That sweet smell of a victory

One statement from a person who held the power over us at that time gave us that sweet sweet sense of victory.A victory of reason and common sense over arrogance, misunderstandings and bureaucracy. We had to negotiate a victory which we deserved, and requiring to negotiate for a victory which you have already got is often frustrating. Those who do not know the context of all that I am talking about may not get the idea of this but I cannot afford to state the facts here.

Playing the game of using the right words to convey the facts with the exact meaning is not exactly easy and fun. Diffident voices which had to be firm inspite of the position of Office we were talking to. You never know on what issues you can afford to take a stand and where you cannot. I still do not know whether I am already celebrating beforehand........

Aditya

CHEENI KUM AND ATITHI DEVO BHAV

In June 2006 I happened to go on a business trip to Poori, Orissa while I was working with ICICI Bank. I had around 8-10 local operators with me and I was assigned the task of getting around 40000 people enrolled in these villages and further understand the requirements of MicroFinance customers in order to design a solution for them.

On a particular day I decided to accompany 2-3 of my operators to a few villages around 20 km from Poori. We had hired a car for ourselves and set out for the job. By around noon we had covered 2 villages and were headed for the third. At that point of time a few of our laptop batteries being used for the enrolments conked off. Inorder to charge the battery I went to one of the houses in the village. I realised the house was not wired at all, a proper established Big House! I found it a bit strange and tried out some charging possibilities in a house in the adjoining village. The same result. I travelled to 4 consecutive villages on that road in order to charge my battery. Not one house/ shop in any of these villages was even wired! These people had never experienced the concept of electricity!!!

Finally having assured myself of the futile chase I decided to let the operators continue with the remaining number of working laptops. We reached village number 5 on that route, already tired and a bit frustrated and just wondering why Edison’s invention had not percolated down to these places. Every foul word present in my dictionary came to my tongue, all for the people of this country. What the hell are we celebrating this economic growth for, I thought.

The next village I reached barely had a population of around 300 people I was told. People were covered only in rags. All the children around looked malnourished. Around more than a 100 people came to meet me and at most to say a “Namaste” on getting the news of a “shahari babu” having come to their village. Their earnings per family per day hardly ever accounted to Rs.50. Inspite of me refusing to have anything these same people went and got cold drinks for me, having had to cycle down 4 km in order to get that. After all I was their guest. “Atithi devo bhav” to the core. Further on, few of the women went and made “sandesh” for me. I was made to eat it although it was almost “sandesh minus the sugar”. Again there was a huge party of another 80-100 people who came to see me off. I was later told by the Bank employee accompanying me that a few households had forfeited their children having any milk that day in order to ensure enough for me and my group. For a moment I just could not believe it. I offered money to these families which they immediately refused inspite of some persuading from my side. A tear dropped down my cheek before I could even realise. That was definitely the most wonderful “sandesh” I have ever had and would ever have although it was Cheeni Kum. And the Cheeni Kum because they had not got their monthly ration.

Hats Off to “atithi devo bhav” and CHEERS to the 8.5% growth!

Aditya Khandekar

Placement shots-Instant Connections

The placement season is in full flow in the college. Companies coming to explain the profiles and shortlisting of candidates. Lots at stake for everyone, sometimes feel the whole thing is a huge gamble. But the whole process and the way it is all managed deserves kudos. This process in itself is teaching everyone a lot of things I feel. The placement committee I feel should be allowed to add this as part of their work experience. It is absolute project management.

The tinkerng with the resumes is now all done and its time to now get out and see new people and impress them in the first meeting.

The other day we had a software firm which had come to campus to explain the profiles and functionalities they expect and are looking for. The presentation was so crisp and the presenter was so well prepared that she commanded great respect from all of us. So much depends on the way you portray yourself I felt, especially since you are representing your entire organization.First impressions often have such a huge bearing on your decision making.

Aditya

JaB wE mET

“When hum mile”: Catchy name : So smart marketing I thought.

Went for this movie on Diwali day. The occasion was actually to meet a few old friends and movie was just the “bahana”.

Well for this movie now. Aditya(incidentally the hero’s name too is Aditya) is a rich Businessman whose “love” marries someone else. The dejected Aditya meets this chatter box, hedonist girl (Kareena) in a train when he is headed nowhere. Kareena asks him to burns his lovers photograph and throw it in the toilet in order to forget his love. Had some Management guru seen this scene he would have called it “Flush the thoughts” theory( if things like “foot in the door” theory, “Bypass atack” theory can be made then any kind of nonsense theory can be christened)

So now Aditya travels all the way to Kareena’ s place in Bhatinda helps her run away( “No other work” theory) from her house so that she could meet her Boyfriend Anshuman. During all this time Kareena starts falling for Aditya. And Aditya too is falling for her, though he keeps using the “Pull strategy”, no “Pushes”(some learnings for all the wannabe romeo’s) “Do you love me”, Kareena asks one day, “Yes I do, but that is my problem, you do not worry” says Aditya. Too coooool a dialogue I thought. Not to forget some running around the trees and emotional drama once in a while. Now Kareena and her boyfriend Anshuman both have agreed to MARRY each other amidst some more drama while Aditya too is in the picture. Girls always have a choice!!!!! :-(

So Kareena uses the Conjunctive Heuristic method. And finally………..the guy with the higher relational equity wins.

Worth a see if you have a “variety seeking watching behaviour” or if you too have the “No other work theory” or if you are in love or something.

Aditya

Whom do you produce for?

Whom do you write for, produce for, the common man with less intellect or the intellectuals. If you produce for the intellectuals, then they are few and you do not gain that much popularity. For in that case the masses don’t understand your produce. You are celebrated but not exactly popular. If you come out with something which is for the masses, you are celebrated, you are admired and even if you are not exactly revered, you are compensated.

What does a artist do in such a case. Does he perform or produce something which would be accepted more by the people or does he only follow his heart and produce the thing which he likes.

How do you rate in such a case. For the sake of an example, consider “Swades” and “Lagaan”, both movies directed by Ashutosh Gowariker. “Swades” was something more close to his heart while “Lagaan” was commercially more successful. He was able to create “Swades” and get better coverage from the Press because he was the “Lagaan” Director. Imagine Swades to be released before “Lagaan”, would he have got the same credibility ?

The celebrated writer Arthur Conan Doyle, made the most of his fans because of the legendary character Sherlock Holmes. Though even Sherlock Holmes was brilliant stuff it prevented Sir Arthur from writing literature which was what he intended to be known for. Because literature is not in demand since its often beyond the grasp of the common man.

Adi

Life doesn’t give you a second chance.

How often has it happenned that you have performed some action and regretted it later. And just realised the consequences of it are far too more than you ever imagined. You want time to reverse back a little, but only if you could. In the spur of the moment you decide to go ahead with some decision or say something, later only to realise how foolish you have been. We do not always think before saying and sometimes the very conception of our thinking is absurdity.

“Its easy to be wise after the event” as they say, so very true.

Life doesn’t give you a second chance, you need to grab up the only chance you are likely to get most of the times. No lengthy post mortems thereafter are going to help in any way. We can dissect and discuss what we think was right and wrong and try to learn from our successes and failures. We keep bothering ourselves about the “ifs” and “buts” and the thinking becomes conscious of itself. Much of this kind of thinking is conducted in internal monologue or silent soliloquy only to incentivise further brooding and give trouble.But ultimately we're only as good as we can be and never sure we would have enough presence of mind even the next time.

Aditya

Dancing on that ground…….

When Dhanraj Pillay was once questioned about his retirement plans he said, “ I want to dance on that Olympic stage once again before I retire”. “Dancing on the ground”, something every sportperson intends to do after a match where they have given it all. It would take something more than my limited talent to describe what a sportsperson goes through on winning a match in any tournament. Guys who have done this perhaps even at school or college level would probably connect with my thoughts.

“ When a sportsperson leaves the ground, it should not be possible to understand whether hes won or lost”. I do not agree with this thought. You play for nothing but winning. And if winning isnt everything, why then do they keep a score? And its perfectly alright to let out your emotions after the match, especially if you have won. The spirit and the will to win are things that endure and mean much more than all events happening on the ground. There are no gentleman’s games, not even Cricket or Golf. You are playing for pride!

Spectators arent coming to the ground to see their idols or see polite shake hands, they come to see their idols fight, they come to see the passion, they come to get involved in all that’s happening.

Winning a game of any sport gives you a “high” which nothing else could probably match. Its an achievement you cherish, it’s a feeling that you have beaten your opponents, that you have outplayed your peers. Every sport is a mind game, and winning is a justification that you have outplayed the opponents through your mind, the equipments used and talent possessed are just factors. Using your talent to win gives you a satisfaction and triumph few men can ever know.

Every sport is a battle, you got to play it straight but play it hard!!!

Aditya Khandekar

Money Changers

There continues a huge debate about rupee appreciation. The exporters lobby being very powerful ensuring that the rupee continues to get regulated. Also the common perception is that an appreciating rupee does not bode good omen for our economy in the present circumstances with the stock market booming because of the huge cash inflows from exports.

An appreciating rupee will ensure increase in quality of goods and services as India will start losing the cost advantage. We would no longer be able to export products at the lower end of the value chain. It will also ensure more research work in the IT industry than just specialisation in back end jobs. With the present growth rate of economy, the Government is going to be compelled to start more huge infrastructure projects. A lot of hardware will be needed to be imported for the same. A large amount of imported technology is going to be required in Banking infrastructure, Pharma and Medical equipments, Telecom Infrastructure, etc since Indian firms still do not produce high quality equipments required for these sectors. The appreciation in the rupee will promote imports and bring in the best technologies available at a lesser cost to the country.

Also it will encourage Banks to borrow more from abroad and lend it at lesser rates in the country, something that will definitely help for the true financial inclusion of the masses.
There has to be a point where RBI should stop becoming a market player. The weak currency policy has outlived its purpose. The controls over Banks borrowings need to be diluted and the competitive forces alone should decide the valuations over a period of time.

Also the whole SEZ policy might have to be revisited with the rising rupee.May be I do not sound practical at this stage and the brains sitting in Delhi would definitely have some strategies in their minds, but how often have we seen economic imperatives being subjected to political considerations and lobbying by interested groups.

The Bean counters of India should not forget that the whole outsourcing industry was only the means and not the end of what we intend to achieve. Indian Business is again set for a new paradigm.

-Aditya

Sometimes only the Fighter knows......

His Ship was torn with the storm
The waves were rising and there was no respite
Others would have thought of being in Life’s departure lounge
But he was not the one to cringe or scrounge

No one gave him a chance to survive the night
But he was a fighter in his own right
Bearing all odds he reached the shore
Not a feeling of exhaustion did he show

He did not swoom he did not sigh
A rare combination of shyness but head held high
A dim astonishment at the strain he felt
On his courage and spirit I dwelt

Even on a dark stormy night with a lull
Such people are aware of a star whose light although dull
Every moment they are glad to have lived
Never a rude word and never to be rived

These people are rare
With ambition in their mind and courage leading the way
Always looking forward to the next destination
From those they admire they earn their recognition

They earn reverence without any decree
These are ordinary men to extraordinary degree

-Adi

A Leader has the vision and conviction that a dream can be achieved!

When the going gets tough, the tough gets going.

This is true in every single field and probably the things that seem the most non sensical or weird at that point of time change the course of history for the better in such circumstances. Leaders are born, ideas are created, then celebrated and the crisis is converted into an opportunity.

“Build trenches and fill them” was the classic reply of the non Classic celebrated economist John Maynard Keynes on being asked how US could come out of the great depression. “Demand creates its own supply” was what he preached even at the height of the American depression and earned himself hundreds of critics . But a leader was born with this statement and his courage to make predictions.

He predicted that mass unemployment would be necessary to deflate sterling wages back to pre-war gold values and that falling unemployment would cause a higher price, not a higher inflation rate. Both his predictions proved to be right.

Another less celebrated economist who managed to do wonders for his country was Ludwig Erhard. In 1942 he started writing the book ‘War Finances and Debt Consolidation’ having already predicted at the height of German glory that Germany would lose the war .
Post 1945, observers thought that Germany would have to be the biggest client of the U.S. welfare state. Yet twenty years later its economy was envied by most of the world. And less than ten years after the war people already were talking about the German economic miracle. Erhard's motto being "Don't just sit there; undo something."

Come 1991, India faced its biggest economic crisis, with foreign exchange enough only to purchase two weeks imports. Instead of traditional thinking of tightening the belt, Manmohan Singh and Narsimha Rao, only one month into their Government, prescribed Stabilization plus a credible structural adjustment program. At the time when the nation was hit by its worst crisis since independence, Manmohan Singh dared to talk about his vision and dream of becoming an economic super power. He dared to make every Indian take an ideological journey.

The strength of these people’s influence can be seen by the wave of economists who have criticised these peoples thinking and the fact that their visions cut across ideological barriers.

adi

Admire the Gujratis and the Marwadis!

Wrote this article on the day i Quit my job.


My father had gone with his college friends for a trip to lonavla a few weeks back, well some interesting things about it.

They were 12 of them.6 gujratis, 4 maharashtrians,1 south indian and 1 catholic. All the maharshtrians were academically and technically far better than the gujratis. One of those gujratis took 8 years to complete his engineering.(i am not exaggerating) Today most of the gujratis in the group are crorepatis and all 6 of them have their own businesses. All the maharashtrians including my dad and the south indian guy are working in some firm although with good designations.

Coming back to the gujratis-3 of the gujratis did not have any family business and started all on their own. One of them even went to the extent of selling his house in order to get capital to start his business. Even he had a family to care for! A few of the gujratis went into losses, went through failures but still hanged on with their dreams which bore rich dividends. One of the gujratis started a factory that makes air-tight packets for chips,Lays, and other food items. My dad tells me not a single packet of this kind was ever to be seen 20 years back and not many people would have the vision to think of this demand around the millenium year. Mind you the economy ws a closed one until '91 and not many would have even thought that the wafer/snack market even in some rural areas would be captured by MNC's who would require these air tight packets for their food items.

Many have visions and plans, but it takes guts to follow your dreams, come-what-may!!!

Life is tough when you do not fit the standard profile. Most of the people sacrifice their ambitions for the want of security. Why is it that very few maharashtrians and south indians venture into business. Whenever they have done so they have done very well, infact outdone most of their competitors,but then the percentage of people actually entering into businesses is very less. My barber once mentioned to me: for the average guys as long as he owns his own house and has 24 hours running water in the tap he will be happy.

So what is so different about these gujaratis-marwadi businessmen. Not all are born rich. But would an average working guy even think of selling his house/jewellery to start off a business. Risk is something not present in their diction. Time and again economists have said that buying a house is not an asset but actually a liability. Renowned economists have advised the buying of an house only after one has settled completely in his profession and life. But for an average Indian the buying of an house for oneself is the biggest achievement!! (i agree there would be difference of opinions on this issue) and all his energies and investment is directed towards the buying of an house. So that by the time he reaches marriageable age, it puts him in a better position to bargain in a marriage scenario.

Hats -off to these businessmen who are the actually building the nations economy. Today the Patels and Shahs are controlling the worlds diamond and jewellery business. If any amongst you people have ever read Fredrick Forsyth(Negotiator if i remember correctly) or Robert Ludlum novels you will find that the shopkeepers name is often patel-yes-even in the US of A!!! Because their business sense has now got world wide recognition. The entire western coastal fishing is owned by gujus/marwadis and those from the hindi heartland who hire local people to help them earn profits.

I could go on and on about stories of how people i know , have made it big, none of whom ever fitted the standard profile of a middle class person.

Disclaimer :
I am not asking anyone to quit their jobs and make money but dont work for long in some job you despise just because you feel secure and the bean counters pay you your monthly cheque.



Neither am I saying that you should drive all your energies only to get rich for the sake of getting rich, but use money as a count to measure you success. Aim high and try to fulfill your respective ambitions.

Explore, Dream and Discover.....

A thing created is loved even before it exists

Was just reading through the Deccan airways buyout by Kingfisher. Consolidation is in the air, for good or for bad. And this is happening in all sectors. Small fishes being gobbled by the larger ones.

But how does a person who has created a company from the scratch feel like when he has to let go off, the control of his firm. The company which he has built so that it could become a powerhouse in its own right. True that Business cannot be done with emotions, but just give a thought about how a person would feel when he has to sell his firm, something which has meant so much to him and is perhaps one of his Life’s big dreams, something for which he has developed a filial attachment to.

You might have had some plans for your firm but the financers don’t follow your mind and sometimes the compulsions of being listed in the stock exchange ensure that you cant follow your heart even if at the bottom of it you know you were right. Its like a friend coming to your birthday party and walking away with the entire cake.

But then again, life is a game and the courgeous and the innovative will make new rules to play the game and be back at it. People will attempt to take back the sparkle in your eyes and the ambition in your gut. You have to fight to keep this sparkle and ambition.

Adi

Walking through the rain.....

I sat at the window sill

A Tea cup in my hand
Taking in the sweet fragrance of my wet Land

Besides the heavy rain drops was an undercurrent of silence in the air

Not a single voice nor a fidgety creature
Man is a helpless plaything at the mercy of nature

At that point a thought entered my mind

There would be farmers and today their eyes would not have a shine
There would be a wet child who could not afford to dine

A sweet young couple could be having the best of their time
An unfortunate urchin hoping to atleast get a dime

A lonely old man just going through the grind
His days are numbered he wouldn’t mind

There would be a young boy all raring to go
For with the morning Sun he needs new ideas to sow

Even he wants to apprecite the wet grass and the weed
But he cant sit back, hes got a family to feed

He wants to feel the blades of grass and the dew
He himself doesn’t know how his youth just flew

There would be a policeman keeping vigil to his own soul
For fighting this system has always been his only goal

He’s heard those hushed whispers in the corridors of power
Tonight he has to ensure shelter for all who will cower

He would see a Businessman, a virtual paragon of ingenuity
Seeking shelter in a slum, disasters don’t follow any disparity

A Damsel would be singing along with the rain pellets
Showing off to her friends her new bracelets

Proud to be an earning girl and independent
Hoping the next monsoon she bears a pendant


She likes this guy for he is honest about his sleaziness
Perhaps he could be the factor to bring her the happiness

There would be youngsters out on the streets
Helping out the homeless not for any credits

In this deluge they will dare
For people with a passion always care

There would be the confident young man

Walking through the deluge
Not thinking of it to be anything huge

He’s seen the Businessman
And also the policeman

He’s seen the youngsters help the old man
And thinks of the passers-by to be one of his clan

The plight of his fellow men brings to his eye a tear
He is not the one ashamed to acknowledge his fear

He’s ready to lend a helping hand
But does not have time to just wait and stand

He wont digress in his path which is long
Still he makes it a point to enjoy the song

He wants to reach quickly to his destination
For he knows he owes his vision a realization

Each of this kind knows the other exists
Perhaps thats the reason they all co-exist

Taking in the sweet fragrance of my wet land
I feel life is absolutely beautiful and grand

To strike the right chords it does take a while
The world belongs to the one who can walk through a disaster and smile

adi

Theres music in all things, if men had ears

After quite some while I have resumed my piano classes, after almost a gap of 4 years. Feels good playing those keys, though the tunes I play are still far from being melodious.

I guess I would have been an outcast by now had I been in the Carribean or Queens’ own island, not knowing to play a single instrument. The American President, whenever he goes on foreign visit, one of the things he carries is the music quotes of the national anthem of the country he is visiting. While our Ministers, am not sure even know all the wordings of their own national anthem. If the King loves music, alls well with the land.

This is because music and for that matter even sports arent given enough importance in our culture. Learning a musical instrument is a part of the curriculum in most European Schools. Like we have to score a 40 in each subject at our graduation levels, why isnt that an imperative even for subjects such as athletics, music, painting etc with proper parameters set. If you can make every person to know atleast the basics of arithmatics by class 10, then developing a ear for music or atleast a liking for music for every student definitely is easier! Period.

This would not only give some poor musicians some kind of job at schools, but also ensure the drop out rates in schools are lesser. And perhaps the number of suicides at student level would reduce.

Adi

Theres no making lemonades out of this !!

The Indian snack and cold drinks industry is something that has always fascinated me. Probably an industry that has a tremendous and forever potential for growth in a tropical country full of foodies.

Being a tropical country, India is probably one of the biggest markets of cold drinks in the world. By cold drinks I also mean the plethora of options at your discretion like nariyal paani, nimbu paani, kala-khatta, lassi etc. Soft drinks are a big part of this industry but in India they are just a part of it. “Nimbu paani” also known as “shikanji” in north india is still the highest consumed drink in this country.Also lemon drinks form a good 11% of the soft drink industry by sales and this is set to grow since Indians do know how to squeeze lemons!

Do they actually prefer squeezing lemons to having Mango Milk shakes? Well the truth is that lemon drinks are popular because they are cheap. And price is the single most factor determining the popularity of a drink in India.

Milk drinks though healthy, form only 2% of the entire beverage industry. Also the milk industry has been able to reach a figure of 2% thanks mainly to the smart pricing of “Amul chaas” at Rs.5 which forms a big chunk of the milk beverage sales.

Those urbanites prefering soft drinks to roadside nimbu paani is mainly because of the hygiene factor. This gives a wonderful opportunity to corporates to come up with a packaged/bottled drink offered at somewhere around Rs.4-5. How they will manage this and how will they handle a pan-India distribution network would be interesting to see.

As the development status of a country improves, Pepsi and Coca Cola are two companies that start getting the jitters, for across the world whenever a country has started progressing and reached a certain level, the market shares of both these companies have started reducing due to the entry of local players who have the capability to build proper distribution systems. And I believe India has reached that stage now. And with the retail boom, soon this industry could get flooded with many different packaged drinks at various prices to suit every consumer segment. Whether someone is able to come up with a 250 ml bottle for Rs 4-5 remains to be seen. Perhaps after the 1 lakh car the next big news could be “ the 4 rupee drink”.

Till then when dealed with a lemon make lemonade. Leverage the beverage market!

Aditya Khandekar

First blog

The penchant for writing was always there, but never thought I would write a blog until I saw an article in the Sunday times which claimed IBM would surpass Infosys and TCS as the No. 1 IT company of India. I had predicted with my own analysis and had written an article about the same a few days before I read this article and my reaction was ….Hell! Even I had stated this though had not circulated my article in a Sunday daily or even amongst most of my friends. (What you do in this world is of no consequence, its wht you mke others feel you have done is what counts, so true, aint it)So my first blog starts with this very article, which though not well edited seems a good start. So here it goes



I have always been the one to crib about standard practices and theories. So this is a further addition to it. Not that I feel you should challenge it for the heck of it. But these practices get formed because they were a success somewhere, but its not necessary that these practices will get successfully replicated anywhere else.

I always feel that an organization should grow horizontally,move into different sectors once they have kind of established themselves in one sector. I sometimes don’t agree to the conventional thought of sticking to your core sector. According to me every organization has to venture into different sectors if it has the wherewithal and the capital.

For example, a bank has to move into the transport sector, because its big revenue business which only banks can afford since they can call the shots and bring consolidation. No bank has tried this anywhere in the world which surprises me. They start and end with tinkering of financial instruments and once in a while do come up with brilliant concepts, but always in the same field. People who can manipulate and tinker with finance can definitely apply their minds successfully at various other things which they never try to.

Its so much of cash doing the rounds every day. An active entry of a bank in the transport sector will change the way everything functions

A telecom company should look at ways to act as clearing agents instead of banks. Remittance is big business ....and what better way to remit money than with the instrument you fiddle with the whole day long....

A company like Infosys I believe is restricting itself and at some point of time the growth will stop. Imagine having around 40% of its balance sheet total in cash. I would say they are playing it too safe, something is terribly wrong. This is what differentiates a TATA or Reliance from everyone else in India, because they have constantly ventured into different sectors. Infosys on the other hand have been doing the same old business for the past many many years and are stocking up too much of cash. Don’t understand why all the IT companies have a penchant to stock up cash. Even after 10-20 years of operations, stock market listings, growths of 30% annually if you are still worried about a cash problem that could emerge due to a sudden depression, then those growth figures don’t mean much.

Also they say that “find a niche” within your sector. Finding niches is alright, but at the same time, niches will get you riches only if its applicable.

Everyone thought Sam Walton did not have much business sense when he started off. Because he decided to have everything in his store, from clothes to grocery to lingerie to crisps. No one had thought of this before. But he became the worlds richest man breaking every single rule in the book. To the extent that he never maintained a proper accounting system. He infact had an ESP accounting system, where ESP stands for Error Some Place. Imagine a company of the size of 18 stores at that time maintaining everything on paper and just writing error some place at the bottom to make their books balance. This is an absolute example of getting on with things without bothering too much about rules and practices. Because the underlying passion of such people does not permit them to bother about things they feel are unneccessary.

Being passionate not packaged is the key to such successes.

Aditya Khandekar