Vijay Mallya and other top Kingfisher executives and investigate...

As if the problems with global fuel prices weren’t enough, Kingfisher has gone ahead and undertaken strategies that only seem a do ‘and’ die effort. How is Mallya even sustaining the unbelievable losses quarter after quarter? B&E’s Shashank Tripathi and Angshuman Paul meet Vijay Mallya and other top Kingfisher executives and investigate...

But look at what Kingfisher is doing on the other side. Frighteningly, amidst all this bloodbath, it is all set to commence its international operations in September 2008. The Daily Bangalore-London and Bombay-London flights would commence by September 3, while the Bangalore-San Francisco flight would soon follow. The company has even planned to start flights to New York, Singapore, Hong Kong and the Middle East shortly after that. Mind you, company has planned all this at a time when most of the international carriers have either cut their flights to numerous destinations or are planning to do so.

This at a time when international airlines are cutting left, right and centre. According to figures, three big airlines, American, Delta and United, have been cutting down their services dramatically. Where American Airlines plans to reduce 86 flights in November, Delta plans to cut 68, while United has decided to cut 266 flights per week as well. Moreover, other regional airlines flying in America are all set to slash over 1,200 weekly commuter flights. In fact, the Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) has seen a drop of 16.4% in flights in the last one year. If you thought this was worrying Kingfisher, you won’t even catch a whisper of that! Kingfisher is planning to provide their international fliers with what they call ‘better than world-class amenities’. The Kingfisher First cabin would feature an in-seat massager, touch screen controls, mood lighting, noise cancellation headphones by BOSE and in-seat chargers and USB connectors. Furthermore, an on-board chef would prepare international cuisines as per the passenger’s demand, while a well-stocked bar with a bartender in the lounge-like arrangement would make the experience more delightful. Quality is what they are boasting. Suicide is what it seems to us!

As per Airbus’s website, Kingfisher’s order-list stands at 71 aircraft, out of which 10 have been delivered. There are growing concerns that Kingfisher might need to further delay or cut deliveries to avoid losses. Where in heavens is the money coming from for Mallya? During all these years, the United Breweries Group has been supporting the losses of Kingfisher Airlines. When we caught up with Mallya’s speech at the Farnborough International Air Show, UK on July 17, 2008, he was still resolute, “The UB Group has huge cash flows which will see Kingfisher through turbulent times. Kingfisher is well funded. It has optimised its operations and therefore we are not nearly as vulnerable as our competitors.” But with losses amounting to thousands of crore, optimisation still remains a chimera.

Kingfisher Airlines recently raised a loan of Rs.1,000 crore from ICICI Bank to support its escalating expenses as the condition of UB Group appears to deteriorating. This can also be quite apparent from the fact that in the past one month, the share price of United Breweries Holdings Ltd. has plummeted petrifyingly. It has dropped from Rs.1,255 on October 31, 2007, to Rs.279 on July 23, 2008. The Air Deccan share, which was at a high of Rs.335 on December 19, 2007, is languishing at a deathly Rs.79.65 on July 23, 2008.

Worse, without an intelligent hedging strategy against oil price hits [for example, Southwest Airlines in 2007 locked into oil at $51 a barrel], Kingfisher is being hit fatally on a daily basis. Is the worse just around the corner? Senior Aviation Analyst Brij Bharadwaj tells us, “Although survival in today’s scenario depends upon how deep pocketed you are, if the current trend continues, there might be no Kingfisher Airlines next year.” One might forget that at one point a couple of years back, Mallya was also fighting hard to take over Sahara Airlines [when Jet was still in arbitration]. A few months ago, Mallaya was in talks with EADS to revive its single piston engine aircraft manufacturing business. There was also news that he has pledged a personal stake of $200 million to the US-based Epic aircraft to develop very light jets. Added to this is Mallya’s recent failed bid to take over Spicejet. Is Mallya flailing arms in a dying attempt to save Kingfisher? How long will shareholders of the UB Group allow cross subsidisation of unbelievable losses? Is there anything positive Mallya can really look forward to in his airlines? Oh yes, the Kingfisher ladies do smile pretty, but as Cat Stevens puts it, “Girl, it’s hard to get by just upon a smile.” Seriously Mallya, where do you think you are going?!

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Source : IIPM Editorial, 2012.

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

For More IIPM Info, Visit below mentioned IIPM articles.
 

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We’re Saved!

Assange’s Arrest Notwithstanding, If this is the Worst WikiLeaks has Against the United States, The World is Saved!

Post Assange’s arrest on December 7, 2010, in UK on suspected rape and molestation charges brought up by two Swedish women, if one were to read released copies of the women’s original police statements, it would be hard to decipher the reasons for which Assange has been arrested – or even charged. The women’s transcripts document not only that both the women consented in full knowledge to having physical relations (on different dates, of course) with Assange, but also that both the women had initially gone together to the police station to simply force Assange (who apparently could not be contacted otherwise by these women) to take a medical test for sexually transmitted diseases – as at least one of them believed that the condom Assange had used during the physical session with her had broken down. And why blame Assange? Apparently, he knew about the alleged breakage during the act and refused to stop despite being told to do so – and this is evidently an offence under Swedish law.

Should that be considered an immediately arrestable crime? Well, the Swedes and Interpol (the International Criminal Police Organization) think so. It’s more amusing to imagine that the Interpol, which seems to have fallen over itself in arresting Assange, hasn’t acted in similar haste in other arrest warrant cases, a notable one being of Roman Polanski, who has literally been ignored and is moving scot free in France for years despite having already been convicted in US courts on rape charges involving a 13 year old girl, and despite having had the so-called red alert notices issued against him by Interpol time and again. And the most hilarious part in all this is that Interpol’s international headquarters is right there bang in the middle of France, in Lyon.

The answer to this is that while the French government protects Polanski despite his frivolous behaviour, the UK government sees the Assange arrest as an opportunity to bend its back to satisfy the Americans.

Having said that, the fact is that whatever has been churned up by WikiLeaks till date against the US establishment actually works to the benefit of the Americans and in fact does their image more good than harm. While the world used to imagine a deep, sinister cabal of US diplomats conspiring and conniving to assassinate high-profile leaders, the 2,50,000 US diplomatic cables released by WikiLeaks thankfully reveal none such matter – and whatever negative has been revealed, was already in the know of the global media.

Read more.....

Source : IIPM Editorial, 2012.

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

For More IIPM Info, Visit below mentioned IIPM articles.
 

Zee Business Best B-School Survey 2012
Prof. Arindam Chaudhuri's Session at IMA Indore
IIPM IN FINANCIAL TIMES, UK. FEATURE OF THE WEEK
IIPM strong hold on Placement : 10000 Students Placed in last 5 year
IIPM's Management Consulting Arm-Planman Consulting
Professor Arindam Chaudhuri - A Man For The Society....
IIPM: Indian Institute of Planning and Management
IIPM makes business education truly global
Management Guru Arindam Chaudhuri
Rajita Chaudhuri-The New Age Woman
IIPM B-School Facebook Page
IIPM Global Exposure
IIPM Best B School India
IIPM B-School Detail
IIPM Links

IIPM : The B-School with a Human Face

 

Stratagem-INTERANATIONAL : PAKISTAN INC.: LOST HOPE?

Pakistan as an economy and political entity is in a mess. However, a handful of financially stable corporations do give some hope. But are they really up to it or is this just another political-business nexus?

But by 1972, Khan’s policies (on the political front) had backfired and thus came Zulfikar Ali Bhutto in power. The introduction of populist policies under his regime resulted in a kind of economic reversal. Sector wide nationalisation dragged back the GDP to 1950 levels. And the rest as they say is history. The unification of military along with Islamic bodies resulted in what we today know as Islamic fundamentalism. Bloodbath arising out of terrorism shows no signs of slowing down. In fact, as of 2011, Pakistan’s GDP growth rate has slipped down to 2.2% per annum. Moreover, as the surge in imports further outstrips exports, the economy is poised for yet another tough phase. With public debt amounting to $60 billion, S&P rates this economy B-.

The fact is, a couple of profit making power houses do not have the wherewithal to give a meaningful direction to Pakistan’s economy let alone save it. Economic growth is witnessed by nations which have a well planned political structure along with a mechanism to deliver social security. Pakistan lacks both of them. The issue lies in the fact that no one really knows who’s controlling power in Pakistan. Agrees Dr. Suvrokamal Dutta, a New Delhi based foreign and economic policy expert, as he tells B&E, “If someone thinks that a few corporate institutions with financial stability can safeguard the future of Pakistan’s economy, I would call it day-dreaming. Moreover, these corporations are financially strong because of their political links and derive huge synergies from foreign aids received by the treasury. If these aids were to stop, I guarantee that Pakistan as a political entity would disintegrate within 10 days.”

The only way this situation can change for the better is by pursuing political and economic reforms collaterally. The West will have to play an instrumental role in reinforcing amendments. A good start would be to ramp up investment and generate employment, which in turn would boost consumption. In the absence of these imperative measures, Pakistan would continue to be a failed state for generations to come supported by the US.

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Source : IIPM Editorial, 2012.

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

For More IIPM Info, Visit below mentioned IIPM articles.

IIPM Best B School India
Management Guru Arindam Chaudhuri
Rajita Chaudhuri-The New Age Woman
IIPM's Management Consulting Arm-Planman Consulting
IIPM Prof. Arindam Chaudhuri on Internet Hooliganism
Arindam Chaudhuri: We need Hazare's leadership
Professor Arindam Chaudhuri - A Man For The Society....
IIPM: Indian Institute of Planning and Management

The Devil, Deep Sea & The Debt

Troubled EU Economies have to Hastily rid themselves of their debt; but why hasn’t The EU fined Eurozone Members for their Financial Profligacy?

The great recession of this century exposed a fundamental truth of economics; huge imbalances in real economy and/or trade can never be covered up for long. In fact, the longer they are covered up, the harder they get back at you.

After nearly 18 months of struggle, major blocs of the world have been able to emerge from the effects of the crisis, but the situation with the 17-member strong Eurozone remains questionable, especially with Greece, Ireland, Portugal & Spain so perilously poised. Economists have stated that Greece’s mountain of debt of €325 billion is almost twice the sustainable level and the situation is graver than the 2001 Argentina crisis.

As per the Stability and Growth Pact in Eurozone, any member state exceeding the annual deficit limit of 3% of GDP will be fined. In 2005, Portugal, Germany and France crossed the limit, but no steps were taken. Most interestingly, 14 out of 17 members except Estonia, Luxemburg and Finland crossed the deficit limit in 2010 as per Eurostat. Ireland with a government deficit of 32.4% of GDP, Greece with 10.5%, Spain with 9.2%, Portugal with 9.1% and Slovakia with 7.9% are at the highest risk.

Though debt to GDP ratio of the Eurozone is less than US or UK, the bigger challenge is ensuring an effective political mechanism to tackle the crisis. Renegotiation of debt has to be taken to a logical conclusion through consensus. This is not currently the state in Greece, for instance, where Greek PM George Papandreou has been struggling to get new austerity measures accepted so that a fresh bailout package may be approved. Moreover, EU should adopt a balanced trade policy as in the current context; Germany enjoys an enormous trade benefit while Greece and Slovakia suffer with a small product base.

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Source : IIPM Editorial, 2012.

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

For More IIPM Info, Visit below mentioned IIPM articles.

IIPM Best B School India
Management Guru Arindam Chaudhuri
Rajita Chaudhuri-The New Age Woman
IIPM's Management Consulting Arm-Planman Consulting
IIPM Prof. Arindam Chaudhuri on Internet Hooliganism
Arindam Chaudhuri: We need Hazare's leadership
Professor Arindam Chaudhuri - A Man For The Society....
IIPM: Indian Institute of Planning and Management

Can he upset The Japanese?

Volkswagen has Renewed the term of its CEO, and all Eyes are on The Company as it Seeks to do to Toyota what Toyota did to GM by 2018. Can Winterkorn Indeed win his Most Coveted Prize?

2010 was surely one of the most relieving years for many companies who were browbeaten by recessionary winds over the past few years; and the largest German auto major Volkswagen is no exception. In fact, the company made all sorts of noises as the calendar year touched the end. For the less informed, even after the company had sold more than seven million vehicles for the first time in its history in a calendar year, the spotlight was on the term renewal of its CEO Martin Winterkorn. The board wholeheartedly voted in favour of extending Winterkorn’s term for another five years for its own set of reasons. Needless to mention, completing the merger with sports carmaker Porsche will be the second most important agenda of his renewed term. Second, because the first one is to displace Toyota as the world’s #1 auto major by 2018 in profitability and unit sales. Notably, the CEO now has the benefit of job security through 2016 for a term that would have expired by the end of 2011. As he is the architect of Volkswagen’s so-called Strategy 2018, the board feels that it makes a lot of logical sense if he captains the ship to that harbour. But is he indeed good enough to run the course?

Before taking control of the reins at Volkswagen AG in 2007, Winterkorn was the Chairman of the Board of Management of Audi and Porsche Automobile Holding SE. The last few years have been nothing but dynamic for this German engineer. Still, even critics accept that the appointment of the new global design chief (Walter de’Silva) is one of the most important decisions he has taken so far. For the uninitiated, de’Silva had previously overseen design at Audi, where he conceptualised the current R8 sports car and A6 sedan. And considering that Toyota has been dealing with an ageing product line-up, Volkswagen’s bet on design may prove to be a gold mine in the years to come. Even the CEO of Toyota Motor Corporation, Akio Toyoda, recently admitted at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit that the company will now be looking at making its cars look better.

Moving towards its goal to become the world’s largest auto major, Volkswagen will be doubling its capacity in China to three million units a year with two new plants. Moreover, the company will also be opening another plant in Tennessee to increase both sales and margins in North America. Even if Volkswagen is able to overtake Toyota in unit sales, profitability still remains one of the biggest challenges. While Volkswagen has been operating with an average net profit margin of 2.42% over the past five years, against the industry average of 3.46%, Toyota, on the other hand, has a net profit margin of 3.61% that beats the industry average. “Volkswagen is now trying to reduce costs and increase profit by removing many of its premium traits and also by building a US plant. They are doing this to increase volume but it could backfire because many US buyers won’t want to buy a Volkswagen if it doesn’t feel like a more up-scale option compared to Honda or Toyota,” said Karl Brauer, senior analyst, Edmunds. He also adds that it was in fact the drop in perceived quality for the Japanese automakers that has opened up opportunities for Volkswagen. A compromise on that front would not be a very good idea.

Read more.....

Source : IIPM Editorial, 2012.

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

For More IIPM Info, Visit below mentioned IIPM articles. 

IIPM Best B School India
Management Guru Arindam Chaudhuri
Rajita Chaudhuri-The New Age Woman
IIPM's Management Consulting Arm-Planman Consulting

Farmers lured with new policy

With the August 12 deadline to seal a deal closing in, and farmers remaining insistent on higher compensation, Greater Noida Authority (GNIDA) is banking on the state's new land acquisition policy - that offers farmers not only higher rates per square metre but also a handsome annuity - to break the Noida Extension ice.

After inviting Patwari village to talks on Wednesday, GNIDA officials met the village headman on Thursday. The village, which won its case against land acquisition earlier this month, accounts for the second largest piece of acquired land in Noida Extension. According to the Authority, the new policy offers land owners compensation ranging from Rs 960/ sqm to Rs 1,050/ sqm. But its highlights are benefits such as 7% developed land with compensation, or 23% of developed land without any compensation, an annuity of Rs 23,000 per acre for 33 years (increased every July by Rs 800), or a onetime payment of Rs 2.76 lakh. The Authority is hopeful that farmers will understand this economics of land acquisition and development. It has already begun renegotiating with them on their three main demands: increased compensation, rehabilitation benefits and sorting out the long-pending abadi land disputes. While most farmers are currently undecided on the rate of compensation they now want, they are unanimous in seeking rehabilitation benefits, including developed plots, annuity payments, minimum agricultural wages etc. Besides, the farmers are also contemplating demanding a list of other benefits, such as health services, jobs for the unemployed etc.

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

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IIPM B-School
Arindam Chaudhuri
Rajita Chaudhuri
Planman Consulting

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Hey, we really did it!

IIPM - Admission Procedure

It was April 2007 when LG decided to shift gears and focus on manufacturing GSM based handset instead of CDMA. All thanks to the strategy, the market share of this Korean major is on continuous drop since then – from 11% in 2006-07 to a meager 6.2% in 2007-08 (Voice and Data) – and is further estimated to come down to 4.6% in 2008-09. Now that happens when you don’t read the market well!

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

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IIPM, GURGAON

Despite talk about American decline, the world is not prepared for a post-American era.

To make its case for a continued global leadership role, America must, however, step up to the plate. While the go-it-alone impulse of the Bush administration has been discredited by its consequences, the inverse lessons regarding how important collaborative action is in today’s interconnected world are still being learned. Even at the apex of American power, its greatness was always based on inspiring others, and the opportunities for building market share in that particular category remain unlimited. America’s actions over the coming years will determine whether its power model can be restored. America can and should, for example, become the global leader combating climate change through major investments in alternative energy, conservation, and energy efficiency, and by taking strong actions to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions. It should transform its immigration policy to recruit the best people from around the world to move to the US, and remain the world’s leading champion of open markets.

Closing the prison at Guantánamo and reaffirming America’s commitment to international law and human rights will also be an important step in this direction. The world wants to believe in an America that lives up to its own best values.

The prospect of a global community of nations working together to achieve the greater good for all is indeed exciting. But, although America has been far from perfect over the last six decades, the end of the pax Americana has the potential to create a dangerous void in international affairs. If the world is going to shift in the direction of a new and more globally democratic system, other nations also need to step forward. Until this happens, let us all hope that America can get back on track as the global champion of collaborative action.....Continue

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The Sunday Indian

Ashok Gehlot, the former chief minister of Rajasthan and AICC general secretary

Do you see yourself as chief minister, and if that is the case, what would your priorities be?
How can I comment on it... it is for the legislators and the party high command to decide. I am just a party worker and I am ready to take on any responsibility the party gives me.

I cannot spell out my priorities so early. But one thing is clear: whosoever becomes the Congress CM would provide a sensitive and transparent government in the state.

Would you like to comment on PCC president CP Joshi’s defeat?
He lost by one vote only. We term his defeat as a victory because it was due to his efforts that Congress won so many seats in Rajasthan.

Do you see any sabotage in the 1-vote defeat?
No, there was no sabotage. The real sabotage took place in the BJP, where the rebels campaigned actively against the party and destroyed their efforts on the day of elections.....Continue

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The Sunday Indian

M Rajasekhara Panicker at the Passing Out Parade of the dog squad in the Kerala Police Academy.

And loyal they remain to their last breath. Little wonder that they are so much of an asset in the Army, where in the background of thousands of lives lost to mines and other explosives on the borders, they have successfully detected explosives and saved precious human lives. “A dog army of 12,000 specialised canine breeds, mostly Labradors, German Shepherds and Belgian Shepherd dogs, is in place in the Indian Army,” Lieutenant Colonel S S Kashyap said to an agency last year. Many Army dogs have won Shaurya Chakras and special commendations from the Chief of Army Staff. Their services are utilised even by the UN Peacekeeping Forces.

Railway Protection Force (RPF) too has dog training centres at Delhi and Podanur in Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu. “German Shepherds, Labrador Retrievers and Dobermans are being trained. Six dogs are currently undergoing training and 13 are ready for passing out from Zonal Training Centre (ZTC) at Podanur,’’ says Neenu Ittyerah, Chief Public Relation Officer, Southern Railway. “Chief Security Commissioner is nominating a committee with three gazetted officers for procurement of pups from popular registered private kennels and breeders with KCI certificates,’’ she says. Ittyerah recollects with pride a dog named Rita in the Trichy division who solved a murder case of Kayatharu village police station in January 1985. Last month, ‘Hira’ detected an explosive at Malda divison of the Eastern Railway station.....Continue

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The Sunday Indian

MASS CENSURE

That is because the people hit the streets. No one was happy that it were the haunts of the elite only – five star hotels and posh restaurants, mostly – that were hit. The sustained gun battle of over 60 hours made people cry, literally, about the fact that we were under siege inside our own country… never had Pakistan come this close inside even in a declared war of aggression. People were inclined to believe – whether it is substantiable or not – that India has been violated by Pakistan and media – in wilful suspension of responsibility – whipped up a frenzied demand for going all out. This time it was not like an Indian Mujahideen serial blast. It was utter humiliation. They had never seen the politicians' dirty faces so clearly as during the Mumbai attack.

The blame game and face saving exercises are not yet over. This may continue up to the next general elections and all the parties will sure try to 'milk' the votes.

But two public gestures of private families stand out and show what the people’s mood is: Hemant’s widow Kavita Karkare has bluntly refused to accept Modi’s compensation. And Major Unnikrishnan’s father has slammed the door furiously on the face of the so-called ‘people’s man’, Kerala Chief Minister VS Achuthanandan when he wanted to visit the martyr’s home to pay his tribute.

So far, the writing on the political wall is clear. If this commonsense prevails in every Indian, the political system may change in this country.....Continue

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The Sunday Indian

AMAZE: The world shows up!

It was celebration with a cause at the Indian Institute of Planning and Management (IIPM) when its annual management and cultural fest, Amaze, came to life on the 12th, 13th and 14th of November. With ‘One Earth, Let’s Heal It’ as the theme, it was only befitting that participants from 18 countries had turned up to make it a mega success. On the evening of 11th, the Indian Handicrafts Emporium venue came alive in a plethora of colours, floral decorations, heritage structures – even a spectacularly illuminated Taj Mahal replica – to welcome guests from across the globe.

The first event at the Festival was ‘Crushed Ice’, the icebreaker round. Eminent personalities including Anil Rajput (Head, Corporate Affairs, ITC), Mukesh Tyagi (MD, Punj Lloyd), Dipinder Hooda (Member of Parliament), Sandeep Hooda, Anil Kaul (Director, Marketing, Ambuja Cement), Naresh Dayal (Secretary, Union Health Ministry), and Pratima Dayal (Chief Economist, ADB) among others graced the occasion. After Prof Arindam Chaudhuri, (Honorary Dean, IIPM) inaugurated the event, the crowd pulled out all stops when it came to enjoying themselves!

Real action commenced at IIPM’s international campus with ‘Clash of the Titans’ – the Global Debate Challenge prelims. The winner won a trip to London. In the Business Plan event, the budding business barons were judged by Pankaj Parnami (Founder Director, KPO consultants) and Prof Sumanta Sharma.....Continue

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The Sunday Indian

Beauties of California!

Back on the shore of SF, you can choose to travel through the city in cable cars which take you to the tourist spots, including Lombard Street, aka the ‘crookedest’ (most winding) street in the world. The eight sharp turns and a one-way street not only make you test your driving skills, but also your senses as you try to observe and admire the view of the beautiful houses and landscape around you but of also the distant Bay and the Golden Gate Bridge.

To conclude your active day in San Francisco, take a break from the travel and driving and stroll down the Piers, especially Pier 39. Robust with life and rife with live local musicians, this pier is suffused with the natural smell of walrus’s as well as the local farmer’s market. And with fine dining, available in the form of five star restaurants with a romantic setting, Pier 39 offers you all the variety for anyone and everyone, literally! My favourite destination in San Francisco is the stretch of Piers from 35 to 39, as I can walk along the Bay and get some time alone or go shopping across the street for local memorabilia and also satisfy my extravagant side by splurging in shops like Gap, Macy’s etc.

During my stay in California, my monthly mantra, without fail, was a trip to San Francisco to grab an escape from routine and a chance to imbue interesting atmospheres and cultures.....Continue

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The Sunday Indian

Obama and Lincoln

Throughout his election campaign last year and this, President-elect Barack Obama promised to make US politics return to the bipartisan ethos. If his selection of people to fill the key cabinet posts is anything to go by, he has already scored here. From Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel, to Economic Policy Advisor Lawrence Summers, to likely Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton and to New York Federal Reserve's Timothy Geithner as the new Treasury Secretary and Commerce Secretary Bill Richardson; all are veteran Washington hands and belong to different ideologies altogether.

While Geithner has lent a hand to direct efforts to soothe financial markets and stressed that banks vital to the worldwide financial scheme should function under an integrated regulatory scaffold, Clinton has a comprehensive profile both as a political person in charge in her own right, and as the wife of a former US President. Her appointment could help Obama mend the only chink in his armour – foreign policy. The passionate and plainspeaking Lawrence Summers has previously served as Treasury Secretary in the Clinton regime and is pegged by both Republicans and Democrats as the best hand to deal with the current crisis. Bill Richardson’s potential appointment as Secretary of Commerce will not only bring the much needed experience in that department, but will also inject confidence in the Hispanic community after disillusionments of the Bush era. The appointment of Tom Daschle as Secretary Of Health And Human Services is a tactical move to make the Left fringe of his party happy.....Continue

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The Sunday Indian

Lt. Col. Purohit's case becomes murkier and murkier as the Maharashtra police contradicts what the central government has been saying so far.

By all available accounts of army officials close to him, Purohit has had a distinguished career. In an interesting twist, the ATS now hounding and investigating him, had hosted Purohit at their Mumbai headquarters in 2005 to deliver guest lectures and conduct a day-long training programme on “operational techniques and strategy.” Now, it appears, his process of de-learning could have begun. Surprisingly, the ATS which made these charges appeared cagy to defend them when the case came up for hearing before a lower court in Nasik last week, which is potentially a source of huge embarrassment for the government. Just how politically motivated is the ATS?

The case being made by the ATS is at total odds with the central government’s position on the blasts which laid the blame for explosions and horrendous deaths on Pakistan-inspired jehadis. In the case of Samjhauta Express blasts, the National Security advisor and India’s defacto intelligence boss, M.K.Narayanan, was categorical in his assertion that Islamabad was behind them. After months of pointing fingers at Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba, the ATS has made a U-turn and declared that it was actually Purohit who had supplied RDX used for the Samjhauta blast.

Questions one security official: “If Purohit masterminded Samjhauta blasts, what intelligence inputs did India give to Pakistan to act on in this case at the various anti-terror mechanism meetings?” It is a tricky question which provides no easy answers......Continue

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The Sunday Indian

Barack Obama

Said Nadkarni: "There is a degree of xenophobia among Americans — what is not like them is viewed with an element of suspicion. I think Obama is going to change that." Nadkarni was talking about how the public discourse on immigration affected her daily interactions with the American people. While she acknowledged that some Indian Americans had conflicting views on the candidate best equipped to address the key issues affecting them — such as the Indo-US civilian nuclear treaty and security — she herself never changed her mind about Obama.

A pre-election poll by the non-profit organization Bridging Nations immediately before the election had predicted that fully 81 per cent of Indian-Americans favoured Obama and Joe Biden, with barely 19 per cent rooting for John McCain and Sarah Palin.

McCain's steep drop in popularity in recent months is being blamed on the ongoing economic slump that brought down Bush's approval rating to below 30 per cent. Worse, McCain's choice of the inexperienced Alaska Governor Sarah Palin as his running mate found few takers among large sections of traditional Republican voters.

A national election exit poll conducted on behalf of AP and other major US TV networks said responses from nearly 10,500 voters after voting suggested that Obama had succeeded in mobilizing African-American voters to an unprecedented extent. He won 95 per cent of the black vote against McCain's 4 per cent. Moreover, Obama was also a major hit with the Hispanic voters whom Bush had partly succeeded in winning over in 2004. McCain led slightly among white voters.

But no surveys or polls are needed to conclude that the Americans know just what is good for them and the rest of the world. The melting pot that is the US of A has shown that the man holding its top job can be of any origin — and that black is better than white if it can deliver better.....Continue

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The Sunday Indian

PAKISTAN : IMPOVERISHMENT

"In the last 30 years, we have not invested in our infrastructure, both physical and human. A lot of our infrastructure is non-productive and is falling apart. The basic problem is that the economy is not producing what it ought to. Our annual food production growth rate is one per cent, population is growing at 2.5 per cent per annum, so shortages are bound to occur," he said. Bengali believes that the Benazir Income Support Program would enable the poorest segment of the society, that earns Rs 5,000 per month, to boost its income by 20 per cent. He dismisses the notion that the bulk of the money earmarked for the scheme would be appropriated by a bureaucracy that is corrupt to the core.

"The money will be directly transferred from the ministry of finance to beneficiaries through an electronic postal system," he argues. About 3.5 million people would benefit from the scheme.However, given the track record of Pakistan, one could hardly believe that the bulk of the amount earmarked for families living below the poverty line would not be misappropriated by a corrupt bureaucracy working under still more corrupt ministers.....Continue

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The Sunday Indian

The last time i called you bro...

IIPM Publication

Porcupines are tricky creatures. When they fight, they leave each other bloody. And when they mate, it is no different. The same can be said about China and Taiwan. Landmark financial agreements inked between China and Taiwan this week have brought the long-time antagonists one more stride nearer to ending what is now a six decades long conflict. However, deep-rooted political divergences from a rupture that keeps the Cold War alive in East Asia threaten supplementary reconciliation progress in the near future.

Marking the highest-level contact between China and Taiwan's administration in 60 years, Taiwanese President Ma Ying-jeou met in brief with Beijing's most high-ranking herald for Taiwan, Chen Yunlin, this week post latter’s signing of the deal with his Taiwanese counterpart PK Chiang as thousands of demonstrators deafeningly yelled anti-China slogans outside.

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The Sunday Indian

Unwilling contestant

The AICC General Secretary tours the country to enlarge his constituency

For four years Rahul Gandhi did what he felt was right. He seemed oblivious to advice from partymen. He concentrated on Amethi and his mother’s constituency, Rae Bareli and refused to look beyond these two constituencies. He delivered simple speeches. Unlike other politicians, he has refused to make empty promises in his speeches. And in an effort to take the higher ground, he has refused to play politics with the dead body of a farmer.

It is only after four years that an extremely adamant Rahul Gandhi has come out of his constituency to ‘Discover India’. This is again purely his decision. According to Congress sources, it is Rahul who has now realized that in politics one can not survive without playing mind games and do it all over the country.

Politicking may not be his cup of tea, but now it appears, Rahul is learning. From a man who believed in being a silent worker, the Gandhi scion is turning another leaf. Seeking to expand the Gandhi Nehru magic, he now spends nights with Dalit families, plays around with their children and enjoys photo-ops with Dalit children on his shoulders.....Continue

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

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v

Andhra Pradesh

IIPM Ranked No. 1 B-School In Global Exposre - Zee...

Today, giants like Reliance, Dabur or even smaller players like Turtle are all making Hyderabad a hub to conquering the entire southern market. “Andhra Pradesh is an important state for expansion in South India. Rapid industrialisation in the state, is putting Hyderabad on the global map and its multi-cultural, multi-linguistic community is gradually making Andhra a real cosmopolitan centre,” feels Amit Ladsaria, Director, Turtle Ltd. Indeed, Hyderabad is emerging as a cosmopolitan and unlike other metros, it offers abundant space for real estate development which brings us to the next sphere abuzz with activities – real estate. Currently, players from all over the world like Malaysia’s Sunway Berhad (with its investment of Rs.350 crore to set up a township) & Germany’s ACI Real Estate et al have developed a hitherto hidden penchant for Hyderabad.

With respect to state income, we’d pick two cash cows that are taking care of its economic fortunes – IT (where the state claims to have scripted the highest growth in 2007) and pharma (where we can talk of names like Dr. Reddy’s, Lupin et al, which are investing in the state). Andhra today controls 50% of India’s pharma production and this in turn is also motivating young entrepreneurs to enter this lucrative market. Explains, Apu Gupta, COO of MedPlus Health Services Pvt. Ltd, “Andhra has an entrepreneurial energy made possible by high educational levels, good income levels, political stability, and relatively lower real estate values. And with its rich history of medical excellence, the state will continue to innovate in the realm of retail health-care.”


But that’s not the only two boosters that have added the spring to the gaits of Andhra. According to a CII Analyst, Andhra Pradesh left several states behind during 2008 even in the realm of infrastructure developmental projects. For instance, since 2006, 2.67 lakh hectares of area have been brought under the micro-irrigation scheme, which is the highest for any state in the country. “It is proposed that 29 such projects will be completed by March 2009. In addition, additional irrigation plans spread over 16.18 lakh acres are in the pipeline for this fiscal year,” promises P. Lakshamiah, Minister for Irrigation, Andhra Pradesh. Even in the energy department, this state is well in the high-improvement zone as Mohd. Shavir Ali, Minister for Energy, Andhra Pradesh asserts, “Power sector in the state has been performing extremely well, despite the non-increase in power tariff to any category of consumers.” These are no ‘flash-in-the-pan’ acts on behalf of the state; no wonder bigwigs like Reliance Power (in a coal-fired project spread across 2,625 acres near Krishnapatnam port) and UB Group (in a brewery plant) are ready to bet their bucks in this state with investments amounting to Rs.20,000 crore and Rs.500 crore respectively.

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Source : IIPM Editorial, 2008

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

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