IIPM - MEDIA: January 2013

Tuesday, January 22, 2013

The US foreign policy

Obama has little choice but to go after earnest development in the US foreign policy

B&E: The media is abuzz with speculation about the possible opening of a United States interests section in Tehran. If the US makes a formal request, will Iran agree?
MM: I think the realising of the word “if” in the US takes considerable time. In the last few months, we have been asked this question of “if America raises such a request” many times; yet, we are still not faced with such a request. Till now, these things have come up through mass media and that is why you have received mass-media type answers. Let’s be patient. We’ll surely respond if we receive any such request.

B&E: Seymour Hersh argues that there has been a shift in the American position vis-à-vis an attack on Iran? What’re your comments on that?
MM: From the very commencement of this question historically, two options were on the table: an alternative based on cooperation, and an option based on altercation. We, at all times, prefer the choice based on cooperation. Time and again, we would listen from some part of the ruling party in the United States that they are bearing in mind the other option – that is confrontation, an assault or military strike on Iran. Maybe this has forever been in their minds, and is even now; but the problem is that they aren’t understanding what could happen. They cannot inflict on the taxpayers another conflict and that’s why we do not see any likelihood for a new conflict by the Americans in our region.

B&E: What do you think would the consequences be, if the United States did attack Iran?
MM: They know what will be the reaction. We have informed them.

Read more.....

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
IIPM – FLP (Flexi Learning Program)

Saturday, January 19, 2013

The End...?

The prophecies and science behind 21st Dec, 2012

Cataclysmic events unfolded in Roland Emmerich’s film 2012 – the earth’s core began heating up due to solar flare bombardment, California was engulfed by the Pacific Ocean, the Yellowstone Supervolcano erupted, megatsunamis thundered at every country’s shores – and one would imagine Emmerich was a little boy immensely enjoying destroying every conceivable object in his line of view! While most level-headed people enjoyed the effects of the film and let the subject be, there are many equally sane people worried if really all they had before their inevitable end was three years… just a little more than a thousand days… With numerous books and roughly six million websites dedicated to the predictions and prophecies about the year 2012, and 21st December 2012 to be more particular, most of us are being pulled in by these Doomsday prophecies.

The entire hoopla began with the predictions of the Mayan civilisation that say an alignment of the planets in our solar system, which happens only once every 6,40,000 years, will occur on 21st December, 2012 and lead to a catastrophic event. Astronomy was one of the strengths of this race, and they had managed to calculate the length of the lunar month with near accuracy some thousands of years ago. Now, along with their worrying prophecy, their Long Count calendar, credited for its accuracy, ominously ends on the same date.

Another ancient prophecy is by Sumerians circa 5000 BC about a planet Nibiru, which would collide with our planet – in 2003. But, while it obviously failed to do so, the date was moved to 2012, by theorists who probably consider the year to be a much safer bet for widespread calamities! For the record, as of now, there is no planet with that name.

2012 is going to be the year when solar storms will bombard the Earth, which NASA confirms will not cause life to end, but could temporarily cause power outages and the suspension of other services powered by electricity.

Read more.....

Welcome to the jungle

Often chained, sometimes tortured, elephants to be evicted from zoos and circuses for a ‘better’ life in ‘protected’ areas...

The next time around you’re at the Delhi zoo, don’t be surprised if Rajlakshmi is nowhere in sight, for her and her likes – elephants across zoos in the country – are headed for greener pastures… The pride of the Delhi zoo, along with her other two companions, one of which is an African male elephant, having wowed scores of visitors for many years, will all be gone...

In fact, elephants in zoos (and circuses) throughout the country, will soon be a thing of the past, thanks to a notice to the effect issued recently by the Central Zoo Authority (CZA). That would mean that circuses will have to let go of their trademark crowd-puller, ‘Jumbo Shows,’ where the animal is made to do tricks from balancing on two legs and sitting on a small stool to playing a game of cricket and even football, all in the name of entertainment and attracting the crowds.

In its order, the CZA has observed that, “Elephants require a lot of space to move around and being large herbivores, zoos do not provide ideal conditions for their survival.” A March 2009 estimate pegs the total number of such elephants, including those at circuses, at 140.

The decision, it is said, has been taken after evaluating the conditions at various zoos and circuses. Without attempting to question the noble intentions behind such a move, a few pertinent questions do crop up. What about other animals in zoos?

Read more.....

Friday, January 18, 2013

A well won bet...with a shallow prize

Marriages are made in heaven, so what’s wrong with three of them? Ask Renault, whose problems in India are linked to having too many JVs, says B&E’s pawan chabra

Sometimes, the difference between an ordinary life and a life of purpose can be a well won bet, especially when we look at the life of Renault founder and automotive genius Louis Renault. This dates back to the time when he had successfully converted a De Dion-Bouon cycle into a four-wheeled small car. He named it Renault Type A. He subsequently won a bet with his friends, who challenged that the car couldn’t drive up the slope of Lépic Street in Montmartre. Not only did he win the bet, he also won the courage and inspiration to become an auto manufacturer. The rest, as the cliché goes, is called Carlos Ghosn, the singular reason why as of date, Renault operates in around 118 countries and has been able to bring in the numbers by leveraging its broad product line and its JV with Nissan. However, Carlos Ghosn, CEO, Renault and Nissan Motor Co. may want to rue the fact that Renault’s bet on India doesn’t exactly have a legendary feel so far. This is one uphill journey, where the peak remains to be scaled. And the prognosis is that the three marriages (i.e. Joint Ventures) that the company has solemnised in the Indian market haven’t exactly been of the ‘made in heaven’ kind.

At the recently held Tokyo Motor Show, CEO Carlos Ghosn managed to set the cat among the pigeons (unintentionally, if you look at his statements later on) when he announced, “I am not saying we will, I am saying we can (exit up to 2 JVs). I don’t want anybody to be surprised. We have today three partners (in India). Our intention is to continue with the (three) partners, but if it is not possible, I can tell you that we need at least one.”

The red flag has been Renault’s JV agreement with the tractor major Mahindra & Mahindra. When the Logan was launched in 2007 (positioned as an entry-level sedan with a price tag starting at around Rs.4,50,000), it was expected to sell around 2,500 units a month but has managed to sell just under 500. The car has faced a host of issues, including competition from the Swift DZire & Tata Indigo as well as the higher excise duty structure and the import duty due to low levels of localisation, a factor where its competitors have been well endowed. Maruti Suzuki, which sells every second car being sold in the country, sells around 6,000 units of Swift DZire and Tata Motors banks around 2,500-3,000 units of its Indigo from the domestic market. In addition, “Logan wasn’t able to appeal to the Indian consumer basically because of its plain looks,” says auto expert Murad Ali Baig. The company is planning a new version of the same model; but not many would want to make a bet on such a ploy succeeding as of now. More trouble for the JV has recently come from Hyundai Motors India. The company has filed a case against Mahindra Renault India stating that the latter is planning a car named Sandero; and is hence trying to cash in on its popular Santro, as the names sound similar.

Read more....

Source : IIPM Editorial, 2012.
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
IIPM – FLP (Flexi Learning Program) .

Thursday, January 17, 2013

We are no less than family

Bangladesh may not be very rich but the nice ambiance inside the embassy and a healthy conversation revealed the warm hospitality. B&E caught up with the gentleman, Enamul Hoque Chowdhury, a senior Embassy official in New Delhi who revealed interesting facets to share. Some excerpts:

“5 things Bangladesh appreciates about India...”

EDUCATION: Indian education system is among the best in the continent and at par with that of some of the developed countries. Institutes like IITs, IIMs and even private colleges are world class. Bangladesh would be grateful to have them in their country. The government is ready to consider its regulations in that regard.

HEALTH CARE SYSTEM: Like education, in health care also, India is in the league of top countries. Be government or private hospitals, they are truly world class and hence attract lakhs of medical tourists from across the world. It is cheap and easily accessible. Thousands of people from Bangladesh visit India every year for medical treatments.

PEOPLE: Indians are truly generous, unlike India’s polity and policies! There is lot to learn from Indians on how to prosper in a diverse society. Achieving unexpected pace of growth with such a huge population is praiseworthy and beneficial for the region and the world at large.

HUGE YOUTH POPULATION: A country with 300-400 million youth population raises high expectation. Bangladesh looks forward to India to participate and contribute more in world leadership with such a massive talent pool.

INDIAN POLITICAL SYSTEM: India’s biggest achievement is perhaps its democratic government. Bangladesh has a lot to learn from it. “And the 5 things we dislike...”

BE MORE RESPONSIBLE: Bangladesh often feels that India behaves like a Big Brother while it expects India to be more generous. For example, Bangladesh takes Indian students according to the SAARC quota to provide them free higher education while even after being such a big country and economically progressing, India still hesitates to take students from Bangladesh or other neighbouring countries.

Read more....

Source : IIPM Editorial, 2012.
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
IIPM – FLP (Flexi Learning Program)

Wednesday, January 16, 2013

The Sunset of the patriarch

The only two business groups that have always mattered are the Tatas and the Birlas
It took two months of persistent calls and faxes by Chandrasekhar Bhattacharjee before the patriarch B. K. Birla finally agreed to meet him & Sutanu Guru at 11 AM on September 2, 2009. Wary of notorious jams and rallies in Kolkatta, we reached his office at 10.30 AM. By 10.35 AM, we were inside his private office and talking to him. Age is catching up no doubt; but B. K. Birla is enjoying the sunset of his glittering career & eventful life.

B&E: You will be turning 90 in the near future. What makes you still come to office everyday? And what’s your daily routine?

BK: What else will I do? I have worked all my life. If I stay back at home, I will only end up arguing and fighting with my wife (Smiles). I wake up before dawn and walk. By 9 AM, I am in the office and nowadays I go back home at about 3 in the afternoon. Till recently, I used to be in office till at least 6 in the evening. But now, we have dinner by 7 PM.

B&E: After such a long and distinguished career, do you think you still face any challenge?

BK: Oh yes. Life is always a challenge. For me, a big challenge right now is to increase the promoter’s share of equity in all our group companies to a comfortable level.

B&E: Comfortable?

BK: Yes, I think our family must hold between 40% to 50% stake in all its group companies. In most cases, like Century, Kesoram and Jayshree Tea, I have already achieved my targets. What worries me at the moment is our low stake in Mangalam Timber and Mangalam Cement (the Birla family at present controls about 32% and 28% stake in Mangalam Timber and Mangalam Cement respectively). I have already initiated steps to raise our equity in these companies above 40%.

Read more....

Monday, January 14, 2013

“Ours is a tough industry”

B&E: You’re celebrating 100 million subscribers. What’s the status quo?

SM: We’re currently in the 15th year of operation and although Airtel has managed to be profitable, we’re yet to be cash flow positive. We recently announced the maiden dividend of the company after 15 years. Our stakeholders were actually looking at waiting for another year for us to turn cash flow positive. However, due to the de-merger of our private company, we had the headroom this year and hence were able to announce a dividend. One has to remember that Airtel has invested Rs.700 billion in setting up hard infrastructure. Infrastructure alone takes Rs.200 billion per year. It should always be remembered that this is a tough industry and one needs to keep on investing. This way, profitability is always measured along with investments.

B&E: What then would be the future growth drivers for Airtel?

SM: Well, we’re hoping that 3G would be available soon, which will lead to better data services. Music-based services are already quite popular and we hope that their popularity will continue to increase in future.

B&E: Are you in the favour of auctioning of the spectrum, or should it be allocated on the basis of subscribers?

SM: Spectrum is an issue that concerns all mobile operators in the country. We’re absolutely aligned to the government process even if it is the auctioning of licenses. All we want is a stable regime with a single process. The practice of allocating licenses on the basis of number of subscribers is not followed anywhere else in the world. We already have the lowest spectrum than anyone else in the world and packing more and more customers is becoming increasingly difficult. We have two of the largest telecom companies of the world in India and they too would endorse this point that as we go further, it would be essential to have more spectrum.

Read more......

Friday, January 11, 2013

“Honest pricing policy”

B&E: What were the vision and mission for the Indian market when LG started off its operations in India?

MBS: The company pursued the vision of becoming a true leader, attracting customers worldwide through its innovative products and design. In the first few years after its entry, LG did not get into price wars. Unlike other players, it did not offer any exchange schemes or discounts. We believed in an ‘honest pricing policy’ and our message to customers read ‘No scheme, no gimmick, great products and honest prices.’

B&E: What understanding of the Indian market did LG had then and what strategies did LG as a company formalise for penetration at that time?

MBS: Since its initial years in India, LG has focused on bringing out new models regularly in its product range. In its first year of operation in India, LG launched 70 models across a range of products. In 1997, it introduced its Golden Eye Technology TV, which had a light sensitive natural algorithm ‘eye. Thus, LG showed that it cared for customers’ health through its products. LG’s concern for health of customers was its Unique Selling Proposition (USP) in the Indian consumer durables market. Similarly, LG positioned its refrigerators as the ‘preserve nutrition system’ refrigerators.

B&E: What were the key challenges that LG as a company had to face at that time?

MBS: When LG started its operations in 1997, it sold products that were imported. Hence, its products were priced high and were equivalent to other foreign (Japanese) products. However, in 1998, LG launched ‘Sampoorna’, its first low priced TV for rural consumers, and followed it with ‘Cineplus.’ The Indian customers wanted the best products at reasonable prices; LG started introducing quality products in the economy range.

Read more.....

Source : IIPM Editorial, 2012.
An Initiative of IIPM, Malay Chaudhuri

and Arindam Chaudhuri (Renowned Management Guru and Economist).

For More IIPM Info, Visit below mentioned IIPM articles.

Thursday, January 10, 2013

A drink in time, saves nine...

“According to the latest data compiled by A C Neilsen. Thums Up, an Indian brand that was sold to Coca-Cola (in 1993), retains the top slot of the most selling carbonated drink in India: AC Nilesen study, April, 2009.”

When it comes to being faced with an overdose of cultural conundrums, Coca Cola India would certainly qualify. From Plachimada in Kerala to Sunita Narain (CSE) to Swami Ramdev; the company has been through quite a bit. Being perceived as the ‘big MNC making mountains of moolah’, a company like Coca Cola became a relatively easy target for publicity seekers. Any other entity would have crumbled to the tee. Especially with as ruthless a competitor as Pepsi. But many Indians forgot that perhaps Coca Cola wrote the rulebook on retail marketing (If you’ve not heard about the IGA Coca-Cola Institute, you’re out of business), and that Coca Cola was never about promoting the so-called ‘yankee’ culture, but about their understanding of what glocalisation really mean. If their Thums Up purchase was a huge evidence of it, then their continuing to sell Vanilla Coke in Gujarat, Jamshedpur, Kolkata, Mumbai, Delhi and Hyderabad (and double thoughts to sell Thums Up in Delhi!!!) a further shot from the hip. The company in fact went by the rote and launched their 5-Ps model in 2007 – People, Product, Planet, Portfolio & Performance. And to ease the spring beaver in overeager Citizen Kanes, Coca Cola has also launched a series of ‘good corporate citizen’ programs; for instance, the company launched a fleet of 85 CNG trucks in Delhi for the green cause. As per Atul Singh, President & CEO, Coca-Cola India, “It is prudent that all stakeholders join hands to tackle complex issues like climate change and availability of freshwater. At Coca-Cola India, we have joined hands with the government, NGOs and local community...”

Read more.....

Source : IIPM Editorial, 2012.
An Initiative of IIPM, Malay Chaudhuri

and Arindam Chaudhuri (Renowned Management Guru and Economist).

For More IIPM Info, Visit below mentioned IIPM articles.

Wednesday, January 09, 2013

If 30 second films win hearts, this one ropes-in the mind too!

This is Docomo’s third ad-campaign during the IPL season, making it three in a row. Expectation from the brand is overblown, but the TVCs are bound to leave an impact

For every minute that went by in February last, Tata Docomo lost 44 customers in the domestic telecom market. That reality was unique to just Docomo. Every other telecom operator’s subscriber base grew during that month. While the industry’s overall base grew 0.82% to reach 911.17 million in February, Docomo lost 2.1%. In terms of customer additions during the month, while the top four players showed a remarkable rise – Bharti Airtel, Reliance, Vodafone and Idea, Docomo’s m-o-m growth fell 24.6%.

While industry watchers blamed the brand rejig exercise (that saw all brands of Tata’s telecom – Indicom, Photon & Docomo – being brought under the Docomo umbrella) for this performance, company sources told 4Ps B&M that the fall in customer base was only because they got rid of all non-active customers from their database. Sounds fair. Whatever be the cause, we have seen the effect. As for the company, by launching a TVC campaign (of four ads so far titled, Idli, Menu, Spoon & Cricket match), it made a prominent mention that it will try all to rebuild equity of the brand, and not slip beyond the 6th spot on the whiteboard.

Like the previous two years, the company chose the IPL season (April-May) as the months to step on the gas as far as advertising is concerned. The campaign also marked a hattrick of togetherness for the trio – Ranbir Kapoor (RK), Docomo & IPL. Unlike the previous two years however, this time, the TVCs contain that extra dash of humour. There is a common production set used for all four ad-films, and the character count is limited in each TVC. Though the scripts used are brief, the creative concept from the shelves of DraftFCB-Ulka helps in getting the message across to the audience without burning much air time. That is praiseworthy. Then of course there is Ranbir, who plays the role of an old ‘phlegmatic’ man, and as expected, does well. Talking about the advantages of roping-in the popular young actor for the third IPL in a row, Ritesh Ghosal, Head – Brand Marketing, Tata Teleservices, says, “In a cluttered window as IPL, where I get 120 seconds spot in a three hour game, in order to stand out and make the most of this very expensive media property, I needed to do all I could to make the ads work. So, we kept the ads short. Also, with Ranbir Kapoor, you get the direct benefit of his fan following, besides being guaranteed of a good act in your TVC to appeal to your TG of 15 to 35 year-olds.”

Read more....

Source : IIPM Editorial, 2012.
An Initiative of IIPM, Malay Chaudhuri

and Arindam Chaudhuri (Renowned Management Guru and Economist).

For More IIPM Info, Visit below mentioned IIPM articles.

Tuesday, January 08, 2013

It’s time to unleash the power of social technologies

In today’s competitive environment, firms can boost productivity and enhance performance by leveraging social technologies to support business needs

Social technologies have radically transformed the world of business. They have enabled globe-spanning supply lines, real-time information exchange, and allowed businesses to enhance their performance. These powerful technologies challenge existing management practices and models, consequently many executives are rethinking their infrastructure for collaboration and communication.

Typically these technologies include blogs, wikis, podcasts, information tagging, widgets, mashups, prediction markets and social networks. The use of these social technologies within companies is referred to as Enterprise 2.0. Global enterprise spending on these technologies is predicted to increase dramatically to $4.6 billion by the end of 2013, with a 43% year-on-year growth, which makes it the fastest growing technology in the enterprise software industry.

Despite the recession, a growing number of innovative firms are integrating social technologies into their businesses, including General Electric (GE), Proctor & Gamble (P&G), Shell, KPMG and Airbus. These forward-thinking firms are adapting their traditional management practices while leveraging Enterprise 2.0 technologies. However, when it comes to the current management practices that dominate in the majority of companies – a large number of leaders are still ‘unsure about the relevance’ of social technologies to allocate their resources and capabilities effectively. The big question is ‘can these social technologies actually boost business performance?’

Our research has found that companies can boost productivity and enhance performance by leveraging social technologies to support business needs. A number of companies have implemented Enterprise 2.0 applications for a variety of purposes such as research & development, marketing, customer service and knowledge management. Global service firms such as Accenture, Pfizer, BT and IBM have used these technologies to rapidly identify who within their organisation know ‘what’ and thus consequently share their expertise quickly. In fact, in some cases this goes beyond the UK borders to creating global outreach platforms for collaboration and communication.

Read more....

Source : IIPM Editorial, 2012.
An Initiative of IIPM, Malay Chaudhuri

and Arindam Chaudhuri (Renowned Management Guru and Economist).

For More IIPM Info, Visit below mentioned IIPM articles.

Monday, January 07, 2013

The King & I’ran

Reasons behind Iran-Saudi rivalry

Iran is neither an enemy of Saudi Arabia, nor a friend. But with the recent Sunday Times July expose` on Saudi Arabia (where they mention a Saudi diplomat quoting how Saudi Arabia has given tacit approval to Israel for using its airspace to attack Iran – a claim refuted now by both Saudi and Israeli governments), not only has Saudi Arabia shot itself in the foot, but it has also given Iranian President Ahmedinejad the political lifeline he has long awaited. But really, wasn’t Saudi Arabia supposed to be a pro-Islam, ergo pro-Iran nation? Actually, not at all!

First, the legacy of the past. A so-called Saudi Arabian-Iranian friendship had continued for some years before coming to an end with the Iranian revolution in 1979 as the revolutionary regime of Iran declared the Saudi monarchy as anti-Islamic! Iran targeted Saudi Arabia and accused it of being an American proxy while Saudi in turn blamed Iran for attempting to destabilise it by infiltrating revolutionary mindsets. Relations worsened during the Iran-Iraq war in 1980 as Saudi Arabia sided with Iraq in the war.

Read more.......

Source : IIPM Editorial, 2012.
An Initiative of IIPM, Malay Chaudhuri

and Arindam Chaudhuri (Renowned Management Guru and Economist).

For More IIPM Info, Visit below mentioned IIPM articles.

Saturday, January 05, 2013

INTERVIEW: IRANIAN AMBASSADOR TO INDIA

Iran has come through a lot and is now looking at the future with dreamy eyes. And now its relations with India matter

That’s why for more than 20 years, we have challenged each other. But at present, we want change. We want peace. For that they have got to trust us and we both have to respect each other. In public they say, they want close relations with Iran and will change their policy, but at the same time they impose economic sanctions against us. Iran has always tried its best to maintain good relations and spread peace and prosperity in the region, in other countries like Iraq, Afghanistan and Pakistan and Tajikistan.

B&E: Despite organisations like the Arab League or Organization of Islamic Conference (OIC), Islamic countries continue to be a divided lot. What role can Iran play in uniting them.

SM: Iran is already a member of a number of international organisations like OIC, Shanghai Cooperation Organization and SAARC. But one must understand that it is not only the Islamic countries which need to be united.

Infact, the whole of the Asian continent needs to be together and work together. This century belongs to Asia-not only because of the enrichment of their natural resources but also because of a vast pool of young and talented population. Many of the European countries, with negative growth of population are inviting our people to their countries. So in short, we have to share and support each other to make a broad Asian institution which will benefit both.

B&E: Israel and the US say that Iran interferes in Lebanon’s internal politics through Syria. How do you defend yourself?

SM: See, Lebanon has its own government. Some part of the land is occupied by Israel and the people of Lebanon are trying to get it back. Getting their rights back is the truth. If you go through history you will understand that Israelis came from outside and that they have no right to occupy the land. Now the Lebanese need justice and giving back the land to them is the truth.

Read more.....

Source : IIPM Editorial, 2012.
An Initiative of IIPM, Malay Chaudhuri

and Arindam Chaudhuri (Renowned Management Guru and Economist).

For More IIPM Info, Visit below mentioned IIPM articles.

Friday, January 04, 2013

Coral reefs facing the heat!?

A Stanford University study claims to have found heat-resistant coral reefs. But can slow adaptation keep pace with the changing environment?

There are many treasures hidden in the depths of the oceans; marine plants and animals aside, there’s more to this wealth than pearly oysters and treasures lost to sunken vessels. Anyone who has ever visited an aquarium or gone snorkelling would be familiar with these stunning creatures called corals. Yes, these plant or rock-like things aren’t actually either. They’re, in fact, animals that play a vital role in defining the structure of marine reefs (colonies of corals), which in turn are the source of vital nutrition for fish and other sea creatures who depend on them for their sustenance. But in spite of having called the oceans home for eons, corals are always at risk, sometimes owing to natural but largely due to man-made reasons. Almost 80 per cent of shallow reefs are over-fished and that’s significant, considering the fact that corals occupy less than one per cent of the total marine environment, which is home to over 25 per cent of all known marine fish species. Another factor is a phenomenon called coral bleaching in which a rise in ocean temperature makes corals lose colour and eventually die out. Says noted filmmaker and conservationist, Mike Pandey whose film Shores of Silence – Whale Sharks in India, won the Green Oscar, “Coral reefs are the first and the most prolific and sensitive ecosystem and origins of life. Global warming has killed thousands of coral reefs and many coral reefs in Lakshwadeep, Maldives and South East Asia have died because of oceans warming up.” But what about reports that Stanford University scientists have found evidence that some coral reefs are adapting and may actually survive global warming? “There are species that have adapted to climatic changes but adaptation and mutation takes millions of years. The slow adaptation cannot cope with the rapid change in environment,” maintains Mike.

There’s no denying that corals sustain livelihood, about two billion directly and three billion indirectly. They are also the breeding ground for 4500 species of fish. Reefs have died because of careless and reckless tourism. “Over thousands of fishes have been lost to Dynamite Fishing in South East Asia. A 1000 tonnes of corals and living shells are being drenched out and oiled to be sold as souvenirs every week.

Read more.....

Source : IIPM Editorial, 2012.
An Initiative of IIPM, Malay Chaudhuri

and Arindam Chaudhuri (Renowned Management Guru and Economist).

For More IIPM Info, Visit below mentioned IIPM articles.

Thursday, January 03, 2013

Who’s killin’ whom?

Breed them, feed them and then eat them – contracting animal diseases frequently might just be their way of getting back at us…

Cultures across the world, for eons, have justified the slaughter of animals for the consumption of mankind, ‘because God/Nature created them for our sustenance.’ But today, sustenance has become the cornerstone of commerce and the meat industry, allegedly, has become a needlessly cruel and literally blood-thirsty enterprise. So now, is the animal farm hitting back? ‘Swine flu’ (H1N1 virus) is the latest casualty that has hit the western world and is worrying everyone around. As the name suggests, it is the virus that often causes influenza outbreaks in pigs, especially during the late fall and winter months. While the season of the outbreaks of their ‘common cold’ is similar to humans,’ the symptoms (running nose, coughing, sneezing, fever, laziness etc.) are surprisingly similar too. Normally, swine flu viruses do not infect humans. It is the direct exposure to pigs in either a breeding farm or fun fair that leads to infection in humans and is contagious like regular influenza. “It is a different strain. Though cold and cough are the symptoms, the body might not be immune to it. In those cases, it can take shape of a lethal pneumonia and may cause death,” says Dr. S. M. Sachdeva, Senior Consultant Cardiologist.

It is the horrifying memory of the biggest and the deadliest global endemic, Spanish Flu (a subtype of H1N1 virus and similar to swine flu) of 1918 which causes concern and panic every time such influenzas surface. It shook the world when 40 million people died. In Spanish Flu, pneumonia doesn’t even get the time to establish itself and the patient dies of the virus within hours of contracting it. The virus causes an uncontrollable hemorrhaging that fills the patient’s lungs with his own body fluids.

Read more.....

Source : IIPM Editorial, 2012.
An Initiative of IIPM, Malay Chaudhuri

and Arindam Chaudhuri (Renowned Management Guru and Economist).

For More IIPM Info, Visit below mentioned IIPM articles.