Telecom as new marketing ground

Its offcial, it is no more FMCG, Telecom has taken over as the king for Marketing playground and it is become fiercely tough and pure B2C play and commodity.
Soon, you will see budgets dedicated towards telecom more than FMCG...
Yahooo!! Telecom rocks!!

Ten Ways to Use LinkedIn | Guy Kawasaki

Web Strategy is the way forward and here are some thoughts from management guru Guy Kawasaki.

http://blog.linkedin.com/blog/2007/07/ten-ways-to-use.html

I really like LinkedIn as a tool for professional networking.

Lehman Brothers put itself up for sale- Wall Street

The day has arrived. After so much talk about mounting losses in billions, Lehman Brothers could not help much in stopping eroding stock price which closed 45% down to $3.97. Analyst has recently downgraded the stock value seeing $7 bn losses.

I had previously mentioned in my blog about possible sale of Lehman Brothers , though people close to bank still denied the fact.

As per CNN, The No. 4 U.S. investment bank is scouring Wall Street for a financial lifeline as its losses soared to almost $7 billion in the last two quarters alone, primarily because of wrong-way bets on mortgage securities and other risky investments. Its shares nose-dived a staggering 42 percent Thursday to close at $4.22. That's down more than 94 percent from their 52-week high of $67.73.
Bank of America Corp., Japan's Nomura Securities, France's BNP Paribas, Deutsche Bank AG and Britain's Barclay's PLC have been mentioned this week as potential buyers.

I think HSBC too will take a chance to bid for it.

However as per The Wall Street Journal, citing sources familiar with the matter, reported Thursday that Lehman is actively shopping itself and said that suitors included Bank of America (BAC, Fortune 500) and British bank Barclays (BCS).

Company officials are trying to get a deal wrapped up and announced by Sunday night, people close to the deal tell CNBC.- CNBC

Bank of America is name which is looking positive as front runner.

Rock On- Rocks!!!!

After along time, saw this well directed movie- Rock On!!
Really liked the direction which has been well coupled with lovely music.
Farhan Akhtar- Good job man!!

Review- Dont want to spoil your fun- Go and watch yourself.... Worth a watch

Citibank-- Bank which always sleeps

Citi- Never sleeps!! That is what they claim....
But if you happen to go their branch, things are found to be opposite.
It took Citibank,Pune- 2 hours to make my DD. I went early to avoid rush and was there at 10.30am sharp, submitted my form.
Upfront I was told, it wil take 1 hour to make it. Man I was surprised, even our sarkari banks like SBI or BOB issue DD within 15 minutes. Anyways, thought maybe that the cost i have to pay as a customer of large'global' bank.
Only to realise that even after 1.5hrs of waiting, they were not aware of status when asked. Front desk lady told me that it is getting done( as if someone is getting ready for marriage).
Finally when I told them in clear sharp words, they called up someone to get the DD, after waiting for another 30mins, DD came down.
What a pathetic bank man... had it not been my corporate account, I would have closed my account then and there.

Inflation at 12.42% in Sep 2008

I see inflation softening... and I think it should be back to around 5-6% by march 2009 .... this is based on macro economic factors...

Bengal revolution for Tata and Nano

And it has started officially. Politics in communist state could have their say in past decade but today we Indians know how to work in democracy. We are not supporters of communist which speaks Chinese thoughts on soil of India. We want growth and we want progress, jobs, money..

Post announcement by tatas about their decision to move from Singur, there are Educated people who have taken to street for real protest againt policy of some selfish political parties of stopping growth in the state. IT proff working in Kolkatta organised rally against the unfortunate happenings in the state against Tata. If Tata moves opt it will hit bengal in bigway of every company thinking about their investment plans in the state.

http://www.telegraphindia.com/1080904/jsp/calcutta/story_9784546.jsp

Question comes- What happens to poor farmers. First they have already been made scapegoat by political parties and what if their land is also taken away for industries. I think its time that every state sets up a panel to review land possesion for such projects. This will ensure a smooth transition and growth of both farmers and industries.

http://www.telegraphindia.com/1080904/jsp/calcutta/story_9784546.jsp

Tata pulls out of Bengal - Whats next for Nano project ???

Tata Nano which was helping in painting enhanced brand image of India, has been sabotaged by some crooked bunch of political ideas, egos and bad role of govt in settling Singur row.

Does anyone know whether farmers really want land back, I don't feel so. Infact farmers will benefit through industrial growth.

Surprisingly this is happening against Tatas. Tatas is one industrial house which is respected for their fair policies and good corporate governance.

This is really going to put big black spot on booming Indian picture as automobile manufacturing hub. What which could have been solved by across the table conversation has nothing but put more trouble to farmers which are mere spectators being sandwitched in yet another Indian politic saga.

By the way, it was observed that very politicians which oppose tata plants came filled in Tata sumo, tata indica cars ..... What an irony ::)

Curtains up on Google Chrome

Finally, Google chrome is here. I have already installed Chrome and this post is first one through Chrome on my blog. I think UI is little different , but then I dont think much can be done on layout. Yes, there are other special features like tab switch, website search, etc.
Chrome is yet another competition to giant Microsoft. I think IE8.0 will keep doing well, but enterprise opting for open source components might look forward to deploy Chrome.
So, eventually it will be Chrom v/s Firefox to start off with

B-Schools- Beyond i-Banks

I have always wondered what are Indian B-School focussed on..??Managers..leaders....Analytics....Consultants....??

Well, seeing the trends in admission criteria of Premier B-Schools in India, I really felt it not test of attitude/aptitude but of marks and maths solving. Thanks to this criteria, most of IIMs see i-banks lining up for students. Great!! But question remain... Then what is difference between Top B-Schools and Indian B-School.

One difference I felt was selection criteria. Western B-School do care about GMAT and marks but thats not the sole criteria of judging the candidate. They see beyond that... persons ability to work on the field, enterpeneurship, social contribution.

And even students there opt for unique ideas. One such example is World’s best B-school grads opt for sarkari internships. India's planning commision is most sought after department for internships.

How many of us actually know that summer 08, RBI took in 43 students, including 13 from universities abroad, like Stanford.

I guess India is surely emerging as the destination of growth and opportunities and I feel Indian B-School should also try to focus on domestic sectors.

XOBNI- A new search application

Tried Xobni, new email search application today. I was recommended this piece of free software but after installing the application, realised that my lapi went real slow.

This software sit along with your MS outlook. I did explored this application wherein it displays different stats realted to your emails...might to useful for instant search. But making my lapi slow I had no other option but to uninstall it.

Maybe, I will try again once its out from it beta version.

Infosys buys Axon for $753mn

Finally, IT giant announces its strategic acquisition of Axon, SAP consulting for $753mn all cash deal. There has been lot of talk about Infy planning acquisition since it was sitting on lot of cash and required some strategic inorganic growth.

With Axon, Infy is expected to gain strong foothold in SAP consulting market, a high paying service offering and also it will help diversifying its revenue contribution coming from US. Axon has its 55% revenue coming from Europe and 45% coming from US geos. It also has operations in Malaysia.

On other hand HCL too has announced its $20mn acquisition of Control Point, telecom software services vendor.

IT giants are increasingly looking for inorganic growth to increase their presence. This can also be seen as Indian players dominance in IT versus Chinese counterpart. Chinese IT companies are still in stage wherein they are playing resourcing game, on other hand Indian IT players are moving into value chain game with strategic acquisitions.

Alto Rally in Pune - Let's Go

Participated in Maruti Alto rally organised in Pune on 24th Aug, sunday.
Well organised rally by Maruti team , wherein they also gave participating gifts and organised games, fun, lucnch for participants as well as their family.
I had fun time driving 51km route which started off from Garden court in pashan at 9.30am. The competition was about Best mileage so one need to drive in right gear and speed. I covered my path (without a navigator) through mumbai -bangalore highway....katraj, bharati vidyapeeth, AFMC, Bund garden,Yerawada, Holkar bridge, Wakewadi, University road, Aundh, ITI road, baner, Pashan, NCL , back to Garden court ....in 1hr 45 min.
Mileage- I was really surpirsed to see that I covered 51kms in just 1.54litre of petrol, that come to whopping 34 km/lt average.. I rem some people claiming more than that too.
Btw!! They also offered tank full of petrol at Rs40/lt :)

Well about the prize- I was not feeling well, so came back little early... but I was optimistic about the prize...anyways.. had good time
Maruti Alto- Let's Go

KDB warned against buying Lehman Brothers

Korea Development Bank has been warned by South Korea's financial regulator on buying stake in Lehman Brothers. source FT.com

I had mentioned about trouble in which Lehman brothers is in my blog on 24th June 2008.

Reason can be many for LB. As per Financial times, Lehman is considering a variety of options to raise cash before its mid-September earnings report, which analysts expect to include writedowns of up to $4bn. The possibilities include a sale of a stake in Lehman itself or the sale of all or part of its asset-management arm or its commercial real estate portfolio.

LinkedIn- A new connection

I have been on linkedin for more the year now and really like this networking site.

Though social networking is booming like anything but I really find many of them without a purpose.

Facebook , though it is very famous but I dont find it interesting. After all, why should I go every time and then and update what am I doing for play some childish games with people on networks. And more over, why should it be seen by others.. Come on Man, I have my personal life too. So, I have deleted my profile from there.

Orkut.... well it is fine..but I have gone little back foot on that too. I guess it is popular for collegians.

So, I feel there are two clear segments emerging for social networking and new ventures need to really focus on just one of them..you go for both and you will go bust soon.

One segment is clear youth or people with strong need for personal profiling. Hi5, facebook, orkut..all cashing on it

Second is more professional, like linkedIn... which focus on business side of things.. you have these interesting interactive answer sessions, and options to network with people across globe.

One good thing I like is security and layers to avoid people sending spam request..

So, just before I sign off for this note, let me remove one layer and invite people interested to share their views with me on linkedin.

http://www.linkedin.com/profile?viewProfile=&key=7368003&trk=tab_pro

The Freedom Writers Diary- Must watch

Though I rarely watch movies, but today while flipping through channels came across this movie on HBO and somehow I thought to see it. And that was for good :)

This movie turned out to be based on real scenario which happened in Wilson High School in Long beach, California. It shows how this teacher practically changed non-interested bunch of students who hates studies and are into gangs fights and made them learn and understand how hatred among each other can cause misunderstandings.

Reco- Must watch esp for teenagers, college students and infact everybody :)

Straight from the front line of urban America, the inspiring story of one fiercely determined teacher and her remarkable students.As an idealistic twenty-three-year-old English teacher at Wilson High School in Long beach, California, Erin Gruwell confronted a room of “unteachable, at-risk” students. One day she intercepted a note with an ugly racial caricature, and angrily declared that this was precisely the sort of thing that led to the Holocaust—only to be met by uncomprehending looks. So she and her students, using the treasured books Anne Frank: The Diary of a Young Girl and Zlata’s Diary: A Child’s Life in Sarajevo as their guides, undertook a life-changing, eye-opening, spirit-raising odyssey against intolerance and misunderstanding. They learned to see the parallels in these books to their own lives, recording their thoughts and feelings in diaries and dubbing themselves the “Freedom Writers” in homage to the civil rights activists “The Freedom Riders.”With funds raised by a “Read-a-thon for Tolerance,” they arranged for Miep Gies, the courageous Dutch woman who sheltered the Frank family, to visit them in California, where she declared that Erin Gruwell’s students were “the real heroes.” Their efforts have paid off spectacularly, both in terms of recognition—appearances on “Prime Time Live” and “All Things Considered,” coverage in People magazine, a meeting with U.S. Secretary of Education Richard Riley—and educationally. All 150 Freedom Writers have graduated from high school and are now attending college.With powerful entries from the students’ own diaries and a narrative text by Erin Gruwell, The Freedom Writers Diary is an uplifting, unforgettable example of how hard work, courage, and the spirit of determination changed the lives of a teacher and her students. The authors’ proceeds from this book will be donated to The Tolerance Education Foundation, an organization set up to pay for the Freedom Writers’ college tuition. Erin Gruwell is now a visiting professor at California State University, Long Beach, where some of her students are Freedom Writers ( Source- Amazon)

The chindia factor- a reality of 21C

chindia- A new word derived to represent China and India together
chindia word has its roots from last decade of 20th century and with advent of 21st century, the phenomenon is witnessing some real action or adverb in its image.
Mahindra and Mahindra today announced its joint venture with Chinese tractor manufacturer Jiangsu Yueda Yancheng - 18 August 2008
And this is not the first, Indian congomolerates has been increasingly forming JVs with Chinese companies.
Joint venture co-invested by Bharat Forge Co Ltd. (BFL), the flagship company of Indian Kalyani Group and China's auto giant First Automobile Works (FAW) Co. Ltd began operations recently.
India's Tata Tea Ltd. announced an agreement recently to set up a joint venture in China's Zhejiang province with Zhejiang Tea Import Export Company to manufacture and export various tea products.
GAIL too has revealed its plans to form joint venture with China Gas.
This might create new detroits of the world, merely from component or back office sourcing areas. The common synergies of these two countries surely is going to take tough time to western markets, which on other hand will see western consumers getting benefited. Sounds like a misnomer in real life.
What need to seen however, is management art to mix cultural and working styles of two different class to form the perfect case study of globalisation. Till now, globalisation was one way, wherein you have this client in west and weell suited workforce trained in their culture as theri vendors. Here, JVs need to work in tandem to achieve a common goal- Thier country's success.

Why Your Office Isn't Like Google's

Came across really interesting thought by Jack Welch in Business Week. THis is about how Most managers want to empower their workers, but reality can get in the way.

http://www.businessweek.com/magazine/content/08_34/b4097100925793.htm

Thanks to business week for publishing it :)

MVNOs and Indian telecom market

TRAI recently released its recommendations on MVNOs in Indian market.
For more - please visit www.trai.gov.in
The executive summary of the recommendations of the Authority on MVNO is as follows:
1. MVNO to be introduced as a distinct service provider with its own licensing and regulatory framework
2. MVNO free to choose its business model (Full or Intermediate or Thin)
3. Arrangement/ agreement between MNO and MVNO to be driven by market forces
4. MVNO to be issued a license under Indian Telegraph Act
5. The license service area of MVNO to be same as that of parent MNO
6. Any Indian Company with networth -10% of that of MNO for the service area and paid up capital - 10% of prescribed networth and fulfilling other licence conditions is eligible for MVNO licence.
7. Agreement with MNO to be submitted before issue of license to MVNO
8. No limit on number of MVNOs attached to a MNO
9. MNO to pay the spectrum charges for utilisation of spectrum by MVNO
10. Entry fees for MVNOs – 10% of MNOs subject to a maximum of Rs.5/3/1 crores for category A/B/C areas
11. Annual licence fees same as that of MNO of the service area
12. Allocation of Numbers, Number portability, Interconnection with other service providers and Roaming to be provided by parent MNO.
13. Subscribers to be protected on failure of agreement between MNO and MVNO or MVNO quitting service
14. No Roll out Obligations for MVNO
15. FDI limit 74% (same as MNO)
16. Bank Guarantee: FBG – equivalent to two quarters license fees;
PBG – 5% of MNO
17. Restrictions on Mergers and acquisition on similar lines as MNOs

Following these recommendations, activity on MVNO front has already started with Tata making statement that it hold exclusive rights with Virgin in India. Now, it need to be seen who is next MVNO players approaching Indian telcos

India and Olympics- Whats next

Abhinav Bindra recently bagged gold medal at Olympics making whole nation proud.

The back ground for achieving this medal help in throwing light on why India never get into top list of achievers at Olympics.

Bindra is from a very well-to-do background and his father opened a shooting range for him when he was young. Now, he has even gifted his son a 5 star hotel as a gift for winning the medal.

Even Bindra himself has commentd that cricket alone can never tak India into big league of sports world.

Given right environment and support, Indian have it in them to crack top position. But what is n the ground in sharp contrast.

Pathetic sports complex and services, no financial support, no encouragement, etc etc..

All money been allocated is eaten up by corrruption and rest is not spent.

Even after winning this time and knowing what exactly the problem is, it is sad that in my view, govt is still not waking up for the vision as sports power.