Showing posts with label IIPM ADMISSIONS FOR NEW DELHI and GURGAON BRANCHES. Show all posts
Showing posts with label IIPM ADMISSIONS FOR NEW DELHI and GURGAON BRANCHES. Show all posts

Friday, October 05, 2012

Indian B-Schools might fall short

Indian B-Schools are Facing an Acute Crisis of a Faculty Crunch and if Steps On War Footing are not Undertaken, Indian B-Schools might fall short of their Own Quality Benchmarks Themselves

When I teach “reverse innovation’, that is the idea I created. Therefore, I am going to teach it at a level of depth, which may not be possible for someone who reads my article and teaches from it” says Govindarajan. When Honourable Union Minister for HRD, Kapil Sibal, wrote the cover story in our sister publication The Sunday Indian this year, the dearth of faculty and the lack of focus on research were two of the key critical structural issues he brought out. And the issue is recognised not just at the high forums. When B&E stretched across India, educationists far and wide realised the issue. From professors like Deepa Shimpy (Professor at Symbiosis Centre for Distant Learning, Pune) to faculties like Prof. Krishnaswamy, Dean of Social Science for Higher Studies, Christ College, Bengaluru, the issue that top academicians shared with us was similar – the quantity and quality of faculty has gone down phenomenally since the coming up of many management institutions in India.

As per National Knowledge Commission, “The number of researchers in India was 112 per million inhabitants compared to 633 in China and 4,374 in the USA in 2002. The growth in the number of doctorates has only been a modest 20% in India during 1991-2001 compared to 85% in China during the same period.” And since it is mandatory in almost all top institutions in every field in India to hire only PhDs for the position of permanent faculty, the faculty crunch becomes inevitable. Secondly, the single biggest factor that B-schools in India do not have the requisite number of quality faculty is because of the fact that the investment in R&D in Indian institutes of higher learning is abysmally low and is thus, a deterrent to students going for PhDs and also for PhDs entering the teaching profession. In fact, as per a statistic, not even 1% of the MBAs go on to be doctorates in India. A May 2008 Assocham survey of 258 faculty members of B-schools revealed that 89% of the respondents were unable to state the country’s GDP growth rate in 2006-07, and less than 10% were aware of the subprime crisis in USA.

However, with the Foreign Universities Bill to be tabled in the parliament soon, the faculty crunch problem could be tackled with an iron hand as the setting up of foreign university campuses in India will bring many more NRI and PIO professors from B-schools in the West to India. But it’s high time that B-schools realise that however strong one’s course contents might be, until and unless the deliverer (nee, the Professor) is competent, the message simply doesn’t get across. Institutions and most importantly the government has to tackle this issue right here, right now.


Source : IIPM Editorial, 2012.
For More IIPM Info, Visit below mentioned IIPM articles.
 
IIPM : The B-School with a Human Face
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Saturday, September 08, 2012

G’FIVE INTERNATIONAL LTD.: STRATEGIES ADOPTED AND THE FUTURE

It took time to come to India. But now that it’s here, the firm is giving nightmares to leading brands in the Indian handset market. What has made G’Five click? Critically, will it become the #2 soon? 

Clearly, G’Five is not an underdog anymore. It is not just another name in the crowd, despite the fact that there are 35 manufacturing vendors in the market today (a rise in count of 600% since January 2008). G’Five has very scientifically chosen the right target segments and product models to maximise its sales in India. In recent quarters, there has been a phenomenal rise in the sales of dual and triple-SIM cards slot phones. During Q2, 2010 alone, this category accounted for 38.5% of the total Indian mobile handset shipments – a phenomenal rise from under 1% in the same quarter a year ago (as per IDC; Nokia opposes this finding). To tap this opportunity, all the handset models that G’Five has launched in India over the last three quarters – T560, U800, F2, G9000i, et al – have all been a multi-SIM cards slot phones. The company claims that it has over 300 models in the Indian marketplace, and that it comes out with two new handsets every week.

G’Five also offers prices at points which are precisely as per the doctor’s prescription. Targeting consumers in the lower-middle segment and the bottom of the pyramid, G’Five has built a portfolio of products, which aim to provide a plethora of features, with acceptable quality and at very affordable prices (between Rs.1,300 to Rs.5,000) – an admixture that attracts both the neurologically complex urban dwellers and the simple rural populace. “The demand is so high in this sensitive segment that there is still a lot of untapped potential that G’Five can bet its future on,” explains Pankaj Karna, MD, Maple Advisors. Even IDC feels that G’Five’s dual strategy of tapping both the rural and urban markets with such offerings is what’s working the numbers. Adds Anirban Banerjee, Associate Vice-President – Research, IDC India, to B&E, “Based on our interactions with market participants, the large metros have already achieved a high mobile tele-density. Upcountry and rural markets continue to show a healthy appetite for mobile handsets. This trend should continue over the next 2-3 years...”

How a test drive turned into an insatiable hunger for covering countless miles for G’Five, is a question that would squeeze out boredom out of even the most lackadaisical of all strategists. And what makes this book an interesting read is the chapter that explains how G’Five understood the meaning of controlling costs, right from day #1. There are stark differences in quality – of both hardware and software – between G’Five’s handsets and that of the Nokias and the Samsungs. They show. There is also a difference in the manner in which G’Five makes profits. This too is not hidden to the naked eye. The company earns 99% of its revenues from exports out of China, and as such has not set up company-owned branches in any of the foreign markets where it sells, whether it be South-East Asia, the Middle-East, Africa or even South America. Its only manufacturing plant is in Shenzhen, and its lone operation centre is in Hong Kong. In short, the company gives its products to the distributors. This strategy helps to keep a check on operational and fixed costs, thereby allowing the company to enjoy high margins despite keeping the prices of its products at low levels.

A couple of decades back, a claim by any economist that China would overtake Japan as the 2nd-largest economy, would have earned him nothing but humiliating jeers. But China did prove its mettle. Today, you would not dare bet on a roulette on G’Five’s future success probability – at least, we wouldn’t!


Source : IIPM Editorial, 2012.
For More IIPM Info, Visit below mentioned IIPM articles.
 
IIPM : The B-School with a Human Face
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Tuesday, September 04, 2012

Much ado about the ‘General’ @ Motors!

An IPO in the pipeline means that the US government could be well on its way to make a swift exit from running GM. This portends positive tidings for GM, which is recovering on the numbers. But a far more daunting challenge is looming up on the horizon. By Pawan Chabra

As General Motors (GM) filed for the Chapter 11 reorganisation process in the Manhattan New York federal bankruptcy court on the June 1st, 2009, the world saw another giant on its knees (literally!) after the collapse of Lehman Brothers in September 2008.

The ‘GM way’ was way off mark, and it has taken its own toll in no time for the Detroit giant; with the Japanese onslaught led by Toyota making matters worse. In fact, the demand fall experienced by the company was the worst in its history since World War 2. However, understanding the importance of the automobile industry and GM in particular for American pride, America Inc. and American jobs, the Barack Obama Administration decided not to take the Lehman Brothers way and instead keep GM alive by picking up a 60% stake in return for a significant additional oxygen infusion of about $30 billion. As the American president said on the GM restructuring initiative last year, “Our goal is to get GM back on its feet, take a hands-off approach, and get out quickly.”

The upcoming IPO of the company is a right step in the same direction – getting out. Government intervention surely saved America’s largest automaker and more importantly, millions of jobs associated with it. Undoubtedly, GM has made a speedy recovery going against what was expected by many industry experts at the outset. For the uninitiated, the company filed a profit of $2.2 billion in the first half of 2010 rather than guzzling it at a rate of $1 billion a month, the way it had been doing in the pre-bankruptcy period. As the US Treasury is reportedly looking at shedding close to 20% of its stake in the company, the fact of the matter is – while it will give investors a chance to complain by choice (unlike the earlier case where the US government used the taxpayer’s money to fund GM’s bankruptcy), the Government will continue to hold a substantial share in the company for the short-run, at least. But market watchers are of a view that government will like to move out as soon as possible.

Meanwhile, the strategy to make the China operations as a launching pad for India and other emerging markets has done wonders in no time. Apart from the fact that GM China emerged as the biggest foreign car manufacturer in the country last year, the only 12-year-old subsidiary of the company is very close to overtaking US in sales volumes. For the record, GM sold 1.83 million vehicles in China in 2009 with a whopping rise of more than 67% over 2008, while it sold 2.07 million vehicles in 2009 in US. No wonder, it has chosen Shanghai as the headquarters of its international operations.



 
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Monday, September 03, 2012

Drunk pilots should be jailed!

It’s unbelievable that DGCA still does not cancel the flying license of a pilot flying drunk; the IIPM Think Tank does a critical analysis of the lopsided DGCA regulations

Last month, the DGCA announced that a pilot who gets caught drunk twice ‘might be’ sent for ‘rehabilitation’; and if caught thrice, the same ‘might’ lead to their job termination. Within two days of the announcement, DGCA upped the punishment post haste and announced that a pilot caught drunk once will have his or her license suspended for three months. A second time would lead to permanent suspension.

While the DGCA is self-applauding itself on its apparently stringent resolve to reduce drunk flying, one is flabbergasted at how lenient such a resolve is in reality, given the fact that pilots are responsible for the lives of more than a hundred passengers per flight. The DGCA should learn a lesson or two from the Delhi Traffic Police, which now has a zero-tolerance policy for drunk driving, where any driver caught driving drunk even once will have his/her license cancelled immediately (1378 licenses were cancelled by the Delhi Police in the last eleven months under this clause). Clearly, the DGCA feels that it’s all right to allow drunk pilots to keep flying.

Further, till now, the DGCA has been checking pilots through breath analysers before the flight starts, without keeping a check on whether the pilot drinks during the flight. Pilots know and realise this easiest method of avoiding getting caught. One is told that the DGCA, after so many decades of existence, has started advising such checks post the flight too.

We say that the DGCA diktat should have focussed on cancelling the licence of the pilot and jailing him. The Motor Vehicles Act already has this stringent provision of jailing for drunk drivers, with the term ranging from three months (for first time offenders) to six months (for repeat offenders). It’s unbelievably strange that the DGCA doesn’t believe in that.


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Wednesday, August 22, 2012

The times they are a-changin’ and established norms and beliefs are now being challenged...

On questioning him about a different statement issued in the media, Maulana Abdul shot back saying, “I don’t understand how this fatwa was leaked to the media. We have explained our stand that according to Islam, Muslim women cannot be together with men without purdah. Those who do not follow this are not true Muslims. But this is just a religious order. We can definitely not punish anyone who chooses not to follow the religious rules. We have issued several fatwas in the past. Our job is to give advice based on what Islam says. To follow it or not is up to the individual.”

Centuries-old rules pitted against evolving times are probably at the heart of this imbroglio. The Belgium government’s ban on the burka had created an uproar among Islamic groups. Says Maulana Abdul, “People should be allowed to do what they wish to, if it’s not causing any harm. How can you impose a ban on anything? This rule might be unacceptable to many Muslim women. This is also injustice. It’s unfair.” Well, true. But why should there always be resentment with acts of liberation? For instance, the controversies created around Sania Mirza’s skirt, Salman Khan attending Ganesh Puja, MF Hussain’s paintings, Shiv Sena bashing youngsters who celebrated Valentine’s Day. Then again when a lot of support came streaming in for the Muslim, Lebanese-born Miss USA, Rima Fakih, who paraded in a bikini on the ramp, there’s hope enough to believe all is not lost yet!

Every religion believes in peace and harmony and eventually it’s up to both, us and the custodians of every religion to let it not be misjudged and misunderstood.


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Thursday, September 17, 2009

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.

For more articles, Click on IIPM Article.

Source : IIPM Editorial, 2009

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

For More IIPM Info, Visit below mentioned IIPM articles.
IIPM fights meltdown, places 2300 students By Education Mail Bureau
Delhi/ NCR B- Schools get better By Swati Sharma
Event at IIPM
The Most Revolutionary Concept In Education PLANMAN CHE CENTRE FOR HIGHER EDUCATION, Supported by IIPM India’s Leading B-School
Detail of all IIPM branches
IIPM set to beat economic slowdown
IIPM Admission Detail
IIPM, GURGAON

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Wednesday, September 09, 2009

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

For more articles, Click on IIPM Article.

Source : IIPM Editorial, 2009

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

For More IIPM Info, Visit below mentioned IIPM articles.
Event at IIPM
2300 IIPM students get jobs
The Most Revolutionary Concept In Education PLANMAN CHE CENTRE FOR HIGHER EDUCATION, Supported by IIPM India’s Leading B-School
Detail of all IIPM branches
IIPM set to beat economic slowdown
IIPM Admission Detail
IIPM - Admission Procedure
IIPM, GURGAON

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Wednesday, July 22, 2009

It was a sweet pill, they say!


IIPM Alumni Officially on Facebook

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).

For More IIPM Info, Visit below mentioned IIPM articles.
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IIPM only B-school in India to be Ranked Ahead of The IIMs in so Many Parameters! Regularly!
Why has IIPM always been opposed to B-school rankings?
Four Phase of IIPM Global Plans
30 professors of international repute to IIPM
IIPM Global B-school
IIPM Respected Business School

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Monday, January 12, 2009

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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Thursday, January 08, 2009

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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Saturday, January 03, 2009

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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Friday, January 02, 2009

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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Monday, December 22, 2008

Intelligence speak: Needed, raw political will

Vikram Sood
Former RAW chief

The fidayeen attack on Mumbai is not only one of the biggest terror attacks in Indian history; it is the first of its kind. The terrorists have been misleading the media by claiming to be members of Hyderabad Mujahideen. The fact is that the audacious attack is part of a deep conspiracy against India that I am sure will gradually unravel. We are still to get the total picture.

This terror onslaught is much like the 1993 Mumbai serials blasts to avenge the demolition of the Babri Masjid in 1992. These latest attacks were extremely well orchestrated and carried out with the help of foreign elements. My own feeling is that even the underworld could be involved. And of course nothing of this scale could have happened without liberal assistance from locals. The underworld must have provided them with the logistical support needed to carry these out. Now, after Afghanistan and Pakistan, it is the turn of India to become the terrorists’ target.

Among the questions that must be answered soon is how the terrorists were at all able to land in Mumbai with their huge arms caches. Also, how did they reach these hotels? Were they or were they not frisked by the security men posted there? An intensive probe is needed to ascertain just how the terrorists managed to sneak in. This is why I say that they were helped and protected by local elements. An attack of this complexity could simply not have been planned in a day. The terrorists must have come to Mumbai and been around for long enough to do a meticulous recce of the areas they targeted. What particularly baffles is why the police so miserably failed to get wind of their movements. There is thus a persistent question mark on the efficiency of the Mumbai police.....Continue

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Thursday, December 18, 2008

Ring of confusion

Everyone knows that if you want to estimate the age of a tree, you count the number of rings that make up its trunk. But would you do the same thing if you wanted to estimate the age of the rings?! Rings of planet Saturn, that is. Scientists are trying to calculate the age of these mysterious rings, and have estimated it to be 100 million years old. They reason that since the rings are shiny and reflective, the particles they contain are young and therefore the rings themselves are very young. Others however feel that with the age of our solar system being much older (4.55 Billion years), Saturn’s rings can’t be such a recent development. Who’s right? Sit back – it’s going to take a while....Continue

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Saturday, December 13, 2008

Astro-psephology: who will win?

Starting with 1998 elections, psephologists, and what can arguably be termed ‘swingologists’, who changed their predictions hourly as reports of vote counting came in, looking at a swing here or a curve there, have all failed. So have the exit polls. Not just that, each exit poll (depending on which news media house was doing it, may be) contradicted the other, all going wild and none scoring a point, let alone the bull’s eye. The classic example of exit poll malfunction was in 2004, when most polls gave Bharatiya Janata Party a sweep. Congress romped home in a coalition instead. Recent times has seen politicos increasingly looking up to the galaxies and their readers for predicting their futures. So TSI decided to give it a go. Here are some astrological predictions from famous fate readers, each contradicting the other, many contradicting themselves too! And let’s wait till the results to check out which wins: psephology or astrology.......Continue

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Wednesday, December 10, 2008

The BJP’s five-year term in Madhya Pradesh has fired the imagination of a lot of people who are keen to contest on the party ticket

What is the main election plank in Madhya Pradesh?
It has to be Congress’ inertia; its complete failure at all the fronts. In fact, being an opposition party, Congress does not have any issue that it can raise against the government. In fact, it is unable to raise questions on the performance of the government.
Congress has leveled serious allegations against the government including her inability to stop crime against women, arrest the increase in communal skirmishes and hunger deaths among others…
What can I say on that? I mean the work done by the government is there for all to see. There is no doubt that BJP’s tenure has been exceptional.
BJP’s prospects in the state can take a hit with the entry of parties like Bahujan Samaj Party, Samajwadi Party and Bhartiya Janashakti Party…
The state has witnessed a two-party struggle since 1962, I believe. And I am pretty sure it won’t change this time around too. In fact, this time too, only BJP and Congress are claiming to form the popular government. I mean there is no space for other parties here. Yes, they might gain a few seats here and there because of the delimitation. However, it is highly unlikely that they will be successful in increasing their share of vote.

But will it make a dent into BJP’s share of vote?
Some people get this bizarre idea that the party is dependent on an individual. BJP is a cadre based party. It is not a one family show. People who think like that are going to face a reality check in these elections. I am pretty sure that BJP will have a surprise return.

Do you have the cadres to take the message of the government?
Yes we do. We are ready. ...Continue

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Friday, December 05, 2008

Bhattacharjee's pipe dream!

West Bengal Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee's claim that his state is an island in the dark sea of law and order stands shattered. Union ministers Ram Vilas Paswan and Jitin Prasad learnt this bitter lesson when they were returning after the foundation ceremony of Jindal Steel Works at Salboni, West Midnapur district, on October 26. Within 30 minutes of CM's departure from the site, a massive bomb blast took place, barely 20 metres away from the car carrying the ministers and JSW chairman Sajjan Kumar Jindal.

It is a measure of law and order failure that even after this, it was not the police which informed Bhattacharjee that his guests had been targetted. Rather, it was Paswan who called the CM up and told him. On November 3, Paswan sent a letter to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh seeking proper security, especially while travelling in West Bengal....Continue
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Monday, December 01, 2008

Just a minute dmitry...

It was no accident that Dmitry Medvedev, the Russian president, announced a fresh missile deployment within hours of Barack Obama's election as US president. It was an attempt to knock the new entrant off the nerve; however, it also underlined Russian position vis-à-vis US design to deploy missile shield in Eastern Europe – Russia’s playground since time immemorial. While it offered the Russian leader a chance to charm the domestic audience who have had enough of western bullying in years when Post-USSR Russia lied low after its cold war defeat; it is equally true that given the Democrats’ indisposition about the missile shield in comparison to the Republican hawks, Russia jumped gun too early this time around.

Over the years, in an endeavour to bolster NATO members in the east of reciprocal security guarantees, the US and other western NATO states have time and again infuriated dormant Russia. However, a blatantly one sided approach of the west on Georgian affair and proof of American provocation of its headstrong President Mikhail Saakashvili, has made Russia come out of its cocoon. Medvedev's military message was also intended to daunt the Poles and the Czechs, who are to host the bases for the Pentagon's silos for 10 ballistic missile interceptor rockets. The missile that has been finalised to be deployed in retaliation in Kaliningrad is Iskander-M......Continue

Source : IIPM Editorial, 2008
An Initiative of IIPM, Malay Chaudhuri and Arindam chaudhuri (Renowned Management Guru and Economist).
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Tuesday, October 21, 2008

Finally, the right brew?

Lavazza’s attempts to gain synergies from Barista seem to be working well so far

Just as Indians developed a growing passion for eating out, they have also developed a phenomenal penchant for coffee. The land of teaFinally, the right brew? drinkers has indeed created an exorbitant café market of Rs.8 billion (according to Technopak Advisors) and the organised coffee chain in the urban market is growing at a breakneck 35% per annum. It is no surprise that the organised coffee chain has been brewing hot over the past few years. But interestingly, successive owners of Barista have failed to take the heat.

The company has been through three changes in ownership in a time span of just six years, and four CEO changes in a time span of five years. A coffee chain started by Amit Judge of Turner Morrison, Barista was sold off to Sterling Infotech Group (65% stake for Rs.300 million) and to the Tatas (remaining 35%). Maverick NRI businessman – C. Sivasankaran, who owned Sterling Infotech, has a penchant for acquiring companies but no intention to hold them for the long run; even the Tatas. So the Tatas sold off their stake to Sterling and finally Sterling sold it to Italian coffee major Lavazza....Continue

Source : IIPM Editorial, 2008
An Initiative of IIPM, Malay Chaudhuri and Arindam chaudhuri (Renowned Management Guru and Economist).

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