Showing posts with label Management Guru. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Management Guru. Show all posts

Wednesday, June 30, 2010

Killer roads take a toll

Experts attribute road accidents to overspeeding

Some twenty-five passengers were injured when a bus collided with a truck on the NH 31 at Pathsala in Barpeta district on the night of May 16.

Nearly fifteen schoolchildren were injured when a school bus (AS 15-1616) fell into a ditch on May 22 at Burah in Darrang district.

Local dailies in Assam unfailingly reports about such road accidents. According to government statistics, during the past one decade road accident cases have doubled in the state. In 2000, some 2,429 road accident cases were reported. But the figure increased to 4,869 in 2009. Accidental deaths in 2009 were 1,991 as against 1,032 in 2000. In comparison to all India level, Assam shares 44 per cent of accidental deaths.

In Guwahati city, some 626 motor accident cases took place in 2007; 626 in 2007; 641 in 2008 and 508 in 2008. Among districts Sonitpur registered a maximum 363 accidental cases in 2009. Lower Assam’s Dhubri district and Barak valley’s Cachar district stood second and third with 346 and 306 accidental cases. Out of 4,686 accidents taking place in the state in 2008, as many as 2,683 accidents took place on national highways; 849 were on state highways and the remaining 1,151 on other roads of the state.

City Superintendent of Police (Traffic) Bibekananda Das told TSI that the traffic branch of city police is compiling last five years’ data of road accidents to study them. Only after completion of the process, decision could be taken to prevent accidents, the newly appointed SP (traffic) said. Traffic experts attribute road accidents to overspeeding and even increasing cars on the roads. “Untrained drivers, fake licence holders and absence of civic sense among people are also responsible for increasing number of accidents,” Violet Baruah, SP (CID) told TSI. The problem is further compounded when some drivers don’t obey traffic rules, she said.

According to the rule, mobile phones should not be used during driving and seat belts should be fastened, but only a few people obey them. Drunk driving is also responsible for several road accidents in the state.

For Complete IIPM Article, Click on IIPM Article

Source : IIPM Editorial, 2009


An IIPM and Professor Arindam Chaudhuri (Renowned Management Guru and Economist) Initiative

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Friday, June 11, 2010

HEART IN THE RIGHT PLACE

From a no-cost hospital to a super-specialty medical facility for the poor – retrenched workers of a sick steel company in West Bengal have masterminded the impossible, writes Chandrasekhar Bhattacharjee
It is a low-cost hospital where humanity breathes in all its glory. At the helm of affairs are a bunch of workers who lost their jobs when the sick Indo Japan Steel Company in Belur, West Bengal, downed its shutters for good.

Swami Vivekananda’s famed Belur Math is just a few meters away and those who run the Shramajeevi Hospital are clearly inspired by the great man’s words: “Who serves people serves God”.

The Shramajeevi Hospital has had a deep impact. Ask truck driver Umashankar. He was in danger of losing both his legs after a speeding car hit him in Durgapur in the early 1990s. At the NRS Hospital in Kolkata he was told that his legs, which had six cracks, would have to be amputated. But in Shramajeevi he was treated for two months and his legs were back to normal. His total bill was Rs 8,000. Umashankar is back at the wheels.

Mohammad Mehyor, 14, had his oesophagus severely damaged after he consumed hazardous acid while working in a factory. Wheeled into the hospital a few days later, his life was in danger. Doctors replaced his oesophagus with a piece of his large intestine. He is 21 today and leading a normal life.

A bypass surgery at this hospital costs no more than Rs 25,000 while private hospitals in Kolkata and elsewhere charge at least Rs 1 lakh. “The heart operation unit started about four years back and has already performed 300 bypass surgeries. At least 20 of these operations have been done completely free of cost,” said Dr Anil Saha, secretary of the Belur Shramajeevi Swasthya Prakalpa Samiti.

he Samiti now plans to build a 500-bed super-speciality hospital at Belu Milki village near Singur to serve lakhs of poor and working people. The new project is being envisaged as something more than just a hospital.

In the process of building the existing hospital, the workers were led by the sole union. It had no political affiliation. In the early 1980s, the secondary steel factory was in the throes of a crisis and went through a cycle of closures and re-openings. “Our neighbours helped us a lot during that period. But once the factory reopened, we would forget their good deeds, said Phani Gopal Bhattacharjee, the mentor of the hospital.

It was to repay the kindness of the neighbours that the workers of the factory came up with the idea of a free weekly medical check-up for the poor. The exercise began in 1982 in a Hindi primary school. “We soon expanded the scope of the operation to include eye surgery camps and minor surgeries,” said Bhattacharjee.

Junior doctors, who were agitating at that point against the authorities not for better wages but improved medical services in government hospitals, stepped forward to help the workers realise their dream of providing affordable healthcare to the poor.
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Source : IIPM Editorial, 2009


An IIPM and Professor Arindam Chaudhuri (Renowned Management Guru and Economist) Initiative

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Friday, June 04, 2010

Is CPM on its way to yet another term in west bengal?

Is CPM on the way to yet another term in West Bengal?

Lack of development, apathy towards the poor, scientifically implemented mass rigging, muscle power, murders, guns and goons... These have been the things that made the Leftist people of Bengal angry and furious, and made them think seriously of an alternative after decades. These are the things that made the people to come out and vote against CPM in the elections that have been happening of late, including the Parliamentary elections last year. Of course, that can’t take away the credit from Mamata Banerjee, who has been fearlessly taking the CPM head on! She felt the pulse of Bengal, had the courage and gave the alternative that Bengal was looking for. And it was only after the setback that the otherwise arrogant CPM leaders of Bengal received due to their loss in the general elections last year, that they really started taking her threat seriously and introspecting within.

Initially, with every passing day, Mamata’s popularity only seemed to surge and it seemed that in the upcoming state elections, the results would be a sure victory for the Trinamool Congress – unless she herself did something suicidal like showing her temper and breaking off her relations with the Congress, something that The Sunday Indian had cautioned about earlier too. TSI had also said that the CPM had enough means and relations to influence the Congress to break up with Trinamool and it would require great diplomacy on Mamata’s part to maintain her relations with the Congress. After all, CPM had only got five lakh votes less in the last elections. At the same time, the Congress has its own committed vote bank; and without them, Mamata’s possibility of winning is very less, given that there still remains an unshakeable mass which will vote only for CPM (even though there’s no doubt that CPM's vote bank has shrunk).
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Source : IIPM Editorial, 2009


An IIPM and Professor Arindam Chaudhuri (Renowned Management Guru and Economist) Initiative

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Tuesday, June 01, 2010

Is China tuning into your cellphone?

Anil Pandey investigates how import of chinese SIMs can compromise national security and he finds the DoT not ignorant but wilfully negligent

The technical terms used by Rajesh Kumar (name changed) were coming like bouncers. He read my mind and brought out two mobile handsets. He handed one to me and asked me to call my wife. After I finished talking to her, Rajesh asked me to call her once more. But this time, the voice on the other side was not that of my wife. It was Rajesh. Rajesh smiled and said, “Why don’t you send her a message?” After I sent it, Rajesh brought his handset forward and showed me. I was dumbfounded. How could the message land in his phone? Rajesh soon clarified, “We have put a spyware on the mobile. Not only we can eavesdrop on your conversations (by diverting your calls using SIM) but we can read your messages and send messages from your number. We can trace your location and we can block your phone.” The risk of spyware always exists in SIM (operating system or application) if the SIM is not produced in a secure environment under control. SIM is the most critical equipment in mobile telephony. It is not only instrumental in authenticating against the mobile network but also the unique identity of the subscriber. Rajesh is a technical expert of communication instruments.

I wondered if in my place, this spyware would be in the phone of a scientist at Indian Space Research Organisation or a senior Army officer or an officer of the ministry of finance or ministry of home? All important information could reach the enemy. That my thoughts were not fanciful was corroborated by the apprehensions expressed by the ministry of home (MHA) and various Intelligence agencies. The MHA has already communicated to the ministry concerned about the possibility of Chinese companies embedding spywares into instruments and software being sold to the Indian cellular operators which might be used to acquire important information. Even then, lakhs of SIM cards are reaching India every week. The Smart card Forum of India reveals that between January and March, 2010, 4.5 crore cards have reached India.


The Department of Telecommunication (DoT) of the ministry of communication and IT issued a circular to cellular operators on December 3, 2009. According to this circular, any operator buying any software or equipment will have to get a security clearance. It was on this basis that the government did not permit several cellular operators to use instruments of Huawei and other such Chinese companies. The circular says, “The Licensee shall apply to the Licensor for security clearance, along with the details of the equipment as well as detail of equipment suppliers and manufacturers including original equipment manufacturers (OEM), before placement of the final purchase order of procurement/ up gradation of equipment/ software for provisioning of telecommunications service under the licence.” It is clear that no cellular operator can buy any equipment without the government’s permission. But before we reveal that how officials at the ministry have their own interpretation of the circular, thereby jeopardizing the security of the nation, you should know that SIM cards made in China are security hazards. In the past, terrorists had used Chinese mobile handsets without IMEI numbers, prompting the government to ban those.

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Source : IIPM Editorial, 2009


An IIPM and Professor Arindam Chaudhuri (Renowned Management Guru and Economist) Initiative

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Friday, April 23, 2010

“Being a husband is a crime”

My mother has a kidney problem and my sister is mentally challenged. After my marriage, instead of taking care of them, my wife started treating them very badly. One day, I was shocked to find a love letter written by my wife to her lover. When I spoke to her about it, my wife became furious and left our Mumbai home. She came back after a year but her behaviour towards my mother and sister did not change. After a few days, she suddenly demanded divorce from me and considering the scenario, I agreed. We filed a writ for divorce but after 18 months, she backtracked and accused me of fraud.

I knew she might file a false case under Section 498A. I wrote a letter to the Human Rights Commission and Mumbai Police Commissioner regarding my case. However, my apprehensions proved right when she actually filed a case and police arrested me and my father on November 24, 2009. We were put behind the bars for three days. If this was not enough, another case was filed against me under Domestic Violence Act. Since my father remained in jail for more than 24 hours, he was suspended from his job. My mother is ill and needs injections at regular intervals. Each injection costs around Rs 2,000, it has become impossible for us to sustain.
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Source : IIPM Editorial, 2009


An IIPM and Professor Arindam Chaudhuri (Renowned Management Guru and Economist) Initiative

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Friday, April 09, 2010

Paradise is alive

Kashmir’s beautiful locations are bustling with activity as tourists return to the valley as terror incidents seem to be on the wane

Kashmir, the land of green valleys, beautiful lakes, icy deserts, high mountain passes, rugged terrain, foothills, picturesque plains and of many golf courses is geared up to host more than one million domestic and foreign tourists in the coming months. The state tourism department has declared 2010 as ‘Visit Kashmir’ year. To pull more and more domestic visitors towards Kashmir, the department has been holding road shows and Kashmiri festivals in different cities of the country during the past few months.

“We are expecting more than one million non-pilgrim visitors to Kashmir this year.” Nawang Rigzin Jora, tourism and culture minister told TSI. “We are trying to re-establish the state back as the most favoured tourist spot on the global map by making world class facilities available to visitors.” he added.

The expectations of the Jammu and Kashmir government aren’t misplaced. Visitors across from the country have started to land in Srinagar, the summer capital of the state. The Shahs of Mumbai are in Kashmir on a tour for the last ten days. “Undoubtedly, this is heaven on earth. We plan to extend our stay over here so that we can see many more places,” Pankaj Shah, head of the nine-member family, said.

The family is staying in a houseboat in the world famous Dal Lake. On the shore of the lake, the guests happily posed for a photo session. Everyone in the family seemed thrilled. “We are planning to re-visit Gulmarg tonight,” they said.

Gulmarg, literally the "Meadow of Flowers", is a mountain resort 56 km from Srinagar. It is one of the state's most visited destinations. The legendary beauty of the place, prime location and proximity to Srinagar make it one of the Kashmir’s primary hill resorts. Gulmarg was discovered by a Kashmiri king Sultan Yusuf Shah in the 16th century. The king was inspired by the sight of its grassy slopes emblazoned with wild flowers. Today, Gulmarg is not just a hill resort of marvellous beauty but also the India’s premier ski resort in winter when it is wrapped in snow. The immense beauty and adventure activities make Gulmarg much more than a cool hill resort. The place possess Asia's highest and longest cable car project called Gulmarg Gondola. The two-stage ropeway has a capacity to carry more than 500 hundred people every hour back and forth from Kongdoori Mountain, a shoulder of nearby Afarwat Peak (13,780 ft) of the Pir Panjal Range of the Himalaya chain.

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Source : IIPM Editorial, 2009


An IIPM and Professor Arindam Chaudhuri (Renowned Management Guru and Economist) Initiative

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Tuesday, April 06, 2010

Making hay while the sun shines

The generous military aid to Pakistan by the US is a result of its efforts to stop al-Qaeda and the Taliban, reports Shahid Hussain from Pakistan

Faced with the imminent threat that the US might leave Pakistan in the lurch again to deal with extremist forces once it withdraws from Afghanistan in 2011, the Pakistan government, especially its army, is trying its best to make hay while the sun shines and extract as much military and economic aid from the superpower as possible.

No wonder the Pakistan delegation that visited the Washington last week to negotiate with the US leaders comprised Chief of the Army Staff, Gen. Ashfaq ParvezKayani, and the Chief of Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), Gen. Ahmad Shuja Pasha, something unprecedented in Pakistan’s 62-year-old chequered history.

The message was clear: security issues would be dealt with by the army. The Americans too welcomed the composition of the Pakistan delegation despite repeated suspicion that a certain lobby in the Pakistan establishment plays a double game and keeps its contacts with the Taliban alive. One reason for this complicity could be that it is the Pakistan army that is fighting the “war on terror” against the al-Qaeda and the Taliban and it is better to deal with them directly and assure them that Pakistan-US cooperation would continue despite odds.

Ahead of “strategic dialogue” between Pakistan and the US, Gen. Kayani held parleys with US defense secretary Robert Gates, Navy Admiral Mike Mullen, chairman of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff, Army General David Petraeus, head of the US Central Command, and other senior US military officials, indicating it was the army that calls the shots.

Faced with anti-Americanism at home, it was essential that the Pakistan delegation does not return home emptyhanded. The US leaders did not let them down despite rhetoric for the last couple of months that they expected Pakistan to “do more.” Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has been reported to have said the US has made a “strategic priority” to strengthen its partnership with Pakistan. In a testimony before the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee, she declared that US efforts in Pakistan were vital for America’s success in Afghanistan. The hearings help set the stage for the upcoming debate this spring over the White House requests for $33 billion in new war funding coupled with $4.5 billion in foreign assistance, chiefly for Afghanistan and Pakistan.

According to official figures, US has given Pakistan $15.4 billion since 2002. Two-thirds of the aid is security-related.

For Complete IIPM Article, Click on IIPM Article

Source : IIPM Editorial, 2009


An IIPM and Professor Arindam Chaudhuri (Renowned Management Guru and Economist) Initiative

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Monday, April 05, 2010

Will they ever find a medicine to cure this limping cousin?

With legislations hampering the flow of capital into the Food Processing sector, it’s time for an overarching law to save agriculture’s closest cousin. Many hurdles, one goal – make the Food Processing sector shine!

India basks in the glory of diversity and proudly boasts of being a smoothly run sovereign democracy (Naxalism and Kashmir can be relegated to the footnotes for the sake of argument). Today, we sit on our laurels won in IT services and Pharmaceuticals and steadily, every other sector in services is being opened up to allow foreign participation, thereby create greater competencies and economies of scale. However, an interesting characteristic surfaces the moment we delve into the economics of liberalisation since 1991 – the opening up of all sectors to private and foreign investment, over time, have happened during a time when there were very few lives dependent on them for livelihood. Automobiles, telecom, banking, insurance IT, and pharma all were in their nascent stages and driven primarily by educated Indians. But with private money flowing in, a few million white collar jobs have been created and today, the services sector has scampered far ahead of manufacturing in the country. Sadly however, at the same time, the per capita food intake for the country has fallen below many sub-Saharan nations. Disguised employment in agriculture continues to run the vicious cycle of low capital investment, poor quality, fragmented markets negligible profits and again low investment. Amazingly, food processing, the next in the food value chain (post harvest) has borne the brunt of not only being the industry to absorb the massive numbers from agriculture, but also to create many new jobs related to technology and supply chain. But, the legacy of a socialist ideology and the commitments of coalition politics have made the sector languish till date in the dungeon of low scales, low investment and outdated technology.

Firstly, just for a start, the unorganised segment in food processing, will require an investment of about $23 billion over the next ten years (estimated on the basis of output ratio as 2:1 and capital intensity ratio as 5:1 of organised and unorganised sector). But on the credit side, there’s no dearth of roadblocks. According to the The Cooperative Act, cooperatives in the country, are restricted to borrowing only from Cooperative banks, DCCBs and Regional Rural Banks (RRBs), thus resulting in only a few (and narrow) pipelines of credit available for food cooperatives to start processing operations. Similarly, the private banks are still prohibited to lend to State warehousing corporations which form the bulk of storage for all food products in India. There has been a constant rhetoric to allow the use of warehouse receipts as collateral for attainig credit from banks, however, till date, there has been no resonating tone from the government on the same.
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Source : IIPM Editorial, 2009


An IIPM and Professor Arindam Chaudhuri (Renowned Management Guru and Economist) Initiative

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Friday, April 02, 2010

Inviting the wolf home...

It may be true that if you’re not on the World Wide Web in the 21st century, you’re practically out of business. But if your business becomes someone else’s business, then you might feel jittery every time you punch in your magic keys. Not everyone on the Internet is as naive as you are... Welcome to the world of illegal hackers!

Con men, burglars, small-time thieves and serious criminals… the web is no stranger to any of these. The Internet sure has given us access to the necessary information and all the knowledge that we might need. But it has also opened the doors of privacy and given unwanted elements access to our personal lives. Compulsive voyeurs or Peeping Toms have been aided with the already there and ever-increasing industry of the ‘Social Networking Sites’. These sites have turned the world around for those who seek comfort while interacting with a long-lost pal. As long as it helps one share and get in touch with buddies, it is good. But the moment undesired weirdos start troubling you with unending ‘Friendship requests’ or meaningless messages, it starts getting uncomfortable. This is when the so-called net-savvy individuals opt for the ‘Block User’ privacy option. In the present day scenario, where status messages have to change with every fresh cup of coffee, resorting to safety measures like blocking a pesky user may not suffice. Informing your dear ones and letting them know where and how you’re going for a vacation or a date or even a meeting (all in good faith) may be just the information needed for those waiting to strike!

Blissful at the look of increasing number of fans and followers or admiring the up-to-mark look of one’s new profile shall soon be passé. Cyber crime is growing by the hour and with every piece of extra information, which may aid even the most uninitiated net-using criminal mind, it is getting simpler too. “There is a huge list of scams such as online earning proposals, duplicate websites, phishing and Spam e-mails, credit card frauds and EFT (Electronic Fund Transfer) frauds.
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Source : IIPM Editorial, 2009


An IIPM and Professor Arindam Chaudhuri (Renowned Management Guru and Economist) Initiative

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Thursday, April 01, 2010

Let me tell you the truth about Iran!

The truth, and nothing else, about the Islamic Republic of Iran

Michael Abraham Levy, President of Jews’ Free School, a friend of Tony Blair and the former chief fundraiser for the UK Labour Party once said, “You can bend it and twist it. You can misuse and abuse it. But even God cannot change the truth.” In the modern world, truth has different interpretations, and it often becomes difficult to comprehend which version is worth believing in. Iran stands as one of the most contemporary cases of this phenomenon.

On February 16, 2010, US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton accused Iran of sponsoring terrorism, when she said at a forum at Jeddah’s Dar Al-Hekma women’s college, “Iran has funded terrorists that have launched attacks within other countries – including the Kingdom.” Not that one harboured any sympathy for her intellect, but the fact that Ms.Clinton chooses to openly reject reality, shows her Sarah Palinisque approach to gain brownie points in the farm and bovine belt – by bleating oft-heard rigmarole. The fact that India recently received a communiqué from the Iranian Government – condemning in the strongest words the latest terrorist attacks in the city of Pune (at German Bakery) – made no difference to the lady. We have heard a lot about ‘Iran’ from Israel, the US and the West as well as from Iran and its allies Syria, Lebanon, China, and Russia. But what’s the truth behind the real Iran? The IIPM Think Tank brings to you our interpretation:

Truth: Mohammed Reza Shah, who was the Iranian King from 1941-1979, was a close ally of the West post World War II.

Truth: Although he promoted reforms (like land reforms, extending voting powers to women), he ruled autocratically, steam-rolling any political or civil opposition, often arresting opponents. His reforms movement was called ‘White Reforms’ – it was America inspired. It included granting blanket immunity to all US personnel and their children in Iran, and removing the requirement of taking oath on the Qur`an while assuming public office.

Truth: In 1979, Reza was overthrown by the pure Islamist Ayatollah Khomeini – a man whom Reza had gotten arrested twice, and even expelled from Iran.

Truth: Khomeini strategised the overthrow with open support from France, which provided him residence in Paris. Truth: Khomeini came into power using force, but legitimised it with a nationwide referendum, which also resulted in instituting the current Islamic Republic of Iran.

Truth: Iran is the only democratic country in the Middle East – UAE, supported vociferously by US, is not.

Truth: The sixth and current democratically elected President Mahmoud Ahmedinejad, like Obama, was a professor. He was elected in 2005 with 62% nationwide majority, and in 2009, again with 62% majority. 85% of the Iranian nation voted. In the 2008 US Presidential elections, 61% of American citizens voted. Obama got 52.9% majority.

Truth: Amidst controversy of missing ballots in the 2009 elections, the Iranian Guardian Council allowed partial recounting, which reconfirmed Ahmedinejad’s election. It may be noted that in 2000, the United States Supreme Court disallowed recount in the controversial Al Gore-George Bush Florida Presidential election standoff, allowing Bush to become the President.

Truth: Mahmoud Ahmedinejad is an evident loose cannon, once saying statements like, “If the Holocaust, as you claim, is true, why don’t you allow a probe into the issue?” and “Israel must be wiped off the map.” Similar to Bush, who went to war with Iraq saying that Iraq had weapons of mass destruction. Ahmedinejad also accepts his mistakes faster than Bush, with apologetic statements like, “I respect Jews very much,” and “I was not passing judgement on the Holocaust.”

Truth: Iran is a founding member of the UN, the NAM, OIC and OPEC.

Truth: Iran releases over 26,000 scientific papers annually. It has also achieved remarkable progress in space, nano-technology, and nuclear technology.

Truth: Iran also happens to be an economic giant with its GDP at $0.82 trillion in PPP terms. The economy is growing by an average of 6% and the country retains a massive 10% of the world’s oil reserves.

Truth: Iran wishes to be a nuclear nation, apparently for civilian purposes. Ahmedinejad’s undiplomatic diatribes with IAEA have ensured that the transition – opposed tooth and nail by the US – will be difficult, if not impossible.

Truth: Israel is a nuclear armed nation. It neither is registered with the IAEA, nor is a signatory of the global Nuclear non-Proliferation Treaty.
For Complete IIPM Article, Click on IIPM Article

Source : IIPM Editorial, 2009


An IIPM and Professor Arindam Chaudhuri (Renowned Management Guru and Economist) Initiative

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Thursday, March 25, 2010

Chinese puzzle

As 21 Indian diamond traders languish in a Chinese jail Surat is feeling the tremors of the crisis, reports Hitesh Ankleshwariya

Just as the Gujarat diamond industry was beginning to shrug off the ill effects of two years of recession, it has been hit by a fresh crisis. Twenty-one diamond traders from the state have been jailed in China’s Shenzhen special economic zone for offences that are yet to be specified.

These traders, who ran diamond polishing units in China, have been in jail for two and a half months. However, the Chinese authorities are yet to frame charges against them. About a decade ago, China had invited diamond traders from Surat city to set up shop in the Shenzhen SEZ with the obvious intention of exposing its own merchants and workers to the intricacies of the trade.

The 100 diamond polishing units owned by Gujaratis in China have now been shut down. These merchants have moved to Hong Kong, leaving behind the millions of dollars that they invested in the Shenzhen SEZ.

Rohit Mehta, president of the Surat Diamond Traders' Association, says, “The diamond traders are accused of smuggling, but no case has been filed against them.” Diamond merchants in Gujarat are in a state of shock and are unwilling to speak on the matter for fear of queering the pitch further for those that are behind bars in China.

Gujarati diamond traders had headed for China, attracted by numerous rosy schemes. But the dream soured soon enough. Traders in Surat allege that China was only interested in learning diamond cutting and polishing skills from Gujaratis and cut into their monopoly over the business. “That aim has been achieved, and now they are bent on driving us out of the SEZ,” they say.

In fact, those in the know here point out that some Gujarati traders had seen through the Chinese gameplan early enough to pull out their men from Shenzhen before things could go out of hand. Many wound up their business in China and returned to Surat.

Many Surat diamond merchants have been visiting China for years. They are familiar with the way things work in Shenzhen. On condition of anonymity, one businessman says, “The Shenzhen SEZ is an hour’s drive from Hong Kong. Corruption is rampant here and local businessmen and officials are part of the racket. It is surprising that Gujarati traders are being victimised for playing by the rules of the game here.”
In Shenzhen, rough diamonds are smuggled in through a clandestine route to evade the import tax and 13 other duties levied by the Chinese government on the trade. “This illegal movement of diamonds happens with the collusion of locals. Officials and policemen turn a blind eye because they too are on the take,” says a Surat businessman.

So, diamond trading circles in Gujarat are mystified at the sudden clampdown in which a total of 50 people, including the Gujarati traders, were taken into custody for alleged diamond smuggling. But for want of proof, 15 Gujarati traders were let off. They are now in Hong Kong with their workers.

Ironically, relatives of the arrested diamond businessmen have not sought any kind of help from the Surat Diamond Traders Association. Says Mehta: “Not a single family has approached us. The information we have is based on media reports and accounts provided by businessmen based in Hong Kong. Till we get formal requests, we can’t help them.”

The president of the Gems and Jewellery Promotion Council, Vasant Mehta, says, “The Indian embassy in Beijing is working on this matter. So I do not see any reason for issuing any statement,”

Of the 21 arrested traders, 14 are from Palanpur, a north Gujarat town with a sizeable diamond trading community. All of them own thriving diamond units in Surat city.

Palanpur diamond industry president Jayantibahi Padhiyar says, “The Gujarat diamond traders’ business typically extends from Antwerp to Dubai. They earn billions of dollars in foreign exchange and thus serve the nation. It is a well known fact that the diamond trade is not a business of 100 per cent honesty and integrity. The Indian government must come to the rescue of the arrested traders as they are, first and foremost, Indian nationals.”

Padhiyar feels that the families of the traders are not trying hard enough to secure their release. “They are misguided by some local traders and brokers. That’s why the case has been not resolved yet,” he adds.

“I think what has happened in Shenzhen is a deliberate conspiracy to eliminate the Gujarati traders. We have reason to suspect that local Chinese traders and the police are hand in gloves in this matter. If this isn’t stopped right away, nobody will want to do business in China in the future,” says Padhiyar.

Some local traders believe that the arrests are part of a Chinese plan to exert pressure on India. Last October, India had made several drastic changes in its business visa policy. Under the new stringent rules, those who come to India on business have to return to their countries within a stipulated period of time. These changes have hit the Chinese businessmen the hardest.

The other theory doing the rounds in Surat is that the Chinese action stems from envy. The Shenzhen SEZ was dominated by Gujaratis, who made rapid progress here, and local Chinese traders did not take kindly to this success story. The traders are, therefore, being systematically targeted by the authorities.
For Complete IIPM Article, Click on IIPM Article

Source : IIPM Editorial, 2009


An IIPM and Professor Arindam Chaudhuri (Renowned Management Guru and Economist) Initiative

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Outlook Magazine money editor quits
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Saturday, March 20, 2010

When the ‘ketal’ goes boiling...

An unknown Indian firm Dorf Ketal buys up the global catalyst business of DuPont Chemicals! Why isn’t everybody this side of the Atlantic celebrating, asks B&E ‘s Angshuman Paul

Seriously, how many of you had ever heard about Dorf Ketal? Considering that it is an Indian specialty chemicals company worth $220 million (revenues for year ending March 2009; targeting $300 million by 2010-11), you would understandably be quite reluctant to reply in the negative.

However, it isn’t entirely surprising that the company operates in relative obscurity. Besides the fact that it is a B2B player, the company has followed a very conservative model for growth and diversification. Consider this – after eight years of their corporate journey, the company decided to diversify (in 2000). And then, unlike other companies, Dorf Ketal hasn’t believed much in the concept of branding as a B2B company; even as world famous B2B companies are beginning to realise its criticality. And they intend to keep things that way. “Since we are in the B2B arena, mass consumers are not expected to know about us, but our target audiences like Reliance, IOC et al, know about us” argues a senior official from Dorf Ketal.

Nevertheless, things seem to be changing during the last decade for the company. They have grown by more than 30% during this period by cashing in on acquisitions. A bird’s eye view at the activity of the company during the past decade tells us that in a time span of eight years, the company has made at least five acquisitions to leverage potential synergies. For instance, when it acquired Sanmarg Specialty Chemicals-owned Intec, it helped Dorf Ketal to diversify into organic products like titanates and zirconates that have a strong demand in industries like oil & gas, paints & coatings, printing inks, industrial sealants, corrosion protection & emission reduction.

And now the name of Dorf Ketal has suddenly gatecrashed into notice with the acquisition of the global catalyst business of DuPont Chemicals and Fluro Products for around $40 million. The deal has been funded through debt and equity funds injected by the promoters. This particular venture of DuPont minted revenue of $50 million during 2008.

DuPont has deemed the business to be ‘non-strategic’ to its long term growth plans. On the other hand, senior officials in Dorf Ketal are hugely optimistic about the synergies that Dorf Ketal would enjoy from DuPont Chemicals & Fluoroproducts business. “It will provide us with several product innovations and technological developments pioneered by DuPont and also strengthen our position on the global platform,” says Vijay Malpani, Group Finance Controller, Dorf Ketal Chemicals (I) Pvt Ltd. The deal also enables the Indian chemical major to acquire DuPont’s assets associated with the Specialty Catalyst Business which comprises trademarks, sales, marketing and customer service. Strategically, the group has acquired the assets and deliberately avoided acquiring the entire business in terms of human capital. The company is trying to avoid the risk of a cultural mismatch with a US-based business.

The company plans to allow itself some lag time before it can take over operationally. DuPont will continue to manufacture and supply specialty catalyst products to Dorf Ketal for approximately 1 year under service and supply agreements. DuPont is also assisting Dorf Ketal with technology transfer & in setting up a new plant. Sudhir Menon, CMD of Dorf Ketal says, “The acquisition is a well thought plan to consolidate our position in newer product segment.”
For Complete IIPM Article, Click on IIPM Article

Source : IIPM Editorial, 2009


An IIPM and Professor Arindam Chaudhuri (Renowned Management Guru and Economist) Initiative

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Friday, March 12, 2010

Budget backlash

The fuel price hike Announced by the finance minister has galvanised the opposition to close ranks in a rare show of unity. But will the sound and fury translate into long-term political gains? Pramod Kumar reports

In the final Cabinet meeting prior to the presentation of the Union Budget this year, three important financial decisions were taken. As the meeting drew to a close, the petroleum minister made a request for a hike in fuel prices. Finance minister Pranab Mukherjee assured him that some steps had already been taken through the excise duty channel. But agriculture minister Sharad Pawar and railway minister Mamata Banerjee warned that a fuel price hike would fan anger against the government and adversely affect the prospects of the UPA in Assembly elections scheduled for the coming months.

Mukherjee replied that not hiking fuel prices would adversely affect the pace of pro-people projects. So the allies advocated a 'wait and watch' policy: increase the prices of petrol and diesel and then gauge the popular reaction; if things threaten to snowball, get the UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi to intervene and order a partial rollback. It was also suggested that the time-lag between the hike and the eventual rollback could be utilised to lessen the oil pool deficit. In that scenario, the Congress would have its cake and eat it too, it was pointed out. But the fuel price hike triggered something that the Congress had not bargained for: new-found unity in the Opposition ranks which had for months been in disarray. In fact, a few parties that support UPA from outside have also thrown their weight behind the hue and cry raised by the Opposition. By protesting both inside and outside the ring, the two Yadav satraps — Lalu and Mulayam — have made it amply clear that they might even withdraw their unilateral support to the UPA on the issue of price rise. Political pundits, however, feel that this will not affect the UPA as it enjoys a comfortable majority.

The problem is that this approach by the allies has found resonance in the Congress itself. Some elements in the ruling party are not convinced with the logic trotted out for raising the petroleum prices through the Budget. Party leader Digvijay Singh has already expressed his reservations on the issue. Similarly, there is unease among the youth brigade too. In fact, the son of petroleum minister Murli Deora, Milind Deora, has openly come out against the decision. And he minced no words. He went as far as to write letters to both Sonia Gandhi and Manmohan Singh seeking their intervention.

Congress strategists believe that such a step was necessary to correct certain financial misadventures of UPA-1. They claim the priority for the current regime is to strengthen the economy. Prior to the Budget, Mukherjee had clearly explained all the tough measures and had assured the Cabinet committee that although these measures would hurt momentarily, they would lead to long-term benefits. They would help put the economy back on track following the recession. He put forth the same explanation in the aforementioned Cabinet meeting too.
For Complete IIPM Article, Click on IIPM Article

Source : IIPM Editorial, 2009


An IIPM and Professor Arindam Chaudhuri (Renowned Management Guru and Economist) Initiative

Read these article :-



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Monday, March 08, 2010

“No schemes! No gimmicks!!”

LG finally had it right the third time in india. now it is decisively upping the stakes

“Our determination for walking the full distance is unwavering. We would like to move faster but we won’t be impatient. A broad consensus in favour of industrialisation (in India) is gradually emerging and we trust that the respective Governments are doing their best...”

Yes, this is a comment from a Korean company on its commitment towards India. But while you may be tempted to think this is LG, it is actually a comment from Posco, when we asked them how, despite the problems with the steel plant, the company continues to stubbornly invest time and money in its India plans. While making steel and making consumer durables are like chalk and cheese, Posco’s determination may be due in part, to the inspiring forays of other Korean MNCs in India; LG in particular.

LG had earlier tested the waters with two unsuccessful attempts (in the form of JVs with Bestavision and Birla group). In March 1997, K. R. Kim (who was then working in Panama) was bought on board to spearhead the Indian subsidiary of the Korean consumer durable giant. Moreover, the market, which was led by the likes of BPL, Onida, Videocon, Weston, Philips, et al, was now changing. LG, along with the other Korean giant Samsung, proved more than a handful for the incumbents, with their aggressive pricing, promotion and distribution strategies.

Cut to 2009, the company has not only clocked a mind boggling turnover of Rs.107.93 billion in 2008 (with a growth rate of 18%) but is also aiming high for its next big fix – the $6-billion revenue target by 2010. But the initial experience of LG in India has not been a cakewalk as the key challenge for the company at the time was not of growth but of survival. From cultural conundrums to corruption, from office space hiccups to high attrition rates, the company had it all. In fact, there was a time when the durable giant had to bear the wrath of the local land mafia and criminal elements at its manufacturing base at Greater Noida in Uttar Pradesh.

But what came to the company’s rescue was their will to learn from their own mistakes and set out new rules of their own. For instance, in the late 1990s, when the competitors lured the dealers by giving them credit periods of 45 to 90 days, LG in fact asked dealers to pay in advance for its products. This helped them pick the right kind of partners from the crowd. Among the few initial strategies, which the company adopted, was a change in the management structure to suit the local requirements and backed by an understanding of Indian work culture. They vested the power in the hands of Indian employees in a big way with their own Foreign Service Employees (FSE’s) confined to just being facilitators. Interestingly, LG did not initially get into price wars, which was the vogue at that time in the segment. Their slogan was ‘No scheme, no gimmick, great products and honest prices’. But LG had to also deal with the image of ‘inferior products’ in some categories.

So, as the company realised it had greater potential in the lower segments, it went on the rampage with fierce price wars and sorted out penetration issues. Moon B. Shin, in an exclusive interaction with B&E, elucidated, “To increase brand awareness, LG sent vans across India, covering a distance of 5000 km every month and focused on building a strong dealer network.” These strategies gave it market leadership in many categories. As per 2008 figures (ORG-gfk), LG was commanding a share of 24% in ACs, 24% in microwaves, 27% in DVD players, and 23.1% in LCD TVs. Interestingly, LG later saw that the low end was becoming increasingly crowded and therefore launched its Blue Ocean Strategy. Now LG is consciously trying to play on the ‘best-in-quality’ positioning and deliberately commanding premium on price; knowing well that the ‘inferior’ perception is not a problem any more. The only problem is that key categories have seen decline in market share in India for 2008 (see B&E Corporation on LG in the issue dated February 6, 2009). Could LG’s second repositioning lead to confusion in Indian customers and decline in its fortunes? Indeed, it’s a sword that could cut both ways. They must use it very, very carefully.
For Complete IIPM Article, Click on IIPM Article

Source : IIPM Editorial, 2009


An IIPM and Professor Arindam Chaudhuri (Renowned Management Guru and Economist) Initiative

Read these article :-



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Saturday, March 06, 2010

When the ‘ketal’ goes boiling...

An unknown Indian firm Dorf Ketal buys up the global catalyst business of DuPont Chemicals! Why isn’t everybody this side of the Atlantic celebrating, asks B&E ‘s Angshuman Paul

Seriously, how many of you had ever heard about Dorf Ketal? Considering that it is an Indian specialty chemicals company worth $220 million (revenues for year ending March 2009; targeting $300 million by 2010-11), you would understandably be quite reluctant to reply in the negative.

However, it isn’t entirely surprising that the company operates in relative obscurity. Besides the fact that it is a B2B player, the company has followed a very conservative model for growth and diversification. Consider this – after eight years of their corporate journey, the company decided to diversify (in 2000). And then, unlike other companies, Dorf Ketal hasn’t believed much in the concept of branding as a B2B company; even as world famous B2B companies are beginning to realise its criticality. And they intend to keep things that way. “Since we are in the B2B arena, mass consumers are not expected to know about us, but our target audiences like Reliance, IOC et al, know about us” argues a senior official from Dorf Ketal.

Nevertheless, things seem to be changing during the last decade for the company. They have grown by more than 30% during this period by cashing in on acquisitions. A bird’s eye view at the activity of the company during the past decade tells us that in a time span of eight years, the company has made at least five acquisitions to leverage potential synergies. For instance, when it acquired Sanmarg Specialty Chemicals-owned Intec, it helped Dorf Ketal to diversify into organic products like titanates and zirconates that have a strong demand in industries like oil & gas, paints & coatings, printing inks, industrial sealants, corrosion protection & emission reduction.

And now the name of Dorf Ketal has suddenly gatecrashed into notice with the acquisition of the global catalyst business of DuPont Chemicals and Fluro Products for around $40 million. The deal has been funded through debt and equity funds injected by the promoters. This particular venture of DuPont minted revenue of $50 million during 2008.

DuPont has deemed the business to be ‘non-strategic’ to its long term growth plans. On the other hand, senior officials in Dorf Ketal are hugely optimistic about the synergies that Dorf Ketal would enjoy from DuPont Chemicals & Fluoroproducts business. “It will provide us with several product innovations and technological developments pioneered by DuPont and also strengthen our position on the global platform,” says Vijay Malpani, Group Finance Controller, Dorf Ketal Chemicals (I) Pvt Ltd. The deal also enables the Indian chemical major to acquire DuPont’s assets associated with the Specialty Catalyst Business which comprises trademarks, sales, marketing and customer service. Strategically, the group has acquired the assets and deliberately avoided acquiring the entire business in terms of human capital. The company is trying to avoid the risk of a cultural mismatch with a US-based business.

The company plans to allow itself some lag time before it can take over operationally. DuPont will continue to manufacture and supply specialty catalyst products to Dorf Ketal for approximately 1 year under service and supply agreements. DuPont is also assisting Dorf Ketal with technology transfer & in setting up a new plant. Sudhir Menon, CMD of Dorf Ketal says, “The acquisition is a well thought plan to consolidate our position in newer product segment.”
For Complete IIPM Article, Click on IIPM Article

Source : IIPM Editorial, 2009


An IIPM and Professor Arindam Chaudhuri (Renowned Management Guru and Economist) Initiative

Read these article :-



Outlook Magazine money editor quits
Don't trust the Indian Media!
Posted by at No comments:
Labels: , , , , , , , , ,
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