Tuesday, June 22, 2010

Utterly ogrely…!

TSI Five-O: Goes ‘Ogre-board’ with punchless jokes in a retelling of Shrek 1

The ogre fun is here again with an interesting twist but Shrek as a franchise ran out of steam by “Shrek The Third” and is pretty much running on empty now.

The latest tale begins with an irate Shrek (Mike Myers), trying hard to shuttle between his daily chores and managing his kids, with absolutely no time for himself. He misses his long lost luxuries of lone time and of having the liberty to take a mud bath as and when desired. A dejected Shrek, desperate to live his bachelor life again, soon gets tricked into signing a contract with the evil Rumpelstiltskin (Walt Dohrn), who with his magical powers, offers him a deal to live his bachelor life for a day. Once Shrek bites the bait, he finds himself to be a part an era where no one knows him - his wife Princess Fiona (Cameron Diaz) doesn’t recognise him, his friends the Donkey (Eddie Murphy) and Puss (Antonio Banderas) have no idea about his existence and worse still Rumpelstiltskin is the king of Far Far Away.

How Shrek fights all evils (especially the flying witches) and wins the ‘Kiss of True Love’ in order to turn back time is an interesting watch only if one overlooks the frivolous entry of the Pied-Piper. The 3-D gimmick does not add anything to the adventure and the film is not exactly a bundle of joy if you were expecting a world of entertainment, but nevertheless it is a decent watch. It’s “Shrek 1” redux in a sense; only with fewer funnier moments.

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Source : IIPM Editorial, 2009


An IIPM and Professor Arindam Chaudhuri (Renowned Management Guru and Economist) Initiative

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Wednesday, June 16, 2010

Time to act purposefully on cigarette makers

Out of 1.1 billion smokers across the world, a staggering 120 million live in India. In quick summary, raising taxes on cigarettes and bidis to internationally recommended levels would not only save millions of lives but also will generate additional revenues for the government to the tune of Rs.180 billion, according to American and Canadian economists and public health specialists. Reports point out that in spite of the fact that 51 million Indians alive today will have a premature death because of tobacco consumption, the taxes on tobacco are far too low compared to developed economies. The World Health Organisation recommends that taxes on cigarettes be 65 per cent to 80 per cent of the retail price. In India, the figure is as low as 40 per cent! However, if the figure is raised to 78 per cent, it can ward off 3.4 million premature tobacco related deaths and as well as raise the government exchequer by Rs.146.3 billion each year. The situation is the same with bidis. Though 85 per cent of Indians smoke bidis, the product is taxed at nine per cent of its retail price! Almost 15 million premature deaths can be averted even by raising the tax rate to 40 per cent of retail price and elevate government revenue to the tune of Rs.36.9 billion. One-tenth of all deaths in India are tobacco related – a shocking 1 million every year. The World Bank estimates that a 10 per cent price rise of cigarettes could ensure see a demand fall by 8 per cent in low or middle income countries. Even though a majority of tobacco consumers are poor and young, and very price sensitive, as the demand for expensive cigarettes falls, it is unfortunately offset by the demand rise for bidis. Therefore consumers merely switch to a cheaper priced bidis. This is one of the main reasons that with higher taxes on cigarettes in India, the demand never really dropped for tobacco related products, unlike in other middle income countries. One set of strategies adopted by the Indian government to reduce demand for tobacco products – imposing comprehensive ban on advertising and promotions; apart from restricting smoking in public places and ensuring prominent health warning labels on products – has contributed considerably to reduction in heart attacks. However, prohibition of advertising and promotions still contain certain loopholes – surrogate advertising being one example of the same. Things become more complicated when the company manufacturing the cigarettes is a conglomerate operating in many other business areas.

There is no ideal policy. A policy that works out, becomes ideal. Cuba may not be fully successful but there can be lessons from its policy. Its first aim was to portray "smoking is a socially unacceptable behaviour". This was followed by creating awareness about smoking’s harmful affects; and providing education, research to evaluate peoples' psyche about smoking and framing strategies towards changing that. Above all, strong political will is all the more important, considering that tobacco related illness and deaths cost India an incredible sum of Rs.300 billion a year!

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Source : IIPM Editorial, 2009


An IIPM and Professor Arindam Chaudhuri (Renowned Management Guru and Economist) Initiative

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Wednesday, June 09, 2010

It is anything but a failed state

There are other positive developments as well. A large section of civil society has started to shift its focus to issues that were left on the backburner for decades. Increasingly, people are willing to talk about issues like poverty, health and education. Although Pakistan fares better than India on several indices of health, hunger and poverty, and is visibly ahead in infrastructure, there is still a long way to go. Civil society is coming up with innovative ideas to deal with these issues. And they are questioning authority like never before. The way civil society and media has been hounding the power minister and the power supply authorities for the painfully long outages is worth taking note of.

It does not mean that emotive issues are dead. In almost every meeting, somebody or the other will raise the issue of Kashmir or for that matter, increasingly, water. But in every meeting a substantial section is willing to look through such individuals and talk about other matters. A classic example was our meeting with the Vice Chancellor and faculty members of the University of Punjab, Lahore. It was heartening to see how much effort academia was making to improve higher education in the country. In the middle of the discussion, a long retired army man now doubling up as a researcher, started taking a hawkish position on Kashmir. The other faculty members not only snubbed him and but also started talking about the more pressing issue of how history is being taught in South Asia. The academicians were putting in lots of labour while trying to write history textbooks with a fresh perspective, free from partition era hangover. For these academicians more pressing issues lay somewhere else.

The head of the Centre of South Asian Studies lamented that he has not got access to the Persian manuscripts of an old history book that was lying somewhere in India. Half of the same manuscripts are in Lahore. But he needed the entire thing to write the authentic history of the period. Similarly, other academicians were more concerned about a lull in academic exchange and non-availability of visas to India than they were with Kashmir.

Similarly, there are lots of concerns about how their country is presented in the international media, particularly in India. Questions after questions were thrown at us about Bollywood’s stereotyping of everything Pakistani. It appears the masses there want to detach themselves from the state and want to be treated as an independent entity. The selection of news is an issue. For example, two days in a row, there were items about a Hindu feudal lord kidnapping a Muslim girl and violating her. However, the Indian media only carries the news when there is a role reversal. Also, the siege mentality one would have expected to see on the roads was missing. Average Pakistanis are the fiercest critics of fundamentalist forces. They snub rightist elements. They question everyone: the state, the army and ISI.

The visit also coincided with perhaps the greatest event in Pakistan’s democratic history: the 18th amendment. The way all political parties came on board to introduce political reforms was unprecedented. Who would have imagined Asif Ali Zardari of all people would let go of his extra-constitutional powers so easily. Democracy is indeed trying to find its feet in Pakistan and the 18th amendment, with the restoration of legislative power, will go a long way to strengthen it.

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Source : IIPM Editorial, 2009


An IIPM and Professor Arindam Chaudhuri (Renowned Management Guru and Economist) Initiative

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Tuesday, June 08, 2010

OBC face of the Ram Mandir movement

It may be recalled that even after the BJP had expelled Uma Bharti, the RSS continued to support her. The RSS mouthpiece ‘Organiser’ had also attacked the BJP leadership over her expulsion. She was arguably the party's most charismatic backward caste face. Uma has been associated with the RSS and the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) since her childhood before coming into the BJP fold. She was a gifted child preacher who was groomed by the Parivar. And since the BJP's inception in 1980, Uma had been a loyal soldier of the party.

On being asked if RSS was pushing the BJP to re-induct Uma Bharti, RSS spokesperson Mohan Vaidya completely denied this and said, “This is a party matter. The BJP will decide. They will do whatever they think is good for the party.”

Soon after appearing on the national scene in the early 1990s, the BJP began a project to build a strong backward caste leadership with the help of K. Govindacharya, Kalyan Singh and Uma Bharti but after their departure, BJP had started to look like a party of floating leaders without a mass base. According to sources, the party is planning to re-induct many stalwarts like Babulal Marandi and Govindacharya as well. As a senior leader says, “Govindacharya’s departure had been extremely costly for the BJP. The former was one of the key strategists of the party.”

According to one faction of the divided party, differences related to Uma Bharti’s re-induction have been solved but the other side is still opposed to the move. But the opposition notwithstanding, the fact remains that Uma Bharti has the strong backing of a section of the RSS. Her re-induction cannot be ruled out. Sources say that the announcement to launch Uma Bharti as the face of the BJP in Uttar Pradesh will be made very shortly.

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Source : IIPM Editorial, 2009


An IIPM and Professor Arindam Chaudhuri (Renowned Management Guru and Economist) Initiative

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Monday, June 07, 2010

Indian generic tribe

Explaining his company’s outlook in the generics space, Ramesh Adige, President, Ranbaxy tells TSI, “Ranbaxy is today well positioned in the global generics space and is amongst the top 10 generic companies globally offering products in over 125 countries. With over $80 billion of drugs going off-patent by 2012 and a higher generic penetration across developed and emerging markets, the generics market will continue to provide attractive growth opportunities in future.” Even Uday Baldota, VP – Investor Relations, Sun Pharma tells TSI, “In our view, generic drugs is a significant, growing and profitable opportunity, worldwide. We are working towards getting a meaningful presence in the worldwide generic industry over the longer term.” While Dr Reddy’s stands to gain the most, there are others like Ranbaxy and Sun Pharma which are amongst the top gainers. Even Cipla has filed for permission to market generic/low-cost editions of drugs that make over $45 billion annually! While 10 Indian firms have seeked permission to sell generic versions of the highest-selling Lipitor, in US alone, it is Merck’s Cozaar (anti-diabetic drug) and Astra Zeneca’s Arimidex (anti-cancer), which have received the maximum number of applications.

So how can Indian pharmacos leverage the opportunity? There are over 100 USFDA approved drug-manufacturing units in India that represent the swarm willing to strip all opportunities to the bone. Indian drugmakers have captured $23.6 billion of the $110 billion value of drugs that went off-patent since 2005, and if history is some proof, then of the $160 billion worth drugs that will lost patent rights by 2016, Indian drug manufacturers would at least be looking at a windfall of $34.32 billion over the next six years, making it the world’s third largest by value, at $63.42 billion and the highest by volumes by 2016 after the US and Japan. Says Adige of Ranbaxy, “The Indian pharmaceutical market will continue to observe double digit growth in the coming years. With increasing incidence of lifestyle diseases, rising disposable incomes, a growing middle class, greater penetration of health insurance and expanding medical infrastructure, India’s consumption of pharmaceutical products will go up.”

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Source : IIPM Editorial, 2009


An IIPM and Professor Arindam Chaudhuri (Renowned Management Guru and Economist) Initiative

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Friday, June 04, 2010

Congress high command

First, the Congress high command does not dictate the PCC on local elections and leave it to them, as the party’s policy and principles do not really reflect in these polls. And it is impossible for Delhi to take local factors into consideration. For once, Sonia Gandhi has left the issue to the state Congress leaders. Secondly, knowing full well that the state Congress leaders are against any disrespectful alliance, Sonia withdrew herself, leaving the ball in the state leadership’s court. It has a dual message - let the unhappy PCC leaders prove themselves, whether they can retain their seats. If they can, then a different scenario will emerge before the 2011 Assembly election. Congress leaders would not have to dance to Trinamool’s tune. An alliance, then, would be among the equals.

If the first message goes to PCC leaders, the second one is for TMC. The examinee is Mamata Banerjee. She has to answer the questions she herself raised. Mamata has always tried to liberate West Bengal from the ‘Left misrule’. She is against any compromise on this. She has gradually increased her opposition to CPM. This political rivalry has divided the Bengali society into ‘Amra O Ora’ (Us and Them). It has become somewhat like Bangladesh, sharply divided between Sheikh Hasina and Khaleda Zia. Like the fundamentalists in Bangladesh, Maoists are trying to fill the void here. Till date, this is the net outcome of her ant-CPM stance.

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Source : IIPM Editorial, 2009


An IIPM and Professor Arindam Chaudhuri (Renowned Management Guru and Economist) Initiative

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Wednesday, June 02, 2010

A 'uncaged' way forward

Employing prisoners in call centre is a good precedence

Every initiative for a good cause is worth mentioning. This time it is nothing big but certainly should not be overlooked or underestimated as well. An Indian company by the name Radiant Infosystems, a global provider of end-to-end IT and Enabled services across industries, such as media, publishing education, and healthcare is planning to employ prisoners in Hyderabad's Cherlapally Central Jail. Around 250 inmates will work in the new centre, initially processing insurance claim forms and bank account applications for Indian clients. However, the company promised that all the precautionary measures will be taken to address various possible irregularities.

According to the Central Bureau of Investigation, there are 3,76,396 inmates in central, state and jails in national territories in 2007 while the total available capacity is 2,77,304 and with the occupancy rate of 135.7 as against 141.4 in 2006. Though the data related to their education background and qualification is unavailable, figures show that over 41,996 inmates have gone through various vocational courses from agriculture, carpentry, canning, tailoring, weaving, handloom and many others. The gross value of goods produced by inmates touched about Rs.6075.5 lakh. In such situations, initiatives like employing inmates in call centres, giving them real exposure, would definitely enhance the status of prisoners. More importantly, as researches show that inmate earns less than 20 pence per day for making furniture today, with the new initiative; if they are hired by the call centre, they may be able to make up to £1.50. There are many qualified inmates imprisoned for dowry or like small cases.

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Source : IIPM Editorial, 2009


An IIPM and Professor Arindam Chaudhuri (Renowned Management Guru and Economist) Initiative

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Tuesday, June 01, 2010

Chinese companies are being safeguarded hints at a big scandal

It’s not that India can’t manufacture SIM cards as per requirements. The secretary of Smart card Forum of India, Jagdish Raj Purohit, says, “The country has an annual demand for 60 crore SIM cards. Indian companies are capable of fulfilling this demand. Many companies are even exporting their SIM cards.” Yes, Chinese SIM cards are dirt cheap. R. Srinivasan, a senor defence expert, “Chinese equipment, especially SIM cards, supplied at cheap prices is a strategy to break into the internal security ring of the country at minimum cost. In my opinion, these SIMS are embedded with kinds of malwares, spywares, Trojan, hidden software etc.”

The eight parameters which were finalised by the committee included Data Confidentiality, Communication Security, Data Integrity, Privacy. If we pay attention to these four parameters, then SIM cards require security clearance. The interesting point is that when BSNL issued a tender on June 26, 2008, for the purchase of SIM cards, one of the conditions was that only companies having personalisation centres in India need apply. It is evident that even two years back, the government was aware of the dangers from Chinese SIM cards to internal security. When a few companies requested permission to buy Chinese SIM cards after the December 3, 2009, circular, they were denied security clearance. TSI has the copy of the letter no 10-8/2009/AS.III/Unitech sent by the department of telecommunication on February 18, 2010, to Unitech Wireless Private Limited which did not allow it to buy SIM cards personalised in China. Why is this double standard? We tried to speak to several DoT officers including DDG (security) Ram Narayan. But no officer spoke to us on the phone. Apart from this, we even asked for official information from corporate communication officers of Bharti Airtel, Reliance and Idea which buy SIM cards from Watchdata and Eastcompeace. But no one cared to respond to our queries.

The minister of state for communication and IT, Gurudas Kamat, while replying to a question, said in Parliament that “In the interest of the national security, the Government has directed BSNL in May, 2009, that resources should not be procured from Chinese vendors for deployment in the sensitive regions of Assam, Tripura, Sikkim, Nagaland, Arunachal Pradesh, Mizoram, Meghalaya, West Bengal, Gujarat, Rajasthan, Punjab, Jammu & Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand and Maharashtra.” When it is a matter of national security, then why is the direction given to just BSNL and not to the other private cellular companies which have more subscribers than their state-owned counterpart.

This problem goes bigger as India has no legal treaty with China. India has neither extradition nor any cyber treaty with China. In this situation, if anyone sitting in China commits a crime against India, he will never be brought to book. Further, our cyber laws are pretty weak. Well-known cyber law expert and Supreme Court lawyer Pavan Duggal says, “It is not just an issue of SIM cards as our cyber laws are silent on any type of data protection and privacy. Spyware is not even mentioned in Cyber Laws and IT Act-2000.”

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Source : IIPM Editorial, 2009


An IIPM and Professor Arindam Chaudhuri (Renowned Management Guru and Economist) Initiative

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