Recruiter's Night @ AIM

During the last week, I had an opportunity to visit the Recruiter's Night organised by the Career Management Services (CMS) at AIM. The event was primarily intended to be a common platform for the confluence of the Graduating Batch students and their potential employers.

The event took place on the 3rd of September at the AIM Conference Centre in Makati City. The ambience of the occasion was eye catching especially due the formal attire of the students (A rare sight at AIM!!)

The function kicked off with a formal overview of the graduating MBA and MM class of 2008 by the representatives of each of the courses. The overview comprised of a general picture of the functional background of the students along with the diversity among each of them. It is worth mentioning that there is an amazing diversity associated with each batch at AIM. This was followed by an encouraging talk by the Associate Dean of the W.SyCip Graduate School of Business, Prof. Ricky Lim to motivate the potential employers to look for the right match. It was great to have learnt the significance of a relationship between an employer and the employee.

The presence of many of reputed companies present like QTEL from Qatar, First Gulf Bank from Abu Dhabi, Ayala Group-Philippines, IBM- Philippines, Pfizer- Philippines, JP Morgan- Philippines, L&T, RCBC Bank, Telus- Philippines ensured that the purpose of the interaction between the companies and the students had been justifiably served. This was followed by dinner and rounds of cocktails, which hopefully proved out to be the opportune moment for the students to network. (And drink off course!)

My sole intention is to give a credible account of event to a larger set of audience and hope to spread the word. I was lucky to have a group of my batch mates along with me on the day to cover the event and also, thank Regnard for providing us with the opportunity of being an amateur (read novice) journalist :-)

I am attaching some pictures taken on that day and also take this opportunity to wish my seniors a very best in all their future endeavours.

Philippine Diary I

Today is the last day of the 2-Week Pre MBA classes and the coming Monday would bring along the first day of MBA and with it the cases and the CAN group discussions.


The past fortnight has been one of the most happening and enjoyable days of the recent times. I reached Manila on the 16th of August from Kolkata via Singapore. The first impression that Manila gives you a very neat and welcoming one (Mahubay). The city on the way from the NAIA resembles Mumbai in certain ways, mostly in terms of weather. The city gives a very clean and polished feeling unlike Mumbai. However, the place where Asian Institute of Management (AIM) is located is very posh and looks as good as any well developed city around the globe. Some reliable sources do inform me that the looks resemble LA downtown (wow!!). The place is known as the Makati City and happens to be the commercial hub of the country.

The arrival at the institute was a very cordial one, Thanks to the wonderful people out here!! The laptops were registered with the institute and we were allotted the rooms in the dorm of the college on the 6th Floor, Room#602 to be more precise. The suite gives a very professional look, due to the Green Boards, Rolling Chairs and the meticulously separated study space provided for each of the members. The dorm is a well maintained one and truly organised one in terms of amenities given the fact that it was established 40 years ago.


Reflecting on the Pre MBA, I would say with affirmity that attending it was a worthy decision. It helps one with the initial feel of the various subjects of MBA along with subtle hints of the rigour at AIM. The subjects included Language of Business i.e. Accounting, Basics of Economics, Basics of Quant and MS Excel, along with the MBTI personality tests. It also gives one an opportunity to ramp up to speed before the actual battle kicks off. The pre MBA also helped us know the excellent quality of faculty at AIM, I'm informed that one of our professors has been the economic advisor to the President of Philippines. The profiles of the various teachers are truly admirable. The classes have immensely helped in making a rapport with our batch mates and seniors and I guess that would be particularly helpful during the MBA. Also not to forget, Pre MBA also gives some time off to sight see the vicinity of the campus.


I did spend the last weekend moving around the nearby malls in Makati City (Landmark, GreenBelt, Glorietta, etc.) and visiting the places around Fort Bonifacio, which is an urban development in Taguig City, Metro Manila. The cost of living of the city is also very reasonable compared to Bangalore, India and the quality of Life is much better, except for the fact that I don’t have friends and relatives here. Manila also has some of the biggest malls of Asia and I'm informed that those are really huge. The apparent reasoning of such developed retail establishments in a moderately developing economy like the Philippines is that the inflation rate is higher than the rate earned by the Central Bank, so the incentive of saving is lost and people tend to spend more relative to the savings. This can also be explained by the fact that the culture here resembles that of the West, and English is a well known and understood language unlike most of the South East Asian countries.


Food in Manila is really diverse and one can get anything one wishes. Its worth a mention that vegetarians might have a hard time adjusting with the cuisines available here.

A very evident feeling one gathers here is that people are not very worried or tensed about day to day issues, which is wonderful and healthy. Life seems to be a very big party out here and I sincerely admire the attitude. Rock On Manila!!!

My Maiden Philippine Experience

This is my first post from the archipelago of 7000 islands, The Philippines. I am presently located in Manila, the capital of Philippines, placed on the picturesque Luzon Island. The motive that brings me here to this distant land, is the persuance of MBA at the esteemed Asian Institute of Management in Makati City, Manila. Makati happens to be the Central Business District (CBD) of Manila and is the commercial epicentre of the country. One can observe a marked cultural difference in the country compared to India, and I am still trying to figure out intricate details of the same. Its amazing I must say!

The AIM Campus, however, feels very much at home due to the fact that Indian Students capture the majority of the student Diversity pie.

The classes of Pre MBA, puposed to make us aware of the Accounting, Economics and Quantitative Basics, have already started for us and the schedule has been very hectic as expected, the change in the biological cycle of the body has been drastic over the past few days, but its enjoyable too. Brings back the college days once again!

I have'nt had a chance to roam around the city and find out more about the place as this is my first week at AIM. So, I would leave you with some pictures and try to bring forth more experiences, learnings and Information in the days to come.

Visit to BIT Mesra

This was my maiden visit to my college BIT Mesra, as a representative of MindTree Ltd. The visit was a part of the MindTree Campus Confluence initiative (I cannot disclose much about this) and required us to travel to BIT Mesra for the purpose of guidance to a group of pre-final year students.

We traveled one pre decided Friday night from Bangalore to Kolkata and had a next day morning flight to Ranchi where we were received by the official BIT Mesra vehicle, traveling in this vehicle used to be a much hyped affair during the engineering days. We were put up very comfortably in the VIP guest house (same place where Palash Sen and co. stayed during the Live Euphoria performance at BIT Mesra), with same BIT flavor of tripod shaped utensils for serving the curries and Dal and a very hospitable but laid back ambience.

The day involved a rigorous pre and post lunch sessions with the group of students, involving rounds of technical and corporate gyaan. We also had a scheduled meeting with the TnP Chief - Prof. Pant (one of the most amicable persons in BIT) and it was wonderful to meet him after a span of 2 years. It brings back the fond placement memories.

The day came to close ambling in the campus with all the students, who were very inclined to bring forth all the changes (positive as well as negative) that have occurred in BIT in this period. The pride in being a BITian was pretty evident in this group of budding engineers.

As anticipated, it was a wonderful trip and More so, because it’s a nice feeling to be sitting on the other side of the table.

Zimbabwe Today

Zimbabwe became an independent nation in April 1980 following the Lancaster House Agreement.

There has been a chronological sequence of events that lead to the downfall of the nation from being one of Africa's most developed nations to the world's worst nations economically and socially.

I will try to jot down the reasons behind this massacre:

1. The Land Reform Program initiated by the Government of Zimbabwe: This was an attempt of an equitable distribution of land among the population. The majority of the land was owned by the minority white farmers in the nation, which was supposed to be given back to the blacks. This in turn saw a major reduction in the agricultural production of the country and increase of disputed land in the nation causing a decrease in the productivity. This created a shortage of agricultural products which was once the backbone of the economy, creating a demand supply mismatch.


2. Operation Murambatsvina was initiated by the Government of Zimbabwe following the elections in 2005. An operation aimed towards the crackdown of the illegal markets and towns that caused the emergence of slums in the towns and cities, so as to provide decent housing and living conditions. This in turn, left a huge chunk of population homeless without any rehabilitation.


3. Humanitarian Crisis has reached a stage wherein the population is chronically suffering droughts affecting the entire region, HIV/AIDS Epidemic gaining monstrous proportions (1.8 million affected), and unsupportive government price control and land reform policies. There has been a dramatic decrease in the life expectancy from 60 to 37 since 1990, which is the lowest in the world.


4. Hyperinflation is attributed to the majority of the issues pertaining to the human population in Zimbabwe. Beginning 2000, the national economy contracted by as much as 40%; inflation has vaulted to over 164,900.3% (official est.) , and there is persistent shortages of foreign exchange, local currency, fuel, medicine, and food. GDP per capita has dropped by 40%, agricultural output dropped by 51% and industrial production dropped by 47%. A $500 million bearer cheque was introduced by the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe (RBZ) on May 15 2008 valued at about USD 1.93 at the time of issue. The situation is worsened due to the difference between the Official and Black Market rate.


5. A War with the Democratic Republic of Congo has been fought at the expense of billions which by no means have helped the cause of the people of Zimbabwe.

Go Goa!!

So now I’m on a complete blogging spree.... After the Puri experience here I come with the Goa experience. Mind you the Goa trip occurred much before the Puri one... Somehow, just that I could not gather the energy before. The maiden trip to Goa has a special relevance to me because it was among the most sought after destinations of the final year college days, but could not make it due to a terrible sequence of events (beyond the scope here).

The planning phase had been initiated at a very early stage by me, Sumit and Pratap (Pratap recently bought a brand new house at HSR Layout, Hats off to his meticulous planning!!), almost a year ago while shifting together to our newly rented house at #124 VijayShree Complex. And, finally it happened during the first week of April, with a long delay thanks to our professional and personal obligations. The best part of the plan was that it did not comprise of the just three of us but, a total of eight of us including Bumba, Lallu, Dipak, Ezhil and Jha (I'm too bad at remembering good names of people so please pardon me for that).

So, one fine Friday evening in the first week of April, the coterie set upon the Goa bound journey. But, the carrier was such a wonderful one that by the end of the journey, it left us admiring ourselves in awe, for our capability to undermine adversity. And, the icing on the cake was the last set of seats allocated to us (reminded me of the good old school days.... lastbenchers.... but it was not the same comfortable and cozy feeling). Finally, we reached Goa at around 1 o'clock in the afternoon with our ebullience being overpowered by tiredness and dehydration, followed by a wasteful argument with an adamant bike wala (one can rent bikes and cars from them at a daily basis). Then, we reached the Calangute Beach (one of the most populous beaches of Goa) with hope to find something worthwhile, and to our delight we found a very affordable accommodation (can’t call that a hotel) with the beach a couple of minutes walk away from us. The locality was nice one with a huge potential for pleasure of sight as well as might (After all, Game was the only Aim)!!! So now the time had come to free ourselves upon the arms of the Arabian Sea and this feeling was magnified due a thrilling Para-gliding experience I had along with Pratap, Motu and Lallu. I was noncommittal at first but, Thanks to Pratap on this occasion!!! This was followed by hours in front of the sea with beer in one hand and fag on the other (Then I feel like a man!!! :-))... The sight of the lambent sun setting down in the horizon makes one think about the bigger things in life, and not about the insignificant day to day hassles. The evanescent feeling of the Wind in my hair and sand at my feet.... is amazing, romantic, self interrogating, supernatural.... it’s beyond me to put this down in words. After this enchanting rendezvous with the sea, it was dinner time and it was a royal dinner with a variety of Sea Food on offer at the Baga Beach in front of the Britto's or Tito's (Bumba educated me that those are one of the famous places in Goa). Bumba also gave me vital information about beaches in Phillipines, Sea food, etc during the trip... he's a Rock Star!! Then, came another high point of the trip... Ezhil ki zindagi jeene ki iccha jag uthi and we kept ambling aimlessly in search of the true Goa, but alas found nothing (cannot express much here). That’s too a memorable incident, and with lallu around there was no scope of boredom to prevail. I always feel a sense of consanguinity between myself and lallu because of the commonality of the dialect that we both speak informally. This marked the end of our enervated first day in Goa.

Then arrived the day#2 of our trip and we had plans to go to the Palolam Beach (I'm informed it has blue waters and white sand). But, those plans remained as plans due to a hapless interception involving Jha (soon to be a part of the class of IIM K, Congratulations to him...) and our very own apna Holdy (enigmatic personality!!). However, after a lot of discussions and strategies, we concurred to head towards the Anjuna Beach (the foreigner infested beach - the infamous Scarlett Murder Venue). We had an inundated session sun bathing and profused sea bathing, where we taught Mera Bharat Mahan to a couple of firangi kids. Worth a mention here is the comment that our Ezhil got from the kids causing a lot of embarrassment to all of us, our motu is a genuine whimsical kid at heart!! With the gusto of driving the well maintained blue Wagon R on the streets of Goa, we drove to the much awaited Vagator Beach. Vagator was the most scenic and vignette of all the beaches of Goa, circumscribed by the Chapora Fort of the movie DCH fame, perfectly sating to the eye. Here too, we had rounds of bakar with Dipak leading the Bihari bandwagon (he is one of the most amicably non controversial person I have met!!) and Sumit on the center stage as always due to the fact that all the rest seven were his direct friends someway or the other. On our way back we did see a set up of the much hyped Rave Parties, which elevated our hedonist desires, but could not experience it unfortunately due to some unavoidable circumstances.

That was about the end of the second day at Goa and the next day we were supposed to head back to Bangalore with wait listed reservations. Fortunately, 5 of the 8 reservations were confirmed and we have a moderately comfortable journey back to Bangalore.

The tour was definitely very festive, frivolous and a galvanizing one, and more so due to the presence of like minded people together (This is Sumit's favourite one liner). I wish I was destined to be a part of many more such outings with these people around. The feeling emanated by its reminiscence is still Elysian!! Never mind, it was an experience that I would cherish all through and preserve down the memory lane......

F.R.I.E.N.D.S. @ Sterling Puri

Enough of the knowledge worthy stuff I have been writing in the recent times (I feel so when I recall my golden olden days!!!), so thought that I will write something that’s close to my heart (very very close). Off late I have been touring all parts of the country right from a colleagues wedding in Erode, TN to Puri, Orrisa... has been quite hectic but, could not feel it as I have been happy and satisfied with some developments personally as well as professionally... mind comes before the body ..isn’t it??

I went home for a long long vacation of 2 weeks to get some passport formalities cleared and also meet family and friends.... The last part of the vacation was specifically very memorable because of the fact that it was an innumerably planned and once executed F.R.I.E.N.D.S reunion at Sterling Resorts in Puri. The place itself makes me nostalgic given the fact that we had visited this place 4 years ago during college days when we were freaks in the true sense. At that point in time we reached the place with anticipation of two adjoining suites, one occupied by us and the other??? Pushkar will relate to this better....


Day #1:
So now we had finally reached the place..... Here we means myself, Ankit,Thapa, Pushkar and Goldy, with Saket joining us a few hours later. We just had a couple of days in hand and ready to relive it all. The trip started with a Bakar session in the wonderfully air conditioned room at the resort and a perfect English breakfast. Then, we finally moved out of the comforts of the room to the arms of the sea in one of the less crowded beaches of Puri in the middle of killing heat. Yes, that was of course preceded by a sumptuous lunch at Bideshi Hotel suggested by Thapa wherein Ankit was completely unable to lose his Los Angeles charisma. Our high pitch conversations were being frequently interrupted by Ankit saying dhire bolo kya sochega aas paas ka log and was very ably reciprocated by Thapa with the lines saying I'm on holiday..... I can f@#$ everybody this way..... I'm cool!!!. The expression on Thapa's face and the hand-eye coordination while delivering this was simply amazing... Thapa is true genius (read CS... we know what that means?). And, also not to forget Thapa had a very eye pleasing Donkey ride, on the dirty beach of Puri, which he thought to be horse initially (I guess you don’t have horses and donkeys in Nepal??). O.K. then we all headed back to the resort completely tired and desperate to take a plunge in the not very well maintained swimming pool, and to add to the icing of the cake Pushkar made it even dirtier courtesy some unique act of his, I assure no one else is capable of such acts. And then, Saket joined us in the resort after a hard day at office (feel the sarcasm...), by this time we were hungry enough for our dinner. Then, started the big plans for the booze party... Where's the party tonight??? ...... On the sea Shore!!! So, the issue in hand was to get enough stock for a night long sustenance, so the most intrepid of the lot i.e. myself and pushkar (2007) were given the charge and we got the pre-requisites and requisites at the expense of 350 bucks for 10 kms (mind you we're in Puri not Pennsylvania). That night was magical, it was pure, it was undiplomatic, it was we and we were together. The fun was of course acknowledged by our very own Ankit Pushkar (read Cat-Dog) fight, that’s a signature authenticating the genuineness of the parties we have, nothing unnatural. Then came the best part of the night (im still confused whether that was night or morning?).... We suddenly realized that the first rays of the morning sun had descended upon the lovely beaches of Puri and I must tell you that’s a particularly weird feeling!!! And, Goldy with his pran of no booze and meat until he achieves a personal goal (the goal referred here is the baap of all accomplishments and it is achieved but for a mere formality and the ever tensed Goldy!!) was sleeping in peace. Now, I should introduce all of you to a concept of H2O Treatment which is capable to accomplishing the impossible too... We'll see how in the lines to follow.... The simplified definition of H2O Treatment is Water on a bottle head and Bottle head emptied onto the Human Head. That was it; a well executed H2O Treatment by Thapa caused Goldy to rise from the world of his dreams (Wat dreams?? It’s beyond the scope of blogger to express!! Very dirty!!!). By this time Saket also woke up from his sleep after finishing the whole Vodka bottle (13 pegs down.... 14 pegs down!!!!), which was later found hidden below the bed cum sofa in the living room. Then started the song.... "Kya khabar thi jana ki humko pyar ho jayega........Kya khabar thi jana ki humko pyar ho jayega" with Pushkar, Saket and Thapa dancing and me and Ankit uncontrollably laughing. And, poor Goldy thinking How on Earth can these hopeless people do this to me and with a mechanical movement of his feet and elbow in a poorly synchronized tandem. The scene was such that, its beyond my capabilities to re generate it, but rest assured it was one of the funniest and most humorous events of my life. This circus went on for the whole of that hour and finally we went to sleep for a couple of hours at 7am, (Goldy also had a strategy behind letting us sleep) and abruptly woken back to reality with a revengeful H2O Treatment by Goldy for Thapa (respite to me, Pushkar and Ankit that we were not targeted) and Saket was enjoying the show with complete indulgence.

Day #2:
I really cannot differentiate between the two days, after all one needs to sleep to see a new day. The second days are never as enjoyable as the first ones, coz you start feeling that its the final half of the trip. Plus, Goldy had his flight back to Hyderabad from Kolkata, so he had to leave that day itself.... Sad but true!! The second day we went to the pool again withstanding the disaster caused by Pushkar followed by TT Games thanks to the poor table, poor racket, hot conditions (Grapes are sour … I lost even to Pushkar!!) and then Goldy irritated me by stealing off my favorite shorts …. Goldy should mind it (to be read in Rajnikanth style)!!! Then came the high point of the second day, we went to the Sterling private beach which was truly serene, deafening and monstrous. One needs to feel the sound of violent waves hitting the beaches with closed eyes... that’s the door to creativity, divinity. We played games like shoe (one has to jump on the opponents foot in a bid to win the game), followed by a mad Saket summer salting in the beach. And of course, accompanied by the wonderfully contrasting moods that Thapa posesses... i.e. when everyone is high, Thapa is low and when everyone is low Thapa is high... you need to have high caliber to act or even behave like Thapa. One needs to witness this phenomenon to realize it. Hats off to Thapa.... eeeeee Thapa!!!!!!! Now came the time to see off Goldy in the Kolkata bound express..... Bye Bye Goldy!! By now, Our hunger was killing us and to our delight, it was followed by a very satisfying meal consisting of a variety of sea food delicacies at Chung Wah, Puri. That night too we took some bottles of beer to the resort, just for the sake of relaxing for of the stressed nerves and enjoyed it well along with a nice IPL match involving the Kolkata Knight Riders (that’s my favorite team). Our bodies had been starved of sleep since a couple of days and that night we needed some sound sleep as we had to leave Puri for Bbsr early morning so as to catch my flight back to Bangalore. So Lights Off and Sleep..........

The next morning we were off to our journey to Bbsr at around 9.30 in the morning and reached the destination at 12 noon, thanks to a very matured driver, his logic of driving slow was that its not good to decelerate in congestion, so drive slow.... God save me!!! That was the end of the Puri Trip for us... Thank God that after all it materialized.

It seems that it will be long before all of us are together again, given the fact that Pushkar is leaving for London for a span less than a year and me to Manila (AIM) for one and a half years. Goldy will also be moving to Delhi soon (FMS) and Thapa does not plan for his future, so I can’t say. Ankit, also might fly to the UK for a couple of months thanks to his Vodafone and Sony projects (Ankit bhai is our Vodafone regional head)... He is the most dedicated worker of the lot.

So, the pure fun will elude us for quite some time it seems. However, cannot predict because all the memorable plans have been unplanned. Hoping and looking forward to another such even in the near future.

*The grass was greener
The light was brighter
The taste was sweeter
The nights of wonder
With friends surrounded
The dawn mist glowing
The water flowing
The endless river
Forever and ever

*High Hopes - Pink Floyd

Disclaimer: This is a very personal blog and targeted only to a specific set of individuals. So, if you are unable to relate to it, it’s not your fault, may be you are not a part of the target audience.

Consumer India

Consumerism is phenomenon spreading across the width and length of the country like never before. This phenomenon is not endemic to particular cities and zones but a characteristic to the modern India. This has led to a spree of chain retailing, hypermarkets, supermarkets, etc. The Indian consumer has never been so privileged to have such a diverse access. News of world class players entering into Indian markets is common place today. The Indian consumer is no more a commodity starved lot today. The Big Bazaar belonging to the Future Group is a revolution to the Indian consumer upheaval.


There have been a number of major reasons to this consumer revolution that is being witnessed in India. The segmentization of the market has been a welcome change where the consumers and retailers are aware of the expectations from each other. The Indian economy comprises mainly of workers in the unorganized sectors and a chain like Big Bazaar has provided affordability and reliability to such a market segment. The possibility of such a revolution can also be attributed to the meticulous supply chain that has been set up by these organizations. This enables enhanced revenues and decreased overheads. The example of such an initiative is the e choupal set up by ITC. Aggressive advertising has helped each of the brands to become visible across the varying demographics of the country. Again, ITC's work has been exemplary in this regard; Bingo is a wonderful example (Demographically varying target segments). The booming economy has helped brands with the improvement in the buying capacity of the consumers; the current generation of Indian consumers is uncompromising in nature. A simple example would be to observe that there is simply no difference in retailing patterns between a posh mall in Bangalore and a similar one in the Queens, NY. Our IT sector also deserves a huge applaud here, after all we are arguably the most sought after IT destination in the world. The role played by the FIIs (Foreign Institutional Investors) is a critical one as we all realize the significance of investment into any sector, we all hope the bulls carry it on........ The recent urbanization trend of modern India has also helped this scenario to a very great extent, also because urbanization entails greater representation in the tax net and that creates a hope for a better India. Last to mention, but not the least is the role played by our very own intrepid entrepreneurs with their incredibly original and innovative ideas. Hats off to our desi leaders.... I strongly feel that Indians have the capability of being immaculate managers due to the fact that the implication of the phrase manage kar lena yaar comes very naturally to us.

The picture is not as rosy and does not apply to the whole of the nation as there are a number of issues on which our country still struggles on. But, the picture presented above is definitely the way forward. This is an optimistic account of things and hope that the optimism pays off. I find the line India Poised very apt in this scenario, with a hope that India finally turns it on......

After all, one cannot discount one seventh of the world population!!!

TSA Trip

TSA stands for Technologists for Social Action. For the uninitiated, TSA is a group of people with an objective to give back to the society, in an attempt of mutual sustenance. It involves a range of activities from visiting Missionaries of Charity (MOC) homes to teaching the underprivileged secondary students (Sri Lankan Refugees).


MindTree happens to be a core participant of this group, the reason being that this initiative is in ideological synchronization with the organizational DNA. Social Responsibility is an essential component of the CLASS (Caring, Learning, Achieving, Sharing, and Social Responsibility) values, which are representative of the culture at MindTree.

This trip happens on the second Saturday of every month wherein the MindTree Minds and their families, friends, etc. dedicate a day of their precious weekend to the benefit of the society. Actually, anyone with a positive intent can join the trip irrespective of the organization one belongs to.

Inline with the theme mentioned, the trip started at about 9AM from the MindTree House III with a separate arrangements for the first timers and regular visitors. This bifurcation is done to educate the first timers on the objective of the trip and relevant information. I believe this is required too, to make participants understand the relevance of this initiative. Also, the first timers were also made to introduce each other in an innovative manner to break the ice and make participants comfortable with each other. As planned, the cabs reached the MOC Destitute Home at around 10 AM. A destitute home is a home for people, who are forced to sacrifice existing relationships due to the lack of love and affection, and set themselves free due to the lack of any loved ones to take care of them. It is a very disturbing scenario wherein one moves out of all family bonds and ties due to the pain one suffers being in it. The experience of visiting a destitute home is one that is unforgettable and very valuable. Each of the residents sees the visitors as their own loved one visiting them, loving them. It involves engaging with the residents, sharing time and energy with them, along with an initiative of serving lunch to them. This takes around one and a half hour and then we proceed towards the MOC Shishu Bhawan. This is a home for children and new born babies, who have been abandoned by parents and illegitimate couples due to reasons beyond the comprehension of a sensitive mind. It is poignant to feel that the children are not responsible for the fate assigned to them, it’s distressing and unfortunate. This is also an experience that has the potential to get the emotional self out of you and makes you wonder what the future of these kids are.... I just hope it’s good. We again spent around an hour with the children surrounded with varied thoughts. This was the last part of the trip, followed by the journey back to the MindTree House in a state of complete silence (Everyone was contemplating I believe).


I strongly feel that one should experience this unprivileged side of life, at least once. There are very few events that have very lasting impression on you, and this definitely has to be one of them. It opens you up to see the other side of things and suddenly the worries of your life start seeming to be so very insignificant. It does make me feel that one does not need a platform to perform socially; it’s just that you should have that intent. It also prevents misdirection in life and helps us realize that it is of utter importance that we avoid creation of destitutes in our vicinity. It is significant that we spread public awareness to make people realize the crime of abandoning a new born and children.

It is amazing to feel the potential of transformation one has, while visiting such organizations and homes regularly. Words are not sufficient to express the religiousness MOC attributes to each of these activities. It’s worth a mention that MOC has been doing a wonderful job with utmost sincerity and dedication. At least, the residents are in a much better state the counterparts straying on the streets. These are organizations that are close to divinity.

The mail seeking my participation read as "TSA is not about material involvement…It is about sharing their lives with us." I could not understand the implication of these set of words then, but now probably I know what the sender wanted to convey.

Children As Soldiers In Strife

India as a nation is facing a new roadblock concerning its welfare of children - The emergence of children as soldiers in strife - This phenomena is most common in the under developed and torn states of Chattisgarh, Jharkhand, Andhra Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir, Manipur, Nagaland and Assam. Children are getting drawn into fighting both with rebel groups as well as security forces. What was considered a problem in African countries of Sudan, Sierra Leone and other countries like Sri Lanka and Nepal has become a reality for India too. And, this problem has the potential to magnify itself gigantically unless some rectification steps are taken.

According to human right activists, the actual number of children recruited by state or non state groups as soldiers in India is not as obvious as in other countries but we know there is an increasing number of children being drawn into active combat.These children exposed to war and conflict, are one of the most vulnerable groups often forced to witness or perpetrate combat atrocities. They are scarred for life, their childhood shattered.

A UNICEF estimate says about 2.50 lakhs children have been recruited as soldiers in various capacities worldwide. In India no such studies have been done to document the life of these child soldiers. The main reasons the children take to guns being extreme poverty and they see rebels leading well-off lives. To them joining the rebels seems like an opportunity to get out of their misery. When the child soldier learns the tricks of the trade and starts getting money, the parents also enjoy a better life style. While the government doesn't give enough support and compensation for victims, rebel groups step in to act as guardians.

According to the government officials there is no government policy or official guideline about what to do with child soldiers picked up during raids or encounters. Though they are returned to their parents there is no guarantee they will not be picked up by the rebels again. There is no direction for their rehabilitation.

The NGO workers believe the government needs to network with village bodies and activists for holistic development that reaches the interiors. Development of traditional skills and emphasis on natural resource management is essential with improved infrastructure like roads etc.

This situation needs anything except ignorance from the part of the people concerned, our policy makers, administration.... Hence, it is our prerogative to rise and do someting worthwhile to create awareness among the uneducated. For the presevation of our generations to come, our nation, our culture.....

BBC Country profile: The Philippines

More than 7,000 islands make up the Philippines, but the bulk of its fast-growing population lives on just 11 of them.

Much of the country is mountainous and prone to earthquakes and eruptions from around 20 active volcanoes. It is often buffeted by typhoons and other storms.

Two presidents of the Philippines were forced from office by "people power" in the space of 15 years.

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In 1986, President Ferdinand Marcos stepped down after mass demonstrations accompanied allegations of electoral manipulation.
In January 2001 President Joseph Estrada relinquished power following months of protests. He was charged with plundering the economy for his own benefit, found guilty of massive corruption and jailed for life in September 2007. He won a presidential pardon.
On the southern island of Mindanao, rebels have been fighting for a separate Islamic state within the mainly-Catholic country. The decades-long conflict has claimed more than 120,000 lives. Sporadic violence has continued despite a 2003 ceasefire and peace talks.
Other Muslim separatists, the Abu Sayyaf group on Jolo, have a history of violence towards hostages, and the government has declared all-out war on the rebels.
Though it once boasted one of the region's best-performing economies, the Philippines is saddled with a large national debt and tens of millions of people live in poverty. The economy is heavily dependent on the billions of dollars sent home each year by the huge Filipino overseas workforce.
The Philippines has the highest birth rate in Asia, and forecasters say the population could double within three decades.
Governments generally avoid taking strong measures to curb the birth rate, not wishing to antagonise the Catholic Church, which opposes artificial methods of contraception.

The Philippines - a Spanish colony for more than three centuries - is named after a 16th century Spanish king. The territory was administered by the US in the early 20th century. Western and Asian influences have shaped Filipino culture.

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Full name: Republic of the Philippines
Population: 88 million (UN, 2007)
Capital: Manila
Area: 300,000 sq km (115,831 sq miles)
Major languages: Filipino, English (both official)
Major religion: Christianity
Life expectancy: 70 years (men), 74 years (women) (UN, 2007)
Monetary unit: 1 Philippine peso = 100 centavos
Main exports: Electrical machinery, clothing, food and live animals, chemicals, timber products
GNI per capita: US $1,300 (World Bank, 2006)
Internet domain: .ph
International dialling code: +63

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President: Gloria Macapagal Arroyo

Gloria Arroyo's efforts to tackle corruption and to focus on economic reform have been undermined by a string of scandals.
The president won a second six-year term in June 2004, defeating her main rival, the film star Fernando Poe Junior.
But a year later her popularity rating had fallen to a record low amid opposition claims that she cheated in the 2004 elections. Opponents also levelled corruption allegations against her husband and other family members.
She apologised to the nation for talking to an election official about her hopes for victory in the run-up to the 2004 poll, but denied any wrongdoing. Two subsequent attempts to impeach her have failed.
Mrs Arroyo faces the challenge of delivering on her promises to create jobs and to improve living standards. Social and economic reforms introduced during her first term did little to ease poverty and the country's debt burden.
She advocates constitutional reform, proposing to swap the country's US-style presidential system for a parliamentary government.
She has taken a strong line on law and order and has lifted a moratorium on the death penalty. She has allied herself closely to US President George W Bush's "war on terror".
Gloria Arroyo comes from the political elite in the Philippines. She is a trained economist, whose father was president in the early 1960s.
She was elevated from vice president to president in 2001 after protests led to the ousting of her predecessor, Joseph Estrada. In 2003 she survived an attempt by military mutineers to unseat her.
She is keen to emphasise her Christian faith. Observers contrasted her approach with the hard-drinking lifestyle favoured by President Estrada.
The Philippines has a two-house legislature - the Congress - which comprises a House of Representatives, with up to 250 members, and a 24-member Senate.


OVERVIEW | FACTS | LEADERS | MEDIA

Powerful commercial interests control or influence much of the media.

The lively TV scene is dominated by the free-to-air networks ABS-CBN and GMA, which attract the lion's share of viewing. Some Manila-based networks broadcast in local languages. The country has a well-developed cable TV system.
Films, comedies and entertainment programmes attract the largest audiences. Many TV broadcasters also operate radio networks. There are more than 700 FM and mediumwave (AM) radio stations, most of them commercial.

Press freedom is guaranteed under the 1987 constitution. The private press is vigorous, with tabloid newspapers being prone to sensationalism.
However, the US-based Committee to Protect Journalists said the Philippines was on a par with Afghanistan as Asia's "deadliest nation for reporters" in 2006. Officials have set up a task force to tackle violence against journalists.

The press
Philippine Star - private daily
The Daily Tribune - private daily
Philippine Daily Inquirer - private daily
Malaya - private daily
Manila Bulletin - mass-circulation daily
Manila Times - private daily
Business World - private daily

Television
ABS-CBN - commercial
GMA Network - commercial
IBC (Intercontinental Broadcasting Corp) - government-owned

Radio
ABS-CBN - operates stations nationally
GMA Network - operates stations nationally
Manila Broadcasting Company (MBC) - operates stations nationally
Radio Mindanao Network - operates more than 50 stations nationwide
Philippine Broadcasting Service (PBS) - government-run, operates 31 stations nationwide with emphasis on news, public affairs

News agency
Philippines News Agency - government-run

Indianity - A Phenomenon

The diversity of our country is truly exemplary. I truly believe that the diversity you witness living and traveling in India will be an unique experience. We can travel different countries to see the extremes of cultures and lifestyles, but the spectrum of variance one can experience in India is incomparable.

Let’s begin with the extreme northern part of the country, the resemblance of a Kashmiri and an Afghan (appearance) is not difficult to identify. Similarly, the inhabitants of the state Punjab across both sides of the border are not different. Along the east, I dont find any linguistic or cultural differences between the residents of the West Bengal and East Bengal (Bangladesh), except for the spiritual belief. Reach the North east of the country and one cannot differentiate an Indian to a Chinese, Infact Arunanchal remains to be a disputable issue till date. As we move down towards the south, we can identify the cultural transition in a manner that amazes me to a very great extent. A very simple example of this transition is that the languages Bengali and Oriya are sound similar while the script is entirely different. Now, if Telugu and Oriya is compared, one can observe an similarity in script while it sounds entirely different. Is this transition not amazing? I had experienced this during one of my long distance train journeys. Now, as we move further south, Can one distinguish a Sri Lankan national to a one belonging to Tamil Nadu? Probably very rare.


This demographic variance of our country is the most amazing and unique to India. However, this is not the only example of variance. Economically also, we are the nation which shelters the worlds poorest as well as the richest. Its not rare to witness a case where, a Mercedes Benz zooms past you on the 8 lane Mumbai-Pune highway constructed by the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) where an old lady sits haplessly on the glittering side track with a broken aluminum bowl begging for a square meal. This is truly a slap on the face of development, but again its diversity. Its also worth a mention that things are improving. Slowly but surely.....

The same phenomenon can be witnessed on the political front too. The coalition UPA, constitutes of members who are pre-liberalization and global integration, while it also constitutes of members who fail to recognize whether they belong to India or China. (that’s my opinion)

Given the above facts, it’s not foolish to ask how India bonds together.

The answer to this comes from more than thousand years of history behind us, Our secular paradigm, Our ability to adapt to circumstances, Our pride in diversity, The meticulous policy framework of the independent India and Democracy.

Its of course a very simplified justification of terms, but again the scope is very limited.

Congratulations!

Words are insufficient to express the satisfaction that came along with this subject line mail from Asian Institute of Management, Manila Representative Office in Mumbai, India.


The mail was intended to convey the confirmation of my admission to the Class of 2008-09, starting September 08. The feeling was unimaginable in terms of the magnitude of emotions that went thru my mind. It was awesome!! It is simply unbelievable for me to realize that I’ll need to leave Bangalore to pursue my management education..... It was a dream for me since long... and finally... still keeping my fingers crossed and hoping things to sail smoothly.

The sense of accomplishment is magnified given the fact that I was the youngest in my group and my group discussion and interview experience was also very moderate. Nothing much to boast and unpredictable too....

For now, I’m waiting for the hard copies to reach my permanent address in Kolkata. Also, I’m in process of identifying and searching lucrative and reasonable educational financing options. I just hope to find something worthwhile soon!!

Shubhobrato Ghosh shall keep writing on the latest developments!!! [:)]

Face Value

I often wonder, what is that quality in mankind that differentiates one person to the other. We see numerous people in our day to day life and subconsciously assay the person. The parameters of this estimation is generally very complex and often beyond the scope of human comprehension.

But, the initial parameter of judgment is the appearance of the person, the looks or the more tangible quality of a human. And, we must agree to the fact that this remains to the most lasting impression of a person. But, we also realize that the real self of a person is not tangible and can only be felt or seen by an in depth interaction of that person. Again, the disadvantage of the intangible qualities is that it cannot be judged by the human mind at the first instance. So, this brings us back to the conclusion that the appearance is the most marketable factor of a human being.


This postulate is also suggested by a study that was carried recently in the USA. The study involved the pictures of the CEOs of the top 25 and bottom 25 companies of the Fortune 1000 list. Now, these pictures were given to people who did not know any one of them and were asked to identify which of them seemed more successful than the others. Surprisingly, 90% of the results matched the group to which each of the individuals belonged. It was also given that the subjects in consideration had no variation in terms of race, gender, etc. This study is definitely substantial to the debate in hand.

So, can we conclude that our success depends upon the fact that how are we perceived at the other end? The answer would be a probable 'yes'. This is also justified by the fact that we often have scenarios where we tag individuals on the basis of their appearance (The way one looks, speaks, carries one's self), generically called the personality of the person. We all must have done this at some point in our lives.

So, it might be sensible to say that what actually matters at the end of the day is the FACE VALUE!!

A very well said phrase: "Your Attitude defines your Altitude. Determine it yourself"

Decoupling Theory

Has the Indian Economy decoupled from that of the US? Will a probable economic recession in the US affect India?

We are quite distant from answering these questions certainly. A justified and informed answer would probably be yes as well as No.

Let’s investigate:

The Indian economy has decoupled from that of the US and will not be affected by the economic recession because:

1. The exports to the US are relatively less and constitute a mere 2% of the GDP. So, a decrease in overseas demand will not spell doom to the economy.
2. The Indian economy is mainly driven by domestic demand and the sound fundamentals of the economy will drive the domestic demand further up.
3. The economy has substantial scope of growth in many domestic sectors like Agriculture, which requires investment and is isolated from the global scenario.


Decoupling is a myth and the Indian economy is bound to be affected by a US recession because:

1. As the global trade becomes more and more integrated, the affect one country has on the other increases significantly. Hence, an open country cannot be isolated from a global recession.
2. As the US inches towards the recession, the FIIs try to go for safer investments and the selling in the financial markets increases causing a downturn of the financial market.
3. India’s growth rate for the year to March 2008 will be 8.7 per cent, down from 9.6per cent the previous year, according to the government’s statistics office, reflecting the dual impact of an appreciating rupee and sharp monetary tightening.

We might say that the Indian economy has not decoupled from that of the US, while the fear of such an economic slowdown in the US is much lesser than it used to be previously. This is primarily due to the self sufficience of the Indian Economy in the recent times. However, no global economy can remain isolated from a US slump as majority of the exports of growing economies remain to be the developed economies like the US.

The SubPrime Crisis

After the dot com bubble burst in the US and followed by the 9/11 strikes in the WTC, The Central banks around the world slashed the interest rates to create liquidity and avoid an acute economic slump. Due to the reduced interest rates, the investors went for investments with higher risk and greater returns. This in turn caused the lenders to mortgage the loans to customers with weak credit history and likely to default. This created a high demand among the consumers and the housing sector went to an all time high in 2005 before it finally collapsed in 2006.



As a result of these activities, the foreclosure activities increased, large lenders and hedge funds declared bankruptcy and soon their was a decline in the economic growth and the consumer spending.

Culprits of the crisis:-
1. Lenders
2. Home Buyers
3. Investment Banks (They worsened the situation)
4. Rating Agencies (A possible conflict of interest)
5. Investor Behavior
6. Hedge Funds

A Stingy Operation

According to Wikipedia,
In law enforcement, a sting operation is a deceptive operation designed to catch a person committing a crime. A typical sting will have a law-enforcement officer or cooperative member of the public play a role as criminal partner or potential victim and go along with a suspect's actions to gather evidence of the suspect's wrongdoing.

In the Indian context, sting operation (investigative journalism) came to the picture in 2000 courtesy tehelka.com when it revealed a critical defense scam and the match fixing scandal. It was a revolution of sorts in the country and the media houses screening them saw their TRPs skyrocket. This was the truth and in the interest of the common man... so this kind of journalism is definitely acceptable.

But, the scenario prevailing today and the motive behind the sting operations is distant to what it was actually intended for. The motive in the majority of the cases is simply a rise in the TRP ratings. So is this morality justified? Given the fact that we've had cases wherein innocents have been victimized.

The revolution of media in the country has led to a cut-throat competition among the peers. This has also led the news channels to exaggerate items those need to be sensitivized. The initiation of such acts happens from rumors and its propagation. As responsible citizens, it is our moral duty to make sure that the propagation of words is authenticated.

It is a boon to us that India is country with such an active media and it has helped the cause of many undoubtedly. But, it has also in cases led to some unwanted and untoward incidents. Like, due to the active media the provocative statements made by irresponsible leaders of our nation are spread, which in turn disturbs harmony.

This needs to be understood is that there is a very fine line between Morality and Activity, and it’s difficult to realize that at first. But, the objective should be that, any action that is undertaken should be in the best interests of the mass of the nation.

FDI in the Retail Sector

FDI stands for Foreign Direct Investment. The issue in hand is that whether "FDI in the retail sector in India beneficial for the aam junta ?"


Yes because:
1. It will lead to a lot of investment into the country which in turn will lead to the development of efficient retailers with international expertise which would improve the scenario for the consumer.
2. It would lead to a competition to the domestic and local retailers which will have to become competitive in order to survive. Again, a boon in the consumer’s perspective.
3. According to the recent WTO mandate, India has to allow FDI in the retail sector otherwise; all the tariff and trade privileges enjoyed by India would be withdrawn.
4. Due to the increased competition at the point of Sales, the competition among the suppliers will also increase, which in turn will increase the profit margins for the sellers and this advantage will be carried to the consumer in a competitive market.
5. The export of retail items will increase which will improve the GDP, as players with international presence will be tied up with the local markets.


No because:
1. It might spell doom for the local kirana shop owners, running with small investments.
2. The international players with expertise and experience can lead to the downfall of the Indian players who are relatively new.
3. The international players (having large market share) might adopt a monopolistic attitude and the prices can be dictated to the consumers.
4. The unorganized retail sector of India amounts to 7-8% of the GDP and often is seen as last resort for individuals. An unemployed person can always open a small kirana shop. The international players might spoil this delicate and complex balance.

Now, I will try to put some explanations and clarifications to negate each of the reasons why FDI should not be allowed:

1. The bigger players will not spell doom to the kirana shop owners because India is a country with very diverse market segments. The bigger players will chiefly target the cities while the kirana shops are prevalent in small cities and villages. Moreover, it’s the same concept like in the electronics sector, SONY and SANTOSH can co-exist, similarly WALLMART and KIRANA can co-exist.

2. To protect the Indian players with relatively new experience, the government can put a cap on the percent of FDI allowed in the retail sector and open it completely when the local players become equally capable and competitive. It’s similar to the Chinese model.

3. While there does exist a threat of the bigger players adopting monopolistic attitude, but this can be overcome by opening the retail sector to more international players which compete with each other and finally the consumer will get the best deal. These factors will even out with time.

4. Even with the onset of the international brands into the market, the existence of the kirana shops should not be hampered as the target market segment of both of these is entirely different. So, we can only expect an increase of the earnings by exports.

Hence, considering all the pros and cons of FDI entering the retail sector, we can conclude that the answer to the question in hand is definetely a Yes with a provident viewpoint in mind.

Disagreements are welcome!

The Reason

For my sweetheart....... I call this the Purple Haze song.....

I'm not a perfect person
There's many things I wish I didn't do
But I continue learning
I never meant to do those things to you
And so I have to say before I go
That I just want you to know

I've found out a reason for me
To change who I used to be
A reason to start over new
and the reason is you

I'm sorry that I hurt you
It's something I must live with everyday
And all the pain I put you through
I wish that I could take it all away
And be the one who catches all your tears
Thats why i need you to hear

I've found out a reason for me
To change who I used to be
A reason to start over new
and the reason is You

and the reason is You.......
and the reason is You.......
and the reason is You.......

I'm not a perfect person
I never meant to do those things to you
And so I have to say before I go
That I just want you to know

I've found out a reason for me
To change who I used to be
A reason to start over new
and the reason is you

I've found a reason to show
A side of me you didn't know
A reason for all that I do
And the reason is you

(Lyrics by Hoobastank.....)

A Dilemma...

When I reach the Food Court of my organization routinely to have my lunch, every time I spot some small kids working around. That is certainly not a pleasant sight...... But ponder on this.....

Why does that child has to work at all, may be the child's parents are not good enough to feed him or may be may be the parents are unable to see the bigger picture to realize that education is more important than earning a meager housekeeper's salary. What ever the reason might be... the child does not have an option.

Now, the employer has an option, the option is to avoid such kind of an employment. But, will this step improve the situation? ..... The financial status of the child and his family is certainly not at par, which is the reason that the child needs to support his family. And, now if the family loses the share of the income that the child was capable of earning, certainly the chance of that child reaching a primary school diminishes to a greater extent. This is ostensibly a vicious circle, isn’t it? Or an infinitely iterating loop?

The solution to this problem lies in the approach to this. We need to break this down into a number of sub problems and deal with each of those independently. Some of the causes of this problem as per my perception are:

1. Population of the country.
The rise of the population of our country is attributed to the fact that we are unable to do family planning at a grass root level. The majority of our population is unaware and ignorant of the responsibilities that come across with the offspring. The rural population of the country sees the offspring simply as an increase in the number of working hands, which would result to increase in the overall family income. We need to educate people in this regard.

2. Sporadic urbanization of the rural population.
Huge percentage of the rural population that migrates to cities are lured and attracted by the false promises that are kept in store for them. A feeling of "Bed Of Roses in the city" largely prevails in the rural household. This unaware percentage of people needs to realize the importance of a critical skill, that enables the sustenance in the cities.

3. Literacy rate in the rural regions.
This is arguably the most critical reason for all the issues faced by the Indian Economy at any point in time. It is the duty of the stable and affluent population of the country to educate the less privileged portion of the population. We see many NGO'S and non-profit organization take this up, but given the rural and uneducated population of the country, this effort needs to ramp up.

4. Ignorance of the higher strata of the society.
We have been blessed with a lot of responsible and sensitive citizens in our country, but what needs to be done is to propagate this "well doing" attitude. We still are in the stage of a developing country and our country would need the effort of each and every individual to cross this threshold. It is up to the higher strata of the society to realize this, because it’s easier and more logical for the up trodden to initiate this and take the whole nation in its stride.

5. Inability of the current infrastructure to create sustenance enabling skills.
Our governance needs to realize that monetary support is not the solution to the poverty in the country. After all, how much can a nation's working population support the unemployed and to what degree? What is needed is an infrastructure that creates skills that enable people to earn a living.

We have many hinderances to the execution of any plan or strategy in the country, mainly due to reasons like Corruption, Demographics, Diversity, etc. But, we cant sit and relax with these thoughts in our minds, we need to rise to the occasion and Deliver.......

Existence?

Sometimes I wonder, where do we actually exist? What is does our existence actually mean?

Take into account the fact that earth is the only planet that has advancement of life to the highest degree (thats what we believe).

We humans get worried and tensed about issues that are very significant to us, lost 200K in the stock market crash, IBM is firing employees, US Economy is approaching recession, etc, these are certainly cruicial. But, is it worth the importance that it is given? Are we overlooking the bigger picture of things? Who knows that tomorrow an asteroid hits earth and the life on earth extinguishes, its the same threat that all existing species face at any point in time, including the homosapien race. In that case where is the stock market, where is IBM and where is the US Economy?

I accept the fact that we cant think of this possibility and simply stagnate our lives. But, try to realize the crime and disharmony that has emerged just in the race to earn money. Is that justified? People earn more and more money to satisfy their desires, new home, gadgets, gizmos, etc, Is that not too naive? Certainly so if we consider the bigger picture.

Its the same human race that is facing brutatities like animals in parts of Africa and its the same human specie that owns the Hilton Chain of Hotels (no offence meant, just a comparison). Do we have such inconsistency in any other race than humans? Answer will be No. Then, the thought that logically follows is that something is fundamentally wrong, with our attitude, with our thinking and our approach towards objective in life.

A question that comes to my mind is that, Are we living to Earn or Earing to live? Certainly a thought worthy question. Even if someone thinks that competition threshhold should be till the point where sustenence is enabled, he might not be able to accomplish the same. The reason bieng that, all of us are so busy following the conventional trends that no one even that the time to ponder about the reason for the quest and the person who stops to ponder is left behind in humanitarian terms or fallacies, as one might term it.

I dont have any problems whatsoever with the desire to earn and live lavish, but It does irk me when that desire comes at the cost of other fellow humans. And, If at all, that scenario arrives, the basic meaning of our existence and superiority of the human race is lost.

The intention of this piece of writting is not to be judgemental, But to provoke the thought process in this direction. I might appear to be cynical, but certainly not insensitive.

A rendezvous with the Fin Min...

What is India?
1. Second largest and fastest growing Economy after China.
2. Growth Rate over 7 percent over the past few years,
3. About 70 percent of the population below 35 years of age and 50 percent below 25 years of age.
4. India has a growing middle class with more than 250 million.
5. Among the world’s largest energy consumers.

When and Why did India liberalize at all?
In the early 90's, during the Narsimha Rao governance, when our current PM was the Finance Minister and Our current FM was the commerce minister.
1. India faced a financial crisis at that point in time, a crisis of the balance of payments.
2. Basically, a combination of the right people at the right positions at the right time. Individuals who understood the economy to put the fundamentals strong.

What is the history of the Indian Economy's growth saga?
1. India has had an average growth rate of 6.5 percent in the post liberalization period.
2. We have had phases when we have recorded more than 7.5 percent growth like during mid 90's and post 2003.
3. On a provident perspective a minimum of 7 percent growth should be recorded, with a target of 8 percent to be optimistic. Then we can have an average growth of 7.7 percent for the next 15 years.

What is India's Economic position globally?
1. USA
2. China
3. India / Japan

In the next 50 years, China would be a very important determinant of India's global position and on whether India has to become the largest economy of the world.

India has to work on the below metrics to be an economic superpower:
1. Per Capita Income:
A key factor and a challenge faced by the Indian Economy. The reason that raising the per capita income in India and China is a challenge because of the population of both the countries. This is the cause why the growth of PCI will not be as rapid as a less populous country like the USA.

2. Purchasing Power Parity:
This is again a challenge as the PPP of India and China when multiplied by a factor of 4 or 5 equals that of the USA.

The worry of the Indian Economy - Poverty - How to Deal with it?
1. Continue to grow at a rate of 7 to 8 percent each year.
2. Produce surplus that helps us deal with poverty.
3. Increase the Per Capita Income of the country.
4. Focus on basic needs like Education, Sanitation, Roads, Healthcare, etc.

What role does Energy play in the growth of the Indian Economy?
Very significant Role:
1. Increase the generation capacity by 10000 MW each tear for the next 10-15 years.
2. This would lead to the growth in the Infrastructure.
3. In the present scenario, Only India and China have investment opportunities in the Energy sector in the next 10 - 15 years.

Characteristics of Indian Economy?
Strengths:
1. Human Resources - India produces more graduates than a country like US.
2. Size of working population and age would continue to increase for the next 20 years before it starts to decline. This is an advantage that China does not have.
3. India is a democracy and no views are stifled in the country.

Challenges:
1. Financial Resources.
2. Infrastructure.
3. Poverty - Create Jobs - Provide education - Investments.

Key Determinants:
1. Investments (FDI and FII).
2. Direct Investments to Infrastructure.


100 days of paid employment in villages. Why?
It is a safety net that is provided to the agricultural workers. It’s a plan to avoid and minimize the suicide rates in the country. This is done in view that 250 million in our country earn less than 1 USD a day.

Can India work with Pakistan?
It certainly has initiated the process:
1. it’s on the list of most favored nation and does not discriminate Pakistan on any account.
2. India is willing to export products and services to Pakistan.
3. India is ready to comply with the trade agreement between the two nations.
4. India is in favor is resumption of Bus and Rail link to Pakistan.
While Pakistan in turn does not reciprocate in a manner congenial to harmonial relations.

With Iran?
1. There are differences with Iran on the nuclear issues.
2. Iran must comply with the international obligations (Nuclear Proliferation Treaty).

What is India's stand on the Nuclear Energy?
1. Every country has the right to access Nuclear energy, but only for civilian purposes.
2. Nuclear power is the possible solution to the growing global energy demands as fossil fuels are exhausted. France and Japan already depend on Nuclear power.
3. Too many counties should not have abundant access to nuclear power as the risk of misuse of nuclear power is always there.

India's stand on Oil prices?
1. Oil prices are outrageous at this moment and it impoverishes the oil importing developing nations. Even the developed nations are feeling the pinch.
2. The objective seems to impoverish the importing nations, very similar to colonial regimes.
3. A gap has been created between the supply and demand by putting a cap on the amount of oil being exported. The only motive is to make super profit.
4. The intention should be to make sustainable profits in the current supply demand scenario. Oil prices should be profitable and not exploitable to importers.
5. Investment on newer oil production techniques and exploration should increase.

Are we witnessing a shift of Power: US --> Asia?
1. No, US still is the worlds leading economy.
2. The European Union also leads when seen collectively.
3. Japan lead the pact in Asia before India and China opened up.
4. If US, Europe, China, India and Japan all become superpowers, we would witness the development of mankind as 4/7th of the world's population would be on the prosperous side.
5. This would also enable centers like Brazil, South Africa, etc. to emerge as potential power centers.

Brighter side of the Indian Population?
1. It will consume more and produce more.
2. 20 years from now, the Indian workforce strength will be 800 million.
3. One of seven on earth is an Indian.

Indo - US Relations?
1. At its best, two way trade has increased like never before.
2. American work is being outsourced to India due to cost and skill parameters.
3. If outsourcing is stopped, the import of Indian goods and services will increase and immigration to US will increase.
4. US is also doing Indian research. Patenting, design, etc. mainly due to skill factors. So, a growing India outsourcers work to the US in a way.

Difference between Chinese and Indian Economy?
1. Chinese economy is driven by foreign investment, while the Indian economy is driven by Domestic demand.
2. Exports play a very major role in the Chinese economy while it plays a marginal role in the Indian economy.
3. China is a manufacturing hub, India not so. While, when FDI is taken into account, India's a better bet.

Indian Telecom Sector?
1. 50 percent growth of cell phone users.
2. By the next two years, we'll have 250 million telephone users.

India's growing sectors?
1. Roads
2. Power
3. Exports and Imports
4. Bank Credits.

Is India secular in the true sense?
1. India has the second largest Islam population in the world, after Indonesia.
2. People trigger speeches and offensive writings provoking disharmony.
3. Commonality exists between religions across states like Tamil Nadu, West Bengal, Uttar Pradesh, etc.

Science in India?
1. Huge number of scientists sent to other countries.
2. Facilities and research opportunities better in some other countries.

AIDS in India?
1. The threat of AIDS in India has been accepted, we were in the denial mode previously.
2. National AIDS Control Organization has been formed for the betterment of the situation.
3. AIDS discussions should be transparent and people should be made aware of the consequences.
4. Voluntary help efforts are required.
5. Public health expenses for AIDS have been increased.