Stopping the spiral
Saturday, 8 December 2012
Lady's firstJun 20th
Lady's first
A ploy by Chinese junta to appease the support & oppression of Aung San Suu Kyi & the likes for more than 2 decades; or there must be noticeable gender bias due to there child policy.
Progress China made riding on the back of western power and education is very visible , but still has many many miles to cover to cover its track of abuses.
One day world & the Chinese themselves will not forgive its leadership.
But definitely a commendable attainment for the moon walk.
Progress China made riding on the back of western power and education is very visible , but still has many many miles to cover to cover its track of abuses.
One day world & the Chinese themselves will not forgive its leadership.
But definitely a commendable attainment for the moon walk.
Cars on a diet Aug 14th
Cars on a diet
The problem of car is with the consumer psyche.
People worldwide associate cars with some sense of human gargantuan ego.
Leadership of the country only fires this passion more and more.
We are yet to discover a country where a head of state has been travelling in a 800 CC car which is about 3 meters in length.
Here we clearly see bigger the better psyche. On top egos of set the price points, for example Mini from BMW now, a small car that is steeply priced & there are buyers for it not for size or performance, but it is expensive.
Society has till now associated large cars with success & therefore we have S class, 7 series & the types.
It starts hurting the ego of the people in a poor country like India also when they are asked to go for a NANO, a car which is barely 700 KG, 700 CC and hardly 2.6 meters in length.
Worse people do not patronise that car because it is the cheapest car in the world at less than 2,500 US$ on road. People think it to to have stigma in India as the price point is almost like a 150 CC bike.
I do not know how the human psyche would react if Nano with some more frills comes out with an elitist version having price points close to MINI. I am sure then it would have then social talking points.
Cars are not yet purchased solely at its virtue and utility in all cases , but in most cases it is the only display of your social prominence parked outside your home.
The value system is psychological & elusive of sensibilities. Well mostly.
People worldwide associate cars with some sense of human gargantuan ego.
Leadership of the country only fires this passion more and more.
We are yet to discover a country where a head of state has been travelling in a 800 CC car which is about 3 meters in length.
Here we clearly see bigger the better psyche. On top egos of set the price points, for example Mini from BMW now, a small car that is steeply priced & there are buyers for it not for size or performance, but it is expensive.
Society has till now associated large cars with success & therefore we have S class, 7 series & the types.
It starts hurting the ego of the people in a poor country like India also when they are asked to go for a NANO, a car which is barely 700 KG, 700 CC and hardly 2.6 meters in length.
Worse people do not patronise that car because it is the cheapest car in the world at less than 2,500 US$ on road. People think it to to have stigma in India as the price point is almost like a 150 CC bike.
I do not know how the human psyche would react if Nano with some more frills comes out with an elitist version having price points close to MINI. I am sure then it would have then social talking points.
Cars are not yet purchased solely at its virtue and utility in all cases , but in most cases it is the only display of your social prominence parked outside your home.
The value system is psychological & elusive of sensibilities. Well mostly.
United States of Adipose
United States of Adipose
Though the study by The Economist is US specific, but a walk around the globe in the emerging world would tell a different story. T
The world in general is getting obese & cities in East Asian domain hardly had children that were obese even 20 years back have more obese children than ever before.
Probably the infiltration of processed foods with high sugar , fat& carbohydrate contents into households with ever increasing disposable income is to be blamed.
Not only the probability of having generations suffering from lifestyle diseases are likely to go up, but the overall cost of maintaining a healthy society worldwide is shooting up with acute pressure on each resources, man made & natural.
According to one estimate the world is already overweight by almost 12% & on top the population implosion in last 70 years have almost trebled.
Is our future generations would be living in a healthy world or would be scampering & fighting for more resources to remain fat instead of fit?
The world in general is getting obese & cities in East Asian domain hardly had children that were obese even 20 years back have more obese children than ever before.
Probably the infiltration of processed foods with high sugar , fat& carbohydrate contents into households with ever increasing disposable income is to be blamed.
Not only the probability of having generations suffering from lifestyle diseases are likely to go up, but the overall cost of maintaining a healthy society worldwide is shooting up with acute pressure on each resources, man made & natural.
According to one estimate the world is already overweight by almost 12% & on top the population implosion in last 70 years have almost trebled.
Is our future generations would be living in a healthy world or would be scampering & fighting for more resources to remain fat instead of fit?
Hush moneyAug 16th
Hush money
So corruption in high offices are not the only prerogative of the flaker's poster boys in third world countries.
American & British banking system stinks and has been a major reason for the global meltdown since last 2 decades.
I am surely withdrawing my accounts from all British Banks as likely they are going to go bust soon.
Paying a hefty fine quietly when you scale down a figure of 250 Billion US$ to 14 million and yet you agree to pay a fine of 250 million US$ baffles all calculation & applications of intelligence.
Are these bankers really serious about their accounting policies and transaction trailing and what kind of human resources are deployed & yet we hear that these poster boys are paid in 7 digits dollar salary?
What face the banks would have to face its minority shareholders who has been kept in the dark over years.
With scams of this gargantuan proportions we are almost heading towards pillow banking as the faith is lost and banks may have run suddenly.
American & British banking system stinks and has been a major reason for the global meltdown since last 2 decades.
I am surely withdrawing my accounts from all British Banks as likely they are going to go bust soon.
Paying a hefty fine quietly when you scale down a figure of 250 Billion US$ to 14 million and yet you agree to pay a fine of 250 million US$ baffles all calculation & applications of intelligence.
Are these bankers really serious about their accounting policies and transaction trailing and what kind of human resources are deployed & yet we hear that these poster boys are paid in 7 digits dollar salary?
What face the banks would have to face its minority shareholders who has been kept in the dark over years.
With scams of this gargantuan proportions we are almost heading towards pillow banking as the faith is lost and banks may have run suddenly.
Flushed with pride
Flushed with pride
All the three ideas in sanitation & hygiene are radical & innovative.
What Bill Gates achieved is more profound than UN & other bodies haven't been able to achieve in 67 years.
After a field trail of these ideas one that is cost effective & useful would be a boon to third world countries where not only children but adults also succumb to hygiene issues.
This is a tribute to the indomitable spirit of enterprise that has helped man progress thus far.
Respect for Bill Gates & his foundation multiplies manifolds to people like us who have grown, lived and seen the poor countries.
What Bill Gates achieved is more profound than UN & other bodies haven't been able to achieve in 67 years.
After a field trail of these ideas one that is cost effective & useful would be a boon to third world countries where not only children but adults also succumb to hygiene issues.
This is a tribute to the indomitable spirit of enterprise that has helped man progress thus far.
Respect for Bill Gates & his foundation multiplies manifolds to people like us who have grown, lived and seen the poor countries.
Hold your noseAug 17th
Hold your nose
The dilemma of Public Sector Banks in India is behaving like an ostrich in front of the political masters.
The stranglehold of government and bureaucrats is so overwhelming that the majority of subsidy loads are expected to be absorbed by the banks by extending credits to parastatal units in fertilizers, energy, distribution and to the farmers.
Not that all the farmers are lucky and clever to avail the subsidy or the loans that are on offer; but only a handful of them with some political connections are smart to pick that up & almost immediately starts demanding write off on frivolous counts of drought, flood, death of animals etc. showing the input of fertilizers, pesticide etc. as waste.
On top, hardly in rural India users pay for electricity and majority would prefer a hooked up free connections leading to rampant power theft.
The energy distribution and generating companies managed by state are in a limbo not knowing how to go about it due to vote bank politics.
The story is similar for all segments. The political will to recover doesn't exist & reducing the subsidy load is never tinkered around for vote bank again.
In some states power is available in villages for unlimited use for just about one dollar a month to every household. Another issue that on an average 20 days the power is not available.
Unless macro fiscal adjustments and policy enactment to deal with the situation is politically enforced & professionally dealt, India would continue to languish & all the savings pumped in by nationals in PSU banks would one day just vaporise if the recovery mechanism and subsidy issue is not tackled in right earnest and urgently.
Thankfully RBI, the central Bank, is a very strong and yet an independent body,to a large extent, and acts a watchdog to the economy and tabs the bankers, but how long if the political interference for subsidy loads forces the bankers to lend further knowing fully well that the lending is a delinquent one from beginning.
Restructuring is only delaying the inevitable. The wake up call to Indian Banks have been given long time back but if they do not put their foot down on some issues focussed on recovery mechanism, then surely to see the banking system collapse is not a unforeseen event.
And then infusion of capital in any structure & leverage to bank would be a task in futile.
The most important issue is to take a hard fiscal decision and strengthen the recovery mechanism to enable bankers to enforce recovery and invoke guarantees to defaulters.
At least it would increase the urge on part of borrowers to repay in time in the fear of a consequences.
The stranglehold of government and bureaucrats is so overwhelming that the majority of subsidy loads are expected to be absorbed by the banks by extending credits to parastatal units in fertilizers, energy, distribution and to the farmers.
Not that all the farmers are lucky and clever to avail the subsidy or the loans that are on offer; but only a handful of them with some political connections are smart to pick that up & almost immediately starts demanding write off on frivolous counts of drought, flood, death of animals etc. showing the input of fertilizers, pesticide etc. as waste.
On top, hardly in rural India users pay for electricity and majority would prefer a hooked up free connections leading to rampant power theft.
The energy distribution and generating companies managed by state are in a limbo not knowing how to go about it due to vote bank politics.
The story is similar for all segments. The political will to recover doesn't exist & reducing the subsidy load is never tinkered around for vote bank again.
In some states power is available in villages for unlimited use for just about one dollar a month to every household. Another issue that on an average 20 days the power is not available.
Unless macro fiscal adjustments and policy enactment to deal with the situation is politically enforced & professionally dealt, India would continue to languish & all the savings pumped in by nationals in PSU banks would one day just vaporise if the recovery mechanism and subsidy issue is not tackled in right earnest and urgently.
Thankfully RBI, the central Bank, is a very strong and yet an independent body,to a large extent, and acts a watchdog to the economy and tabs the bankers, but how long if the political interference for subsidy loads forces the bankers to lend further knowing fully well that the lending is a delinquent one from beginning.
Restructuring is only delaying the inevitable. The wake up call to Indian Banks have been given long time back but if they do not put their foot down on some issues focussed on recovery mechanism, then surely to see the banking system collapse is not a unforeseen event.
And then infusion of capital in any structure & leverage to bank would be a task in futile.
The most important issue is to take a hard fiscal decision and strengthen the recovery mechanism to enable bankers to enforce recovery and invoke guarantees to defaulters.
At least it would increase the urge on part of borrowers to repay in time in the fear of a consequences.
Brothers in charge
Brothers in charge
If the secular fabric of Egypt is further bleached or tainted, the likelihood of Egypt becoming Iran or Syria or Yemen is very real.
Soon we may have Taliban type diktats overruling the "democratic" institutions in Egypt.
It is for the people of Egypt to decide what they want, freedom or oppression in the name of religion.
Religious hegemony has invariably hindered the world, more so the Muslim world by failing to embrace the benefit of modern education and progress.
Soon we may have Taliban type diktats overruling the "democratic" institutions in Egypt.
It is for the people of Egypt to decide what they want, freedom or oppression in the name of religion.
Religious hegemony has invariably hindered the world, more so the Muslim world by failing to embrace the benefit of modern education and progress.
The silence of the Bollygarchs
The silence of the Bollygarchs
Western Media has, unfortunately, very little idea about the way business is conducted in India.
Without a deep patronage nurtured over the years from political parties, the likelihood of any business taking off in India is remote, even if it is a mom and pop shop; he still has to pay a fixed monthly bribe to the local politicians and administration.
1991 has become a ploy to state liberalisation. Where is it?
How many offices still one has to run around to get a business permit. Has ever Western Media tried to find out?
Just to set up a Power Plant based on coal feeds, there are 57 permissions that are at least needed from from various government agencies & that passes through at least 7 ministries over and above.
Each of this sanction points are weight points where one has to put a paper weight (bribes) to get the sanctions and hob nob with the ministerial secretariat that acts as a tout to get sanctions & signatures.
Is it possible for a common man to get a business permit or any licence without a middleman decorated as Lawyer, Chartered Accountants or simply Business consultant ?
Answer is plain and simple NO as all of them help you pass on the "paper weight" inbuilt in their fees as "out of pocket expenses" to meet the need of a signature on a paper.
Indian PM. Manmohan Singh, is rated as liberal, I think India has never seen a more decorated clerk.
Rightly so, he was called a poodle by a British tabloid.
All the scams involving bribery running into hundreds of billions of dollars have been only by political class with hand and gloves with the industrialists, including Ratan Tata, a "revered Businessman". Reverence in his case and for many is relative; while others rob 100 & I rob only 80 does make me holier than thou is what is been touted.
In any developed world the misdemeanour's of Indian business houses would have definitely put them under public censure and closure.
Classic examples Union Carbide & Everron & latest one from Maruti Suzuki, would they have got away with such acts in their country of origin? Well I need not say No, readers would.
There still is hope for India but not as bright as it is made out to be.
The public mood for them now and even in the past has been of suckers & is unlikely to change.
All these Ambani's Mittal's , Birla's, Tata's, Ruias, Adani & the likes are a precipitate of a deep rooted corrupt system that has only favoured them on reciprocation basis.
After knowing and working in this corrupt system for more than two decades at the right levels, I can say this with convictions & without fear as I do not slave for any of these tomb raiders any more.
Western Media is advised to do the homework properly.
Without a deep patronage nurtured over the years from political parties, the likelihood of any business taking off in India is remote, even if it is a mom and pop shop; he still has to pay a fixed monthly bribe to the local politicians and administration.
1991 has become a ploy to state liberalisation. Where is it?
How many offices still one has to run around to get a business permit. Has ever Western Media tried to find out?
Just to set up a Power Plant based on coal feeds, there are 57 permissions that are at least needed from from various government agencies & that passes through at least 7 ministries over and above.
Each of this sanction points are weight points where one has to put a paper weight (bribes) to get the sanctions and hob nob with the ministerial secretariat that acts as a tout to get sanctions & signatures.
Is it possible for a common man to get a business permit or any licence without a middleman decorated as Lawyer, Chartered Accountants or simply Business consultant ?
Answer is plain and simple NO as all of them help you pass on the "paper weight" inbuilt in their fees as "out of pocket expenses" to meet the need of a signature on a paper.
Indian PM. Manmohan Singh, is rated as liberal, I think India has never seen a more decorated clerk.
Rightly so, he was called a poodle by a British tabloid.
All the scams involving bribery running into hundreds of billions of dollars have been only by political class with hand and gloves with the industrialists, including Ratan Tata, a "revered Businessman". Reverence in his case and for many is relative; while others rob 100 & I rob only 80 does make me holier than thou is what is been touted.
In any developed world the misdemeanour's of Indian business houses would have definitely put them under public censure and closure.
Classic examples Union Carbide & Everron & latest one from Maruti Suzuki, would they have got away with such acts in their country of origin? Well I need not say No, readers would.
There still is hope for India but not as bright as it is made out to be.
The public mood for them now and even in the past has been of suckers & is unlikely to change.
All these Ambani's Mittal's , Birla's, Tata's, Ruias, Adani & the likes are a precipitate of a deep rooted corrupt system that has only favoured them on reciprocation basis.
After knowing and working in this corrupt system for more than two decades at the right levels, I can say this with convictions & without fear as I do not slave for any of these tomb raiders any more.
Western Media is advised to do the homework properly.
Giant AppleAug 22nd
Giant Apple
It is not the investors who have pushed the price of APPLE to where it is today, but it is the speculators and traders who have played around to get its value where it is.
Eventually most of the positions in cash and delivery would be offloaded to small investor at this price & to a few interested institutions wilfully and then the same would be hammered down to a sober level at the expense of small investors who would only lose their wealth at the merriment of Wall street sharks.
Seems like SEC would get caught napping till its too late.
Eventually most of the positions in cash and delivery would be offloaded to small investor at this price & to a few interested institutions wilfully and then the same would be hammered down to a sober level at the expense of small investors who would only lose their wealth at the merriment of Wall street sharks.
Seems like SEC would get caught napping till its too late.
The man who tried to make dictatorship acceptable Aug 24th
The man who tried to make dictatorship acceptable
My stay and visit to Ethiopia has been for a short while and certainly visible changes from the time I first visited in 2002 & now, about 2 years back; things have changed for better.
From second hand left hand drive Lada that was seen earlier;& perhaps more than Moscow,to the current times, there has been a sea change.
Earlier except Amharic, it was difficult to communicate but now people speak English as well in Addis.
But I still felt the same iron like viscous grip on business through regional councils and bankings are still extremely regressive and primitive, but they exist now.
Sadly even Addis has evolved around Bole Road and towards airport. I had the opportunity to travel upcountry several times and then one can see the grandeur of Rift valley in social rift between Addis & rest of the rural Ethiopia.
It is appalling that even today the minimum wages in Ethiopia is 12 Birr & a dollar can today buy you about 18 Birr.
This touting attracted many entrepreneurs from neighbouring countries to set up ventures that are labour intensive; construction, floriculture, agriculture etc.
What he,Meles Zenawi, did is commendable compared to what he inherited. But that also leaves a huge opportunity for the new leadership to do much more, provided the much needed democracy is opened up akin the overhang of the erstwhile Communist regime. May his soul rest in peace and bless Ethiopia, which is beautiful country waiting to come out of its cocoon and fly like a free butterfly.
From second hand left hand drive Lada that was seen earlier;& perhaps more than Moscow,to the current times, there has been a sea change.
Earlier except Amharic, it was difficult to communicate but now people speak English as well in Addis.
But I still felt the same iron like viscous grip on business through regional councils and bankings are still extremely regressive and primitive, but they exist now.
Sadly even Addis has evolved around Bole Road and towards airport. I had the opportunity to travel upcountry several times and then one can see the grandeur of Rift valley in social rift between Addis & rest of the rural Ethiopia.
It is appalling that even today the minimum wages in Ethiopia is 12 Birr & a dollar can today buy you about 18 Birr.
This touting attracted many entrepreneurs from neighbouring countries to set up ventures that are labour intensive; construction, floriculture, agriculture etc.
What he,Meles Zenawi, did is commendable compared to what he inherited. But that also leaves a huge opportunity for the new leadership to do much more, provided the much needed democracy is opened up akin the overhang of the erstwhile Communist regime. May his soul rest in peace and bless Ethiopia, which is beautiful country waiting to come out of its cocoon and fly like a free butterfly.
Shadow of a darker decadeAug 24th
Shadow of a darker decade
Again a misleading report from Western Media on India centric sensitive issue of communal harmony.
First of all even by conservative estimates, Mumbai & Navi Mumbai combined could have populations well in excess of 25 million of which, 40% are Muslim today, which is substantial.
The desecration that happened this time was not spontaneous but was premeditated.
The Mumbai Police that was better than rest of Indian Police has become so corrupt that at every step one can expect failures, naturally, the Commissioner was removed just a day ago for failing to have contained this and failure of intelligence.
Mumbai is communally so sensitive today that it would not be exaggeration to say that it is a potential time bomb.
Ethnic cleansing is ruled out in India unless a division happens again with clear migration to create Muslim & Hindu states. Oh no, not again!!!
All subversive acts today are funded from overseas and involvement of terror elements are supported from neighbouring countries.
Indeed Muslim's find it difficult to find decent accommodations unless they own it, problem is not the cultural rifts, but issues of food habits & meat(beef) that most Hindus abhor and do not take it at all at home.
This makes mingling difficult, besides religious intolerance is a big issue on both side helping them lose trust.
And there is a history for it without healing & unlikely healed in future as well.
It would augur well for Western Media to understand & hear the murmuring of discontent and undercurrents that flow to understand the social issues in India rather than just putting up an India centric article sitting over coffee with same old face who circulate on Page 3 to collect their informed wisdom that makes informed readers laugh.
First of all even by conservative estimates, Mumbai & Navi Mumbai combined could have populations well in excess of 25 million of which, 40% are Muslim today, which is substantial.
The desecration that happened this time was not spontaneous but was premeditated.
The Mumbai Police that was better than rest of Indian Police has become so corrupt that at every step one can expect failures, naturally, the Commissioner was removed just a day ago for failing to have contained this and failure of intelligence.
Mumbai is communally so sensitive today that it would not be exaggeration to say that it is a potential time bomb.
Ethnic cleansing is ruled out in India unless a division happens again with clear migration to create Muslim & Hindu states. Oh no, not again!!!
All subversive acts today are funded from overseas and involvement of terror elements are supported from neighbouring countries.
Indeed Muslim's find it difficult to find decent accommodations unless they own it, problem is not the cultural rifts, but issues of food habits & meat(beef) that most Hindus abhor and do not take it at all at home.
This makes mingling difficult, besides religious intolerance is a big issue on both side helping them lose trust.
And there is a history for it without healing & unlikely healed in future as well.
It would augur well for Western Media to understand & hear the murmuring of discontent and undercurrents that flow to understand the social issues in India rather than just putting up an India centric article sitting over coffee with same old face who circulate on Page 3 to collect their informed wisdom that makes informed readers laugh.
The $300 trillion question
The $300 trillion question
First & foremost, the erring and colluding banks, who colluded to fix LIBOR rates, must be heavily penalised for breach of trust with the investors who relied on such "real" information.
Second the Bank of England needs to get a thorough overhaul.
It takes two to tango. Then who undertakes the guarantee that the new rates are transparent, fair and just.
It is very likely that new methodology would be pegging the LIBOR higher and would have some extreme volatility to tackle, no matter whichever way one eliminates the skew.
The biggest casualty again would be the borrowers and the investors & they need to be insulated and banker's must pay for the increases insulating the existing borrower.
This way surely the Pound is also the next casualty & there would hardly be takers for it given the way Euro can become cheap and available at an affordable lending rates.
Bank of England seems would remain very busy in months to come just clarifying to European Union and Federal Reserves, USA.
Certainly a weaker EU is foreseen now more than ever before and let us not get surprised that a veiled threat comes from Britain to exit the Euro Union itself.
Just mark my words.
Second the Bank of England needs to get a thorough overhaul.
It takes two to tango. Then who undertakes the guarantee that the new rates are transparent, fair and just.
It is very likely that new methodology would be pegging the LIBOR higher and would have some extreme volatility to tackle, no matter whichever way one eliminates the skew.
The biggest casualty again would be the borrowers and the investors & they need to be insulated and banker's must pay for the increases insulating the existing borrower.
This way surely the Pound is also the next casualty & there would hardly be takers for it given the way Euro can become cheap and available at an affordable lending rates.
Bank of England seems would remain very busy in months to come just clarifying to European Union and Federal Reserves, USA.
Certainly a weaker EU is foreseen now more than ever before and let us not get surprised that a veiled threat comes from Britain to exit the Euro Union itself.
Just mark my words.
From pupil to master
From pupil to master
A behemoth gets up and about in many years and takes much longer to go down. Scepticism about Tata Empire abounds by western prudence measures & yet from time to time this benevolence, which is somehow snided by Western World as well, has been the pivot for the group's success.
Fortunately, Tata did not only invested in buying the backs but also invested in holding the hands that built what Tata enterprises represents today.
No other Industrial Conglomerate even on a global scale can boast that; leave alone India.
In most of the corporate India, including Tata, slowdown doesn't mean lay off or pruning, but an endured value of share albeit with modest expectations both ways.
This cultural issue has worked well and despite global downturns few can complain that any Indian Business House has gone in for a massive job cuts, unlike in the West where even a whiff of downturn makes the HR team busy with knife and a chopping board and all is stressed figuring out whose neck is on the block.
I personally hardly have any information about Cyrus Mistry, but surely being associated with one of the pioneering & prominent construction firm ( Shapoor Pallonji) for more than two decades and remaining out of the spotlight when the entire infrastructure sectors was in spotlight for devious deals speaks volumes about him.
Being the largest single shareholder of Tata Sons also helps him. It doesn't mean that he is gunning for extra dividends, but has approached the deal with equanimity, maturity and depth it deserves.
This decision is obviously not alone of Mr. Ratan Tata, but a lot of water had flown down the Board Room before this consensus decision emerged. To assume that Mistry is too small for Tata shoe is a misplaced thinking, he can just be a bird that just would like to fly out of the golden cage and just might explore newer horizons with new hope that makes the entire Tata clan see spanning its wing far and wider. And why not?
The value assessment on ROI has been misplaced without considering the downturn and cyclical nature of some of the businesses, like steel & who is making money in steel today?
None. Haven’t we seen an ugly spat in France just a few days ago with one Indian origin business on manpower restructuring (Arcelor Mittal)?
At least Tata was not so brazen & that is what makes Tata so much more valuable.
Maybe Mistry may take a few calls on asymmetrical businesses with consensus and let’s not forget that hallow of Ratan Tata would remain a beacon till his life for Mistry to become a truant child & let us also not forget that Tata Sons Board and its companies are also having its teeth to snap back at an ugly decision by Mistry.
Tata Group, a salt to software conglomerate, may have a few plate but they are not bad enough that it is not palatable.
Tata’s have run their businesses on a certain ethic, principles and philosophy and not always on metrics alone.
I am sure Mistry would surely fit into Ratan’s shoe over time; and who knows, He adds much more than the sceptics are worried about, including The Western Media.
Time would tell & so would The Media.
A behemoth gets up and about in many years and takes much longer to go down. Scepticism about Tata Empire abounds by western prudence measures & yet from time to time this benevolence, which is somehow snided by Western World as well, has been the pivot for the group's success.
Fortunately, Tata did not only invested in buying the backs but also invested in holding the hands that built what Tata enterprises represents today.
No other Industrial Conglomerate even on a global scale can boast that; leave alone India.
In most of the corporate India, including Tata, slowdown doesn't mean lay off or pruning, but an endured value of share albeit with modest expectations both ways.
This cultural issue has worked well and despite global downturns few can complain that any Indian Business House has gone in for a massive job cuts, unlike in the West where even a whiff of downturn makes the HR team busy with knife and a chopping board and all is stressed figuring out whose neck is on the block.
I personally hardly have any information about Cyrus Mistry, but surely being associated with one of the pioneering & prominent construction firm ( Shapoor Pallonji) for more than two decades and remaining out of the spotlight when the entire infrastructure sectors was in spotlight for devious deals speaks volumes about him.
Being the largest single shareholder of Tata Sons also helps him. It doesn't mean that he is gunning for extra dividends, but has approached the deal with equanimity, maturity and depth it deserves.
This decision is obviously not alone of Mr. Ratan Tata, but a lot of water had flown down the Board Room before this consensus decision emerged. To assume that Mistry is too small for Tata shoe is a misplaced thinking, he can just be a bird that just would like to fly out of the golden cage and just might explore newer horizons with new hope that makes the entire Tata clan see spanning its wing far and wider. And why not?
The value assessment on ROI has been misplaced without considering the downturn and cyclical nature of some of the businesses, like steel & who is making money in steel today?
None. Haven’t we seen an ugly spat in France just a few days ago with one Indian origin business on manpower restructuring (Arcelor Mittal)?
At least Tata was not so brazen & that is what makes Tata so much more valuable.
Maybe Mistry may take a few calls on asymmetrical businesses with consensus and let’s not forget that hallow of Ratan Tata would remain a beacon till his life for Mistry to become a truant child & let us also not forget that Tata Sons Board and its companies are also having its teeth to snap back at an ugly decision by Mistry.
Tata Group, a salt to software conglomerate, may have a few plate but they are not bad enough that it is not palatable.
Tata’s have run their businesses on a certain ethic, principles and philosophy and not always on metrics alone.
I am sure Mistry would surely fit into Ratan’s shoe over time; and who knows, He adds much more than the sceptics are worried about, including The Western Media.
Time would tell & so would The Media.
Monday, 30 July 2012
Power ranges Mar 15th, 10:09
Power ranges
The chart or the write up that follows would have been even more informative if the mention of the total nuclear energy consumption as a percentage of total electrical energy generation.
A few countries, like Pakistan, capacity seems a bit exaggerated and truly does not gives a right picture.
A few countries, like Pakistan, capacity seems a bit exaggerated and truly does not gives a right picture.
Of late, the activism by several bodies and lobbies have created a lot of negativity about nuke energy and a few major accidents like in USSR & Japan has only added to the fury of fear.
At the end of the day, with advances in technology & safety standards, the world would have very little options to fall back on unless there is a major breakthrough in solar energy technology.
Fossil fuels like, coal, gas etc. would soon be not an option due to serious depletion and environmental issues.
Fossil fuels like, coal, gas etc. would soon be not an option due to serious depletion and environmental issues.
Nuclear fuel is still the better option for the world energy needs & technology on safety must be upgraded to stem a disaster like, Chernobyl or Fukushima, which was a nature's fury unabated.
The rogue states still wants nuclear energy as a guise for weaponry that IAEA has not been able to stem and countries from South East Asia are freely providing the CKD modules to set up plants for generating enriched uranium. This needs comprehensive solution otherwise Nuke would remain unsafe even for peaceful purposes.
The graph is extremely good and interactive.
Please follow the Permalink below to reach the graph by the Economist
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On top a corrupt bureaucracy & officials helps the motive.
The planners like Kaushik Basu & Montek Singh, including the loathsome & mummified Prime Minister are offshoot of western value education having no mooring to the Indian ground realities, except in theories.
It is too late for them to grip with it. They are just theoreticians and lack sensibilities to govern in an impoverished environment where almost 40% of the workforce is on subsistence level (statistics are big lies in India) where at least 70% of people do not have access to safe potable water and almost similar people having no access to sanitation of a safe toilet.
The educational standards are so disparate that India produce largest number of professionals & yet more than 70% of them face employability issues & therefore not a single university has ever been able to produce a single noble laureate from it.
The infrastructures are frayed to the point of crumbling & yet new roads, dams, power generation units etc are being sanctioned recklessly without having the back-ends in place, e.g. power plants without a secure coal or gas supply, highways half done due to no land acquisition and compensation policies.
I can go on endlessly & incumbent dispensation will not be pleased.
So wherein lies the solution?
The woes of India actually doesn't lie in its micro or macro economic problem, but in serious political reforms & that must begin by new constitution, change in governance structures, autonomy to states & investment in quality education and R&D.
But Indians also needs to have a serious change of attitude quickly. The attitude today is fatalistic and submissive due to its socio political history of oppression for last 2,000 years & that got worse post independence with equal voting right thereby cleverly eliminating the educated class to have its say, especially when more than 60% of the India is illiterate, especially in northern heartland & that suits the number democracy.
Corruption, which is rampant, is simply out of social desperation and disparity, again stemming out of the loopholes and fatality of the people, both the givers & the takers.
The economic jargons of inflation, stagflation, slow down, devaluation, consumption, growth, subsidy etc. is not going to help India. But a genuine intent to do fundamental change in governance structures & educational qualities would bring about the entire necessary social changes that would be eventually the engine of sustained growth.
In the meantime people like, Basu & Singh’s would continue like a sucker who think that Indian can live well for 50 US cents today in urban India & yet they can have the audacity to bill the government a sum of almost 4,000 US$ per day for travel expenses!!!
All this is possible in a shabby democracy riding on the back of poor Indians who is just struggling for his next meal & is fatality comes to the fore then either by hook or by crook, which manifests to the western world as corruption.
Time would tell & so would The People.