Showing posts with label Management school. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Management school. Show all posts

Tuesday, June 15, 2010

Russia, France for MRCA

With no-strings-attached access, complete transfer of technology and the IAF’s familiarity in operating Mirage and MiG 29 aircraft, the lethal and all-new combat platforms of MiG 35 and Rafale should be India’s choice, Tathagata Bhattacharya writes

It has been almost 10 years now that the Indian Air Force (IAF) projected a requirement for 126 Medium Multi-Role Combat Aircraft (MMRCA or MRCA). It was touted as the biggest defence aviation deal of the decade. We are virtually into another decade and the procrastinating Indian defence establishment still has not decided upon the procurement. As the six competitors near completion of the trials, it looks like the deal will finally materialise this decade. And it is likely the deal size will increase to about 200 aircraft, depending on requirements. The deal is valued between of $12 and $14 billion.

Any discussion on what aircraft suits India best has to factor in various parameters. And since the aircraft are going to be in service for at least 40 years and, thus, play a significant role in the transformation of IAF from a tactical air wing defending the country’s airspace into a strategic force capable of domination of far-away skies, the choice has to be in sync with IAF’s future procurement plans.

The IAF, in 2025-2030, should ideally have about 60 squadrons looking after the varied needs of air defence, air superiority, multi-role, deep penetration strike, reconnaissance and electronic warfare. While the Indo-Russian Fifth Generation Fighter Aircraft (PAKFA) would constitute the higher end of the spectrum and will be the frontline stealth fighter for establishing air superiority, the indigenous LCA Tejas air defence warplanes will make up the lowest end of the rung. As many as 200 FGFA and at least 200 LCA are likely to be in service by 2030. Adding the 280 Sukhoi 30 MKIs to the list, India will have 34 squadrons of fourth and fifth generation Beyond Visual Range (BVR)- capable aerial combat platforms. The 120-odd upgraded MiG 29s and Mirage 2000s will be in the last leg of their service then. The indigenous stealth Medium Combat Aircraft (MCA), which has already passed wind tunnel tests, should also be operational by then. Detractors will jump and point to the delays of the LCA project. LCA was India’s first attempt to build a world-class light combat aircraft from the scratch. Slowly but surely, India has been able to develop an R&D and building infrastructure which should be able to see MCA through. Ideally, this infrastructure should have followed the development of the HAL HF-24 Marut way back in the 1960s. And though IAF sources would hardly acknowledge it, the LCA goalposts were moved too often (thrice) to suit the changing requirements of the IAF, leading to its delay.

For Complete IIPM Article, Click on IIPM Article

Source : IIPM Editorial, 2009


An IIPM and Professor Arindam Chaudhuri (Renowned Management Guru and Economist) Initiative

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Friday, June 11, 2010

PEACE MAY GET ANOTHER CHANCE

A group wants the govt and ULFA to make a new start

A group of prominent citizens of Assam organised a state-level convention on April 24 with an aim to revive the peace process between ULFA and the Central government. More than 130 ethnic and state-level organisations participated in this event. The move has been welcomed by the self-styled commander in-chief of ULFA, Paresh Barua. Issuing a statement to the media through an e-mail, Barua said ULFA would never give up its demand of sovereignty.

He further added that all the participants were committed to the Constitution of India that had already taken away the legitimate rights of the people of the state. Moreover, Barua claimed that some 12, 000 people lost their lives in the fight between security forces and ULFA. He said the outfit would never compromise with its demand for the sake of holding talks. But on the other hand, member of the organising committee of the convention, Dilip Patgiri, said: “We are hopeful and I think this convention will help solve the problem of our state. The convention had formed a steering committee whose work is to suggest both the ulfa and the government to take the right decision in resolving the burning issue that has rocked the state for long.”

Meanwhile, ulfa chairman Arabinda Rajkhowa and vice-chairman Raju Baruah, who are in jail, declined comment on the issue. This clearly indicates that there are growing differences of opinion amongst ULFA leaders. Analysts said there is no consensus in the party on the issue.

However, leader of the 28th battalion Jiten Dutta said: “Paresh Barua only dreams of a sovereign Assam. It is easy to declare war from a foreign country. He doesn’t understand the problem local people are faced with. We hope that the convention will have a positive impact on the discussion process.” He said those who are fighting for the outfit now want peace. They support the new move. But Jiten added: “The organisation is not divided on this issue. Of late, Paresh Barua’s popularity has been waning. Only a handful of cadres back him. Only 10 to 15 members are with him. It is easy to send an e-mail from a foreign country. He keeps himself away from reality.”

The day-long state-level convention called upon both the government and the ULFA to come forward for talks without any further delay and precondition. Now the ball is in the ULFA’s court. It would be interesting to see how the outfit reacts to the offer. Insiders say chances are that they may not let this opportunity go. With its top leadership behind bars and its chief on the run, the outfit has little option left than to resume peace talks with the Central government. If it happens then peace may finally return to Assam.

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Source : IIPM Editorial, 2009


An IIPM and Professor Arindam Chaudhuri (Renowned Management Guru and Economist) Initiative

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Wednesday, June 09, 2010

Size does matter

Around her 31st birthday, Hollywood actress Kate Hudson, it seems, got for herself a rather unusual gift. Hudson’s recent pictures have shown her looking fuller and have led to rumours that the “Raising Helen” star has gone in for breast implants. Well, insiders are believed to have let out that the “How to lose a guy in 10 days” actress has, in fact, gone through a ‘small boob job’ last month right after losing her guy, baseball player A-Rod. Not that this is a first of its kind incident in Hollywood, but it does raise eyebrows since she has often been heard endorsing small breasts for sheer comfort of ‘wearing plunging necklines’!

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Source : IIPM Editorial, 2009


An IIPM and Professor Arindam Chaudhuri (Renowned Management Guru and Economist) Initiative

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Wednesday, April 28, 2010

Home's cool!

Is homeschooling a viable recourse from the culture of rote pervading our education system? Swati Hora explores how useful can this option of alternative education be to our ‘institutionalised’ children…

Around six months back, nine-year-old Pranav was given by his parents the option to train in the three R's at home and instead, school in music formally at a reputed institute. Music was Pranav’s life. The family experimented with the idea in the Dusshera break and having seen it work, withdrew Pranav from his school. Bangalore-based Sandhya –Pranav’s mother – reasoned, “I was a kindergarten teacher at a school. My husband (Vinod) is a part-time professor in Pharmacology. Our son was doing very well in all subjects and activities at the school he went to, yet, we chose to homeschool him. The primary reason was his inclination to music which we didn't want reduced to an after-school hobby that one grows weary of, next to the pursuit of school projects and studies. Moreover, we felt that in some subjects his potential was higher and most schools fail to deliver what is promised. Even if the intentions (of the school) are good, at the end of the day, it depends on how the teacher is. At home now, we have been doing a mix of textbook and practical learning and things have been progressing quite well. In fact, Pranav has developed a keen interest in animation too.”

Listening to Pranav’s story, and the fact of more than two million homeschooled children (in the US alone), one feels the compelling need to introspect on the ideal nature of education. To grow within the somewhat restricted orb of an academic institution, or let flow in the structureless world of experiences? Maybe, a blend of both. At least, that seems to be the wish of an increasing number of parents around the world who, for varied reasons, have lent themselves to the onus of educating their children at home. Leaving her IT career behind, Chetana Anoop Keni took up a year’s diploma course to learn teaching techniques for homeschooling her child. “In spite of being extremely creative and being deeply interested in science and math, he was distracted in school. I realised that he did not do well with repetitive tasks and did not identify with the teaching style.”

Chetana homeschooled her son for three years using recommended methods to help improve his creativity and intelligence and show him the direction towards independent learning. A resident of Bangalore, Chetana now counsels parents about homeschooling since the number of parents opting for it as an alternative form of education is growing by the day, though “often for the wrong reasons.” After two years of working as an independent special educator for helping children with learning difficulties, gifted children and homeschoolers, Chetana realises homeschooling is not for everyone. “There are children who are very social and love to go to school. If the teaching standard of the school is low, parents should change the school, change the learning styles, use multiple intelligence techniques, take help from others etc., but not keep the child home,” she asserts.

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Source : IIPM Editorial, 2009


An IIPM and Professor Arindam Chaudhuri (Renowned Management Guru and Economist) Initiative

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Monday, April 19, 2010

The F-theory!

For 23 consecutive years till 2009, Ford’s F-series had been the number one selling brand in the US. It’ll be this year too. The ex-GE, ex-Boeing Alan Mulally, Ford’s CEO, seems to have learnt his lessons hard, with his current ‘One Ford’ strategy. Ford’s sales resurgence in the US in February 2010 isn’t a verdict, yet the broad trends reveal tremendous opportunity in the US market and a turnaround that’s a pure classic!

The events that unfolded in the global automotive industry over the last year or so beg the question – do things happen by destiny or by design? For years, Toyota was working on its Chairman’s vision to overtake GM as the world’s largest auto maker. And they did, with swift planning and execution. In the midst of Toyota’s rise, everyone was hailing the Japanese resurgence, and the focus remained on the Toyota-GM competition. Ford wasn’t exactly a single point of focus as a contender, being the number 2. It was normally mentioned in the same vein as the Detroit trio with GM and Chrysler; and the world seemed to think that all three were headed towards a similar destiny.

As things progressed, it is evident in retrospect that Ford had chosen a different path altogether and had successfully made the right bets in implementing a strategic turnaround. Moreover, as Toyota goes about the arduous and embarrassing task of recalling its vehicles, it seems to be recalling its number 1 spot in part, as undoing the damage will indeed take some doing. While the jury is out on this, there are voices in the industry who are already beginning to throw up some names for the next prospective number one. And not surprisingly, Ford is on that list now, and has an opportunity to avenge its relative inconspicuousness with panache. These believers did get some valuable numbers in February 2010 to support their hypothesis. GM in that month sold 1,41,951 units with a yoy gain of 12%. Toyota, in turn saw a major hit, as its sales fell by 8.7% yoy to record a final figure of 1,00,027 units for the same month. Notably, Toyota has been number 2 in the US market since 2007. Ford beat them all reporting a 43% sales increase in US (to 142,285 units). Fusion was the star vehicle in Ford’s line up as its sales grew by more than 100% yoy. One could perhaps imagine that this was the taxpayer’s way of thanking Ford for coming back on track without the government’s support!

Indeed, Ford has engineered a remarkable turnaround over the past two years in the midst of recession. And it now has a definite advantage over GM, ever since the former took bankruptcy protection. Net income for the financial year 2009 stood at $2.7 billion (86 cents per share) from a loss of $14.76 billion in 2008.
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Source : IIPM Editorial, 2009


An IIPM and Professor Arindam Chaudhuri (Renowned Management Guru and Economist) Initiative

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Wednesday, April 07, 2010

Of Dutch sahibs and the deep blue ocean…

With its sandy beaches, sparkling gems and Buddhist temples, the Island nation has the potential to become a major tourist hotspot

The first thing that strikes you as your flight hovers above Bandaranaike International Airport outside Colombo is the deep blue ocean. You cannot help but be mesmerised. You ask yourself, if this is an ocean what was that you saw at Chennai and Mumbai—muddy urban drains? Sri Lanka has that effect on you.

The island nation, justifiably called “The Pearl of the Indian Ocean”, has many surprises for the tourists. From white sand beaches to Portuguese architecture, from lush green tea plantation districts to the ancient city of Anuradhapuram, the island has much to offer in jaw-dropping abundance.

Start your voyage from Colombo itself. You’ll seldom come across a city like this. There is a lot to do in the city for all age-groups. People who are interested in history can take a tour of the National Museum of Colombo and the Dutch Period Museum. While the former gives you a vivid sense of Sri Lanka's rich history, the latter offers a glimpse of the Dutch rule on the island. The artifacts displayed here are among the rarest of the rare and are bound to draw attention. The Lionel Wendt Memorial Art Centre at Guilford Crescent is the centre for culture vultures. The place is always brimming with activity. A quite evening amid the spectacle of Sri Lankan culture is a dead must.

Galle Face Green Promenade on the North-Western extent of the city is Colombo’s equivalent to Bandstand. Only, the former is million times cleaner and serener. You’ll find hundreds of families taking their evening stroll amidst the calls of ice cream and other fast food vendors. A nice place to strike a conversation with locals. Solitude seekers can alternatively stretch out on chairs and just see the Indian Ocean in all its splendour. However, a visit to Mount Lavinia, on the outskirts of the city, is a truly out of this world experience. This beach offers you all sorts of water sports as well as some of the best Ayurvedic massages that you would have ever come across.

The more religious minded can visit any of the numerous Buddhist temples in the capital city. Kelaniya Raja Maha Vihara in the heart of the city is a famous attraction for travellers—both Buddhists and non-Buddhists. The temple boasts an exceptional carving of a reclining Buddha and is the site for an annual fair.

The area around Fort is famous for swanky malls and marketplaces. The gem and stone shops in the World Trade Tower offer some of the most exciting gems collected from deep inside the India Ocean, and that too at tempting prices. Pettah is the old commercial district where one can buy a range of things from thousands of shops.

For Complete IIPM Article, Click on IIPM Article

Source : IIPM Editorial, 2009


An IIPM and Professor Arindam Chaudhuri (Renowned Management Guru and Economist) Initiative

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Outlook Magazine money editor quits
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Tuesday, March 30, 2010

The true story of rising prices

Vikas Kumar and Abhishek Kumar find out an unholy nexus of mandi traders, commission agents and retailers at work

Indian’s billion-plus people are wondering if prices of essential food items will fall. Though neoclassical economics seek to explain the rising prices in terms of rise in demand and fall in supply, it is not reason enough for people like Rageshwari, a receptionist in a small private firm with monthly take home salary of Rs 10,000. She had gone to the local bazaar to find one kg of cauliflower selling at Rs 22. Thousands of commoners are affected, they feel helpless.

Team TSI went on an early morning fact-finding mission in the wholesale mandis of Delhi. Cauliflower was selling at the rate of Rs four to six a kg there. In retail, the same thing was selling at Rs 20 to 25 per kg. The story was pretty much the same for potato, onion and coriander.

A walk in Azadpur Mandi in Delhi, one of the biggest wholesale markets of fruits and vegetables, is not the most enchanting experience but it opens one’s eyes. Here one comes face to face with reality, the murky world of arhatias, commission agents and traders who are ready to take hapless farmers for a ride. No market theory can explain this phenomenon.

Commission agents and traders lead the pack but the local sabziwallah has joined the bandwagon too. Believe it or not, in certain categories of vegetables, their margin of profit has touched 300-400 per cent.

Wholesale prices have dropped to a fraction of what they were at the beginning of the year, but there is hardly any decline in retail prices. You might find it difficult to digest but you are ending up paying three to four times the mandi price.

Wholesale rates at present are actually at the lowest as compared to the past few months due to continuous downward trend since December 2009 and there is reportedly no shortage of any vegetable. Devinder Sharma, noted agriculture expert, says, “I don’t think food inflation will ebb after April of this year. In the days to come, we will first see the impact on prices of the Budget decision to hike duties on fuel. In the past few days, the price of 500 gram of curd in Mother Dairy has gone up by Rs two and that of cheese by Rs four.”

Some believe that the April harvest would impact the price of food items. The pressure on inflation will ease after the new crop flows into the markets. But those who believe in this are actually living in the fool’s paradise. Sharma explains why this is not feasible,“Fertiliser manufacturers have promised not to raise the price of other fertilisers besides urea in Kharif 2010, but once the monsoon season is over, they will be a given free hand in deciding the prices. That is where the fertiliser manufacturers are waiting to make a killing. This will have a cascading effect on food prices...”
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Source : IIPM Editorial, 2009


An IIPM and Professor Arindam Chaudhuri (Renowned Management Guru and Economist) Initiative

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Outlook Magazine money editor quits
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Friday, March 05, 2010

Auro Meets BAPU

Filmmaker Leena Yadav rises from the "SHABD" ashes to break new ground by socking a lethal casting coup-the Big B with Sir Ben Kingsley! In this exclusive with Monojit Lahiri, the director of "Teen Patti" narrates how it all happened, the experience of working with this deadly duo… & much, much more!

She’s one hell of a freako! Studied science in school. Dreamt of becoming an architect in college – and almost made it. Wandered into doing economics honours at LSR Delhi (thanks to peer pressure) and ended up getting a first division. Moved to Mumbai from Delhi to pursue a course in media at Sophia. Charged, she leapt into a variety of jobs that included editing, writing and directing – mostly in the area of TVCs and later television programmes. In 2005, she made her directorial debut with the Sanjay Dutt–Ash starrer “Shabd”. Critically acclaimed, it was, however, perceived as too intellectual by the howling mobs. Shaken, not stirred, the lady returns with renewed vigour and all cylinders firing to offer “Teen Patti”, due to release this Friday, 26th of February.

How did “Teen Patti” happen? The idea came out of a conversation with the music director Vishal Dadlani over a cup of coffee. “He was narrating to me a real-life card scam and thought it could be an interesting theme to pursue. I was immediately taken in, big time and it coincided with my desire to do a film targeting the youth”. Thereafter she researched like hell on global card scams, spoke to and met people, saw documentaries on them… And got even more excited and convinced that this was the platform to connect with the youth. “Teen Patti” has three generations, so, it felt very right. “When I started writing the script, however, it was another ball game! I soon realised that I couldn’t write it alone and needed help. I’ve been a great admirer of Shiv Subramaniam’s work (“Parinda”, “1942 – A Love Story”, “Chameli”, “Hazaaron Khwaishein Aisi”) and invited him to come on board. He graciously agreed and we soon went about brainstorming, creating and destroying a whole lot of characters, events … It was truly fantastic!”

And, Mr Bachchan? “After the first draft was ready, we narrated it to Ambika Hinduja, who loved it and wanted to produce it. That was great! Next, we decided (after a lot of thinking) that the role of the protagonist, Venkat Subramaniam needed the stature and aura of the Big B. We sought an appointment, met him, narrated the basic storyline and I think I kept speaking – passionately and honestly – about the project, way beyond the stipulated time given to us. Mr Bachchan had told us, initially, that he would go through the script in detail and if he felt comfortable, would get back to us. Suddenly, I heard him say (like in a dream?) “But relax, your Venkat Subramaniam is in front of you!” I was floored, blown, speechless! We couldn’t imagine, in our wildest dreams, that the towering inferno would be so generous with a new filmmaker and team, so soon …”
For Complete IIPM Article, Click on IIPM Article

Source : IIPM Editorial, 2009


An IIPM and Professor Arindam Chaudhuri (Renowned Management Guru and Economist) Initiative

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Tuesday, March 02, 2010

A Ball by the Baltic

“Every leaf speaks bliss to me, fluttering from the autumn tree”, said Emily Bronte; and autumn in Jurmala is one time when this spa resort turns ‘golden.’ In this blissful golden forest, one could unwind and recuperate at will. Jurmala, quietly nestled near the Baltic Sea and amidst the famous continental European nations like Germany and Finland, is amongst the most fascinating Baltic destinations. Jurmala boasts of its National parks, awe-inspiring art and architecture, white sand beaches and beautiful boulevards perfectly suitable for soothing romantic walks.

Once in Jurmala, pamper yourself by visiting the wide range of spas available, and indulge in tempting curative massages. ‘Paradise city’, as Jurmala is also known, is well known for its hydrogen springs and a certain kind of mud, which has medicinal properties, very useful for massages and mud- treatments. If your idea of recuperation is some breathtaking adventure, then drive down to Sigulda and experience some skydiving simulation without the parachute. One doesn’t need to get on a plane and jump out of it; simply float in the air above gigantic ventilators in a vertical wind tunnel. But if your idea of a good day spent is exploring new places, then a visit to the city of Tukums is a must. It is a very short drive away from Jurmala and is better known as Latvian Hollywood! One could take props and don the army gear and pretend to fight the war in a battlefield, while making funny videos and taking hilarious pictures. Jurmala also offers its guests a glimpse of the late 19th century. In the vicinity are some wonderful old wooden homes and other buildings that display many decorative Art Nouveau details. Those who appreciate art, culture and tradition would love to visit the Baznica Church and Jurmala City Museum, which has almost 50 thousand exhibits in different historical and artistic collections, as well as exhibits of underwater archaeology. Jurmala’s true assets are its white sand beaches like Majori and Bulduri beach.

Jurmala, probably has the longest stretch of beaches on one side and on the other is the beautiful Lielupe River, which flows parallel to the beach. Those accompanied by kids could splash around at the Aqua Park. Nature lovers can go for some photography or a refreshing walk in Kemeri National Park.

Jurmala is a fusion of breathtaking natural beauty, artistic museums and traditional architecture. Revellers could choose from sunbathing and relaxing at the beach to hopping from one fabulous town to another… This small, yet interesting Baltic hide-away is sure to cast a spell.
For Complete IIPM Article, Click on IIPM Article

Source : IIPM Editorial, 2009


An IIPM and Professor Arindam Chaudhuri (Renowned Management Guru and Economist) Initiative

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Monday, February 22, 2010

Can India be Mine?

Global leaders have somehow found it difficult to crack the indian market. can the 'quality' icon find a way to emerge as a powerhouse in one of the fastest growing auto markets? By pawan chabra

When the going gets tough, the tough gets quirky! Don’t believe us? Check out the New ‘special red’ colour of the Toyota FT-86 coupe. It is a special red, called shoujyouhi red, and is inspired by the traditional red colour of a Japanese monkey’s… err... backside!

With General Motors filing for bankruptcy under Chapter 11 and registering falling sales numbers month after month, it paved the road for Toyota Motor Corporation to become the world’s largest automaker. But humbling Detroit is passé. In the midst of recession, Toyota itself is looking for a generous dose of inspiration. It’s new President Akio Toyoda has in fact been extremely self critical of the manner in which his company seemed to have lost its ability to put some excitement into its products. He even went on record to state, “It is us – the automakers – who have abandoned our passion for cars (refusing to blame the customers for the decline in sales and profitability in US).” The FT-86 coupe perhaps is an interesting effort in terms of re-igniting that passion!

Year 2008 saw major ups and downs in the global standings of automotive companies. In fact, the year gone by saw many giants literally on their knees. Be it GM, Chrysler or Ford, all three Detroit leaders drove through the bumpy road with a lot of hiccups. However, the scenario was equally bad at Toyota, Japan as the company was also moving forward in a state of discomfort; accounting for negative growth month after month on a yoy comparison. In fact, the company has already forecasted a net loss of $5 billion (Rs.232.5 billion) for the year ending March 2010 after it posted a loss of $4.4 billion in 2008-09, its first in 71 years. Nevertheless, experts still swear by the company’s quality standards and its ability to fight back.

Besides re-igniting a passion for great cars, Toyota seriously needs to re-ignite its passion for futuristic markets like India. The company’s Indian arm, Toyota Kirloskar Motors (TKM) is the most trusted brand for quality in the Indian automotive industry.
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Source : IIPM Editorial, 2009


An IIPM and Professor Arindam Chaudhuri (Renowned Management Guru and Economist) Initiative

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Saturday, February 20, 2010

Farewell to alms? Not so soon...

A change in plans, and not in intent, is the need of the hour for companies sceptical of CSR

Life for the laymen, after the collapse of Lehman Brothers, has been rife with troubles. From being handed the pink slips by their bosses to seeing prices of their homes plummet, no one from New York to New Delhi has been left untouched by the financial meltdown. Almost like a domino effect, charities and nonprofit organisations have begun to receive fewer donations and sponsorships; companies that until a few months ago boasted about their CSR activities, have mostly chosen to do away with the same.

Arya Samaj Gandhidham is one charitable organisation reeling under the pressure of the present credit crunch. “Our project Jeevan Prabhat is for rearing earthquake orphans, whom we are rearing like our own children without distinction of caste, creed or religion,” says Vachonidhi Arya, Hon.Gen.Secretary of the organisation. “We are totally dependent on donations for the rearing of these children and are already facing hardships since October 2008 and the situation is worsening day by day. At present our expenses per month are Rs. 3.5 lakhs and our income has come down to Rs. 2.5 lakhs per month. We just don’t know how we will be able to meet the shortfall.”

HelpAge India though is positioned at the other end of the spectrum. “HelpAge India is not affected by recession. In fact, we are looking at this year as our best year in fund raising,” said a jubilant Kapil Kaul, Country Head (Advocacy, Resource & Communications), HelpAge India.

Community Friendly Movement (CFM) is a social enterprise trying to better the lives of artisans by giving them a fair share of the profits earned by selling products made by them. Rahul Barkataky, Co-founder and CEO of CFM, is confident about tiding through this rough patch. “As of date, we have not felt the heat of recession. But yes, in the coming financial year 2009-10 we are looking at flat sales for our export initiative. To compensate for this we have focussed on Indian retail sales. There has been no impact as such on sales since our major product categories are alternatives to expensive accessories for both personal and home use. And yes, we have sufficient cash in hand unlike a lot of major corporations. And during recession, cash is king!” says Rahul.

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Source : IIPM Editorial, 2009


An IIPM and Professor Arindam Chaudhuri (Renowned Management Guru and Economist) Initiative

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Friday, February 12, 2010

Inconvenient Truths?

Lord Christopher Monckton, British politician, policy advisor and prominent climate change denier vents his spleen on Glaciergate...

The UN’s climate panel, the IPCC, is now doomed. Not a word it or its chairman says can any longer be taken seriously. The news that it is at last abandoning its entirely false claim that the glaciers of the Himalayas will disappear entirely by 2035 is one of the last nails in the coffin of this unlamented corpse.

A few weeks ago, I e-mailed Professor MI Bhat, of the Indian Geological Survey. Professor Bhat is an entertaining, courteous and always profoundly knowledgeable scientist. I asked him how his glaciers were getting on.

Professor Bhat is particularly fond of the 9575 glaciers that debouch from the high plateau of the Himalayas into India. He seems to know each of them personally – which are advancing, which are retreating and which are doing nothing much at all.

His report in response to my question was to the point. The glaciers were doing just fine, he said. Nothing unusual, compared with what could be found in the records going back at least 150 years.

What about Gangotri? I asked. He knew the answer at once. It has been receding, but not really because of “global warming”. Instead, local geological instability – common in the Himalayas– was the chief culprit.

Overall, he said, there was nothing to indicate that the glaciers were going to melt away on account of “global warming”. He was baffled by the IPCC’s contention that the glaciers would all be gone within a quarter of a century. As far as he was concerned, there was not the slightest basis in science or observation for any such notion.
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Source : IIPM Editorial, 2009


An IIPM and Professor Arindam Chaudhuri (Renowned Management Guru and Economist) Initiative

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Thursday, February 11, 2010

General gets lost in electoral labyrinth

Though the wily politician has outsmarted the war horse in the battle of democracy, rajapaksa has to handle acute ethnic polarisation. Saurabh Kumar Shahi explores other probable fallouts of the sri lankan polls from Colombo.

Sympathy and an army general do not cut a very feasible combination. However, you can not actually help but sympathise with General Gardihewa Sarath Chandralal Fonseka. Imagine his plight. Less than six months ago, he was riding on the euphoric wave that erupted following the annihilation of LTTE. He was venerated along with President Mahinda Rajapaksa. The then Indian NSA, in one of those moments where Indians are known to let their tongue and not the mind do the talking, proclaimed he was the best army general operating in the Milky Way. Then Fonseka did what many, who don’t know how to handle veneration, do; he decided to take on the President and his political family in hubris.

Six months later, filing my story from the media centre at the Department of Information Building in Colombo, I can’t help but extend my sympathy. He has lost the election, the veneration and much of his face all in one go. On the sites displaying minute by minute results, comments are pouring in. One T P Ranadheera writes from Pennsylvania, “You lost everything General: serves you right. Come to Pennsylvania with your Green Card; I might help you land a job at some filling station.” Ouch. That should hurt.

The final results are out and the incumbent Rajapaksa has scored a landslide victory, garnering 57.88 per cent of the votes polled. The General has tallied 40.15 per cent. As expected, the incumbent has done marvellously in South and Central South areas where most of his constituent — Sinhalese rural and semi-urban class — resides. Similarly, as expected, Tamils, Muslims and Christians; as well as the urban middle and upper middle class among Sinhalese have solidly been behind Fonseka. The General has won the Northern districts of Jaffna and Vanni as well as Tamil and Muslim-dominated Trincomalee & Batticaloa in the east. He has also managed to win in Mannar, again Muslim-dominated, and Nuwara-Eliya, which has a sizable population of Plantation Tamils (different from Jaffna Tamils).

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Source : IIPM Editorial, 2009


An IIPM and Professor Arindam Chaudhuri (Renowned Management Guru and Economist) Initiative

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Tuesday, February 09, 2010

Communists’ faith questioned

A former MP quits CPM over party’s anti-religion stand

Months ahead of the crucial panchayat elections in Kerala, the VS Achuthanandan government is in deep water. One of its former MP has quit the communist party over its anti-religion stand. The controversy is centred on Dr. K.S.Manoj, a Latin Catholic youth leader baptised into the party during 2004 Lok Sabha elections against Congress bigwig V.M. Sudheeran in Alappuzha. Manoj resigned his party membership, accusing the party in Kerala of taking double stand on issues related to faith and religion.

Earlier, A.P. Abdullakkutty, former MP from Kannur, had raised a similar issue, but he was expelled from the party. This time the party has changed its strategies. Rather than criticising Manoj the party has defended its stand because it desperately needs minority vote to win seats in panchayat polls.

“The party has nothing against any religion and we have many members who follow their religion,” says CPI(M) state secretary Pinarayi Vijayan. Fiercely disagreeing with Manoj, he said: “Manoj was a half-priest even when he contested the Lok Sabha poll. Nobody said anything against his faith or religious activities. Later, he was given party membership as per his request.

Now, after losing the seat he is trying to malign the party’s image by raising false allegations.” Looking at the seriousness of the whole issue, national general secretary Prakash Karat too joined in. He elaborated party’s stand on religion through party mouthpiece Desabhimani. He drew a distinction between ordinary party worker and a leader. There is no bar on religious practice for ordinary worker, but leaders should shun religious observance, he observed. The row is raging.
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Source : IIPM Editorial, 2009


An IIPM and Professor Arindam Chaudhuri (Renowned Management Guru and Economist) Initiative

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Tuesday, February 02, 2010

And it all began with a wish, minus the genie!

B&E’s Pawan Chabria meets up with some individuals who opted to go barefoot in search of success, rather than lazily stepping into the comfort of guaranteed, cushioned golden shoes offered by well set organisations...

Often labelled as the land of agriculture and farmers, India has also surprisingly achieved many a milestone when it comes to churning out new-age entrepreneurs. If truth be told, then gone are the days when every fresh MBA-labelled individual was found salivating for those temptingly fat pay packages offered by multinationals; rather these days, many are much more enthusiastic about registering a start-up, and moulding it into a new capitalistic force. B&E presents a handful of such real-life tales of MBA entrepreneurs who either shunned the very sight of a 9-to-5 job from a distance or those who grew tired of the luxury and convenience offered by a follow-the-clock-to-the-hilt profile.

Anuj Guglani, CEO of Ace Associates, worked for auto majors like Honda (for 3 years) and GM (for 4 years) after completion of his MBA course from IIT Delhi, before starting his own venture. He was involved at various middle-management levels during his stint with Honda, and was handling the showroom workforce training for GM before he left his job, only four months after his marriage. That was of course not an easy decision to make. Anuj smilingly recollects, “There was a lot of pressure... but my family supported me all the way.” When asked about how much his management education had helped him in his venture, he explained that those two years played a critical role in ensuring the success of his company today. “MBA education is very important for starting or handling a business today. It cultivates a vision and completely changes the way your thought-process operates,” he adds. Anuj started his dream run with little money (as he had spent almost all his savings on a Switzerland trip with his newly-wed wife), but immediate success within a short interval greatly improved his cash-position; he explains, “Since I was lucky to get a client like Mitsubishi just days after the launch of the business, it really took no time to break-even.” In fact, Anuj has today diversified into areas like social networking portals with the newly launched World Auto Forum (for auto-lovers).

So what’s the latest offering from Ace Associates? Well, it comes in the form of a mobile service called, ‘Top five points’ through which a particular salesperson is provided with five reasons for justifying why a certain brand of automobile is preferable over a competitive brand whenever he feels a need to convince his customers. As Anuj claims, he has already roped-in two big auto brands as potential customers for this new service venture. At present, he is also on the lookout for new talent who can take care of his new ventures. And this too isn’t posing any problems to Anuj, “Surprisingly, the response to a start-up venture like ours, has been more than expected, which proves the fact that new-gen MBAs are more than willing to work with start-ups...”

Udit Bhandari, CEO of Indimoto.com, an MBA (with specialisation in Marketing) from The University of East London, UK shares some similarities with Anuj. He too joined the auto sector after his management education, where he worked in GM for about six months. As he says, his MBA education made it easier for him to establish his online second-hand car & bike portal in the country. “The MBA programme helped me in increasing my understanding of business and its various modalities. While setting up Indimoto.com, the learning received in management school helped me to realise various value propositions and to create a strong full-time team, a business plan and a marketing strategy,” he explains. Indimoto.com caught people’s attention via its carpooling initiative, which encouraged commuters to share vehicles to save fuel; clever enough an advertising strategy! Rashmi Vaswani, Founder, Rage Chocolatier, is also one of those who are following their passion with a purpose to strike gold; the only difference was that she couldn’t wait to get started and got down to business right after she completed her post-graduate diploma in management. Her passion was manufacturing chocolates, which she took up as a business opportunity in 2005, and success for her has been sweeter than the product itself.

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Source : IIPM Editorial, 2009


An IIPM and Professor Arindam Chaudhuri (Renowned Management Guru and Economist) Initiative

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Friday, January 29, 2010

Let us work together for peace...

Though cultural and religious ties between India and Sri Lanka are very old, it was only until recently that both started developing good relations. An exclusive conversation with Sugeeshwara Gunaratna, senior Embassy official in India testified that Sri Lanka is more worried about India’s vulnerable relations with China and Pakistan than others. Some excerpts:

“5 things Sri Lanka appreciates about India...”

HARMONY IN RELATIONS: 30-40 years back, relations were limited to political contacts, religio-cultural tourism. Relations were also hindered by the ramifications of the ethnic conflict. But now there is harmony in the relationship with the political leadership of both countries staying in close contact. The relationship has also become multifaceted with increased trade, aviation links, tourism and people to people contact.

TRADE RELATIONS: It is very progressive. India and Sri Lanka were the first to initiate a Free Trade Agreement in the region. Trade volumes also went up from just $600 million to $3 billion. Many Indian MNCs have set up businesses in Sri Lanka in oil and lubricants, telecom, healthcare etc. Aviation has seen a sea change.

POLITICAL LEADERSHIP: The relationship has also reached a level where top level political leadership does not need to go through cumbersome bureaucratic procedures. India’s political leadership directly contacts top level Sri Lankan political leadership bypassing bureaucratic channels today.

JOINT INITIATIVES AGAINST TERRORISM: Both the countries initiated many joint anti-terror initiatives. India provides training to around 1,500 members of the Sri Lankan armed forces annually, the largest foreign contingent. India has also provided a few naval vessels to the Sri Lankan navy.


“And the 5 things we dislike...”

SECURITY ISSUES: Though infiltration is not a big problem today as the LTTE is destroyed, it is possible that remnants of the LTTE may try to regroup using Tamil Nadu, with support of pro-LTTE elements there. Sri Lanka wants India to maintain a continuous vigil of its maritime borders.

INVOLVEMENT OF CHINA: The issue of China’s involvement in Sri Lanka is a sensitive issue in India. Media or academic think-tanks are slightly to blame as they often over-hype issues. For example, many analyse China’s investment in developing Hambantota Port as a step to use Sri Lanka against India. However, Sri Lanka’s position is that it will never allow a third party to use its territory against India. Its engagement with China is purely commercial in nature.

SETHUSAMUDRAM ISSUE: India wanted to dredge a Channel in the Palk Straits and Adams Bridge area as it would give vessels a shorter route. Sri Lanka’s stand is that since it is an environmentally sensitive area, both should work to jointly manage the environmental repercussions.

NON-TARIFF TRADE BARRIERS (NTBS): Many Sri Lankan exporters and Indian importers have expressed concerns over the non-tariff import burdens from India. The concern is that NTBs have contributed to widening the trade gap in favour of India.

DIRTY POLITICS: Tamil Nadu politicians use Sri Lanka in vote garnering exercises. Political support to LTTE and Jayalalithaa’s call to retrieve Katchativu are prominent examples. These measures tend to vitiate an otherwise friendly relationship between the people of Sri Lanka and Tamil Nadu.

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Source : IIPM Editorial, 2009


An IIPM and Professor Arindam Chaudhuri (Renowned Management Guru and Economist) Initiative

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Friday, January 22, 2010

The recent mass demonstration by sugar producers

The recent mass demonstration by sugar producers could just be the tip of the iceberg that is about to slam India’s economic ship.

In fact, the current year’s Wholesale Price Inflation (WPI) is likely to end at 7 per cent or more. But the real yardstick to measure the affordability of the common man, the Consumer Price Inflation (CPI) might again reach the debilitating range of 12-13% as it did around two years ago. Not just this, with a sudden splurge in the capital markets by revived influx of foreign investors and the excessive overpricing of stocks and IPOs is leading to a scenario where an asset price bubble could form pushing the overall inflation further. In fact, according to Dr Mukesh Anand, Senior Economist, National Institute of Public Finance and Policy (NIPFP), “Especially at a time when per capita (disposable) incomes are also rising, over-capacity in key (core manufacturing) sectors has led to burgeoning costs pushing prices up.” And one factor that would definitely make the ground more slippery for UPA regime would be the global oil prices pushing hard to relive ‘glory days’ of early 2008. With crude already near the $80 mark, this is one slippery terrain which can derail the growth engine once again.
For Complete IIPM Article, Click on IIPM Article

Source : IIPM Editorial, 2009


An IIPM and Professor Arindam Chaudhuri (Renowned Management Guru and Economist) Initiative

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