acres of land. You would naturally ask: what in God's name does Agarwal want to do with 6,000 acres? Actually, the original MoU signed between Vedanta and the Government of Orissa in 2006 had allocated 8,000 acres with a provision that the government will actively assist Vedanta in acquiring more land when required. His Last Mission Local villagers mutter darkly about Agarwal's real intentions. VVSS spokesman Mishra throws up two conspiracy angles. 'Scientists of Bhabha Atomic Centre have identified this area as a treasure of thorium and titanium. Therefore, Vedanta wants to acquire this area. What is the necessity of a township for five lakh people here?" Mainstream media is so focussed on the POSCO, Tata Steel and Niyamgiri controversies that these issues being raised by the villagers seem to have escaped public notice. Hardly anybody in Bhubaneswar ' forget Delhi ' seems aware that the University will eventually evict the potters who make clay pots used in the Jagannath Temple to distribute and sell the holy prasad. Even as we are being bombarded with these facts, my colleague Dhrutikam gets a call on his mobile. We promise to come back in a while and head for the beautiful Marine Drive that links Puri with Konark.

We turn left on Marine Drive and reach the edge of the reserved sanctuary that adjoins the Bay of Bengal. I am introduced to a local newspaper journalist who requests me not to use his name because he claims that his job might be in danger because some of his seniors in Bhubaneswar prefer to see things the way Agarwal wants to see them. Very close to the sanctuary lie cranes and machines abandoned by Vedanta because the locals would not allow it to start work. According to the journalist (later verified by us), the Orissa High Court has declared this a complete no construction zone. We see saplings and some trees struggling to grow right next to the sea. This particular place is critical because water plants use freshwater to supply the residents of Puri. Two plants have already been shut as per the orders of the court because the supply of sweet water is now dangerously low. The 6,000-acre Vedanta University will gobble up the only source of freshwater available in these parts in the form of a small river called Nuanai. 'The sanctuary will wither away and Puri will be left with no water whatsoever. This place has such deep religious significance for so many Indians, I am amazed how locals don't seem to realise that their town will be destroyed and there will be no water for the Jagannath Temple.' The journalist says (later confirmed by us by going through the MoU) that the University project will be supplied 1,10,000 cusecs every day.

Are people in Puri aware of this? Are the priests aware of the threat posed to the very existence of the holy shrine? We travel back a few kilometres to Puri to meet a few priests and get another shock. No one with any authority is willing to go on record, though many lament the abode of Lord Jagannath has been sold by some priests and trustees for a pittance. 'The then administrator sold the land to Vedanta University at a throwaway price. Can you imagine, the temple administration has received only Rs 80 million for 500 acres of land. Vedanta University has caused heavy loss to Lord Jagannath. The cost of this land is Rs 5 billion,' says a senior member of the managing committee of Jagannath Temple who refuses to be quoted. He says he can't be seen to be publicly disagreeing with his own committee. His Last Mission Mishra takes us to Beladala village from where Benudhar Pradhan is waging his classic David versus Goliath battle. Though the Rabi crop has been harvested quite some time back and the Kharif crop is yet to be sown, the land looks green. The green coconut milk that we drink and the home-grown 'non-hybrid' bananas that we get are delicious and soothing. We stare at acres upon acres of fields that belonged to the Jagannath Temple Trust and have now been sold to Vedanta. Pradhan is adamant, he and his band of warriors will not allow anyone to take away the land. 'This land has always belonged to Lord Jagannath.'

While driving back to Bhubaneswar late in the afternoon, I decide to carefully read the MoU signed back in July 2006 to try and make some sense of the controversy. The MoU is couched in the usual jargon and I realise there is a problem. Here are some disturbing things:

� The campus shall house Olympic calibre sports complexes and golf courses.

� The campus shall be fully residential for students and most of the faculty. For other supporting staff, it is proposed that the residential facilities be provided by third party developers as per the master plan.

� Land use/zoning plan in the five kilometre radius from the university boundary wall shall be made in consultation with Vedanta and its architects. This is to prevent proliferation of unplanned housing, shopping, et al. Please note: in many places, the boundary wall of the university will be just 100 metres from the sanctuary and the sea. It means Vedanta will control 25 sq km apart from the 24.5 sq km it will own. That will effectively swallow up Puri.

� The University will have immunity from any reservation laws and a statement to this effect will be incorporated in the legislation.

� The State government shall exempt all taxes/levies/duties for 20 years.

� Providing a four-lane road from Bhubaneswar city/airport to the project site. The State shall, at its own cost, provide a four-lane diversion road from a suitable point on NH-203 up to the project site.

� Making available necessary electric power, the order of requirement being 150 MW up to 2012 and subsequently ramped up to 600 MW by 2020. Please note: which university in the world boasts or will ever boast an in-house thermal power plant of 600 MW capacity?

� Government of Orissa appreciates that Vedanta will be entitled to induct suitable foreign or Indian joint venture partners, choose appropriate financing options, and select contractors/suppliers.

There are many more clauses and I won't bore you with more gory details. The next day, I set out to talk 'off the record' to some senior journalists based in Bhubaneswar. The picture I got was not pretty. I will recount just one of the many 'anecdotes' related to the Vedanta University project to give you an idea of what is happening out there. On July 25, 2009, just a few months after the BJD government won a third successive assembly election, bills for both Sri Sri and Vedanta universities were introduced. Prior to this, many Congress leaders were vehemently opposed to the universities and claimed they were land grabs. On July 29, 2009, the Sri Sri Bill was put to vote; 88 voted in favour and 22 against it. At 11.25 pm on July 30, 2009, the Vedanta University Bill was passed with a voice. Almost all members of the Assembly who voted against the Sri Sri University were 'absent' during the voice vote.

There are many, of course, who have been raising their voices against the project. Some are mystified by how the national media and unreliable websites such as Wikipedia are projecting Vedanta University as the largest single act of philanthropy in the history of education. Says former editor of Oriya daily The Samaja and the president of Orissa Sahitya Academy Ganeshwar Mishra, 'When Vedanta came with its proposal, I was sure that their intention is to do real estate business. Great universities of our country are operating on maximum 400 to 500 acres, so I don't find any justification to allot 6,000 acres of land for a private university.'

My thoughts go back to Pradhan and his seemingly hopeless 'Last Mission.' Corporate fortunes and massive industrialisation have often buried doughty warriors like him. Will history repeat itself again?

[PS: Our requests to Vedanta to answer some questions raised by activists and local people went unanswered]

For more articles, Click on IIPM Article.

Source : IIPM Editorial, 2010.

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

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WATER MAFIAS, The 'W' company!

2010-11-18T16:16:00.001+05:30

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The water mafia now steals more than 50%

As darkness descends over Dharavi in Mumbai, a few local slum dwellers creep out of their shanties grasping steel ewers and plastic cans, scrambling over an iron railing fence across the railway lines to meet a crowd around a faucet in a desolate patch on the other side. The place is already burbling with an intense scuttle for water. The hitch? It’s basically the water mafia’s stolen water for sale — this particular faucet draws water from a water tank that belongs to Indian Railways! Such pilfering of water is going on for decades in our largest metropolis, as it struggles to quench the thirst of its ever growing population. Mumbai’s 19 million people demand 6,916 million litres a day; while the city’s limited capacity can provide only 2,900 million litres. The future looks really bleak as the city’s civic authority has warned that its primary water reservoirs have only 71 billion litres of water, enough only to last 200 days. It’s a wobbly situation as state government announced in December last year that water connection will not be provided to high-rise buildings until 2012. To tackle the misery, the state government is in a process to set up three new water reservoirs and a desalination plant. But these steps however, do not deal with the main problem of pilfering, because of which the city looses one-fifth of its water supply. The water mafia operating as commercial water tankers creates false scarcity to enhance their business in connivance with some Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) officials. In spite of BMC trying to curb the menace, stopping theft is easier said than done — as there is no one to monitor the fissures in the pipelines made by mafias and local leather factories for their business.

The scenario in Delhi is similar — as Delhi Jal Board (DJB) guarantees enough water for its residents — throwing open the question for the reason of scarcity, which in that case seems to be artificially created. It’s the stolen water meant for public usage that is sold back to them by the private operators. Delhi, as per official figures, has 220 litres viz. eleven buckets of water per capita per day — yet there is no accountability of 330 million gallons of water — the government says it loses 50 per cent of its water supply, but cannot explain how! After the loss, the government is left with 110 litres of water per capita per day — which is an absolute shocker!

It is a losing battle in almost every city to try and stop water mafia’s illegal extraction of water and supplying them at a soaring price. Taking out groundwater from their wells and trading it to tanker owners for Rs.100/ per load is a full time business for farmers in the outskirts of Chennai, so much so, that they have given up their original livelihood of agriculture. Is privatisation the answer? People like Alfredo Pascual of Asian Development Bank do think that the private sector “does have a valid role to play—not as the owner of water resources but in providing the much-needed expertise.” That seems to long in coming. For now, we have a parched throat.

For more articles, Click on IIPM Article.

Source : IIPM Editorial, 2010.

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

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IT’S TRANSPARENCY THAT FINALLY MATTERS

2010-10-05T15:34:00.000+05:30

Today people need and demand to be informed about and influence the process that would impact their lives. However, the challenge remains in providing authentic, relevant and comprehensible information to them

Contemporary world has become more integrated than ever before. Societal processes (political, economic & social) have emerged to be a reciprocal interplay across regions and sectors. In fact, the circularity of this interplay has broken the barrier of physical distance and hierarchy of impact. The new age institutions are now under pressure to be transparent to a wider range of stakeholders.

Around the world, NGOs have emerged as protagonists of transparency. While NGOs have exerted enormous pressure on governments, businesses and international institutions to disclose their intent, process and performance, they too have demonstrated great transparency. However, transparency in NGO sector at large has been incentivised either by funding opportunities or by regulatory coercions. The challenge remains in providing authentic, relevant and comprehensible information to the people whom the NGOs are primarily accountable to – the beneficiaries, participants, recipients, or the community members at large.

In Indian context, all registered NGOs need to furnish their annual activity and financial reports to the registration authorities and to the Ministry of Home Affairs in case of foreign funding. They are also required to submit their annual financial reports to the income tax authority for exemption of tax on the donation or grants they receive from different sources. Further, different funding agencies prescribe their own reporting requirements to the recipient NGOs. However, Indian NGOs now need to rise beyond the induced disclosure to voluntary disclosure to establish greater credibility and confidence among diverse stakeholders. For this they should undertake following measures:

Utilise annual report as a tool to demonstrate transparency: NGOs need to provide pertinent programmatic, organisational and financial information in their annual reports. The programmatic section should inform about the initiatives, target groups, major achievements, difficulties and setbacks and future plans. The organisation section should introduce the organisation, its vision and mission, board members, governance process, et al. In addition, the financial section should present the audited statement of accounts and an abridged version of financial details. Effective depiction is as important as the content. The annual report should be comprehensible and relevant for the diverse stakeholders.

Undertake social audit: Social audit denotes people’s scrutiny of an agency’s mandate, plan, action and performance based on information disclosed by the particular NGO about its various projective initiatives. In the last decade social audit has emerged as the most effective tool to empower stakeholders with transparent information and authority to scrutinise the duty bearers. While Indian NGOs have proactively advocated for social audit to ensure state accountability, many of them have not incorporated the same practice in their own domain to demonstrate their ethical standards.

Use technology to make information accessible to wider audience: In order to achieve transparency at mass level, it is very important that all stakeholders, including NGOs, corporates, donors, policy makers, researchers, et al, have the opportunity to access and exchange quality information. In this context, online options are more promising as it breaks geographic barriers to disseminate information in a more cost effective manner

Most often, NGOs, unlike other democratic institutions determine their mandate of representing and serving on behalf of people. By virtue of this self-chosen representation, voluntary disclosure becomes an ethical imperative. However, in contrary to general fallacy, transparency by itself cannot break the power structure unless a conscious devolution takes place.

For more articles, Click on IIPM Article.

Source : IIPM Editorial, 2010.

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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Another few millions on their Integrated Marketing Campaigns, for the sake of building brand equities.

2010-08-11T12:02:00.000+05:30

As far as forecasts are concerned, they certainly seem bright with SIAM further claiming that despite the cyclical changes in the industry and economy as a whole, production figures for the passenger vehicle segment have appreciated (CAGR) by a stunning 15.6% during the past five years, to touch 1.22 million units in 2008-09. So while on one hand, we have a great growth story being written down in terms of domestic production and consumption, on the other, we have the much honoured Indian auto brands going places, our exports having grown at a CAGR of 30% in the past seven years, crossing 331,500 units during 2009 alone. But there’s the rub: no Indian auto brand has been featured amongst those most valued by either Millward Brown or Interbrand/BusinessWeek. Does this mean that names like Maruti Suzuki India Ltd. or Tata Motors, that are relatively unrecognised when it comes to brand value amidst global names, have nothing to worry about when it comes to brand-related payoffs? Strangely, even though the Indian auto brands are having a roll in a market, which according to the International Yearbook of Industrial Statistics 2008 released by United Nations Industrial Development Organisation (UNIDO), is ranked 12th in the list of the world’s top 15 automakers, various global researches across sectors strongly prove how brand value does matter when it comes to shareholder wealth and other financial implications. Prof. Natalya Delcoure of the College of Business Administration of the Sam Houston State University proved through her paper titled, ‘Corporate branding and shareholders’ wealth’ how “Corporations that own superior brands exhibit higher profitability and create shareholders’ wealth independent of economic downturns.” Using statistical analysis, she proved how, “Strong brands appear to have lower market risk and deliver greater returns to shareholders compared to the relevant benchmark.” Another empirical work by Professors Thomas Madden, Frank Fehle & Susan Fournier of Harvard Business School titled, Brands Matter: An Empirical investigation, testifies how “strong-brand portfolios significantly outperformed the market.” Their calculations showed how while the portfolio of strong brands “yielded an average monthly return of 1.98%, during the same time period, the benchmark portfolio on average returned 1.34% per month while the one-month Treasury bill returned 0.42% per month.” Further on, a 2001 Ernst & Young study claimed how “corporate reputation accounted for upwards of 30% of a company’s stock price.” A study by JPMorgan (in association with Interbrand) concluded that “on average, brands account for more than one-third of shareholder value. Brands create significant value either as consumer or corporate brands or as a combination of both.” Various other studies by academicians from Harvard and the University of South California, published in the book titled ‘Brands and Branding’, indicate that “companies with strong brands outperform the market in respect of several indices. It has also been shown that a portfolio weighted by the brand values of the Best Global Brands performs significantly better than Morgan Stanley’s MSCI index and the American-focussed S&P 500 index.”

For more articles, Click on IIPM Article.

Source : IIPM Editorial, 2010.

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

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In 2010, there would be five new global brands entering India!

2010-06-30T15:27:00.000+05:30

Viraj Bahl, former owner of Fun Foods

What potential do you see in the Indian convenience food market?
The potential is huge as convenience foods occupy the majority of the Indian retail market. This is what is motivating foreign players to enter into the Indian market. In 2010, there would be at least five new global brands.

Wouldn’t it be a threat for Indian cos?
Foreign players already existed in the Indian market and the competition for Indian players was always tough. But it’s necessary that either you enter into a category where no other players are present or you enter into a category where you create a proper positioning.

‘Create a proper positioning’? How?
It’s necessary that you have a USP, which is based on a proper utility function. We always wanted Fun Foods to be a one-stop-brand for food.

In the convenience food segment, which is the most lucrative space?
‘Ready to cook’ is the most lucrative space as the Indian market is not mature enough for the ‘ready to eat’ category. On the contrary, ‘ready to cook’ makes cooking much more convenient for today’s consumers; and hence it’s an easier way to attract consumers.

For more articles, Click on IIPM Article.

Source : IIPM Editorial, 2010.

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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The King was called BRAND.

2010-06-17T15:28:00.000+05:30

I think that every brand today is waking up to the new realities in this fast-changing world. Today’s competitive world asks for desperate measures. Local knowledge and quick responses are the need of the day. Gone are the days when one would apply the same formula of communication everywhere. People today differ by fraction and change by second. Aspirations change. Loyalties change. The need is to adapt quickly, talk to them in their own language but never waste a second. Because every moment you waste is going to cost. And the cost is your future.

Multinationals have one advantage. They are big. But that is their disadvantage too. They are too big to be flexible, and too big to understand the need for it. They come with a set format and style of working and with a lot of red tape (although many would debate it). They take time to react.

And that is where we are making a difference! The need is there for a free-thinking, independent and flexible communication services provider who understands and adapts quickly to the fast changing needs of the brand. It’s the age of information technology and several new mediums are in the offing. We have been offering new age solutions targeting the audience of today, in their language and at their speed. And if I may say so, quite successfully.

The change is there in the attitude and approach of the clients today. They have realized the importance of independent thinking. The dynamism, the chaos and the spark needed in this otherwise product parity market can only come from breaking away from the obvious. It has to come from someone who is ready to take a challenge; someone who is ready to take a chance. And companies like us are doing our best to provide that free-spirited fervor, adapting ourselves for the consumers, and hence clients, of today.

The fight with the multinationals is actually not there. Because brands – both big and small – today have understood the benefits of dynamic, independent, quick and flexible communication agencies, who are ready to change and who are ready to adapt. It’s quite natural that Darwin’s theory of adaptation would work everywhere. Right?

For more articles, Click on IIPM Article.

Source : IIPM Editorial, 2010.

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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Is this it?

2010-05-27T16:00:00.000+05:30

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If numbers were any indicator, then certainly the aura of the king of pops, Michael Jackson just refuses to die. The 112-minute film, This Is It (documentary shot out of Jackson’s rehearsals for his comeback concert) has exceeded expectations; the sales figure of $101 million worldwide in the very first week is simply mind-boggling with fans packing theatres across borders. However, released in India on October 28 in at least 150 theatres (as a strategic move to combat Aladin & London Dreams), the movie has not replicated its global success in home market. Ticket sales though encouraging have not been as expected with estimates suggesting only 2,000 tickets sold initially. Blame it on the online ticket sales for the predicament, but given that Indian moviegoers still prefer counter sales, Sony Pictures Entertainment can expect the sales number to surge.

For more articles, Click on IIPM Article.

Source : IIPM Editorial, 2010.

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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R. K. LAXMAN MATTERS...

2010-05-10T15:23:00.000+05:30

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Aam Aadmi (Common Man)
For more than five decades, the celebrated cartoonist has immortalised the common man in a manner no political party or personality has been able to do. Sure, all parties and brands profess deep love and concern for the common man. But again, in what can only be termed as a political and marketing masterstroke, United Progressive Alliance (UPA) Chairperson, Sonia Gandhi and Prime Minister, Manmohan Singh have actually convinced a majority of Indian voters that the Congress is genuinely concerned about the welfare of the aam aadmi – the person who actually (and always!) votes during elections in the forlorn hope that things will change for better. Sure, towering Congress leaders like Indira Gandhi did try to fuse the Congress with the aam aadmi with catchy slogans like Garibi Hatao. But it is this dispensation that has actually walked the talk with numerous schemes that actually work to make life a little better for the poor in India.

If intention was half the work done, the latest Congress government has already done wonders for the aam aadmi. But then, this is the government and in reality, things like inflation, corruption, terror and poor infrastructure still rankle a lot of Indians. The real marketing coup, however, for both Gandhi and Singh is that the political Indian consumer (voter) very well knows that the product she is getting right now is still not great; she is still happy because the supplier is trying damn hard!

For more articles, Click on IIPM Article.

Source : IIPM Editorial, 2010.

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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Destination Europe

2010-04-09T16:51:00.001+05:30

IIPM: An intriguing story of growth and envy

They say, “a lot can happen over a coffee” and it seems that they really mean it. After pleasing the taste buds of Indian coffee lovers, the home grown coffee major Café Coffee Day (CCD – from the stable of Amalgamated Bean Company Ltd.) is all set to entice coffee aficionados in the European market. With an aim to attain revenue of $1 billon by 2015, the Rs.750 crore chain is planning to roll out 50 stores in Europe and Middle East by the end of this fiscal. In fact, CCD plans to open as many as 12 stores in Prague, the capital of Czech Republic. But the real question is – How will this mass coffee brand from India establish itself in a continent where premium players like illy, Starbucks, et al, are present? Is the rich legacy of Indian coffee enough to entice them? “We already have been exporting to these countries, so we are aware about the market. But we know that it will take us time to capture the market and as such we are not expecting profit from day one,” avers Alok Gupta, Director, CCD. Further, as a part of its global strategy, the company has already unleashed a new premium brand – Coffee Day Square. The 2,500 sq. ft. gigantic lounge offers ‘single-origin’ coffee. In fact, the group is cashing in on such positioning to cajole the global customer. Who knows the charm of ‘single-origin’ coffee could work for them!

Angshuman Paul

For more articles, Click on IIPM Article.

Source : IIPM Editorial, 2010.

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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ESPN Star Sports is betting big on its agressive marketing strategies. But will the payback be worth the pain?

2010-03-30T16:21:00.000+05:30

Pawan Chabra bowls hard at the re-branded batsmen...

First came the change in logo. Then a change in programming happened. And now, after much ado about re-branding, ESPN Star Sports (ESS) has set the Indian towns bustling with its marketing acts, as Nirmal Dayani, Senior Director – Marketing, ESPN India puts it, “ESPN Star Sports has undergone a lot more than just rebranding, as we not only changed our logo, but the programming and graphics as well. So now, when the consumer is looking at a whole new channel, we are undertaking 360-degree marketing tasks.” An on-field evaluation also clearly suggests how the company has come up with aggressive media campaigns, for its long line-up of tournaments – the erstwhile Champions Trophy 2009, Champions league 2009, Formula One Grand Prix, Barclays Premier League et al. Media experts suggest that the company has sidelined a massive Rs.100 crore for its media strategy. So while on one end you’d expect to run into ESS hoardings and billboards, being hit by witty radio jockey dialogues and gazing at the 30-second flicks on the idiot-box, on the other, the truth is that the capital earmarked is not simply for pure advertising purposes. Even Dayani confirms that as he avers, “A larger chunk of the planned media investment will be used for developing the Champions League format, as it is relatively new for the viewer and will take some time to gain momentum.” So there goes the tale – a fresh new sports channel, with fresh content and logo. But there’s the rub, a fundamental question mark rather – was rebranding even required in the first place?

An aggressive Dayani shoots back: “There is always a scope for improvement and the ‘new look’ channel will definitely offer some new experience to the Indian consumers...” He also quickly doubles up and mentions that “If Tiger Woods can reinvent his swing after winning so many tournaments, there is ample scope for the channel to improve too.” More importantly, the company has chosen the busiest of periods to rebrand itself. Of course, while timing it during the onset of a season filled with tournaments – which, of course attract guaranteed footfalls, eyeballs, sportstars and most importantly brands – is ideal, the festive season will make it a more fruitful investment as Manu Sawhney, Managing Director, ESS asserts, “With so many exciting sports properties currently being broadcasted on our channels, the new branding for ESS and the refreshed on-air presentations for the brand will enthuse and exhilarate sports fans and continue our strong and enduring association with them.” Surely, sports is a visual spectacle and ESS’ on-air packages aim to enhance this experience by communicating in the well-synchronised, dynamic and energetic language of sports, while the channel brands promise to reach viewers across all demographies.

For more articles, Click on IIPM Article.

Source : IIPM Editorial, 2010.

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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After leveraging the Titan brand equity for long, Fastrack is taking its first baby steps into the accessory market.

2010-03-06T12:19:00.000+05:30

Angshuman Paul gives an account of the ‘watch maker’ turned ‘accessory giant’, for whom time was once running out real fast...

“We would be soon launching jewellery, helmets and footwear… We want to evolve as a ‘complete’ accessory brand that envelops the youth and we are trying to rise above the ‘serious’ brand image of Titan,” announces Ronnie Talati, VP & Business Head, Fastrack & New Brands, while discussing the current and future plans for building the Fastrack brand in the country.

Surprising though that today Fastrack wants to grow as an independent superbrand, while when we all believed that Fastrack lay snugly in the lap of the Titan brand! And this independent vision is not just when it comes to the future of the brand, for even physically the fact is more than just evident. Walk into the Titan Head Office, on the sixth-floor of the Golden Enclave Tower in Bangalore and notice the manner in which the floor is divided into two separate departments - on the right, sits the Titan team, while on the left it’s the young and enthusiastic Fastrack team. So there’s the question – why a separate brand now? Truth is, it has always been isolated, unlike what many perceived it to be. Fastrack was always positioned in a manner so as to benefit from the huge brand equity of Titan, yet remain a flagship purple cow on a standalone basis. It was born after Titan ended its joint-venture with US based Timex, a decade back. Therefore to fill up the lacunae of a cool, trendy and sporty product, the Tatas created Fastrack.

From its early days, the positioning of Fastrack was made clear – it was meant for the ‘early jobbers’ & young college goers. Therefore, the price was kept comparatively lower than Titan products. “We wanted a different brand and it had to be very trendy and sporty; that’s what Fastrack was meant to be,” avers a time-conscious Talati of Fastrack. Easy on the pocket pricing, with a slogan like ‘Cool Watches from Titan’ and brand ambassadors like Narain Karthikeyan, Fastrack started beckoning young consumers, who were otherwise being drawn by its competitor, Timex.

Ten years since it hit market shelves, Titan has actually emerged as a brand which doesn’t need the brand name of the Tatas anymore. Cashing in on the brand legacy of Titan and tying-up with MTV helped Fastrack gain a speedy start from year one, grossing Rs.15 crore during FY1998. And that was just the start of a high-growth story. “By FY2001, the brand had grown by more than 20% y-o-y, and had collected Rs.25 crore in revenue by then,” announces Talati.

For more articles, Click on IIPM Article.

Source : IIPM Editorial, 2010.

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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The monk who started his ferrari

2010-02-23T14:51:00.001+05:30

IIPM 3-year full-time Integrated (MBA BBA) Programme

So is it all a tale of making the most of the first mover advantage terminology? Perhaps not. For till date, there have been quite a few that have taken a plunge in this ‘seeming’ blue-ocean. MyTVS from the TVS Group’s stable, Mahindra FirstChoice (a joint venture between ICICI Bank and Mahindra & Mahindra) and Mukesh Ambani’s Reliance AutoZone are names that represent similar formats that were launched much earlier. So what is so unique about Khattar’s model? One word - scale! All the other aforementioned names missed out on achieving nationwide presence and were therefore just restricted to a particular geographical region. For example MyTVS operates in about 5 southern states while Reliance AutoZone operates in just three metros. So, what comes first for Khattar – offering diversified services or increasing reach? Khattar is targeting more states before he provides varied services through Carnation.

When it comes to generating a decent initial response, the company has been involved in quite a number of Below-The-Line activities, than opt for high-priced media vehicles like TVCs or print campaigns, as Khattar explains, “Being a start-up, we chose mediums that were suitable for the needs of the business rather than making expensive choices...” Talking about diversifying its service offerings, Carnation also recently announced the launch of its first used car sales facility at Mumbai, which was in the pilot stage for the past two months. So there you are – three businesses already; how many more on Khattar’s mind, remains the question.

Carnation has of late also ventured into the insurance business, and its operation includes renewal of expiring insurance policies. “We have just started with the insurance business and as the number of locations increase, the vertical will gradually build up,” added Khattar. Apart from this, the company also has plans of starting an in-house accessory and spare parts brand. When asked about the revenue targets, Deepak Singhal, Group CFO, Carnation avers, “We are targeting revenues of Rs.75 crore for FY2010...” He also revealed that Carnation “expects to break even by Q3, FY2010-11.” However Khattar is not very optimistic about the break-even coming soon as he opines, “When you expand at such a speed, being a start-up, the break even point automatically gets stretched.” Yes, he is no oblivious to competitive threats [“You will see a lot more players entering this arena going forward,” he remarks], but looks like the company which has already raised Rs.108 crore from investors like Azim Premji (Rs.70 crore) and IFCI Ventures (Rs.28 crore), and is planning to raise an additional Rs.170 crore primarily by way of debt funding from banks is in for a big surprise to competitors. Well, if investment plans are anything to go by, Khattar surely has his hands on the wheel. Yes, risk there is, but can you name a successful entrepreneur who never treads the double-edged path of risk and return? Khattar is no novice, and his Carnation is set to re-write the rules of the auto-service industry!

For more articles, Click on IIPM Article.

Source : IIPM Editorial, 2010.

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

For More IIPM Info, Visit below mentioned IIPM articles.

“We will change your outlook” - The Sunday Indian on B-SCHOOL RANKING SCAMSTERS EXPOSED! A must read...
For Exclusive Footage by Sunday Indian Click Here

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At ADAG, the ranking of three on our most valued brand rank doesn’t go down easily: number one would have been better

2010-02-17T11:36:00.000+05:30

IIPM 3-year full-time Integrated (MBA BBA) Programme

That Anil Ambani understands India too well, was never a disputed fact. But whether this understanding would have translated into profitable propositions for his business enterprises, was a debate that had been raging much before its time. It was under such challenging times three years ago that Anil Ambani had launched the Reliance ‘Anil Dhirubhai Ambani Group’ brand on the platform of “Think Bigger. Think Better.” And in this short span of time, this brand – with the help of high consumer interaction businesses like Reliance Communications (RCOM), Reliance Capital, Reliance Infrastructure, Reliance Power, Reliance Natural Resources and Reliance Big Entertainment – now finds itself standing amongst some of the most formidable names in the industry, having been awarded a commendable rank of three.

Interestingly, the economic slowdown has in fact played to their advantage, at least in the brand quarters. Girish Shah, Brand Director of ADAG, while talking to 4Ps B&M, gives the credit purely to ADAG’s targeted brand building exercises, “It is in these challenging times [of slowdown] that strong brands outperform through various innovations at the product and brand level. With the largest family of 12 million shareholders and 150 million consumers, it was imperative to strengthen both investor and consumer confidence through strategic branding programs.”

One factor that has surely helped is that a few of ADAG’s businesses have necessitated extremely high levels of consumer interaction. One example being RCOM, which got its fair share to the visibility kitty by not only launching a nationwide GSM service along with its existing CDMA technology, but also by roping in Hrithik Roshan as the brand ambassador. Did this create the emotional connect that RCOM was attempting with its customers? If one sees the record breaking 15 million subscribers RCOM added in just three months of the roll out, the answer surely comes out hugely in the affirmative.

For more articles, Click on IIPM Article.

Source : IIPM Editorial, 2010.

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

For More IIPM Info, Visit below mentioned IIPM articles.

The Sunday Indian:- B-SCHOOL RANKING SCAMSTERS EXPOSED!
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IIPM conceptualized the grand final of Dare ‘10 — the most prestigious of international B-school student quizzes

IVRCL Infrastructures & Projects Ltd.

2010-01-25T15:55:00.000+05:30

Entry Price: Rs.308
Target Price: Rs.408
EPS: 24 (FY10E)
P/E: 13 on FY10E EPS
Time Duration: At least one year
Rationale: IVRCL has one of the best prequalifications in the water and irrigation segment, which is evident from the fact that it bagged projects worth Rs.16 billion out of projects worth Rs.40 billion awarded by Narmada Valley Development Department. Moreover, the company has a healthy book to bill ratio of 3x FY09E. Even its current order book stands at Rs.149 billion implying a book to bill ratio of 2.7 times of FY 2010 revenues.

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Source : IIPM Editorial, 2010.

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

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Is it the time to nurture IPOs?

2010-01-15T15:20:00.000+05:30

There couldn’t have been a better timing than this! While the initial public offering (IPO) of the Ahmedabad-based Adani Power was being applauded by the investors (the IPO was oversubscribed 3.8 times within the first few minutes of its opening), Adfactors PR, one of the leading corporate and financial PR consultancies of India was busy launching its unique programme – IPO Nurture™ – for companies planning to tap stock market in the near to mid-term future. “The IPO is a transformational journey for a company. It is a rigorous process and requires careful planning and execution at all stages. We’re confident that IPO Nurture will deliver immense value to companies in successfully managing this transformational journey,” avers Arun Ohri, Director of the IPO Nurture programme at Adfactors PR. No doubt, the launch of the product seems to be perfect as a fresh wave of IPOs (thanks to government’s disinvestment agenda) is about to hit the market. But, is there really a need for such offering, is the question that’s doing rounds in many minds. “Companies often dilute value by approaching the market under-prepared (or late at the time of DRHP filing) in terms of the desired public profile and the ability of the management to face public scrutiny. The programme will save them from losing at that front,” reasons Madan Bahal, MD, Adfactors PR. Moreover, the offering is also designed to support a firm’s various strategic initiatives enroute to the IPO like private equity, mergers and acquisitions, restructuring and attracting competent partners and consultants on board. So, Mr. CEO what’s up in your mind?

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Source : IIPM Editorial, 2010.

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

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Revelling in FMCG dreams

2010-01-09T12:08:00.000+05:30

Management guru Arindam Chaudhuri’s latest blockbuster book, Discover The Diamond In You

What started as an effort to promote private labels in Reliance Retail, Mukesh Ambani has now a full-fledged business idea of venturing into the FMCG space up his sleeves. Ambani has bid to acquire two soap brands of Henkel India – Aramusk (male deodorant soap) and Moloy (sandalwood soap), the combined value of which is estimated to be Rs.10 crore. Apart from acquiring brands, Ambani also plans to set up FMCG subsidiaries and rope in third party logisitics services to handle marketing and distribution. But is acquiring brands the right strategy to venture into a new domain? “Yes,” answers a retail analyst, “as these brands are doing well in regional markets. And being a price discounter, it’s expected that Reliance will sell these soaps at lesser prices.” Moreover, acquiring brands will help Reliance save in R&D investments and increase focus on strengthening the distribution network.

Savreen Gadhoke

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Source : IIPM Editorial, 2010

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

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Brand wars may be very common in the corporate sector where marketing and advertising whiz kids pit their brains and guile against each other.

2009-10-21T12:48:00.000+05:30

But it is also a reality now in the political arena. The 124-year-old Congress Party has just recently given a demonstration of how to ‘revamp’ a brand and make it connect with old consumers who had lost faith and new consumers who ride on hope. Priyanka Rai, Surbhi Chawla & Neha Saraiya report

Such brainstorming sessions are fairly common in the corporate world where managers get together and pick each other’s brains to evolve a strategy for the future. And when it comes to brand managers, the sessions become even more intense as the war for consumer preference and market share intensifies. Meenakshi Natarajan, Jitendra Singh, Jairam Ramesh, Ashok Tanwar and Salmaan Khursheed cannot be called brand managers by any stretch of imagination. Nor can Pankaj Shankar be called a corporate communications manager. For that matter, you will not know Vishwajeet Prithvi Singh as the Chief Technology Officer.

Most management students and managers will probably not even be familiar with most of these names. And yet, these are the largely unknown names and faces that have scripted one of the most famous brand revamps in contemporary history. The first lot did the brainstorming and fashioned the current brand strategy for the Congress Party in the run up to the Lok Sabha elections. Pankaj Shankar, quietly and unobtrusively, communicated this strategy to media persons willing to listen. And Vishwajeet Singh is the geek, who used computers, spread sheets and data mining to round off the new brand strategy.

This band of men and women met numerous times in 2008 and 2009 to plan a brand strategy for the Lok Sabha elections. The challenge was formidable. The Congress was a really old brand that had seen hitherto loyal customers deserting it in droves during the 1990s. The challenge was to revamp the brand and lure back the old faithful. An even bigger challenge was to connect the more than 100-year-old party with the youth. Now, every Tom, Dick and Pundit knows the team has clicked. For people in the world of advertising, it was a marketing masterstroke. Says Josy Paul, National Creative Director and Chairman of BBDO, “ The Congress ad campaign was more about how it can be relevant to different audiences. The key to their campaign was relevance. It was more about young audiences and telling them the Congress is still relevant.” Even as late as December 2008, no one could have been certain about unknown youth ‘leaders’ like Minakshi Natarajan and Ashok Tanwar winning Lok Sabha elections. But win they did, propelling Congress towards its highest market share in the electoral marketplace in almost two decades!

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Source : IIPM Editorial, 2009

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

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SPIRITUALITY AS FMCG!

2009-08-31T11:24:00.000+05:30

IIPM - Admission Procedure

Monojit Lahiri investigates this new phenomenon that is gaining frightening and hysterical dimensions in the ritzy, glitzy and glamorous metros of a nation that continues to look west for self esteem!

It is an astonishing paradox of human life that, with progress, sophistication, modernity and success comes depression, loneliness, alienation and insecurity! Today in year 2009, as we scan the lifescape inhabiting planet earth – with special reference to the so- called advanced and developed western countries – we find startling horror stories of dysfunctional life amidst plenty. Why? Because nothing in this world comes for free and the first world joys offered by the enticing packages called Consumerism and Globalisation come with a sinister price-tag! Family life, social life, cultural life, intellectual life … everything is sold at the altar of moving up in life. So, what’s next? What is the solution? Where is the salvation? Enter the marketers of Spiritualism…!

Declares today’s hot young, controversial film- maker (Dev D, Gulal) Anurag Kashyup, “If you have a Sapnon Ka Saudagar, why can’t you have a guy hawking spirituality?! The con-game is the same, boss!” On a more serious note, Kashyup believes that in today’s troubled and recession-hit times where tension and pressures rule the roost, spirituality is in high demand and low supply. “Hence, the smart, shrewd marketer who has his ear to the ground and is able to think on his feet, can do wonders – for his desperate clients and laughing wallet.” He cites the example of Astha and a host of similar TV channels which enjoy a wide viewership cutting across all stratas of society. He also points to the success of Rhonda Byrne’s The Secret, Robin Sharma’s The Monk who sold his Ferrari and most of Deepak Chopra’s best sellers. Sister Yogini of the Brahmakumaris (a spiritual movement like The Art of Living, The oneness university, Isha Yoga) looks at it differently. She admits that a lot of seekers come to them because they are freaked out by life’s pressures and desperately desire peace and happiness. “Our movement is not necessarily about renouncing the world but offering peace and progress within the confines of daily life.” Adds Avanti Birla, high profile businesswoman, “Spirituality for me is as much about fulfilling my responsibilities at a personal level as it is about connecting with it in a societal way.” To Parmeshwar Godrej, Mumbai society’s celebrated diva and social activist, “The real path is about self-discovery.” While she agrees that there is a trendy, hybrid spirituality being marketed, she believes that people are evolving all the time and their personal sense of spirituality doesn’t necessarily depend on what’s written in the instruction manual.

The irrepressible Prahalad Kakkar in typical forthright fashion, provides a cool conclusion. “It’s like selling coals to Newcastle! C’mon guys, we are, historically and traditionally, a spiritual nation with rituals and beliefs embedded in our psyche. Whether it’s the sandhya-deep accompanied by conch-shells at dusk or the vision of what life is about – Karma, Maya – spirituality remains an intrinsic part of our being. Unfortunately, pathetic West-apers that we have become, we seem to be enthusiastically buying - into their hard-selling spirituality to us in the form of a fashion thing; a with-it and uber-cool solution to all worldly problems that blitzes our sense of peace and contentment. Its sold – and bought – (like in the West) as a quick-fix, a fevicol for the battered soul, imagine! But then, at the end of the day I guess it makes sense to remember that we live in an age of Vigyapan not Vigyan, brother… So just about anything goes!”

Monojit Lahiri

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Source : IIPM Editorial, 2009

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

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Think Bigger; Think Better: A brand philosophy or a jibe at big brother?

2009-08-12T16:29:00.000+05:30

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Brand: ADAG
Agency: Mudra

When Anil Ambani went solo, his challenge was to build a new brand from scratch. Realising that their biggest brand was Anil himself, his key guys coined Brand ADAG (Anil Dhirubhai Ambani Group). The resulting Rs.500 crore campaign, with Anil’s old friend Amitabh Bachchan, created new benchmarks in media saturation. ADAG was the buzziest brand of 2006. Anil sure knows a thing or two about ‘people’s biz!’

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

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Thanda matlab? Cool communication!

2009-07-31T14:07:00.000+05:30

Shahrukh khan is coming to IIPM - IIPM 4Ps Quiz

Brand: Coca-Cola
Agency: McCann
It takes two to tango. But what happens when Aamir Khan decides that eight is the way to go? Thanda happens, what else! Coca Cola’s thanda matlab Coca Cola campaign not only swayed millions of Indians, but also bagged an Effie Gold. Post campaign analysis indicates that for the first time Coke was able to beat its old rival Pepsi in a big way, improving the brand’s market share in key markets viz. Punjab, Delhi and UP.

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

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Yeh dil still maange more

2009-07-28T11:00:00.000+05:30

Shahrukh khan is coming to IIPM - IIPM 4Ps Quiz

Brand: Pepsi
Agency: JWT
Pepsi established an immediate connect with its audience with the iconic Yeh Dil Maange More campaign, endorsed by a host of personalities ranging from popular film stars to cricketers like Tendulkar, Aamir Khan, Amitabh, Kajol, Rani, SRK, Remo Fernandes and more. The idea was not just to promote Pepsi but also evoke the aspirations of young Indians. The campaign enabled Pepsi to increase its brand value by 6%. Globally too, Pepsi’s brand value touched the phenomenal $11.8 billion mark. The slogan, ‘Yeh dil maange more!’ became such a rage that an Indian army major, after a crucial victory in the 1998 Kargil war famously shouted it while atop a snowy Himalayan tip. Reveals an industry insider, “Following this, Coca Cola, which had never roped in a star, got one for peddling Coke.”

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

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The still-unpaid Logan bet!

2009-07-21T13:11:00.000+05:30

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Joining hands with the French auto giant Renault SA, Mahindra & Mahindra ambitiously launched Renault in May 2007, fuelling competition in the mid-size car market. A runaway success in the European market, Logan flopped in India. The car promised plenty at its launch, given the Rs.6-7 lakh price tag and diesel engine advantage. Although it got off to a promising start, Logan was not able to sustain the momentum. M&M had to scale back production by some 30-40%. The 50,000 units capacity Nashik facility, today rolls out just over 1,000 Logans monthly!

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

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Where’s the passion in Indian fashion?

2009-07-07T11:45:00.000+05:30

Professor Arindam Chaudhuri says

No doubt that fashion is a sunrise sector, but so far, the over-the-top glam quotient has only managed to leave behind glum faces in its wake. Glitzy models sashaying down the ramp with their tattooed bodies and skinny mannequins draped in sequined crêpe in store windows require huge investments. But Indian designers lack the corporate backing in terms of big sponsorships and licensing deals for that. Mumbai-based designer Rocky S attempts to explain why corporates shy away from Indian fashion houses. “If someone is investing in your business, he/she has full liability to know what exactly is happening with the money. We are still in a nascent stage to maintain such transparency,” he professes. Rocky adds that sighting the potential of corporate funding, many design houses are now starting to become more organised. “Some of us have now even begun to pay attention to financial audits,” he claims. On cue, corporate funding has also begun to happen in a small way. Textile house Raymond’s has launched a designer wear retail chain called ‘Be’ with Rohit Bal, Anshu Arora and others. Moreover, the inimitable Ritu Kumar has been designing wardrobes for all Miss India participants in international beauty pageants since 1994, with some winning awards for the most outstanding evening gown!

Is that enough for India Fashion Week (or Delhi Fashion Week) to become the fashion ‘Mecca’ of the world and steal the show from Milan which alone contributes 10% to the world’s fashion market? Market watchers do not seem to think so. Especially with the present unstructured and unorganised nature of the industry, they feel that the projected 2012 is too short a time for India to become the world’s fashion capital. Fact is, they say, that India’s designer fraternity is still wary of corporate alliances and hesitates in seeking expert financial advice. Key posts within any fashion house are still occupied by close friends and family members. “Compared to the foreign market, we have still not been able to create a very structured and organised market in India for designer wear. Designers like Tarun Tahiliani and Satya Paul have started focusing on the local market with their retail stores, but we are still lagging behind from the retail perspective,” admits Sumeet Nair, Managing Director of Fashion Foundation of India.

Acquiring professional management teams is therefore fast becoming a priority for Indian designers who want to match the standards set by their global peers. The beautiful Ritu Beri for one has already begun corporatising her set-up. Her team today boasts of separate vice presidents for sales, purchase, quality and finance; an art she perhaps learnt during her year’s stint (in 2002) as head of French fashion house Scherrer’s ready-to-wear line. On the other hand, designers like Satya Paul – who have already tasted success in India’s premium mass-market, are roping in Genesis Colors Pvt. Ltd. to handle financial and logistics related issues.

Despite the baby-steps being taken by India’s fashion fraternity to professionalise their operations, too many one-man-shows, glamorous PR plugs and Page 3 pictures abound. Sure, the talent is there and the creativity simply wows. But to make for a globally acclaimed brand and financially sound sustainable business, the trickle of corporate influence on India’s fashion design glitterati must turn at least into a tide (if not a flood) for any indelible prints to be left on the industry. Who knows, Kate Winslet may yet wear a Ritu Beri to the Oscar night! Read more

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

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HOLD ON, NO DAMN ACCELERATION

2009-06-17T15:09:00.000+05:30

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It’s not just about the upcoming Honda Jazz launch (more of that later), as apart from taking the Honda Civic Hybrid off the retail showrooms and launching the all new Accord V6, the company has announced some major production cuts to ensure its smooth drive in the country. When questioned by 4Ps B&M, Masahiro Takedagawa, President and CEO, Honda SIEL Cars India Pvt Ltd, shares, “In the past 60 years, we have witnessed a lot of ups and downs in the global market. And we are all geared to strategically outdo the current slump. We are aiming for lean operations and we have already adjusted our productions.” The company has put the opening of its second plant at Tapukara, Rajasthan indefinitely on hold. Even the current facility at Greater Noida will be operating at a single shift till the end of June rather than two shifts and hence will produce only 200 units a day rather than at a full capacity of 385 units a day. And if the speculations are to be believed, then Honda SIEL is also looking at diversifying into the boat manufacturing business with a motive of de-risking its automotive business like its rival Mahindra & Mahindra.

Notably, the launch of the new Honda city was the main reason behind the success of Honda in this period of downturn. Takedagawa is quite upbeat when he tells us something we already know, “Since last November, when we launched the generation-next model of Honda City, our sales are gradually picking up.” But what gave us a surprise was his frank acceptance of his own target market segmentation being zero-recession proof, “We are focusing more on the so-called premium segment who are quite connected to the global economy.”

Is that why Takedagawa is moving towards what is now known as the ‘Swift’ segment (after Maruti’s unfathomable monopoly in that segment) with the launch of the Jazz? Yes, the launch of Jazz is one bet that Honda is extremely nerved up about. Though Honda is one of the strongest in the sedan segment, the nerves are tensed up because of the heat of the competition Honda is facing of late.

We have already witnessed the launch of Fiat Linea and Skoda Superb’s latest model in the country competing with the Honda City and Honda Accord respectively. Auto expert Murad Ali Baig adds further, “The sedan segment will only get competitive in the coming times making the environment more competitive for Honda.” Given this, can Jazz be a runaway success just because it has got great sales support, a new design and costs around Rs.5.5 lakhs? Uhh, there lies the problem. One cannot assure Jazz’s success in the Indian market blindfolded as this hatchback will face a stiff competition from Skoda Fabia and the recently launched Hyundai i20. Worse, where the Swift rules, the Swift, umm, rules!

With the depreciation of the Indian rupee ensuring that Honda’s input costs have increased manifold (25% of their components are imported), Honda cannot simply ‘hope’ their cars will sell, especially when the competition is Maruti, which is a company that has not been known to take any prisoners. What it requires now for Honda is to understand that in India, if marketing has to work, then what also works is understanding that the Indian customer responds completely different in buying behaviour within different segments. That means that the strategies that they used to sell their Citys, Civics and Accords may definitely not get the ‘rice paddy’ home on time this time. By the way, Honda means rice paddy in Japanese. No, the coke and the junk food have not given us a high yet. And yes, we’re still waiting for the Warren effect to hit us (sleep eating junk food, wake up a rich man...).

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Source : IIPM Editorial, 2009

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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You post it, they own it! Serious!!!

2009-06-02T17:13:00.000+05:30

The Most Revolutionary Concept In Education PLANMAN CHE CENTRE FOR HIGHER EDUCATION, Supported by IIPM India’s Leading B-School

This speculation that the site (launched by college-goers, but now turned profit-lovers) would sell user data to third parties or would incorporate users’ words or images in commercial material led to an uprising that forced Zuckerberg to apologise within a week of the change in terms event. Currently, Facebook is working on revision the above stated terms (through user feedback, it claims), but how far will the real ‘implications’ be altered? Now that is questionable!

The latest Facebook controversy has prompted social networking lovers to scrutinize user policies of other social networking sites too, like Twitter, YouTube and MySpace. Twitter Claims no intellectual property rights over the material users provide and does not retain copies of deleted messages too. The Google-owned video-sharing service, YouTube says “you retain all your ownership rights.” YouTube retains copies of videos for a certain period of time after they are removed, but promises not to “display, distribute, or perform” deleted videos. In MySpace users “continue to retain” their rights subject to a “limited license” that gives MySpace the right to display and distribute it on MySpace, but the site also allows users to permanently delete content from their account.

Whatever Facebook does hereon matters little. It is already a hit in the social circles and will continue garnering revenues and enjoying a growing flock of visitors. But one warning has just been publicised here – social networking sites are certainly not personal diaries!

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Source : IIPM Editorial, 2009

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

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Detail of all IIPM branches
1500-plus IIPM students placed across the country with 44 bagging international offers
IIPM set to beat economic slowdown
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DDarn! They’ve DDone it again!

2009-05-22T16:12:00.000+05:30

The Most Revolutionary Concept In Education PLANMAN CHE CENTRE FOR HIGHER EDUCATION, Supported by IIPM India’s Leading B-School

When I meet B. S. Lali, CEO, Prasar Bharati (a state run holding company looking after the operations of Doordarshan and All India Radio), the first impression he gives me is of an extremely shrewd and intelligent strategist – a commodity rarer in government departments than Stephen Covey’s management manual. Lali surprisingly gives a cryptic response to my query on DD’s stupendous current leadership, “India is a diverse country and we want to cater to that diversity keeping the integrity of the nation intact through our programmes. We put forward information, education, and entertainment along with the former two.” Patriotic answer? Yes! But the reason for DD’s leadership? Umm...

Though the figures are all but undeniable. The reach of DD is un

Though the figures are all but undeniable. The reach of DD is unmatched, as per the AMap report. Out of the 112 million TV households in India, 68 million (60%) are cable homes possessing access to satellite. The remaining 40% (Non Cable & Satellite) receive only Doordarshan terrestrially. DD also has its own DTH service called DD Direct Plus, which is free of charge and through various channels is expanding its reach. Seeing consternation, Lali reveals more, “We have been constantly innovating our contents, ways of presentation; we’ve hired new anchors et al to gain back the audience. Moreover, we are constantly working on the contents of our programmes with new subjects and good producers.” DD has begun gaining ground at prime time throughout the week, despite direct competition from a whole array of popular shows on other GECs. The most effective shows in its artilleries are Air Hostess, Kashmakash Zindagi Ki and Kisiki Nazar Na Lage, which have ripped the pants of competitors.

By airing programmes according to the audience taste, even viewership ratings are rocking, though Lali is dismissive about TRPs, and sarcastically says that they misguide advertising clients, “A TRP meter does not exist in any of the six lakh villages or six thousand blocks or in most of the six hundred districts of the nation. TRP is primarily driven by the amount of business that can be generated for the advertisers,” and not vice versa! And are prospective advertisers influenced by the ‘new’ DD? “DD, with its current programmes and unmatched reach, is definitely a good proposition for advertisers,” confirms an energetic Aditi Mishra, General Manager, Lodestar Universal!

Evidently, DD seems to have found its groove again, and frankly speaking, it’s purely because someone up there had the sense to change back to the standard strategy of presenting ‘interesting’ programmes with ‘attractive’ presenters. God, if only Air India also realises this sooner than later... And hey, just for information, Krishi Darshan is in its 43rd smashing year of running, and is shown everyday at 6.30 pm (right before the super shows of Sanskrit Samachar and Yog Vigyan!!!)... On second thoughts, I seriously hope TAM got it right... Never mind...

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Source : IIPM Editorial, 2009

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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“We want to be a billion dollar business in India”

2009-05-08T12:37:00.000+05:30

The great Indian IT dream has surely taken a hit post the Satyam fiasco; but Adobe India remains optimistic about its ambitious plans. The top gun reasons...

4Ps B&M: Explain the corporate governance measures that are taken care of at Adobe India?
NG: We are one of the most ethical business houses not only in India but across the globe. We have all the practices and policies in place to ensure a clean business. However, I can’t comment on a particular policy but I can assure you that we follow everything that the law requires us to follow.

4Ps B&M: In an interview, Shantanu Narayen, President and CEO of Adobe had said, Internet and Mobile are the next frontiers for Adobe? So by when do you plan to launch it on all your devices?
NG: Yes, but we don’t generally give dates. We are working on our plans. Over the coming years, you will see more and more of Adobe’s AIR platform on multiple devices. In fact, recently we have launched an open screen project which opens up some of the Adobe’s core technologies. We are also working on to develop applications that can work on various devices.

4Ps B&M: So, do you have any competition at all?
NG: There are companies which give competition to us in various parts but there aren’t many companies which compete with us head-to-head or face on. Microsoft has Silverline Technologies and that’s fitted against Flash platform. Google has some technologies which try to achieve, what we achieve with Flash and AIR. So, Google has the potential. But, we have been in business for a long time and as such have more developers and more content than anybody else in the world.

4Ps B&M: Google has been able to take on Microsoft in some areas. If you think Google has the potential, do you think you should be taking them as lightly as you seem to be taking them?
NG: We don’t take any of our competitors lightly but keeping in mind that Google is also a great partner (we will also be distributing their Google toolbar with our products) we don’t have reasons to fear. But yes, we have to be careful about all our multiple projects. It’s that actually almost all the companies can’t claim Google and Microsoft to be their competitors and still be in the business. At the end of the day, we don’t compete with Google directly.

4Ps B&M: But since AIR is the future for Adobe, and if Google comes out with a technology like AIR. Do you think you can stop them?
NG: If we compete with Google, it will not be head on, as our business model is very different from Google’s. While Google makes money by getting content and then distributing this content and information to third parties, we make money by providing tools and technologies to people. So, there are more opportunities in entering partnership with Google rather than competing with them.

4Ps B&M: What about getting ads, does it fit in your business model somewhere?
NG: That’s a very interesting area and we are working on it. We have already run a pilot with Yahoo! last year. It was aimed at inserting ads into a PDF document. So, it is pretty attractive to us as we have a high reach. Our products are available on almost each and every system in place on earth. So, it gives us an independence of putting forward right kind of ads to the user. And if we can do that in a way that adds value to the advertiser, publisher and user, there is surely an opportunity for Adobe to build its business.

4Ps B&M: What is your dream for Adobe India?
NG: Our ultimate goal is to create a business in India for Adobe. And if it can be a billion dollar business, it will be a great achievement. That’s actually harder done than said as there are not many billion dollar software businesses globally.

For more articles, Click on IIPM Article.

Source : IIPM Editorial, 2009

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

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IIPM set to beat economic slowdown
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Death knell for PRICE WATERHOUSE?

2009-04-08T12:46:00.000+05:30

IIPM set to beat economic slowdown

The Satyam debacle and the spectacular failure of Price Waterhouse to detect the scam has many worried in India Inc. After all, the audit firm is considered to be one of the global Big Four and is the auditor for 46 out of the BSE 500 firms. Some of the well known companies whose accounts are audited by Price Waterhouse are Moser Baer, Max India, Maruti Suzuki, NDTV, HCL Technologies, United Breweries, NIIT, TV Today, Marico, Kesoram Industries and GMR Infrastructure to name just a few. Big time names like Vijay Mallya, Kumarmanglam Birla, Deepak Puri, Pronnoy Roy and Shiv Nadar could face embarrassment because Price Waterhouse audits their firms and everything about the firm is now under suspicion.

Take just one example of GMR Infrastructure to see how otherwise normal entries on books start looking suspicious. In the quarter ending June, 2008, GMR reported a revenue of Rs.885 crore. In the same period, it reported ‘General and Administrative Expenses’ of Rs.71 crore and fuel consumption of Rs.384 crore. In the next quarter ending September, 2008, revenues declined marginally by about Rs.40 crore to Rs.846 crore. And yet, admin expenses went up by Rs.9 crore and fuel consumption declined by a whopping Rs.111 crore. It does appear suspicious, doesn’t it? Incidentally, the former Cabinet Secretary of India (no less) T. R. Prasad has resigned from the board of GMR after he was de facto sacked from the Satyam board. There are credible reports that Prasad is likely to be questioned as investigators unravel the scam. Who knows what skeletons will tumble out then? But one thing is for sure: his future as an ‘independent’ director is as dead as a dodo.

Yet another individual whose career as an entrepreneur might turn out to be short lived because of the scam is Teja Raju, the son of Ramalinga Raju who runs Maytas. Like Satyam, Maytas (Satyam spelt backwards) has seen a meteoric rise and has bagged projects in excess of Rs.10,000 crore in a short span of time. That includes the prestigious Hyderabad Metro project. But there are clear indications that Maytas is inextricably linked with the Satyam scam and it does appear to be a matter of time before Maytas also unravels, as fresh skeletons are dug out by investigators.

But the most telling taint has fallen undoubtedly on Price Waterhouse whose future looks to be in peril. Of course, add the name of the guru and master of good ‘corporate governance’ and Harvard professor Krishna Palepu who earned about Rs.3 crore as an independent director and ‘consultant’ in governance to Satyam. Talk about delicious ironies!

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Source : IIPM Editorial, 2009

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

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Now Penny-wise isn’t Pound-foolish

2009-03-25T14:03:00.000+05:30

1500-plus IIPM students placed across the country with 44 bagging international offers

Even before the slowdown hit Indian shores, marketing honchos of India Inc. had devised a new strategy to save their dimes in advertising. Companies like LG, Britannia, Maruti, Suzlon et al went dizzy with their maniacal urge to air one corporate ad after the next. The idea was simple. Rather than talking about individual brands the plan was to bring out a slightly longer ad that showcases all the well-known brands that they offer. Besides, it also helped them make star-studded statements about their corporate identity. In hindsight, the move enabled companies to save on precious air-time that they would have spent in talking about individual products/brands. This is what we call getting wise… penny wise!

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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.
IIPM set to beat economic slowdown
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Pepsi-BBDO Break-up

2009-03-17T12:31:00.000+05:30

IIPM Admission Detail

After an association of nearly 50 years, Pepsi has ended its relations with its ad agency BBDO in the US. TBWA is the new agency to handle the account. The company offered that it wants to revamp its brand communication across multiple touch points. Thus it decided to shift the agency to infuse a fresh thinking into the brand Pepsi.Losing Pepsi is surely a blow to BBDO. As per Advertising Age's 100 Leading National Advertisers report PepsiCo spent $162 million on brand Pepsi in 2007. Now that surely is a big blow, especially in the recession times when business is already low.

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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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Gambling may be almost an indecent

2009-03-02T17:02:00.000+05:30

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When the oil shock first reverberated across the globe in the 1970s, the Detroit duo refused to change, in the fond hope that green will be the colour of envy for rival Japanese auto majors. But today, when Toyota and Honda lovingly brandish their nimbler, fuel-efficient machines at the American consumers, it’s GM and Ford that are not just going green with envy but are literally gasping for survival! To avoid falling into a similar trap, the impulse of going ‘green’ is running faster than blood in India Inc.’s veins. From IT giants to luxurious hotel chains, from automobiles to mutual funds, corporate India is moving fanatically ahead with green initiatives. But will the gamble eventually pay off? Deepak R. Patra digs in...

Gambling may be almost an indecent (well, we said almost, didn’t we!) word in civil society but the green gamble is one that companies globally and in India are almost being coerced into. Cautiously watching and gauging their every activity are not just environmentalists and governments, but also a fast-growing breed of aware consumers who are ostensibly choosing the natural colour over their made-up counterparts. But hey, do consumers, really care as much? Go talk to modern consumers; they are sensitive, they understand responsibility toward environment, are concerned about climate change and want to help protect the earth from effects of global warming. Indeed, a 2007 global McKinsey survey of 7,751 people in Brazil, Canada, China, France, Germany, India, the United Kingdom, and the United States suggested that 87% of consumers surveyed worry about the environmental and social impact of the products they buy. Encouraging news for India Inc.! But, at the time of actual buying, there appears a mismatch between words and actions. As per the 4Ps B&M and ICMR survey conducted across five big Indian cities – Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Chennai and Bangalore (see pages 70), merely 32% of consumers surveyed had actually bought/or were willing to buy only those products that are marketed as ‘green products’. Even the aforementioned McKinsey survey concluded that no more than 33% of the consumers in their survey were ready to buy green products or have already done so. And possibly then also, they may only be buying organic foods (for personal health) or energy-efficient lighting (of course, that helps them reduce their electricity bill!).

However, more than a few contrarian instances prevail. The green gamble has already paid GE’s Jeff Immelt more than billions of dollars in revenues from his Ecomagination initiative; WalMart’s 2008 report on consumer behaviour reported a 66% increase since last year in consumers’ decisions to purchase five key eco-friendly products viz. CFL bulbs, organic milk and baby food, extended-life paper products, et al. Clearly for WalMart’s 200 million consumers, environment reigns high even in their shopping baskets.

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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.
IIPM Programme :- SUPERIOR COURSE CONTENTS
IIPM INTERNATIONAL - NEW DELHI, GURGAON & NOIDA
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IIPM, GURGAON
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IIPM’s 36th Glorious Year of Academic Excellence
Why Study Abroad When IIPM Gives You 3 global Advantages!

Why Are Masscom Students Such Misfits In Ad-Land?!

2009-02-11T17:09:00.000+05:30

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

Monojit Lahiri probes this disturbing issue

They were the kids who were supposed to be the saviours of the attrition-hit adbiz; the god-sent answers to the galloping exodus of good people suddenly upping and leaving; the bright main-hoon-na brigade all charged to fill in the blanks rendered by the defectors… but guess what? Eight times out of ten, they’ve turned up turnips; well-meaning disasters who didn’t seem to have a clue about the ‘real’ world! Agency and clients continue to crib about these kids “coming from another planet and totally out-of-sync with the ground realities that govern our business.” Shouldn’t the faculty and powers-that-are initiate them into what awaits them once they are out in the battlefield? Isn’t it their responsibility to get them as industry-ready and friendly as possible?

“Actually, its one of the great tragedies of our education system that we pay a pittance to teachers, compared to people in other disciplines in other sectors. Hence the institutes – exceptions apart – attract a lot who have practically no industry experience or people who are not good enough to be absorbed in the mainstream and find it convenient to hide out as faculty in these joints.” That was Santosh Desai, the high-profile CEO of Future Brands. He is of the firm opinion that communication is a far richer, purer discipline than marketing [which borrows heavily from other empirical sciences] and at best is nothing more than a makeshift science. “The atmosphere and environment – for example – that prevails in an advertising agency with its unique work culture, demands and expectations is an entire universe apart from a traditional, conventional workplace. The result is, frequently, there is zero-connect and near non-existent value-addition. For example, Advertising being an idea-led business, is there any focus regarding the critical aspect of how to form, shape, add value, reject or react to an idea?”

Motorola’s dynamic and articulate Marketing Director, Lloyd Mathias is up next. He believes that most traditional Masscom Institutes in the country, unfortunately, choose to be [comfortably] inward looking, still concentrating on old Case Studies from Harvard Business School. “In today’s day and age, this is totally irrelevant! They need to understand that if the kids have to go out and work in an Indian environment they ‘must’ necessarily connect with the Indian reality.” Mathias then goes on to make a strong case for the biggies, the movers n’ shakers – Omnicom, WPP, Publicis – to get together and arrive at a common solution where an environment/climate is created to allow for a more enlightened faculty and sharper, industry-friendly student community.

The new Golden Boy of Indian Advertising [the soft-spoken, low-profile Agnello Dias, JWT’s NCD, whose amazing Lead India campaign fetched India her first-ever Grand Prix at the recently concluded Cannes Ad fest] adds his own evolved input. He believes that Masscom – as a discipline – is a fluid science and has to be understood in that vein, from day one, by everyone engaged with it. “The problem with most schools and institutes is that the curriculum and syllabi seldom bears any connect with the present or future … it seems to be entrenched firmly in the past! The result is that while the jargons, terminology and catch-phrases are picked up, nothing that is truly relevant is. Why? Because even between the time they’ve done the exams, got their results and started looking out for jobs, the dynamics of the business could’ve changed … and where would that lead them?” Ivan Arthur, veteran, creative, heavyweight of JWT in the sixties, seventies and eighties rounds off this debate on a truly positive and meaningful note, offering solutions that everybody [including these distinguished practitioners] are looking out for. He points towards Walter Saldhana’s Aicar Business School in Neral, Maharashtra. Its an institute, which is pragmatic, rooted to ground realities, living in the here and now. It promotes learning-by-doing as its defining philosophy. “We set up an integrated communication agency in the campus that actually handle live accounts. Students are taught the processes and costs of acquiring and managing accounts. They also have to learn the pain of losing some of them. Clients pay the institute for the work done by students, of course with close and active supervision of the faculty and mentors, all experienced ad professionals. Clients include names like Eureka Forbes, IMS Learning, Old Spice, IL&FS and Aicar B-School itself. The practical experience is supported by robust classroom sessions, which deal with diverse subjects … world literature and mythology, aesthetics, semiotics and cultural anthropology. We believe that beyond being effective managers, they should be well-rounded human beings with those softer edges of refinement and sensitivity.”

Are you listening Santosh, Lloyd, Aggi and everyone out there?

Way to go, guys…!

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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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If India has its brands, China has its infrastructural-prowess

2009-02-03T16:27:00.000+05:30

IIPM Programme :- SUPERIOR COURSE CONTENTS

During a recent leisurely sojourn in Egypt, I was in no mood to roam around, suppressing my marauding instincts. However, as Cairo basked in the pleasantries of the Mediterranean Sun, I decided to give in to my vagaries of exploration. Already satisfied with the Egyptian heritage, the next stop was glitzy downtown Cairo and what better place to start than ‘The Omaha Endi Mall’, one of the most happening places around. Inside, I was greeted by the usual upmarket brands galore, but what surprised me was an unusual sight. In the middle of this brand hoopla, there was Lilliput, an Indian kids wear brand. With a conceited yet anxious mindset, I entered the corridors of the spanking showroom oozing those world class lines. As I waited there in awe, a mother and her three kids entered the shop and I could not help but ask their perception of Indian brands. “Well, I like the quality and clear cut fashion of the Made-in-India labels, Chinese brands are there too, but not that good to feel and wear,” said the prospective customer. This was no innocent answer to a direct question; it symbolised the choices of the African consumer and the power of Indian brand names.

Back home, the first thing I did was to meet the Egyptian Ambassador to enquire about the inside story behind the success of the Indian brands among Egyptian consumers. “If you consider India particularly, then India and Egypt have a strong link even thousands of years ago and this cultural legacy has helped Egypt become unique for India,” averred H. E. Dr. Mohamed Higazy, the Egyptian Ambassador to India. My curiosity awakened, I couldn’t restrict the story to India. Stealthily old neighbour China had found a place!

The first obvious question is that is the time really ripe to enter the so called ‘Dark Continent’? Traditionally, businesses in Africa have behaved like ‘caterpillars’ – uninteresting, slow moving and easy to step on. Conditions are still somewhat similar, but change is creeping in fast. “The place is still financially challenged, but it’s no doubt one of the hottest markets today. We had been in Africa for 10 years now and it’s definitely the next big market,” asserts Rajendra S. Pawar, Chairman, NIIT Technologies. Pawar is not alone. There are many of his ilk who feel that the continent has not only seen daylight, but that the sun is shining brighter each day. “Even Sub-Saharan countries are clocking growth rates of over 7% in the past years. Per capita income is also increasing. The time is ripe for Indian firms to invest in Africa,” adds V. Thatty, Deputy GM, International Operations, Bank of Baroda (the bank operates in Africa through a subsidiary arrangement). Some, however, are treading more cautiously. “The main problem we see is the lack of regulatory infrastructure in most African countries,” says Rahul Virkar, Spokesperson, ICICI Bank (International Operations). “We at present have our representative office in South Africa but in the near future,” he adds optimistically, “we may go for a wholly owned subsidiary there.”

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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.
Now IIPM's World-Class Education... for everybody!!
IIPM INTERNATIONAL - NEW DELHI, GURGAON & NOIDA
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When IIPM comes to education, never compromise
Why Study Abroad When IIPM Gives You 3 global Advantages!
IIPM Ranked No. 1 B-School In Global Exposre - Zee...

BINGEING IN BAD TIMES

2009-01-21T13:37:00.000+05:30

IIPM Programme :- SUPERIOR COURSE CONTENTS

The downfall of global financial stalwarts like Lehman and Morgan Stanley have also unleashed a somewhat similar story for India’s darling ICICI (with malicious rumors playing their own part in the saga). Correspondingly, consumer confidence has also taken a dip (albeit slight!). Given the unfolding situation, analysts expect a tightening in the corporate spend for at least two quarters. An ICICI official, on conditions of anonymity, told this magazine that “In order to maintain the bottom line, it is prudent for the corporate (ICICI) to cut their expenses. Hence, cost cuts are happening through various alternatives and ad expense is a part of those alternatives.”

As a matter of fact, while it is prudent to curtail costs, corporate should look at the returns of ad spends in terms of top line and compare it to the costs of business losses if the marketing spends were not done to arrive at an alignment. Well there are few who do not buy this logic, for them it is not merely revenue but legacy which matters. A Coke spokesperson told 4Ps B&M, “In Coca-Cola we don’t exactly design every ad keeping in mind how much revenue it will generate as our policy is to sustain the legacy of the brand by promoting it through ads. So the exact ad expenditure is not necessarily directly linked to revenue.”

His words ring true, specially given the fact that even global experts have now started recommending more advertising during recession time, so that the brand makes the most of it when the economy recovers. For now, the only guys who seem to be in the safe zone are the (evergreen?) FMCG and (sunrise!) telecom sectors. As opposed to last year, FMCG major HUL increased its ad spend by 11.78% and correspondingly its sales improved by 13.24%. Similarly Dabur India improved its sales by 29.64% after increasing ad spends by 25.55%. Telecom major Bharti leads the list of the telecom players which increased its ad expenses by 40% and witnessed a 44% growth in its sales figure.

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.
Now IIPM's World-Class Education... for everybody!!
IIPM INTERNATIONAL - NEW DELHI, GURGAON & NOIDA
IIPM - Admission Procedure
IIPM, GURGAON
IIPM : EXECUTIVE EDUCATION
IIPM’s 36th Glorious Year of Academic Excellence
4Ps Power Brand Awards 2007
When IIPM comes to education, never compromise
Why Study Abroad When IIPM Gives You 3 global Advantages!
IIPM Ranked No. 1 B-School In Global Exposre - Zee...