After Modi, who?

If the Gujarat Chief Minister moves to Delhi after 2014, there are a number of contenders for his job in the state but for the moment, they are quiet. Arnold Christie draws up a list

In the throes of his victorious Long March more than six decades ago, China’s great helmsman Mao Tse Dung was richly aphoristic “a great revolution requires a great party and many first rate cadres to guide it… we must purposefully train lakhs of cadres and hundreds of first rate mass leaders…….,” he said.

What he said about revolutionary principles applies to political parties in a parliamentary democracy – a well organised cadre is a sine qua non for a party seeking to broaden its base and stay afloat.

But trust Narendra Modi to turn things on their head. Such has been his dominance in Gujarat in the course of his decade-long rule there that there has been virtually no need for an organised cadre or second-in-command. No leader can claim proximity to the BJP strongman, who is tipped as one of the strong contenders for being Prime Minister when the country goes to elections in 2014. The main question on every Gujarati lip is this: who will succeed Modi in the state in the eventuality of his elevation to Delhi? While there are several claimants to his legacy, no one is willing to hedge their bets – as yet – as most of them are too fragile to get into Modi’s bad books.

Political analysts say that in 2001, when Modi took over the reins of Gujarat BJP, his overall attempt was to cut down to size any opposition from the BJP ranks. Slowly, but steadily, powerful Gujarat BJP leaders were defanged: Keshubhai Patel and Suresh Mehta were left rudderless, Haren Pandya was mysteriously murdered while powerful backward leader Kashiram Rana passed away, leaving the field open for Modi. Today, former chief ministers Keshubhai Patel and Suresh Mehta are not even part of BJP. After demolishing the first line of BJP leadership, there is only the second line of BJP cadres left in the state who are quite willing to do Modi's bidding.
While there are a youthful bunch of BJP leaders in the fray like Nitin Patel, Amit Shah, Purushottam Rupala, R C Faldu and Saurabh Patel, they lack Narendra Modi’s charisma and gumption.

While there is a lot of gossip on who could succeed Modi, the Gujarat Chief Minister has everyone, including members of his kitchen cabinet, guessing. None of the leaders mentioned wants a mass base of his or hers own - they would rather be close to Modi.

Such a situation suits the Gujarat Chief Minister who has deliberately created this confusion so that his iron grip on the state remains even if the NDA loses. In three consecutive assembly elections, he has proved that without him the Gujarat BJP cannot win the state. The deliberate posturing of being a one-man army has proved beneficial; it is not the BJP but Modi who is a box-office hit. So far, all speculation has centred on Anandiben Patel, said to be the unofficial second-in-command of Gujarat BJP and also Modi’s successor if he moves to the centre. Insiders in the state BJP say that Modi has been grooming Anandiben to take over from him.


An indication of that has come in the way she has conducted meetings and even presided over portfolios which are not under her jurisdiction. For instance, unofficially, Anandiben has guided the destinies of the party over the significant poll issue of the Narmada Dam project in a drought-stricken Gujarat.

But health may not be on side of 71-year-old Anandiben. In which case, Modi favourite Saurabh Patel – a MBA from US - can consider himself in the run. Saurabh’s ministerial responsibilities of energy, finance, industries, petrochemicals and minerals and civil aviation give him a direct line to the country’s biggest corporate houses.

With both Patels as his closest lieutenants, Modi has in a sense, secured both his past and the future. With key aide Amit Shah entangled in encounter cases,  Modi has been keen to promote 54-year-old Saurabh Patel. He was reportedly instrumental in getting Saurabh a `safe’ seat during the 2012 assembly elections.

Another possible contender is former Finance Minister Vajubhai Vala, the man who holds the record of presenting the state budget 14 times and his successor Nitin Patel. Nitin, a Patel leader from Mehsana, is also in Modi’s good books and holds important portfolios like health, medical education, family welfare and transport. These days, he is the unofficial representative of the Gujarat government on places where Modi cannot make it.

Member of Parliament Purushottam Rupala too is said to be in the race but recent developments in BJP’s internal politics indicate that Rupala is out because of differences with Modi on allotting seats during the assembly elections. They say that Rupala’s non-inclusion in the new Team Rajnath in Delhi is a sign of this changing equation.

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Source : IIPM Editorial, 2013.
An Initiative of IIPM, Malay Chaudhuri

and Arindam Chaudhuri (Renowned Management Guru and Economist).

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Never say no

Despite scams and industrial scandals, Maharashtra strides India’s economic horizon as a colossus. Chandran Iyer reports

Maharashtra, once a preferred destination for freedom fighters, is also India’s financial hub. The state, an economic and industrial powerhouse, has witnessed gigantic stock-market scams, industrial scandals and political upheavals. But despite the jolts, it has continued to grow at a blistering economic pace. It is the wealthiest state in India, contributing nearly 15 percent to the country's industrial output.

India’s largest stock exchange, the Bombay Stock Exchange located on Mumbai’s Dalal Street, has witnessed a spate of economic tremors triggered by mega-scamsters but somehow or the other, they have not dampened the sentiments of investors who still feel that this market remains the biggest short-cut to become Mr. Richie Rich.

In 1995-96, the Enron scam rocked the country for all the wrong reasons. The way in which the Dabhol power plant in Maharashtra was awarded to the global energy giant raised questions about kickbacks to politicians to clear infrastructural projects and to the media for planting slanted stories without keeping national considerations in mind. Maharashtra today is the second largest exporter of software products with annual exports of 18,000 crore (US$ 3.3 billion) and accounts for more than 30 percent of the country's software exports, with over 1,200 units based in the state. The head offices of all major financial institutions of India, viz., banks, insurance companies and mutual funds, are situated in Mumbai. The head office of the biggest financial institute of the Indian economy, the Reserve Bank of India, is also located in Maharashtra’s capital city.

Says Director General of Mahratta Chamber of Commerce Industries and Agriculture (MCCIA) Anant Sardeshukh, "Maharashtra all along has been a leading industrial state in the country and today it contributes 15 percent GDP of the nation. This state is also attracting  a great deal of Foreign Direct Investments (FDI). However, it has to take a cue from Gujarat and remove bureaucratic hurdles in industrialisation. If that is done, it will considerably boost up the state’s economy,” he says adding that Maharashtra has a lower attrition rate than Gujarat.

The state is also an ideal  business destination for  foreign companies looking to invest in India. Recently the British Prime Minister David Cameron visited Mumbai with the biggest ever business delegation from UK to enhance economic tie ups with India, especially Maharashtra.

Points out Arun Bharadwaj, CEO and Executive Director of Global Imaging Technologies and Vice-Chairman of British Business Group, Pune, "Maharashtra has been  one of the largest business attractions for UK companies  for a long time. This is because there are business opportunities specially in automobile, IT, manufacturing and quite recently, the education sector."

A number of ancillary units for the automobile sector are being setup even after the TATA-JLR deal. There are several IT companies from UK based out of Maharashtra. Naturally, for those looking to invest in the state, the capital city offers the best opportunities. What is attractive for investors is Mumbai's clout as the financial capital of India. The IT sector has also marked its presence along with many service providers to UK companies. The reason; the presence of a large number of sound professional and technical colleges in and around the state are ideal picking ground for young graduates. This provides opportunities to the student community which is readily available to join the work force or train according to the industry-specific requirements.

Another sterling feather in Maharashtra’s cap is Mumbai’s Bollywood industry, which is also the world’s largest film industry. Indian cinema has a history of nearly 100 years and is an integral part of Indian society and culture. Now even Hollywood is courting Indian film producers: Disney, Viacom, News Corporation and Sony Pictures have all done deals with Bollywood companies in the past few years.

Says Raju Phulkar, a Marathi film writer, producer and director, "Bollywood is a bigger money spinner than any other film industry in India. It is the land of magical dreams where every wannabe actor wants to make a mark. Most end up shattered, some manage to get a foot-hold while only a very few manage to make a name for themselves in the tinsel world."

Phulkar, who also runs a film academy teaching students the basics of editing, script writing and acting, says, "Bollywood is a mesmerising world and it contributes a big chunk to Maharashtra’s economy."

Though Bangalore may be the IT capital of India, it was Maharashtra which put the United States to its place when it refused to grant Super Computing technology to India. Stung by the US snub, the then Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi asked a Maharashtrian IT expert Vijay Bhatkar whether India had the capability to make super computers as the US had refused to transfer technology to India. Bhatkar, a simple but a brilliant IT man heading the Centre for Advance Computing (CDAC ) based in Pune, agreed to take up the challenge.

Along with his team, Bhatkar managed to create an indigenous supercomputer of Cray capability, then in gigaflops range which was named PARAM. In fact, C-DAC was launched in 1988 as India’s answer to US denial. When the PARAM super computer was launched, Wall Street Journal took caustic notice of it with front page headline “Angry India does IT”.

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Source : IIPM Editorial, 2013.
An Initiative of IIPM, Malay Chaudhuri

and Arindam Chaudhuri (Renowned Management Guru and Economist).

For More IIPM Info, Visit below mentioned IIPM articles

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Professor Arindam Chaudhuri – A Man For The Society….
IIPM: Indian Institute of Planning and Management
IIPM makes business education truly global
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Rajita Chaudhuri-The New Age Woman

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Highest suicides till date

Increasing suicides in US forces raise sticky questions

Recently, a 32 year old Iraqi war veteran of US army Jason Glover was shot dead by on-duty sheriffs when they responded to reports of home violence. Jason apparently pointed his gun at the sheriffs and refused to back down, before being shot dead. Some also commented that Jason could have been suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder (also having been severely injured on duty in Iraq) and may not have received requisite assistance to cope with that. While that may or may not be true, the Jason case exemplifies an issue that is increasingly worrying the US defence forces.

Today, globally, the number of military deaths in a non-battlefield setting is increasing across the world. Since World War II, the pattern of non-combat deaths has taken a paradigm shift. Today, an increasing number of soldiers are dying because of psychological issues.

According to the US Department of Veterans Affairs, on an average, 600 off-duty army personnel deaths take place every month while 30 deaths take place for on-duty soldiers! Look into the overall figure and the issue becomes clearer. A report by the US Department of Defence states that “For 2012, there have been 177 potential active-duty suicides." The same figure for 2011 was 165. More interestingly, there were "126 potential not on active-duty suicides (84 Army National Guard and 42 Army Reserve) for 2012 and 118 (82 Army National Guard and 36 Army Reserve) for 2011.” The US Army confirmed last month that the actual 2012 figure of suicides amongst army personal (active and non-active) was 325. "Our highest on record," said Lt. Gen. Howard Bromberg, Dy Chief of Staff of the US Army to media. Just six years ago, the situation was much different. According to reports from Pentagon, only around 100 American soldiers “died in non-combat incidents, including suicide and illness, in the year ending June 30, 2007.”

In particular, most of these suicides took place either in war zones or amongst those returning from such zones! Pentagon's Medical Surveillance Monthly Report mentioned last year that "...In 2010 and 2011, suicides accounted for more deaths of service members than transportation accidents.” It's not that Obama is blind to the issue, but till date, instead of directly addressing suicides, the Obama administration had assumed that the post service unemployability of the veterans was the main reason for suicides – and therefore all their plans for veterans were focused on either increasing employment or providing better financing facilities.

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Source : IIPM Editorial, 2013.
An Initiative of IIPM, Malay Chaudhuri

and Arindam Chaudhuri (Renowned Management Guru and Economist).

For More IIPM Info, Visit below mentioned IIPM articles

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Is the telecom sector ready for the next wave?

After growing at a robust clip over the past decade, the telecom sector ran into a wall of problems – from weak financials of operators to regulatory bottlenecks. As a result, the industry’s buoyancy and energy seems to have dissipated. But data services present new opportunities that could bring life back into the game Anirudh Raheja
 
The telecom sector in India witnessed exponential growth, especially in the wireless segment, in the last few years. The wireless subscriber base in India grew from FY00 through FY10 at a compound annual growth rate of 77.5% to reach 584.3 million subscribers in FY10. This number climbed to 752.19 million subscribers in December 2010. Currently, the number stands over 900 million and is next only to China. Even the bouquet of telecom services has evolved, ranging from basic telephony to voice, video and data services, Wimax, WLAN and VPN, and bandwidth on demand to virtual private networks. The sector is now migrating from pure play voice connectivity to offering a broad bouquet of data services like video calling, mobile TV, and chat. Many other utility services like m-payments and m-commerce are also becoming an integral part of consumers’ lives, transforming the mobile data traffic composition. This evolution is expected to increase mobile data traffic at a CAGR of 126% over the next five years. Sure, the next phase will be data-driven but unlike the first phase – when operators riding on the back of an unprecedented boom of more than 700% in subscriber base from just 1 million subscribers to over 750 million between 1998 and 2010, scorched growth – the new phase comes with challenges. Already, intense competition in the sector over the past few years has dented the profitability of operators. The industry could generate revenues of just Rs. 1131.8 billion in FY12 compared to Rs.1141.3 billion a year ago, dragging it back some 0.83%.

Feeling the heat, most telecom companies have already started raising their tariffs. Given the fact that 3G is still at a nascent stage and VAS growth is also quite muted, tariff hikes will help telcos to earn more and to improve their situation. But while focusing on revenue and profitability is a step in the right direction, income augmentation is possible only if operators also put their shoulders behind enhancing their data services. Unfortunately, the focus on data is largely missing currently as is evidenced from the huge deficit of applications across a spectrum of activities – health, agriculture, education, financial service and the whole electronic commerce platform, from couponing to ticketing. In this context, a faster rollout and spread of 3G services will facilitate introduction of various VAS such as video calling, gaming, high-speed Internet access and other data services. Given that a substantial part (around 60%) of the total VAS revenue goes into the kitty of the service providers, the development of this segment is likely to offer them an opportunity to support their falling revenue. With the implementation of mobile number portability, service providers are expected to constantly develop new VAS.

Abhishek Chauhan, telecom analyst at Frost & Sullivan says, “to experience quality VAS on 3G, quality 3G services are needed. This would definitely take some time, at least 2-3 years.” But with 3G subscribers expected to reach 142 million in 2015, operators who move slowly on this front will likely lose out big time. Thankfully, leading operators are quickly getting on to the game. In a bid to get more users to try the next generation 3G services telecom operators are now offering better cost-effective deals to the masses. Going forward, 3G spectrum is expected to attract major investments and open new growth avenues for the telecom sector. However, the past few months have seen a sharp decrease in capex by operators because more and more monies are now required for various “levies”. According to a report by Crisil Research, investments in telecom have been affected by the lack of policy clarity and, in some cases, stretched financials of companies after the acquisition of 3G / BWA licences.

In fact, the unclarity on major policy issues has spooked the industry like never before. Take, for instance, the issue of refarming and mortgaging of the spectrum. Rajan Mathews, Director General, Cellular Operators Association of India, opines, “Refarming, as proposed by the Government, is largely akin to “redistribution” and it is founded on flimsy grounds. The entire restructuring of an efficient network by ripping off the existing infrastructure, disconnecting the connected and then deploying an infrastructure that is more demanding in terms of capital, space and construction does not make any sense or benefits the industry or consumers.”

Quite a few issues have remained unsolved between the government and service providers. These include matters related to restrictions on interconnects between own systems and networks across service areas, eligibility criteria and tenure of licence period, the USO fund, as well as various spectrum related issues. As a result of this policy muddle, operators have been forced to shut down networks. Recently, Uninor shut down its operations in Mumbai, which left 1.8 million of its users stranded. In Kerala three operators – Aircel, Telenor and Videocon – have shut down their networks. It’s not surprising that investor rating agency Fitch has noted recently that regulatory risks such as such as an one-time charge for excess spectrum, spectrum re-farming and imposition of high spectrum renewal fees are high for the Indian telecom industry compared with other markets in Asia-Pacific.

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Source : IIPM Editorial, 2013.
An Initiative of IIPM, Malay Chaudhuri

and Arindam Chaudhuri (Renowned Management Guru and Economist).

For More IIPM Info, Visit below mentioned IIPM articles

2012 : DNA National B-School Survey 2012
Ranked 1st in International Exposure (ahead of all the IIMs)
Ranked 6th Overall
Zee Business Best B-School Survey 2012
Prof. Arindam Chaudhuri’s Session at IMA Indore
IIPM IN FINANCIAL TIMES, UK. FEATURE OF THE WEEK
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Movie Review: Silver Linings Playbook

Raucous Romantic Romp

An intelligent film, with intelligent actors and an intelligent script is bound to do be good and Silver Linings Playbook turns out to be just that.

Tiffany and Pat played by Jennifer Lawrence and Bradley Cooper keep the film gritty and grounded while a no-time-for-niceties director David O Russell steers it with outstanding ability.

Pain is the undertone in almost every single scene in the film. However, the pain will be mixed with a lot of laughter as Russell keeps every scene filled with humour and sharp wit. This mix of sadness and happiness without going the black comedy route is highly entertaining and will keep you interested till the very end.

Bradley Cooper whose claim to fame is Hangover and People magazine’s Sexiest Man Alive award, seizes the juiciest role of his career and meets every comic and dramatic challenge. Jennifer Lawrence on the other end is an absolute wonder to watch. She can be raunchy, dirty, sexy, foul mouthed and pleasant, even in the same scene sometimes.

The greatest achievement of the film at the end of the day is the fact that it is a comedy which never gets stale and circumvents predictability at every turn.

The entire genre of rom-com needed a strong contender to bring back its credibility by infusing it with grit, and emotions stemming from reality rather than amped up social montages or people walking on the beach. Go watch it, for you would love it.

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Source : IIPM Editorial, 2013.
An Initiative of IIPM, Malay Chaudhuri

and Arindam Chaudhuri (Renowned Management Guru and Economist).

For More IIPM Info, Visit below mentioned IIPM articles

2012 : DNA National B-School Survey 2012
Ranked 1st in International Exposure (ahead of all the IIMs)
Ranked 6th Overall
Zee Business Best B-School Survey 2012
Prof. Arindam Chaudhuri’s Session at IMA Indore
IIPM IN FINANCIAL TIMES, UK. FEATURE OF THE WEEK
IIPM strong hold on Placement : 10000 Students Placed in last 5 year

BBA Management Education

Between Contenders and Pretenders

The big boys are here. Australia is back in India to try and reclaim lost ground and glory. From the look of things, they are well on their way. And, what of India? 

The former mace holders of the number one spot in Test cricket have had their once proud noses rubbed in the green in England, smashed in on the sun baked acres Down Under and finally chopped and buried in the dust bowls of the subcontinent. Will this series help Dhoni’s boys grow a new proboscis this spring? Will India win back the Border-Gavaskar trophy and a bit of pride? The point is, it might. But that should be small consolation for a team and a nation aspiring to win back the crown.

The Proteas are the ones wearing it today, and wearing it well, one would say. They are dismembering the resurgent Pakistanis in their backyard with punch and panache that would have done the champion teams of old proud. And I don’t see this team wresting a series from them on current form, at home or away.

The English are next in line and they have already told us what I was meaning to say. Basically, fat chance! Australia is coming in without two of their best who have ridden off into the sunset, and without that precocious new talent who threatens to blow batsmen away soon as he can get his back to hold him up – the sensational Pat Cummins. And yet, I feel they will have the upper hand in the series against India unless… And more on that shortly. For now, back to the list.

Pakistan is getting comfortable up there with the big guns at number four. And they have the nucleus of a side that could emerge as a serious threat to the current podium finishers. They almost gave India a drubbing in the ODIs with their razor edged bowling attack and left the ‘Men in Blue’ bleeding. In the relatively more encouraging environs of a Test match, it doesn’t take much to imagine how wafer thin the current Indian line-up would look against the swing and bounce of Umar Gul, Junaid Khan and the beanpole from Burewala, Mohammed Irfan.  

 So is the current Indian team going to shake up the ICC rankings in a hurry? If you ask me, it looks highly unlikely. Ok, though I wouldn’t be able to say if the Aussie pacemen would be able to run through the Indian batting on Indian wickets often enough because they are rather new to the conditions, I will go out on a limb here and say that India does not have the fire power to dismiss the Australians twice over more than once in the four match series unless… and here is the unless I was speaking of earlier… unless, Bhuvaneshwar Kumar and maybe Shami Ahmed  emerge as new and potent forces at this level or, and this is even more unlikely, Ishant Sharma rediscovers his pace and aggression. As for the rest of the attack, it is useful at best.

Cricketing greatness, especially at the Test match level, is possible only if a lot of things fall in place. And greatness isn’t about holding on to a ranking for a few months or even a year or so. Greatness, in Test cricket, is about creating and leaving behind a legacy for generations all over the world to aspire to. It is about dominating the game for a decade or more.

Only truly great teams can do that. Remember Don Bradman’s invincibility in the 1930s-40s, Peter May’s Englishmen in the 1950s, the Sir Frank Worrell and Richie Benaud led West Indies and Australia and their monumental rivalry in the 60s, and then came Ian Chappell’s near dirty dozen who hustled and muscled their way through most of the 70s and in waylaying him and his team, inspired a bruised and battered Clive Lloyd and a bunch of extremely athletic and talented entertainers to become the demonic force that dominated world cricket from the late 1970s right up to the mid 1990s. Then the mantle passed on to the Australians till about 2010. And now the scepter is adrift again, flirting with a few suitors but yet to fall in love again.

South Africa though seem the strongest and the boldest of those at the dance. And India for now, results against Australia notwithstanding, would be lucky to get a second look. And here’s why…

Great Test teams need a few essentials. A solid, if not great, opening pair; at least two top or middle order batsmen, who would rank in the history of the game as all-time greats; it would be nice if the team had an all rounder who had the respect of the opposition; a match winning spinner would be wonderful but what a team cannot even pretend to be great without is a pair of fast bowlers who are all-time greats.

All the above mentioned teams had these combinations in some measure or the other. You could say that Clive Lloyd’s and Ian Chappell’s teams did not have a spinner worth remembering (sorry Ashley Mallet, those fingers tweak words better than Kookaburras), but like I said, spinners in the great teams of the past and the future, are wonderful, but not a necessity. That is simply because a spinner’s ability to force the issue is a little limited simply because he depends far more than the fast bowler on conditions, to ply his trade effectively. Secondly, a spinner’s effectiveness, and I mean that in his role as strike bowler and not stock bowler on flat belters, wanes as batsmen around the world become more familiar with his craft.

Ajantha Mendis, and why even Harbhajan Singh, would be cases in point. Bishen Singh Bedi and Shane Warne would be amongst the exceptions to that rule because while one was magical with flight, the other gave it a rip like none other in the history of the game.

So when you look at South Africa, here’s what you get. A soon to be all-time great batsman in Hashim Amla, a solid opening batsman in Graeme Smith, an exceptional all round cricketer in AB de Villiers and perhaps the greatest cricketer of our times – Jacques Kallis.

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Source : IIPM Editorial, 2013.
An Initiative of IIPM, Malay Chaudhuri

and Arindam Chaudhuri (Renowned Management Guru and Economist).

For More IIPM Info, Visit below mentioned IIPM articles

2012 : DNA National B-School Survey 2012
Ranked 1st in International Exposure (ahead of all the IIMs)
Ranked 6th Overall
Zee Business Best B-School Survey 2012
Prof. Arindam Chaudhuri’s Session at IMA Indore
IIPM IN FINANCIAL TIMES, UK. FEATURE OF THE WEEK
IIPM strong hold on Placement : 10000 Students Placed in last 5 year

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Shadows, lights and the stage

From Karamchand to Mandola, Pankaj Kapur has come a long, illustrious way. With National Awards and a Filmfare Award punctuating a critically acclaimed career, this actor and director still wishes for more. Pratishtha Malhotra meets the man and his passion

You character in the film Matru Ki Bijlee Ka Mandola is that of a full-blown alcoholic, but we know you to be a teetotaller. So how did you manage to pull that off?
A bit of research happens whenever you do a role; and if one has attended a lot of parties, he would have come across people who at times might have gotten completely sloshed, and seen their behaviour patterns. So that’s what I observed and recreated in my character. Of course I took the help of the director and some others who had a little more knowledge about the nuances of drinking and about what happens to an alcoholic.

So what do you prefer – directing or being directed?
Acting is my first love, so it depends on who the director is. If you have a good director who knows his job and allows you a certain kind of space and trust on your abilities to work on the part that he’s entrusted you with, then it’s a great pleasure. There could also be at times such directors who do neither respond well to your creative inputs nor share things with you; they become dictatorial in terms of how they look at things to be done, and this can be a big bore and a very uncreative process. Frankly speaking it can be very putting off, and I am fortunate that I have not had to work with such directors much. There are whole lot of people who give it their best, and that’s what makes a given film great. So interaction between the actor and the director is the most important thing to happen for the film and the character to become alive. I love direction as well by the way.

As an actor, what do you look for in a film when you sign it?
It is the script, the story, the character that has been offered to me and who is going to direct it. But the most important things for me are the story and the character. There could be a brilliant director but if I have no part in the film I may still not do it. But if there is a part with which I think I can do something and the director and I are on the same page, then it doesn’t matter that he may be a first-time director. But if there is a director who understands and trusts you (somebody like Vishal Bhardwaj with whom this is my third film) there’s a comfort level and there is a certain level of maturity that you expect – you don’t have to explain to him as to why are you doing this and he doesn’t have to explain to you what he wants vis-à-vis his subject. That, of course, is a great situation to be in.

Theatre is something that has always been close to your heart. How do you feel about the current scenario of theatre in India?
I think what is good is that the actors as well as others involved in theatre can make a living through it today. I passed out of National School of Drama when I was 22 in 1976. I was a young boy and at that time there was no way one could survive solely on theatre. So therefore we had to look for films, television and other media. But in today’s time it is possible to survive and do well in theatre if you’re able to create a niche for yourself. That’s a very fortunate thing.


The unfortunate thing is that there are no writers. Even in films we have this huge problem – this film is adopted from Hollywood, this from a Tamil film, from this and that film – originality is not there. Similarly in play writing there are hardly any plays being written. Thus after a point it becomes very boring to have same adaptations, same translations, same plays which have been done millions of time to be done again. As a youngster, a young actor or a young director it is a good exercise, but what about the audiences? How many times would you want to see the same play? So why aren’t new plays being written? Reason: there is no money. In television writing, you write trash like “Acha Pappu tum theek ho” and earn thousands of rupees. That’s not the kind of money that you can ever imagine in theatre. Therefore people are not encouraged to do it and it has not acquired the status of a profession. We have had people like Mohan Rakesh and Vijay Tendulkar who contributed hugely to modern Indian theatre. Their plays are still being enacted. So if you can have playwrights of that calibre today there is no reason why the theatre will not become richer in terms of content and money. Today a person is ready to buy a ticket of 300-400 bucks to go see a good performance at a play.

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Source : IIPM Editorial, 2013.
An Initiative of IIPM, Malay Chaudhuri

and Arindam Chaudhuri (Renowned Management Guru and Economist).

For More IIPM Info, Visit below mentioned IIPM articles

2012 : DNA National B-School Survey 2012
Ranked 1st in International Exposure (ahead of all the IIMs)
Ranked 6th Overall
Zee Business Best B-School Survey 2012
Prof. Arindam Chaudhuri’s Session at IMA Indore
IIPM IN FINANCIAL TIMES, UK. FEATURE OF THE WEEK
IIPM strong hold on Placement : 10000 Students Placed in last 5 year

BBA Management Education

Are we doing enough?

There is no inter-agency collaboration nor any direction to tackle this menace head on

I have just returned from Assam after holding the first ever march against child trafficking that traversed over 300 kilometres from Guwahati to Dhubri. There were several cases of child rights violations including trafficking, bonded labour and sexual exploitation that I came across while interacting with the villagers and other ordinary people. To cite an example, when we reached Hajo, a teary-eyed policeman approached us complaining that his seven-year-old kidnapped nephew was untraceable. If this is the condition of a policeman, you can well imagine the plight of a common man. According to National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) 2,05,028 cases of missing children were recorded during 2009-11, out of which 6,739 were from the North East. Assam alone accounted for 4,019 such cases during the period in reference.

Among the core marchers were two girls and two boys who had gone missing in their early childhood. Jyoti (name changed) disappeared from her village in Assam’s Lakhimpur district when she was four. She was traced by her father after 12 years of relentless efforts. While Jyoti’s father recognised her, the girl had forgotten everything. Similarly Usha (name changed), who was kidnapped from her village in Lakhimpur district aged five remained untraced for eight years. She was sold from one employer to another in Delhi before being rescued by Bachpan Bachao Andolan (BBA) in November 2012. Two boys have been staying at Bachpan Bachao Andolan’s Bal Ashram for almost ten years now, because their parents could not be traced.

No definitive legislation on missing children, coupled with inaction, insensitivity and lack of adequate policing have further exacerbated the problem.

Missing children do not disappear into thin air. There is a definitive and predetermined purpose behind each child that goes missing. There exists an organised nexus between local agents, abductors, placement agencies, brothels, gang masters running rackets of forced beggary, mafias involved in organ trading and supplying young girls as child brides. Children are also abducted for being forced to work as combatants. There is no inter-agency collaboration, systematic information sharing and synchronisation between the law enforcement agencies, administrative bodies and child rights organisations.

Bachpan Bachao Andolan has been actively pursuing the judiciary at district, state and apex level for securing judgements and directions to protect and uphold the rights of children. This activism has yielded results. Taking Delhi as a case in point, FIRs are now being lodged and the rate of recovery of missing children has improved slightly when compared to the last few years. It has been possible only because of the strong intervention by the Delhi High Court. In March 2011, the Delhi High Court had directed the Delhi Government and Police to follow a Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) which included investigation, monitoring, follow-up and regular counselling of parents and the children that have been traced. Regretfully the SOP is not being adhered to in its true spirit and substance. The attitude and track record of state governments and the Central Government is even worse.

In March 2012, the Supreme Court of India issued notices to the Centre and state governments for setting an advanced scientific mechanism to investigate and recover missing children. On three occasions this year, the Apex Court directed the Centre and state governments to apprise them about the steps taken but there has been no response so far.

Despite strong advocacy efforts by the civil society and  action demanded by concerned parliamentarians, the government has not taken any concrete steps to create a centralised database of missing children. Children missing from remote villages in one part of the country often land up as slaves in mines, stone quarries, restaurants, sweatshops and homes in the other parts of the country. Bonded child labourers, forced beggars and inmates at juvenile homes and children staying at shelter homes run by government and NGOs are most often children that have gone missing.

Read more....

Source : IIPM Editorial, 2013.
An Initiative of IIPM, Malay Chaudhuri

and Arindam Chaudhuri (Renowned Management Guru and Economist).

For More IIPM Info, Visit below mentioned IIPM articles

IIPM’s Management Consulting Arm-Planman Consulting
Professor Arindam Chaudhuri – A Man For The Society….
IIPM: Indian Institute of Planning and Management
IIPM makes business education truly global
Management Guru Arindam Chaudhuri
Rajita Chaudhuri-The New Age Woman

ExecutiveMBA

The new buzz word in Motown: Affordable luxury

While growth in the mass passenger car segment has stalled, the luxury segment has been racing ahead. India’s rising numbers of millionaires and well-heeled young professionals are driving this trend even as luxury car makers are creating new segments to generate demand and excitement

The Indian automobile industry is facing one of its toughest periods in over a decade. In the period between April 2012 and February 2013, the industry registered a negative growth of -4.64% in the passenger cars segment. Sales of small and medium automobile segments are slacking off, which is in sharp contrast to the scorching pace of growth witnessed till a couple of years ago. Between 2005-06 and 2010-11, passenger car sales blazed at 15.2% per annum. That fell to 4.7% in 2011-12, before languishing this past financial year.

The only silver lining has been the luxury end of the car market, which has been an exception to this anaemic trend. While the overall passenger vehicle industry has grown at a CAGR of 19.04% in the past four years, and the luxury vehicle segment has grown at a CAGR of 32.02% during the same period. Currently, of total car sales of 2.5 million, the luxury segment contributes only 1.2%. But the segment has been growing steadily over the past couple of years and is expected to contribute 4% of the total car sales in the next eight years. Industry experts believe that demand for luxury cars will rise to at least 50,000 vehicles by 2015, from 25,000 units sold in 2012. India’s rising numbers of millionaires and well-heeled young professionals are driving sales of luxury and super luxury vehicles.

According to a study conducted by CLSA Asia-Pacific Markets, the number of millionaires in India are projected to grow twice their current size to 403,000 by 2015. Among them many would be from highly paid professional classes and these upwardly mobile young executives are more than willing to splurge on aspirational products like luxury cars. “As compared to the mass segment buyers who are most affected by the macroeconomic conditions, the rich and affluent class is not affected by factors such as rise in interest rates, increasing price of fuel and inflation. They are cash-rich and can readily buy the car of thier choice,” says Kumar Kandaswami, Senior Director, Deloitte India.

Read more....

Source : IIPM Editorial, 2013.
An Initiative of IIPM, Malay Chaudhuri

and Arindam Chaudhuri (Renowned Management Guru and Economist).

 

For More IIPM Info, Visit below mentioned IIPM articles

 

2012 : DNA National B-School Survey 2012
Ranked 1st in International Exposure (ahead of all the IIMs)
Ranked 6th Overall
Zee Business Best B-School Survey 2012
Prof. Arindam Chaudhuri’s Session at IMA Indore
IIPM IN FINANCIAL TIMES, UK. FEATURE OF THE WEEK
IIPM strong hold on Placement : 10000 Students Placed in last 5 year

BBA Management Education

International

Apple Vs Samsung: Patents war

Locked in legal wrangles over patents

The battle between Samsung and Apple over copyright and patents ownership reached a climax this year in August with a California jury ordering Samsung to pay $1.051 billion in damages to Apple. The Apple-Samsung trial came after each side filed a blizzard of legal motions and refused advisories by US district judge Lucy Koh to settle the dispute out of court. In April 2011, Apple had filed a patent infringement lawsuit to demand $2.5 billion from its smartphone competitor. In response Samsung, which has overtaken Apple as the world’s leading smartphone maker, had fired back with its own lawsuit seeking $399 million. After the trial, the jury found that several Samsung products illegally used such Apple creations as the “bounce-back” feature when a user scrolls to an end image, and the ability to zoom text with a finger tap. Samsung lawyers insisted that several other companies and inventors had previously developed much of the Apple technology at issue and argued that many of Apple’s claims of innovation were either obvious concepts or ideas stolen from Sony Corp and others. But even after the US court verdict, the battle between the two is far from over. Earlier this month, the two companies squared off once again in the same US court that gave the jury award in favour of Apple. In the hearings that have taken place so far, the iPhone maker has been going all out to convince judge Koh to ban sales of a number of the Korean company’s devices, besides defending its $1.05 billion jury award. Other than the US, Apple and Samsung have filed similar lawsuits in eight other countries, including South Korea, Germany, Japan, Italy, the Netherlands, Britain, France and Australia. In one such suit in South Korea, judges in Seoul ruled that Samsung didn’t copy the look and feel of the iPhone; instead it’s Apple that has infringed on Samsung’s wireless technology.

Hewlett Packard: troubled times

Can Whitman turn around HP’s fortunes?

For Hewlett Packard, the No.1 personal computer maker, things have been going pretty downhill for quite sometime. In the third quarter of this fiscal, HP suffered a $8.9 billion quarterly loss as personal computer sales shrank and it had to swallow a huge write-down linked to its $13.9 billion purchase of Electronic Data Systems Corp. It marked HP’s fourth consecutive year-over-year quarterly decrease in revenue, which sank 5% from last year to $29.7 billion. Worse was to follow as HP disclosed in November that it will take a $8.8 billion write off on the Autonomy deal for which it had paid $11 billion last year. This year alone HP has lost close to a quarter of its market value, and its shares are down about 15% from when Meg Whitman was appointed to the helm last year. Whitman has been shaking things up at HP by reorganizing divisions, ushering in new managers and slashing costs through the job cuts. To cope with the upheaval, HP has been expanding into technology consulting, computer software, data storage and high-end servers made for companies and government agencies. But HP hasn’t been evolving rapidly enough to avoid an alarming deterioration in its financial health.

Read more....

Source : IIPM Editorial, 2013.
An Initiative of IIPM, Malay Chaudhuri

and Arindam Chaudhuri (Renowned Management Guru and Economist).

 

For More IIPM Info, Visit below mentioned IIPM articles

 

IIPM’s Management Consulting Arm-Planman Consulting
Professor Arindam Chaudhuri – A Man For The Society….
IIPM: Indian Institute of Planning and Management
IIPM makes business education truly global
Management Guru Arindam Chaudhuri
Rajita Chaudhuri-The New Age Woman

ExecutiveMBA

“Europe now offers great opportunities for M&As”

Danny A. Davis, Consulting Partner of DD Consulting, a London-based M&A consultancy, talks about how companies entering into M&A deals should work out their strategy and planning in advance to enjoy the fruits of synergy and integration

As a Programme Director at Henley Business School for M&A, Davis is always in demand as guest speaker at international seminars on strategy and M&A. He has also recently written a book – M&A Integration: How To Do It. Planning and Delivering M&A Integration For Business Success – easily available on Amazon. What are the stages of a successful integration? How do you achieve the announced synergies? When do you start planning the programme? Who needs to be involved and when? Davis’s book not only offers solutions to these questions but also covers new ground as well. It’s a very practical and useful book from a man who has helped plan and run some of the largest mergers and separations in the world, including the European side of the BP-Castrol merger, which had 180 projects across 30 countries.

In an exclusive interview with Business & Economy, Davis expounds on the dynamics that shape M&A deals in today’s world and the tools and techniques for ensuring their eventual success. He says integration issues should be thought through and planned well before the deal is agreed. But even a well-intentioned acquisition can go awry if the management fails to work around the challenges needed to successfully deliver integration projects and bring about transformative change. As a strategy consultant who has been involved with integration for two decades, Davis says that apart from strategy and planning corporate functions such as HR, finance, IT, sales and marketing, supply chain, etc. also play an important role in determining the outcome of M&As. Edited excerpts from an interview:

B&E: How do you think the global M&A market is doing at present?

Danny A. Davis (DAD): The global market is doing well, and picking up. The types of deals have changed over the last few years. Deals are now smaller and will continue to be remain small in comparison to the big acquisitions we saw in the past.

B&E: What is your outlook for the future of M&As?

DAD: M&As will continue to improve and increase. We will see them happen more often and in different geographies unlike in the past when they took place mostly in the West and Europe.

B&E: Do you think the current plight of Europe could help catalyse more M&As in the days ahead?

DAD: Yes. A downturn in an area leads to opportunities. There are many companies in Europe, which have a good underlying base, management and product. However, for various reasons, they are struggling. The purchase of struggling companies or assets will prove very profitable in the long term. The issue is about deciding which companies are good and will stay afloat and which are poorly managed and will go under after the purchase. Clearly, some good due diligence will be needed. Also prospective buyers need to have a very strong integration plan to ensure that a currently failing business is turned around. I recently managed a turnaround deal for a FTSE 100 client. The trick is to move rapidly and deliver substantially faster than is normally done during integrations.

Read more....

Source : IIPM Editorial, 2013.
An Initiative of IIPM, Malay Chaudhuri

and Arindam Chaudhuri (Renowned Management Guru and Economist).

 

For More IIPM Info, Visit below mentioned IIPM articles

 

2012 : DNA National B-School Survey 2012
Ranked 1st in International Exposure (ahead of all the IIMs)
Ranked 6th Overall
Zee Business Best B-School Survey 2012
Prof. Arindam Chaudhuri’s Session at IMA Indore
IIPM IN FINANCIAL TIMES, UK. FEATURE OF THE WEEK
IIPM strong hold on Placement : 10000 Students Placed in last 5 year

BBA Management Education

Keep him beyond harm!

The Centre needs to immediately provide high level security for Arvind Kejriwal and team

Considering that India Against Corruption (IAC) – led by political activist Arvind Kejriwal – is taking some of India’s most powerful people head on, the possibility of retribution cannot be ruled out. There is reason enough for the government to provide high level security cover for Kejriwal. The activist can hardly boast of friends in political circles. He has taken on Robert Vadra, DLF, Salman Khurshid and even BJP President Nitin Gadkari on the issue of corrupt practices. It’s not that taking on these heavyweights equates to upping the risk on one’s life – it’s just that there is no dearth of eccentric followers of the tainted individuals, who might take it up themselves to simplistically ‘teach’ a lesson to the activist and his friends. Kejriwal’s team member, Prashant Bhushan has been attacked physically in the past, by the so-called members of Shri Ram Sena and Bhagat Singh Kranti Sena. And so have many of his lower level team members during various meetings. Kejriwal might perchance assume that rejecting government provided security would be akin to taking the higher path – unfortunately, such a thought would be quite dangerous, to say the least. For the man who brought the RTI Act to life in India, a high level of security is imperative to ensure that the current velocity of anti-corruption activities is continued without a break. However cliched this might sound, it is true that the nation needs Kejriwal now more than ever. With experience, Kejriwal’s public responses are becoming more mature and tempered.

Read more.....

Source : IIPM Editorial, 2013.
An Initiative of IIPM, Malay Chaudhuri

and Arindam Chaudhuri (Renowned Management Guru and Economist).

 

For More IIPM Info, Visit below mentioned IIPM articles

IIPM Global Exposure
IIPM Best B School India
IIPM B-School Detail
IIPM Links
IIPM : The B-School with a Human Face

BBA Institute

Letters to the Editor

New genre magazine
Every issue of Business & Economy magazine is a great compilation of thoughtful and analytical stories. Pick up any of the issues in the recent past, and one can clearly find out that the magazine is informative and helps the readers in forming a refined perspective about various sectors. Fortunately, I got a chance to go through the latest issue on “China Unplugged” as well. In terms of quality, a gamut of issues were covered with an interesting presentation style. The magazine seems to be strongly focussed on quick supply of knowledge and an ease in understanding complex business situations. I have gone through various issues in the past and would say that its a new genre magazine growing by the hour. It nicely encapsulates current issues and brings out the true essence of the story. I wish that your journey touches new heights with every issue. Best of luck!

Vijay Jindal
Chairman & MD, SVP Group

Knowledge pool
Once you start flipping through the magazine, one may find that its a pool of knowledge. My favourite is the policy section where it’s a trend to critically analyse the situation spanning across different sectors in India. Stories on slum development, MGNREGS, illegal mining and Draft Water Policy 2012 are just a few that I would like to name from the lot that make you think out of the box. I also like the Scrutiny section as it also follows a somewhat similar trend. The magazine is captivating with some books reviews and columns from international leaders making it an even more interesting read. The sector story on ports also deserves a mention in this letter for the insider on the situation of Indian ports. I habitually go through many magazines, but Business & Economy is a class apart. Well done team.

Sanjay Ghoshal
Director, Avenir Business Solutions

Read more....

Source : IIPM Editorial, 2013.
An Initiative of IIPM, Malay Chaudhuri

and Arindam Chaudhuri (Renowned Management Guru and Economist).

 

For More IIPM Info, Visit below mentioned IIPM articles

 

2012 : DNA National B-School Survey 2012
Ranked 1st in International Exposure (ahead of all the IIMs)
Ranked 6th Overall
Zee Business Best B-School Survey 2012
Prof. Arindam Chaudhuri’s Session at IMA Indore
IIPM IN FINANCIAL TIMES, UK. FEATURE OF THE WEEK
IIPM strong hold on Placement : 10000 Students Placed in last 5 year
IIPM’s Management Consulting Arm-Planman Consulting
Professor Arindam Chaudhuri – A Man For The Society….
IIPM: Indian Institute of Planning and Management
IIPM makes business education truly global
Management Guru Arindam Chaudhuri
Rajita Chaudhuri-The New Age Woman
IIPM B-School Facebook Page
IIPM Global Exposure
IIPM Best B School India
IIPM B-School Detail
IIPM Links
IIPM : The B-School with a Human Face

B&E Indicators

Agriculture needs serious consideration

Considering the falling contribution of agriculture sector to the country’s GDP, the government initiated measures to push formal lending to marginal and small farmers (who would have otherwise depended on microfinance), starting 2008. While these measures did cause agricultural lending to rise in the initial three years, in 2011 it fell. Over the past three years it is the private sector that has shown higher growth in lending as compared to public sector banks.

Risk factor plays a crucial role in agri-lending

During the past three years, asset quality under agriculture lending has deteriorated at a faster pace than overall asset quality. Apart from various other factors, agriculture credit waiver schemes have contributed in a big way to the rise of NPAs. Experts believe that the waivers are motivating farmers not to clear their debt. Hence, a need to develop a robust credit culture in the sector is felt strongly.

Read more....

Source : IIPM Editorial, 2013.
An Initiative of IIPM, Malay Chaudhuri

and Arindam Chaudhuri (Renowned Management Guru and Economist).

For More IIPM Info, Visit below mentioned IIPM articles

 

2012 : DNA National B-School Survey 2012
Ranked 1st in International Exposure (ahead of all the IIMs)
Ranked 6th Overall
Zee Business Best B-School Survey 2012
Prof. Arindam Chaudhuri’s Session at IMA Indore
IIPM IN FINANCIAL TIMES, UK. FEATURE OF THE WEEK
IIPM strong hold on Placement : 10000 Students Placed in last 5 year
IIPM’s Management Consulting Arm-Planman Consulting
Professor Arindam Chaudhuri – A Man For The Society….
IIPM: Indian Institute of Planning and Management
IIPM makes business education truly global
Management Guru Arindam Chaudhuri
Rajita Chaudhuri-The New Age Woman
IIPM B-School Facebook Page
IIPM Global Exposure
IIPM Best B School India
IIPM B-School Detail
IIPM Links
IIPM : The B-School with a Human Face

National

AB Group: New Buys

K. M. Birla is shopping

The Aditya Birla Group is showing a strong acquisition drive. The group has acquired over 26 companies in the past 15 years but the last two years have been specially frenetic. The group has, during this period, snapped over six big buys across the business spectrum. The most recent ones have been the acquisition of a controlling stake in Kishore Biyani’s Pantaloon and a 27% stake buy in Arun Poorie’s Living Media, which owns the popular magazines India Today and Business Today. Earlier, it had spent $340 million to acquire Domsjö Fabriker, a leading Swedish speciality pulp and bio-refinery company. Aditya Birla Chemicals had recently acquired the chloro-chemicals division of Kanoria Chemicals & Industries as well, for Rs.8.3 billion. Today, the Aditya Birla Group is a $30 billion corporation, and is in the league of Fortune 500 companies.

PC Market: Tough Competition

Lenovo overtakes Dell, HP, in India

There’s a new leader in the Indian desktop market, and it’s Chinese. Personal computer maker Lenovo has cornered the largest share in the overall Indian PC market, overtaking Dell and Hewlett-Packard (HP), as per the latest data released by market researcher IDC. Lenovo had a market share of 15.8% in the three months to March 31, compared to 10% in the previous quarter. Dell, at number two spot, saw its market share shrink by 2.6 %, while HP followed with a market share of 14.9% in the March quarter. Clearly, these top 3 PC makers have a tough fight on their hands in their bid to emerge as clear leaders. Considering the still low levels of PC penetration in the country, it will be interesting to see who garners the maximum share in the coming times. The big surge for Lenovo came due to a large order from the Tamil Nadu government to supply free laptops to graduating school children – a promise made during last year’s state assembly elections. A few months ago, Tamil Nadu announced the procurement of 900,000 laptops at around Rs.14,000 a piece.

Read more....

Source : IIPM Editorial, 2013.
An Initiative of IIPM, Malay Chaudhuri

and Arindam Chaudhuri (Renowned Management Guru and Economist).

For More IIPM Info, Visit below mentioned IIPM articles

 

2012 : DNA National B-School Survey 2012
Ranked 1st in International Exposure (ahead of all the IIMs)
Ranked 6th Overall
Zee Business Best B-School Survey 2012
Prof. Arindam Chaudhuri’s Session at IMA Indore
IIPM IN FINANCIAL TIMES, UK. FEATURE OF THE WEEK
IIPM strong hold on Placement : 10000 Students Placed in last 5 year
IIPM’s Management Consulting Arm-Planman Consulting
Professor Arindam Chaudhuri – A Man For The Society….
IIPM: Indian Institute of Planning and Management
IIPM makes business education truly global
Management Guru Arindam Chaudhuri
Rajita Chaudhuri-The New Age Woman
IIPM B-School Facebook Page
IIPM Global Exposure
IIPM Best B School India
IIPM B-School Detail
IIPM Links
IIPM : The B-School with a Human Face