Monday, September 10, 2012

UN: INDIA ENTRY

India has won the seat at a crucial time. It must use it to push, not just for permanent membership, but also for reforming the Council

Reforms become more important as the Security Council currently is at its worst, with the permanent members randomly using their veto power for much wrong reasons. For critical example, US has used its veto power 32 times in favour of Israel on resolutions related to Israel’s conflict with Palestine. In another example, while the council voted for the use of force against Iraq to save the oil-rich Kuwait from invasion, it did nothing for the resource-poor Rwanda in 1994. These are but examples to show how reforms will, to a large extent, force unilateral decisions of some members of the UNSC to be questioned and even overturned.

The official position of the permanent members with respect to elevating non-permanent members to a permanent status has been quite ambivalent. US supports Japan for permanent membership but is yet not clear on its support for India. Obama is expected to make an official statement on this issue when he visits India. UK and Japan completely support reform and permanent membership of G4 nations. As per China, it says that it supports developing countries joining the UNSC. As mentioned, Obama’s visit is crucial for India as his support for India can be the boldest step ever possible. But then, Obama is certainly no spring chicken and would expect an able quid pro quo to accede to India’s candidature.

While India lobbies for its permanent seat in the UNSC, it has to also be active in a debate on how to make the UN more effective in its various programmes, be it poverty alleviation, peace keeping, child welfare, et al. For the first time, a powerful group has come up in the non-permanent section of the UNSC, and it would be a waste of two years if the group doesn’t assert itself for the better. This is the moment, one should better grab it.


Source : IIPM Editorial, 2012.
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Saturday, September 08, 2012

In the hills of Tirupati, nature and man have collaborated to proffer the traveller more than just a holy communion

What makes people especially believe in the powers of this temple is also partly due to religious texts such as the Sastras, Puranas, Sthala Mahatyams and Alwar hymns stating that in the Kali Yuga, only the worship of Sri Venkateswara can allow a person to attain mukti – ultimate spiritual freedom.

“Tirumala is a town centred around the temple. It also has a lot of cottages, a lot of shopping plazas catering only to the devotees. It has no residences as people aren’t allowed to reside over there,” says Anuradha Mothali, who was once a resident of Tirupati. “Tirupathi is a small town. It is surrounded by forests and there are few waterfalls, which are not as splendid as the ones you’ll find in Madhya Pradesh and up north. But as there are not many hills in the South, it’s a nice breather,” said Anuradha. True enough, there are some nice scenic places one can visit when here. Among the waterfalls, Talakona Waterfall is particularly famous as it is believed to have healing properties. It is situated in Sri Venkateswara National Park, which is home to other waterfalls as well and is famous for its wild animals and birds. The rare lender Loris and the golden Gecko, Indian giant squirrel, tree shrew and flying lizards can be sighted here. Among the dense forests around Tirupati, there are said to be some 1000 Theerthas or sacred mountain streams. Akashganga is another famous waterfall, which is about 9km north of the Tirumala Temple. Its waters are used to give the Lord a bath every morning.

There are many other temples, which are also shrouded in legends, and are a must-visit when in Tirupati/Tirumala. For example, the Govindarajaswami temple, which is a landmark in Tirupati and is dedicated to Lord Balaji’s elder brother Sri Govindarajaswami. Then there is the Sri Kalyana Venkateshwaraswami Temple at Shrinivasa Mangapuram, which is much lesser crowded than the Tirumala Temple, and is thus a must-visit if one wishes to get a feel of the actual architecture and how it really was in the past.

Fairly close to the hill temple of Lord Venkateshwara is an important Shiva Temple – Sri Kalahasthi. It is believed that Lord Shiva had entrusted Lord Brahma with the task of creating Kailash, but while Brahma was attempting to fulfil his wish, a piece of his creation fell on the Earth. This came to be known as Dakshin Kailash and Lord Shiva is believed to have manifested at the spot to please his devotees. The temple that stands there today was built by the Pallavas.

A trip to Tirupati and Tirumala will transport you to a world unlike any other. Visit during the festivals for a unique cultural exposure. Vaikunta Ekadasi, Rama Navami and Janmashtami are celebrated with great pomp and splendour. Rathasapthami is a festival when Lord Venkateswara’s idol is taken in a procession. Brahmotsavam is perhaps the most important festival though, when millions of devotees congregate at Tirumala. Either way, whenever you go, it will be a blessed occasion indeed.


Source : IIPM Editorial, 2012.
For More IIPM Info, Visit below mentioned IIPM articles.
 
IIPM : The B-School with a Human Face
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Thursday, September 06, 2012

“The game has heated up, but then that’s market dynamics”

He’s the man who has been steering the Indian arm of Mercedes-Benz for the past five years. In an Exclusive with B&E, Dr. Wilfried Aulbur, CEO & MD, Mercedes-Benz shares where the company is heading

They entered India in 1994. After some restructuring globally and getting accustomed to the Indian landscape, we today know them as Mercedes-Benz India. It wasn’t a smooth ride, but today the luxury automobile giant rules the roost.

B&E: Mercedes-Benz has been in India for over a decade and a half now. What challenges have you faced since you stepped in as its CEO in 2006 and how has been the journey so far?
Dr. Wilfried Aulbur (WA): In these five years we have faced several challenges. The first one would definitely be the transition from operating in a monopolistic environment to the one filled with intense competition where we not only have the German players, but also the Jaguars and others. Further, we are operating in a market that is growing dramatically, which is an opportunity we need to leverage upon. In fact, we will end up selling 5,000 units more this year. Our CAGR over the past five years roughly boils down to about 30% and things have turned up pretty well for us so far. Another major challenge is to streamline factory operations with sale and after sales services. Then comes the challenge of preparing available human resources in the entire value chain for the upcoming explosion in demand. Apart from these unique challenges, there were those which any company operating in an economy booming with opportunities would face. These included construction of a new facility, ramping up production, expanding R&D activities, so on and so forth.

B&E: How different is it to cater to the luxury segment in India as compared to Germany?
WA: The difference is the segment itself. The market in India is relatively nascent. As the market grows, we too will continue to grow rapidly and see about 40,000-50,000 Mercedes-Benz cars being sold in India in the next 10 years. In India, we have the privilege of interacting with an elite group of people who form our customer base, but in Germany the customer base is much more broader. In Germany we have a market share of 8%-10%. That means, every tenth new car being sold in the luxury segment is a Mercedes-Benz and we are the clear leader in that market space.

B&E: What is the logic behind “Proven Exclusivity” programme?
WA: “Proven Exclusivity” is a globally benchmarked pre-owned car programme. This programme utilises specific global benchmarks for vehicle evaluation, quality and warranty to offer Mercedes-Benz certified pre-owned cars to customers. In fact, it’s a very good opportunity for people who wanted to be a part of the Mercedes family, but couldn’t join it because of some sort of financial limitations. This is for the people who want the comfort, quality and safety of a Mercedes-Benz but do not really want to spend as much money. In fact, we aim to garner 15-20% of our overall sales volume through “Proven Exclusivity” programme in the near future.

B&E: But, will a prospective Mercedes buyer go for a second hand car? Luxury was never about anything ‘used’.
WA: You see, the basic product promise remains exactly the same. You get the same safety, same quality, same comfort and the benchmark performance that is the hallmark of a Mercedes-Benz. The only difference is that we are able to serve a more broader customer base.


Source : IIPM Editorial, 2012.
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Wednesday, September 05, 2012

Kareena and the (Body)guard

Despite two successive flops with Salman Khan, Kareena Kapoor is all set to give it a third chance! Bebo, whose latest film We are Family has had a rather dismal run at the box office, is looking forward to pairing with Salman in Bodyguard. In the news always for her looks and weight, it’s time to refresh the audience’s memory of Bebo’s acting prowess. Hopefully, the Dabangg success will rub off Bodyguard; we know Bebo surely has her fingers crossed for that.

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Source : IIPM Editorial, 2012.
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Tuesday, September 04, 2012

Hugh rues…

Now that Hugh Grant has turned 50, it seems like he has more regrets than fond memories of his life gone by. The actor, who has been in and out of relationships, fears that he might end up alone. He expressed his desires of settling down and having babies, and also repented on not doing that before. Well, with a huge fan following and a charming persona intact, we’d say that it’s never too late!



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Monday, September 03, 2012

The pride of India goes awry

The withdrawal of 10 per cent rebate, which was given to the khadi industry around the year, and 20 per cent that was given for 108 days a year to mark the Gandhi Jayanti, has left the local khadi industry in the lurch with many units facing an immediate closure. by Swati Sharma

It was during the pre-Independence era that the movement of khadi manufacturing gained momentum under the guidance of the father of the nation Mahatma Gandhi. The movement of manufacturing and wearing khadi was aimed at dissuading Indians from wearing of foreign clothes.

Gandhi once wrote: “Swaraj (self-rule) without swadeshi (country made goods) is a lifeless corpse and if swadeshi is the soul of swaraj, khadi is the essence of swadeshi.” With these words of Gandhi, during the national struggle for freedom (Swadeshi and Non-Cooperation Movement), khadi became not only a symbol of revolution and resistance but also a part of the Indian identity.

No More Rebate
The withdrawal of 10% rebate, which was given to the khadi industry around the year, and 20% that was given for 108 days a year to mark the Gandhi Jayanti, has left the local khadi industry in the lurch with many units facing an immediate closure.The government has decided to put an end to the rebate given to the khadi industry from April 1, 2010 onwards. The local industry, which was highly dependent on the rebate, has been hit hard by the hurried decision.

Experts say that khadi and village industries in the country provide employment to a considerable number of artisans. “The government’s move might render this workforce jobless in the near future,” an industry observer says.

According to some Khadi and Village Industries Commission (KVIC) members, a chain reaction has started in the rural khadi units — no increment to the Sarvodaya Sangh workers, no daily wages to poor weavers, weavers moving to construction work etc. Opposition leaders raised the issue in Parliament, saying it is inappropriate and unfair on the part of the government to stop the rebate abruptly as this was introduced to promote the khadi industry, which was endorsed by Mahatma Gandhi himself.

From Bad to Worse
The rebate was the sole purpose and lifeline for the industry as the clothes were being sold at 30% of cost, and undoubtedly, this will further push the sector towards extinction as this resource crisis gets worse. Sector experts say its quite interesting that on one side, the government announced an allocation of Rs400 crore for the khadi industry in the Union Budget 2010, and at the same time, it took away the rebate quite willfully.

At present, the government owes over Rs450 crore to Haryana state alone as rebate and that is just one state in a country of 29 states. Even bank loans, that were given at 4%, are now being given at 12%, which makes it all together for the khadi units to survive. “We shall continue doing the needful and live the Gandhian way in spite of all opposition from the government and will fight for our cause,” says a store manager at Khadi Gramodyog in Delhi, on the condition of anonymity.


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Saturday, September 01, 2012

Manoj Gaur, Executive Chairman, Jaiprakash associates ltd.

From expresways to Real Estate to cement to power, jaypee group has proved its worth as a diversified ENTITY WITH A FOCUS on infrastructure. In an exclusive Interaction with Manoj Gaur, Executive Chairman, Jaiprakash associates ltd. Priyanka Rai & Deepak Ranjan Patra attempt to find out how the group is planning to elevate itself to a new level

When do you expect to achieve break-even in this particular project?
In a way, I should say we have already achieved break-even. Though the expressway is yet to be completed, our revenues from real estate have already started flowing in. We have invested nearly Rs.97 billion in this project, including an equity investment of Rs.12 billion, IPO proceeds of Rs.15 billion, loans of around Rs.60 billion and real estate proceeds of Rs.10 billion. Of this, we thought the real estate proceeds would come by March 2011, but we achieved those by March 2010 itself.

Do you have any more real estate projects in the pipeline apart from the five integrated cities that you are planning around the expressway?
Yes, there are five projects under Jaypee Infratech Ltd. Apart from the same, we have a division Jaypee Sports, which has two kinds of activities. Under its core activities, we are constructing a world-class cricket stadium, and an F1 track, which will start in October 2010. Under the non-core activities, we are constructing a sports city. Apart from these, the Ganga Expressway project (from Greater Noida to Baliah) is also there. We have plans to develop nine more cities around that expressway. But that’s for the future. At present, we are focussing on these five cities on the Yamuna Expressway and the sports city.

Of late, Jaypee Group is trying to strengthen its hospitality business. In that line, there is a lot of buzz about your new flagship hotel in Greater Noida.
We will be inaugurating it in October this year. We are building it in collaboration with Sixth Sense Spa in the Greater Noida golf course. It will be unique and one of its own kind in North India. Sixth Sense is a reputed name in South East Asia, when it is about Spas. At this moment, I do not have the liberty to disclose much information about the same. However, I can say that the hotel will be the first five star hotel inside a 450-acre golf course. Let’s see how it goes.

Recently, Jaypee Fertilizers agreed to enter into a 50:50 JV with Duncan Industries to revive their Urea plant (in Panki, UP) that has been closed for over 5 years. What are you planning to achieve from this venture?
Be it media, cement, fertilizers or any other industry, only those players will survive who have perseverance, credibility and quality. This plant was once a very reputed plant. It got closed down for variety of reasons. At Jaypee, we believe that fertilizer, like electricity, cement and roads, is also a very critical sector for the country’s growth. Every year, we import around 7 to 8 million tonnes of urea, and here, while we have a plant, it is closed. So we thought of reviving the plant and modernising it by infusing competitive modern technology. And with this, we think we can also prove that we’re reasonable players amongst the private fertilizer manufacturers.

Do you have any plans to raise funds from the market for this fertilizer venture, or for that matter for any other venture of your group companies?
No, we do not have any such plans in the near future.

Jaypee Group has grown manifolds in the past few decades. Where would you like to see yourself after two decades from here?
Today, our cumulative market cap is around Rs.400 billion. We will hope that our next generation moves on with the philosophy that we have always followed. Numbers are certainly inspiring, but we believe that our growth should always continue and our shareholders should feel proud on us. Having said that, I think if our organisation is in the top 50 today, I would like to see it remain among the top 10 after 20 years. But more than that, it should be one of the most respected companies by all parameters.


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