My Reading List For 2012

Have planned to devour into books this year. And as the months of March, April and May would keep me as free as VVS Laxman post his Australian tryst, I should have plenty of time on hand to read quite a few. So determined to do some quality reading, I used indiabookstore.net and made quite … Continue reading »

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The Hindu and Times Of India Ad Wars

It all started in 2008, when Times Of India entered the Chennai newspaper market, a market that was dominated by Hindu. Times Of India started off with the Nakka Mukka – A Day In The Life Of  Chennai campaign to reflect the vibrancy and energy that Times Of India is going to bring about in … Continue reading »

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Viral Hit – Rajnikanth’s Website Works Without Internet

When I first read it in a Times Of India article I thought that someone from TOI had got it wrong and in a hurry copy pasted a story from the Faking News website. So, I decided to check it out for myself. And lo behold – it is true – Rajnikanth’s website does run … Continue reading »

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Part 1 – Entrepreneurship Lessons From Harishchandrachi Factory

Happened to watch a beautiful film today, the Oscar nominated Marathi film – Harishchandrachi Factory. The movie is the story behind the making of the first Indian feature film – Raja Harishchandra. The movie in a light hearted way portrays the struggles Dadasaheb Phalke, had to face to make his dream of producing a motion … Continue reading »

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Mexico – Will The Desert Bloom?

The article was originally published on IIM Shillong’s Consulting blog. A special thanks to Prof. IC (Indranil Chakravarthy), whose course on Firms, Markets and Global Dynamics, instilled in me the desire to read up on emerging economies and equipped me with the skills to interpret facts correctly and read between the lines of articles from … Continue reading »

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My Reading List For 2012 The Hindu and Times Of India Ad Wars Viral Hit – Rajnikanth’s Website Works Without Internet Part 1 – Entrepreneurship Lessons From Harishchandrachi Factory Mexico – Will The Desert Bloom?

Jan
30

My Reading List For 2012

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Have planned to devour into books this year. And as the months of March, April and May would keep me as free as VVS Laxman post his Australian tryst, I should have plenty of time on hand to read quite a few. So determined to do some quality reading, I used indiabookstore.net and made quite a purchase of books. The constant delivery of books to my house however had my parents think that I was just faking about having a job offer and the jobless me intended to start off a library.

Here is my Reading list for 2011 -

Nonfiction Books

1. The Winning Way: Learnings From Sport For Managers by Harsha Bhogle and Anita Bhogle 

A book that correlates sportsmen and managers, examples from sports that can benefit managers in their organizations.

2. Mother Pious lady by Santosh Desai 

The book is an examination of the Indian way of life as it has changed over the last couple of decades.  A book that Prof. Govindrajan strongly recommended for budding marketeers and that meant I had to grab this one as soon as I could.

3.  The Undercover Economist by Tim Harford

While I may have not totally understood the complexities of economics, MBA has certainly ignited in me an interest to learn more. This book is supposed to be an interesting take on economics and is filled with examples to explain complex things in a simple manner.

4. Freakonomics by Steven D. Levitt, Stephen J 

Have heard so much about this book and how it had transformed economics from a boring subject to something that was fun and had made economists look “cool”, that I had to read this soon.

5. Fooled By Randomness: The Hidden Role Of Chance In Life And in Markets by Nassim Nicholas Taleb  

Luck, something that everybody believes they have less of it and  others have more. This book explores this very crucial life changing factor  “luck” and how we perceive and deal with luck in life and business.  The book was selected amongst the top 75 “Smartest Books Of All Times“.

6. Go Kiss The World: Life Lessons For The Young Professional by Subroto Bagchi

Have always enjoyed reading success stories of individuals. But more often than not have read only non- Indian success books. Looking forward to be inspired by this  book by Subroto Bagchi, co-founder of Mind Tree.

7. Surely You’re Joking, Mr. Feynman! - by Richard Feynman

Quite different from the management non fiction books I generally read, this is an edited collection of reminiscences by the Nobel Prize-winning physicist Richard Feynman.

8.  The Last Lecture by Randy Pausch

Having seen the highly inspiring and emotional last lecture video by Randy Pausch, I had always wanted to read more about him. Do watch the video, the way a man who is about to die soon can be so humorous and happy about life is inspiring indeed. This book should definitely make for a good read.

9. Myth = Mithya by Devdutt Pattanaik 

Devduut Pattanaik is the best Indian mythological writers and amongst the best speakers I have heard. Devdutt Pattanaik’s articles in which he takes tales from mythology and imparts valuable life and management lessons have impressed me a lot. Constructed over generations, Hindu myths serve as windows to the soul, and provide an understanding of the world around us and the book is an attempt to retell those tales and what lessons they serve to provide us.

10. Steve Jobs: The Exclusive Biography by Walter Isaacson

The story of a man who forced management thinkers to re-write their theories with his unconventional leadership try, this biography of Steve Jobs is right on top of my reading list.

11. The Emperor Of All Maladies: A Biography Of Cancer by Siddhartha Mukherjee

The reason for picking up this book was because I wondered how could a book on Cancer become a best seller and get so much of praise from across the world. I thought perhaps only doctors would be interested in reading this book. Lets see what this book is all about.

12. The Best Thing About You Is You! by Anupam Kher 

The book came for a lot of praise by many of my friends.  Using examples from his own life and experiences, Anupam Kher’s book is supposed to be a  motivating and inspiring read that provides a handy guide to discovering your real self .

13. Snapshots From Hell by Peter Robinson

A candid tale of his MBA experience at Stanford University, the book is supposed to be one of the best takes on life @ a B School. Now that I am done with an MBA, lets see how much I can relate to this?

14.  What They Do Not Teach You At Harvard Business School by Mark McCormack

Surely a business school does not teach you quite a few things about what it takes to be a successful manager.  This book looks at the secrets of what it takes to be a successful manager that a Business school would not teach you.

 15. Confessions Of A Serial Dieter by Kalli Purie

A book that came for some praise by Rashmi Bansal on her blog. Kalli’s confessions span the 3 years and 43 diets it took her to  to slim down from a peak of 103 kilos to 59 kgs. And the journey was not a pleasant one at all.

non fiction books

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Jan
28

The Hindu and Times Of India Ad Wars

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It all started in 2008, when Times Of India entered the Chennai newspaper market, a market that was dominated by Hindu. Times Of India started off with the Nakka Mukka – A Day In The Life Of  Chennai campaign to reflect the vibrancy and energy that Times Of India is going to bring about in Chennai. Check the ad below

Times Of India – Nakka Mukka Campaign 

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However more recently, Times Of India came up with a campaign indirectly hitting at the market leader Hindu. The advertisement asked the people of Chennai to not go to sleep reading boring news served by newspapers (read Hindu) and to wake up to the exciting content provided by Times Of India.

Video : Wake Up Chennai Times Of India Campaign 

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Not someone to just stand there and take the potshots thrown at them, Hindu has come back strongly with an integrated marketing campaign – TV, print and internet.  The  ads laced with sarcasm on the third grade news doled out by todays newspapers have already becoming a viral hit on thee social media and Hindu has managed to convey its message very strongly, Stay ahead of the Times.

What is brilliant about these ads is that they have not only nullified the Times Of India campaign but have also managed to dub readers of other newspapers dumb. This might definitely prompt people to reconsider their choice of the  newspaper they read and should directly contribute to an increase in Hindu’s market share. The campaign is also made authentic because of the strong quality content that Hindu has always been serving . It would have not been possible for any other newspaper to make such claims.

Hindu – Stay Ahead Of  The Times – TVC 1 -Duggu

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Hindu – Stay Ahead Of  The Times – TVC 2 – Size Zero

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Hindu – Stay Ahead Of  The Times – TVC 3- Size Zero- Aishwarya’s baby

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So currently its Hindu – 1, TOI – 0.  While it would be interesting to see how TOI hits back at Hindu, It would definitely be a tough game to win.

Here are the print Ads by Hindu. Brilliant I say. What do you guys think?

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Jan
20

Viral Hit – Rajnikanth’s Website Works Without Internet

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When I first read it in a Times Of India article I thought that someone from TOI had got it wrong and in a hurry copy pasted a story from the Faking News website. So, I decided to check it out for myself. And lo behold – it is true – Rajnikanth’s website does run without Internet or so to say it runs without Internet only. You need to disable your Internet connection to enter the website and if you turn up your Internet connection while surfing the website it will give the error message - “Aiyyo! That was unexpected. To keep browsing, switch off your Internet“. Without much ado check out the website - www.allaboutrajni.com and check the miracle for yourself. Rajni Website works without internet

While I am not sure how the team at WebChutney has managed to do this, its indeed a fantastic way to  virally market the movie site – DesiMartini.com. Must say, WebChutney does keep coming up with innovative  viral marketing ideas  for their clients. Some more of there popular work can be checked here. Read the rest of this entry »

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Jan
18

Part 1 – Entrepreneurship Lessons From Harishchandrachi Factory

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Happened to watch a beautiful film today, the Oscar nominated Marathi film – Harishchandrachi Factory. The movie is the story behind the making of the first Indian feature film – Raja Harishchandra. The movie in a light hearted way portrays the struggles Dadasaheb Phalke, had to face to make his dream of producing a motion picture a reality. While the movie is a must watch for cinema lovers it also can be a source of inspiration for budding entrepreneurs. So if you do not have time to take up a course on Entrepreneurship, spend around 100 minutes in watching this film and you shall have learned enough.

Lesson # 1 – Follow Your Passion Irrespective Of Failures
Although his first venture in the camera business failed miserably, Dadasaheb Phalke realised that it was due to people spreading false rumours that taking photos sucks the life out of you and not because of any lack of opportunity in the business. Seeing an English feature film for the first time, he was bewildered by seeing pictures in motion and instantaneously decided that this is what he wants to do. While he did not have the resources or the knowledge to make a film, he had the passion to make motion pictures. Being passionate about what you intend to do is most crucial to setting up your venture. Knowledge and resources can be acquired, but passion has to be ignited from within.


Lesson # 2 – Have Confidence In Your Dreams
While the movie portrays the struggles of a first time film maker, ironically Paresh Mokashi (the director of the film) had to face his share of struggles in making Harishchandrachi Factory. But his confidence in his dream made him overcome all problems. When no producer was ready to produce the film in Marathi, Paresh mortgaged his home and decided to make the film on his own money. This bears resemblance to Dadasaheb mortgaging his wife’s jewels to make his first film. When you have confidence in your dreams, problems are nothing but milestones in your journey.


Lesson # 3 – A Desire For Continuous Learning
Dadasaheb sat for hours watching English cinema on screens in his town to try and learn the art of making films. However he realised that watching films alone is not enough and if he had to learn the art of making films, he would have to go and learn it at London. Without having any contacts or acquaintances in London, but with the burning desire to learn, he left for London to study cinema. It was this quest for knowledge which gave him the confidence to walk into a Motion Pictures office in London and say, “I am Dadasaheb Phalke and I want to make a motion picture. Will you help me?”. As entrepreneurs you need to have this constant quest for learning everything related to your business. As long as this desire is present within you, success would not be very far. When you think you have learnt everything, then it is time to move on to something new.

Harischandrachi factory lessonsEntrepreneurship lessons from Harishchandrachi Factory 

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Jan
06

Mexico – Will The Desert Bloom?

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The article was originally published on IIM Shillong’s Consulting blog. A special thanks to Prof. IC (Indranil Chakravarthy), whose course on Firms, Markets and Global Dynamics, instilled in me the desire to read up on emerging economies and equipped me with the skills to interpret facts correctly and read between the lines of articles from business magazines.

Mexico has shown great resilience despite being badly hit by the financial crisis of 2008 (its economy shrank by 6.1% during this period), last year its economy grew by 5.4%. While Brazil has overtaken Mexico in terms of GDP in Latin America, Mexico is soon catching up. Mexico is currently the third highest exporter ($400 billion in 2010) to America, the World Bank also ranks Mexico as the easiest place in Latin America to do business. Mexico also has the highest per capita income amongst the BRIC nations (excluding Russia). Also the low cost advantage of China is rapidly dwindling and industries which once shifted to China from Mexico are moving back to Mexico. One major advantage that Mexico has is its proximity to America, which gives it a transportation cost benefit compared to other emerging economies like China and India. Also a recent NAFTA ruling in favour of Mexico, which America had been violating since 1994, will cut Mexican exporters’ shipping costs by 15%, further helping the Mexican economy.  The rise of first generation Mexican entrepreneurs like Carlos Slim, who is now the richest person in the World, makes one look optimistically towards the future.

However on the gloomier side – the unemployment rate is unlikely to reach the pre-recession mark of 4.1% before 2018 and as of now 46.2% of Mexico’s population lies below the poverty line. The continuous news stories of drug mafia and reports of violence and crime are also responsible for a lower than expected growth of Mexico. Also with 1/3rd of its GDP coming from exports – mainly to America, Mexico is highly dependent on a single country and is looking to increase its exports to other emerging economies, in order to diversify its export risk. Also the highly monopolistic nature of its industries (like telecommunications) has caused higher prices, leading to poorer people in the economy not having access to these services. Banking, medicine, transport are the other necessary service industries that have high costs due to the highly uncompetitive nature of these industries. Economic and policy reforms are needed in these industries, if a brighter future for Mexico is to be envisaged.

Mexico Will The desert bloom

Here we need to observe that, countries which continue to compete on their low cost advantage – do not have a sustainable growth strategy. This can be seen with countries like China, which once attracted industries with their low cost advantage are now seeing departure of these industries. This is because with passage of time, increase in the wage and operational cost in China, is no longer making it an attractive destination for investment. Mexico has been criticised for not opening its doors to foreign players, but I believe that this is actually one of Mexico’s strength. The country is trying to build its internal industries, so that when it becomes a totally open economy, its local industries will have the potential and financial strength to compete with global players. This is something that other emerging economies have failed to do – they have opened up their markets without first strengthening the foundations of their own markets. However there are some problems in Mexico’s economy too –

  • Mexico has not fostered and created enough number of domestic players within every industry. Thus this has led to monopolistic nature of the markets. The lack of sufficient players means growing cartelisation and lesser competition for existing players – which has resulted in these players not innovating to a large extent.
  • The limited choice, due to lack of players also means exploitation of the masses by the monopolist companies.

With a presidential election in 2012, political parties are looking at creating competitive policies and economic reforms which are necessary to deliver any real improvement in the quality of life for the average Mexican: job creation, middle class expansion, expanded social services, poverty reduction and reduced inequality. This if done, will help drive internal competition in the market and benefit Mexico as a whole. Read the rest of this entry »

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May
20

The Indian IT Sector In A Transformation Phase

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From just being cost effective cheap labor offshore destinations, the Indian IT sector has come a long way to giving competition to global players like IBM, Accenture in their home grounds, not just on cost but also on quality. However with growth figures not meeting market expectations, analysts are predicting the IT services market to have reached a plateau. However I believe, the next few years will see rapid transformations in the Indian sector – As can be seen in top IT companies from TCS to Wipro to Infosys, the leadership baton is being passed to energetic, young leaders- an indication of the agility and the aggressive strategies this industry is likely to see. Below are five trends and strategies I believe Indian IT companies are likely to concentrate on and it will finally boil down to who does a better job at executing that strategy.

1. Focus on Activities Higher In The Value Chain

IT players are looking at strategic partnerships with clients rather than small off shoring contracts. Also concentration is on doing more consulting work, creating IT strategy roadmaps for organisations and full integrated solutions. Amongst major Indian IT vendors, Cognizant Technology Solutions is one up in this area, as it has made early inroads into Management Consulting by recruiting a high talent pool in this area for the past few years.

2. Telecommunications and Education Sector Will Be The Next Big Thing

With focus of many developing economies in increasing their communications infrastructure and developing a strong telecommunications backbone for the growth of their economy, Telecommunications seems to be the next big thing after the Banking and Financial services sector. Telecommunication services with the advent of LTE technology many nations will expand to providing financial, social services and not just be restricted to simple communications. The IT sector will have to focus on partnering with major telecommunication companies in helping them achieve their vision. Mobile communications will be embedded with social computing and the internet and mobile services would be integrated on one platform. Also education services and the use of Information and Communication technology in fostering its growth and proliferation will be vital. Read the rest of this entry »

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May
14

Resolutions For The New Year

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Setting short term goals for yourself and seeing if you can stick up to them or exceed them, surely does help one inch closer to their long term goals. I have had this habit of making resolutions at any important stage in the year and I believe that’s where a New Year starts for me. So here are my 10 resolutions for the New Year. Read the rest of this entry »

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