This Passionate Life - A tribute to 'freedom'

3 Idiots and Aamir for me!

2009-12-28T12:29:00.001+05:30

I finally saw a good movie after a month of attempting to do so. The wait was worth it. Saw 3 Idiots last night and loved it completely. What worked for me in the movie were the perfect balance of emotions and the timing of it, the well etched characters and the right selection of actors especially ‘Chatur’! While the credit for the success of the movie has mostly gone to Aamir thanks to his publicity blitzkrieg, I do believe Chatur’s role in the movie was as important to bring Aamir’s role to life. The music was apt, woven well into the script and thankfully lacked the unnecessary commercialization that exists with it in the industry today. Boman Irani was classic and Kareena looked stunning yet simple in her portrayal, just like her Jab We Met performance.

After a thoroughly entertaining three hours, I did get a feeling of déjàvu with Aamir’s performance. The two movies of his I recall before this are Taare Zameen Par and Rang De Basanti and there are some similarities in those and 3 Idiots. All three portrayed students, had a social message, had a similar look and feel of a few locations and had Aamir’s character portraying a revolutionary preacher. Aamir’s look and feel were also similar - sporting short hair, jeans and t-shirt look, his eyeballs popping up and down in the sockets and mischievous smile to go with it.
While Gajjani was different, I didn’t dig the movie much personally, which lead me to my question – do I prefer Aamir a certain way; and the answer is YES! His chocolate boy looks and mischievous smile, playing the young romantic at heart whether it’s with a girl or a cause with his perfect comic timing – that’s quintessential Aamir for me. These attributes were also there in Lagaan, which is why I liked it and not Mangal Pandey.

For me, Aamir is no different from some of the other actors I like today in specific roles. I don’t think he is a league ahead as is portrayed by the media and some. He has intentionally positioned himself apart to stand out from the clutter and to his credit it’s worked. Doing one movie a year and having a social message in it seems to be his style and that’s fine. He seems to have exploited the demand and supply equation well. His economics tell him that doing a single blockbuster movie a year can rake in the same moolah as doing multiple movies with average performances and at the same time not fatigue the audience with his consistent acting style. The fact that no other top actor has taken his approach yet makes him stand out even further. That I guess leads to his being so intrinsically involved in the success of the movie as well because a few flops means a few years lost and he will require a completely new positioning then.

I do believe if Aamir was to do multiple movies a year he wouldn’t draw the same admiration from the audience and infact might be worse off compared to some of his peers like SRK, Salman and Akshay that have still managed to stay up there despite their overdose at times.

That said, I respect Aamir for his marketing acumen and love his on screen performances, but in a certain mould only.

Arsenal beats Liverpool at Anfield. Game changer in this year’s EPL maybe?

2009-12-14T11:55:00.000+05:30

I have to admit that last night’s result at the Anfield was a bit of a shocker for me. Not because I don’t think Arsenal have it in them but because they were without their start striker RVP and Liverpool had their duo in the line-up! Hats off to Arsenal for further plunging Liverpool into crisis having won only 3 of their last 15 games in all competitions.

The weekend result keep the excitement in this year’s EPL simmering with Man United letting up against Aston Villa even after the Toffees did them a favour by holding up at Stamford Bridge. It is interesting to see how with a few players traded over the transfer window last year has made the EPL extremely competitive.

Chelsea while seeming indomitable (and their squad remaining the same from the previous year has a lot to do with that) seem to be held to draws by unexpected teams.

Manchester United despite losing two of their star goal getters – Ronaldo and Tevez, still seem to be in the hunt from time to time. Only if they had seized the opportunity the Toffees presented them they would have been level on points with Chelsea as I write this.

Arsenal despite losing some key players in Adebayor and Toure (even with them in the squad they didn’t get a trophy last year for that matter) seem to be bubbling under the hood from time to time. They have kept a low profile this season as title contenders but seem to be raking in the points from time to time to remain in hunt for title. 5Th time lucky they could get! The question remains though whether the Anfield win will provide Arsenal the necessary ambition to do better in the new-year. Going by the last few years performances, the Gunners tend to slip up in the second half of the competition.

Liverpool despite their strong squad and unquestionable faith in their gaffer Rafa seem to heading only one way this season – down! All the efforts made over the last two years by some to convince fans that Liverpool have it them to win the Premiership seem to have been shattered. I wonder whether the trio of Gerrard, Torres and Rafa will be at the Anfield next summer if Liverpool doesn’t qualify for the Champions League.

While Chelsea remain clear favourties to win, I believe in surprises. I do believe the top three teams will need to exit a few tournaments (between FA, Carling, Champions League etc) to win the premiership this year. I don’t see a team doing the treble and the double would also surprise me!

I could be wrong but then again it’s not a prediction, just my perspective 

Male fashion going too far?

2009-09-06T16:25:00.002+05:30

The modern human race never ceases to amaze me. I just read an article in the Times of India titled “Strut around in girlfriend fashion”. The article talks about the latest fashion around the globe being men wearing women’s attire. WTF?

Apparently, this isn’t new and has been sprouting around for years now but not with so much sincerity as this time around. Proof (as per the story) is Cristiano Ronaldo (for the uninitiated - the world’s highest paid footballer) recently spotted in hot pants, with pink fresh flowers in his hair and carrying a clutch.

In hindsight, it’s been in the making with the evolution of the metrosexual male and his male purse, manicure/pedicure and fairness creams among other things. Clearly, this new fashion dimension is being spearheaded by the proven alpha male and isn’t the doing of gay or bisexual humans. Also it isn’t the alpha male in his childhood cross dressing either, this is serious!

I have no problem with the evolution of the male species, but my curiosity gets the better of me to question how we got here. While I’m no authority on human evolution and changing needs, I do believe our vanity is playing up more, as a result of the fast and competitive life we live today and our need to stand out. If my assessment was correct, then Cristiano doing something like doesn’t make sense as he doesn’t need to stand out! Or does he? Maybe since he isn’t scoring as frequently to keep him in the news maybe this does 

Whatever the answer, I wouldn’t be surprised if I see men wearing dresses next.There is absolutely nothing that is beyond us and let know one ever tell you otherwise.

Poker Mania hits town

2009-09-06T13:25:00.002+05:30

The latest fad in town seems to be Poker. Though its been around for a few years now, its become more mainstream this diwali season. All the purposeful gamblers that have a PHD in flash (aka teen patti) are now doing Poker to up their intellect further. The fad is so strong that people are willing to gamble away while learning the game as against first learning and then gambling. The logic seems to be if I put my money on the table my brain will grasp the game faster - WTF??

That said, I have to admit the game is interesting! Even I'm somehwat addicted to it, only difference being I have chosen the online world to learn the game for free and figure out the moves. Infact I just spent the last two hours playing away merrily. During this time I played on two tables, lost mostly on the first but raked it in on the second. I wouldnt attribute the raking it in to a sudden burst of luck but the fact I landed on a table where people would just go all in on nothing :) I'm not complaining but just wondering if I were to ever gamble away in real life would I be blessed enough to find a similar table! The answer is NO. But what the heck I'm sure post Diwali my friends will be willing to play at lower stakes so that I can test my intellect as well.

My American Expedition

2009-09-03T12:03:00.000+05:30

I’m still a bit spaced out post my US visit. I guess flying between the coasts did me in. While the sleep cycle is fine, I’m crashing out a bit too early for my liking and the afternoon naps are back after two decades, as well. The afternoon naps are fun though I have to admit!

Getting back to my US visit, it was fantastic. Not because it’s a great country but because it’s a promise fulfilled to me by me. I had told myself that I will go to the US only when I get my sabbatical or quit my job for a break. While the former didn’t happen the latter I made happen and boy was it worth it – no stress of what I might have to come back to made the entire experience even more exhilarating.

Outside of all the fun, I made a few observations about the country and its people that both pleasantly surprised and disappointed me. Below are a few of these.

For starters, the underlying pride that regular citizens have in being ‘American’ is pretty apparent to an outsider – they love to just consume as if it’s a necessity; hoist US flags on construction cranes and on every 10th building in NYC; and stand-up for what they believe in and scream their guts out at town halls (check out CNN for one of the town halls on this entire health legislation that’s being debated currently) among others. The point isn’t whether it right or wrong or reflects of narcissism at times, but the general coherence in their pride on belonging to that country. We Indians could learn a bit more about this daily sense of pride, which comes to the fore mostly post a terrible tragedy or media harping about how the country is being unfairly targeted by its neighbours or the developed world.

Two other things that stood out for me were the general disposition of the law to protect every individual and what all ones taxes can do for them – free education and health insurance!! It seems to work the other way round in India in both cases. Neither is human life valued nor does an honest citizen’s taxes take him anywhere but down in his societal status!

The good said, what disappointed me immensely was the wastage in abundance in two specific areas – energy and food; and their services culture, in general.

I don’t understand why the skyscrapers have to be lit all night or for that matter cars need to have headlights on during the day? I won’t bother getting into what happens within the house. I also don’t understand why the general meal portions are so huge. You can tell me Americans have big appetites, in which case I would argue the need to have calories mentioned against every dish on the menu? So if someone generally has a big appetite they love their food period! Moreover the average American in NYC or LA, going by their waste lines, didn’t seem like they had large appetites.

I can only imagine what all that energy and food saved would do for some of the poorer African countries.

Moreover, the audacity of the Americans to pressurize India to commit to carbon emissions targets!! It’s a case of we screwed up the environment, but you control your emissions because we can’t control our consumption. WTF???

In the area of ‘services’, my experience was limited to the airlines (they suck big time), hotels and general shopping. While people employed in these sectors were extremely courteous and polite, they seemed to lack the skill to go the extra mile for customer delight! It existed in the restaurants/bars/clubs though, which would only make me assume that it’s linked to their tip or maybe I was in high spirits  In comparison, the Indian airline and hospitality sectors are fantastic. I was always told that but to experience it first hand was a different feeling altogether.

So I realize while there are things that India needs to emulate from the US such as focus on basic necessities - education and healthcare; there are loads they can learn from us as well. Prime amongst that list is the ability to exercise ‘restraint’, which we as Indians sometimes over do but makes our way of life more appealing in today’s ecological environment. One could argue the ‘restraint’ in our case is due to economic and societal pressures, but even when we manage to overcome them we don’t let that virtue slip away!

I guess a bit of discussion on ‘values’ at some inter country bilateral discussion wouldn’t be that bad a thing. It doesn’t have to always be about trade!

The challenges of renewing a domain name for a non techie!

2009-09-03T10:19:00.002+05:30

It's finally good to have my blog online after six months. I'm not a techie (and I’m sure they will have a good laugh if they ever read this piece) but I didn’t fathom trying to keep your domain could be this challenging. Since I hadn't renewed my domain it expired somewhere towards the end of Feb. Fair enough! But how was I to know it was expiring? I expected the domain registration company to drop me a reminder mail but that never happened. Then began the arduous process of figuring out who my registrar was and how I could renew it again. While I did find my registrar for some strange reason I couldn’t renew it as the expiry was in grace period or some BS! In the last week it finally started showing up as domain available and I bought it through an Indian registrar this time. Too my surprise domain registration through a local registrar is more costly than going through an international registrar. Anyways, I still went ahead as I could call the local company if help was needed.

Then began the painful process of connecting my blog archive hosted at blogspot to the renewed domain (when I had purchased the custom domain through blogspot last time it was automatically configured). After a few days of reading the ever so simple (so they claim!) google instructions and speaking to a customer service agent at my local registrar's I gave up. Finally, my brother in law (a techie at heart not by profession) came to my rescue and got them synced up somewhat. Some more work is still required to get my domain name without the blogspot in it but atleast the blog is online again :-).

Satyam scam: The larger lesson is?

2009-02-07T16:10:00.001+05:30

The entire Satyam episode is shaping up rather strangely but that is not why I write this piece. I write this piece because I can’t understand which act of opportunism is more deplorable – the one Raju did or the one certain factions (politicians, analysts, media etc) are doing now!

Initially besides 'Scamalinga' a.k.a Ramalinga Raju, no one else seemed to be taking blame. The CFO denied claims he had any knowledge of the scam and it was his juniors and superiors; PWC happily towed the ‘Oh we were misled by the management’ line deliberately and the high profile Independent Board Directors, quit and didn’t blow the whistle either. Infact, I still can’t imagine what Scamalinga could have said to have some (if not most) of these Directors give their nod for the Maytas merger deal that blew open this entire episode. If the Independent Directors weren’t hand in glove with Scamalinga on this then either they weren’t doing their job right of providing necessary checks and balances or were willing to overlook it for their dear promoter friend! How else can one explain their position?

To its credit, the ICAI (The Institute of Chartered Accountants of India) seemed to have made all the right noises from Day 1 about action against PWC and all auditors involved. However, over the last month it seems to be backtracking on the course of action that will be taken – from possibly banning PWC in India to barring only the employees and other auditors found guilty from practice. I wouldn’t be surprised if the ICAI significantly reduces the ban tenure on guilty auditors as well to a few months or years. I fully appreciate their need to weigh their comments against PWC considering not all employees are tainted but I hope it has nothing to do with PWC holding positions in ICAI.

I’m disappointed with the International media and the Analyst community using this incident to paint a rather troubled picture of the business practices in India Inc. and being overtly skeptical of the future of the Indian IT industry. I appreciate ‘opportunism’ but to a degree and I hate generalizations, which seem to be the order of the day.

I don’t need to remind the International Media especially the US media that Corporate Governance isn’t limited to an industry or country.

Let the world not forget what bought recession on it!! Let the world not forget that there was Enron and WorldCom before that and a certain Bernard Madoff after that!! Let the world not forget stories from Japan, Korea and Russia!! Let the world not forget that its 3rd largest economy follows absolutely no transparency!!

I don’t need to remind the Analysts either of the need to weigh comments made in public because it could come back and bite them!

If ‘aberrations’ were the rule; a lot of industries would cease to exist in a lot of countries!

I’m also extremely disappointed with the BJP and its Presidential candidate for trying to leverage the scandal to further their prospects. Has the BJP not learnt anything from the recent State elections where parties that won were the ones that spoke about progress made and had a growth agenda in mind! Has the BJP not understood that the country doesn’t need negativism at this point, considering that seems to be the order of the day around the world thanks to the recession? This isn’t to say I favour the Congress or their policies but as someone once said, ‘If you have nothing intelligent to say keep your mouth shut, that way the others won’t know about your intelligence or the lack of it’!

For us regular citizens, who have to suffer all this opportunism of the less considerate, I truly hope all guilty, irrespective of their repute, in the Satyam scandal are brought to justice!

I also hope that Satyam, as a company, eventually does remain afloat through M&A or otherwise. Not only will that reflect the spirit and commitment of every existing employee to fight against the odds; but will also send out a signal to the world (that couldn’t keep their corporations afloat) that India has it in it to do what’s necessary, when it’s necessary!!

Is this festive season special?

2008-12-21T14:35:00.002+05:30

I certainly believe so! I see a lot of relieved faces as the festive season sets in, people wanting to forget a miserable year in 2008 and ignore a year of struggle in 2009. Too much has happened in the last six months (whether its oil prices, inflation, terrorism or financial crisis led recession) that has dented individual sentiment; and too little will happen in the next six months in business to change that sentiment in India. In most western countries the sentiment is expected to worsen, if anything!

The timing of the festive season bang in the middle of gloom seems to be perfect! While I don’t expect festivities to be at the same level as previous years, the break I’m sure will be far more appreciated by all and hopefully we will see the optimists come back with a strong second wind to spread much needed infectious enthusiasm around at work, at home and in social gatherings!

It’s important that media plays a conscious role in ‘raising the cheer’ through some happy festive related reporting. There hasn’t been much of that currently but I truly hope that the next 10 days will be about happy stories. We all know sales are down, we all know business is struggling, we all know discounts are the order of the day, we all know tourism is at an all time low, we all know layoffs and salary freezes/cuts are a reality. No more of that please!!

The media needs to adopt the tag line of a famous alcohol brand which states ‘Spread the Cheer’! As the little master of cricket recently said, India’s recent test victory is dedicated to all Indians and he hopes it brings some cheer to the people who have had to put up with a lot in recent times (specifically the Mumbai terror attacks) and years.

We can’t remove the misery but we can ensure that we don’t add to it! Let’s spread some happiness this festive season as the world needs it!!

Who created terror? Who created these terrorists?

2008-12-07T16:50:00.004+05:30

Just over a week now since the dreaded attacks on what some describe as the only ‘true’ vibrant democracy in the world, and the pain hasn’t eased. The people of India still hurt; the world still condemns and Pakistan still promises! The irony is that this sequence of emotional rhetoric has now become embarrassing to say the least. It’s a reflection of the larger helplessness of mankind that is now a victim of its own doing and the truth is there are no easy answers or solutions. No security force, no intelligence service, no politician can stop this terror till we all accept its roots.

After almost 10 days of relentless media coverage and all the analysis I have to say that I’m extremely disappointed with the entire blame game, the politicizing of the issue and the moral high ground that most media have taken in keeping this issue alive for their greater TRP/circulation interest and not the actual cause. The media has been quick to blame politicians for their lack of a united stand but have the media shown any unity? Have they said we will all not give politicians any airtime?

It’s time we ask ourselves some pertinent questions. Who created terror? Who created these terrorists?

The answer is simple – we all did. It’s our selfishness and ignorance of another human’s misery as long as it isn’t ours, our hatred, our need for power, our greed, our lack of integrity, our convenience (the list is endless) but most of all our increasing inability as a race to spread love, that has got us where we are today. No one is clean today not you not me! We have all contributed in some way to this either by our actions or our ideologies. All it takes is one racist jibe; one act of bribery; one act of ignorance to someone else’s misery and the ripple effect begins.

The more powerful (countries/politicians/terror leaders etc) just expose these frailties of the common man to benefit themselves with no consideration of the consequences and the sad part is that the common man obliges!

Clashing ideologies and the resulting horrific acts aren’t new to man. The world wars and numerous civil wars are testament to that. But has man learnt no and therein lies the problem.

Unless, all mankind truly stand together side by side and individually commits to acting against terror nothing will change. It doesn’t take much, just small steps that will have a far greater impact collectively.

Unfortunately, action gets represented as monetary support, which isn’t the answer. The problem is far deeper and stems from corruption, discrimination and helplessness. I honestly believe that if we all can act on these three we will be able make a difference. Let’s all commit to the following if it inconveniences us:
1) Don’t support corruption if anything report it
2) Don’t spew hatred even if you can’t spread love – no discriminatory remarks is where it begins
3) Be benevolent to the needy – every acts helps

As I understand from media reports, all it took was Rs. 1.5 lacs (US$ 3100 approximately) for the family and some love and recognition to misguide the terrorist (won’t name him and make him more popular than he already is) who is currently alive and under interrogation from the heinous Mumbai attacks. People even kill for a lot less money than that today.

Can we all that better that? Can we not love? Can we not recognize? Can we not support?

Let’s not get overwhelmed by our helplessness, but realize instead, that we all can make a difference.

In this war on global terror no contribution is small!!

Indians most likely to get lost abroad!

2008-12-02T16:45:00.005+05:30

I found this interesting study on Indians getting lost and how people in different cities cite different reasons for it.The first point is worth contemplating for all Indians!

Indians, along with Brazilians, are most likely to get "completely lost" abroad, a fascinating survey by Nokia in 13 countries on people's sense of direction and navigational habits, has found.

Other interesting India specific findings include:

Indians most likely to miss a birth of their child

New Delhi is among the easiest city across the world for tourists to navigate around

Indians love of shopping seems to help them with their sense of direction. More than one in ten use local shops as a point of reference to help guide others to their destination

One in ten Indians confessed to missing a wedding because they got lost more than double the global average

Indians are the most trusting when giving directions, with less than a quarter (23%) admitting to deliberately sending strangers the wrong way

One in ten (10%) people who live in Mumbai, Bengaluru and Pune will miss a job interview

People living in Mumbai are the "most stubborn" in India, with one in ten (10%) never asking directions from a stranger

Homely residents in Delhi and Ahmedabad are the least likely to get lost when in their own city (2%)

A third (30%) of residents in Kolkata blame tiredness as the cause for getting lost

Residents in Chennai get lost the most when at home (11%)

In Bengaluru, people prefer to put faith in nature, as nearly one in ten (7%)guide themselves by the stars

In Hyderabad, nearly one in ten (8 %), double the national average, believe in science and think that a sense of direction was genetic

Has the art of management lost its soul?

2008-11-10T19:39:00.003+05:30

Look around and you will have to look no further to see managers, leaders, HR practitioners and subject matter experts doling out advice on the importance of negotiation and the art of posturing. It is spreading like an epidemic across layers of management and seems to destroying the human fundamentals of honesty and transparency on which the art of management, was once truly based.

True leaders displayed human qualities – the ability to feel, to connect and to inspire and not merely say all the right things and posture well. Seems like this is where we are at today. Almost every discussion today between individuals, professionals or firms seems to have an underlying play (pretty apparent at most times) of who can get ‘the’ better deal. Whether it’s an employee discussing his/her future with his/her boss or management trying to retain someone by showing them they matter or an M&A or something as simple as checking someone for performance/non-performance ; it seems to be happening in all spheres of professional engagement today.

This isn’t to say ‘honesty’ and ‘transparency’ aren’t being practiced but there is selective disclosure (and more lip service at times) being exercised with the intent of having the ‘upper’ hand always. No question about the ability to negotiate and posture being important, but does it need to transcend every facet of professional relationships. Does every relationship need to be transactional?

Absolutely not and in my opinion there is still some soul left in the smaller entrepreneurial outfits that exist today. Large companies and their over reliance on processes and their need to always protect the business first doesn’t allow for it.

I strongly believe the larger companies need to figure out a way to bring the ‘soul’ back because a large part of mankind today works for these companies and learns from them on a daily basis. Society has to improve in order to overcome the current crisis the world faces; and I’m not referring to the financial one alone but to the religious and political ones as well.

We have to become better humans and the larger companies have a big responsibility here. They have a captive audience for 8 hours a day, 5 days a week in a live environment. They need to make a start by recognizing and rewarding these qualities in individuals even if it means the business doesn’t gain for a change.

Let’s not make individuals who put all their cards on the table feel like fools and look to short change them in the interest of the business.

Let’s get some genuineness back into engagements! Let’s make a start!

A depressing saturday evening

2008-11-09T19:11:00.002+05:30

I haven't felt like this on a Saturday evening for years. Last night was bad. Some like my wife would call me a fool for getting so wound up as a result of Arsenal beating Manchester United at the Emirates, but football, at times, is just my way of expressing disappointment. I have other more direct reasons and occasions as well in my professional and personal life, but this is mostly the safest way.

Football is a great leveler of expectations. It teaches you a lot including a very important lesson that the better team don’t always win on the day. This isn’t to say Arsenal aren’t a great team, but yesterday they just didn’t have the odds in their favour with all the injuries. I’m sure a lot of their own fans were hoping to pull off a draw, at best, let alone win (keeping in mind their last 3 performances) against a full blown United side.

Yesterday’s game was also a great example of the how the paranoid survive. Arsenal were quick, they showed desperation and they took every chance they got and what did United do - control the ball mostly, move slowly and be arrogant about the chances they got, inturn missing all!!

The media and pundits have speculated a lot on Arsenal’s title challenge falling apart after their performances against Hull, Stoke and Tottenham but I get a strange feeling that there might be a problem at United, this year. Optimists would say you’ve played all the top 3 teams away and are still in the top 5 in the league table; there isn’t anything to worry about. I’m pissed. In the past, we have on an average come away with atleast 3-5 points from our away visits to the Big 3, but this year its 1 point only. Not good. United haven’t even scored as many goals as the other Big 3.

I know United are famous for comebacks and it generally starts post the half way point (Dec 31st) and I still believe we are favorites to win the title, but I want our performance to improve dramatically. It doesn’t feel the same if you win a title by not beating any of your top 3 challengers. I truly hope that the home visits by Big 3 to Old Trafford aren’t memorable for either one of them.

I felt cheated last evening after United’s performance. I truly hope the players felt the same and this game fires up our title defence big time.

Add to that, a fabulous dinner with friends, the only problem being the Arsenal fans among those were suitably dressed in the club’s attire. I have to say though that they were gracious enough not to rub it in.

But as they say, disappointment can’t be hidden and I was perfectly evident!!

Till next week and some redemption.

Tata and Singur: A saga closed but is a lesson learnt?

2008-10-04T18:51:00.003+05:30

Who would have expected that the most respected business house in the country and amongst the select few globally, would have faced such opposition to a project that India’s ‘dream’ to re-define the global auto industry. But as the saying goes – SHIT HAPPENS! I’ll be honest enough to admit that I might not be completely educated on the entire Singur saga but the question I want to ask is does it really matter who said what?

As a citizen of this country and as a human being with some commonsense, the only thing I have to say is I’m extremely disappointed. There are several reasons for that:

1. Someone didn’t want this to work since the beginning: No disrespect meant to anyone but from where I stand, it’s simple. I find it hard to believe that a group of highly educated, intellectual and powerful people deemed to have a way with words (to give credit where its due - most politicians do) with a lot at their disposable to make decisions, could not sit across a table and thrash out a winning compromise for all involved. The first lesson taught in the art of negotiation is to have a win-win though process when getting into one. So at some level, I do suspect that one of three parties involved didn’t want this to work out at all at the same time didn’t want to come across as the party pooper either.

2. The Left is losing its teeth: I don’t know much about politics and I haven’t ever been a fan of the Left ideology, but I do believe they have a role to play in keeping India’s democratic though process intact. However, they seem to be losing the plot. Instead of being seeing as naysayers mostly, Singur was a good chance for them to show to the people and the industry that they have the gumption to resolve issues when in power. Clearly, the Left is struggling because of its inability to resolve situations it believes in and to rise above smaller issues to support larger beneficial country level initiatives (the nuclear deal) being driven by political parties that can. As far as I’m concerned, this is 3rd hit on the Left’s credentials – first two being their effort to bring down the UPA Government and form the third front with Mayawati (excuse my ignorance but besides the obvious need to pump up their egos, the only logical connection I see between these two groups is their common man rhetoric) and all over India’s attempt to create nuclear energy for itself? As I will admit again I might not know the semantics of the Indo US agreement that the left and the opposition parties seem to be crying incessantly over and what the UPA Government might have conceded to secure a deal, but what I do know is that the power (a fundamental building block for development) crisis in India has only worsened in years and no Government (and I mean no Government) worth its salt has been able to correct that. I also know that the internal security situation (bomb blasts, attacks on churches etc) within the country has been deteriorating. From my perspective, I don’t get this brouhaha about the UPA Government compromising India’s right to test nuclear arms. Are nuclear arms more important than generating power, which inturn is likely to create economic opportunities for people, improve the overall standard of living and create a general environment of contentment within the country; all of which will bring macro-economic stability? Why do we need nuclear arms to protect a country when it can be destabilized by anti social elements giving as much as a few hundred rupees to plant hand made bombs? So for me personally the nuclear deal is great news as it gives the country hope. Who cares if American companies make money as long as the common man in India also gets something from it, which unfortunately hasn’t been the case in the past!

So from where I stand, the Left has blown two great opportunities to resurrect its appeal amongst the urban/semi urban Indian.

3. West Bengal blew a great chance to correct larger perceptions around itself: For me, the State seems to be living in denial since it lost its status as the capital of India. I know I’m being a bit harsh but a State with all that intellect and opportunity has done nothing but live with its problems all these years is frustrating for me accept. Singur, for some outsiders like me, was possibly the first sign in years that Bengal was ready to embrace change finally and participate in this country’s economic movement. But I was wrong.

While the rest of the country speculates on what the Singur saga means for me the three reasons mentioned weigh. While the Tatas might have lost in the short term, the larger country and the world have learnt again of the challenge of being a true democracy!!

What a PR professional must know to be effective in his/her job

2008-08-05T16:49:00.004+05:30

It's a no brainer; yet it seems to be the most overlooked parameter in the evaluation of a PR professional! I'm talking about the need to have 'industry knowledge' to be able to put together a well thought through PR approach and consult effectively.

I have read numerous articles and posts by PR practitioners over the years that provide advice on various aspects of our job roles to be better professionals. These include tips on working with the media, managing crisis, managing client expectations, measuring campaign effectiveness and so on. What I see lacking or not being discussed enough off is the importance of having industry knowledge and according to me it is the biggest skill gap in the Indian PR industry today.

Industry knowledge isn't limited to knowing about your client’s product or service or what it is doing in the market to differentiate itself; or what the media perceives of it. It encapsulates understanding and keeping yourself abreast of the larger dynamic environment (government policy, competition moves, customer aspirations, mood of the analysts/media/ influencers and the global business environment among others) and being able to analyse this information effectively in the context of your clients. This is the basic ingredient of being a true ‘consultant’ in any profession, let alone PR.

A lot of the senior professionals in the Indian PR industry have worked mighty hard to help establish the industry and our profession as a credible and respected one. The effort now is on raising the bar further and getting the industry professionals to be viewed as strategic consultants. While the number of professionals who are viewed in that light has grown considerably, it’s still a drop in the ocean.
PR professionals need to realize that having appropriate industry knowledge not only helps them validate their client's brief (which at times tends to be insular as it’s a big deal for them) but also come up with an appropriate position/message that is more effective, even if it drastically different from what the client wanted. We can argue the merits of the latter, but the fact remains that it’s our job to sensitize the client at times on the external context. It might lead to conflict, but more often than not, the client does appreciate the feedback.

I have often heard my peers say that we aren't engineers or finance folks or analysts to know how a product/technology works, its potential and how the market evolves in the future and my answer to them is simple. You don't need to be as long as you have the magic three – 1) understanding of the basics 2) larger industry view (basis what you read, hear and sense) at all times 3) ability to analyse information you gather. These should be apt to make you a fantastic professional and a true consultant.

So how does one go about getting the magic three? The first point is what the agencies impart in you. The second and third are about interest and focus and can be developed over time. It’s all about training your mind to consume information, asking the right questions and analyzing the information you have gained – consistently.

Trust me it’s worth whatever little pain one might go through in the larger context of elevated self worth/confidence and recognition.

Dropped off the face of the earth

2008-07-27T17:28:00.004+05:30

Yes that's what happened to me when it came to most things (including my blog) in the last month or so. Had an extremely hectic work period which should continue for some time now as I push my team and me to greater glory hopefully! Yes I'm in that phase where I like challenging the norm; shaking people out of their comfort zone, pushing my ideas through and out deliver on everyone's expectations. The eventual possibility of failure doesn't scare me. It excites me instead, as I will keep at till I achieve what I thought from the beginning I wanted. What I don't understand is why other people who I work with don't think, feel or behave like that. How can one be happy just getting along doing their job to a level of mediocrity they believe is there best?? It bothers me no end when I see people with great potential just live by the excuse that this is their best and they don't know better? That's just bollocks! In my profession especially, I see a lot of people (not everyone) from middle class backgrounds (including myself) and smaller cities with timid aspirations doing PR because it was an easy job to get and pays well. They are happy executing (which in most cases is what the clients tell them they want) work and agreeing with clients mostly as against standing up and saying I don't agree with you! Don't get me wrong here. It's not as if the client is always wrong, but if you as a consultant do believe you have a difference of opinion make it count because the end result will be a thought through and weighed strategy. Don't forever hold your peace. Stand up and be counted. Clients want and respect that. So come on!!!

Friday night dinner can be FUN

2008-06-28T14:44:00.003+05:30

I would disagree mostly, but there is nothing like a great home cooked meal with friends on a friday evening. Last night was awesome with the Khanna brothers (wohi US waale)dishing out some fab food while we were all reminiscing old times. Whether it was 'reebok' or 'andulet' tasting or the Khanna brothers being softies and hence being put in Scindia school or Kapil's height in comparion to a certain mega businessmen or Mr. Grover's volatile nature, it was all flowing freely.

Hmmm one great night and thumbs up to many more! Next stop, the Nintendo wii championships tomorrow night.

Thank God Its Friday

2008-06-27T16:35:00.004+05:30

After last night, I'm beginning to believe again that my bad luck in gambling is rubbing off on the performance of the teams I support. Both the teams i backed last night got thrashed royally :( This isnt to say that Spain and India didn't deserve to win. Now to think hard about who I really want to support in the final of the Euro 2008 (with the way my luck is going I just might be helping the team i support loose). While i prefer Spain's style of play its difficult to overlook Germany's physical presence. That said, thankfully its the weekend. Looking forward to some great food tonight thanks to the 'Khanna' brothers (US waale) and some serious nintendo wii sessions on sunday night before the final. Life isn't that bad after all :)

Come on ROOS!

2008-06-26T17:55:00.002+05:30

I can't wait to see the Russians take on the Spanish armada and nail them. Well the pundits would disagree with me but I do believe if the Russians play with the same 'heart' and 'passion' like they did in their last two games the Spanish won't stand a chance. I could be wrong but I'm ready to bet a couple of beers on that one.

Beers - these will outside the ones that I will consume as I see the ROOS get the Spanish :-)

Text 100 APAC Blogger Survey Results

2008-06-26T11:28:00.006+05:30

APAC bloggers call for PR people to get online and blog

Text 100 asks 153 predominantly business, technology and news bloggers across APAC what they want from PR and corporations

Thursday, June 26, 2008

[Key Points]
· Text 100 today announced the results of the Text 100 APAC Blogger Survey a new survey aimed at helping the PR industry and its clients better understand bloggers in the Asia Pacific region.
· In what is believed to be the first survey of its kind conducted in Asia Pacific, this survey highlights the similarities and differences between bloggers across APAC and their preferences for working with corporations and PR agencies.
· In a positive sign for the communications industry, 84% of respondents welcome contact from public relations practitioners and the corporations they represent.
· Electronic communication is king for APAC bloggers: 58% preferred email, followed by online comments on their blogs, as the preferred means of contacting them.
· Similarly, emailing of press releases and interviews or discussions ranked in the top two as the preferred formats for receiving content (67% and 60% respectively).
· APAC bloggers are not particular about who they engage with, but prefer to talk with active bloggers and whoever is closest to the story – not necessarily the traditional spokespeople.
· Two thirds (67%) of respondents spend less than 8 hours of their working week on blogging.
· Bloggers concerns included receiving unsolicited spam from PR agencies, and were frequently critical of the content they received, feeling it was inappropriate and unusable.
· While most bloggers ignore traditional press releases, 88% were aware of so-called Social Media Releases and indicated they were in favour of using elements such as videos, quotes, pictures and links from these releases in their posts.
· Text 100 surveyed bloggers it knew and those referred by friendly bloggers, not wanting to spam people it didn’t have a relationship with. Text 100 feels the views of the survey’s sample pool are a fair reflection of influential news, technology and bloggers across Asia Pacific.
· Text 100 intends to conduct this survey annually across Asia Pacific and to potentially involve other regions over time.

· Note: 153 mainly business, news and technology bloggers from nine countries across Asia Pacific responded to the survey. 125 bloggers completed the full online survey, and results were analysed by Hong Kong-based research company, Aha! Research.

[Quotes]

“The survey showed that effective PR agencies need to make social media part of their DNA. Understanding the nuances of bloggers, for example, should be part of every PR person’s toolkit, and not simply relegated to a ‘digital group’ or ‘online team’. To succeed, PR professionals must increasingly become grounded in social media.”

“It was also interesting to see two quite distinct ‘flavours’ of bloggers across Asia: those who took a commercial, publisher-like mindset to their blogging, and those who proudly retain their amateur status.”
Michael A. Netzley, PhD, Practice Assistant Professor of Corporate Communication, Singapore Management University

"The survey was well conducted and is representative of bloggers from across Asia. It's interesting to see Malaysia appears to be ahead in terms of PR/Corporate and blog collaboration. The salient points are distilled and valuable; know your audience, be well informed, be familiar with their blog and blogs in general and most importantly - respect bloggers."
ShaolinTiger, (www.shaolintiger.com)

“This survey showed that though bloggers in Asia Pacific have some parallels with their counterparts in Europe or North America, there are some differences that communicators should consider. Encouragingly, Asia Pacific bloggers on the whole welcome interactions with PR companies and their clients. But they are mainly part time bloggers, so agencies must take care to contact them outside of business hours and ensure content is relevant. The key learning is to get to know the bloggers and their blogs before picking up the phone or sending that email.

“If I was to use this survey as a baseline as to where the PR industry is at in terms of its success and relationships with bloggers, I would hope that the results of next year’s survey show a far deeper and more connected PR industry that is using the social media tools far more effectively to listen, prepare and engage with the APAC blogosphere.”
Jeremy Woolf, APAC Peer Media Lead, Text 100 APAC

“The ‘perfect storm’ of technological, business and societal change means the way corporations must communicate has changed forever. At Text 100 we have worked hard to stay ahead of these changes and interpret what they mean for our clients.”

“This survey was designed to provide our teams and clients with greater insight into what is fast becoming one of Asia’s most influential media groups. To me, the results show a community that wants to engage with corporations in our region and presents a great opportunity for PR agencies and the companies they represent to forge very powerful relationships.”
Ava Lawler, Regional Consultancy Director, Text 100 APAC

[Mulitmedia]

Q&As – hear Jeremy’s advice and tips on how to engage with bloggers following the results of the Text 100 APAC Blogger Survey:
Jeremy unveils why this survey interests PRs
This is a unique survey to APAC
Jeremy provides tips to engage with bloggers
Jeremy discusses what bloggers want

[Photo library]

Jeremy Woolf - Peer Media Lead, Text 100 APAC
Michael Netzley, PHD - Prac Assistant Prof of Corp Comm, SMU
Ava Lawler - Regional Consultancy Director, Text 100 APAC
Shaolin Tiger

The Text 100 APAC Blogger survey

2008-06-25T17:34:00.006+05:30

The results of probably Asia's first blogger survey conducted by Text 100 will be out tomorrow. 125 bloggers from across nine countries filled an online survey,which covered a range of topics including their attitude to PR outreach and what sort of content they prefer. The aim was to better understand bloggers as an audience, how they like to work, and how we and our clients can better engage with them.

This one is special! First, because India had the maximum bloggers contribute and second, because it will probably be the India's first Social Media News Release.

Can't wait!

The RUSSIAN revolution!

2008-06-23T11:36:00.004+05:30

Oh My God! was the expression that came to mind when I saw Russia play the Dutch. Play? sorry they literally took the Dutch apart in every aspect of the game..whether it was pace, attacking the ball, playing from wide or just running straight down the center; they did it all and with aplomb! In extra time the Russian simply out ran the Dutch and deservedly won the game. Van Basten's side looked like a 33+ year old team that simply couldn't keep up with the Russian renaissance.....Can't wait for the semis now to see the Russians have a go at the Spanish armada...Spain with all its talent, flair and attacking style of play much like the Dutch will be wary of this Russian side that seems to have been infused with extreme passion and belief. This isnt the same side in spirit that Spain beat earlier in the tournament 4-1.

My vote come on ROOS!

Finally the AZZURI allow their fans a breather

2008-06-18T13:20:00.000+05:30

It was fantastic to see Italy go through to the quarterfinal round of the Euro 2008 after stomping all over France. I did breathe a sigh of relief but I have to be honest, I didn’t quite enjoy the game because France never seems to have started. I’m not sure if its bad karma but I definitely believe Henry and his fall from ‘legend’ status has a role to play; remember the team is only as good as its leader and this one ceases to be inspirational! And what was that during the national anthem? Besides one or two players who were murmuring the others had their slips sealed. In comparison, the Italians (I agree they are known to be vociferous) were singing their heart’s out.

For me, it started there for Italy. They were in the mood right from the word go and boy did they put up a show. I hope they come out with the same spirit against Spain (that seems to be scoring at will) in the quarter finals. If they do, I’m confident Spain will be extremely challenged to put down an Italian side even with its star player (Pirlo) missing. And then off course there is the entire ‘rub of the green’ angle that hasn’t been with Italy but has somewhat been with Spain (remember the David Villa goal in the dying seconds of overtime against Sweden).

I can go on and on but I’ll just hold my breath and wait for the 22nd.

Man United deserved champions!

2008-05-16T14:26:00.004+05:30

The last win may not have been sublime but the performance through the year was par excellence. Skeptics (we know who these are don't we) would have you believe that it was Bennet's to United but that's BOLLOCKS! A goal difference of 19 over the closest team is testament to United's attacking yet balanced style of play and their deserved victory. A lot of team's claim flair and open attacking style of play and I cheer for them, but its the ability to adapt to situations and competitors that make champions and United have demonstrated that for the last two seasons.

The point about spending money to buy talent also pisses me off. Its not as if other top clubs dont spend money but do they all win titles? Chelsea with all their spending prowess hasn't won the premiership in 2 years and I'm pretty confident that United will end their hopes of winning the champions league as well this year. As for Grant, I'm not sure what he is taking so much credit for? With a squad like that, even if he keeps out the troublemakers he still has enough stars to play in all positions. if he thinks he has managed crisis, he doesnt realise that its about to get worse still. A lot of his stars seem to be on their way out. We all know what will happen to Chelsea's performance without Drogba - his comeback this season and his two goals against arsenal inspired Chelsea to second place let's not forget that. Arsenal continue to live in denial and their manager seems to have lost it completely. His much hailed group of youngsters that were touted to win him the premiership seem to be abandoning ship after a title drought - Flamini, Hleb?

I honestly believe next year the difference between 1st and 2nd might be greater and Liverpool might be the true title contenders next season unless both Arsenal and Chelsea get their act together.

That said, who cares...the focus is on Moscow now and adding another title to the kitty!

Glory Glory Man United!!!!

Code of ethics in the Blogosphere and the lack of it mean what?

2008-04-20T16:26:00.003+05:30

This question has always bothered me. Since the blogosphere isn’t owned by anyone means that everyone is governed by their own rules/ethics in it. But how do you explain that to human beings who are tutored since birth to manage their instincts within certain set frameworks that define do’s and don’ts, right and wrong that act as ground rules for us all to live in a civil society. If we consider those frameworks the evolution of man from his neanderthal times, then going by lack of rules in the blogosphere, I assume its participants (including myself) are back to being neanderthal’s.

The other way to look at it - the blogosphere is the latest evolution of the human ‘democratic system’ and happens to be the fastest growing democracy on earth. From this perspective, it would then be right to assume that the blogosphere reflects the evolution of man to the next level where he/she have all the freedom they want and yet define their own rules to be civil and co-exist in harmony?

I guess it’s pretty clear why it bothers me and I’m not sure if there is a correct answer. The “lack of clarity” is what makes this new world so much more exciting. Mankind has always yearned for answers and it hasn’t been at peace till it has found them. The blogosphere seems to be tickling that “need to have an answer” nerve largely because it seems to be leveling out any and all equations of wealth, power, culture, age and faith among others that exist between humans in the real world.

Supporters of this world think of themselves as evolved humans with the ability to self manage and moderate themselves while the detractors say it’s a system of anarchy and is for everyone who wants to escape the real world. Truth be told – the answer lies somewhere in between and depends from individual to individual.

This is what I think. Your thoughts?

Man Utd for the TITLE baby!

2008-04-14T18:11:00.003+05:30

If you're wondering why I'm so excited I guess you missed the cracking game between Manchester United and Arsenal that happened last evening in the english premier league. It probably was the best game in all respects that the premier league has seen this season. It had all the ingredients for a cracker (a draw didn’t suit both teams for starters) and it lived upto the hype though most arsenal fans would disagree of the outcome eventually. If you’re wondering it was 2-1 to United and it more or less ensured that the Champions retain their title this year as well. I’m sure Chelsea fans don’t agree but that human nature – you can take hope away from humans else they would be a deprived race.

The game had on display high tempo attacking football of the best kind right through and in the end the better team won. This isn’t too say that Arsenal didn’t play well. Infact, they played fantastic but in the end I do believe it was Arsenal’s nerves considering their young side and more importantly United’s ‘conviction’ that swung it in the latter’s favour. Not to mention the fantastic curler that Owen Hargreaves shot to take us through. For ardent United fans like me this was extremely comforting considering we had been missing the consistency with which our team got goals with a curler when Beckham was around. While Ronaldo has displayed similar shots he is more loved for his wider ability and depth and more for dancing on the ball which puts opposition players in a tizzy.

Yesterday’s game has left me wanting more and I just can’t wait to see United go up against Barcelona and Chelsea. But wait I will have to and with a smile!

Welcome to me

2008-04-14T18:10:00.003+05:30

I’d like to welcome myself to the web 2.0 era finally!!!! I have been planning to create a blog for a year now and in this period have talked a few people into exploring this new medium of self expression and communication. I’ve always wondered why some people find this medium ‘so cool’ considering it isn’t real time. Isn’t mobile, msn, text, twitter just quicker????

The only answer I could come up with is that a blog is an excellent place to park a thought and/or get feedback from people you don’t know. This could be from like minded people or just about anyone with no sense, which is what makes the communication even more interesting. This as against randomly sending ‘texts’ to number or adding emails to your instant messaging chats J.

Life isn’t always about figuring out stuff or processing information in a particular manner was an expected outcome or communicating with people you know or like minded people for connect. Life is RANDOM I believe and exploring it is a tribute to one's existence. There is separate sense of excitement is RANDOMNESS and those who haven’t experienced this are somewhat deprived of the true pleasure of life, I believe. But then that’s just my thinking – an average JOE trying to enjoy life.