Friday, October 27, 2006

IS CIRCUS RIGHT OR WRONG???
On the eve of Diwali I went to a circus show at Jamshedpur where I am staying at present for my project. In my childhood days I was more than eager to go and watch the boys, girls, the animals and off course the Joker performing in the show. As with children all over the world they were among the persons who were enjoying the most. They were laughing like anything when the joker was performing, and looking at astonishment when the boys were performing with fires and animals. The parents seeing their children in such joyous condition were much happier than the children internally.
But as I watched the show I could not enjoy as much as I would have if I were a child. As I looked at the little boys and girls, the joker (a short man), the animals performing, a strange feeling encircled me. I asked myself a question. Whether we are right in allowing the circus to continue? On one hand was their livelihood and our and the children’s right to entertainment and on the other hand was the exploitation of animals, young children and the joker who was laughed at more because of his short height. I was asking again to myself. Is it right to get entertained at the expense of others? Nobody would have come and performed like this in the stage if they got a better job, the joker was making fun of him and was making us laugh because he has to survive. Nobody would do such an act if it was not the case of ‘pappi pet’.
All through the show these questions were preventing me from enjoying the show. I am in a dilemma as to what is right or wrong, what is ethical and what is not. As the dogs, the hippopotamus, the camels, the elephants, the parrots, the monkeys, came on one by one it only showed how they were exploited. Their skins and body screamed with the torture they were facing. But at the same time if we stop going to such shows naturally these animals will be starved to death on account of low funds to feed them and if we go more, the profit will only be taken by the managers and the animals will only get less than what is necessary. If the animals are taken by the wildlife authorities and the people associated with it are rehabilitated which in case full rehabilitation is not possible because of different factors, one more question remains. Are’nt we discriminating against our child from preventing them from seeing the artists perform and all these forms of entertainment? Nowadays there is less open space for them to play, they are confined in flats with video games, TV, and the real form of entertainment that we had few years back is becoming extent. It will be sooner that these stories of us enjoying in a circus will find their way in the history books. The children are losing their touch with the nature and becoming more materialistic.
Yes, they can go to a wildlife resort and enjoy the beauty, but this is not possible for all; again due to various reasons. Even if they go it will be once in 2-3 years or even less. While circus happens every year and that too; in the same place where you are living they can atleast enjoy every year till they become grown ups.
But the million dollar question whether to allow the circus to continue still haunts me.

Monday, October 09, 2006

LOVE YOUR JOB BUT NEVER FALL IN LOVE WITH YOUR COMPANY

An interesting speech delivered by a CEO of a premier IT company in India during an employee session with another IT company in India. He is incidentally one of the top 50 influencial people in Asia according the latest Asiaweek publication. He is also the new IT advisor to the Thai Prime Minister.

Extract of Mr. Narayana Murthy's Speech during Mentor Session:
LOVE YOUR JOB, BUT NEVER FALL IN LOVE WITH YOUR COMPANY BCOZ U NEVER KNOW WHEN COMPANY STOPS LOVING YOU - Narayana Murthy

I know people who work 12 hours a day, six days a week, or more. Some people do so because of a work emergency where the long hours are only temporary. Other people I know have put in these hours for years. I don't know if they are working all these hours, but I do know they are in the office this long.

Others put in long office hours because they are addicted to the workplace. Whatever the reason for putting in overtime, working long hours over the long term is harmful to the person and to the organization.

There are things manager can do to change this for everyone's benefit. Being in the office long hours, over long period of times, makes way for potential errors. My colleagues who are in the office long hours frequently make mistakes caused by fatigue. Correcting these mistakes requires their time as well as the time and energy of others.

I have seen people work Tuesday through Friday to correct mistakes made after 5PM on Monday. Another problem is that people who are in the office long hours are not pleasant company. They often complain about other people (who aren't working as hard); they are irritable, or cranky or even angry. Other people avoid them. Such behavior poses problems, where work goes much better when people work together instead of avoiding one another.

As Managers, there are things we can do to help people leave the office. First and foremost is to set the example and go home ourselves. I work with a manager who chides people for working long hours. His words quickly lose their meaning when he sends these chiding group emails with a time-stamp of 2am. Sunday. Second is to encourage people to put some balance in their lives.

For instance, here is a guideline I find helpful:
1) Wake up, eat a good breakfast and go to work.
2) Work hard and smart for eight or nine hours.
3) Go home.
4) Read the books/comics, watch a funny movie, dig in the dirt, play with your kids, etc.
5) Eat well and sleep well.

This called recreating. Doing Steps 1, 3, 4 and 5 enable 2. Working regular hours and recreating daily are simple concepts. They are hard for some of us because that requires 'personal change'. They are possible since we all have the power to choose to do them.

In considering the issue of overtime, I am reminded of my oldest son. When he was a toddler, if people were visiting the apartment, he would not fall asleep no matter how long the visit, and no matter what time of day it was. He would fight off sleep until the visitors left, It was as if he was afraid that he would miss something. Once our visitor's left, he would go to sleep. By this time, however, he was over tired and would scream half the night with nightmares. He, my wife and I, all paid the price for his fear of missing out.

Perhaps, some people put in such long hours because they don’t want to miss anything when they leave the office. The trouble with this is that events will never stop happening. That is life. Things happen 24 hours a day. Allowing for little rest is not ultimately practical.

So, take a nap. Things will happen while you're asleep, but you will have the energy to catch up with you awake.

Hence, "LOVE YOUR JOB BUT NEVER FALL IN LOVE WITH YOUR COMPANY".

Sunday, October 08, 2006

India a developed country by 2020???

You often hear this. It gives a sense of pride as an Indian. It soothes our ears and inspires us to do many things. But the question is..... is this really possible? I don't think so. You may think that as an Indian I must not tell this. You may find me unpatriotic but this is what I call reality and reality bites hard. As far as my knowledge goes India cannot be a developed country by 2050 ....at this rate also.

India may be growing at the rate of 8-9% ....booming economy, increasing per capita income, recognition in the international space, etc.......But do this really count. As you know there are two sides of a coin and everybody tends to look at the better half. We go to classes in AC office, are in AC, live in good cities and parents give us all that we need but we hardly realise what it is to earn money. There are companies like Info. Wipro, ICICI, ONGC but how many companies are there......my first trip out of my home was in Kolkatta. It was a nice place ...malls, shops, multiplex etc. I lived there for 2 weeks or so. Then I went to bangalore..I don't have to explain...So many companies; all the riches are there. Then I came to Bubaneshwar, Hyderbad, and then to Cochin. All that was fine nice places to live in. At present I am in Jamshedpur. It is maintained by the Tatas it is a fantastic city...But is it the whole of India?.....no never it cannot be if you come out of your Ac cars and rooms and visit the villages..

Today I went for a ride with my friend to Purulia about 50-60 kms from Jamshedpur. What I saw there really shoked me. I have seen many places but I have not seen places like this. In India there is a reality that the languages changes in every 50 kms and there is a vast difference if you move out from your cities. The people living there are so poor. They live in mud houses, houses made of mud only...only mud and nothing else. Women cover their bodies by only a saree. Kids are lying here and there like .............I cannot describe. Even the roads and all this will take a long time to become developed. The Tatas have done a good job. But how many companies are doing this. We cannot blame the Government alone. It cannot do that much as we expect it to do. We as an individual must try every grain that we can sow. Every individual must contribute..

If you want to see the real; face of India then move out of Info. Wipro and your AC rooms.....India has a lot more to go before it can be called a developed country .......till then hope and work for the future....

Friday, October 06, 2006

Dhirubhaism?? Can we follow it?????

1)Roll up your sleeves and help.
2)Be a safety net for your team.
3)The silent benefactor. ----When he helped someone, he never ever breathed a word about it to anyone else.
4)Dream big but dream with your eyes open.
5)Money is not a product by itself, it is a by-product, so don't chase it

Though he was not from IIM or SCMS till he managed to build such a vast empire due to this qualities that he had possesed. If we see our lifes we will find that hardly we can find this traits among ourselves or among our friends or those nearby us. we are the future of India....are we really??

If so then atleast we must find one of these traits. The whole future is ours. The next generation is looking at us and what we are teaching them. Corruption...(though it was there for a long time), jeleousness, hatred, selffishnes........etc name any bad thing we will find ourselves surrounded by it. Is it what the future managers of tommorow do? We must each ask this question to ourselves then only we can improve....and one more thing never blame others for whatever that has happened to your lives. If you think of the past only then you will remain in the past. Think about the future ......the good and free one and you will be there and you will find us, and the nation sorrounding you.
can Ganguly come back???

Records

Test
Scored a Century on his test debut
Scored a Century in each of his first two tests
Cummulative Test batting average never dipped below 40 runs per innings
Captained India in record 49 test matches
Led India to record 21 test wins

ODIs
Holds the record, shared with Mahendra Dhoni, for the second highest score by an Indian cricketer in an ODI — 183, against Sri Lanka in 1999, although he was out while Dhoni remained not-out.
Holds the record, shared with Sachin, for the highest first wicket partnership for India in a ODI match, 258, against Kenya in 2001.
Was involved in the First 300 run ODI partnership with Rahul Dravid
6th on the all time list with 30 man of the match awards
He is also the only player to win 4 consecutive man of the match awards in ODIs

He is the third player to cross 10,000 ODI runs
Sourav can bowl medium-pacers as well, but has under-achieved in this aspect in Test matches, taking 25 wickets in 84 matches, at an average of 52.47

As of 2006, he is the only Indian captain to win a Test series in Pakistan.


Controversies
Ganguly is a temperamental player and has often attracted controversy. He has attracted the wrath of match referrees quite a few times. Ganguly's performance in the last couple of seasons has been really poor. This put his place in the Indian team under pressure. And more so abt the Greg Chappel controversy.

But the question is ...will he be able to come back? this question is the most difficult to answer in the history of Indian cricket till date ....
Bajaj Allianz's big success story....can they survive in the lomg run???????

It's not the way most insurance companies in India have grown, but small towns and local recruits are the major planks of Bajaj Allianz's distribution strategy. Having discovered that even the smallest towns can prove rich catchment areas, the insurance company is spreading out rapidly into the interiors.

In just about five years, it has rolled out one of the biggest networks in the industry: at present, Bajaj Allianz has around 900 offices across the country, compared with around 330 for market leader ICICI Prudential.
Before the year is out, it will have more than 1,000 offices covering 586 districts, up from the current 450. Bajaj Allianz will be the first private sector insurance player to have a presence in towns like Akola in Chhattisgarh and Uluberia in West Bengal.


The strategy seems to be paying off. For the first time, in FY05-06, Bajaj Allianz notched up a first year premium of Rs 2,715.62 crore (Rs 27.16 billion), overtaking market leader ICICI Prudential, which earned Rs 2,637.48 crore (Rs 26.37 billion) as premium during the same period.

However, agents remain the biggest selling channel and so the company ensures that commissions are competitive - the industry average is around 25-30 per cent. Bajaj today has 125,000 agents, way behind LIC's 1 million but ahead of ICICI Prudential's 100,000.

However, in some of the towns, Bajaj has also used local financial advisors, since it believes the comfort level of the customer may be higher with them than with agents.

Monday, July 31, 2006

IS INDIA READY FOR FDI IN RETAIL

Walmart is one of the biggest retail store chains in the world and they are operating in 12 countries with over 3700 outlets in US alone and $285.2 billion in sales. They are waiting to enter India and the President of Walmart John B. Menzzer has already visited India in May 2005. Walmart is supposed to bring in millions of dollars , technology, inventory management and the use of IT in catering to consumer demand. They will sell very cheap too because of their sourcing their supplies from low wage countries. They are also likely to buy from Indian suppliers and give them specifications about the quality of product to be sold in their stores that would be world class. People who support the opening up of retail trade hope that this will bring about a huge increase in Indian exports because Walmart and others would buy in India and sell in different countries. They will also impart latest quality control techniques and this will upgrade the quality of Indian exports something that is badly needed.
The flip side of allowing FDI in Retail trading should also be examined. While Walmart would boost exports and buy directly from farmers, invest in food processing and generally lead to higher standards in Indian agricultural products, it would also affect the livelihood of 15 million small retailers scattered around the country. They constitute 98 per cent of the country's retail trade business and are contributing to 10 per cent of the country's GDP. These small traders may be selling from hand pushed carts, or from baskets, or small corner shops but they do cater to the population's immediate needs quite adequately. Many of these small retailers will go out of business and though competition will strengthen a few who may be able to survive, there will be a huge rise in unemployment. In a country with more than 41 million unemployed, retail trading has offered a means of livelihood for many in recent years. These people who are eking out a small monthly income from selling from pavements and small shops could be wiped out. While it is true that big retail chains will employ many more people but they may be those who are educated and skilled and can be trained. The small retailers who are neither educated nor skilled are least likely to find employment in Walmart. These retail giants also are likely to use more machinery than people.
Secondly, what guarantee is there that Walmart will source its supplies from India alone? They could be selling goods from Thailand, Nepal, Indonesia or China, Hondurus or Bangladesh in their shops. How can we be sure that the giant retailers would invest in food processing and refrigerated trucks and help the small farmers sell their produce to the big retailers? What happens when the farmers are unable to supply according to the exact specifications and there is a problem of rejected produce? How does the farmer get rid of such produce? It would of course be most desirable if the retail giants invest in storage, and give farmers better inputs and loans. But would they do so? If they went deep into the problems of low productivity in Indian agriculture and tried to solve it by introducing new technology, better irrigation methods and better post harvest management, they should be most welcome. They would then give a boost to many other sectors in the economy linked with farming activities. Similarly if they source their garments, socks and shoes from Indian manufacturers, it would boost manufacturing activity in India. China has become the manufacturing hub of the world because of the retail giants have been sourcing all their garments, shoes, bags, belts from China. Would they do so in India? Or are they just interested in the big market India offers with its middle class of 150 million people where they can sell products from everywhere else? After all they are interested in their profits most.
This are the few factors that must be considered before opening up India's market to foreigners.