Here’s the perfect Mr. Creative Suit!

He would have been a CA but for a friend who saved him by convincing his mom that he would slash his wrist. Kind fellow!

His twinkling eyes and ready laugh belie the hard-nosed number crunching that the man keeps doing day and night. As Head,Creative and Content for MTV India, Ashish Patil not only ensures that his creative juices keep pouring forth, but he happily shoulders the additional burden of the music channel’s Profit & Loss division too. Just the apt example of what we refer to ‘creative suits’ these days! So even if the creative part of his brain (or his team’s for the matter) churns out the whackiest of ideas, rest assured that the shrewd business side of the brain will do its own sifting, toss the idea over the TRPs grill, before allowing it to hit your TV screens! “I think the future belongs to the creative suits. They are a rare breed,” he says, in an almost self-congratulatory tone.

And he does have reason to congratulate himself! Being both creative and business driven can be a blessing in disguise, both for you and your co-workers. “A really crazy joke that we share at lunch, many times just ends up on air at MTV,” says Patil, giving the example of MTV’s Rakhi Sawant and Rakshabandan special. One day at lunch the topic of Rakhi Sawant came up. Rakshabandan was round the corner and someone joked about Rakhi and ‘bhaiyas’. The result was a popular Rakhi Sawant block on Rakshabandhan and the viewers applauded!

Rendezvous with Semi Girebal, a MTV spoof show of ‘Rendezvous with Simi Garewal’ had similar beginnings. “One day I read an article on Simi Garewal getting a new hair-cut and a big debate on her clothes at some party. It was irritating. I mean, who cares? So we came up with the spoof,” explains Patil. Since Star aired its original show on Sunday at 9.30p.m., the MTV dudes aired the spoof on the same day, same time. Semi Girebaal rated four times the TRPs of the original show. Thinking aloud, a rueful Patil says, “I think we destroyed her career. Her contract never got renewed.” Beginning his career as a copywriter in 1992, Ashish was almost destined to be among the creative types in ad world (or so he thought back then) “but the middle class Maharashtrian phenomena overpowered my family. They told me that I can’t earn a living as a writer as I had to get married.” So Ashish went ahead and got a degree from a B-school. He joined an ad agency again, only this time in a different role as a member of the planning team at SSC&B Lintas. But when Patil got a call from a head hunter to join MTV’s marketing team in 1998, he jumped. “MTV is such a cool brand to work with,” he says.

Life at MTV allowed him to dabble in just about anything he wanted. He handled marketing for a while, before making a lateral switch to content in 2003 to head talent and artist relationship. His typical day then would start at 9p.m. with Pan Parag chewing producers, brandishing gold watches and chain, with flashy cell phones stuck to their ears. “And of course, a gun,” adds Ashish. “Usually the conversations were like ‘Ashishji gaane ka rotation thoda badhana chahiye’ and the moment I would answer in the negative, the gun would be out,” he says with a loud guffaw. Signing off, the fourth member of our occult cracks another joke about his stint with MTV. “I am a part of the furniture here. Every Diwali they move me out, dust me and put me back again...” he grins.

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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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GHOST RAT

Ghost RAT, is a Trojan horse that acts as a cyber spying computer program. According to a report published by Infowar Monitor (IWM), the malware has been developed and deployed by Chinese operatives of the hacking community GhostNet, and are using it to hack into some of the most sensitive computer networks on Earth. The report titled, ‘Tracking ‘GhostNet’: Investigating a Cyber Espionage Network’ has stated that the Trojan till recently had continued to invade and monitor more than a dozen new computers per week. The GhostNet system deploys malware to selected recipients through a computer program attached to stolen emails and addresses, thereby expanding the network by allowing more computers to be infected. It can even turn on the camera and audio-recording functions, enabling monitors to see and hear what goes on in a room. The Trojan horse has allegedly attacked 1,295 machines at NATO and various foreign ministries, embassies, banks and news organisations across the world, as well as computers used by the Dalai Lama and Tibetan exiles.pest

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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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Ain’t a Virgin, no more?

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Brand: Virgin Mobile
Agency: Bates 141

Outrageous, flamboyant, unconventional... that’s Virgin’s Hatke route to rope in India’s youngistaan. The campaign’s cheeky humour and in-your-face youth focus has allowed Virgin Mobile to make its mark in an already cluttered telecom market. Devoid of any details about tariff plans etc, the campaign is based on the insight that the Indian youth is not a rebel and knows how to maneuver its way out of troubles. Supported by outdoor and internet, the communication blitz has ensured that the brand boasts one of the highest ARPUs in the industry and a growing customer base.

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

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Orange to pink & Hutch to Vodafone, the pug rules

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Brand: Hutch
Agency: O&M

You and I... in this beautiful world… even as the lyrics sink in, we’re sure you’re already thinking pug and Hutch, oops Vodafone! That’s the power of the Wherever you go our network follows campaign. Cheeka became a rage overnight and the prices of pugs shot up from from Rs.10-12k to Rs. 50-55k. Cheekas’s popularity reflected in subscriber additions. In FY2003-04, Hutch’s subscriber base soared by 138.34% to 5.15 million as against 2.16 million in the last financial year; while revenues rose by 56% in that fiscal to Rs.2,701 crore. Cheeka even became the most often downloaded wallpaper by Hutch subscribers that year. The pug and the You & I slogan in fact saw Hutch through two changeovers successfully. Uncontrollably pugnacious strategy, was it not?

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

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It was a sweet pill, they say!

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As the largest player in India’s pharmaceutical industry, Ranbaxy’s meteoric rise can be attributed to a lot of factors. But few know that it all started with a defeat. Having lost to Dr Reddy’s Lab in a bid for German drug firm Betapharm, in February 2006, Ranbaxy was looking out for some new growth opportunities and the first one came in the form of Allen SpA, the unbranded generic division of GlaxoSmithKline in Italy whose acquisition definitely placed Ranbaxy on a fast track in $420 million Italian generic market, one of the fastest growing markets in Europe. The second in row was Terapia in Romania (Ranbaxy took over for $324 million) which brought into its kitty a rich pipeline of 157 products with 60 awaiting approvals. Next was Ethimed NV, adding over 20 product registrations to its portfolio and an access to a combined estimated market of $7.6 billion in Belgium, Netherlands and Luxembourg. “Ranbaxy’s M&A strategy was centered on gaining market share in the low penetrated and high growth generic markets,” agrees Sarabjit Kour Nangra, VP Research, Angel Broking. Moreover, these companies had product portfolios that not only complemented Ranbaxy’s own pipeline but also provided it with springboards at some of the world’s fastest growing markets Else why do you think Japanese Daiichi Sankyo took over this one with a smile!

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

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Have you got the Visa power?

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At a time when consumer confidence is in free fall, Visa has launched its new global campaign, which does not urge consumers to go out & spend more

At a time when the global economy is in a downturn and companies are curbing their marketing and advertising spends, global financial services brand, Visa Inc. has unveiled its first unified global campaign on March 4, 2009. The newly launched $140 million campaign by Visa comes with a new tagline – ‘More people go with Visa’. In the process, the company has dumped its three-year-old slogan – ‘Life Takes Visa’. Taking into account the discretionary spending pattern during recession, the new campaign does not talk about going out and spending more but about less ostentatious spending and encourages more usage of a Visa debit card, instead of cash or cheque in a bid to take advantage of the schemes provided by Visa. Asserts Antonio Lucio, Chief Marketing Officer, Visa Inc., “The ‘More people go with Visa’ campaign is an invitation to make the most out of life every day, a powerful message. It’s not about spending more, it’s about using Visa for those things that are important to you everyday.”

By launching a consolidated global marketing campaign, Visa can achieve cost efficiencies, as now the company will not have to come up with different communication strategies for different countries. In the international markets, Visa will launch a TVC titled ‘Gofesto’, that will be customised according to each Visa region. Saurav Bhattacharya, Marketing Director, South Asia, Visa told 4Ps B&M, “With a journey across the globe, the ad will show people enjoying simpler things in life. The idea is to showcase that life is not about collecting possessions but collecting memories & experiences.”

After the US credit card bubble burst, consumers were sucked deep into the credit vortex. The public perception about credit cards plummeted. A ripple effect of all this was also felt by Visa & MasterCard in the debit card segment, even though here they primarily work as card processors and not lenders. As per BrandIndex (a daily measure of public perception of more than 1,100 consumer brands across 32 sectors), in the first two months of 2009, Visa’s overall buzz score fell 5.7%, while MasterCard dropped nearly 10%.

As a result Visa and its newly roped in advertising agency TBWA have embarked on this global repositioning journey to improve the public’s perception of credit and debit cards. The TBWA team has been advised to tread cautiously and not overwhelm consumers with a deluge of advertisements that showcase expensive and ostentatious purchases beyond the means of the common man. After all there is little hope of any gain from pain!

Vareen Ray

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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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Morality, where art thou?

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Most large Indian corporate houses are family run businesses. Be it the Tatas, Birlas or Ambanis; one after the other, the mantle of the company is held by an insider. While Lord Meghnad opines that “regardless of whether there are family run businesses or not, good corporate regulation rules are needed;” Jackson asserts, “India needs strong corporate governance laws to counteract both the nepotism intrinsic to large family run businesses and the fall-out from Satyam’s fraud.” And this is precisely why India needs good corporate governance laws to be enforced. Explains Moriarty, “Uncertainty is one of the biggest threats to public trust & investor confidence.” Stakeholders trust the Directors to create leadership that is competent & ethical in its approach. “While getting regulations right is necessary, it is not sufficient for ensuring ethical practice in the day-to-day operations of firms,” adds Moriarty. There is a dire need for India Inc. to differentiate itself from other emerging markets of the world and therefore restoring investor confidence is of utmost importance, at least for the time being.

The corporate scandal at Satyam has put a blot on the equity of brand India Inc. and has reinforced the need for strong corporate governance laws. For India to regain confidence of its global allies, it will have to resort to certain measures. Asserts Jackson, “Indian companies should take steps to improve internal management controls…” Companies should also focus on enhancing communication with their business allies, partners & stakeholders and practice transparency in their business actions. “Greater transparency will not only show which firms may be at risk, but also, more positively, which firms are strong,” explains Moriarty.

There is also a need for financial watchdogs like SEBI to pull up their socks and enforce laws, which makes it mandatory for companies to allow transparency in the company books. Jackson adds, “India’s Parliament must weigh in judiciously by strengthening corporate governance laws. The government must provide a fair playing field that attracts capital and this cannot happen without corporate governance standards at par with OECD countries.” Asserts Lord Meghnad, “Companies should demand that regulators are independent of all political influences.” Moriarty also recommends that “audit committees, corporate governance committees and compensation committees of the board be comprised of independent directors.”

The damage has already been done and image of Brand India Inc. has been tainted on the world map. And here, there is a lot that India can learn from Korea, which also has innumerable records of corporate scandals (Samsung, Hyundai, Daewoo, et al). Says Jackson, “Like India, Korea is highly reliant on the global economy and has a reputation for nepotism… Korea is no stranger to corporate fraud tarnishing its reputation.” As long as the Satyam case is taken as a one off case, the impact on India Inc.’s global image may not be too substantial or long-lasting. But for other Indian companies, this is a lesson well-learnt. Often, the public is too irrational in its thinking. There may be no connection between two companies, but the public may view one through the lens of another. Besides regulations, instilling corporate ethics is also important, which can be aptly instilled by the Directors of the firm. “Unless India Inc. appears collectively responsive to the outrage over Satyam by improving transparency and corporate governance measures, India Inc.’s reputation as a Mecca for service-based outsourcing may be permanently damaged,” concludes Jackson. Lesson learnt: Never ride a tiger if you know for sure that you can’t get off without being eaten!

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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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From it hub to Killers’ Adda

“If you are in Bangalore and are still alive, you must be grateful to the murderers who have let you live… at least for today. Safety and security deserted this place a long time ago. And to ask us if we expect Bangalore Police to keep us safe is ridiculous!” says Raghavendra, resident of Bangalore’s prestigious retirees’ paradise in Jayanagar, which is fast turning into a killers’ adda.

Is Bangalore safe? This is a question that must be dwelt upon by anyone who is connected in any way to this city. After becoming a soft target for the terrorists within a couple of years, the once exuberant Bangalore is today rapidly turning into a ‘great corridor of burglars and killers’.

On January 20, the dwellers of Jayanagar woke up to the news of the cold blooded murder of three women, all from the same family. The next day, Gayathri, 25, housewife, was found murdered in her apartment.

A quick look at the statistics is scary. Bangalore has seen no less than 20 murders in the first 21 days of the year, which means not a single day has gone by this year that has not brought in the news of spilt blood of the innocent. The body count for the New Year started with the murder of Muniraju, a money lender, on January 2. Later, the city shuddered in fear as 79-year-old Rangan and his 72-year-old wife Vasantha were found ruthlessly murdered in their house in Jayanagar. Thefts, killing for cash and jewelry, murder of women living on their own, murder for vengeance – all these have now become a routine in the city. Even the city police now seem to be quite fed up of these daily crimes, keeping in mind the pace at which Bangalore Police carry out the investigation. The cases, it appears, won’t be solved anytime soon.....Continue

“It’s financial aid, not extortion!”

What action have you taken against your party MLA accused of killing a PWD engineer?
We arrested him within hours of his crime. I asked him to meet me but he sniffed my ploy of getting him arrested from my house and went back to Kanpur. We tracked him down by tracing his mobile calls. We have also arrested almost all the accused and those sheltering them.

If the MLA was extorting money for your birthday contribution, what action did you take against him?
I haven’t asked anyone to raise money for my birthday. BSP workers have for long been celebrating my birthday as arthik sahyog diwas (financial aid day) and they enroll fresh members by getting membership fee of Rs 10 to Rs 100. This not only contributes millions to the party’s kitty but also helps expand its membership base.

If MLA Shekhar Tiwari says he was raising money for my birthday then that is not true and I will teach him a lesson. I know that he was a muscleman even when he was with Samajwadi Party.

Then why did you induct such a criminal in your party and even fielded him in the Assembly elections?
You know, when you are in power, you have several agencies at your command to conduct background checks on any person. But, in opposition you are handicapped and have to reply on the information provided by the person. We did know that Tiwari was a toughie but had no idea that he was a criminal.

But he remains in your party. Are you protecting him?
I told you, I am going to teach him a lesson so that no other BSP worker would dare commit a crime and bring disrepute to the party. We have slapped him with Goonda Act, Gangsters Act and National Security Act. I have instructed my party men to practically ostracise Tiwari and his family. But before expelling him from the party, I want to investigate whether there is a deeper conspiracy, whether he acted at the instance of somebody else. Otherwise, like Amarmani Tripathi he too would simply hop over to the Samajwadi Party after being thrown out of the BSP.....Continue

In the midst of all the hype and hoopla about 3G services

The coming of 3G in India would also be significant because of the fact that the broadband penetration in India stands at a meagre 3-4 per cent in comparison to 28 per cent for mobile phones. According to TV Ramachandran, Director General, Cellular Operators Association of India, “The majority of the Indian population would experience broadband through mobile phones rather than fixed lines.” One of the reasons for this trend is that it is virtually impossible to lay fibre cables in India to the remotest of points. So it would be more viable for both companies and users to access internet, or rather broadband internet, through their mobile phones.


However, most people have the perrception that as 3G is more efficient and can handle much greater traffic, it would mean an era where there would be no calls dropping. This is not the case because the drops in the calls are caused by the congestion in the network. Although the introduction of 3G would lead to some improvement on this count and a better voice clarity, subscribers would continue to be bugged by call drops!

Another question that plagues the junta about 3G is whether they will be able to use their existing phones when 3G comes into play. If the customers want to use just voice based services, then there would be no need for them to look in to their existing handset or even think about getting a new one. However, if the subscribers are looking forward to try out this much hyped (you bet!) 3G, and want their pocket gadgets to be as competent as their computers, then in that case one would have to pick up a handset that is 3G enabled. But this does not necessarily mean that one would have to buy a new handset as there are plenty of 3G-enabled handsets already available in the market and for all you know you might be using one already.....Continue

Will the tigers be declawed?

Army ready to conquer the rebels' last bastion

The capture of Kilinochchi and Elephant Pass by the Sri Lankan army has understandably created great euphoria among many sections of the Sinhalese society in Sri Lanka. The fall of Kilinochchi on January 2, the de-facto capital of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) regime, was a devastating blow to the Tigers. Now their movements are confined to the jungles of Mullaithivu district. The army claimed on January 11 that its troops were making their way across the Mullathivu forests, the last bastion of the LTTE.

Earlier, the LTTE had total control of the northern and eastern provinces. However, after its military power started declining progressively after the Karuna, the former eastern commander of LTTE split with Prabhakaran in 2004, it has been losing much territory. It lost Kilinochchi in 1996 after a fierce battle, but the town was regained two years later through a military operation called 'Unceasing Waves-2'. Hence, though the army’s present victories have weakened the Tigers’ capacity to retaliate, it has not struck the death knell for the LTTE. Some prominent Tamil leaders of Sri Lanka, like TULF leader V Anandasangaree, call LTTE the greatest obstacle in the country’s path to achieve durable peace and a political solution. But critics believe the greatest obstacle to be the government’s failure to initiate any serious constitutional reforms that can satisfy the minority community’s demands for equality and regional autonomy.

Prof Jayadeva Uyangoda, a prominent political scientist and constitutional expert of Sri Lanka, told TSI: “Military defeat of the LTTE will certainly weaken the bargaining capacity of all minorities for political equality and for sharing state power. But the Tamils aligned with the Sinhalese political establishment are likely to accept a state of inequality for the minorities in a post-LTTE scenario. They think that LTTE is the main obstacle to negotiate Tamil rights with the Sinhalese political leadership. For them, it is a legitimate trade off.”....Continue

Of fashion fables and foibles

Ramp walks, arrogant super-models, conniving modelling agency heads, wardrobe malfunctions, and delusional ex-models on the street – expectedly, it’s all there in Madhur Bhandarkar’s take on the fashion industry, Fashion. It is a hard-hitting look alright, but being a first of its kind perspective as far as Bollywood is concerned, it does get away with a few inconsistencies.

In trying to bridge the chasm between perception and reality about the glam world of modelling through the story of the rise and fall of model Meghna Mathur (Priyanka Chopra), the film does stand out, thanks to its well crafted fashion show sequences, intense performances and a nice dose of self-deprecating gags.Priyanka Chopra deserves special mention for easing into the metamorphosing role from an aspirant to supermodel who then goes on to lose her modelling mojo. The other two models, Shonali (Kangana Ranaut in a pretty charged performance) and Janet (Mugdha Godse strides confidently into a role that belies her newbie status) hold their own as well. Even the support roles – Ashwin Mushran as the very gay Rohit Khanna (suspiciously familiar to Stanley Tucci’s character from The Devil Wears Prada) and Kitu Gidwani as Anisha Roy – are well executed, though some are a bit caricaturish.

Bhandarkar packs every news-bite possible about the fashion industry into the script, which slightly loses focus in the latter half. Bhadarkar offers a gossip-column-tinted view of the fashion world but as is his wont he commendably manages to touch a chord and also agitate the viewer’s mind. In short, the invite to this ‘Fashion’ show goes, come for Madhur Bhandarkar, stay for Priyanka Chopra!....Continue

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The Sunday Indian

On the night of November 26

I heard about both these incidents on the same day and the contrast hit me hard between the eyes. Our young CEO was lucky, but there were many others who stumbled upon their deaths because while they too did not know what to do next, unlike the CEO, the dice just didn’t roll their way. And yet, I have a feeling that if there were a handful of other professionals like these South African heroes – people who had some notion of what could be done to save their own lives and those of others around them, perhaps many more would’ve walked out alive from the Taj.

I’ve said this before and I’ll say it again - we are a people under siege and we’re practically on our own. It took a nine hour long ‘quick reaction’ for our commandos to be brought to location (and that they had to be brought there in ‘BEST’ buses, tells you about India’s ‘most terrorised’ city’s levels of preparedness). You might rant and rave, and light enough candles to pave the Marine Drive with wax, but you can bet your last recession-hit rupee on it that nothing, absolutely nothing is going to change if anybody with a voice (and that’s not you or me) in this great dysfunctional democracy can help it. There could be more terrorists tomorrow, and there could be more bombs; there could be cyclones, tsunamis and earthquakes, but help would only reach once it’s too late for most.

But we can’t remain helpless, at the mercy of the guy with the gun, whichever side he might be on. Just like the South Africans, instead of letting ‘terror’ paralyse us, surely, we too can prepare ourselves for such an eventuality. I wanted to know if there was anything I could do if I was stuck in a burning building with ruthless gunmen on the prowl? Is there anything we could do to hold the fort and save lives (including my own) until help finally arrived? Turns out, yes, we can…

I asked two of India’s most well known security consultants and martial artists – SWAT and Krav Maga Chief Instructor (India) and veteran Karateka Vicky Kapoor and Shaolin and Police Kung Fu and Kali Master Kanishka Sharma – the same question: what can a lay civilian can do in a 26/11 scenario? Apparently, conscription helps. A country that has had to fight insurgency almost since the day it was born would obviously do well if every citizen was also a soldier. “…it builds a sense of nationhood… makes you more aware as citizens”, says Kapoor. Well, but that’s not an option for now… what else?...Continue

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The Sunday Indian

What a voyage!

When I was standing in the queue to enter a grand cruise ship from Singapore bound for Langkawi Islands and Phuket Islands my emotions were the same as that of Rose’s (Kate Winslet) in the 1997 super-hit film “Titanic”. It seemed unbelievable and I knew that this four-day trip is just going to be a fun-filled escapade!

The ship, for a little woman like me, seemed like a huge white monster almost touching the sky, with thousands of windows, unending corridors and numerous life-boats (the first thing I looked out for, especially after watching “Titanic” innumerable times!). On arriving, the ship’s mascots – a ‘lion’ and a ‘duck’ – and bikini-clad women, greeted us and also posed with us. I entered the main atrium which was no less than a five-star hotel’s reception with three golden horses prancing, and an orchestra playing in the background. I was spell-bound by the grandeur and opulence of the ship and set out for a tour around. But first, I went to see my room which had a perfect sea view, and sitting outside in the balcony I could feel the oceanic winds caress my face. Then I made my way to the top of the deck only to find the whole world on board! The deck had a swimming pool, jacuzzis, saunas, jet pools, gymnasium, mini golf course, basket-ball court, spa and fitness centre, kid’s pool, video arcade, shopping area, library, and what not! “I wouldn’t have a minute free!” I thought to myself after seeing those amazingly fun-filled ‘entertainment packages’.

On the following day, as I looked out for what to eat, I noticed that apart from the European cuisine, there was Indian cuisine as well which was very thoughtful and a commendable gesture on the crew’s part to cater to their guests’ liking. The ship housed various restaurants, be it the ubiquitous Taj Mahal, an Indian, Chinese, Italian or Japanese. So whatever ethnicity and culture the guest may have belonged to, they had a huge variety to choose from.....Continue

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The Sunday Indian

The viciousness of the Mumbai attacks expose a new security flank: an unguarded 7500 km of desolate coastline. Ranjit Bhushan reports.

The question is being asked against the background of the RAW intercept.

The Navy chief has other problems at hand. US Intelligence officials told the CNN that their government had warned India of a maritime attack on Mumbai. The message was conveyed twice, including once in the last week of October, 2008. Security was maintained for a week and then the guard was dropped since nothing happened during that period. “Indian officials are prone to look at short term gains and not the long term picture,” the American official told the CNN. The Navy chief has angrily refuted the charges saying ``there was no such RAW intercept which was handed over to us” and rather than a security lapse, it was a systems’ failure.


Certain things have emerged clearly for which the Navy needs to answer. It is the first line of defence in international waters and the Coast Guards come as a second line, so to obliquely hint that Coast Guard was unable to pick up the trail of the killers is to put the cart before the horse. In addition, sources say that there is a lot left to be desired as far as coordination between the Navy and Coast Guard is concerned.

Now that broom closets are being opened, the callous neglect of the country's coastal defences is coming into sharp focus. India has 7,516 kilometers of coasts and most of it remains unmanned.

Gujarat and Maharashtra police officials examining the trail taken by the killers have interviewed fishermen on the coastlines of two states and the story that is emerging is of a coastline without any police restrictions, frequent and unregistered entries of fishermen back and fro Pakistan, forgery of smart I-cards issued by the Gujarat government identifying the fishermen, which according to one account, was flashed by the killers on the kidnapped boat, Kuber when accosted by an unnamed Coast Guard patrol.....Continue

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AMAZE: The world shows up! Retro reprise

In conversation with Marcia Barrett

What kind of music was Boney M influenced by?
I can’t speak for everyone but I was influenced by The Beatles, Rolling Stones, Bruce Springsteen and Barbara Streisand and many others. I was influenced by a whole range of music before I started to sing.

How did the Boney M band come together?
I was a soloist earlier, I was an established vocalist in Germany, handling my own shows. I heard this producer was seeking people for his band, especially black people. I was a bit reluctant at first but then I decided that I should give it a break and I am glad I made that move.

How much of Boney M is in Marcia Barrett and how much of Marcia Barrett is in Boney M?
I would say quite a bit. My voice is there in most of Boney M music. I am a vital part of the sound of Boney M, and that’s what people buy even before the video is launched. I brought my know-how, how to sing – my gift from god – how to execute everything well with Boney M.

When you are on stage, do you still get the same response from the crowd as the yesteryears?
Yes, being the only Boney M member I get a great response from people. I feel that I’m the last one so I get the same enthusiasm from the audience. It is incredible, it feels great to see that people are happy to see at least one from the original group.

There must have been creative differences within the band; how did you cope with those?
No, it didn’t happen to us. We always had tons of writers. “Breakaway” was written for me specially. We never had a situation in which members would say that I would like to sing this or that. It was up to the record company. Soon you’ll hear my “Survival” album. It’s all from my personal experiences, when I was healing.

What changes do you see in the current music scenario?
I think they are more like “gilli gilli gilli” … (laughs) There are quite a few good artists. They are good in dancing and they have good bodies. On the whole, I am a little disappointed though. They tend to follow trends. They think if they are not like others, they are not in.

What keeps you busy besides touring?
There is a new CD coming up. I wish it was out soon so that my fans could know what we’re up to. It’s an exciting album and it’ll make people want to keep hearing Boney M......Continue

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The Sunday Indian