Five more days to do before I set out lock, stock and barrel to Ahmedabad. The three weeks I had taken off from work have resulted in part success. The aim of the break had been four fold - Relaxation, recreation,reading and regularisation. While I can say that I have made sufficient progress on the first two, the third is where it is in the list- lagging. The obscuring reference to regularisation is with regard to catching up on administrative tasks.
Right now, I think I am at the apex of a roller-coaster, the car is chugging its way to the highest peak. A few days from now, once we arrive at Ahmedabad, the car will be past the acme and then will hurtle down at breakneck speed and everything will pass in a blur.
But looking down (from the peak of the imaginary roller coaster) the feeling is very much like being on a real roller coaster or for that matter more like having taken off, out from the door of a propeller plane at 13000 feet for a sky dive. You have to do it right and land on your feet. And to do it right, you don't want to close your eyes; where's the fun anyway in doing that?
So, let's get it started in here.
2008-03-26
2008-03-21
A colorful Road Trip
A road trip typically combines the thrill of driving your own car through countryside and highways with the freshness of seeing rural and natural sights that one gets un-used to seeing in a city. In a road trip natural colors are easy to come by. Here are some colours of Karnataka that that we saw flying around us in the Ghats and along the coastline.
That the Western Ghats are green is common knowledge. The myriad shades of green shone by the tea gardens of Kalasa, Kudremukh and Samse, coffee plantations stretching from Sakleshpur to Mudigere and the sporadic deciduous and rare coniferous foliages sprouting out from deep red mountain soil remind you that tropical heaven is only a few hours drive away from home- the natural red and green.
Green is also the color of hope. The Shiradi Ghat road renovation project gives hope that the Mangalore Bangalore corridor will boost economic growth over the next decade more than what the recently inaugurated railway track will. The 9 inch thick tarmac starting Sakleshpur and the 1 foot thick concrete beams at the hairpin bends are being laid out with deliberation. Making no mistakes this time, the road has been closed to heavy traffic and opened to only controlled private car/light vehicular traffic.
The Greater Mangalore, if you may, area is poised to see amazing growth in the next few years. The infamous, for road accidents, NH17 belt going north from Mangalore is seeing new shades of grey- those of concrete and tarmac laid in the form of four-lane if not six-lane expressway complete with underpass and flyovers. The road will be made safe by itself. Left to man's fancies, however, nothing is safe.
All this, on top of the existing airway, railway will bootstrap the connectivity of the ports and upcoming SEZs with the hinterland. New SEZs for an energy company and several IT companies will lift this town from its tier 2 status to metro in the next decade.
That apart, the blue skies above and backwaters abutting the highway remind you that it is a little too unusual for rains to cause havoc in the evenings. What ought to be pink and blue- the two colors of spring- actually make you think black for the dark evening skies as well as the creeping impact of global warming. Forget that and the white sands of Maravanthe and the aquamarine waters of the sea beyond bring you right back to where we intended to spend one afternoon. Hot, you bet, and sultry worsened by last night's rain.
The legacy of the dynasties remnants of one of which, Hoysalas, we visited at Belur and Halebid ought to carry a bright orange glow. Orange is the color of endurance. That such intricate sculpture work has weathered nature and foreign invasions through the years is a testimony to capabilities and talents of a foregone era. The ornate pillars of the Chennakeshava temple, the hallmark of Hoysala architecture, is replete with the traditional jewellery designs that find their way into contemporary ornaments. The black polished pillars of the Jain Basadhi at Halebeedu even after close to a thousand years reflect the visitors' awestruck faces as if they were built yesterday. The musical notes that can be drawn out from the lightly constructed pillars strike the right chords of surprise.
Looking out for all these colors, we drove out of urban landscape on a Monday dawn, drove through the hinterland and ghats smelling coffee, tea, tender cashew, damp paddy and sugarcane fieldsdown to the hot coastal belt. We drank a lot of tender coconut, locally made carbonated jeera and ginger coolers sun-burned ourselves, sweated out in buckets, swallowed oodles of fresh air, woke up in the mornings to rare sounds of common birds, dug our heels in hot white sands, learned that Kudremukh National Park is replete with vistas of dark green and blue mountains against a pastel blue sky and also learned that exploration of Karnataka by road on our own car is the next best way to do it; the best way is on a bike such as an Enfield.
We returned four nights later content for now but thirsty for more, covering more than twelve hundred kilometers but not tired, intemittently cut off from communications like cell and email but not feeling any bad about it to the home-city happy but not too happy about it.
The colors we saw in this road trip are just a few sprinkles. There is a whole rainbow out there in Karnataka.
That the Western Ghats are green is common knowledge. The myriad shades of green shone by the tea gardens of Kalasa, Kudremukh and Samse, coffee plantations stretching from Sakleshpur to Mudigere and the sporadic deciduous and rare coniferous foliages sprouting out from deep red mountain soil remind you that tropical heaven is only a few hours drive away from home- the natural red and green.
Green is also the color of hope. The Shiradi Ghat road renovation project gives hope that the Mangalore Bangalore corridor will boost economic growth over the next decade more than what the recently inaugurated railway track will. The 9 inch thick tarmac starting Sakleshpur and the 1 foot thick concrete beams at the hairpin bends are being laid out with deliberation. Making no mistakes this time, the road has been closed to heavy traffic and opened to only controlled private car/light vehicular traffic.
The Greater Mangalore, if you may, area is poised to see amazing growth in the next few years. The infamous, for road accidents, NH17 belt going north from Mangalore is seeing new shades of grey- those of concrete and tarmac laid in the form of four-lane if not six-lane expressway complete with underpass and flyovers. The road will be made safe by itself. Left to man's fancies, however, nothing is safe.
All this, on top of the existing airway, railway will bootstrap the connectivity of the ports and upcoming SEZs with the hinterland. New SEZs for an energy company and several IT companies will lift this town from its tier 2 status to metro in the next decade.
That apart, the blue skies above and backwaters abutting the highway remind you that it is a little too unusual for rains to cause havoc in the evenings. What ought to be pink and blue- the two colors of spring- actually make you think black for the dark evening skies as well as the creeping impact of global warming. Forget that and the white sands of Maravanthe and the aquamarine waters of the sea beyond bring you right back to where we intended to spend one afternoon. Hot, you bet, and sultry worsened by last night's rain.
The legacy of the dynasties remnants of one of which, Hoysalas, we visited at Belur and Halebid ought to carry a bright orange glow. Orange is the color of endurance. That such intricate sculpture work has weathered nature and foreign invasions through the years is a testimony to capabilities and talents of a foregone era. The ornate pillars of the Chennakeshava temple, the hallmark of Hoysala architecture, is replete with the traditional jewellery designs that find their way into contemporary ornaments. The black polished pillars of the Jain Basadhi at Halebeedu even after close to a thousand years reflect the visitors' awestruck faces as if they were built yesterday. The musical notes that can be drawn out from the lightly constructed pillars strike the right chords of surprise.
Looking out for all these colors, we drove out of urban landscape on a Monday dawn, drove through the hinterland and ghats smelling coffee, tea, tender cashew, damp paddy and sugarcane fieldsdown to the hot coastal belt. We drank a lot of tender coconut, locally made carbonated jeera and ginger coolers sun-burned ourselves, sweated out in buckets, swallowed oodles of fresh air, woke up in the mornings to rare sounds of common birds, dug our heels in hot white sands, learned that Kudremukh National Park is replete with vistas of dark green and blue mountains against a pastel blue sky and also learned that exploration of Karnataka by road on our own car is the next best way to do it; the best way is on a bike such as an Enfield.
We returned four nights later content for now but thirsty for more, covering more than twelve hundred kilometers but not tired, intemittently cut off from communications like cell and email but not feeling any bad about it to the home-city happy but not too happy about it.
The colors we saw in this road trip are just a few sprinkles. There is a whole rainbow out there in Karnataka.
2008-03-15
Where is the pulp?
"Where's the pulp? Where's the pulp?" goes the tag line of a fruit drink being popularised, of late. Replace "pulp" with money or even 'reason' and you will know why markets should not rise in the near to medium term. By this, I mean that Sensex will probably not see sustained 17000 to 20000 levels in the next 8-12 months. As of last trading day, the Sensex closed a couple of hundred points below 16000.
Here's why:
1. Technically, at 16000, Sensex has a P/E of about 20, down from 28 at the start of year when record 21000 was breached. Analysts point out that P/E of 15-16 too is justifiable. This means that there is room for bottoming down. This is supported by the fact that 60% of the scrips constituting the Sensex are still trading at a P/E higher than their average 4-year P/E. It may mean they have room for rationalisation.
2. The FM has revised down the projected GDP growth for FY'09 from 'above 9%' to 'above 8%'. Analysts only expect 'more than 7%'.
3. Manufacturing sector has shown negative growth. Down to 5.3% this year, the growth the government says will be close to 11% next year. But there is a big slowdown cloud hanging over that. Given rising cost of imports, at a micro level, profitability will no doubt be impacted.
4. Agricultural output has not stirred any positive emotions while no new provision has been made for prodding agricultural growth. The 60K Cr waiver is not favourable to many or all, but that's another story by itself and it will not put an end to farmer suicides. For FY'08, a recent report forecasted a mere 0.9% growth in food grain output, down from 4.2% last year.
5. The Indian banking sector has only started to publicize its exposure to sub-prime funds.
6. IT sector is still trying to figure out what to make of the recession. But see no upward revision of guidance this year. The Rising Rupee, increase in direct costs and forecasted shortage of talent have already knocked off close to 30% in blue chip stocks. The end of tax holiday in the near future will only squeeze profitability. The flag bearer of 9% growth, services, will be marching only slower.
7. Inflation is rising higher. Already at a 9 month high of 5.11%, this time driven by rising costs (imports), it will be increasingly difficult to sustain operational margins.
8. Rising oil prices will continue to put pressure for an upward revision of petrol and diesel prices in India. But following the recent populist budget, the upward revision would not come by easily. Simply put, it would be an aberration to populist tendencies in preparation for the General Elections. So, oil companies will continue to show deep reds in their books.
9. Infrastructure is not doing that great. Look at the "good for nothing as of now" two 'swank' airports with national records of longest and tallest etc records to their names. Big airports, one already inaugurated, with no way to get to them.Their official launch has been postponed now. Each is an example of priorities that our 'leaders' have. Call the cause technical or political, the impact is economical.
10. Impending general elections may mean no path breaking reforms to bootstrap the above will be taken up now.
In the light of all these, FIIs, especially, hit hard on earnings in the sub-prime era may show faltering confidence, overall, in the current domestic economic scene. The sheen of India Shining episode is getting dulled down by lackluster or almost stalled reforms process.
What about Retail investors? Well, that category of traders or investors has not been driving the index. The recent IPOs have not done well and the market has all but tanked out and is bobbing up and down on a weekly basis. This gives no confidence to a retail investor. They will at best be cautious in putting their money in direct equity.
So, w.h.e.r.e. i.s. t.h.e. p.u.l.p?
Here's why:
1. Technically, at 16000, Sensex has a P/E of about 20, down from 28 at the start of year when record 21000 was breached. Analysts point out that P/E of 15-16 too is justifiable. This means that there is room for bottoming down. This is supported by the fact that 60% of the scrips constituting the Sensex are still trading at a P/E higher than their average 4-year P/E. It may mean they have room for rationalisation.
2. The FM has revised down the projected GDP growth for FY'09 from 'above 9%' to 'above 8%'. Analysts only expect 'more than 7%'.
3. Manufacturing sector has shown negative growth. Down to 5.3% this year, the growth the government says will be close to 11% next year. But there is a big slowdown cloud hanging over that. Given rising cost of imports, at a micro level, profitability will no doubt be impacted.
4. Agricultural output has not stirred any positive emotions while no new provision has been made for prodding agricultural growth. The 60K Cr waiver is not favourable to many or all, but that's another story by itself and it will not put an end to farmer suicides. For FY'08, a recent report forecasted a mere 0.9% growth in food grain output, down from 4.2% last year.
5. The Indian banking sector has only started to publicize its exposure to sub-prime funds.
6. IT sector is still trying to figure out what to make of the recession. But see no upward revision of guidance this year. The Rising Rupee, increase in direct costs and forecasted shortage of talent have already knocked off close to 30% in blue chip stocks. The end of tax holiday in the near future will only squeeze profitability. The flag bearer of 9% growth, services, will be marching only slower.
7. Inflation is rising higher. Already at a 9 month high of 5.11%, this time driven by rising costs (imports), it will be increasingly difficult to sustain operational margins.
8. Rising oil prices will continue to put pressure for an upward revision of petrol and diesel prices in India. But following the recent populist budget, the upward revision would not come by easily. Simply put, it would be an aberration to populist tendencies in preparation for the General Elections. So, oil companies will continue to show deep reds in their books.
9. Infrastructure is not doing that great. Look at the "good for nothing as of now" two 'swank' airports with national records of longest and tallest etc records to their names. Big airports, one already inaugurated, with no way to get to them.Their official launch has been postponed now. Each is an example of priorities that our 'leaders' have. Call the cause technical or political, the impact is economical.
10. Impending general elections may mean no path breaking reforms to bootstrap the above will be taken up now.
In the light of all these, FIIs, especially, hit hard on earnings in the sub-prime era may show faltering confidence, overall, in the current domestic economic scene. The sheen of India Shining episode is getting dulled down by lackluster or almost stalled reforms process.
What about Retail investors? Well, that category of traders or investors has not been driving the index. The recent IPOs have not done well and the market has all but tanked out and is bobbing up and down on a weekly basis. This gives no confidence to a retail investor. They will at best be cautious in putting their money in direct equity.
So, w.h.e.r.e. i.s. t.h.e. p.u.l.p?
2008-03-08
Next phase: A thousand suns
Well into my first week of 'officially' doing nothing, but otherwise doing a lot I can say I have discovered a few things. Foremost among them is the fact that Bangalore does not have that much traffic at all! Surprised? Even I was, because rarely, if ever at all, have I ventured into the heart of the city between 11 AM and 5 PM on a working day.THIS is the time, Bangalore has no traffic at all.
In the process of learning the ropes of Financial Reporting and Accounting from pre-course learning material, at least I have figured out the difference between Expense and Expenditure. Being a layman to the domain, I should say it is no less than a discovery, albeit a technical one.
One of the first things that hits me when I converse with people is my inability to say I work for so and so. A momentary lapse of identity is quickly replaced by the realisation of what it meant before and what it will mean in future.
My break, simply, has started in uncertain times. Overall, there is a lot of grimness about how the events will unfold in the next eighteen months. Indian Banks' revelation on exposure to Sub-Prime Funds, recession fears(? or!) stalking Indian and global markets have started a ebbing phase which will be sustained by impending elections in the US and carried over by elections in India. Bolstering the fears are falling industrial output in Indian manufacturing, sky rocketing oil and gold prices,5.1%-nine-month high Inflation rate in India, 0.6% fall in US retail spending and analyst opinions that US recession could muster enough rubble to match the recession of the twenties.Yesterday's Bear Stearns bailout story is just another nail in the coffin. This is going to be one long year if not a longer eighteen months.
So, while the next twelve months will test a lot of new waters,cause there is bound to be many a storm, on the personal front optimism is rife because behind the dark clouds are a thousand suns.
In the process of learning the ropes of Financial Reporting and Accounting from pre-course learning material, at least I have figured out the difference between Expense and Expenditure. Being a layman to the domain, I should say it is no less than a discovery, albeit a technical one.
One of the first things that hits me when I converse with people is my inability to say I work for so and so. A momentary lapse of identity is quickly replaced by the realisation of what it meant before and what it will mean in future.
My break, simply, has started in uncertain times. Overall, there is a lot of grimness about how the events will unfold in the next eighteen months. Indian Banks' revelation on exposure to Sub-Prime Funds, recession fears(? or!) stalking Indian and global markets have started a ebbing phase which will be sustained by impending elections in the US and carried over by elections in India. Bolstering the fears are falling industrial output in Indian manufacturing, sky rocketing oil and gold prices,5.1%-nine-month high Inflation rate in India, 0.6% fall in US retail spending and analyst opinions that US recession could muster enough rubble to match the recession of the twenties.Yesterday's Bear Stearns bailout story is just another nail in the coffin. This is going to be one long year if not a longer eighteen months.
So, while the next twelve months will test a lot of new waters,cause there is bound to be many a storm, on the personal front optimism is rife because behind the dark clouds are a thousand suns.
2008-03-07
A chapter closes
The day that I had been waiting for came; Not 'finally came',it just came.
I started from home later than I had planned for. The current favourite songs were playing on the radio as I drove to work, windows rolled down to let in just the right kind of morning breeze. I also got the favourite spot in the parking lot. So, it’s all falling in place, I thought.
At the desk, it began with opening the mailbox as usual. But instead of looking at the ‘work emails' my attention was focused on numerous responses to my goodbye emails. Only after perusing them did I open the work emails (Oh yeah, even on the last day!). This was followed by chats with a couple of colleagues, who on learning my reason for exit chose to have a tête-à-tête with me. A conversation always yields more than email ping-pong.
My colleagues and managers threw a farewell lunch for me. I had been forewarned that a farewell speech was due. I had only found time to figure out what makes up a good farewell speech. So, with a lot of extempore, I think I delivered a recommended complete speech; after all, it did last about five minutes and I ended it just before they could have begun to lose interest. Anyway, I was keen on listening to what people thought of me. A couple of pleasant surprises came along. You can even say it made my day or my month.
One can never plan the last day to be perfect or smooth. It was a funfilled day but also busy as it could get. I found myself jogging as I shuttled between meeting people, the day's first international conference call, checking on my clearances, getting to the farewell lunch and back, the second international conference call, intermittently backing up my emails that just kept pouring in, taking and making phone calls and surrendering 'company assets' before collecting my relieving letter.
A few people have asked me “Are you feeling sentimental about leaving?”, “Are you feeling sad?” and “How does it feel after so long?” I could only tell them that I have mixed feelings about leaving the current workplace. I am leaving with a little bit of sadness but a lot of excitement and anticipation. (Look for the ‘ship’ in my previous blogpost). May be I gave it enough time to let it settle down in my mind. After all, today marked the end of my 101-day long notice period.
The day that I had been waiting for has gone. Not to be forgotten, but to be blithely put away in that realm of memory where felicitous remembering resides.
I started from home later than I had planned for. The current favourite songs were playing on the radio as I drove to work, windows rolled down to let in just the right kind of morning breeze. I also got the favourite spot in the parking lot. So, it’s all falling in place, I thought.
At the desk, it began with opening the mailbox as usual. But instead of looking at the ‘work emails' my attention was focused on numerous responses to my goodbye emails. Only after perusing them did I open the work emails (Oh yeah, even on the last day!). This was followed by chats with a couple of colleagues, who on learning my reason for exit chose to have a tête-à-tête with me. A conversation always yields more than email ping-pong.
My colleagues and managers threw a farewell lunch for me. I had been forewarned that a farewell speech was due. I had only found time to figure out what makes up a good farewell speech. So, with a lot of extempore, I think I delivered a recommended complete speech; after all, it did last about five minutes and I ended it just before they could have begun to lose interest. Anyway, I was keen on listening to what people thought of me. A couple of pleasant surprises came along. You can even say it made my day or my month.
One can never plan the last day to be perfect or smooth. It was a funfilled day but also busy as it could get. I found myself jogging as I shuttled between meeting people, the day's first international conference call, checking on my clearances, getting to the farewell lunch and back, the second international conference call, intermittently backing up my emails that just kept pouring in, taking and making phone calls and surrendering 'company assets' before collecting my relieving letter.
A few people have asked me “Are you feeling sentimental about leaving?”, “Are you feeling sad?” and “How does it feel after so long?” I could only tell them that I have mixed feelings about leaving the current workplace. I am leaving with a little bit of sadness but a lot of excitement and anticipation. (Look for the ‘ship’ in my previous blogpost). May be I gave it enough time to let it settle down in my mind. After all, today marked the end of my 101-day long notice period.
The day that I had been waiting for has gone. Not to be forgotten, but to be blithely put away in that realm of memory where felicitous remembering resides.
2008-03-06
Shooting my neck off
I spent my second last evening at office doing what I like doing most- shooting my neck off! That's just another way of saying that I like setting up my camera on the Monfrotto and shooting away.
I am a huge fan of this campus. When the lights come up and the reflection of each structure is seen in another, it is difficult to stay away from the trigger. Right after sun set, I set up the tools and set out to the remotest corner of the campus. The idea was to capture the splendour of glass and concrete intermingling with greenery, water and light-natural and otherwise.
Ignoring curious looks from people making their way to the company bus terminal, I carried around my camera mounted on the stretched-open tripod. My paraphernalia usually gives an impression that there is some serious work going on. That makes things easier for me, as no one bothers.
And honestly, journalists (by invitation) and cameramen are so common in the campus that one gets used to it. At least once a month, one can spot a bunch of OB vans around the campus. This brings me to an interesting experience, a first for me. Last week, right outside my office building, which is outside the campus, someone from an English language news channel took a reaction from me on the budget. She said I would be on TV 'at 8 PM'. But then I do not get that channel at home. Its sister Hindi channel did not carry me. What do you think...I was glued to the TV. Because never have I been on that side of a camera with a mike pointed at me; for the record, by a good looking journalist. So, unless I was really on TV but missed it, those were five minutes of breath wasted that day.
But you get the picture? Bottom line is that I could work in peace.
I started at around 6 PM, did not care to look at the watch, only made a couple phone calls home to say I would be late and shot around two hundred pictures. I must have walked about three kilometers by the time I made my way back to the main gate. What I did not realise was that it was close to 10 PM when I checked out my 'personal items' on the security register. About four hours? You bet, it was time well spent.
Lest I forget, thanks D for your farewell lunch treat! It made my day.
I am a huge fan of this campus. When the lights come up and the reflection of each structure is seen in another, it is difficult to stay away from the trigger. Right after sun set, I set up the tools and set out to the remotest corner of the campus. The idea was to capture the splendour of glass and concrete intermingling with greenery, water and light-natural and otherwise.
Ignoring curious looks from people making their way to the company bus terminal, I carried around my camera mounted on the stretched-open tripod. My paraphernalia usually gives an impression that there is some serious work going on. That makes things easier for me, as no one bothers.
And honestly, journalists (by invitation) and cameramen are so common in the campus that one gets used to it. At least once a month, one can spot a bunch of OB vans around the campus. This brings me to an interesting experience, a first for me. Last week, right outside my office building, which is outside the campus, someone from an English language news channel took a reaction from me on the budget. She said I would be on TV 'at 8 PM'. But then I do not get that channel at home. Its sister Hindi channel did not carry me. What do you think...I was glued to the TV. Because never have I been on that side of a camera with a mike pointed at me; for the record, by a good looking journalist. So, unless I was really on TV but missed it, those were five minutes of breath wasted that day.
But you get the picture? Bottom line is that I could work in peace.
I started at around 6 PM, did not care to look at the watch, only made a couple phone calls home to say I would be late and shot around two hundred pictures. I must have walked about three kilometers by the time I made my way back to the main gate. What I did not realise was that it was close to 10 PM when I checked out my 'personal items' on the security register. About four hours? You bet, it was time well spent.
Lest I forget, thanks D for your farewell lunch treat! It made my day.
2008-03-04
Separation Blues- The Final Episode
Three days to go before I walk my last walk out of office gates. Preparing farewell mailing-lists and customising the message for each list is keeping me busy on top of new commitments (believe it! I am sucker for it) at workplace. Meanwhile, getting greetings and goodbyes in return is reminding me that my days here are numbered, literally, "3-2-1".
A colleague who will be joining me at Ahmedabad pinged me to ask how it feels to be so close to the last day. I remarked that the thought is just about setting in and that I do not know how it would feel to wake up this Monday and realise that there is no office to go to.
True, that would be a new feeling. The only time I changed jobs, I worked till the Saturday and joined the current place on the immediate Monday. Sunday had gone in preparing for Monday. Never got time to think that the ship had left the shores in search of new ones, because the new shore was round the bend. This time, the ship is leaving shores seeking new oceans. The ship will not harbour for a long time. What will keep the ship going on is the truth behind-"Good timber does not come with ease. The stronger the wind, the stronger the trees. -Williard Marriot".
With such thoughts of optimism and with some realism drilled in by the brewing global economic situation (sorry for swinging from romanticism to pragmatism in the same breath!), I am counting down from 3. Next three days will be a series of review meetings, courtsey coffees, lunch, sign-offs, return-lunch and final sign-off. It will all go past in a whizz. In the midst of all this, I am planning a photoshoot of the campus around dusk. Let's see how that turns out.
A colleague who will be joining me at Ahmedabad pinged me to ask how it feels to be so close to the last day. I remarked that the thought is just about setting in and that I do not know how it would feel to wake up this Monday and realise that there is no office to go to.
True, that would be a new feeling. The only time I changed jobs, I worked till the Saturday and joined the current place on the immediate Monday. Sunday had gone in preparing for Monday. Never got time to think that the ship had left the shores in search of new ones, because the new shore was round the bend. This time, the ship is leaving shores seeking new oceans. The ship will not harbour for a long time. What will keep the ship going on is the truth behind-"Good timber does not come with ease. The stronger the wind, the stronger the trees. -Williard Marriot".
With such thoughts of optimism and with some realism drilled in by the brewing global economic situation (sorry for swinging from romanticism to pragmatism in the same breath!), I am counting down from 3. Next three days will be a series of review meetings, courtsey coffees, lunch, sign-offs, return-lunch and final sign-off. It will all go past in a whizz. In the midst of all this, I am planning a photoshoot of the campus around dusk. Let's see how that turns out.
2008-02-07
Cables and wars
Idle minds or devil's workshops, whatever you may call ours, but there seems to be some value in our paranoia, after all.
Last week, a friend and I were discussing about the 'yet to be officially acknowledged,by Fed Bank, but already heating up' recession in the US economy when the topic turned to how, apparently, wars have been fought just to revive or jumpstart flagging economies. Naturally, the discussion then turned to what the "Economic Hit men", if you may, would do to counter the stagflation lurking at US shores. It is widely prophesied that the impact of US recession would be minimal or marginal on the growth of emerging economies such as India.
Now, there is theory that wars in future would be not physical ones but more of 'intelligence wars', not in the sense of espionage but intelligence as relates to information and telecom technology pillaring economies. It leads to less bloodshed and, apparently, has more impact toward hampering the sustenance of normalcy in the enemy territory. The Internet, in such cases not only becomes a potential war ground, but an Achilles ‘heel for some economies. It was but natural for us to concur that stagflation and multiple cable damages were too much coincidental.
As far as the internet or the web is concerned, all roads lead to Rome. So, if something big goes down, it will probably slow down the flow of information, but networking technology will sustain the flow (with all disclaimers that apply). Apparently, this logic does not so easily apply to the Suez Canal cables. We were unaware of the criticality of 'these' cables.But looks like were not paranoid for no reason.
Read an article here to understand more about the nature and impact cable damages and to, at least to our surprise, know that we were not just dreaming out loud. Phew!
Einstein's point to ponder: "I am not sure how the third world war will be fought. But I am quite sure that the fourth one will be fought with bows and arrows."
Last week, a friend and I were discussing about the 'yet to be officially acknowledged,by Fed Bank, but already heating up' recession in the US economy when the topic turned to how, apparently, wars have been fought just to revive or jumpstart flagging economies. Naturally, the discussion then turned to what the "Economic Hit men", if you may, would do to counter the stagflation lurking at US shores. It is widely prophesied that the impact of US recession would be minimal or marginal on the growth of emerging economies such as India.
Now, there is theory that wars in future would be not physical ones but more of 'intelligence wars', not in the sense of espionage but intelligence as relates to information and telecom technology pillaring economies. It leads to less bloodshed and, apparently, has more impact toward hampering the sustenance of normalcy in the enemy territory. The Internet, in such cases not only becomes a potential war ground, but an Achilles ‘heel for some economies. It was but natural for us to concur that stagflation and multiple cable damages were too much coincidental.
As far as the internet or the web is concerned, all roads lead to Rome. So, if something big goes down, it will probably slow down the flow of information, but networking technology will sustain the flow (with all disclaimers that apply). Apparently, this logic does not so easily apply to the Suez Canal cables. We were unaware of the criticality of 'these' cables.But looks like were not paranoid for no reason.
Read an article here to understand more about the nature and impact cable damages and to, at least to our surprise, know that we were not just dreaming out loud. Phew!
Einstein's point to ponder: "I am not sure how the third world war will be fought. But I am quite sure that the fourth one will be fought with bows and arrows."
2008-01-29
Global B-School rankings: Good news! And then some
Business school fraternities across India should be proud of the recent development in the MBA world. One of the best Indian B schools, ISB, Hyderabad, a path breaker in several ways has made it to the top 20 ranks among global B schools.Read the rankings here.
This development should add more shimmer to the 'India Inc shining' picture. Global investors are progressively looking at emerging markets for better returns. If experts are to be believed,the sole hope over the next year (with imminent US recession), lies in BRIC and other emerging markets, the only ones that can deliver least 18% returns. This, combined with the fact that an Indian B school has been ranked with the top league should make prospective international students think whether studying in an Indian B school and spending a part of their career in Asia is the way to go. The relative cost of education is low and opportunities aplenty.
ISB ought to be in the top schools list for several reasons, despite being young- the program structure, the composition of visiting international faculty, the corporate backing the school has, international alliances, the placement percentage (100%), and not in the least, the five-star facilities in the campus.
The article in The Times of India, read here, has quoted the methodology of computing the remuneration figure. Apparently, the average salary of $169,000 was arrived at by using Purchasing Power Parity (PPP). Now, the PPP between INR and USD is between 6 and 8, for such purposes as calculating remuneration and, well, spending power. This means that at ISB, the average Indian Salary is between INR 10.5 Lakhs and INR 13.52 Lakhs using the limits of PPP.
In general, however, the average salary is mostly misleading, for any school. This is because,by nature of average, a few distinguished top grossers will even out (or skew?) the impact of the many more at the lower end of remuneration scale. Median ought to be more representative but again may not comprehensive. But hey, all schools use the same logic, so we are on level ground here.Are we really, if we use PPP? Because, back home, when top schools report highest-salaries, they convert an international 'USD package' in INR by simply using the forex conversion rate, thereby launching the package into unbelievable stellar heights. That's another story altogether.
In any case, using average ,the numbers in other top Indian B-schools would be in similar range viz.IIMs- A, B and C, FMS, XLRI, SPJIMS. Barring IIM-B and FMS, other schools have a new 'international' one year program. The PGPX program at IIM-A and PGPEX at IIM-C for 'students with substantial experience' have reported 'average' INR 25 Lakhs and INR 20 Lakhs respectively. In terms of PPP, this will translate to an average minimum of USD 315,000 and USD 250,000 using a PPP of 8 (Obviously, 30% higher using 6). Like other aforementioned schools, IIM-A and IIM-C have a legacy of about 40 years and a wide international acceptance of their students and do not lack anything; except a five-star living, perhaps. So, why are these schools not in the list? Did they not participate?
This makes me wonder that in these schools, the people who teach marketing to the people who eventually run the businesses of the world ought to know better.So, why are they not telling? In fact, back home, in the more popular 'BusinessWorld' rankings, IIM-A and IIM-B have been only intermittently participating for the last 3 years.Most ranking sheets, nowadays,in India are based on student responses rather than statistics provided by schools and rarely, if any, by industry.
At the end of the day, the bottom line of any business school is as important as the lessons on bottom line they teach their students. ISB's marketing has left no holds barred. An example is the fact that even I, a prospective student of the past, have received an email from the dean of ISB about this successful ranking.
Nevertheless, with this success of ISB, the top B schools of the world will wake up to the challenge of Indian B schools. Congrats ISB!
Update: Read Rashmi Bansal's view point here. Something I noticed: Ms.Bansal's research has used PPP in a forward-count. This post used a backward-count. Hence, a small difference.
Further update: The reason that the other B Schools mentioned herein do not yet qualify at that level is the fact that in their programs, students with zero experience are also included. Programs exclusively for experienced students have not been running for 3 years.
Find PPP Conversion tables here
This development should add more shimmer to the 'India Inc shining' picture. Global investors are progressively looking at emerging markets for better returns. If experts are to be believed,the sole hope over the next year (with imminent US recession), lies in BRIC and other emerging markets, the only ones that can deliver least 18% returns. This, combined with the fact that an Indian B school has been ranked with the top league should make prospective international students think whether studying in an Indian B school and spending a part of their career in Asia is the way to go. The relative cost of education is low and opportunities aplenty.
ISB ought to be in the top schools list for several reasons, despite being young- the program structure, the composition of visiting international faculty, the corporate backing the school has, international alliances, the placement percentage (100%), and not in the least, the five-star facilities in the campus.
The article in The Times of India, read here, has quoted the methodology of computing the remuneration figure. Apparently, the average salary of $169,000 was arrived at by using Purchasing Power Parity (PPP). Now, the PPP between INR and USD is between 6 and 8, for such purposes as calculating remuneration and, well, spending power. This means that at ISB, the average Indian Salary is between INR 10.5 Lakhs and INR 13.52 Lakhs using the limits of PPP.
In general, however, the average salary is mostly misleading, for any school. This is because,by nature of average, a few distinguished top grossers will even out (or skew?) the impact of the many more at the lower end of remuneration scale. Median ought to be more representative but again may not comprehensive. But hey, all schools use the same logic, so we are on level ground here.Are we really, if we use PPP? Because, back home, when top schools report highest-salaries, they convert an international 'USD package' in INR by simply using the forex conversion rate, thereby launching the package into unbelievable stellar heights. That's another story altogether.
In any case, using average ,the numbers in other top Indian B-schools would be in similar range viz.IIMs- A, B and C, FMS, XLRI, SPJIMS. Barring IIM-B and FMS, other schools have a new 'international' one year program. The PGPX program at IIM-A and PGPEX at IIM-C for 'students with substantial experience' have reported 'average' INR 25 Lakhs and INR 20 Lakhs respectively. In terms of PPP, this will translate to an average minimum of USD 315,000 and USD 250,000 using a PPP of 8 (Obviously, 30% higher using 6). Like other aforementioned schools, IIM-A and IIM-C have a legacy of about 40 years and a wide international acceptance of their students and do not lack anything; except a five-star living, perhaps. So, why are these schools not in the list? Did they not participate?
This makes me wonder that in these schools, the people who teach marketing to the people who eventually run the businesses of the world ought to know better.So, why are they not telling? In fact, back home, in the more popular 'BusinessWorld' rankings, IIM-A and IIM-B have been only intermittently participating for the last 3 years.Most ranking sheets, nowadays,in India are based on student responses rather than statistics provided by schools and rarely, if any, by industry.
At the end of the day, the bottom line of any business school is as important as the lessons on bottom line they teach their students. ISB's marketing has left no holds barred. An example is the fact that even I, a prospective student of the past, have received an email from the dean of ISB about this successful ranking.
Nevertheless, with this success of ISB, the top B schools of the world will wake up to the challenge of Indian B schools. Congrats ISB!
Update: Read Rashmi Bansal's view point here. Something I noticed: Ms.Bansal's research has used PPP in a forward-count. This post used a backward-count. Hence, a small difference.
Further update: The reason that the other B Schools mentioned herein do not yet qualify at that level is the fact that in their programs, students with zero experience are also included. Programs exclusively for experienced students have not been running for 3 years.
Find PPP Conversion tables here
2008-01-22
Why we like Udayan Mukherjee:
Those who watch CNBC-TV18's 'India Business Hour' and 'Business Center' at dinner time, need no introduction to this smart face (Executive Editor) of the channel.
There have been times when I have thought Udayan Mukherjee (UM) is a super cool dude and times when I have also thought he is self righteous, but never condescending. Well, I am no great judge of people when a one way interaction happens over the Tube and the interaction is scripted and recorded. UM has the mannerisms of a seer, if I may say so. He speaks slowly in a way that the message is understood correctly, chooses his words carefully and during talk shows and interviews, UM is also very patient and under time constraints waits for the point be made by the other party. He displays the depth of analysis, insight and a lot of homework he would have needed and done before meeting the interviewee, a business honcho in most cases. He does not juggle around with jargon, any more than that needed to convey the technicals. Even so much sometimes flies over my head, but that's mea culpa, not the speaker's.
When you see the carpet of security get pulled out from under your feet, you need to understand from someone reliable, why it is happening. I may be exaggerating about the security part, but there is no doubt that I jumped up from my seat when I saw, in my portfolio, the 'blacks' becoming smaller and the 'reds' becoming deeper. Traders worry, investors don't; at least this one doesn't. Fundamental and blue chip investment is a 'horse for a long race', as they say in Indian parlance.
Yesterday, when the bloodbath happened in the markets, I was waiting for UM to speak out. UM said little yesterday about why of it, except the technicals of margin trading causing a bulk of the loss yesterday. Quite understandably, global cues from Dow and Nasdaq were missing, it being a weekend in The States. The cues would be missing today too, Monday being a holiday there. But, later today, surely the US would not go against a global wave of dipping indices?
In India, however, it was another day altogether. Cues from the eastern markets and the growing sense of uneasiness of the (already here? impending?) recession in the US economy and panic selling triggered by yesterday's losses, especially by those with muscle and those with short positions induced heavy selling, leading to the circuit breaking within a couple of minutes of the session opening. Many a fist has been wrung into the palm, many a tear shed and many a brow wiped by millions today. In the second half of a record smashing trading day, Bulls turned around the multitudes of 52-week lows and put brakws on the downslide , pulling the index up from, about -13% to -4.5%. If only, I were more liquid at this point in time, I myself might have added a nickel or two more.
It is at a time like this that one needs to drive home a simple message. One that this more of a reminder of a simple truth than a brainwave. Because it's "Just that our memories tend to be too short and our greed too much." (quoting the last line of UM's article today).Read here, UM's message today.
This article is one of several reasons why we like Udayan Mukherjee.
There have been times when I have thought Udayan Mukherjee (UM) is a super cool dude and times when I have also thought he is self righteous, but never condescending. Well, I am no great judge of people when a one way interaction happens over the Tube and the interaction is scripted and recorded. UM has the mannerisms of a seer, if I may say so. He speaks slowly in a way that the message is understood correctly, chooses his words carefully and during talk shows and interviews, UM is also very patient and under time constraints waits for the point be made by the other party. He displays the depth of analysis, insight and a lot of homework he would have needed and done before meeting the interviewee, a business honcho in most cases. He does not juggle around with jargon, any more than that needed to convey the technicals. Even so much sometimes flies over my head, but that's mea culpa, not the speaker's.
When you see the carpet of security get pulled out from under your feet, you need to understand from someone reliable, why it is happening. I may be exaggerating about the security part, but there is no doubt that I jumped up from my seat when I saw, in my portfolio, the 'blacks' becoming smaller and the 'reds' becoming deeper. Traders worry, investors don't; at least this one doesn't. Fundamental and blue chip investment is a 'horse for a long race', as they say in Indian parlance.
Yesterday, when the bloodbath happened in the markets, I was waiting for UM to speak out. UM said little yesterday about why of it, except the technicals of margin trading causing a bulk of the loss yesterday. Quite understandably, global cues from Dow and Nasdaq were missing, it being a weekend in The States. The cues would be missing today too, Monday being a holiday there. But, later today, surely the US would not go against a global wave of dipping indices?
In India, however, it was another day altogether. Cues from the eastern markets and the growing sense of uneasiness of the (already here? impending?) recession in the US economy and panic selling triggered by yesterday's losses, especially by those with muscle and those with short positions induced heavy selling, leading to the circuit breaking within a couple of minutes of the session opening. Many a fist has been wrung into the palm, many a tear shed and many a brow wiped by millions today. In the second half of a record smashing trading day, Bulls turned around the multitudes of 52-week lows and put brakws on the downslide , pulling the index up from, about -13% to -4.5%. If only, I were more liquid at this point in time, I myself might have added a nickel or two more.
It is at a time like this that one needs to drive home a simple message. One that this more of a reminder of a simple truth than a brainwave. Because it's "Just that our memories tend to be too short and our greed too much." (quoting the last line of UM's article today).Read here, UM's message today.
This article is one of several reasons why we like Udayan Mukherjee.
2008-01-17
Nano-voce-philia: Defined as...
...love of talking about Nano!
I am not a fanatic for the car per se but am for the principle behind it, for the alternatives Nano provides (still saying that it will be a big hot potato to swallow), the fundamentals it will change, utilitarian concept it embodies and frugal manufacturing technology it testifies. But for the record, I must admit that despite my fears about Nano, Nano is all over my mind. Nano is having an 'in your face' effect on me.
Nano is bound to change our lives and the signs are already showing. Here are some samples.
A recent article in the newspaper prophesied about the peripheral,in several meanings of the word,industries that will flourish in the shadow of Nano. Will not cheap (economical) accessories well embellish a cheap car? It also took a shot at how our conversations and attitudes and jargon would change to accommodate the shifts in paradigms that Nano would trigger. You might say I am progressively becoming a Nano-voce-philic (For good or bad, such people as yours truly like talking about Nano!). Now that is a word I made up. Is there a "Nano" word for someone who makes up Nano words? Nana-verbo-philic, perhaps? If you are getting the hang of it and think I am getting carried away, I have made my point.
If the masses get their bread should the 'nouveau' as well as the 'riche' not get their cakes? Dilip Chabbria has unveiled his impression of a car that could buy a hundred Nanos. Pegged at 1 crore, the rich man's space age answer to Nano will snub the masses with its antiNano philosphy. There in lies the irony: For the rich India, an answer to a frugal car is an extravagant car of similar dimensions with little else in common.
The irony also represents the socio-economic divide that has manifested in different forms in different cities. Be it the Bangalore-commons' quasi-despisal of those working in, literally, glass houses that are IT complexes. Opportunism, crime, harassment and verbal abuse against techies in Bangalore, Pune and other cities. It also shows up in the amplified pillage caused by mobs incited by any issue, the damage in which is mosty incommensurate to what one would expect in response(!) to the problem which triggered it in the first place.
Here is a more significant example of how Nano is raising its hydra-head even before it juggernauts onto the road ten months down the line. Read here about how Nano has upset another automobile manufacturer's grand plans. Electrotherm had a big idea of a small priced AutoRickshaw, but Nano would allow none of it. But as you would have read in the quoted article, ElectroTherm has plans of salvaging their project by converting the prototype into one that is electric and at the same time cheaper. Now, that is innovation driven by market forces. How often do we get witness that so closely and in the live?
We are in exciting times in India and, going by the international pulse, beyond. The show has just began. Nano has just entered the building.
PS: Now, would you call me a Nano-blogo-philic for that matter? Apologies to OUP for misusing the poetic license. For, officially, Oxford has done away with hyphenated words.
I am not a fanatic for the car per se but am for the principle behind it, for the alternatives Nano provides (still saying that it will be a big hot potato to swallow), the fundamentals it will change, utilitarian concept it embodies and frugal manufacturing technology it testifies. But for the record, I must admit that despite my fears about Nano, Nano is all over my mind. Nano is having an 'in your face' effect on me.
Nano is bound to change our lives and the signs are already showing. Here are some samples.
A recent article in the newspaper prophesied about the peripheral,in several meanings of the word,industries that will flourish in the shadow of Nano. Will not cheap (economical) accessories well embellish a cheap car? It also took a shot at how our conversations and attitudes and jargon would change to accommodate the shifts in paradigms that Nano would trigger. You might say I am progressively becoming a Nano-voce-philic (For good or bad, such people as yours truly like talking about Nano!). Now that is a word I made up. Is there a "Nano" word for someone who makes up Nano words? Nana-verbo-philic, perhaps? If you are getting the hang of it and think I am getting carried away, I have made my point.
If the masses get their bread should the 'nouveau' as well as the 'riche' not get their cakes? Dilip Chabbria has unveiled his impression of a car that could buy a hundred Nanos. Pegged at 1 crore, the rich man's space age answer to Nano will snub the masses with its antiNano philosphy. There in lies the irony: For the rich India, an answer to a frugal car is an extravagant car of similar dimensions with little else in common.
The irony also represents the socio-economic divide that has manifested in different forms in different cities. Be it the Bangalore-commons' quasi-despisal of those working in, literally, glass houses that are IT complexes. Opportunism, crime, harassment and verbal abuse against techies in Bangalore, Pune and other cities. It also shows up in the amplified pillage caused by mobs incited by any issue, the damage in which is mosty incommensurate to what one would expect in response(!) to the problem which triggered it in the first place.
Here is a more significant example of how Nano is raising its hydra-head even before it juggernauts onto the road ten months down the line. Read here about how Nano has upset another automobile manufacturer's grand plans. Electrotherm had a big idea of a small priced AutoRickshaw, but Nano would allow none of it. But as you would have read in the quoted article, ElectroTherm has plans of salvaging their project by converting the prototype into one that is electric and at the same time cheaper. Now, that is innovation driven by market forces. How often do we get witness that so closely and in the live?
We are in exciting times in India and, going by the international pulse, beyond. The show has just began. Nano has just entered the building.
PS: Now, would you call me a Nano-blogo-philic for that matter? Apologies to OUP for misusing the poetic license. For, officially, Oxford has done away with hyphenated words.
2008-01-14
Fueled by stupidity, we drive nowhere
An article in today's newspaper talks of certain obscene measures the local goevernment is contemplating in order to 'beat' the traffic woes that bring down every Bangalorean. Let's begin with how well you can recall your car number? Stumped? You will be, when you will need to remember what day it is and match it with the fact whether your car number is odd or even. Am I kidding? Apparently not, according to this article.
This is a clear case of the government trying to pass the buck to the already frustrated commuter of the Silicon Swamp that Bangalore has become. Traveling in your car even on weekends is akin to bicycling through a desert- slow and tiring and it doesn't take you far. After decades of lethargy, lack of planning and conservatism that translated into apathy to infrastructure requirements, the government has given the people of Bangalore what can be considered as an ever-make-shift arrangement around traffic. Caught in the sudden limelight of explosive growth driven by IT and ITeS influx and a never ending scramble between anti-development opposition 'leaders' and pro-development incumbents, the latter fails to deliver anything. Left headless without a government, the local authorities have come up with this stupid solution of letting people drive on alternative days. Some audacity that, taking people of Bangalore for a ride (no pun intended).
But is curtailing people from driving in a city that has no public transportation except bursting-at-the-seams, almost never on time, never ever enough bus system a befitting solution?
Some questions arise. Let's say your car has an even number and an emergency at home requires you to take your car out on a odd-car day. What should you do? Should you be allowed since a life is at risk? How easily can someone not fake an emergency? Would government vehicles be exempt from this rule? If people can be expected to fend for themselves, should the minister not lead the way and travel in a bus?
Why could the government be not thinking of ideas like that implemented in London? Out there, toll zones have been identified and the cars need to pay a steep toll to just drive through congested areas. The presence of technology companies seemed to have made no impact on the retrograde authorities of Bangalore.
The whole plan of alternate-day driving stinks of escapism and will lead to another series of half-hearted attempts to solve the problems that should have been addressed decades ago.
Quality of life in Bangalore in terms of commute is steadily declining with lot of help from the backward-looking attitude and indecisiveness of the powers that be. Impractical suggestions like curbing driving privileges only add insult to injury. Hiding behind the shield of 'it has worked in some European countries' the local bodies seemed to be pleading to be forgiven for failing to come up with practical ideas. This is the cost we pay for throwing out the corporates (PPP) with social-conciousness from the game.
This is exactly when I want to thank Ratan Tata for his Nano. Now, all I need to do is to buy a Nano, get it registered with an even number and I am good to go. I will drive my regular car on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays and the Nano on Tuesdays and Thursdays.
Hush, don't tell anyone about the Nano!
This is a clear case of the government trying to pass the buck to the already frustrated commuter of the Silicon Swamp that Bangalore has become. Traveling in your car even on weekends is akin to bicycling through a desert- slow and tiring and it doesn't take you far. After decades of lethargy, lack of planning and conservatism that translated into apathy to infrastructure requirements, the government has given the people of Bangalore what can be considered as an ever-make-shift arrangement around traffic. Caught in the sudden limelight of explosive growth driven by IT and ITeS influx and a never ending scramble between anti-development opposition 'leaders' and pro-development incumbents, the latter fails to deliver anything. Left headless without a government, the local authorities have come up with this stupid solution of letting people drive on alternative days. Some audacity that, taking people of Bangalore for a ride (no pun intended).
But is curtailing people from driving in a city that has no public transportation except bursting-at-the-seams, almost never on time, never ever enough bus system a befitting solution?
Some questions arise. Let's say your car has an even number and an emergency at home requires you to take your car out on a odd-car day. What should you do? Should you be allowed since a life is at risk? How easily can someone not fake an emergency? Would government vehicles be exempt from this rule? If people can be expected to fend for themselves, should the minister not lead the way and travel in a bus?
Why could the government be not thinking of ideas like that implemented in London? Out there, toll zones have been identified and the cars need to pay a steep toll to just drive through congested areas. The presence of technology companies seemed to have made no impact on the retrograde authorities of Bangalore.
The whole plan of alternate-day driving stinks of escapism and will lead to another series of half-hearted attempts to solve the problems that should have been addressed decades ago.
Quality of life in Bangalore in terms of commute is steadily declining with lot of help from the backward-looking attitude and indecisiveness of the powers that be. Impractical suggestions like curbing driving privileges only add insult to injury. Hiding behind the shield of 'it has worked in some European countries' the local bodies seemed to be pleading to be forgiven for failing to come up with practical ideas. This is the cost we pay for throwing out the corporates (PPP) with social-conciousness from the game.
This is exactly when I want to thank Ratan Tata for his Nano. Now, all I need to do is to buy a Nano, get it registered with an even number and I am good to go. I will drive my regular car on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays and the Nano on Tuesdays and Thursdays.
Hush, don't tell anyone about the Nano!
2008-01-10
El Nano Effect
Catapulting itself into the league of world-changing automobiles, Nano has rolled out of the portals of Tata Motors. Unveiled earlier today,apparently, to a roaring welcome, Nano will change India and in a way that will impact us for a long time to come.
With a lot of scepticism about the way this car will change Indian way of life, I had tried to surmise (read here and here) that India and Indians will come under a lot of pressure when this dream car becomes a reality. Saying something to the effect of 'a promise is promise' Ratan Tata has delivered a mean-mini-machine at an unprecedented and mere USD2700 unit price. Any doubts about India's technology around frugal manufacturing will be put to rest today, once the pictures start flashing around the car markets of the world; to be eventually buried when the car proves its performance on the road over the next few months.
Giving an unparalleled 50 Mile Per Gallon (test conditions?) for a petrol driven car with contemporary looks, Nano, will probably capture the imagination, interest and pockets of millions upon millions of Indians and other third-world-ians. At the same time it will set, if it proves true, new benchmarks. I am doubtful about this last part since the basic tenet of Nano has been to be a cheap car; no great shakes about creating a lean-burn technology.
However, the little beauty, on the face of it, has much to offer. Tata's ever expanding dealer and service network will carry this car into the remotest corners of the country. That is a big problem, because this car will also probably spread in the urban landscape like a forest fire. And when that happens, every square inch of tarmac on our narrow deficient streets will cry for mercy and the people behind wheels beg for redemption. Well, that may be a little too dramatic, but the fact remains that if this car succeeds the way it ought to for TATAs to breathe easy and the way it looks ready to, Indian way of traffic management, infrastructure support in terms of roads, bridges and parking space will first collapse, then taking us through months and years of failure, regret and disillusionment, deliver us to something innovative.
I have very little faith left in me about how Bangalore will survive the deluge (just wait and watch) that Nano will unleash. Nano will change our lives by challenging the administration to better itself.
Since road will be so packed, is this the right time to think about a cheap helicopter, may be for for a million rupees or two. Meanwhile get ready to face a huge demand-supply crack in petrol once the millions among us get enticed by the economy-dream-come-true Nano. Small Car.Big dreams.Bigger Pains.
Nevertheless the boldness behind a concept-realised, yet to be tested on road, is commendable.
Watch videos here.
See pictures here.
Tata Small Car Website is here
With a lot of scepticism about the way this car will change Indian way of life, I had tried to surmise (read here and here) that India and Indians will come under a lot of pressure when this dream car becomes a reality. Saying something to the effect of 'a promise is promise' Ratan Tata has delivered a mean-mini-machine at an unprecedented and mere USD2700 unit price. Any doubts about India's technology around frugal manufacturing will be put to rest today, once the pictures start flashing around the car markets of the world; to be eventually buried when the car proves its performance on the road over the next few months.
Giving an unparalleled 50 Mile Per Gallon (test conditions?) for a petrol driven car with contemporary looks, Nano, will probably capture the imagination, interest and pockets of millions upon millions of Indians and other third-world-ians. At the same time it will set, if it proves true, new benchmarks. I am doubtful about this last part since the basic tenet of Nano has been to be a cheap car; no great shakes about creating a lean-burn technology.
However, the little beauty, on the face of it, has much to offer. Tata's ever expanding dealer and service network will carry this car into the remotest corners of the country. That is a big problem, because this car will also probably spread in the urban landscape like a forest fire. And when that happens, every square inch of tarmac on our narrow deficient streets will cry for mercy and the people behind wheels beg for redemption. Well, that may be a little too dramatic, but the fact remains that if this car succeeds the way it ought to for TATAs to breathe easy and the way it looks ready to, Indian way of traffic management, infrastructure support in terms of roads, bridges and parking space will first collapse, then taking us through months and years of failure, regret and disillusionment, deliver us to something innovative.
I have very little faith left in me about how Bangalore will survive the deluge (just wait and watch) that Nano will unleash. Nano will change our lives by challenging the administration to better itself.
Since road will be so packed, is this the right time to think about a cheap helicopter, may be for for a million rupees or two. Meanwhile get ready to face a huge demand-supply crack in petrol once the millions among us get enticed by the economy-dream-come-true Nano. Small Car.Big dreams.Bigger Pains.
Nevertheless the boldness behind a concept-realised, yet to be tested on road, is commendable.
Watch videos here.
See pictures here.
Tata Small Car Website is here
2008-01-04
Big little things
A non-working day in the middle of the week works like a charm. Doubling the joy, I chose to not work on the first day of the new year,only an optional holiday. How precious is that?
That evening, after a long time, we thought we should ride around the countryside on our bike. It's always a pleasure to ride an Enfield. The drive took us to the Anekal lake and presented us with a carmine sunset over the still shallow waters. Confined to the corridors of Vastrapur campus for the latter part of the year, I think will only be able to look back at life's little pleasures such as watching a painted sky withdraw out of horizon like expensive silk sliding off a dark rosewood table inscribed with glitter. At the end of the clear day, the colours lingered even as we turned our backs and chugged on.
Rolling down the unusually slug (many offices in E-city were not working, we guessed) and therefore pleasant Hosur Road, we made our way yet another time to our deary chinese eating place China Pearl. Finding it too early to sit down for dinner and moreover needing to stretch our legs after a fifty kilometer ride, we decided to take a walk on the street. That is when my wife's slipper broke (Who listens to unsolicited advice on apt footwear for a bike ride?). A little late for a cobbler to be open, we realised, when after hunting down a repair shop found it shut. My offer to replace broken slippers with new ones was gently declined, as there were 'many pairs unused yet'.While S was dragging her right foot along, I was trying figure out how the slipper could be revived for a couple of more hours.
They say something about necessity bearing ideas, but I will qualify it as simple improvisation. An idea sprung up when we were passing by a tender-coconut seller. When I was a kid , I remembered, there was a neat way in which the tender-coconut seller would tie up two tender coconuts by using strands drawn out of the green damp shells of each of those and hang the pair over the bar of my bicycle. I still remember how the knot would survive the bumps on the road and needed to be scissored to be undone. So, there it was- an idea hanging over a pile of tender coconuts. The strands from the green shell of the coconut could be used as a makeshift tie for the broken slipper. The fix would also be inconspicuous. But even as I was explaining to the lady who was clasping a sickle about how she could help us with the the broken slipper, she offered other ideas such as giving us a safety pin. But the design of the fancy slipper would not allow a pin to fix things, so we declined and we went ahead with our idea of stringing up the slipper with the juicy strands. We were good to go!
Dinner was delectable, as expected. We have some favourites which we mix and match with new items on the menu. China Pearl has never disappointed us.
Something strikes me when I think about the evening. The eagerness of the lady to help in the situation is commendable. I do not mean to make a big deal of a safety pin offer. It is the attitude that is in point. I am sure she endures a lot of flack from the street and the public on a daily basis and it leaves a bitter taste in her mouth. And here we were talking to her at the end of her rough day explaining a weird patch-up I was attempting on the broken slipper. She was cool and eager to listen. May be, then again, only I do not meet such enthusiastic people so often.
Or am I becoming progressively cynical about people and expecting very little? Then again , may be she values human interaction. How many times do we try and listen to anything a stranger has to ask of us? Thoughts of mugging and mooching ensnare us (I will concede to the part-truth behind this). Technology is a useful raider. It robs us of basic interactions with the lure of productivity and efficiency. How many times do we walk down to our colleagues instead of picking up the phone and getting it done? How many of us know our support staff on first name basis?
Anyway, her help was appreciated and we let her know that.For the records, the slipper lasted till it was retired out to the corner of the shoe box.
I relearned, in more ways than one in the evening, that it's the little things that make life livable.
That evening, after a long time, we thought we should ride around the countryside on our bike. It's always a pleasure to ride an Enfield. The drive took us to the Anekal lake and presented us with a carmine sunset over the still shallow waters. Confined to the corridors of Vastrapur campus for the latter part of the year, I think will only be able to look back at life's little pleasures such as watching a painted sky withdraw out of horizon like expensive silk sliding off a dark rosewood table inscribed with glitter. At the end of the clear day, the colours lingered even as we turned our backs and chugged on.
Rolling down the unusually slug (many offices in E-city were not working, we guessed) and therefore pleasant Hosur Road, we made our way yet another time to our deary chinese eating place China Pearl. Finding it too early to sit down for dinner and moreover needing to stretch our legs after a fifty kilometer ride, we decided to take a walk on the street. That is when my wife's slipper broke (Who listens to unsolicited advice on apt footwear for a bike ride?). A little late for a cobbler to be open, we realised, when after hunting down a repair shop found it shut. My offer to replace broken slippers with new ones was gently declined, as there were 'many pairs unused yet'.While S was dragging her right foot along, I was trying figure out how the slipper could be revived for a couple of more hours.
They say something about necessity bearing ideas, but I will qualify it as simple improvisation. An idea sprung up when we were passing by a tender-coconut seller. When I was a kid , I remembered, there was a neat way in which the tender-coconut seller would tie up two tender coconuts by using strands drawn out of the green damp shells of each of those and hang the pair over the bar of my bicycle. I still remember how the knot would survive the bumps on the road and needed to be scissored to be undone. So, there it was- an idea hanging over a pile of tender coconuts. The strands from the green shell of the coconut could be used as a makeshift tie for the broken slipper. The fix would also be inconspicuous. But even as I was explaining to the lady who was clasping a sickle about how she could help us with the the broken slipper, she offered other ideas such as giving us a safety pin. But the design of the fancy slipper would not allow a pin to fix things, so we declined and we went ahead with our idea of stringing up the slipper with the juicy strands. We were good to go!
Dinner was delectable, as expected. We have some favourites which we mix and match with new items on the menu. China Pearl has never disappointed us.
Something strikes me when I think about the evening. The eagerness of the lady to help in the situation is commendable. I do not mean to make a big deal of a safety pin offer. It is the attitude that is in point. I am sure she endures a lot of flack from the street and the public on a daily basis and it leaves a bitter taste in her mouth. And here we were talking to her at the end of her rough day explaining a weird patch-up I was attempting on the broken slipper. She was cool and eager to listen. May be, then again, only I do not meet such enthusiastic people so often.
Or am I becoming progressively cynical about people and expecting very little? Then again , may be she values human interaction. How many times do we try and listen to anything a stranger has to ask of us? Thoughts of mugging and mooching ensnare us (I will concede to the part-truth behind this). Technology is a useful raider. It robs us of basic interactions with the lure of productivity and efficiency. How many times do we walk down to our colleagues instead of picking up the phone and getting it done? How many of us know our support staff on first name basis?
Anyway, her help was appreciated and we let her know that.For the records, the slipper lasted till it was retired out to the corner of the shoe box.
I relearned, in more ways than one in the evening, that it's the little things that make life livable.
2008-01-03
Separation Blues
A couple of months from now, I will be seeing the last(For now? For ever?) of the place that was, as is more common in this industry, like it or hate it, second-home for the last six years. Nice! Now, I have said it! I was not concious of how much this workplace might have come to grow on me, even until after I triggered off the workflow of my separation.I did not get a full night's sleep yesterday; and that's when I knew. May be it's coming out now. (Just a nice word it might be for resignation, but the intranet application for this purpose is actually called 'Separation'.)
I do not like the word 'quit', because I am really not quitting anything here. I also do not like the word resign in any meaning of it except that which implies 'give up a possession'. Because, not sure whether my employer saw it that way, all along I took my job and workplace personally. I made many mistakes on the way;but did not stumble upon them again. I travelled to many new places, made many friends and worked with some dynamic managers and, though did not contribute much to them, operated closely with some considered as thought-leaders within the company and outside.
I will miss several things. Foremost among them is the pristine campus that has all the comforts of a resort, if not home. This facility for more than twenty thousand people has two bank branches, close to a dozen ATMs, 5 food courts with more than 35'eateries' of all cusines, a pizza place, an upscale buffet-garden restaurant,two gymnasia, a swimming pool, tennis, basketball and volley ball courts, a brand-store for apparel and accessories, a photo studio and camera shop, a printing shop, a grocery store, a computer store, two beauty salons, two cellphone shops, several travel agencies, a couple of easy-bill-pay centers, a meditation room, a clinic and my hangout- a book store. Apparently, this green campus is home to more than 80 species of birds and more than as many varieties of plant and trees. I am sure I have missed a few things in the list.
I will miss the youthfulness that drives this place. Six years ago, I added to lowering the average age at this place. Today, I am dragging the average higher, but the place has only grown marginally older in those terms. There is at least one major event happening in any given week, making it the most happening place for many people I know. I will miss the sense of comfort that entered me the minute I entered my own 'manager's cube'; my personal fifty square feet.
I will miss the kiss of the spray, on the walk back from the gym, from the sprinklers turned on after sun down. I will miss the reflections of the crimson skies on thousands of glass panes on over fifty architectural expressions. I will miss the silhoutte of the library dome. On a rainy day, I will miss the waves of green-white-and-blue umbrellas with 'Ozone' (an internal eco-club) written on them. I will miss the Fridays that break the monotony of formal wear with an explosion of casual colors.(Out here, we 'boyz' say- No matter what season, here, it's Spring on a Friday).
When passing by Building 1 (quite aptly the corporate block), there would be a mild sense of anticipation of catching a glimpse of a corporate or international digintary or even one of our own IT gurus. Because, rarely have I walked the same ground as a leader whose words and values are sought after by an international audience. Working within walking distance of moguls never become second nature to me.I will miss that sense of expectancy.
I will also miss the inanities of the johnny-come-latelies who fall up from the comfort of their homes in to the comfort of this workplace and then complain about what more they want! I will miss such inanities like I would miss a Peter Seller's movie; something to to laugh back upon.
Of course there are a few things I will not miss and would rather forget, but I am not one to regret.
Simply because, yesterday is not coming back and I have tommorrow to take on.
I do not like the word 'quit', because I am really not quitting anything here. I also do not like the word resign in any meaning of it except that which implies 'give up a possession'. Because, not sure whether my employer saw it that way, all along I took my job and workplace personally. I made many mistakes on the way;but did not stumble upon them again. I travelled to many new places, made many friends and worked with some dynamic managers and, though did not contribute much to them, operated closely with some considered as thought-leaders within the company and outside.
I will miss several things. Foremost among them is the pristine campus that has all the comforts of a resort, if not home. This facility for more than twenty thousand people has two bank branches, close to a dozen ATMs, 5 food courts with more than 35'eateries' of all cusines, a pizza place, an upscale buffet-garden restaurant,two gymnasia, a swimming pool, tennis, basketball and volley ball courts, a brand-store for apparel and accessories, a photo studio and camera shop, a printing shop, a grocery store, a computer store, two beauty salons, two cellphone shops, several travel agencies, a couple of easy-bill-pay centers, a meditation room, a clinic and my hangout- a book store. Apparently, this green campus is home to more than 80 species of birds and more than as many varieties of plant and trees. I am sure I have missed a few things in the list.
I will miss the youthfulness that drives this place. Six years ago, I added to lowering the average age at this place. Today, I am dragging the average higher, but the place has only grown marginally older in those terms. There is at least one major event happening in any given week, making it the most happening place for many people I know. I will miss the sense of comfort that entered me the minute I entered my own 'manager's cube'; my personal fifty square feet.
I will miss the kiss of the spray, on the walk back from the gym, from the sprinklers turned on after sun down. I will miss the reflections of the crimson skies on thousands of glass panes on over fifty architectural expressions. I will miss the silhoutte of the library dome. On a rainy day, I will miss the waves of green-white-and-blue umbrellas with 'Ozone' (an internal eco-club) written on them. I will miss the Fridays that break the monotony of formal wear with an explosion of casual colors.(Out here, we 'boyz' say- No matter what season, here, it's Spring on a Friday).
When passing by Building 1 (quite aptly the corporate block), there would be a mild sense of anticipation of catching a glimpse of a corporate or international digintary or even one of our own IT gurus. Because, rarely have I walked the same ground as a leader whose words and values are sought after by an international audience. Working within walking distance of moguls never become second nature to me.I will miss that sense of expectancy.
I will also miss the inanities of the johnny-come-latelies who fall up from the comfort of their homes in to the comfort of this workplace and then complain about what more they want! I will miss such inanities like I would miss a Peter Seller's movie; something to to laugh back upon.
Of course there are a few things I will not miss and would rather forget, but I am not one to regret.
Simply because, yesterday is not coming back and I have tommorrow to take on.
2008-01-01
Review of 'I am Legend'
Watching deers being chased down Broadway and coming face to face with a pride of lions at Times Square leaves you with a weird feeling. With grass covering the criss-crossing streets and avenues of Manhattan, the ground zero in the movie, one feels breathless at desolate high-rises of the city that we know as one that never sleeps.
The hunter is Robert Neville,circa 2012, the 'saviour' doctor-scientist who refused to leave the quarantined isle for larger than life reasons. He, along with his dog, Samantha, and a few loaded cars tries to maintain sanity in the face of devastation and isolation three years into the aftermath of an experiment-gone-wrong, which blotted out 99% of the human population, all the while carrying out tests to find a cure for the infection caused by KV.
The imagery is no doubt computer generated (CGI) and mostly great, except may be the 'infected human beings' or 'creatures'. The images instantly remind you of the hyper-aggressive men and women of 'The 28' movies (find more here).But this is where the similarity ends. While the goriness of The 28- creatures was a result of the immense effort of make-up artists, the creatures of 'I am Legend' are plastic and viewers can see through the CGI.
The story and the screenplay do not dissapoint you. Pyrotechnics (CGI?) are breathtaking. Keeping you on the edge of your seats, the movie has several chilling moments. Will Smith's potrayal of Neville, especially one dealing with personal loss is commendable. The emotions are touching and the horror real. Learning to create a make-believe 'normal' life, Neville, seemingly starts losing it towards the turning point of the movie. Smith's performance parallels that of Tom Hanks in Castaway. The two roles are collimate in the demands they make on the actors. If there was any doubt before, this movie should put Smith up there in the league of top drama actors. This is a Will Smith movie to the last shot.
The movie is a metaphor for the perils of indiscriminate genetic engineering and of 'man playing god'. The mistaken success of one doctor leading to a legendary quest for finding a cure for it by another makes the movie watchable for the indomitable human spirit the picture encapsulates. The climactic plea 'I can cure you, just let me help you' falling on deaf ears might as well represent the reality of today where man torn between ethics and technological prowess is underestimating downstream impact of his actions on the earth and life on it. There is bound to be some collateral dammage when one man risks his life in consummation of his quest for discovering and defending the cure. It makes him a legend.
The movie is worth a watch. I blame it on the New year's eve that the movie hall was not full(85% occupancy). I see little reason why people with a stomach for gore and scare should not like it. For the imagery and the theme, the movie has been rated A.
The hunter is Robert Neville,circa 2012, the 'saviour' doctor-scientist who refused to leave the quarantined isle for larger than life reasons. He, along with his dog, Samantha, and a few loaded cars tries to maintain sanity in the face of devastation and isolation three years into the aftermath of an experiment-gone-wrong, which blotted out 99% of the human population, all the while carrying out tests to find a cure for the infection caused by KV.
The imagery is no doubt computer generated (CGI) and mostly great, except may be the 'infected human beings' or 'creatures'. The images instantly remind you of the hyper-aggressive men and women of 'The 28' movies (find more here).But this is where the similarity ends. While the goriness of The 28- creatures was a result of the immense effort of make-up artists, the creatures of 'I am Legend' are plastic and viewers can see through the CGI.
The story and the screenplay do not dissapoint you. Pyrotechnics (CGI?) are breathtaking. Keeping you on the edge of your seats, the movie has several chilling moments. Will Smith's potrayal of Neville, especially one dealing with personal loss is commendable. The emotions are touching and the horror real. Learning to create a make-believe 'normal' life, Neville, seemingly starts losing it towards the turning point of the movie. Smith's performance parallels that of Tom Hanks in Castaway. The two roles are collimate in the demands they make on the actors. If there was any doubt before, this movie should put Smith up there in the league of top drama actors. This is a Will Smith movie to the last shot.
The movie is a metaphor for the perils of indiscriminate genetic engineering and of 'man playing god'. The mistaken success of one doctor leading to a legendary quest for finding a cure for it by another makes the movie watchable for the indomitable human spirit the picture encapsulates. The climactic plea 'I can cure you, just let me help you' falling on deaf ears might as well represent the reality of today where man torn between ethics and technological prowess is underestimating downstream impact of his actions on the earth and life on it. There is bound to be some collateral dammage when one man risks his life in consummation of his quest for discovering and defending the cure. It makes him a legend.
The movie is worth a watch. I blame it on the New year's eve that the movie hall was not full(85% occupancy). I see little reason why people with a stomach for gore and scare should not like it. For the imagery and the theme, the movie has been rated A.
2007-12-31
2007: A Year of waitlists - Part 3 of 3
Read Part 1 here and Part 2 here.
Those were annoying waitlists. Here are some that will impact life in a big way.
The year began with great expectations to join one of the top business schools in India; in full time business (Exec) programs offered by IIMA, IIMC and ISB; in that order, for my own reasons.
By the time Ahmedabad opened its online applications in April, I was ready to register; was among the first few of 1350 to do so. But the journey ahead would prove to be a long one.
In the next three weeks, I had to complete the forms for IIMC, get recos from across multiple time-zones and send the docket out to Calcutta. "If things have to go wrong, they will. If they do not have to, they still will". Cutting the long story short, my application reached on the day after the last date. Between the time I sent out the application and I was shortlisted to the interviews, I moved back home. In mid-August, the interview happened. It went well, by most standards. Regardless of that, the bottomline was that I was not yet in. I was on the fourth waitlist this year.
Meanwhile, the Ahmedabad application was submitted and interview date announced. As luck would have it, the interview was in the same location as the Calcutta interview has been. I put aside any thoughts of destiny around the coincidence of interview location. If the interview has opinions flying back and forth , a few moments of laughter and a smiling panel at the end, I think I am allowed to think it went well. But I would not know for another month.
While waiting for the Ahmedabad results, the most practical thing to do was to apply for Round 2 of ISB. ISB application process is perhaps the most technologically mature one, much like that of INSEAD and a couple of tier-1 schools in the US (I have filled my share of recos for a few folks). Every part of the process, including recos is online. It makes life much easier in one way. But automation also requires you to follow the instructions to the T. It would be a cakewalk I had been told, by a friend of mine who had studied at ISB. So, I was taken aback when ISB sent me a regret mail a few weeks after that.
Since then, I have thought a little more about it. What stood out is the fact that I was not even shortlisted for the interview. (Without leading you to any conclusion, I would like to add that later I was to find out that many others with my profile or more experience had been in the same predicament). So, while this did not put me in a waitlist, my being on the waitlist of Calcutta gained more significance. More so because it was a little over a month before the term at Calcutta would begin. Chances were getting slimmer by the day.
So, while I was nursing the regret message and the vacuum of Calcutta waitlist and IIM Ahmedabad results, I started making enquiries about the waitlist mechanisms in the latter schools. It turned out that Ahmedabad waitlist had gotten fully used last year. That was good news, but each year is different. So, I braced myself just in case some surpise were to be awaiting around the corner.
No surprise (not no regret) then, that Ahmedabad put me on the waitlist. Those were undoubtedly the most harrowing days of the year. Much of November was not sweet at all. Fifth waitlist of the year had me in its grip.
No one said life was easy, but one has to be ready. It was I then sent out my scores to INSEAD, the first school I thought about outside India, in such case that the India story did not work out. I had already sent my scores to another British school earlier.I was getting reminders from them about application deadlines. I repeat, those were the most harrowing days of this year.
In the middle of the last week of November when the first set of waitlisted folks were bumped up by Ahmedabad, came the most gratifying email I have received this year, or life maybe? I think I need not say more.
Looking back, all's well. But this has been a year of waitlists, down to the penultimate month. With this, I will end this note, this year, and the waitlist saga.
Wish you a very Happy New Year 2008!
Those were annoying waitlists. Here are some that will impact life in a big way.
The year began with great expectations to join one of the top business schools in India; in full time business (Exec) programs offered by IIMA, IIMC and ISB; in that order, for my own reasons.
By the time Ahmedabad opened its online applications in April, I was ready to register; was among the first few of 1350 to do so. But the journey ahead would prove to be a long one.
In the next three weeks, I had to complete the forms for IIMC, get recos from across multiple time-zones and send the docket out to Calcutta. "If things have to go wrong, they will. If they do not have to, they still will". Cutting the long story short, my application reached on the day after the last date. Between the time I sent out the application and I was shortlisted to the interviews, I moved back home. In mid-August, the interview happened. It went well, by most standards. Regardless of that, the bottomline was that I was not yet in. I was on the fourth waitlist this year.
Meanwhile, the Ahmedabad application was submitted and interview date announced. As luck would have it, the interview was in the same location as the Calcutta interview has been. I put aside any thoughts of destiny around the coincidence of interview location. If the interview has opinions flying back and forth , a few moments of laughter and a smiling panel at the end, I think I am allowed to think it went well. But I would not know for another month.
While waiting for the Ahmedabad results, the most practical thing to do was to apply for Round 2 of ISB. ISB application process is perhaps the most technologically mature one, much like that of INSEAD and a couple of tier-1 schools in the US (I have filled my share of recos for a few folks). Every part of the process, including recos is online. It makes life much easier in one way. But automation also requires you to follow the instructions to the T. It would be a cakewalk I had been told, by a friend of mine who had studied at ISB. So, I was taken aback when ISB sent me a regret mail a few weeks after that.
Since then, I have thought a little more about it. What stood out is the fact that I was not even shortlisted for the interview. (Without leading you to any conclusion, I would like to add that later I was to find out that many others with my profile or more experience had been in the same predicament). So, while this did not put me in a waitlist, my being on the waitlist of Calcutta gained more significance. More so because it was a little over a month before the term at Calcutta would begin. Chances were getting slimmer by the day.
So, while I was nursing the regret message and the vacuum of Calcutta waitlist and IIM Ahmedabad results, I started making enquiries about the waitlist mechanisms in the latter schools. It turned out that Ahmedabad waitlist had gotten fully used last year. That was good news, but each year is different. So, I braced myself just in case some surpise were to be awaiting around the corner.
No surprise (not no regret) then, that Ahmedabad put me on the waitlist. Those were undoubtedly the most harrowing days of the year. Much of November was not sweet at all. Fifth waitlist of the year had me in its grip.
No one said life was easy, but one has to be ready. It was I then sent out my scores to INSEAD, the first school I thought about outside India, in such case that the India story did not work out. I had already sent my scores to another British school earlier.I was getting reminders from them about application deadlines. I repeat, those were the most harrowing days of this year.
In the middle of the last week of November when the first set of waitlisted folks were bumped up by Ahmedabad, came the most gratifying email I have received this year, or life maybe? I think I need not say more.
Looking back, all's well. But this has been a year of waitlists, down to the penultimate month. With this, I will end this note, this year, and the waitlist saga.
Wish you a very Happy New Year 2008!
2007-12-28
2007: A year of waitlists: Part 2
If not already done, read Part 1 here.
After touchdown at Miami and arriving 15 hours too late to our 4-Star Hotel, we were in for a bigger surprise when at the swank reception of the hotel, we were told that our reservation stood cancelled. What the heavens was happening?
Earlier, the previous evening, I had called up The Hotel and told them that we would be arriving half-a-day late, and had grudgingly consented that half of our two-night charges would be flushed away. Apparently, after talking to me, the night operator, off duty then, had messed it all up.
Budget travellers have quite a few options in the American travel 'system'. One of them is a service called Hotwire.com. Basically, you provide your budget range for a nightcap and the system sets-up a 'blind reservation' with a multi-star hotel. This means that until you make the payment, you are privy to only the facilities offered at the location; it is not easy/possible to guess the exact hotel they are offering you. But the promise is that you will not be disappointed. We were not.
Such services exist for two reasons. One is the proliferation of e-commerce in tourism makes way for creative business models. The second is the fact that doing this allows hotels to fill rooms for a cheaper rate, especially during lean periods of the year. If you will, it is an effective yield management strategy, much like how airlines sell $25 air tickets. It works well for all hotels in such consortia, since people are allocated hotels in a category ,probably, in a round-robin fashion. It works well for the travellers.
The problem happens when a problem happens. What I mean is that when there is a change in plan, you are now required to deal with two parties- Hotwire.com and The Hotel in this case. I had talked to The Hotel. They never told me I had to talk to Hotwire. But yet, the night attendant confirmed the change of plan.
Two things helped me resolve the quandary. Firstly, when the manager refused to acknowledge the fact that we had called, I showed him the call record on my cellphone. It showed that I had been on the call for all of three and a half minutes.
Secondly, the Hotwire.com services work like an open-market. Democracy is supreme here, since the services thrive on user-feedback, much like e-Bay. A brief mention this fact brought new perspective to things, endingour second waitlist of the year.
Knowing the lie of the land is important for any traveller. Yahoo! Maps and Mapquest are definitely up there when it comes to accuracy and reliability. But traffic patterns are another thing altogether. Then again, Florida is a pensioners paradise, despite the glamour and youth thronging the place. The speedlimits are lower than in other states to cater to the majority senior population. This was something to be expected but came as a surprise to us.
Additonally, the drive through The Keys to reach Key West is on several narrow several-miles-long bridges separating the Gulf of Mexico from Atlantic Ocean. These bridges have long stretches of no-passing zones. All this added up to our reaching the rendevous point of water-adventure cruise at Key West, less than 10 minutes before yacht took off. Thus ended third waitlist this year.
I will end the chronicle of our Florida trip by saying that in the midst of this canonball run, my wife and I had the best time of our life, or should I just say 2007.
The waitlist saga continues in Part 3.
After touchdown at Miami and arriving 15 hours too late to our 4-Star Hotel, we were in for a bigger surprise when at the swank reception of the hotel, we were told that our reservation stood cancelled. What the heavens was happening?
Earlier, the previous evening, I had called up The Hotel and told them that we would be arriving half-a-day late, and had grudgingly consented that half of our two-night charges would be flushed away. Apparently, after talking to me, the night operator, off duty then, had messed it all up.
Budget travellers have quite a few options in the American travel 'system'. One of them is a service called Hotwire.com. Basically, you provide your budget range for a nightcap and the system sets-up a 'blind reservation' with a multi-star hotel. This means that until you make the payment, you are privy to only the facilities offered at the location; it is not easy/possible to guess the exact hotel they are offering you. But the promise is that you will not be disappointed. We were not.
Such services exist for two reasons. One is the proliferation of e-commerce in tourism makes way for creative business models. The second is the fact that doing this allows hotels to fill rooms for a cheaper rate, especially during lean periods of the year. If you will, it is an effective yield management strategy, much like how airlines sell $25 air tickets. It works well for all hotels in such consortia, since people are allocated hotels in a category ,probably, in a round-robin fashion. It works well for the travellers.
The problem happens when a problem happens. What I mean is that when there is a change in plan, you are now required to deal with two parties- Hotwire.com and The Hotel in this case. I had talked to The Hotel. They never told me I had to talk to Hotwire. But yet, the night attendant confirmed the change of plan.
Two things helped me resolve the quandary. Firstly, when the manager refused to acknowledge the fact that we had called, I showed him the call record on my cellphone. It showed that I had been on the call for all of three and a half minutes.
Secondly, the Hotwire.com services work like an open-market. Democracy is supreme here, since the services thrive on user-feedback, much like e-Bay. A brief mention this fact brought new perspective to things, endingour second waitlist of the year.
Knowing the lie of the land is important for any traveller. Yahoo! Maps and Mapquest are definitely up there when it comes to accuracy and reliability. But traffic patterns are another thing altogether. Then again, Florida is a pensioners paradise, despite the glamour and youth thronging the place. The speedlimits are lower than in other states to cater to the majority senior population. This was something to be expected but came as a surprise to us.
Additonally, the drive through The Keys to reach Key West is on several narrow several-miles-long bridges separating the Gulf of Mexico from Atlantic Ocean. These bridges have long stretches of no-passing zones. All this added up to our reaching the rendevous point of water-adventure cruise at Key West, less than 10 minutes before yacht took off. Thus ended third waitlist this year.
I will end the chronicle of our Florida trip by saying that in the midst of this canonball run, my wife and I had the best time of our life, or should I just say 2007.
The waitlist saga continues in Part 3.
2007-12-27
2007: A year of waitlists: Part 1
This has been a year of waitlists. A turn of a New Year is a good time to recall our escapades, remembering that, while planning anything can be fun, seeing it go haywire and then unravelling the mess and coming out gleaming can be more fun.
It all began with booking tickets to visit Florida. Having taken over the portfolio of managing all our travel plans (and more), my wife booked 'special price' tickets to Miami around 120 days in advance.It saved us quite a few greenbacks and I, though wary of perils of nonrefundable tickets, was optimistic of local weather conditions in future(!). Choreographed to perfection - we even had decided on places for dinner and lunch in Miami and Key West, a couple of months before the travel date- we thought nothing could come in our way (somewhat).
Weather gods, meanwhile, had been planning their own little thingy. Six hours before ETD, our flight to Miami got delayed. Two hours later it got cancelled. 30 minutes later United Airlines dumped us, literally, on to the next day, Friday, morning flight at Six with American Airlines. We left home at 3:45 AM to be there ahead of everyone, only to realize we had undermined everyone else's determination. An hour of hoarse shouting at UA and AA, who kept shirking the responsibility about why we were being treated like a football at FIFA, intensely kicked around, only yielded that everyone was helpless; and we were 11th down the waitlist of passengers who could just make it to the 8 AM out of O'Hare.We had an option of taking the 1 PM confirmed seat. In the face of the fact that we had already lost a night's prepaid stay at a 4 star hotel in Miami, the choice was easy.
Being in the thick of things brought us face to face with how airline companies do yield management. They have a few very important tools to beat the holiday season nightmares. One of them is overbooking. Some passengers cancel out (not a statistical impossibility that) and those tickets are sold at a premium. Some passengers don't mind selling their tickets back to airlines in exchange for travel vouchers at the same time delaying their own travel to any of the next few flights out. Lastly, the most important 'investment', a passenger realizes, is to be on the loyalty programs of airlines. Because, when a flight is cancelled, or when overbooked people are moved around Loyalty card holders make it to the top of waiting lists. I will not argue with that, since if I were running the business, I may just run it the same way.
In the next two hours we would count our chances of getting on that plan a hundred times, confirming with each other, every time the boarding gate attendant announced a name cleared for boarding. We were willing to forgive them for mis-pronouncing our names, as long as we made it on board. Not until Six minutes before the plane doors would close, were we told that we were cleared. That was the end of our first waitlist.
But wait, the story has only started!
It all began with booking tickets to visit Florida. Having taken over the portfolio of managing all our travel plans (and more), my wife booked 'special price' tickets to Miami around 120 days in advance.It saved us quite a few greenbacks and I, though wary of perils of nonrefundable tickets, was optimistic of local weather conditions in future(!). Choreographed to perfection - we even had decided on places for dinner and lunch in Miami and Key West, a couple of months before the travel date- we thought nothing could come in our way (somewhat).
Weather gods, meanwhile, had been planning their own little thingy. Six hours before ETD, our flight to Miami got delayed. Two hours later it got cancelled. 30 minutes later United Airlines dumped us, literally, on to the next day, Friday, morning flight at Six with American Airlines. We left home at 3:45 AM to be there ahead of everyone, only to realize we had undermined everyone else's determination. An hour of hoarse shouting at UA and AA, who kept shirking the responsibility about why we were being treated like a football at FIFA, intensely kicked around, only yielded that everyone was helpless; and we were 11th down the waitlist of passengers who could just make it to the 8 AM out of O'Hare.We had an option of taking the 1 PM confirmed seat. In the face of the fact that we had already lost a night's prepaid stay at a 4 star hotel in Miami, the choice was easy.
Being in the thick of things brought us face to face with how airline companies do yield management. They have a few very important tools to beat the holiday season nightmares. One of them is overbooking. Some passengers cancel out (not a statistical impossibility that) and those tickets are sold at a premium. Some passengers don't mind selling their tickets back to airlines in exchange for travel vouchers at the same time delaying their own travel to any of the next few flights out. Lastly, the most important 'investment', a passenger realizes, is to be on the loyalty programs of airlines. Because, when a flight is cancelled, or when overbooked people are moved around Loyalty card holders make it to the top of waiting lists. I will not argue with that, since if I were running the business, I may just run it the same way.
In the next two hours we would count our chances of getting on that plan a hundred times, confirming with each other, every time the boarding gate attendant announced a name cleared for boarding. We were willing to forgive them for mis-pronouncing our names, as long as we made it on board. Not until Six minutes before the plane doors would close, were we told that we were cleared. That was the end of our first waitlist.
But wait, the story has only started!
2007-12-05
Review of 'Snapshots from hell- The making of an MBA':
Set in the recent past,1988-1990, this book published in 1994 is a very funny, honest and absorbing take on the life of a Stanford MBA student. The author, Peter Robinson, does not spare himself or the college in describing his emotional roller coaster ride of realising his ambition to be a business graduate. With brutal honestness Robinson recounts, in first person narrative, his fears, failures and successes in overcoming the natural Poet (In Stanford lingo, a person who has no significant engineering, mathematical or financial educational background) in him while grappling with the quantitative-heavy Stanford syllabus.
This is a fictionalised autobiography in that the incidents in the story are all true and the protagonist or the observer is the author himself while the names, which could feasibly be changed have been masked. The author admits that 'there was no point in masking popular personalities' and so some of them from his friends' circle or faculty have been retained. Focussing primarily the first year and the summer internship period, Robinson traces his daily life with quotations from his personal journal. The natural flair of rhetoric that the author possesses is quite evident in three places: his pre-Stanford position as a speech writer for President Reagan; Robinson's own journal entries (no doubt written under heavy B-school-pressure) and the wit in storytelling itself.
The book is useful to any b-school student. But, it is especially required to be read by any student who is entering a well-placed or top b-school anywhere, as the philosophy or pedagogy of Stanford (like that of other global top b-schools) is bound to have influenced his or her school's didactics. What make this book timeless are the principles of selection and teaching of Stanford that are only pioneering and not transient, meaning that with time the best practices will only spread globally. The pedagogy and rigor influence a student's life significantly and therefore the experiences are bound to be similar. Today, this is especially true to India because we are witnessiing a globalisation of b-school education here, not suprisingly due to the free-market capitalisation being attempted by India, the growing demand for globally-experienced b-school graduates in Indian mainstream economy and the rise in ambition owing to affordability of quality b-school education. Of course, there are also more than ever Indian students who are able to afford and embrace international business schools.
The reader, especially, if he is in the target audience described earlier will instantly empathise with the author since within the first few pages, the author gives examples of various types of questions and analyses (and answer with diagrams) discussed in the class that added to the latter's misery. The reader thereby gets the benefit of learning about the mindset expected of a b-school student. The author describes with a natural sense of humour, his tribulations in mastering the apparently simple concepts (for the non-Poets) all along doubting his fitment in the Stanford's scheme of things.
During the course of the story, one also gets a glance at the recent history of the school and an understanding of the factors that challenged and led to the evolution of some of the top schools in the US. In the process of understanding the author's student-life, the readers are bound to get satisfactory answers to whether it was all worth it for the author and by extension lead to an introspection of their own motives. Of course, everything is relative and situational and then the book itself is not instructive; but, the subtle impact is lasting.
Wit, honesty and brevity are the key take-aways from Robinson's style.This is an unputdownable book and a must read for all b-school aspirants; an almost 'rite of passage' as I had been told.
Set in the recent past,1988-1990, this book published in 1994 is a very funny, honest and absorbing take on the life of a Stanford MBA student. The author, Peter Robinson, does not spare himself or the college in describing his emotional roller coaster ride of realising his ambition to be a business graduate. With brutal honestness Robinson recounts, in first person narrative, his fears, failures and successes in overcoming the natural Poet (In Stanford lingo, a person who has no significant engineering, mathematical or financial educational background) in him while grappling with the quantitative-heavy Stanford syllabus.
This is a fictionalised autobiography in that the incidents in the story are all true and the protagonist or the observer is the author himself while the names, which could feasibly be changed have been masked. The author admits that 'there was no point in masking popular personalities' and so some of them from his friends' circle or faculty have been retained. Focussing primarily the first year and the summer internship period, Robinson traces his daily life with quotations from his personal journal. The natural flair of rhetoric that the author possesses is quite evident in three places: his pre-Stanford position as a speech writer for President Reagan; Robinson's own journal entries (no doubt written under heavy B-school-pressure) and the wit in storytelling itself.
The book is useful to any b-school student. But, it is especially required to be read by any student who is entering a well-placed or top b-school anywhere, as the philosophy or pedagogy of Stanford (like that of other global top b-schools) is bound to have influenced his or her school's didactics. What make this book timeless are the principles of selection and teaching of Stanford that are only pioneering and not transient, meaning that with time the best practices will only spread globally. The pedagogy and rigor influence a student's life significantly and therefore the experiences are bound to be similar. Today, this is especially true to India because we are witnessiing a globalisation of b-school education here, not suprisingly due to the free-market capitalisation being attempted by India, the growing demand for globally-experienced b-school graduates in Indian mainstream economy and the rise in ambition owing to affordability of quality b-school education. Of course, there are also more than ever Indian students who are able to afford and embrace international business schools.
The reader, especially, if he is in the target audience described earlier will instantly empathise with the author since within the first few pages, the author gives examples of various types of questions and analyses (and answer with diagrams) discussed in the class that added to the latter's misery. The reader thereby gets the benefit of learning about the mindset expected of a b-school student. The author describes with a natural sense of humour, his tribulations in mastering the apparently simple concepts (for the non-Poets) all along doubting his fitment in the Stanford's scheme of things.
During the course of the story, one also gets a glance at the recent history of the school and an understanding of the factors that challenged and led to the evolution of some of the top schools in the US. In the process of understanding the author's student-life, the readers are bound to get satisfactory answers to whether it was all worth it for the author and by extension lead to an introspection of their own motives. Of course, everything is relative and situational and then the book itself is not instructive; but, the subtle impact is lasting.
Wit, honesty and brevity are the key take-aways from Robinson's style.This is an unputdownable book and a must read for all b-school aspirants; an almost 'rite of passage' as I had been told.
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