Brand India

As Republic Day is around, I am tempted to post something on India. Yes of course it is the day when India's constitution was implemented, but the country has come a long way in economic growth, social satisfaction etc. 

According to management thinker Gurcharan Das, the national populace will be happy if national governance is streamlined. India's growth story has been on for the last 20-25 years now, reforms and liberalisation. The global financial turmoil (all those fancy words christianed to the crisis emanating from American Sub Prime Mortgage thing), affected India and the adjoining Dragon the least.

The rise in Double Income No Kids segment (DINK) across major metropolitan Delhi, Mumbai, Bangalore, proliferation of property by youngsters spells enthusiastic for the economy.  Quality consciousness has moved ahead of TQM, six sigma, etc. 

India's growth is driven by domestic forces that is believed to be the key reasons that India achieved more than 5% growth in 2008-2009. The growth in population has come down from sky rocketing figure, which applies only to Metros and Tier 2 cities. Anyways I don't find population a problem, the only issue for me is that the country should be able to manage the population, literate them and provide employment opportunities. However, it is easier said than done. Yes, I know many solutions to many problems exists, but when the planners narrow it down to implementation, a lot of obstacles emerge. 

India's development model is unique. As implies that one cannot redo a development model of a state and rise up the development ladder. Therefore India's growth model envisages the following viz a viz the growth models adopted by East and South-East Asian Nations:

- India's growth is driven by domestic demand, while the latter is primarily dependent on exports.

- India has become a services hub, while the later focused more on manufacturing.

- As demand is driven by domestic factors, India is a consumption economy, viz a viz investment focus by the later one.

- India has risen to a high tech capital intensive market, while the later is low tech labour intensive. 

India's domestically led growth implies that the economy is insulated from global economic shocks, less volatility, faster recovery from global crisis. On contrary, a services led highlights that India's industrial revolution did not flag off, we have to offer platform for the agrarian population to be able to fine employment in the cities. 

How will India, a capitalist economy be able to capitalise on SEZ bandwagon. Do we really need SEZ, establishments of capitalism in a capitalist economy. Chine being a socialist has adopted SEZs as islands of capitalism, but I think India should be able to provide parallel incentives across, without the need to imitate Chinese model. 

Success of India will be market led, while for China it is state induced. The concept of entrepreneurship is centric to India's growth model. Indian companies have risen globally to competitive levels like Reliance, Jet Airways, HDFC, TATA, etc. 

Counting further on India's achievement are:

- 100 Indian companies have market cap of USD 1 billion

- 1,000 Indian companies have received foreign institutional investment 

- 125 of Fortune 500 companies have R&D bases in India

- 390 Fortune 500 companies have outsourced software development to India

- 2% bad loans in Indian Banks

- 80% credit in India goes to private enterprises as against 10% in China

Counting on obstacles for India's development are:

- World's largest dynamic democracy with freedom of speech, with poor governance

- Failing institutions, coming up of judicial activism only in the metropolis

- Government is not taking up actively on social sectors education, employment, infrastructure, agriculture, defence etc

- Private sector active in the sectors which spells boom like banking, telecom, insurance, entertainment etc

- Satyam fraud, issues of corporate governance coming up and are being debated

Reference: India's Future or prosperity will spread in India but happiness will not, until we fix governance - Gurcharan Das 

Author's Note: So a friend suggests that I must expand the horizons, though my blog is meant for inner expression. Well primarily it is, actually I wish to become a spiritual, management consultant. I strive top achieve perfection in whatever possibly I can. Plus I have to share this SMS here, many of you might have received it, "We live in a funny nation, where pizza reaches home faster than police or ambulance, where we get car loan @10% interest, and education loan @ 12%."

Self Realisation

You have two options:

- To be a part of an excellent profession, as a mediocre

OR

- To excel in a mediocre profession

My sister was into a self realisation session yesterday and I feel proud to have such people around me, their attitude keep to hooked to scaling new heights in life. So its a family heredity to get into self actualisation sessions. 

On excelling, I feel that reaching perfection in cases where excellence is sort of a whim.  I am told that when Sanjeev Kapoor; the celebrity chef, big time goofed up his CAT exam, his friend suggested:

"Its good to excel in a mediocre profession, than to be a mediocre in an excellent field ~ courtesy 'G ya Joe'!"

Many more examples of such valuable achievements exists, like Galilio, Einstine, Amitabh Bachchan etc!

Author's Note: At times when excellence is not possible try to be a perfectionist. It counts!

Happy Lohri

First of all Happy Lohri to all... I know you al would be reading it a day after, but still better late than never!

Its coming a bit late but I have celebrated the festival today! I simply love this festival coz, its a feel of warmth in cold january night. Bonfire, pop corns, peanuts, rewari, gajak and the rituals that my mum follows the next day marks the beginning of the new year for me in true spirits! The sundar mundariye song, dance, roof top late night party all are just related to the festivities of Lohri! Taking rounds of the bonfire, and making a wish has always been a ritual for me. I get a high during this festival with the true punjabi spirit!

I feel its the cleanest of festivals, overlooking the pollution caused by the bon fire. Diwali clogs my respiratory track as I am allergic to pollution, and during holi I prefer staying indoor coz I dont want a water baloon to hit me on the head, leaving me wondering if I am hit, though I just admire the spirit with which all festivals are celebrated.

Author's Note: Happy Lohri!

This one is cool!!!

A guy phones up his Boss, but gets the bosses' wife instead. "I'm afraid he died last week." she explains.

The next day the man calls again and asks for the boss. "I told you" the wife replies, "he died last week."

The next day he calls again and once more asks to speak to his boss. By this time the wife is getting upset and shouts, "I'VE ALREADY TOLD YOU TWICE, MY HUSBAND, YOUR BOSS, DIED LAST WEEK! WHY DO YOU KEEP CALLING?"

"Coz," he replied laughing, "I just love hearing it..."

Yahoodi Ki Larki

Play: Yahoodi Ki Larki

Script: Agah Hashmi Kashmiri

Director: Hema Singh

Screened on: December 24-25, 2009

Plot: The play was written in the 1930s, where the story dates back to medivial times and a love tale in the backdrop of hatred amongst Jews and Romans.

Review: It stars with a glittery entry of Desia, Roman princess who is about to marry the prince. Her attire speaks volumes about her character, who is madly in love with with the Prince of Roman Kingdom, Mansiya/Marcus. On the other hand, Mansia romances around with the Jewish 'Rahil', he fakes his identity in order to spend sometime with the girl. 

It aptly gathers the Roman atrocities on Jewish civilization, the typical communal drama where a self respecting minority fight back wrong judgements, on human rights grounds. Please note here that no human rights NGO was established at that time. 

What I could gather from the play was, a girl fighting with the Roman kingdom, for a betrayed love, and then taking aback. The prince, who is likely to become the king of the empire, is standing by redundant thoughts of the society. Ideally being the king, being a hero.. he should have fought. The climax is rather melodramatic, where Rahil learns from her father that she was born of a Roman parents, and he just took care of her.  

At last the Princess and Rahil sharing getting along happily with the guy!

Author's Note: On acting account, the play was very well directed and coordinated. However, nothing that justifies the sensibilities of Generation Y was there. But then the play was written back in 1930s, so someone who is into history would find it.

P.S: My sister played the lead character  'Rahil' in the play! Proud of you sis~~

Suicidal!

It took me a while to recollect dialing for ambulance. Dial 100! No that’s police... 107! Fire brigade. For ambulance its 102... I think so... yes. But damn no one is picking it up! I moved out of the room looking for the warden, each step left blood marks on the floor. I wanted to locate the warden. I just did not know how to reach; this was the first time when I felt so confused. My mate attempted suicide, and I had not one around to help me. Most of the girls went home during diwali, and we were the unfortunate ones, to be stuck on work. Me and Prachi work in the same office and are the best of friends! Not being able to locate anyone to help, I controlled my trembling hands and dialled eight times two. The service got me connected to ambulance service of a private hospital. The ambulance reached within 15 minutes, and we got her inside the cab. Now I am waiting for the doctors to update me about her status...

Author's Note: This is again a story with an open ended ending!

Happy Twenty 10!

This year the Delhi government is geared to host the Commonwealth Games 2010. The year gone registered hike in bus/metro fare, even rickshaw pullers gauge the opportunity by asking for a bit too much. I keep loosing track of petrol, diesel, LPG cost as it kept changing very frequently!

On a personal account, the year gone went great. I am finally looking forward to life. Yes I was upset in 2009, but on retrospection I feel that there was nothing to be upset about! Putting it in simple terms, such feelings exists when one is reaching office at 9:30 and reaching home after twelve hours!

Though its not that the year went really upsetting, I did spend a lot of time with myself and my loved ones, took long walks alone on a weekend. Posted blog posts more often, thought about starting a contemporary dance group.. Just thought about it, nothing concrete came out of it though. You know its the same situation where I day dream and try to gauge the feeling something that does not exist as of now, but under all possibilities its gonna come up some day. 

In 2009 I stuck to my resolution, 'to stop people I know from littering around'. Yup I know two people are smiling, as they have to carry plastic bottles for miles while accompanying me to those long walks, in order to throw it in a dustbin.

Well 2009 was also the year where I happen to witness two theatre plays in which my youngest sister acted. Hey sweets I hope to you you in more such plays in the coming years! So have placed a picture too.

Amongst the accomplishments in 2009, I happen to find my childhood friends, it was memoir of years that just passes like waves in ocean! Love you all, facebook and orkut are beautiful creation of the virtual world!!

Next good thing is Nevitta, my best friend's daughter. She is such a cute baby. I hope that her parents are reading this :). When I first went to meet her, she was mearly a week old and kept sleeping. On other occasions she often pulls my hair or scratches my face.

Another achievement is that I happen to see Omar Abdullah, he is such a hunk and his style is just awesome. I also met the Indian Formula 1 racer Karun Chandok, gotta crush on him too. Yes Joe, Kay, Nish and the likes, I know that you are smiling :). Apart from that I also saw minister Salman Khurshid, self proclaimed environmentalist cum minister Jairam Ramesh, Delhi CM with a hat-trick Sheila Dikshit, celebrity Chef  Sanjeev Kapoor, Nutritionist Shikha Sharma amongst others.

For the coming year, I would stick to the last year's resolution! Try spending more time with my loved ones. Post more blog entries. Keep planning for an entrepreneurial venture. Dance often! Yup I do it when I go home, but winters have got me struck to the quilt. Keep teasing my sister.. as that is my birth-right :p

Not to forget to mention that I don't carry any hard feelings for anyone. I would prefer taking it out then and there!

Author's Note: Happy New Year Twenty 10 to everyone! Please chase your dreams, believe you me 2010 is the right time for that.