Friday, November 30, 2012

SUICIDE ATTACKS: DANGER

Suicide attacks are growing by the day, in count and fashion!

Who claims that ‘improvement sucks’? Well, we do! And this feeling of disgust surfaces whenever someone realises that the ugliest form of suicide bombing has now truly gone global! What’s worse, the occurrences have not just increased manifold across the globe, but the tactics and techniques have drastically improved over the last few decades too! This clearly poses a serious warning to all in the world to reconsider adequate policy initiatives to prevent the world from such designed evils.

There are various forms of suicide attacks applied by various terror groups. One of the oldest one is the plane attack, Kamikaze, used first by the Japanese against US. Later on, many attackers imitated the same by hijacking planes and using the same as a missile.


Source : IIPM Editorial, 2012.

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Hotel Casa Fuster

Tthe symbol of love, Hotel Casa Fuster was built in 1908 when Mallorcan aristocrat Mariano Fuster appointed architect Lluís Domènech i Montaner and ordered him to convert a chocolate factory into the 'most spectacular house in the city' for his wife Consuelo Fabra and which, centuries later, now, stands as a luxury hotel and is listed as a landmark building.

THE VIEW: The hotel terrace overlooks the Mediterranean Sea, the Sagrada Familia Cathedral, the Passeig de Gracia, and the Tibidabo Mountain, all of which make for a splendid view. The terrace, in fact, is heaven for all those wanting to relax on a holiday as it has a Jacuzzi, a gymnasium and a swimming pool, thereby giving you a perfect view while you sit back and relax!

ARCHI TYPE: The 100-year-old building is a mix of Art Nouveau style reflected from its architecture with pillars and carvings, giving it a rich look and the contemporary state-of-the-art style reflected by its furniture and modern gadgets. The hotel has 96 bedrooms decorated with silk and lavender with mini-cinemas, saunas and king-sized beds.

BON APPÉTIT: The hotel boasts of restaurant Galaxo, which offers a Mediterranean cuisine with seasonal products. The restaurant has a contemporary ambience and its young chefs have been recently awarded for their constant innovations in their preparations. Otherwise, there is Café Viennese which is just the right place to chat and enjoy a hot cup of coffee with that special someone!

AROUND THE CORNER:

Situated in the heart of the city, the Mediterranean Sea, the Eixample and the Sagrada Familia Cathedral are some of the tourist attractions around the hotel. However, FC Barcelona and La Rambla are other must-see places. The former, arguably the most famous football stadium and the latter being the best place to enjoy street food and cheap bargains! However, you might have to go a bit out of your way to see these.


Source : IIPM Editorial, 2012.

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Wednesday, November 28, 2012

It’s about teaching them how to fish

Kris Gopalakrishnan, CEO, Infosys, shares his thoughts on Creative Capitalism & Infosys’ social initiatives in this exclusive interview with Priyanka Rajpal of B&E

Q: What are your viewpoints about Creative Capitalism? Is it necessary?
KG: Capitalism can be successful only if its benefits reach out to all sections of society, especially the socially and economically disadvantaged. There are large sections of society across the globe who have not benefited from capitalism – simply because what they need and want is not of interest to mainstream capitalism and profit-making organizations. There is a need for companies to be creative and innovate so that more people can benefit; at the same time fulfilling the basic criterion of capitalism – to make profits. This is Creative Capitalism, which makes it possible for companies to provide benefits to people who aren’t its direct stakeholders, while also maintaining its profitability.

There is a need for companies to think one step further, and explore options to extend the benefits of their businesses to a wider audience. Today’s society is increasingly networked and inter-linked, and Creative Capitalism can help both the common man as well as corporates, since it is an all-inclusive strategy. Innovative thinking and technology help reduce cost, and as a result, can make a visible difference in the lives of the underprivileged. When the quality of life afforded to these sections of society improves, they will in turn, stimulate demand for products and affordable technology.

Q: What as per you are the benefits from following Creative Capitalism?
KG: Creative Capitalism benefits all groups involved in the life cycle of a business transaction. For companies, Creative Capitalism drives innovation – it makes people sit up and think differently, develop new business models, which could mean a new product or an opportunity to break into a previously untapped market. This may be profit-motivated or out of pure goodwill.

While wealth is concentrated amongst certain pockets, many corporates address only these pockets. If a conscious effort is made to address the millions who exist out of these pockets, several issues like the alleviation of poverty can be addressed, while also increasing the markets that companies cater to.

From an industry point of view, Creative Capitalism helps companies establish themselves as brands with a conscience; as socially-progressive, involved and committed to a larger audience than just customers, employees and investors. For society in general, it means the opportunity and access to offerings that were not previously available to them, through a focused effort targeted at addressing their needs and requirements.


Source : IIPM Editorial, 2012.

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Tuesday, November 27, 2012

Hysteria Over Nukes and Nano

 Drama, hysteria and hype have become the staple diet in India when it comes to contentious issues. So carried are we by propaganda that mere controversies become life and death issues for the nation. Two such controversies have hogged the headlines persistently for more than a year and reveal the absurd lengths to which analysts, pundits and the media can go to put forth their point of view. One is the Indo-US Nuclear Deal and the other is the Nano project of the Tata group.

If you go by media reports, the very future of India’s energy security will be jeopardised forever if the nuclear deal doesn’t go through. There are dire warnings that Indian homes, offices and factories will remain dark and desolate without nuclear power. Similarly, if you go by media reports, a catastrophe worse than the famine of 1943 will strike Bengal if Ratan Tata gets fed up and shifts the Nano project to another one of the many states that are laying down the red carpet for him. In some media outlets, you will read alarming stories of how the plug will be pulled on Rs.800 billion worth of planned investments in Bengal if the Nano project is shifted from Singur.

It is ironical; but in both the cases, the media has officially branded as anti-national villains two sets of people and parties, both of whom predominantly belong to Bengal. In the case of the nuclear deal, the Left has been excoriated as a spoilsport that doesn’t want India to become prosperous. In the Singur case, it is Mamta Bannerjee who has been cast as a stubborn naysayer who doesn’t want Bengal to become prosperous.

Even those who make such doomsday predictions and projections privately admit that their forecasts are grossly exaggerated. Take energy security. Sure nuclear energy will be a big plus, once it is fully operational around 2020 if the deal goes through now. If basic reforms in the sector are not implemented now, power cuts will anyway cripple India long before nuclear power arrives. And who says that the deal can never ever be revived if it fails this time? Nobody seems to be talking about that. Then again, it will be good for Bengal if the Nano project is kick started at Singur. But will its relocation forever destroy Bengal as an investment destination? If the state, like India, can provide the right environment, the right infrastructure and a lucrative market, investors – both domestic and international automatically flow. And one nuclear deal and one Nano project will not permanently change that equation.


Source : IIPM Editorial, 2012.

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Monday, November 26, 2012

Let’s tell you about the Gang of 10

Obama encourages the formation of this team to debate US oil drilling

In spite of the fact that Republicans led by John McCain are robustly favouring the lifting of the moratorium on drilling in the US and trying to garner public support on the issue, the fact that Democrats are against such a lifting of restrictions, has created a new loggerjam of a debate between the two parties and their representatives.

Even if the energy policy has led to an impasse in the Senate between the two parties in the past, the latest encouraging remarks by Obama, where he has found righteousness in offshore drilling, is a major shift in the otherwise rigid stand of the Democrats. The formation of a bipartisan team, called ‘Gang of 10’, is being encouraged by Obama himself to look into the matter, and with a common broad based viewpoint (it consists of 5 Democrats and 5 Republicans).


Source : IIPM Editorial, 2012.

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Friday, November 23, 2012

...for ‘Cell’...a cancer cell!

Now that’s alarming! Today there are some three billion users of mobile phones across the world including an increasing number of young children as well. While ten years back the number was far less, it could be a reason why the researches are not being able to gather enough evidences. But then, if one notices, the major advancements in learning about what causes cancer has always taken a longer time, be it the case of smoking, Nagasaki-Hiroshima bombing effects, sunlight causing skin cancer or asbestos. The research by the several accolades winner Mr. Khurana and several others in UK has sent shivers down the spine of telecom associations and the government of India as well, which would soon set out policies to limit public exposure to radio waves from base stations and mobile handsets. While not setting up base stations near hospitals, schools or residential areas is in the hands of the authorities, it is time that individuals take charge of their own lives too.

Though variety adds spice to life, there is always a hitch even to the best of things. The time has come when making choices to sustain not just life but healthy happy lives is crucial. For all you know, the virtual-mobility-revolution being celebrated by mankind could actually be the reason for its extinction.

Cut the risk

l Avoid mobile phones for children until senior school.
l Use a landline whenever possible and laptops not to be used on the lap!
l Use the speaker and keep the mobile 20 cms away from the head while talking.
l ‘Texting’ better than calling.
l Cover the wire of the hands-free with a cover of ferrite beads.


Source : IIPM Editorial, 2012.

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Wednesday, November 21, 2012

PAKISTAN: ECONOMY

Pakistan’s economy is almost on emergency mode; nobody’s worried!

During Jan-Oct FY08, imports of food stood near to $3.5 billion, fertiliser $823 million and fuel, a gigantic $8.6 billion. With the global oil and food price rise, and growing political instability, Pakistan might just be on the road to an economic disaster. And the warning signs are already on alarm mode. There has been a drastic reduction in fertiliser production as well as wheat produce. Add to this the over 17% oil budget rise, which happened solely because of the global oil price increase. An economic collapse is not a rare phenomenon if one sees developing nations, the most recent being Zimbabwe. Pakistan seems to be mirroring almost all the issues that plagued Zimbabwe. Sadly, all that remains now is for the fire alarm to blow!


Source : IIPM Editorial, 2012.

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Tuesday, November 20, 2012

NATO: PAKISTAN

Talking is dumb

To make things worse, Pakistan’s top Taliban commander is said to have taken an oath to persist in such a war till the time the US and NATO soldiers remain in Afghanistan. The ostensible reasoning that Pakistan keeps forwarding – that they’re still ‘talking’ with the militant groups – is laughable. Only a sub-woofer dodo would believe such a hackneyed stage-managed show of meeting up with militants.

Dear Musharraf (or whoever is in power), when militants attack, you attack! Not talk! Uh oh, we apologise. You already knew that, didn’t you?


Source : IIPM Editorial, 2012.

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Monday, November 19, 2012

Powerless

Electricity is still a hope..

Centre’s dream project of providing electricity to all the villages (1,25,000 of them), proved to be a non-starter due to lack of responses from States. According to the policy, all State Governments were required to prepare and notify a rural electrification plan to achieve the goal of providing access to all households within six months of the policy being notified. However, not even a single State had forwarded its plans to the Centre by the stipulated deadline.

The Centre, meanwhile, could be looking at limiting the role of Central public sector utilities, including NTPC Ltd. and Power Grid Corporation of India Ltd., in the task of rural electrification.


Source : IIPM Editorial, 2012.

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What? It’s not unlimited?!

Global dynamics in the light of water that’s getting scarcer

D o transboundary rivers trigger inter-state conflicts or encourage cooperation? Klaus Toepfer, former director-general of the United Nations Environment Programme had prophesied possibilities of distinct wars over water issues a decade ago. Tensions escalated between the US and Mexico when Mexico extracted water for irrigation from rivers in America’s land. One of the prime reasons for Israel’s invasion over Gaza strip was getting control over the river Jordon. Syria and Iraq kept on accusing Turkey for not giving enough accessibility to water of The Euphrates’s river basin and digging dams one after another. But the severities and gruesome ramifications of fights for water are more visible in the poorest continent Africa. Hundreds died in battles between Uganda, Ethiopia, Sudan and Egypt. Tensions reaches to the peak when Ethiopia set up irrigation projects in the Nile which restricted water flow to Egypt.

Surprisingly, the issue has taken a new twist with a recent report revealed by Oregon State University stating that transboundary rivers have led to more cooperation than conflicts in history.


Source : IIPM Editorial, 2012.

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Wednesday, November 14, 2012

EDIBLE OIL: SECTOR REPORT

MNCs are lining up procurement plans, but only an aggressive retail strategy will enable them to make inroads

 On the other hand, Singapore-based Wilmar International Ltd, which entered India in a joint venture with the Adani Group, believes in local procurement for its operations. Reasons Angshu Mallick, Asst. Vice President, Sales & Marketing, Adani Wilmar Ltd, “It ensures quality for the long run and the market is constantly growing, so to meet the demand, you have to be present in every segment of the production cycle.” Ensuring its presence on the front end, the group has made its Fortune brand available in 6 lakh out of 8 lakh organised grocery retail outlets across the country (according to ACNielsen figures). This has enabled Adani-Wilmar to mint an incredible turnover of Rs.32 billion for the financial ended 2007-08 and to target a turnover of Rs.120 billion by 2010. Marico’s Saffola is not sitting quite either, as sources from the company confirm to B&E that they are charting out plans to significantly increase production capacity and enhance their retail presence. This increased retail presence has also played the most critical role in making Ruchi Soya’s story a success in India; making it the largest domestic player today.

In the face of such promises, however, there is a challenge, which stares at all those dreaming big on the subcontinent – a market which today includes 80% of the organised segment. Hence, for those wanting to walk steadily here, the only strategy left forward is to magnify their channels and grow it to the maximum. It’s a slippery surface out there and you do need the retail support to run on it!


Source : IIPM Editorial, 2012.

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Friday, November 9, 2012

ECONOMIC MODEL: INDIA’S USP

US model of capitalism will take many countries like India nearer to China’s level of prosperity

Stock markets in China are dreadfully strange. In 2005, Shanghai Stock Market (SSM) reached nearly 2,200 points but suddenly and surprisingly, it crashed down in April, the same year, wiping out half the wealth from the stock market. On the contrary, though Indian stock market is volatile but its strong regulatory system and impressive corporate performance gives buoyancy to India from any severe disaster. And most importantly, China’s totalitarian government and self-interest of its leaders can emerge as the hardest obstacle on its long journey. The dragon has experienced economic liberalisation as of yet but not political revolution. History bears testimony to the fact that political revival will not be easy for China. Chinese leaders never hesitated to slaughter its people for self-interest and to block any further revivalism. In that regard, Taiwan & Korea witnessed peaceful transformation because of their liberal and soft-political mindset.

To put things in perspective, indicators might not reflect impressive outcomes of present policy initiations and implications for Indian economy but it has proved enough credentials for future prospects. And further, its move towards American way of economy will bestow countless blessings in long run, boosting entrepreneurial spirit, competition and corporate leadership.


Source : IIPM Editorial, 2012.

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Thursday, November 8, 2012

To nourish social sectors

The budgeting process is planned as per changes forecast last year

An incremental budget treats existing programmes and departments as already approved, subject only to increases or decreases in the financial resources allocated. The organisation’s historical costs are the base from which budget planning starts. The focus of budgeting process is on the changes anticipated in the last year’s figures. If the government is in a fairly stable environment, this approach may be satisfactory, provided there is a thorough review.

BSE Sensex is skyrocketing to near 20,000 points, glorifying our capital markets, FDI and FIIs are entering the Indian market in a major way, all of it giving a very fairy tale kind of a rosy picture of our economy. But what people fail to see, however, are the bottom 35% of our population, who live below the poverty line.


Source : IIPM Editorial, 2012.

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Playful networker

With a unique convergence strategy, RCOM now means much more to Indians than a mere price leader. By shashank shekhar

To match the cost of a call to a subsidised government postcard was pioneering enough. Such ideas, often hailed as proprietary of a few gifted people, predictably came from the patriarch, thereby establishing Reliance Communications (RCOM), a telecom major credited with skipping and climbing the golden ladder that leads to the world’s second fastest growing cellular market. That drew in the hordes flaunting white LG phones with blue-lit screens, which could literally be had by just walking into one of those Reliance stores better known as R-World cafes. Of course, detractors were quick to speculate that Reliance Communications would be all about price leadership and nothing more.

Unfortunately for them, nothing could be further from the truth, Reliance Communications is creating waves in the telecom circles in more ways than one, be it with Anil Ambani’s exemplary network expansion drive, his foray to be a dual service provider (CDMA & GSM) or his most innovative convergence plans that transcend the entire gamut of digital media. In particular, RCOM’s endeavour to build a powerful portfolio of VAS services from the grassroots, is a feat arguably unparallaled in the telecom arena. No wonder, Anil enthusiastically commented while announcing the Q3 results, “The Indian telecom sector is poised at the threshold of a significant growth opportunity and RCOM, as a fully-integrated and converged service provider, is best-positioned to capture this growth.” What makes RCOM so different with respect to its approach to VAS?

“Fortunately at RCOM, VAS is treated as fundamental to our telecom business. Starting from handsets, we ensure that each piece is WAP enabled,” comments Krishna Durbha, Head – VAS, Business & Marketing Applications and Solutions. With commoditisation of voice, as is being witnessed by the industry, telcos have but little choice to tap into the services’ revenue stream that attracts a premium in today’s scenario. But most remain skeptical of introducing new products in the backdrop of thousands of ‘ring tones’ or ‘caller tunes’ and are also appalled by prospects of piracy. A point at which Durbha – salt & pepper haired with serious demeanour – lets out a contained chuckle for, according to him, VAS applications from a Reliance mobile phone can’t be pirated as phones are locked from the factory.


Source : IIPM Editorial, 2012.

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Tuesday, November 6, 2012

‘Kingdom of God is within you’

Peace, pride and prosperity can’t be imposed, bought or sold

The maxim, “the Rabbit that stays in a hole must be ready to face the hunter’s fire,” aptly defines the problems that most of poor African and Asian countries encounter. And if the World Bank floods these poor economies with aids, they will remain poor in the next century. The world has to realise that poverty, health, money are not problems of Africa. It is their failure to realise their own role to come out from the anarchy and shame. Aids, donations and sympathy from the developed world have never helped them; these have in fact, made them more dependent to godfathers, colonisers and aid giving countries.

The only continent blessed with natural resources, comprising of petroleum, diamond, metals; Africa failed to reap off these. If godfathers are only to be blamed; then South Korea, India faced much traumatic, horrifying, colonial history. Still, S. Korea is 30 times richer than Zimbabwe in terms of PPP. The crux of the problem is exclusively on poor quality of governance.


Source : IIPM Editorial, 2012. An Initiative of IIPM, Malay Chaudhuri
and Arindam Chaudhuri (Renowned Management Guru and Economist).
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Taking stock

Are there lessons for all from assassination of Benazir?

The assassination of Benazir Bhutto has been perhaps one of the most tragic incident in recent history. This incident not only has weakened the cause of democracy but has also thrown Pakistan far into a zone of no return. While many have been trying to play down the entire incident as just the continuation of the Pakistani legacy of military coups and assassinations, this episode of the same has put the future of South Asia at a real crossroad. Now that the dust is settling down and things are relatively coming back to normalcy, are there important lessons and observations to be drawn from this tragic happening? Well, to start with, Benazir’s assassination once again brings forth an increasingly menacing trend of this era, i.e. nations are subject to more risk from within, than from outside.

For rest of the world, nothing could have been better than to see the gradual restoration of faith in democracy in hearts and minds of the average Pakistani and releasing him/her steadily from clutches of fundamentalism. It’s some elements within Pakistan, aided by global fundamentalism, which have given a death knell to restoration of democracy in Pakistan. In the same league, for an LTTE, it makes more sense to continue with mayhem than to find reasonable political solutions for the cause of Sri Lanka’s Tamil minorities and thereby putting Sri Lanka at risk more from within than outside.

The same is the case of Bangladesh which through its ascension as well as assertion of fundamentalism is increasingly proving that, once, it was rightly called East Pakistan. Today Bangladesh, and Nepal too has more threats from within than without. A wider scrutiny of Asia at large and even of Europe would vindicate that the same malaise is plaguing them too, be it IRA is UK, ETA in Spain or PKK in Turkey. For the whole of 20th century, nations put more resources to mitigate external threats. And in their quest to securing external boundaries, they literally undermined the problems germinating within. As a result internal security was always considered less of a priority than external security.


Source : IIPM Editorial, 2012.

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