Showing posts with label IIPM ADMISSIONS FOR NEW DELHI and GURGAON BRANCHES. Show all posts
Showing posts with label IIPM ADMISSIONS FOR NEW DELHI and GURGAON BRANCHES. Show all posts

Monday, October 08, 2012

THE CITI NEVER. . .

Adversity is a great teacher, and is an opportune time for some leadership lessons. US Gen. George S. Patton, who won many accolades during World War 2, was famous for his handling of adversities in warfare. During one operation in Sicily, he is said to have told one of his lieutenants that he had complete faith in him. To prove it, Patton went home and, you guessed it, slept! He used to famously quote, “Never tell people how to do things. Tell them what to do and they’ll surprise you with their ingenuity.”

Not letting down his board’s belief, it seems Citigroup CEO Vikram Pandit’s classy ingenuity – and that of his valued predecessors – has not only surprised, but even shocked the damned pants of Citi’s investor groups. Look at their performance on the ingenuity scale – for an organisation that had enviable smashing profits of $24.5 billion in 2005, the six months ending June 2008 have been pure genius – a killing loss of $7.6 billion! With one top US institution filing for bankruptcy (Lehman Brothers), the other (Merrill Lynch) being taken over by another (Bank of America), and the IMF estimate of gross losses suffered by the industry because of the sub-prime crisis crossing a gut wrenching $1 trillion, is Citigroup – one of the worst hit institutions in the US – going to be the next disaster on the West Coast? Boasting an asset size close to $2.1 trillion as on 2008 [double that of, say, India’s GDP], if Citi falls, Patton or no Patton, nobody’s going to sleep again for many months!

Not the least Victor J. Menezes, retd. Senior Vice Chairman of Citigroup, who reverted to us commenting, “I do not wish to get involved in any such media interactions concerning Citibank.” Truly speaking, the problems that Citigroup had piled up for itself were there for everybody to see; and as surprising as the analysis might be, the fact is nobody was ready to bell the billion-dollar pig and send it to the butcher’s. That Citi’s future is in grave danger can be easily viewed from the way share prices have plummeted. It’s a massacre on the bourses, with Citi’s share price falling from $55 in January 2007 to a pathetic $14 on September 17, 2008!

On September 15, 2008, Citi’s shares plunged by 15%, & on September 16, by another 7%, as news of Citi’s exposure to Lehman’s bankruptcy came to light. Lehman named Citigroup amongst its “largest unsecured creditors,” with a numbing $138 billion of Citigroup’s money tied up in unsecured Lehman bonds. Consider that Lehman’s gross outstanding debt is $613 billion dollars! So Citi is exposed to almost an unbelievable 23% of Lehman’s crash!

As B&E had analysed just a few weeks back in its cover issue Murders & Acquisitions [August 7, 2008], Vikram’s predecessor, Charles Prince, is an equal, if not better conspirator in this bloodbath. In 1998, he, as the Chief Administrative Officer [under Sandy Weill, then CEO], engineered the utterly disastrous $140 billion merger of Citibank with Travelers Group ten years back. Former Citi Chief Executive John Reed, who engineered the deal with Sandy Weill, confessed to the Financial Times in April 2008, “The specific merger transaction clearly has to be seen as a mistake,” and he was ‘unclear whether the company’s model or management deserved the greater share of the blame for its problems.’


Source : IIPM Editorial, 2012.

For More IIPM Info, Visit below mentioned IIPM articles.
 
IIPM : The B-School with a Human Face

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Tuesday, September 04, 2012

The old Indian rope trick... Mastered!

Better late than later, IDBI Bank has finally understood the power of numbers – or rather, of Indian masses. With their renewed focus towards retail banking, the bank seems to be re-mastering age-old strategies… and quite efficiently. B&E does a snapshot insider of what’s up! by Mona Mehta

Firstly, one has to accept IDBI was never one of the early birds. What till the late 90s was simply the metaphor for a huge building in an area called Scope Complex in New Delhi, has today metamorphosed and managed to carve a niche for itself in the Indian banking arena by surviving the cut-throat competition. Today, when all public sector banks have risen to the challenge – put forward by the private and the foreign banks – to meet the global benchmarks in terms of service quality and product innovation, IDBI Bank has emerged on its own way as a trendsetter despite not being one of the big daddies of the industry. A quick strategic review was of the order; and yes, we did it pronto!

Galloping Ahead
If one were to simply go by numbers, IDBI Bank seems certainly set for a real show. Beating even the best of the forecasts, the bank registered a mind-boggling 97.9% growth in its operating profit in the last fiscal. Net interest income of the bank too grew to `22.67 billion in 2009-10 as compared to `12.39 billion in the previous year, translating into a growth of 82.9%. IDBI Bank’s operations during the first quarter ended June, 2010 resulted in a net interest income of `8.51 billion, registering an extraordinary 172% growth over the `3.15 billion posted by the company in the same quarter of the previous financial year. Interestingly, this happened during a period when most of the Indian banking giants were still recovering from the slowdown blues.

Going deeper, while IDBI Bank’s net profit grew 46% (on year-on-year basis), fee based income increased by 53%, deposits grew 36%, advances grew 38%, aggregate assets rose 29% and the total business of the bank registered a growth of 37%. Analysts from firms like Jainam Research tell B&E how given specific fundamental performance factors, the bank’s bottomline is set for some serious growth in the coming quarters.

The Trick… The Old Indian Rope Trick
So how’d they do it? Well, it’s just by a little change in focus; or rather, going back to the focus that should have been originally there. We term it IDBI Bank’s ‘middle of the pyramid’ theory. IDBI Bank, which used to be highly focussed on the corporate sector generating 70% of its total business from the same, finally did one of their most transformational strategic focus changes to decide to give its retail business an equal importance – not only in terms of products, but marketing and investments too. The aggression comes quite clear, when B&E talked to R. M. Malla, c, IDBI Bank, “We have charted out new plans to enhance the bank’s branch network, which will help the bank expand its retail business. For the purpose, IDBI Bank plans to set up between 1,500 to 3,000 branches, 4,000 to 5,000 ATMs and 100,000 point of sale (PoS) machines with shopkeepers, in the next three years.” That translates into mammoth investments. Tactically, at ground level too, the bank has already started attempting a more consumer friendly face – and it’s not just about its advertisement. For example, to attract more retail business and achieve their goal of lowering cost of deposits, IDBI Bank has gone a step ahead of its competitors by waiving charges on many of its current account and savings account (CASA) services including account closure, ATM Interchange, demand draft cancellation et al (although industry players like Pankaj Pandey, Head – Research, ICICI Direct, while talking to B&E, warn that such a waiver of charges by IDBI Bank on the CASA account will drag down the fee based growth of the bank).


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Wednesday, August 22, 2012

ICICI BANK: INORGANIC GROWTH

First it was the Bank of Madura. Then, it was Bank of Sangli. And now, the Bank of Rajasthan. ICICI Bank is seemingly strengthening its presence in the Indian banking space by undertaking a slew of acquisitions much like its peer HDFC Bank did in the past. by Avneesh Singh

As seen by experts, the merger, which will increase ICICI’s branch count by 463 and ATM count by 111 (adding to the bank’s existing network of 2009 branches and 5,219 ATMs), will make ICICI Bank the undisputed no.2 in the Indian banking space and the no. 1 amongst those in the private sector. [This will increase the difference in number of branches between ICICI and HDFC from just 7 in 2008-09 to 747!]. But then, the question remains – is it such a wise move as it seems on the first go?

Well, experts are still divided in opinion. While some like Vaibhav Agarwal and Amit Rane of Angel Securities say that, “Based on the swap ratio (25:118), ICICI Bank has valued BoR at a premium of 89%, which is expensive, considering the poor profitability and the recent asset-quality pressures and corporate governance issues with the Bank of Rajasthan.” On the other hand, others like Hatim Broachwala, Banking Analyst, Khandwala Securities, says, “The deal is positive because of Bank of Rajasthan’s huge branch network in northern India. Also, the price paid per branch is not a huge amount considering ICICI Bank’s renewed strength.” Clearly, the proposed merger will help ICICI Bank make its presence felt in Rajasthan, in a manner similar to how CBoP helped HDFC Bank grow in Punjab and Haryana.

However, if you look at the Mcap per branch figure (of the acquired) involved in the ICICI Bank-BoR deal, it reads better than the HDFC-CBoP transaction. Based on the swap ratio announced, the figure works out to be Rs.66 million in the former case, a lot lesser than Rs.241 million paid in the latter. But one must also consider the fact that the existing capital adequacy of BoR is on the lower side and ICICI Bank would need to infuse more capital to bring them to the desired level. Translation – the deal would dry up funds from ICICI Bank’s lockers. Worse, the bank would need atleast two-three more years to scale-up productivity in BoR’s branches.

Certainly, there is no denying that inorganic growth strategy is good for a bank like ICICI Bank in a growing economy, but going by what expected synergies indicate, it appears to be more of an inorganic strategy out of compulsion. And that isn’t what’s called following the road to glory. The dynamism in the Indian banking industry is set to go through major changes in the near future, when the Reserve Bank will start issuing new banking licenses and the expected new cash-rich entrants of the likes of the Ambanis, the Tatas and the Birlas will take competition to a new level altogether. How many more such forced takeovers will we witness from ICICI Bank? The positive side is that if the BoR buyout works for ICICI, it will prove a preparation much before the real battle begins!

A pro-active step to scale up even before competitors starts biting at your heels or a purchase of the latest headache for ICICI Bank? Two more years, and we’ll know more...


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Thursday, September 17, 2009

The Occult OF Seven

They are different in many ways, yet similar in many others. Some of them belong to affluent families with political connections, while some have been brought up in a typical pro-education middle class fashion. Some of them have fancy degrees in marketing or advertising while many of them were just born with profuse raw talent and learnt everything on the job. They have been fickle yet focused. They have been clueless about their paths yet cognizant about their journey. As much as they are adored, they are envied just as much. And yet, there is the strangest connection in this creative coven. They started their journey at different times, trod different paths, only to arrive at a similar destiny: the occult, as we call it. What binds these seven is that single-handedly, they have conquered the creative cosmos of television and have been, in many cases, the singlemost reasons that their respective firms have been fantastically successful. Some of them work with General Entertainment Channels, some have been bitten by the youth channel bug, others are working with production houses, while a couple of them have even started their own production outfits. And almost all of them have some journalistic background hidden in their lineage... Pallavi Srivastava of 4Ps B&M presents, India’s most radically – and effectively – creative people >>> The Occult of 7

For more articles, Click on IIPM Article.

Source : IIPM Editorial, 2009

An Initiative of IIPM, Malay Chaudhuri and Arindam chaudhuri (Renowned Management Guru and Economist).

For More IIPM Info, Visit below mentioned IIPM articles.
IIPM fights meltdown, places 2300 students By Education Mail Bureau
Delhi/ NCR B- Schools get better By Swati Sharma
Event at IIPM
The Most Revolutionary Concept In Education PLANMAN CHE CENTRE FOR HIGHER EDUCATION, Supported by IIPM India’s Leading B-School
Detail of all IIPM branches
IIPM set to beat economic slowdown
IIPM Admission Detail
IIPM, GURGAON

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Monday, September 07, 2009

I’m ‘G’enuinely (de)’M’otored!

The beginning of June was the end of GM’s painful attempts to stand as an independent company. The Obama administration has provided $30 billion as aid for the company. But is the comeback possible?
By Pawan Chabra

“I laid out what needed to be done to save two of America’s most storied automakers - General Motors and Chrysler. These companies were facing a crisis (that was) decades in the making,” explained American President Barack Obama, in an announcement that would have broken the hearts of millions of Americans, though they had long seen it coming. June 1, was the fated date when the world witnessed another American iconic brand getting ripped apart on the papers, when the 100 year old ailing General Motors (GM) filed for bankruptcy under the Chapter 11 treatment.

Although the Obama administration will be providing another $30 billion in aid (apart from the $20 billion given earlier) and have a controlling 60% stake in the company, the Obama administration has announced that it has no interest in running the company, which, in plain words, signifies that Obama’s auto task force will not interfere in the day to day operations. Moreover, the Canadian and Ontario governments have also given a helping hand as they are putting in $9.5 billion for a 12.5% stake. The Government is aiming at a leaner GM, which will include more job cuts, dealership closures, plants shutting down and shedding of brands. GM is planning to close 14 US factories and three warehouses to cut on its operating costs, affecting its 20,000 workers. The company is aiming to bring the total number of plants in US from the current 47 down to 33 by 2012.

In fact, the company may also shed brands like Pontiac, Saturn, Saab and Hummer. As the Government plans to split the company into two parts; out of which, one will be the new and ‘so-called’ healthy GM and the other the old GM will comprise the sick assets of the company. This will be done through a Section 363 sale, which would transfer the new GM assets to an entity owned by the US and Canadian governments, the United Auto Workers(uaw) union and the company’s unsecured creditors. Obama frankly explained the importance of the company to US citizens as he said, “In the midst of a deep recession and financial crisis, the collapse of these companies would have been devastating for countless Americans, and done enormous damage to our economy – beyond the auto industry.” But will this landmark streak of communism in the ‘die hard capitalist US’ be able to give the Americans their pride back?

Going by the example set in the recent past of Chrysler, there’s surely a ray of hope. Though many experts claimed just before Chrysler was planning to file for bankruptcy that it will lead to a collapse and sales will fall down very drastically; that didn’t happen. Rather, the company recorded higher sales figures for May than that of April. But as San Oppenheim’s auto analyst Christian Breitspecher elucidates, “GM is very large and different from Chrysler and restructuring the company will take a lot more effort and time as compared to Chrysler.”

Chrysler has already taken some bold steps in the form of closing production units, cutting on franchises and more importantly, announcing their plans in the electric segment. As Obama predicted that Chrysler needs a two-month reorganisation, the destination is more or less in sight now, as Italy’s Fiat will be taking over its healthy assets. There is no denying that GM has a much more complex structure. But a way out could be listening to the consumer and providing cars they need; in particular, smaller, fuel efficient cars. The leaner structure and the earlier mentioned $30 billion should help the company to clear its debts and be capable enough to match the likes of Toyota. A ‘new and healthy’ GM is expected to be launched in about 60 to 90 days as a separate and independent company. Obama made it pretty clear that the Government is funding GM with only one goal and that’s to, “get GM back on its feet, take a hands-off approach, and get out quickly.” Legendary GM CEO Alfred Sloan once said, “If you do it right 51% of the time you will end up a hero.” Well they do not have that leeway, since this could be GM’s last chance. In fact, they could consider getting out 51% faster in time, if at all!

For more articles, Click on IIPM Article.

Source : IIPM Editorial, 2009

An Initiative of IIPM, Malay Chaudhuri and Arindam chaudhuri (Renowned Management Guru and Economist).

For More IIPM Info, Visit below mentioned IIPM articles.
2300 IIPM students get jobs
The Most Revolutionary Concept In Education PLANMAN CHE CENTRE FOR HIGHER EDUCATION, Supported by IIPM India’s Leading B-School
Detail of all IIPM branches
IIPM set to beat economic slowdown
IIPM Admission Detail
IIPM - Admission Procedure
IIPM, GURGAON

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Wednesday, July 22, 2009

Adding winds to the wings!


IIPM Alumni Officially on Facebook

Spreading wings is an inherent activity for a growing bird. And that’s what exactly Suzlon Energy, the Indian wind turbine maker, did in 2007. To add winds to its wings it acquired REpower for Rs.73.14 billion in a hard fought bid battle against its French rival, the Nuclear Energy Group, Areva and others. Well, the effort hasn’t gone waste, as along with a 60% stake in REpower, Suzlon has also pocketted the 10% market share enjoyed by REpower in the international energy market. “Suzlon has gained from this acquisition as it has helped it to extend its reach in the global wind turbine market,” agrees Vinay Nair, Oil, Gas & Energy Analyst, Khandwala Securities.

An Initiative of IIPM, Malay Chaudhuri and Arindam chaudhuri (Renowned Management Guru and Economist).

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Wednesday, January 14, 2009

Despite talk about American decline, the world is not prepared for a post-American era

The point was driven home at the 7th Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM) in Beijing this autumn, where European and Asian leaders explored ideas for a new global financial structure. For much of the past 60 years, it would have been impossible to hold such a fundamental dialogue without US participation. Today, it is almost becoming a new global norm that neither the international committee nor the US is prepared for.

Despite talk about American decline, the world is not prepared for a post-American era. As irksome as some of its actions have been, particularly over the past eight years, the US remains the world’s most critical champion of the progressive values that have lifted hundreds of millions of people out of abject poverty and political repression. If the US were to play a relatively smaller role in world affairs, and no other system was created to pick up the slack, these values could be at risk.


Although many states now hide behind an alleged universal principle of inviolable state sovereignty, for example, would the international community go back to the old model where states did whatever they wanted to their citizens within their own borders? Do countries around the world believe that they will be better off if the global trade system breaks down or international shipping lanes become less secure? Are countries like China willing to step up and pay their fair share of dues to keep the UN running (China currently pays 2.1 per cent of UN dues, compared to more than 25 per cent for the US), or to capitalise revised international financial institutions or the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis, and Malaria? Unless other countries step forward for the common good, a post-American world could quickly become a far more frightening environment than what it would replace.....Continue

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Friday, January 09, 2009

“I am just a party worker”

Who do you think was responsible for the party's success in Rajasthan?

I attribute the party's victory to Congress president Sonia Gandhi, general secretary Rahul Gandhi, Congress workers and the good work done by the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government at the Centre. It is also the victory of the people of Rajasthan. A befitting reply to the grave mistakes committed by BJP.

Will the Congress, which is short of a majority, be able to form a government in Rajasthan?

Yes, Congress will form the government here. We are not short of a majority…some of the independents are in touch with us and as it is, we are much above the required figure needed to form a government.

What do you think were the reasons behind BJP's debacle?

I am not the one to comment on other parties. All I know is that the people have given their verdict. The voters have voted against poor governance. All-round failure and corruption had become the hallmark of the Vasundhara Raje government during its five-year regime. There was a difference between what the BJP said and what it did in the state. In almost 27 incidents of police firing, 91 farmers were killed, the Meenas and the Gujjars felt agitated and cheated.

Who would be the next chief minister of the Congress in the state?

In Congress, a leader is chosen democratically and the party would announce the name at an appropriate time....Continue

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Thursday, January 08, 2009

Has national security gone to the dogs? If not, then it must…

Training is imparted in obedience, action, refusal of food given by strangers, scent discrimination, tracking, explosive detection, property guarding, spotting and attacking. The first phase of the 9-month training gives stress on basic skills, obedience drill and agility exercises. The second phase is tougher with explosives and narcotics detection, anti-smuggling operation, guarding and searching and causality detection. Every dog is assessed at the end of the training. Three retired BSF personnel impart training to the dogs at the Academy. Training for the first batch, consisting of high pedigree dogs including five German Shepherds and seven Labradors, and their 24 handlers, began in January 23, 2008. The next batch of 18 dogs is ready for training. “The selection of high pedigree dogs is done with meticulous care. Usually, the price of dog varies from Rs 5,000 to Rs 25,000, depending on its pedigree. The price for Labradors with six pure generations may go up to around Rs 80,000,’’ says Additional Director General of Police (ADGP) and Academy In-Charge, Alexander Jacob.

It is in fact the cost factor that is one of the main deterrents in the optimum deployment of dogs, apart from their own physical limitations. Says J A Khan, IG, Operations, Border Security Force, “The contribution of a dog to the detection of bombs and IEDs is 60%, and that of machines and equipments is 25%, while human success at it can be only quantified at 8%. But there’s a huge cost factor involved. The right pedigree had got to be usually imported, then trained for a year. If not properly used, the dog could die in 2-3 years. In fact, the life of a dog is reduced as much as we use her/him to sniff. Then there is required a personnel solely dedicated to the handling of dogs. There thus results a serious mismatch in requirement and availability. But that is not to deny that if used in a judicious manner, they can be a huge support. Loyalty, as you know, is an unquestionable trait with them.”....Continue

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Saturday, January 03, 2009

People hate the dirty face of partisan politics, says Priyanka Rai

The muck started flying from the time the first bullet sang. The Sangh Parivar went into a celebratory mood, as it felt sure that now the Congress had had it… clean sweep for the saffron, they partied. Congress leaders were going through the last motions of the Delhi polls, and pundits in both 24 Akbar Road as well as 9 Ashoka Road went into huddles, working out intangible election mathematics. And in the end, Congress felt that the solid, uncompromising hit back by the country got it the edge and Sheila Dikshit could, just could, win.

After his Mumbai visit, Advani said in his Rajasthan campaign, “Despite the Supreme Court verdict, Afzal has not been hanged. I often feel if Afzal were named Anand Mohan or Anand Singh, he would have been hanged a long time ago." Incumbent Vasundhara Raje, in a tight battle, said: "Though the terrorists got into Taj and Oberois hotels in Mumbai, we have seen how this government has failed to check terrorism." Interestingly, Narendra Modi had described Maharashtra ATS chief Hemant Karkare as antinational a week back. But today, Karkare is a martyr for whom Modi has offered a crore of rupees in compensation. It is precisely this kind of filth that got the public’s goat.

And there seems to be a reason for this sort of politics. What the public is saying – though may be not in so many words – is that none of the national parties have a national agenda: they just stick top their partisan interests. That's the real tragedy of democratic India. Each party seems so insecure that for them national security is a non-issue. By hook or by crook, they want the votes, come to the power and stick to it.

The people today do not believe Shivraj Patil’s ‘owning moral responsibility’ and resigning. Sonia Gandhi’s ubiquitous hands were obviously turning the strings that ran the puppets to stem a Congress slide during the coming polls. Media coverage of Patil changing three suits in a span of a few hours of the serial blasts in Delhi had enraged the masses, but there was no expression. BJP points out to the more than 200 blasts during the UPA regime. Home Ministry’s official statistic says it has come down quite a bit from the blasts during the BJP-led NDA regime. Then why resign now? ....Continue

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Tuesday, December 23, 2008

Om Mathur, an RSS pracharak drafted in the party for more than 25 years, has been made the BJP chief in Rajasthan since January this year.

There are reports that the Chief Minister neglected the organisation during the past five years, refusing to meet even her own ministers. And there is dissension, so how are you managing the cadre?
Such things happen only due to lack of communication. I came here in January this year and tried to remove the discrepancies. I organised regular meetings between the party organisation and the government. Ever since, all government decisions are being taken in consultation with the party.

How true are reports of Vasundhara Raje’s corruption?
They are absolutely false. Why didn’t the opposition raise these issues inside the Assembly during the past five years of BJP rule? Why are such things being raked up only during the past 20 days through newspaper advertisements? In any case, people living in glasshouses do not have a right to throw stones at others.

Vasundhara is also being accused of being too arrogant, even more arrogant than Narendra Modi. How do you explain that?
Every person has a distinct personality and working style. Those seeing her from a distance may call her arrogant, but those who know her closely know how sensitive and magnanimous she is. Vasundhara is a lady of action, vision and quick decisionmaking.

What impact would the BSP have in these elections?
Rajasthan has traditionally been a state with only two parties. There was never scope for a third party. Election results would bear me out on December 8....Continue

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Monday, December 22, 2008

Sun,sea and span

Inhaling the fresh ocean breeze while a cool subtle wind blew my hair away from my face, ignoring the 6 lanes of cars zipping by and the numerous diverse people walking and conversing by me, I was lost in my own world enjoying one of the beauties of California. Standing on the Golden Gate Bridge, bundled up with a light layer of clothing, I began my 2.2 mile walk across the bridge on one of my frequent visits to San Francisco (SF).

However, what made this trip unique was that I had decided to see SF from a tourist point of view, like I had in 1989, during my first visit.

The highlights of San Francisco-day-life are just as exciting and varied as the infamous SF nightlife. From a walk or drive down the world’s most crooked street, Lombard Street, to a cruise to Alcatraz Island, the infamous escape-proof prison meant for the most dangerous criminals until June 11, 1962, when two prisoners broke out and yet died while swimming in the cold waters of San Francisco Bay. Originally built and used as a lighthouse, the ‘Rock’ (as it is locally referred to) has now become a favourite tourist destination, for which daily ferry rides from Pier 33 take place every 30 minutes to allow visitors to experience the ocean and also give them a guided tour of the prison and its history. Alcatraz is known to have held famous prisoners such as Al Capone, Robert Franklin Stroud and Alvin Karpis.....Continue

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Wednesday, December 17, 2008

Abbas-hamas head-on again

The Palestinian Authority's central council has designated to appoint Mahmoud Abbas as Palestinian president. It is largely a figurative office, as a Palestinian state is yet to be formed. The position has been vacant since Yasser Arafat's death in 2004.

Meanwhile, Mahmoud Abbas ­– who is facing a mounting challenge from Hamas to the authority of his rule – threatened that unless the Palestinian resistance group decides to reconcile with his Fatah movement, he is going to annouce fresh elections. Abbas threatened to issue a diktat early next year that will make both Presidential and Parliamentary polls mandatory. His term in office ends on 9 January. Hamas hurriedly discarded the bid, saying the thought itself was “unconstitutional".

“It's a symbol indicating the political problem that Abu Mazen (Mahmoud Abbas) and his group are facing while he is going to lose his official position as the (president) of the Palestinian Authority,” said Mahmoud Zahar, a key political figure in Hamas......Continue

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Saturday, December 13, 2008

Who is Lt. Col. Srikant Prasad Purohit?

Well neither did it appear to anyone else until investigations of the Malegaon blasts after the arrest of Hindu activist, Pragya Singh, led the trail of the deadly explosions to Purohit and a retired Major, Ramesh Upadhaya, amongst others.

According to insiders in the army, Purohit was given the critical responsibility of raising 41 Rashtriya Rifles, a dedicated counter-terrorism force that operates out of Kupwara, in northern Kashmir. Kupwara remains one of the main points of infiltration of terrorists from across the Line of Control. His tenure in Jammu and Kashmir ended in January, 2005, while serving in the Awantipora-based 31-Counter Intelligence Unit of the MI. Well informed sources say that Purohit’s involvement in the cloak and dagger game dates back to his days in the crucial MI in a Kashmir valley defined by civil war conditions - days where for a military intelligence officer, it would often become very difficult to differentiate between foe and friend. Like all sensitive intelligence assignments, the job demanded establishing contacts with jehadis, a task considered vital for reading the rival’s mind. The purpose: to pick up and collate information and tactical intelligence.


According to the ATS, during one of the raids, the army seized 60 kg of RDX which, later Purohit informed his colleagues, had been dutifully dumped into the Jhelum river. In reality, it was smuggled into Maharashtra by the army officer and his accomplices and subsequently used in the explosions. Military sources told TSI that Purohit was later moved to Panchmarhi in Madhya Pradesh for pursuing a Chinese language course at the Army Education Corps College – his parent cadre - from where he was arrested by the ATS.....Continue
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Wednesday, December 10, 2008

It's not just America that is celebrating the historic Obama victory. The entire world is in raptures, reports Solana Larsen in this special despatch

Obama said he depended on the national citizen movement that made him President to end the devastating economic crisis the country suffered in the eight years under President George W Bush. "The road ahead will be long. Our climb will be steep. We may not get there in one year or even one term, but America — I have never been more hopeful than I am tonight that we will get there," he said amid cheers. This was indisputably one of the most hotly contested elections in US history. Voters stood in record-busting lines that snaked around city blocks, and dared to hope what had seemed impossible two years ago when a first-term African-American senator from Illinois announced that he was running for President.

The jubilation was equally unprecedented. On election-eve 28-year-old Indian blogger Aditi Nadkarni felt impelled to record, "I couldn't vote for Obama. But I wrote him." The young cancer researcher from India who lives in Rochester, Minnesota has been sharing her thoughts on the presidential elections on the South Asian group blog Desicritics.com. Here, she has recounted her personal experiences as an immigrant in the United States and raged against some supporters of John McCain for highlighting Barack Obama's middle name "Hussein" as a disqualifying trait. Indeed for weeks the campaign led by McCain and Palin had been attacking Obama for his alleged association with "a domestic terrorist" from the 1970s. And for some these false alarms actually worked — leading them to drum up wholly unwarranted fears about Obama's religion and ethnic heritage. Was Obama a Muslim? Was he an Arab! That was how it had gone!....Continue


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Thursday, December 04, 2008

Urgent provisions needed to rescue the poor and destitute

Haris Gazdar, an economist associated with Collective for Social Science Research based in Karachi agrees that at least five per cent additional population has been pushed below the poverty line in recent months. He said it was high time that the government introduce an employment guarantee scheme on the lines provided by India to combat poverty. "In fact, the Pakistan People's Party manifesto has such a provision, but it has not been implemented as yet," he said. Also he added that the poorest sections of the populace should be provided social security and a cash support programme, while their children should be ensured food support at schools.

Bengali who has been the National Coordinator Benazir Income SupportProgram (BISP) and Member National Finance Commission, believes the extent of economic crisis in Pakistan today is structural. He points out that it was in the making for 30 years but was aggravated during the last eight years. "Without the policies followed in the last eight years, we would have lasted a few more years but we were heading for a doom," he told The News on November 2.....Continue

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Monday, December 01, 2008

Revive economy: key challenge for the new PM elect

IIPM Publication
At a time when the global financial meltdown has had a dreadful impact on a host of countries, to which the New Zealand and her 4.2 million denizens are no exception, the key challenges before Key remain: slump in the housing prices, 25 per cent drop in currency’s value, 33 per cent fall in the stock markets, and above all, the worst recession in almost a decade due to which the $130 billion New Zealand economy contracted in the first half of 2008. In fact, the economic health of the country is so bad that its central bank has already slashed the interest rates by 1.75 percentage points since July.

To address all these challenges and unemployment in the country, which is at a five-year high, John Key has already proposed to cut income taxes and redirect spending to roads and a high-speed Internet network to help create jobs. He also has plans to instruct the head of various departments to undertake a line-by-line review of their spending so that money can be saved. Moreover, Key is even targeting to attend Asia Pacific Economic Forum in Peru to get external help. But until then, the trader-turned-politician will have to go through tough times to manage the country. ....Continue


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Thursday, August 07, 2008

Satbir Singh, CEO, Euro RSCG


IIPM Ranked No. 1 B-School In Global Exposre - Zee...

Satbir Singh, CEO, Euro RSCG: There are few people in advertising who respond to ‘talented’ and ‘nice.’ Anand is one amongst them. He was first introduced to me as a ‘Hindi’ copywriter. However, in the three years that I have known him, Anand has shown that ideas have a universal language. I would like to speak about the ‘bajaate raho’ campaign that we created for Red FM. Once I handed him ‘Bajate raho’ as the foundation, Anand took over the project with his team and created what I would safely say is the best work for any FM channel. It gave the channel a distinct voice and identity. What’s more, it picked up several awards at the Abbys and Goafest as well.

For more articles, Click on IIPM Article.

Source : IIPM Editorial, 2008

An Initiative of IIPM, Malay Chaudhuri and Arindam chaudhuri (Renowned Management Guru and Economist).

Read these article :-
ZEE BUSINESS BEST B SCHOOL SURVEY
B-schooled in India, Placed Abroad (Print Version)
IIPM in Financial times (Print Version)
IIPM makes business education truly global (Print Version)
The Indian Institute of Planning and Management (IIPM)
IIPM Campus

For More IIPM Info, Visit below mentioned IIPM articles.
4Ps Power Brand Awards 2007
When IIPM comes to education, never compromise
IIPM, GURGAON
IIPM - Admission Procedure
IIPM is A World of Career
Why Study Abroad When IIPM Gives You 3 global Advantages!


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Monday, July 21, 2008

$port$ and $$


When IIPM comes to education, never compromise

What’s new about the business of sports in India? Nothing and everything, says 4Ps B&M’s Steven Philip Warner

Business and sports, or rather the business of sports is a global scheme beaten into shape and pronounced with impeccable style from time to time, by one business tycoon or the other. And the storyline woud read no different when it comes to the Indian sub-continent where huge money has flowed into the game of cricket, with big names in business themselves willing to take strike, moving beyond just acts of buying some $1000 worth 10-second TV spots or sponsoring players, teams and some well-flavoured series for millions of dollars. “So what’s so new in this context?” is what you’d question. Well, nothing and perchance everything!

Yes, indeed the business of sports has existed in the game of limited and test cricket, but today this enthusiasm seems to be spreading out to other games as well. And even in cricket, there’s not just one name willing to take that chance; there’re a host of bigwigs garnering enough interest in matters far beyond just buying ad spaces and sponsoring individual players! The reason behind these moves being obvious media coverage and added mileage to their brand equity as Santosh Desai, Brand Analyst justifies, “Really, it is a matter of fact that no matter how rich you are, you have an inclination towards sports. But there’s more to the whole case here; there’s of course a business edge to it all. Brand building being one, the other one is that sports is one thing which automatically gets you public attention and there is no such difference between media and sports in today’s scenario.” And how about buying off an entire team? Seems unconventional when we’re talking about India, but that’s precisely what’s radical about the manner in which capital is being piped into Indian sports. However, much as these developments create excitement, there are concerns about the sudden increased fervour as well as Harish Bijoor, Marketing Analyst discloses, “All of a sudden, every one in India Inc. seems to be excited about the business of sports. Surely, it’s a bubble waiting to burst! The valuations are so high at the moment. However, in the medium-to-long term, this bubble will surely rupture and everyone will realize their slip-ups…”

But the investors seem least bothered. And if you haven’t heard about it, after Subhash Chandra of Zee fame launched the Indian Cricket League, there’s India’s richest man, Mukesh Ambani keen on buying off the Mumbai team from the Indian Premier League (IPL, from the stable of BCCI). In the same breath, read about Anil Ambani aspiring to pocket the Delhi team. Speculations are also rife that Shah Rukh Khan of Bollywood and Russel Crowe of Hollywood are lining up to snatch up a team or two from IPL. And cricketers? Well, they can’t be far enough, can they? After Kishore Biyani of Pantaloons and Future Group fame found a willing gladiator in Sachin Tendulkar, we’ll most likely see this unusual partnership sweep away a team from the IPL too.

Names galore even with floor prices of each team touching as much as a spectacular $50 million each for a 10-year franchise! And why just cricket? Talk about Indian soccer too with Sunil Bharti Mittal announcing his $25 million investment (in association with the All India Football Federation, AIFF) to raise standards of talent for the sport in India by establishing a National Football Development Programme called the Bharti-AIFF Academy in Haryana or Goa. Talking about the initiative, Mittal remarked, “We have become too obsessed with cricket and the time has now come for us to develop football in the country. I am starting with a few hundred crore, but I assure you I am ready to invest any amount of money for whatever it takes for the academy and a few other initiatives…” Well said indeed, but then aren’t the stakes rising with every extra rupee invested? Surely, his vision to globalise Indian football and watch India play in the Soccer World Cup comes at a time when India Inc. seems focused to provide more than just a clerical vacancy to sportsmen.

Then there is Vijay Mallya of the United Breweries and Kingfisher Airlines fame who is burning tracks with his investment of $100 million in his dream Formula 1 team Force India proves that sports in India carries a meaning much beyond just cricket or even hockey! When asked about the whole development, Mallya’s knee-jerk response is, “I can’t comment on why other industrialist are associating themselves with sports, but in my case, it’s the sheer passion in me for Formula 1 sport that has brought me to this point. I have big plans lined up for F1 in India…” And what do the experts say? Binit Somaia, Regional Director, Centre for Asia Pacific Aviation asserts, “Many corporate houses have business interests in multiple sectors. Provided that there is a strong executive team in place to manage the various divisions, there is no reason why Mallya should not expand his horizons. Formula 1 ties in well with the lifestyle businesses and it has the potential to provide excellent global exposure to his brands.” Even Santosh Desai confirms the same as, “The F1 purchase goes with Mallya’s targets and his persona. Nobody wants to invest in a sport like hockey and there are very strong reasons for the same!”

Talking of automobiles, there’s Apollo Tyres with its investment of Rs.100 crore in developing Indian tennis. So while there is so much at stake considering the crores being invested, a question arises: Won’t this prove detrimental to the businessmen who seem to be devoting more than their share of the clock to issues beyond their business arenas? Precious time wasted – yes that’s the very concern we’re pointing to here. However, Harish Bijoor discards this concern as he remarks, “Like Mallya is investing in F1 and Mittal in football, I am more interested and concerned about the money than their time that they would have to spend on it. However, when reality dawns, they would realise their mistakes and whether they are paying too much for it.”

True enough, there is no doubt that the various capital infusion moves will give increased mileage to the respective commercial however, the risks are no less apparent. And worse, it might just be too late before the participants realise this… Surely, much play and no work will make the Jacks of India Inc. dull boys, very dull!

For more articles, Click on IIPM Article.

Source : IIPM Editorial, 2008

An Initiative of IIPM, Malay Chaudhuri and Arindam chaudhuri (Renowned Management Guru and Economist).

Read these article :-
B-schooled in India, Placed Abroad (Print Version)
IIPM in Financial times (Print Version)
IIPM makes business education truly global
The Indian Institute of Planning and Management (IIPM)
IIPM Campus

For More IIPM Info, Visit below mentioned IIPM articles.
IIPM, GURGAON
IIPM - Admission Procedure
IIPM is A World of Career
Why Study Abroad When IIPM Gives You 3 global Advantages!


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