Issue 15 for website

Cradle of Leadership

Experts speak on Building a robust education system for India Volume 2, Issue No. 15 / Pages 68 / www.corporatecitizen.in

October 16-31, 2016 / `50

Survey

What do Millennials want?

My First Boss

A stepping stone up or down your career?

Corporate Citizen finds out

Loved and Married too

Hemveer Singh and Ramnik Arora, both out-of-towners tell us on how technology can serve as the great connector

Dynamic Duo: 39

Partners in Progress Bharthi and Arimanithaya

2 / Corporate Citizen / October 16-31, 2016

feedback Of power couples

The spontaneity, originality and individuality seen in each and every article in Corporate Citizen is commendable. It infuses the right blend of cool side of business along with information. The cover story on power couples under the title `Dynamic Duo’ is interesting as it has straight answers from them and gives insight into their discipline, their work routine and invaluable tips on success. Besides the Dynamic Duo, the interviews, articles and other columns, depict that the CC team has gone far and wide, activating readers’ interest. The magazine is a quick read of what’s happening in the corporate world.

—Varun Jadhav, MBA Student

Riding the wave

Today, the business world at least in India, is all about riding the wave of entrepreneurship, startup, disruption, innovation, automation and how business is growing by volumes and creating new billionaires. Your magazine is somewhat in tune with the broader theme, but remember that it is not always the biggest that is most exciting; catch also the hidden gems who are winners. Make the magazine that gives a complete bird’s-eye view of the corporate world in India and what Indians are doing on the global platform.

—Dhiraj Jain, HR professional

Claps & Slaps is interesting section

I have been regularly reading Corporate Citizen and must congratulate you on the wonderful issues brought out every fortnight.

I particularly look forward to Cradle of Leadership section as every time there is a new face of a leader in education. Claps & Slaps is another interesting section. Keep up the good work!

—Priyanka Mehta, Project Manager, IHG

An inspiration to youth

Campus Placement in your esteemed magazine ‘Corporate Citizen’ is something which I am sure will inspire youngsters. It is a guide to the many waiting in the pipeline to make a mark in the corporate world.

The other articles are also too good to inspire people and help them grow with basic tips from people who have achieved success, risen as they have from the mob in which currently we are.

—Aarushi Agarwal

Rural Entrepreneur, a timely story The article on the Rural Entrepreneur (issue dated Sept 16-30) is timely and serves a larger purpose. More than Dr Kulkarni becoming an entrepreneur himself, his efforts to make school dropouts learn trades that make them capable of earning a livelihood for themselves is laudable. Ours is a society that hankers after an education that is not designed to prepare people for anything other than a much coveted government job. This has resulted in our educated youth remaining jobless leading to their frustration that makes them seek an outlet in destructive violence. By imparting skills to receptive young minds through the on-the-job method at a fraction of the cost of formal, yet less effective education, Vigyan Ashram (issue dated Sept 16-30) has become a path breaking institution that promotes entrepreneurship in our rural youth. Many more such institutions will keep the young, in the environment they are comfortable with; and reduce the menace of unbridled urbanisation. Dr Yogesh Kulkarni needs to be complimented and I hope he will take the initiative in helping establish thousands of Vigyan Ashrams across the country.

—DVR Rao

Big names in the magazine is a good sign

A good mixture of stories

Well-known corporate leaders are featured in your issues which augurs well for a new born magazine, Corporate Citizen. Insights and interesting content will help your magazine go a long way in providing the readers interesting content. I wish you all the best. Keep up the good work — Shyam, Mumbai

CC is lively

Corporate Citizen is an interesting magazine.

The pieces are well researched and lively, and the designing is attractive. It covers a range of topics, and there is undoubtedly, something for everyone.

—Dr Gayatri Saberwal, Faculty Scientist and Dean, Academic Affairs, (IBAB)

As an MBA fresher, there are not many magazines I can relate to. Most business magazines have technical information that I, as a fresher is not interested in. Corporate Citizen has a good blend of business stories and inspiring anecdotes from students in “Star Campus Placements”, which I find very motivating.

—Vikram Pandit

CC’s know-how of business leaders

Corporate Citizen allows the readers an insight into business leaders and their passions like no other magazine does. It goes beyond the boardroom and lets the readers see corporates as they share their experiences, talk about their families and give advice on how to follow in their footsteps.

—Shalini Patil, Pune

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War Mongering

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ndia’s recent surgical strikes against Pakistan on perceived terrorist positions along the Line of Control (LoC), have been well commended by the world. Our nation though, has been gripped in a war of words since Pakistan’s attack on Uri, which, unarguably, deserves the most severe condemnation. Words, like missiles, have been flying through the television screens and strong opinions have dominated the black and white jungle of words in the print media. Former Big Chiefs of Armed Forces have been roped in as panelists, by aggressive TV anchors, to give further insight into why the war cry should get shriller. Probably in social gatherings too, the mood of the nation has been reflecting the belief of `enough is enough’ regarding what many allege is soft posturing with Pakistan, for too long a time.

This `revengeful’ feeling has been resonating ever since the Pathankot Airbase attack, followed by the continuing unrest in Kashmir, which continues to sizzle for over three months now. The government in Kashmir appears paralysed, thus making it look ineffective. Life continues to be on the edge in the valley. Given the sensitive situation, since decades, the central government too has been treading with caution.

Amidst this cacophony are harsh facts which are being overlooked in the ambition to garner TRPs and flaunt knowledge of war strategies. Is the government supposed to act on these shrill arm chair opinions and look at the issue from an emotional angle alone? Can it give a `tit for tat’ without taking into account various other factors like our other hostile neighbouring countries and international ramifications of a war with Pakistan?

It is pertinent to also introspect on the prac-

4 / Corporate Citizen / October 16-31, 2016

tical aspects of what it takes for preparation of a war with Pakistan. The reasons being the hostile geo-political scenario in the Northern borders including Kashmir region, which not only requires time for positioning of the troops but also the fear of imminent attack from China for want of China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CEPC). I would like to narrate this reality through my own experience.

It is a nostalgic recall as I am a soldier and a war veteran, posted, during the 1971 Indo-Pak War, in the very area in Uri - the location of the recent Pakistan assault. Between the time when war mongering started, somewhere in March 1971, and the actual launch of the war in December 1971 – it was a good nine months. The time required from conception to the birth of a human being.

I distinctly remember that my marriage date was fixed for 28th March, 1971. I took leave and went to my native village, Kandithempettai in Thanjavur district of Tamil Nadu, to get married.

Apart from the congratulatory telegrams that poured in, the house wore a festive look. Being the bridegroom, my family was invited by the bride’s family for various ceremonies that precede the actual D-Day. In fact, a marriage ceremony in our village is a grand affair – it is the culmination of 10 day of festivities, religious and social events. It is the time for congregation of near and distant relatives, thus turning the house into a large family gathering. It also means making elaborate breakfast, lunch and dinner for all of them. Goodies are enthusiastically prepared by the women of the house and a general air of positivity and happiness rents the air.

Everyone prays for auspicious things to happen.

However, my life has always been full of dramatics. Amidst the marriage fervour and

gaiety, tragedy struck when the next door neighbour of my in-law’s house, suddenly passed away on the very day of marriage. There was a lot of crying and the entire neighbourhood was overcome with grief. A village has an independent row of houses but each one sharing a symbiotic relationship with one another. So, how can there be no mourning for someone who is like a family member? As if this was not enough, I received a telegram from my Command headquarters asking me to come back immediately. There is little choice when you are called back from leave.

You either go back promptly or get court martialed and face severe punishment. Thus, within 48 hours of my wedding, I had to leave my new bride and get back to duty.

Those days, war mongering was going on just as we see today. A sea of Bangladeshis had filtered into the country due to atrocities on them by West Pakistan. They were being accommodated as refugees in various States. Their sheer number was putting immense strain on India. Indira Gandhi, the then Prime Minister, was garnering international support for India, in the event of a War with Pakistan. She analysed that it made more economic sense to wage a war against Pakistan and

I am a war veteran, posted, during the 1971 IndoPak War, in the very area in Uri. Between the time when war mongering started, somewhere in March and the actual launch of the war in December – it was a good nine months liberate Bangladesh. She signed the Indo-Russian friendship treaty, to nullify China’s support to Pakistan. The USA too had a favourable eye for Pakistan, which had her worried. When Gandhi discussed about going to war in April 1971 with the then Army Chief, General Sam Manekshaw, he candidly refused to go to war immediately and said he needed time to bring troops to advanced positions and select the right time, that is winter, when snow in the borders would dampen Chinese intervention.

I was asked to report at Leh. My battle commander, Major Karambil Rishi Babu and my other colleagues sympathised with me but for a warrior, his country comes first. From there, our unit moved to Pathankot, where only four residential quarters existed and were allotted as per the discretion of the Commander. The rest

of them were given monthly accommodation allowance of `100 or `200. Although I was the junior most, I was allotted one of those quarters, considering that I was newly married. The affinity and bonding you have in the Army is unique and overwhelming. Elated, I went back to my village to fetch my wife.

However, there came another twist to this tryst. The day we reached Pathankot, we were asked to pack up and move to advanced position.

So, despite having brought my wife from so far, I could not settle down with her. I felt bad that she had come to this strange land and she would have to fend for herself. All the families were clubbed in the four residential quarters. Two to three families were huddled in each quarter. A sack of rice, pulses and other food stuff was provided which implied that it was going to be a long haul

October 16-31, 2016 / Corporate Citizen / 5

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for us at the border. We had to move to RS Pura (Randhir Singh Pura). I am elaborating this sequence of events to understand that war does not happen in a few days’ time. It takes several months to launch a war.

RS Pura is located along the Punjab border of Pakistan. Not many know that here, army units are temporarily located in agricultural lands.

Whenever such skirmishes take place and the army takes position on the border, it is the farmers who suffer the most. We occupy their fertile land, from which they earn their bread and butter.

They are given just a modest amount of compensation, which hardly makes up for the destruction of their crops and fields. For, the Army unit makes a makeshift operation area that involves putting up tents and other facilities. In this case, we were deployed for nearly nine months.

Back in Pathankot, the residential quarters are in the vicinity of the Air Force Station. This meant that my wife and others had to be safe in case of an air attack from Pakistan. The ladies were asked to dig trenches by themselves so that they could sleep in them during night time.

On 3rd December, Pakistan launched an air attack. We were all engrossed, fighting the war, with a very positive attitude. We were firing bombs from the 120 MM brand Mortar. One night a bomb fell directly into our operational area. One of our colleagues was seriously injured. The attack was going on, full-fledged. Our Commander, Babu, was leading from the front, but he showed

his humane side, as despite being at the helm of the attack, he put the injured soldier in his jeep and drove at fast speed to Jammu and admitted him in the hospital. It was a two hour drive, so he came back in four hours and got back into action.

Finally, war was over on 16th December, 1971 and we returned to Pathankot after the ceasefire.

The celebration and triumph of victory over Pakistan gripped the nation. On our return by train from Pathankot to Chennai, I witnessed intense and unprecedented patriotism, which overwhelmed me. Wherever the train halted, people were thronging railway stations and showering us with food and all kinds of gifts. The railway platforms were filled with such well-wishers, cheering us with slogans of `India Zindabad.’ By the time we reached Chennai, I had so many gifts that I did not know what to do with them.

Today, the tragedy of the country is that, we need to ask, are we ready for war? India has to deal with problems from several neighbouring nations. Despite it pumping in money from the tax payers’ treasure chest and despite several concessions, why is it that people in the Kashmir valley are not happy? Why are the people there not with us? Why do they address us as `you Indians’?

If they are with us, then are only a few militants, creating havoc? If it is a question of only a handful of militants, then why is it that the Army is not able to be on top of them?

Also, what is the morale of our Armed Forces presently? We have witnessed the One Rank One

6 / Corporate Citizen / October 16-31, 2016

Pension (OROP) agitation, where hundreds of veteran soldiers and officers, in an unprecedented move, protested for several months at Jantar Mantar and took out public rallies. The defence personnel are also piqued about the seventh pay commission. In March this year, the three service chiefs made a representation to the `Empowered Committee of Secretaries’, headed by the cabinet committee. When that failed, the service chiefs kept the implementation of the 7th pay commission, in abeyance. The Defence Minister then ordered them to implement it. It must be noted that their petition in the Supreme Court, stated that defence personnel should not be treated in a ``shabby manner.’’

We must understand that a soldier or an officer considers his duty above his comfort zone and salary. But the fact that they have shown resentment, perhaps indicates that the morale in the Armed Forces, may not be very high.

So, given these circumstances, the moot question finally is, should India go for a full-fledged war? We need to also introspect as to what we have achieved so far by going to war, be it against Pakistan or Sri Lanka.

Dr (Col.) A. Balasubramanian editor-in-chief

Contents 22

Cover story

Dynamic Duo 39

High Priest of HR

An in-depth interview with Sreekanth A Arimanithaya, MD and Global Head—Workforce Management of Computer Sciences Corporation 11 COLLYWOOD

Chatpata Chatter from the Corporate World 15 MANAGE MONEY

Dr Anil Lamba on Funds-Flow Statements 16 WAX ELOQUENT Who said what and why 18 Interview Sumit Rajwade, VP, Technology, Rediff.com India on education and information technology 8 / Corporate Citizen / October 16-31, 2016

Volume 2 Issue No. 15 October 16-31, 2016 www.corporatecitizen.in

21 BOOK REVIEW Discover the search for prosperity in the insightful book by Vijay Joshi 32 Cradle of Leadership Experts speak on building a robust education system for India 38 THE TAX MAN COMETH What is GST, and why GST? by S K Jha (IRS (retd) and former Chief Commissioner of IT) 40 MY FIRST BOSS A stepping stone up or down your career? Corporate Citizen finds out

16

42 STAR CAMPUS PLACEMENT Ninad Singh Rajput, a graduate in computer engineering from the College of Engineering, Pune, on his first break in the corporate world 44 Survey What do Millennials want?

What makes Millennials tick?

That’s exactly the answer leading multinational professional services firm Deloitte hoped to obtain by conducting the 2016 Deloitte Millennial survey

44

18

32

40

48 CORPORATE COLUMN A Three Step Approach by Aditya Nagarkar Manager, , Wipro Ltd. 50 Loved & Married tOO Hemveer Singh (26) and Ramnik Arora (28) tell us how technology can serve as the great connector 52 AGAINST ALL ODDS Paralympics heroes bring glory to the nation 56 health Mahesh Singhi, founder and Managing Director of Singhi Advisors, believes that workout enhances his work significantly

52

50

38 October 16-31, 2016 / Corporate Citizen / 9

Editor-In-Chief Dr (Col.) A. Balasubramanian

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56

Consulting Editor Vinita Deshmukh Assistant Editors Joe Williams/ Prasannakumar Keskar Senior Business Writer Rajesh Rao Senior Sub-Editors Neeraj Varty Writers Delhi Bureau Pradeep Mathur / Sharmila Chand Bengaluru Bureau Sangeeta Ghosh Dastidar Pune Bureau Suchismita Pai / Kalyani Sardesai / Namrata Gulati Sapra

42 60 Pearls of Wisdom Success Is Not What We Take It To Be by Dada J P Vaswani

Manager Circulation Mansha Viradia +91 9765387072 North : Hemant Gupta +91 9582210930 South : Asaithambi G +91 9941555389 Circulation Officer Jaywant Patil +91 9923202560

62 MOBILE APPS The Best Cooking Apps 66 the Last Word Celebrating Indian culture by Dr Ganesh Natarajan, Chairman, 5F World, Pune City Connect and Social Venture Partners, Pune

VP - Marketing & Sales M. Paul Anderson +919444405212

Creative Direction Kiyan Gupta, The Purple Stroke Graphic Designer Shantanu Relekar

62

Be A Corporate Citizen

How do you like this issue of Corporate Citizen - The Cool Side of Business?

Send in your views, news, suggestions and contributions to corporatecitizenwriters@gmail.com.

We would love to hear from you!

10 / Corporate Citizen / October 16-31, 2016

On Cover Page Bharathi and Arimanithaya Cover page pic Sanjay MD Photographers Yusuf Khan, Ahmed Shaikh Website / Online Subscription www.corporatecitizen.in For Advertising, Marketing & Subscription queries Email: circulations@corporatecitizen.in (Corporate Citizen does not accept responsibility for returning unsolicited manuscripts and photographs. All unsolicited material should be accompanied by self-addressed envelopes and sufficient postage) Tel. (020) 69000677 / 69000672

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People in the news

Martijn de Jong leaves Jio to join Aegon

Sensitive Fadnavis Dr Alaknanda is a single parent and a resident of Pune who has been suffering from paraplegia (paralysis below the waist) since her injury in a road mishap near Nashik in 2010. But the paralysis did not deter her from practising medicine to support her family. Being a single parent, she has been supporting her family (her daughter and mother) all by her own. She applied for a government job to make herself financially stable.

In Feb 2015, she was appointed gynaecologist at the Silver Jubilee sub district hospital in Baramati.

Although wheel chair-bound, Vaidya, now 39, initially shuttled between Pune and Baramati on a daily basis, travelling 200 kms every day. As it was getting very difficult to balance job and family

life, she started writing applications since October 2015 to the concerned government authorities at the public health department seeking transfer on medical grounds, but got no response. After several of her written requests to the authorities went unanswered, she launched an online petition and within a week’s time, around one lakh people have extended support to her by signing this online petition.

Maharashtra chief minister Devendra Fadnavis took immediate cognizance of Dr Alaknanda Vaidya’s online petition. He promptly ordered his officers at the public health department to look into the matter and do the needful. Dr Alaknanda has been posted to Pune now.

Sharma takes over SCI Anoop Kumar Sharma took charge as the chairman and managing director of Shipping Corporation of India (SCI) for a period of three years, SCI informed the BSE. As the country’s premier shipping line, SCI owns and operates around one-third of the Indian tonnage, and has operating interests in practically all areas of the shipping business, servicing both national and international trades. SCI also has substantial interests in various segments of the shipping trade. Its owned fleet includes bulk carriers, crude oil tankers, product tankers, container vessels, passenger-cum-cargo vessels, phosphoric acid/ chemical carriers, LPG/ammonia carriers and offshore supply vessels.

Martijn de Jong, chief digital marketing officer and senior vice president digital channels at Reliance Jio, has left the company after a stint of 19 months, and has joined Aegon India as chief marketing and digital officer. According to a Jio spokesperson, Martijn de Jong’s contract got over.

De Jong joined Reliance Jio in 2013 from Deutsche Telekom where he served as vice president and business unit lead for eCompany, Big Data and API’s products.

He was directly responsible for digital marketing activities for both Reliance Jio and Reliance Retail’s Lyf handset brand. He built a large digital team for Jio’s digital channels, and had profit and loss (P&L) responsibility for eCommerce, digital recharges and mobile ad revenues. Jong was instrumental in setting up partnerships with leading Indian e-commerce companies like Amazon and Flipkart, along with Fintech companies and payment providers and banks.

October 16-31, 2016 / Corporate Citizen / 11

collywood Ravi Desai as Amazon’s CMO

Amazon India has roped in Ravi Desai of ITC Foods as its chief marketing officer, creating the position for the first time in the country, as the ecommerce battle intensifies ahead of the festive season.

Desai, who is cluster head of marketing and executive committee member at ITC Foods, is based in Bengaluru and has quit, according to sources. At Amazon, Desai will be responsible for product marketing, advertising and brand building. Desai will report to Amit Agarwal, the country manager at Amazon India. In his decade-long career at ITC, Desai has served in positions such as branch head and as marketing manager during the conceptualisation and launch of the Bingo range of snacks.

He was responsible for the confectionary portfolio and Candyman brands. An alumnus of the Indian Institute of Management, Calcutta, 1999 batch, Desai also has a degree in chemical engineering. Seattle-based Amazon is trying to surpass Flipkart and grab the No. 1 position in the Indian ecommerce market .

Dynamic Women Power State Bank of India (SBI) chief Arundhati Bhattacharya, ICICI head Chanda Kochhar and Axis Bank CEO Shikha Sharma are among the 50 most powerful women based outside the US, according to a list by Fortune which is topped by Banco Santanders boss Ana Botín. Bhattacharya, 60, is ranked second on the list, while Kochhar comes in on the fifth spot and Sharma on the 19th position in the Fortunes 50 most powerful women international list. Botín, Group Executive Chairman of Banco Santander, Eurozone’s largest bank by market value, repeats as No. 1. The 2016 list spans 19 countries. “Bhattacharya’s profile has risen during her three-year tenure atop India’s largest bank,” Fortune said. SBI chairperson Bhattacharya, who was widely speculated to succeed Raghuram Rajan as governor of the Reserve Bank of India, has

continued her high-profile battle with banks’ bad loans, while courting overseas partners to invest in the stressed assets. ICICI

Bank Managing Director and CEO Kochhar, 54, is regarded even by rival bankers as a visionary, Fortune said.

Test-run of supersonic train Union Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari wants high-tech entrepreneur Elon Musk, the American billionaire’s company SpaceX to test-run its futuristic high speed train, the Hyperloop, in Pune. Gadkari said he spent quality time with the officials of Tesla, which is also founded by Musk, during his recent visit to the US. “I just offered them the westerly bypass of Pune connected to the Express Highway. The idea is they can have an experiment between Mumbai and Pune as a pilot project,” he said, without naming SpaceX. He said the Hyperloop, whose idea was first presented in 2013, runs faster than an aircraft at a speed of 1,120 kmph and can cut

12 / Corporate Citizen / October 16-31, 2016

the distance between his hometown Nagpur and Mumbai to 35 minutes.

Among other things, SpaceX is also working on commercialising space travel. Speaking about the futuristic concept which is yet to be commercialised, the minister said the Hyperloop is a tube which uses air for propulsion. Gadkari said the government has invited Tesla to invest in the country in clean energy like solar and battery storage, areas in which the American company is focused on. He said he also encouraged Musk to set up a manufacturing base in Mumbai. Tesla has been offered land free of cost near some ports.

HalfIndian is Miss Japan Priyanka Yoshikawa, Japanese interpreter and beauty pageant titleholder was crowned Miss World Japan 2016. She is the second after Ariana Miyamoto to be Miss Japan who won the Miss Universe Japan title in 2015. Priyanka’s father Arun Ghosh is Bengali and her mother, Naoko is Japanese.

Priyanka’s father was born in Dohar Upazila, Dhaka District, Bangladesh but his family later moved to Kolkata, West Bengal.

He moved to Japan in 1985. Her great-grandfather Prafulla Chandra Ghosh was the first Chief Minister of West Bengal. Priyanka lived in Sacramento, California.

She then lived in Kolkata for one year before returning to Japan, where she was bullied over her

mixed-race ethnicity. She speaks fluent Japanese, English and Bengali. She works as a translator and English teacher, and also has a license to train elephants. “We are Japanese. Yes, I’m half Indian and people are asking me about my ‘purity’. Yes, my dad is Indian and I’m proud of it, I’m proud that I have Indian in me. But that does not mean I’m not Japanese.”

Ramachandran as Director R Ramachandran has taken over as Director (Refineries) at Bharat Petroleum Corporation Ltd. from B K Datta who superannuated. A chemical engineering graduate, R Ramachandran joined BPCL in 1982 and has 34 years experience in the downstream refining sector. Ramachandran has been responsible for initiation, development and implementation phases of various projects, such as the Refinery Modernisation and Capacity Enhancement Project in Mumbai Refinery, Process Design and detailed Engineering for setting

up Numaligarh Refinery, said the company statement. His present responsibilities include the handling of BPCL Refineries at Mumbai and Kochi and also overseeing the performance of the joint venture Bina Refinery and the subsidiary Numaligarh Refinery, Crude and Product pipelines, International Trade and Research and Development Centre at Noida.

How about Karmakar Vault?

India’s Dipa Karmakar who became an overnight sensation, has drawn the attention of Rio’s gold medal winner Simone Biles, who won the gold at the vault finals. The 23-year-old finished 4th in the vault finals at the 2016 Rio Olympics after winning gold in the qualifying event earlier this year. Biles feels that Produnova is extremely life-threatening and it takes courage to execute it. She admits she could never do it the way Dipa does. In fact Biles feels that the Produnova should be renamed Karmakar vault in her honour. Now that is some compliment! The two did get to meet at one point and Dipa had a memorable experience meeting the 19-year-old Biles, who is already regarded as one of the greatest athletes. “She is a champion and I got to meet her in Rio. She is incomparable; I don’t think any gymnast can match her. She told me that my routine on the vault should be called the ‘Karmakar vault’, not Produnova. I was so happy that I told myself I will work very hard and one day, hopefully, there will be a vault in my name too,” said Dipa.

October 16-31, 2016 / Corporate Citizen / 13

collywood Triumphant Air India Express

The low-cost international subsidiary of Air India, Air India Express, has turned profitable for the first time since it started operations in 2005. As per the account placed and approved by airline’s Board of Directors, the airline has made net profit of `361.68 crore in the fiscal year 2015-16 against the loss of `61 crore registered in the year 2014-15, as per the Air India Express release. Along with other factors, higher passenger load factor and better utilisation of its assets helped the airline achieve the positive financial result as the its fleet size remained at the same level of 17 aircraft as was the case in the previous fiscal, the release added. The year witnessed passenger load factor of 82.3 per cent against 81.4 per cent the previous year while the average daily aircraft utilisation rose to 11.3 hours from 10.8 hours. The year, the Airline carried 2.80 million passengers as against 2.62 million in the previous year, according to the release. The airline has achieved total revenue of `2,917.96 crore in the last fiscal against `2,622 crore earned in the year 2014-15. “This turnaround is the outcome of the sustained efforts made by every member of Team Air India Express,” said CEO of Air India Express, K Shyam Sundar. Thanking the increased passenger confidence in the airline’s services, he said it augurs well for the fleet expansion plans being implemented by the airline.

Floating new film company Tanuj Garg, the former chief executive of Balaji Motion Pictures has joined hands with photographer and film producer Atul Kasbekar to set up a film company, which they said will focus on creating profitable, high concept films. The new company, Ellipsis Entertainment, has been incorporated as a limited liability partnership (LLP) among Garg, Kasbekar, and three other co-producers of this year’s superhit film Neerja, Shanti Sivaram Maini, Swati Iyer Chawla and Piya Sawhney, Garg said. At Balaji, Garg had worked on content-driven films like The Dirty Picture, Once Upon A Time in Mumbai Dobaraa and Lootera.

Garg has close to 15 years of experience working in senior positions across Disney UTV, 14 / Corporate Citizen / October 16-31, 2016

Viacom18 Motion Pictures and Balaji. “It was time to leverage the experience, relationships and goodwill built over 15 years and turn entrepreneurial,” he said. “There has never been a better time for content power and along with Shanti, Swati and Piya, we are actively building a multi-genre movie slate and are pleased with the progress so far.” The company is working on eight projects at various stages of development. However, the partners have decided to launch not more than three to four projects a year. Garg said Ellipsis will selffund the projects until at least the script is final and the director is in place. “Currently, the industry is in the state of content flux and there could not be a better time,” said Kasbekar.

Sharma bids adieu to Micromax Ajay Sharma, business head of mobile phone and tablet divisions at Micromax Informatics, has quit just nine months after rejoining the company in January this year.

He has now been replaced by Praveen Srivastava, who joined Micromax from Vodafone India, where he was the head of business development for growth circles. Sharma confirmed his exit but didn’t share further details. At Micromax, Sharma was leading a team of 250 people, and was looking after executing channel and retail strategies in the smartphone segment. His exit comes within a few days after Arvind Gulati, head of customer services at Micromax Informatics recently quit the company. Gulati was replaced

by Bharat Malik, existing head of customer service for the company’s subsidiary Yu Televentures. Sharma, who headed the smartphone business for the Gurgaon-based company from 2012 to 2014, re-joined Micromax from Panasonic, where he headed their India’s phone division. He also helped Apple CEO John Sculley-backed Obi Mobiles launch India operations and headed the company for almost 11 months.

Compiled by Joe Williams joe78662@gmail.com

manage money Dr Anil Lamba

Evaluating the financial health by reading a Funds-Flow Statement A new series on how to evaluate the health of a business using Funds Flow Statements, that traces the sources and uses of funds of an organisation With this issue I begin a new series on how to evaluate the health of a business using Funds Flow Statements.

What is a funds-flow statement?

It is a statement that traces the sources and uses of funds of an organisation.

Every organisation must prepare a funds-flow statement.

You might wonder why, when an organisation is already making a Balance Sheet in which the liabilities represent its sources of funds and the assets its uses, it should duplicate its efforts and prepare another statement that provides the same information.

Balance Sheet Liabilities Share Capital

Assets 300

Fixed Assets

750

Reserves 200 Long-Term Loans

400

Current Liabilities

150 1,050

Current Assets

300 1,050

While a Balance Sheet lists sources and uses, it is not a perfect substitute for a funds-flow statement.

It has certain limitations.

Take a look at the Balance Sheet given below:

Do you see any flaw in this Balance Sheet from the point of view of flow of funds?

A Balance Sheet does reveal sources and uses.

It does tell you where the money has come from and where it has gone and the amount of funds that have been received and applied.

However, what it fails to reveal is when the money came in and when it went out.

Remember, a Balance Sheet only represents the situation at one particular point of time.

Suppose the Balance Sheet shown here is as on 31 December of a particular year.

The Balance Sheet informs you that as on 31 December the owners’ contribution to this business was 300.

But when did the owners contribute this money?

It could have been last week. Or it could be that the owners started this business 25 years ago, invested 300 as their capital and, till date, haven’t taken it back.

Where is the flow?

A Balance Sheet is a static document. On the other hand, a Funds-Flow

Statement spans a period of time.

We need to know how much money has come in and how much has gone out over the last one year, the amount of funds flowing in and out over the last one month and so on.

If the Balance Sheet does not reveal funds flow, then from where can we get the information to prepare a funds-flow statement?

The data will still come from the Balance Sheet. But for this, we will need not one but two Balance Sheets.

If we wish to make an annual funds-flow statement, we will need this year’s Balance Sheet as well as the previous year’s Balance Sheet.

If we wish to make a weekly funds-flow statement we will need two Balance Sheets one week apart.

How is a Funds-Flow Statement made?

Even though this article is not about how to make funds-flow statements but how to read them, let me, nevertheless, give you a quick, oversimplified version of how these statements are made.

Balance Sheet Previous Liabilities Year

Current Previous Assets Year Year

100

Share Capital

300

75

Reserves

200

500

Long-Term Loans

400

100

Current Liabilities

150

775

1,050

Current Year

600

Fixed Assets

750

175

Current Assets

300

775

1,050

Consider the two Balance Sheets shown (revealing the previous year’s and the current year’s figures).

Look at each figure on the Liabilities’ and the Assets’ sides and try to reach a conclusion whether there has been an inflow of funds or an outflow. (to be continued) Dr Anil Lamba is a practicing chartered accountant, financial literacy activist and an international corporate trainer. He is the author of the bestselling book ‘Romancing the Balance Sheet’.

He can be contacted at anil@lamconschool.com October 16-31, 2016 / Corporate Citizen / 15

wax eloquent

India, an exception to the world Take a look at what our corporate leaders have to say about recent trends and their experiences in the business world What entrepreneurship is all about

Spirit of entrepreneurship

“You can’t help but be excited in terms of the growth in the overall Indian economy, the growth and the momentum and the acceleration of the spirit of entrepreneurship here is amazing.”

You want people who will own the problem, find a solution, be part of that solution and be confident enough to say that we will solve the problem. To me that is what an entrepreneur is and that’s what entrepreneurship is all about. Owning the problem, finding the solution, going against all odds, finding the resources, and solving the problem. That attitude, that confidence, that drive, is what entrepreneurship is all about.

Kris Gopalakrishnan,

co-founder, Infosys and founder, Axilor Ventures Courtesy: www.livemint.com

Jeff Weiner, CEO, Linkedin Courtesy: Mint

We stayed the course

“We did not follow the herd, for as you know when you do that you only see the back side of the person in front of you. What we did was break the mould, change the narrative, opened new genres never tried before, backed visions at high risk, redefined the way movies were narrated but most of all – we stayed the course in a long, tough but exhilarating roller coaster ride and I think from time to time we created an impact.”

Ronnie Screwvala, founder, UTV

Courtesy: www.thequint.com

Leapfrog generations of technology Talk of movies making-losing money

“People usually talk of movies losing money, but they’re missing the point. The point is not how much money you’re losing on the films that don’t work but how much you’re making on the films that do work” Ajit Andhare,

chief operative officer, Viacom18 Motion Pictures Courtesy: www.livemint.com

16 / Corporate Citizen / October 16-31, 2016

“India has the opportunity to leapfrog generations of technology and in this mobile-first or, in many cases, mobile-only environment, any company like Adobe or others in the Valley who use India as an opportunity to innovate around mobile first, it is going to pay off not just in India as an opportunity, but also everywhere else, in all of the other markets. So, that is one big opportunity.”

Shantanu Narayen, CEO, Adobe Systems

Courtesy: Mint

Communication landscape is changing

“The communication landscape is changing from one to many (mass media) to one-to-one (word of mouth) and eventually to one-to-several (creating shareable content).”

Srinivasan K Swamy, chairman, Advertising Standards Council of India (ASCI) and chairman and MD, RK Swamy BBDO Group

Courtesy: Mint

Be open and communicate

“I really have a problem if people shirk their responsibilities.

They come to you explaining something cannot be done way too late, when there’s no time to take a countermeasure. That is when I have an issue. Be open and communicate.”

Roland Folger, MD & chief executive, Mercedes-Benz India Courtesy: Mint

Concept of polarity

Have a creative side in business

“In business, if you don’t have a creative side and are just doing what the others are, you are going nowhere.

In my free time, I like to go to art events, etc, or learn new skills that could add to my business.”

India is massive in terms of population and adoption of mobile devices. There is strong desire for information and data. When one sees all that coupled together, there is tremendous business opportunity.

Now with the government agenda for digitisation, we really have got the nexus of opportunity.

CEO & founder, VU Technologies

Courtesy: Financial Express

Devita Saraf,

Nexus of opportunity

David Webster, president, Asia Pacific & Japan and senior vice president, EMC

“In today’s uncertain world, there is this concept of polarity-that is, you have to manage the short term with long term. Manage speed with excellence. Maintain the governance and still remain agile and entrepreneurial. That is the challenge.”

Saugata Gupta, MD and CEO, Marico Courtesy: Mint

Courtesy: Financial Express

Think like a tweenager

“Making mobile games is the business of making ‘fun’ and that is no mean task! I have to keep all my ‘dinosauric’ ideas of my age (I’am 47) at bay and think like a tweenager half the day.”

Alok Kejriwal, founder, Games2win Group Courtesy: Financial Express

Tune is changing

“From an external view, India continues to be an exception to the global environment. The momentum is coming back. With our clients, many of whom were sceptical about acche din in the last six to 10 months, the tune is changing.”

Shifting to Cloud involves change

“While there are concerns around data security in the country, a lot of the technologists in the country are quite skilled and are aware of what needs to be done. But sometimes, security is also used as a reason to avoid change because shifting to the Cloud involves change.

Though worrying, companies that adopt the Cloud can emerge as winners.”

Shailender Kumar, MD, Oracle India

Courtesy: www.business-standard.com

Piyush Gupta, CEO, DBS Bank, Singapore Courtesy: Economic Times

Challenges for legacy businesses

“The ecommerce and startup culture has created challenges for several legacy businesses that are not agile any more to reinvent themselves or go the extra mile to retain customers. However, it is too soon to call the death knell for family businesses, Overall, family businesses are probably here to stay, but will have to be more nimble to keep up with rising.”

Mohit Goel, cofounder, Supplified

Courtesy: Financial Express

Time to rethink film business

The fundamentals of the film business remain intact. South India continues to take bolder steps and they are finding success… it is times perhaps to rethink the business.”

Rakesh Jariwala, , film segment leader, media and entertainment industry, EY Courtesy:Business Standard

Definitely a bright spot

“India is definitely a bright spot, it’s not overdone. You are the fastest-growing country on the planet today and you are making changes. I am not interested when people refer to a quarter, or this year because, the way I look at a country is what are its prospects over the next 20-30 years, and India’s are good.”

Jamie Dimon,

chairman, JPMorgan

Courtesy: Economic Times

Compiled by Rajesh Rao rajeshrao.rao@gmail.com

October 16-31, 2016 / Corporate Citizen / 17

Interview

‘We are into information revolution era’ Making the country technologically and digitally empowered is the key to put it on the growth path. Gone are the days when people would wait for the morning newspapers, as technology has brought all information about the world just a click away. Today technology is the driving force that determines a nation’s development. Corporate Citizen caught up with Sumit Rajwade, Vice President, Technology, at Rediff.com India to speak on the various aspects of technology, among other topics. By Joe Williams

W

hatever is needed is just click away—from groceries to air tickets, to scooters to luxury cars -everything is online. This is because we are into a new era known as the information and digital era,” said Sumit Rajwade, Vice President, Technology @Rediff.com India Limited.

It is through the knowledge, skills, and behaviours used in a broad range of digital devices such as smartphones, tablets, laptops and desktop PCs—all of which are seen as one connected network rather than computing devices—that we operate in this era. Digital skills are a more contemporary term, but are limited to practical abilities in using digital devices (such as laptops and smartphones).

“This is a new era of human development.

Some will argue endlessly about whether we’re

entering the anthropocene, an age in which human activity and creativity is the driving force (like agriculture or industry have been before), or a technology age, in which information technology to understand it is the driving force,” he said.

Just taking to books and grasping what is written in them is not enough, but it is necessary to acquire more from technology, he emphasised. “Take the example of Google and the Uber cabs. Did you know that Google does not own a single website of its own it indexes, and that Uber does not own a single car, but they are ruling the world, because they have mined this information with superior technology to rise to where they are today.

Take the case of Uber Technologies Inc. It is an American multinational online transportation network company headquartered in San Francisco, California. What is the most sur-

‘Did you know that Google does not own a single website it indexes, and that Uber does not own a single car, but they are ruling the world, because they have mined this information with superior technology to rise to where they are today.’

18 / Corporate Citizen / October 16-31, 2016

prising fact is that Uber does not own a single car, but still provides transportation services to thousands, and this is done through a mobile app which allows consumers with smartphones to submit a trip request, which the software program then automatically sends to the Uber driver nearest to the consumer, alerting the driver to the location of the customer. Uber drivers use their own personal cars. This service is available in over 66 countries and 507 cities worldwide.

The Uber app automatically calculates the fare and transfers the payment to the driver. Since Uber's launch, several other companies have replicated its business model, a trend that has come to be referred to as ‘Uberification’ or uberisation of resources which are offline by putting them online. The best example in this class is AirBnB which sells additional rooms and hotels without owing a single one.

What do you think about women’s employment? Is it less than it should be, and is that because of lack of ability or restraint due to the Indian culture?

The concept of women in offices is changing. I have seen women giving utmost importance to their careers. They are natural leaders, which they have proved in big organisations. I don't think they fall short, they match their male counterparts. In my own organisation we have a good number of women working.

What are the special efforts being made to empower and encourage women?

There is much talk of parity, but even in

“The concept of women in offices

is changing. I have seen women giving utmost importance to their careers. They are natural leaders, which they have proved in big organisations. I don't think they fall short; they match their male counterparts�

PICS: yusuf khan

October 16-31, 2016 / Corporate Citizen / 19

interview economically advanced countries this does not always happen?

We have extra flexibility when it comes to women. Especially for women who return after a long leave, we let them work from home, which enables them to be at home and simultaneously be working. And on critical projects we also have a person backing them up for them so it does not hinder the regular working.

Attitude and performance are important.

Attitude decides altitude—a positive frame of mind, accepting challenges, winning grit, humility, a flexible and keen learning mind enables brilliance in performance. Passion, zeal and ethics are other very important qualities. Your take on all these requirements.

In today's world if one needs to be a good leader, one has to lead from the front. If you look around you, when people peak in their career around the age of 30, they want to be managers. This should be a time when they are learning, but we find it reducing across corporates. Take the example of e-commerce which has removed the middle man. As a result, corporates are reducing mid-managerial posts.

Attitude is something which is not always a wanted factor. Some don't want somebody else managing them. A good quote in the corporate world is the ‘individual contributor’. We don't need only loyal people, we need honest people.

Loyalty is less seen in the present generation, but there is a lot of honesty. Those who are loyal are the ones who at times take orders and take them forward. But honesty has taken over that.

Anybody leaving the company will be honest in saying that he/she is leaving the company for a particular reason. Yes I have been with Rediff for more years than is accepted by today’s generation. Yes, it is a different world.

You are in a stellar corporate career.

What were your best moments in this corporate setup?

We launched in 1995, December, and we are growing. It is not just me, it has been the same with my team, and we are what we are today.

Technology has been on the rise, and that has brought my best moments in the corporate world.

“Information technology will be the fastest runner in the globe. There is no doubt that consumption of information using print and other traditional media will soon perish, and the digital world will overtake everything. If you say that one picture speaks a hundred words I would say one video is worth thousands of pictures, that too jumping over the language barrier, and that says it all. Digital is all set to rule” How do you get the best out of your employees, motivating them during stress periods and getting the best end results?

Be with them and lead them from the front. That will do a world of good to them. Let me talk about the only part I know about, that is technology. We are a media company with technology focus, and technology should be implemented, that is my target. Information technology will be the fastest runner in the globe. There is no doubt that con-

Cooking is Sumit Rajwade's passion; he shares his favourite recipe Heat a pan and dry roast coriander seeds, cumin seeds, black peppercorns, fennel seeds. Put it all in the mixer and grind it.

Heat oil in a non stick pan and add asafoetida, kalonji, ginger and garlic. Add the potatoes and mix well.

Add red chilli powder, dried mango powder and salt and mix well.

Add the ground masala mixture and mix well.

Transfer in a serving plate and serve hot.

20 / Corporate Citizen / October 16-31, 2016

sumption of information using print and other traditional media will soon perish, and the digital world will overtake everything. If you say that one picture speaks a hundred words I would say one video is worth thousands of pictures, and that too jumping over language barrier, and says it all.

Digital is all set to rule.

You have a busy schedule. How do you find time to relax, and how do you relax?

I love cooking. That is one way I relax. I do spend time with my family, travelling. Penning poems is also another way.

Your advice to youngsters who are waiting to make an entry into the corporate world?

The closer one works for the consumer the better one becomes. One has to find what he/she wants.

Ideation is good, but implementation is the key.

Look for good habits of leadership; look for alternatives, not road- blocks. Inspire trust and be what you say. joe78662@gmail.com

book review

Sprinting the Marathon One, how realistic is it for India to become a prosperous country over the next 25 years, given the current institutional structures?

Two, how can we speed up the progress?

Three, how can we quickly eliminate extreme poverty?

By Debashis Basu

V

ijay Joshi is emeritus fellow of the Merton College, Oxford. Unlike professors teaching and researching in foreign universities, Joshi has had ringside view of the Indian economy having held official positions like the special advisor to the governor of the Reserve Bank of India, director of JP Morgan Indian Investment Trust and consultant to several international organisations like the World Bank. In this book, he asks and answers three simple questions. One, how realistic is it for India to become a prosperous country over the next 25 years, given the current institutional structures? Two, how can we speed up the progress? Three, how can we quickly eliminate extreme poverty?

The short answer for the first question is: it is really tough; almost impossible. The short answer to the third question is a radical overhaul of the subsidy regime and direct cash transfer to the very poor. Much of the book is devoted to answering the second question which, indeed, is what we are interested in. For starters, what is the definition of a prosperous country? Possibly, the level of per capita income enjoyed by the lower rung of high-income countries today (say Portugal), with the condition that national income should be widely shared and even the poorest people should have a good standard of living, as we see in Europe. This goal can be reached only by ‘high-quality’ per capita growth of income of around seven percent a year for a quarter century, starting now. By ‘high-quality’ growth Joshi means growth that is distributive and not concentrated in the hands of the powerful. Though growth economists have not traditionally bothered about the social parameters, Joshi’s high-quality growth has one more element: growth that is environmentally-friendly.

How tough is this kind of quantitative and qualitative growth target? The central argument of this book, and one with which I wholly agree, is that with ‘business-as-usual’ policies, India will be hard put to achieve high-quality and enduring

author

Vijay Joshi title

india’s long road publishers

Penguin Books Limited pages

432

price

`699

per capita growth of even six percent a year, let alone eight percent, which would be necessary for it to become a prosperous nation in the next quarter century. What we need is radical reform.

Why can’t we grow at a 7%-8% clip? Because it is really tough, as history tell us.

A study by Lant Pritchett and Lawrence Summers examined growth in all countries, for which data exists, from 1950. From 1950 to 2010, there have been just three countries that have recorded super-fast growth (6%+) for three decades continuously. These were China (1977-2010: 8.1%), South Korea (1962-91: 6.9%) and Taiwan (196294: 6.8%). Note that just one country—China has had a per capita growth rate of more than 8% a year for 30 years. And none of these three was a democracy during this high-growth period. Indeed, apart from these three countries, no other country has had per capita growth of 6% for a continuous period of even two decades. Super-fast growth phases are quite short and nearly always end in a sharp slowdown, probably because of overconfidence bias of bankers, politicians, officials and businessmen.

It is worthwhile to remember that while we are celebrating 25 years of liberalisation, India has had a just one longish period of super-fast growth, which is 2003-11. If we look back, we had only a small role to play in this growth spurt.

It was first a global growth wave, led by China. When this brought a global financial crisis, growth was goosed up by loose money policy, which obviously was unsustainable beyond 2011.

That year, India started raising interest rates and the growth rate collapsed. What can India do to start sprinting for the next 25 years? Joshi diagnoses the problem correctly: stop intervention by the Indian State. “It often intervenes, arbitrarily or to correct supposed market failures… That is why India is regarded as one of the worst places in the world to do business… It quite properly intervenes for redistributive purposes but does so ineptly and ineffectively.”

Neither does the Indian State “deliver in the areas that fall squarely in its province, such as administering law and order… making sure that public services are provided and creating an effective and adequate safety net for poor people.”

The direction is clear: “both the state and the state-market relationship need urgent reform…

Without such a reconstruction the project of rapid and high-quality growth is very unlikely to succeed.” But the irony is every policy-maker in India already knows this. So did the previous prime minister, an erudite economist. The key is bold political leadership, not another correct economic diagnosis.

(Courtsey: www.moneylife.in)

October 16-31, 2016 / Corporate Citizen / 21

‘I learned some great HR lessons from Jayaram. He taught me to respect our seniors. I had a little intellectual arrogance and ego because of my educational track record but he nipped it. He also taught me how to connect with people and explained how an HR’s work relates to the business.

He insisted that intelligence may fail but hard work never fails and that I must learn to imitate and copy people’s best practices without any inhibition. Also, he taught me to give credit to people when it was due’

22 / Corporate Citizen / October 16-31, 2016

Cover Story

High Priest of HR

The true strength of any organisation is its manpower, and good manpower is the handiwork of a good HR boss. Sreekanth Arimanithaya is one such who works as MD and Global Head— Workforce Management at Computer Sciences Corporation. His story may not be very glamorous, but it is significant for the way he has come up in life and become one of the brightest, youngest and most well-known figures in India’s current HR scenario

By Pradeep Mathur ealth tends to create more wealth. But a wealthy background is not necessarily the only way to reach the top. Sometimes people coming from very humble beginnings also climb to the top of their profession through sheer grit, determination and a bit of luck.

Meet Sreekanth Arimanithaya, popularly known as Sreekanth , born in a family of priests in a temple town, who was destined to become a priest. But rising above his family’s financially constrained situation right from his childhood days by selling fruits, crackers and whatever else he could to the visiting devotees, he gradually made his way to becoming one of India’s youngest HR leaders. He also did various odd jobs like, giving tuitions to the kids of a business family and maintaining their account books, to name a few. But, thanks to his far-sighted and very supportive teachers, he emerged a university topper, year after year, despite the odds at every step.

Currently Managing Director-India and Global Head—Workforce Management of the $ 8 billion Computer Sciences Corporation (CSC), Sreekanth is based at Bengaluru and plays a strategic role in the success of its global business.

A business leader with over two decades of multi-faceted experience in Business Transformation, HR Management, Supply Chain, IT and Quality (TQM, PCMM, Six Sigma and COPC), Sreekanth has worked on key leadership roles for top multinationals like Britannia, Toyota, Phillips, General Electric and CA Technologies, to name a few.

October 16-31, 2016 / Corporate Citizen / 23

Cover Story He has had experience in manufacturing, FMCG, software, ITES and BPO sectors in a global business environment, and is known for his expertise in transforming organisations through HR and building innovative HR practices to drive excellence and growth.

Wherever he worked, Sreekanth made a lasting impact on the working culture of the organization because of his intellectual honesty and ever-energetic and problem-solving approach. In a free-wheeling interview to Corporate Citizen, he went down memory lane, recalling his various mentors, and shared slices of his experiences. Excerpts:

What were your early influences and childhood dreams?

I’m basically from Udupi (Karnataka). My grandparents migrated to Kerala’s capital, Thiruvananthapuram, formerly known as Trivandrum, to do priesthood at the Anant Padmanabhaswamy temple there. I was born and brought up in Agrahara, very near the temple. I’m the first generation professional in my family. Otherwise my father, grandfather, great-grandfather—everybody was a priest.

We are called Pottis (a section of Brahmins) in Thiruvananthapuram, but we’re Udupi Brahmins from the Madhavacharya sect. I’m the only son of my parents, I have three sisters.

I won’t say that I had a very difficult childhood but since my father was a priest with a meagre salary, financial constraints were certainly a source of constant worry. Unlike today, in those days, priests didn’t make money. During my childhood, I used to go to the temple with my father to help him in his duties. The devotees would give me small, small tips—10 paise, 25 paise—but my father would always say, “Thanks for coming and helping me but I don’t want you to settle down on this. I’ve suffered a lot and have also seen the suffering of my parents.

So, please go beyond all this. Focus on your studies. I just want you to do well in life.” But at that time, as a student, I was more interested in cricket than my studies and had absolutely no dream or ambition. In fact, up to my XII grade, I was an average student with no thought for studies.

the entrance test in my first attempt. Then I decided to pursue something near to that. I decided to do BA Psychology from MG College, Thiruvananthapuram, because though it was not an MBBS, it related to people. I thought I’d follow it up with an MA in Clinical Psychology and then move to the National Institute of Mental Health & Neuro Sciences (NIMHANS) in Bengaluru to do a Fellowship and go to the US to become a psychologist or psychiatrist.

Why did you change your plan?

At that time, since I wanted to make money and help my family, I used to do lots of parttime jobs like selling crackers during Diwali, selling cut mangoes during temple festivals and such other things, besides continuing with my priesthood. I had a bicycle to move around. I also used to go to a Gujarati business family to maintain their books of accounts, teach their kids and even drop them to school because they gave me another `100 for that. So I never attended college full time and rarely attended classes. But I had a teacher, Prof Shaktidharan, who understood it all. He could see the spark in me and he said, “Why can’t you come to

Then how did it change?

When I was in the X grade, my father had a heart attack. Sometimes he couldn’t go to the temple but since the keys used to be with him, he had to send me as it was a commitment.

However, he didn’t like it and so he’d say, “Look, I want to get out of this place but I’m helpless.

However, you can rise above it all if only you study hard.” His repeated utterances had finally begun to sink in, and that was a triggering point in my career. He wanted me to become an MBBS doctor but I somehow couldn’t clear 24 / Corporate Citizen / October 16-31, 2016

my home whenever you have a chance. He made me to go to his house every Saturday and Sunday for tuition but without taking any money. No wonder, I topped in BA Psychology with a gold medal.

He must have been a great teacher?

Oh yes, very inspiring. For example, while teaching abnormal psychology, he used to actually enact how schizophrenic patients behave. There are 18 defence mechanisms in psychology and he used to enact them all.

He believed that a teacher’s role was to create curiosity in the topic because nobody can teach anybody. People can only learn. He created so much curiosity in me that I started going to the Kerala University Library to research the topics further, because I couldn’t buy books. In fact, thanks to his deep-rooted guidance, even now, I can teach general psychology without referring to any books.

Why did you not go for MA psychology then?

I went to Prof Shaktidharan to discuss what I should do next. He knew my dad was a heart

‘My grandparents migrated to Kerala’s capital, Thiruvananthapuram, formerly known as Trivandrum, to do priesthood at the Anant Padmanabhaswamy temple there.

I’m the first generation professional in my family. Otherwise my father, grandfather, great-grandfather—everybody was a priest’

patient, and how important it was for me to get into a profession and start supporting my family. He suggested that rather than doing MA psychology, I join the city’s Loyola College of Social Sciences to do my Masters in Social Work (MSW). “They have a specialization in Human Resource Management which is equivalent to MBA, with a two year’s masters in personnel management. This will help you get a job immediately. Though there are only 25 seats, I think, you’ll get it because you’re a college topper.” So, I applied for it, got it and again topped the university with a gold medal and the Mathew Memorial Award for securing highest percentage of marks in Personnel Management.

and lived there and went on to defend them as a community. Then I adopted eight case studies practising all the theories learnt. It was a fantastic curriculum. I not only mastered the theory but also worked on to develop my leadership competence. I was very thin those days and had an inferiority complex because my English was not good as I had studied in Malayalam medium earlier. I couldn’t face people. I couldn’t talk. Everything was wrong with my personality. I said I must do something to change it. So, I joined the National Social Service and became a leader. I volunteered for all kinds of extra-curricular activities so that I could get rid of my complexes.

How did you do it?

Did you get campus placement right after you topped the course?

See, Loyola is a Jesuits Christian institution having fantastic teachers and one of them, TS Thomas, influenced me rather deeply. They taught us using case work—how do you deal with one-on-one situations, then group work —dealing and transforming group/ teams using group dynamics intervention and finally how you change a community where you also have to adopt a village. I adopted a slum

No. In those days, there was no campus placement. You had to find your own job.

How did you get your first job?

I got it in 1993 while doing my last block placement or one month’s summer field internship for MSW. I did it at HAL Bengaluru.

One day the personnel manager of HAL’s helicopter division came and said, “Hey, Sreekanth, there is a training programme happening on team building. I want you to go and monitor that because you are a summer intern. Ensure that the coffee-tea breaks happen on time.” The program was being conducted by Ashwatha Ramaiah, one of the facilitators from the Widia. Meanwhile, he got an emergency call.

He didn’t know what to do. So, he said, Sreekanth, you are the coordinator. Can you please take care of it? I’ll just come.” Since he wasn’t there, I got an idea. At Loyola, I had studied lots of team building exercises as part of group dynamics.

So, I said, let us play a team building game.

In the meantime, Ashwatha also came back and said, “Don’t stop. Just carry on.” He kept watching silently and then said, “Sreekanth, this is fantastic. I never knew this game. What is it?”

I said, Sir, I know ten more games like this. Then he said, “Why don’t you come over and meet me at home?” When I went to his place with OHP sheets and showed him all the games, he said, “Oh, this is absolutely phenomenal. Why don’t you come and help me?” I said, I could, but right then, I badly needed a job. He said that was not a problem as he could introduce me to the right people at Bharat Silks where he was shortly going for a facilitation. He said, Shobha from XLRI, Jamshedpur, Head of HR and Babu Rao, the GM were looking for an HR person. “If your luck is good, you will get it.”

Then what happened?

Ashwatha introduced me. Both Babu Rao and Shobha interviewed me and selected me, offering me a job with a salary of `4500 per month. That

was how I got my first job and became the first person to get a job during his block placement, even before the MSW results were out.

Incidentally, Bharat Silks, owned by the Goenka’ s were famous silk exporters with many silk and garment design factories in Bengaluru.

What happened to your promise of help to Ashwatha?

I worked for him on all Saturdays and Sundays —day and night—developing the material for his presentations. The Internet was not very popular then, so I read books at IIM campus, feeding my appetite for learning. He never paid me anything.

He was a very sharp businessman but I didn’t care. I did not do it for money. I wanted to learn.

It went on and on, but I used this opportunity to train people and simultaneously develop my own training faculties.

How did you move to the corporate world?

At that time, the father of a colleague at Bharat Silks was the Executive Director- HR at the Kudremukh Iron Ore Company Ltd (KIOCL).

I used to visit my colleague at the company quarters at Koramangala, Bengaluru. His father, B Jayaram, was a fantastic leader. He knew I was also in HR, so he once said, “I’m going to hire management trainees for the company, but it will be through a national competition. You also apply. Maybe you will get it.” Around 6,000 people across India applied for it. Jayaram had outsourced it to Prof KB Akhilesh of the Indian Institute of Science. It was a written test, aptitude test, HR test, group discussion and then personal interview. Everything was outsourced to the IISc. I topped the list, along with another person, Sandeep Chatterjee from Utkal University.

How was your experience at Kudremukh?

It was fantastic. I worked directly under Jayaram for four years. I learned some great HR lessons from him. He taught me to respect our seniors. I had a little intellectual arrogance and ego because of my educational track record but he nipped it.

He also taught me how to connect with people and explained how an HR’s work related to the business. He insisted that intelligence may fail but hard work never failed and that I must learn to imitate and copy people’s best practices without any inhibition. Also, he taught me to give credit to people when it was due. “Don’t delay it, as it’s all about team work. Involve the team and always bring HR issues to the attention of the CEO and make it the CEO’s agenda and not yours because if you do so, you can never be successful,” he said.

In each of my jobs I met some really great people, I can write a book on each of them.

Before Kudremukh, you worked briefly for Namaste Exports. How was that?

Oh yes. I worked there for about nine months. It

October 16-31, 2016 / Corporate Citizen / 25

Cover Story was a very famous leather export company. Here again I met a wonderful leader, Narsimha Bhat, Executive Director-HR, and we’re still friends. He had put me in the shoe export division as head of HR and used to tell the workers that whatever good work he was doing was all because of me.

He used to tell me, “I know you’ll not stay here because this is not a place for you, and you will go for much bigger jobs.” But I learnt many things from him which go beyond HR: the importance of family values, and the real meaning of the words—audacity and authenticity.

Post Kudremukh, you joined Toyota. How did that happen?

It happened through a placement company.

They looked in the marketplace and picked me. I joined Toyota as Assistant ManagerHR in 1996 and stayed till 1999. It was a great learning experience. They sent me to Japan, Indonesia and Thailand for the Toyota Production System (TPS) training. I met a fantastic leader there, Ueno San. He was a very tough and great teacher. I learnt a lot of management practices from him. He used to tell me, ‘Sreekanth, I like you and that’s why I’m tough with you.’ I learnt Japanese management principles and their way of thinking, TPS and leadership behaviour. He took me everywhere into the Toyota factory and travelled with me across India to hire people from villages and trained them for their new plant at Bidadi, near Bengaluru.

At that time, Toyota didn’t have any office, except DCM Toyota in Delhi. We hired ITI operators from villages around Dharwad, Hubli and other places, who had never even seen Bengaluru. We got them passports to go to Japan, some 200-300 people. We simulated an aeroplane and taught them how to behave in an aeroplane. There were families who came from villages to the final interviews in Bengaluru.

They didn’t have money to go back. We borrowed and sent them back to their villages.

So, we had a very emotional journey of building that company. I joined as Human Resources Planning head, then became the Industrial Relations head, then the ES (Employee Services) head and later took over a major part of the HR function. I built that company brick by brick, that experience was amazing.

Why did you leave Toyota?

At that time IT was coming in a big way in India, that’s why I left Toyota. But in between I joined Philips Software in Bengaluru for about a year where I met a great leader C Mahalingam, head of HR. He brought me from manufacturing to IT. He said he wanted a person who was very good at processes, discipline, orientation and so wanted me to join him. He offered me three times the salary I was getting at Toyota and

gave me independent HR responsibility for three major business units. At that time, IT was booming in Bengaluru. He was a great orator and fantastic leader. He’s a great mentor for me.

We introduced a lot of good practices there.

Then Mahalingam left and joined HP. I said, “Mali, one of the reasons why I joined Philips was you and if you are leaving, then I too will leave.” I got an offer from GE.

That’s how you joined GE in 2001?

Yes, and I was the first person among the lot who was certified in Six Sigma, green belt, black belt and I got an award in Change Acceleration Process (CAP) Certification. I brought in many innovations at GE in those two years, but then that was the time when Computer Associates (CA) was setting up a plant in India, again an IT product company.

26 / Corporate Citizen / October 16-31, 2016

So, you left GE in 2003 to join CA at Hyderabad?

Yes. They offered me the post of Head of HR. Their Chief Operating Officer was Praveen Chand Tatavarthi, a phenomenally humble leader, now CEO of a company called Alleges.

He inspired me a lot with his simplicity, approachability and humility. We’re now good family friends. I reported to him but he delegated everything to me. He challenged me to come on the night shift, work on Saturdays and Sundays.

We did phenomenal HR jobs together. In 2005 I resigned to join CISCO, as Head of HR for India. But Praveen said, “No, I can’t afford you to leave.” So, he spoke to Andy Goodman who was the global head of HR and said, “Why can’t you take Sreekanth to the US?” Andy said, “Ok, you come over to the US,” and made me a counter offer. It was a very compelling offer and so I took

my entire family to the US. I was there for almost seven years and was part of the leadership team which transformed CA.

How was your experience of working in USA?

It was simply great because I worked under Andy Goodman who’s an amazing leader and who gave me a lot of empowerment. I was in Long Island, New York. I joined as Manager CA and when I left, I was the Senior Vice President.

During my tenure, we did a phenomenal transformation of the company. As a result, in 2009, we appeared on the cover page of America’s leading and popular HR Magazine as the “dynamic duo who transformed CA.” The four-page cover story had three photographs of us. Then we also won the Steve Award for best HR organisation. So, two big recognitions during that period, all because of Andy who could have taken all the credit when people came to him for an interview. But he said, “I’m only a facilitator, everything has been done by this boy.” He actually told me to pose for the cover page. Then I forced him that we both stand in front of the corporate headquarters of the company. The same thing happened when he asked me to go on stage to receive the Steve Award. Again, I compelled him to come with me. That’s the greatness of the man!

What was the feeling of your family?

They were overwhelmed by so much of recognition. As a result of all this, all of us in my family got green cards sponsored by CA. We were very happily settled there. My mother used to travel every six months and stay with me. But then she developed health problems.

She always wanted me to come back. Of my three sisters, two were in Bengaluru. Being a family-oriented person, in 2011, my wife and I decided to come to India for good, though I got a very big job offer in Huston as the head of HR with a very fat salary. But my mother said, “No, you have to take a decision to come back or be there forever.” I was about to take US citizenship. So, that was the time when I took the decision to come back. Andy really helped me a lot.

What did you do when you came back to India?

“I joined Britannia and reported to the legendary CEO Vinita Bali.” She is one of the best women CEOs. She worked in Coke in USA and in Cadbury’s in the UK. A phenomenal lady, I learned a lot under her leadership. Again, I managed a tremendous transformation with Vinita.

Then how did you switch over to Computer Science Corporation (CSC)?

S

ree’s even uccess utras

Here are some practical ideas which Sree learnt and practiced from his mentors.

These helped him achieve great success in his career. These are as much for the common man as for any HR professional.  L eadership and learning are indispensable to each other. I continue to learn every day and also prepare others to learn. Just as my teachers influenced my life positively, I also try to do so by sharing my new learnings with my colleagues to make a difference in their lives and careers.  Be humble. Look back to your career journey and thank all those who made a difference in your life. Keep in touch

“After working in Britannia for about two years, I got a very comeliing offer in 2013 from CSC, which is one of the largest IT services and software products firm in the world and a Fortune 500 company. They were going through huge transformation. The consultant was putting a lot of pressure on me, saying at least I should go and meet the CEO. So, I met two amazing individuals-legendary CEO Mike Lawrie and CHRO Jo Mason -- who greatly inspired me to join CSC. Jo is my partner in HR and global workforce management.” Today, I have a dual responsibility—as General Manager leading the India Business, and a lead role in global workforce management. I report directly to my CEO Mike Lawrie.”

How is your current experience?

Mike and Jo are such humble people and they have such a clear vision as to what they want to transform in the company that it’s a joy to work under them. They clearly articulate how I can play a role in the transformation of CSC. I joined as Vice-President of India as they were very committed to the India business.

They really gave me a lot of opportunities to learn and contribute. Within a few months, I become the interim MD of India.

Then we hired a new person for this position permanently. But he left. Then again I was asked to work as interim MD. Then, in between, I got the role of the global head

and acknowledge them every time you get an opportunity.  Create a purpose in your life and career. Build passion around this purpose and invite others (your team and stakeholders) to be a part of this journey towards excellence.  Execution of your company’s growth strategy is all about discipline and practice. Practice it every day.  Build a strong execution infrastructure and support it by having sound management systems to achieve growth targets of your organization.  Take people along with you because no one can do it alone. Share your vision/ goals with your team. Identify common needs and align them well.

Share your success with team.  We are living in an agile world. So, prepare yourself and your team for change. Focus on continuous improvement and a hunger for excellence.

of workforce management. Mike said, “Sreekanth, twice you’ve done very well as interim MD, why don’t you become a permanent MD?” and so he made me a permanent MD. Mike is a fantastic leader who inspires you with his strong vision and leadership qualities. He empowers people, makes them accountable and is always available to support.

He motivates and supports me a lot. Jo Mason is also a phenomenal leader who challenges you, gives respect to your fellow colleagues, empowers you and is always there to support you.

She understands where the bright spot of an individual is and picks up the right person and coaches him. So, these two people continue to help me do this job successfully.

What are your hobbies?

No major hobbies except that I read a lot, mostly management books. I don’t read much of fiction. But I like sharing what I learn. I don’t feel my day is complete unless I share with my colleagues whatever new I’ve learnt.

Why are there not many women in our corporate entities?

That’s certainly a cause of concern but I think the situation is gradually changing for the better. They need to really believe in themselves and come forward. I always encourage them to come on leadership positions.

October 16-31, 2016 / Corporate Citizen / 27

Cover Story Dynamic Duo: 39

bharthi and Sreekanth Arimanithaya

Partners in Pro Bharthi and Sreekanth with their children Vaishnavi (extreme right) and Vishal

While husband Sreekanth Arimanithaya pursued a scorching path up the corporate ladder, his life-partner Bharthi chose to focus on the home and family front, strengthening extended family ties 28 / Corporate Citizen / October 16-31, 2016

By Pradeep Mathur hey say behind every successful man is a woman.

Well...Bharthi didn’t stand behind Sree, she stood right alongside him from day one.

While Sreekanth kept conquering HR challenges in his roller-coaster corporate journey, she began taking care of their home front, holding the flag of that elusive thing called love fluttering atop their love-nest in Bengaluru.

So, how did it all begin because she was only 17 when she got married and Sreekanth was not much older, at 24? Was theirs a love or an arranged marriage and how did Sree propose to her?

Recalls she, “Ours was a strictly arranged marriage. In fact, both Sree and I are distantly related. I met him for the first time at his sister’s marriage in Udupi.

At that time, I was doing my X grade and Sreekanth was completing his MSW from Thiruvananthapuram. I again met him at the first birthday of his sister’s daughter. Our parents introduced us and the very next day, Sreekanth and his brother-in-law, Sripathi, came to my house with the marriage proposal. I just felt that he was the right guy and did not think twice.

I agreed to the proposal right away,”she reminisces with romantic nostalgia.

But why? Wasn’t shaadi a little too early for her as she was still studying in XII grade? Says Bharthi, “That’s true.

But, you know, in our families, the collective dream of all family members is to get their daughters married to a good family at the earliest. Moreover, Sreekanth’s family was known to us for long. We knew his educational achievements and how he got a job at the Kudremukh company in Bengaluru. So, there seemed no reason to reject this proposal,” Bharthi adds with a twinkle in her eyes.

Intervenes Sreekanth, “It all happened because my father had a heart attack and he wanted to see me married early and so I also agreed. But in my heart of hearts I knew she was the woman I’d love to marry. She had everything—beauty with brains and we shared almost similar value systems,” he sums it up with a naughty smile.

Going down memory lane, she says, “Like Sree, I was also born and brought up in an Udupi Brahmin family and like his father, my father is also a priest. I’m the first daughter among three siblings. I have a younger sister and a brother. All my childhood memories revolve around my native village, Katpadi and

Padubidri, neighbouring towns around Udupi.

I grew up in a very spiritual atmosphere around temples. Since my parents always talked about getting me married, like any other typical Karnataka girl, I also dreamt of being part of a happy family and never thought of getting into a professional career.”

But what did she like in Sree and how did things work out? “It seemed everything was happening as per God’s plan and so everything worked out very well. We were engaged in the same week and got married in just three months!”

“As a young girl, I was naturally attracted to Sree’s charming personality, simplicity and his strong belief in family values. In fact, we both wanted a selfless and collective family-life where we would share our happiness / successes / failures with our extended families.”

But post marriage, did she not think of con-

‘I greatly enjoyed the egalitarian culture of America and their respect for human life. I also liked the diversity and globalised environment where I felt welcomed by everyone, without any prejudice. My kids also learned the universal human values of the American society’

gress

tinuing her education? Bharthi says, “My original plan was to continue my education and, in fact, Sreekanth got me admitted at Bengaluru’s Jyothi Nivas College. But once I landed in Bengaluru, my thoughts changed. I thought, this is the most beautiful phase of my life. It’s important for me to spend time with Sreekanth and his parents. Meanwhile, I also got blessed with a daughter and so got pulled into family life. But I’ve no regrets. Life taught me some important lessons which I probably would not have learnt in any college.”

So, what were those early days of marriage like? Bharthi reminisces, “Those were lovely days--more so as we were moving around the world as Sreekanth was posted in Delhi, then in Hyderabad and finally in America. The expo-

October 16-31, 2016 / Corporate Citizen / 29

Cover Story

‘Over the years, I’ve learned that you must always believe and support your partner for a successful married life’

The happy family: (From left) Bharthi, Sreekanth, Vishal, Vaishnavi and Sreekanth’s mother

sure of meeting new people and experiencing different cultures was really phenomenal.”

But how did she manage all this as Sreekanth had a pretty zig-zag career where he was changing jobs every two to three years? She recalls, “Yes, it was difficult to catch up with Sreekanth. He thinks, decides and moves very fast. But he has amazing power to convince us to move with his decision. Thankfully, many of his decisions like changing jobs and buying property have proved correct.

Though he wouldn’t involve me in the early

part of his decision making—whether it involved changing his job or moving to a new country—he’d do so later but with sound logical argument. His passion and conviction are so strong that it always gives you confidence to move with him. Over the years, I’ve learned that you must always believe and support your partner for a successful married life.”

So, how was their stay in America? “I greatly enjoyed the egalitarian culture of America and their respect for human life. I also liked the di-

30 / Corporate Citizen / October 16-31, 2016

versity and globalised environment where I felt welcomed by everyone, without any prejudice.

My kids also learned the universal human values of the American society.”

“Every week we used to go to a temple at Queens, New York, for performing puja. Every day, we’d call our family back in India. My mother-in-law would also visit us every six months. Our experience in the US made us better human beings,” she concludes.

How are their kids doing? Bharthi gets excited, “Both daughter Vaishnavi (doing BBA) and son Vishal (in grade XI) are doing very well.

While Vishal hopes to crack the engineering entrance next year, Vaishnavi will go for MBA.” Chips in Sreekanth, “We don’t put much pressure on them because luckily both are doing well in their studies. We just want them to be successful in whatever they choose.” Adds Bharthi, “But we always remind them to be humble and respectful to their elders and look up to their family for energy and support.”

So, who calls the shots at home? “Of course, it is Sree but he also involves me in the execution of his decisions.” Bharthi says, adding, “There’s no ego between us. I’ve always trusted his judgement with full faith and devotion.”

Is this what keeps their marriage going? Says Bharthi, “I think its mutual trust. We’ve travelled together as partners for over two decades now. I believe if you get positive energy from your husband, you can never go wrong in life.”

What are her hobbies? “We both love to travel, especially to temples and back to our home town Udupi. Since I enjoyed my stay in the US so much, I’d love to go there again.”

How important is money? Says she, “Money is important but it’s not the only thing. It surely gives you many options but if the priorities in your life are simple, you don’t need much of it.”

So, what is her life’s philosophy? “Be happy and keep others happy. Celebrate success and share it with others, but keep it simple,” she concludes, smiling. mathurpradeep1@gmail.com

Claps & Slaps Corporate Citizen Claps Pune’s 94-year old youthful sarpanch, Gangubai. Fondly known as ‘aaji’ or ‘aayee’, she was recently elected unopposed as Sarpanch of Bhamburwadi village in Khed taluka of Pune district.

Corporate Citizen Slaps the spate of recent violence and mob frenzy that disrupted Silicon City Bengaluru, over the 125-year-old water dispute between the neighbouring states of Karnataka and Tamil Nadu

Gangubai’s mission is to take on from where the government seems to have failed in connecting with farmers and others at the grass roots. This is not the first time she has contested the election; last year she got elected to the village panchayat defeating her 30-year-old opponent. Although, Pune district has had other woman Sarpanchs, they have all been under 60 years of age. For Gangubai, “Now it’s time to work. I have to do something for my people; otherwise it’s of no use becoming a ‘Sarpanch’ just for the sake of it”. On her intentions to contest the elections in 2015, she quipped, “I take my own decisions; I even have disagreements with my children. I took up the challenge only after the villagers urged me to become a sarpanch.

My priority would be to solve drinking water and sewage problems and improve the condition of roads”. She said her first task was to help around 250 farmers in the region who are facing problems due to the lack of water.

Gangubai hasn’t had formal schooling but can read and recites kirtans and bhajans. Her immediate goal is to help some 250 farmers from seven neighbouring villages with a population close to 15,000. She has vowed to alleviate their water woes. These farmers own a total of 1,000 hectares of land, but face lack water for around eight months every year and thus are unable to grow any crops. According to Gangubai’s grandson Rahul Bhambure, “There’s a canal less than 2 kms from these farms, but they don’t get a drop of water...” It is this key area of making water available for irrigation that Gangubai has made her mission statement. An astute lady, she said, “Nothing affects me, rain or sun… If it comes to that, I will send a letter on behalf of the villagers to Prime Minister Narendra Modi”. She said she would approach the Prime Minister to set up a closed pipeline from the canal or from Chaskaman dam to irrigate the farms. She is optimistic that the PM will respond to her request. “…Why not? PM Modi is like my son. My oldest son is 66-year-old and I am told the PM is around the same age… I am sure he will pay heed to the voices of farmers...” A sound drainage system, sufficient toilets, homes for the poor and good roads are the other tasks enlisted by Gangubai for future and ongoing course of action. On maintaining the fitness required to accomplish her tasks as one of the most senior most Sarpanchs in Pune district, she said, “…I get up at five in the morning and do household chores. I never fall ill and never take medicines.” She added that she eats two meals a day: “Eat less and live longer — that’s the secret of my life.”

The Cauvery River, originating in Karnataka, flows into TN and has been the bone of contention between the two states for eons. According to Karnataka officials, the state did not have enough water reserves to share.

But, in a recent hearing, the Supreme Court ordered Karnataka to release 15,000 cusecs (cubic feet per second) for 10 days to TN, a move that led to protests by Karnataka farmers, who say they have no water for their fields.

On an appeal by the Karnataka government, the apex court reduced the daily discharge to Tamil Nadu to around 12,000 cusecs. This, however, did not pacify protesters and farmers in Karnataka, who have been battling dry water reservoirs and poor yield.

The impact has resonated in the form of incidents of looting and vandalism in the IT City. The mob rampages eased in parts of Bengaluru gradually after authorities imposed a curfew as widespread protests gathered momentum and as mobs set fire to dozens of buses, trucks and cars besides attacked shops and businesses in Bengaluru and some other parts of Karnataka. Television images went rife with pictures and clips of buses, with license plates from neighboring TN state, being burnt in a private transport company depot. While street protests continued, the Bengaluru police passed prohibitory orders preventing the gathering of more than five people after angry mobs smashed windows of several buses from TN. Many schools in Bengaluru were closed on day-one of protests and with mid-term exams in the offing, this led to uncertainty amongst school and college goers. Offices and shops were closed as groups of young men wandered the streets attacking property owned by people from TN. But, was it mere water woes of farmers that fuelled such unrest amongst the urban educated populace? Was resorting to violence another way of venting out frustrations on Bengaluru’s inconsistencies in managing its infrastructure development which has also given rise to bad roads, potholes, power supply woes and lack of Cauvery water to urban households? With a government committee comprising federal and state officials likely to supervise the implementation of the tribunal’s ruling, it is now left to the administrators and the polity to try and save the situation. If Karnataka is made to release the stipulated water for more days than prescribed; will rioting protesters come back on the streets or will sharing data on rainfall and the flow of water in the Cauvery River be a better stance to preempt future disputes?

(Compiled by Sangeeta Ghosh Dastidar) October 16-31, 2016 / Corporate Citizen / 31

cradle of leadership

Need for Robust Education System We need new structures that better reflect the diverse learning requirements of our students. We need to develop world-class capability in high-value niche areas. We need structural changes in the higher education system to ensure greater effectiveness and efficiencies.

In the session “Building a robust education system for India” at the second edition of Higher Education Summit 2016, organised by the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) recently in Mumbai, leaders from institutions and industry deliberated on the key areas that needed immediate address. The experts who put forth their ideas in the session were Sunil Kashikar, VP & Head-Resource Management Group, Zensar Technologies, Prince Augustin, EVP-Group Human Capital & Leadership Development, Mahindra & Mahindra, Govindraj Ethiraj, Editor in chief, PING Broadcasting Network (Moderator), Lord Meghnad Desai, Emeritus Professor of Economics, London School of Economics, VV Khole, VC, Amity University, Mumbai and Abhizer Merchant, Regional Director (South Asia), Macquarie University.

By Rajesh Rao Producing Employable Graduates: 21st century skills, enterprise, research and innovation

I might be little bit biased towards the IT industry, because I represent that industry. But we always have the challenge of talent. All the IT companies are struggling to find the right kind of talent and while the past has always been about getting readymade talent, because now getting readymade talent is very difficult. That’s why we are now going into the drawing board and trying to figure out what are the various options we have. And obviously one, which is very much aligned to the goals of the Government of India,

“Students don’t know what to do and most of them are trying to figure out what is their career.

It is not only for the career counsellors to be guiding them, but also for the industry” Sunil Kashikar, VP & Head-Resource Management Group, Zensar Technologies

32 / Corporate Citizen / October 16-31, 2016

Ministry of Education, is basically getting more people employed. I think, it is important for even the consumers of talent, which is the industry, to co-collaborate and get people employed.

There should be some kind of efforts made by companies to go down to the University or high school level and start training people in employable skills. I know it is there, it is not something new I am telling. But there needs to be an intense effort. Lot of companies have connected with colleges, but companies that are taking lot of talent, have to get down to may be the level of high school, depending on the level of vocational skills required or getting to the next level.

There is a very strong move internationally of

getting young college students, who are literally out of the high school, into certain jobs. Students don’t know what to do and most of them are trying to figure out what is their career. It is not only for the career counsellors to be guiding them, but it is also for the industry to join hands with the education institutions and start preparing the students to make them more employable for generic skills, vocational skills and as well as technology skills.

The second part of it is also about the investments in R&D. A lot of organisations are spending lot of money on R&D on the products, goods and services, technology, but where is the investment in human capital, in getting people more

employable, where is it that the existing workforce can be taken to the next level.

A look at higher education in India

Very broadly as you know, India has a very high and impressive enrolment in terms of primary education, as per the last census, which is actually near to 100 percent. But the number comes down to almost 52 percent, when you look at higher education. Moreover about 450 million people in India had never attended any education institution. Roughly around 340 million attend some education institution or the other and only about 32 million attend college. The proportion

October 16-31, 2016 / Corporate Citizen / 33

cradle of leadership

“The proportion of women in all these ratios, diminish as you go towards higher education and so does most importantly, the proportion of women in Indian workforce” Govindraj Ethiraj, Editor in chief, PING Broadcasting Network

of women in all these ratios, diminish as you go towards higher education and so does most importantly, the proportion of women in Indian workforce.

Autonomy and Responsibility: Regulatory reforms and government engagement

If we have to bring in some noticeable changes in our education system, we must also think of bringing about structural changes in the university system. As a result of which we would be able to bring in some effectiveness and efficiency, so that the students can actually benefit. If you look at the current structural framework, which allows the university to function—I would basically refer to the state and central universities—the structural framework appears to be very rigid. I have not seen the draft of the new act, but I am sure by the time it is passed through the legislative assembly, quite lot of changes will take place and provisions will get diluted.

The main framework of the university system which provides education to lakhs of students, needs to be made very flexible. The rigidity in the system needs to be removed. Therefore the freedom to education institutes need to be provided in the system itself. As a result of which colleges

do not depend on the university and the university do not depend more on the government and the regulatory authorities. Therefore we must concentrate on providing structural changes by which we can liberate the education system. We have to loosen the system and provide flexibility, empower the education institutions and teachers, understand better as to how to teach, what to teach, when to teach. Probably also we are in a position to measure the competencies of the students, after completing graduate or postgraduate programme. Probably are aware what the requirements of the industries are. So, if we provide them a flexi system to the teachers and students, the students may like to progress with their own capacity and capability and with the time that they have in their hand. Also allow the credit system to be setup in all the universities, which could be cross-exchanged at different levels throughout the country. Then the education system is likely to become dynamic. As a result of which there would be fresh air and fresh blood in the system.

Variety of programmes could be made available to the students at one go and students will have options to choose programmes and courses from different universities at the same time.

But when one thinks of all these facilities, which need to be provided in our regular state and central university system, one can understand that it’s a very difficult task. And therefore one would start looking at the

“The good part, effective part, efficient part, as far as private education providers are concerned, is that they are definitely less bureaucratic and less restrictive” VV Khole, VC, Amity University, Mumbai 34 / Corporate Citizen / October 16-31, 2016

private education provider, which are now outnumbering the government (central and state) education providers. For example, the number of private universities that have come up in India, they now are nearly equal to the state and central universities in India. And in about another five year time, they will outnumber government education system. The good part, effective part, efficient part, as far as private education provider is concerned and there institutions and universities are concerned, is that they are definitely less bureaucratic and less restrictive.

If I have to give you an example of Amity University in Mumbai, we already have collaboration with Tata Technology and IBM. Quite a lot of industry houses have setup their education centres. They go to the universities, set up what are known as concept centres, where the students are allowed to go through the technology training modules that are accepted across the industries.

It is not that the Tata centre would provide training which is useful for the Tata companies. They invest lot of money in developing centres, they provide trained manpower, which would assist the existing teaching faculty in the institution or the university. They help the universities to come up with programmes, which is relevant to the industry. IBM also has educational division which conducts IBM certification programmes. IBM would also install the necessary machinery and equipment in the university, as a result of which universities do not have to spend, as far as the infrastructure is concerned. Now this kind of initiative, is difficult to imagine in a state or central university system, because the legislature which regulates them prohibits this kind of an adventure. So, one has to bring in deeper structural reforms, so that the dialogue and interaction between the educational institutions and the industry becomes more meaningful. As the result ultimately the students will benefit. The teachers will also get trained in this competitive atmosphere.

The teaching manpower also automatically gets updated and trained to accept more challenges that the industry is likely to face.

Collaboration: International, Industry and Institute

When you come down to reasonably good English medium schools, even there you will find that there are only two careers that people have in their mind—one is engineering and second is medicine. Apart from that they have no other choices. At the workshop we do, we say that India is the land of opportunities. But we

know there are large number of roles that we can really look for. So, then from the workshop there comes to about 150 careers that they can look at.

I realised that even teachers have no clue as to what sort of careers the children can opt for.

There is no connect between the teachers, the principal, or the school management, for actually guiding students as to what sort of multiple options are feasible. Now, if at an early age you get people who are confused, who really do not know where they want to go, it can become a problem.

How can you say that we will have career or career opportunities and India is a land of opportunities—unless a talent pipeline is created.

Therefore, what the industry finally ends with are people who do engineering but there is no con-

“When I go to the municipal schools I have found that students don’t want to study at all. They say, what will I do after studying, my father just can’t afford further education” Prince Augustin, EVP-Group Human Capital & Leadership Development, Mahindra & Mahindra tribution of engineering in the business. Eighty percent of engineers that we hire, don’t do any engineering work with us. They don’t have to spend five years doing engineering, they can do liberal arts and so on, but none of them want to do liberal arts.

Dignity of labour—if you go overseas, you will have a pump attendant and a managing director sitting and having a drink together. They don’t ask in terms of the role that you really do. But in

India, there is a mark-able separation between the two. How do you really build this dignity of labour? Are we going to therefore create a mass of opportunities available, but without relevance for dignity?

The government has come up with National Skills Development Corporation and they have got what is known as National Vocational Qualification Framework (NVQF). The objective is to create skill information system, education information system and talent management information system. With NVQF they have tapped all industries, they have got skills from the bottommost to the highest level. Then there are institutions which train but people who train hardly have any idea what is happening. This Skills Development Councils (SDC) have to create skills ecosystem. If you have it managed very well— there is an integration that is required to guide people—we can provide youth the direction and help them to take those opportunities.

How do we ensure that we create a passion for talent that is really streamlined? You go to UK—people from schools spend three to four months in a public or private enterprise, to have an understanding where is it that they want to go.

People from the industry are actually involved in mentoring school students. So much of focus is there from the industry, but do education institutes here look for it. When I go to the municipal schools I have found that students don’t want to study at all. They say, what will I do after studying, my father just can’t afford further education.

They have no idea of careers and career opportunities that are available. If we look at large majority of people in the hinterland, they really do not have any opportunity. How can an ecosystem be created so that we bring the large hinterland back into the mainland. How is it that we can leverage the skills equity and youth equity, to create a talent pool for the country?

Innovation in Education: Delivery and Experience

We have to redefine what a student needs. Looking at the students from point of view of what they do—they go to university, attend classes, go for lectures, give exams, graduate or is it more than that. I think we need to redefine the concept of learner—people who want to learn on the job, executive learning, people who want to learn for recreational purpose as well and those kind of aspects.

In Australia currently over half a million international students are studying on the campuses right now. And the government actually looks at them as a major source of talent for Australia and potential migrants in the future. Looking at their projections by 2025, Australia should have 7,20,000 students enrolled on campus. The main question for Australia is do we have the structure to support that many students on campus. Do we have enough accommodations which is feasible

“There might be lot of pressure on universities to think about going online, as everyone is going in that direction. But it is expensive, there is investment required to go online.

Abhizer Merchant, Regional Director (South Asia), Macquarie University

and affordable for them? What the Australian government is doing is, they are redefining the whole concept like do students have to come on campus and do a normal traditional programme.

Can they do some of them online or through their institutes offshore.

One of the challenges I faced when I came to India two years back for interacting with universities and colleges, talking about student exchange agreements, is that there was reluctance from lot of colleges saying that they need permission from their universities before they can do that. Also universities said you need to pick up institutes were you can cross-credit and give credit for the work they do overseas, back to their degree, back home. It is something that Australia, UK and US have been doing it for many years.

There might be lot of pressure on universities to think about going online, as everyone is going in that direction. But it is also important to remember that it is expensive, there is investment required to go online. You also have to make sure that the market wants what you offer online. You actually have to match the programme that you offer online with what you offer offline. If you are offering pure quality online, it is actually damaging your brand offline as well.

October 16-31, 2016 / Corporate Citizen / 35

cradle of leadership

Q&A session

How much are we as a country, try to change ourselves in trying to understand and solve the problems of education?

Meghnad Desai: Several good points have been made here, one was the attitude of equality. But the idea that I can sit down with somebody—to me it is my maidservant in London.

When she arrives, I make her a cup of tea. She and I talk to each other on the basis of social equality. India completely lacks in notion of equality. When you see in a restaurant here, the way they shout at waiters. One idea is that we really need the culture of social equality.

Second is, in education we care more about the certificate than about the education. In the number of jobs offered, companies insist on paper qualifications, without testing the person’s skills or abilities. You may cheat in exam or may not, at the end of it you will get certificate. One things is that we are very neglectful of outcome and are much more interested in the process of inputs.

The public sector in education here is underpriced and of low quality, except for the few elite institutes. Ninety percent of public sector is actually providing third grade education.

I have seen applications from professors for a job, they can’t write one page of application letter in English. It is shameful. Parents refuse to pay higher fees for public sector colleges but they will pay for private tutorial colleges. What we really have to do is concentrate on growth of variety of private sector provisions, which will provide an alternative. Don’t think that education has to be between 16 and 20 years age. And if you can do that, it will answer India’s great need for education and fill the inadequacies of the public sector provisions. Forget - Sunil Kashikar about reforming the public sector.

If you have to look a couple of years ahead, do you see industries continuing to play this deep engagement role in the education system or see it taking a step back, hoping that the supply somewhat gets sorted out?

Prince Augustin: Necessity is the mother of invention.

You cannot have an education institution without partnership from the industry. So, we partner with universities across the globe. We partner with Harvard, Stanford, Kellogs, Cambridge, most of the IITs in the coun- - Prince Augustin try and management institutes. What has happened is, in the so called liberalisation, we have got a plethora of education institutions, which are really splurge and 80 percent of them do not have skills. Students come looking at the brand and marketing that is done, thinking that there is an opportunity available. Many of them are really not employable. Most of the engineering colleges you go, you just want hire anybody at all. For IT you don’t require engineers. You need very good graduates, with very good computer skills, who can be trained.

I did a study—at one point of time we were going through a recession. We said our costs are going up. I did a complete study—have we over skilled our jobs. I realised that in 60 percent of our jobs we have engineers, where we don’t require engineers. When in 80 percent of our jobs, we require only ITIs. Because we have got this abundant supply, we have taken people and now their mind-set is that I am an engineer therefore I should get 4-5 lakh rupees salary, when the relative worth of the job is only 2 to 2.5 lakh. We have got salesmen who are MBAs. We don’t require MBAs, we need 12 passed well educated person. Industry and education institutions are propagating this and government is the silent spectator because there is lot of money involved in education. That’s why we have got to look at the complete thing—do

“Most of our knowledge comes from the fact that we are in the hiring side.

But how about the people who are getting hired and what about the challenges they are facing. So, where is that flow of information happening?”

36 / Corporate Citizen / October 16-31, 2016

we really need so many education institutions in the country.

You need to have vocational institutes, vocational spread has to be large. In that I don’t see any focus happening at all. We need to bring a change management in the whole perspective.

Very few of us really know what is really in store. I go to the management schools, and there I find teachers cannot even speak English properly, they do not know their subject matter at all. How do you expect good students to really come out. Look at the IIMs that have opened up, you don’t have faculty to teach there. Education institution, is a temple of learning.

My wife is a teacher and I went to her school and saw that 80 percent of the teachers don’t have any other job, therefore they come into teaching.

If you look at the salaries teachers get, it is pathetic. How will you attract talent into the field. Why does private sector attract talent, it is because they pay for the talent. Unless we don’t bridge this gap—and the government has got excellent schemes—the partnership has to really work.

I don’t think we require so many universities which has come up. Fifty percent of these universities should be shut down. And these private universities, some of them do brilliant jobs, but fifty percent of them really make money. They are cheating the youth of the country, giving them false hopes, false opportunities. And what is the government doing—many of us are prototype politicians. Therefore the integrity of education, the dignity of teaching, the dignity of learning, has to go up. I will very happy doing a mechanics job, or a pump attendant job, housekeeping and hospitality job—not everybody can become a manager or a doctor. Industry spends lot of time in terms of hiring people and training them. If you transfer this whole thing back into education, that is where industry partnership comes in. Therefore, this level of ecosystem creation is something that has to be thought of, if we have to get good teachers, good students and good employable youth for the country.

“Level of ecosystem creation is something that has to be thought of, if we have to get good teachers, good students and good employable youth for the country”

Sunil Kashikar: When we released a job requirement ad we had received over a lakh of applications. I could not even take ten people. I stopped advertising. While we are talking about pros and cons about private and government run universities, one of the thing which I see missing even at the basic level—we are sitting at the

CII seminar, we have educationists, we have private sector, we had the government sitting here sometime back, but where are the schools. Out of the audience sitting out here, how many are students? Probably three or four. So, this is the missing link which I feel is very important, in general. When we are talking about creating skills development council, changing the way we do things, where are the students. I know all the colleges who have so called alumni association, it’s a networking association. But I have not heard, where this alumni has been called for this kind of a session. When the alumni, now that they are in the corporate or working world, they are able to come back and give a feedback to us—who have graduated 25 years back—as to what is the situation today. Most of our knowledge comes from the fact that we are in the hiring side. But how about the people who are getting hired and what about the challenges they are facing. So, where is that flow of information happening? This is the very point which is missing in the whole thing.

If we start doing the students perspective, I am not saying directly the students, but students who have graduated, been through the system and have come to a certain part of life. They can give a feedback that this is where the education is incorrect or the courses are misaligned. Why should only the demand side be dictating, what is that we should do.

Where does all these issues leave us and how do we find solution out of it?

VV Khole: I am sure many of you have read a very sensible report of National Knowledge Commission (NKC), where the necessity of setting up large number of universities in the country was underlined probably in the most effective manner. Yashpal Committee Report which followed NKC report also emphasised upon providing opportunity to private education to come into the fray and provide access to large number of students, who otherwise are also not in a position to take admission to state and central universities.

We require more number of educational institutions and we require them more in regions, where there is not a single institution today. If you have to bring efficiency in the private education system, probably government could prepare a lighter tax regulation and not those regulations which will penal the private education provider. Unless we provide the environment where the private education provider is putting in crores of rupees, you cannot strangle them. You have to understand their sincerity and aims to come forward and provide education. I am sure many of you have noticed private education providers taking brilliant initiatives.

However, one cannot at one stroke castigate the entire private education providing community.

You have to appreciate some of the initiatives which they take. They also have merit scholarship schemes, as a result of which meritocracy is appreciated. They also provide education to students who otherwise are not in a position to take education. They adopt villages in areas where they are situated.

Which is otherwise not possible. And we also have seen the industry keeping away from the education—they are the ones who benefit from the product of the education system.

It is now that we have started noticing industry taking in education enterprise. Otherwise industry has distanced itself from the education institutions. It is good that organisation like CII have been emphasising industry houses to take interest in the higher education system. As a result of which, whatever manpower they would like to have, they probably would be in the position to help develop Meghnad Desai the kind of required manpower.

bility and sees if you are actually going outside and leaving your country for a period, as a major way of building that personality. It basically pays Australian students to go overseas—telling the students that here is 5,000/10,000 Dollars, go abroad and spend a semester with a partner institution overseas and get that experience. That is something which has to be built into the curriculum. Even the train the trainer models in India has to focus on personality development.

“In education we care more about the certificates than about the education. In the number of jobs offered, companies insist on paper qualifications, without testing the person’s skills or abilities.

You may cheat in exam or may not, at the end of it you will get certificate.

One things is that we are very neglectful of outcome and are much more interested in the process of inputs”

Public sector is short of capacity, private sector is over capacity and today is the situation where at least both are not delivering uniformly, the kind of quality that you want. Can you reflect on it?

Meghnad Desai: I think there is anti-private prejudice in this country. My view is allow competition. I don’t think there is over capacity in private sector at all, there is under capacity.

We need twice as many private sector providers than what we have. The provision of anything will improve due to private. Practically all software people in this country originated from private sector institutes. The public sector is not going to reform its system, in my lifetime.

There seems to be a big gap in the understanding of employability in his country. If most recruiters in the country are looking at personality characteristics, why is there such disconnect?

Abizer Merchant: It is absolutely right, the focus has to be on personality development.

In fact the Australian government looks at mo-

What are the skills that are actionable? How can we actually make products and deliver in the universities?

What skills can we productise and deliver to students in a year’s time?

Sunil Kashikar: The kind of skills I will be looking for in a year is robotics and automation in software industry. That is something which is not available today and everybody is talking about it. We are still getting there. We are already discussing with some companies in the west on what are they doing in robotics and what are the processes? So, repetitive jobs done by humans are slowly getting replaced by robots. Obviously there are other question of artificial intelligence and learning. There are some limitations. We are still working on them and for this reason we are training our own engineers, because finally the bots and robots that are being programmed by human beings, are our engineers. We are getting the engineers trained on that technology, so they can create the product.

Is the automation going to replace human beings? Is it that they are going to reduce our hiring? No, it doesn’t happen that way. What happens is the skills which we traditionally hire for, we will not be hiring. But we will be moving up the value chain and hiring people who have the newer skills. It’s not that the employability is going to be a problem and we are not going to hire people. We are going to hire people, but we are going to hire them at the higher end of the value chain. rajeshrao.rao@gmail.com

October 16-31, 2016 / Corporate Citizen / 37

The Tax Man Cometh-18

GST:Tax reform to transform

by S K Jha

(IRS (retd) and former Chief Commissioner of Income Tax)

The government wants to bring GST into force by April 1, 2017 and all efforts are on to make it a reality. But what is GST, and why GST? What impact will it have on our day to day dealings and transactions of goods and services? What are the benefits from it?

Unlike the regular tax desk which is manned by a tax officer whose job is to levy tax on you, this desk is manned by a non-serving tax officer who wishes to share his experience of 35 years in the tax department, while, discussing tax provisions.

It is advantageous to know how the tax department thinks and acts when, as said by Benjamin Franklin, “In this world nothing is certain except death and taxes”

T

hese days GST (Goods and Services Tax) is very much in the news. The good thing is that the news is positive. It has been welcomed with the headlines, `Óne Nation One Tax !’. The process to make GST a reality has started with the passage of the constitutional amendment bill in the Parliament and its endorsement by more than 50 percent of the State Legislatures as per the requirement of Article 368 of our constitution.

And now after getting assent from the President, the government wants to make GST effective from 1 April 2017. But before that, many allied works have to be completed and only then can the new law come into force.

more tax than a poor person, who either does not pay any tax, or pays very less tax. In the case of indirect tax since the tax is levied on the transfer of goods or services, the tax paid is uniform for everybody, whether rich or poor. When you purchase, say a match box, the indirect tax is fixed on that match box, and the purchaser has to pay that fixed tax. Whether king or beggar, you pay the same amount of tax when you buy a match box or any other product. Because of these characteristics, direct tax is considered progressive while indirect tax is considered regressive. In our country, only about four percent of the population pays direct tax, while the entire (100%) of population is subjected to indirect tax because of the very nature of the latter. Since indirect tax affects the entire population, it becomes very important to make it less painful and more transparent. GST, as its very name suggests, is in the domain of indirect tax and the objective behind it is to correct and transform our entire indirect

tax system and so it is called a very big reform.

Why is the reform needed in the domain of indirect tax? One important reason is the presence of multiple indirect taxes levied both by the central and state governments which makes the product costlier for the consumer. As per a rough estimate, taxes constitute approximately 30 percent of the value of a product sold to a consumer. Further, the price of the product varies from state to state as the quantum of state taxes is not uniform. This makes for one India but different markets for the citizens depending upon where the goods are purchased.

38 / Corporate Citizen / October 16-31, 2016

Multiple control

Before we actually learn about GST, it will be helpful to us to know something about the various indirect taxes levied in our country today.

Article 246 of our constitution read with the Seventh Schedule prescribes the different subjects on which centre and states can make laws.

These subjects of legislation are listed under three Lists, namely Union List, State List and Concurrent List. The Central indirect tax as found in the Union List includes Central Excise Duty, Customs Duty, Additional Excise Duty, Services Tax, Countervailing Duty and Special Additional Duty of Customs.

Except for the Customs Duty all these central taxes will cease when GST comes into force. State indirect taxes are legislated by the State Legislatures on the strength of subjects mentioned under the State List. These taxes include VAT/Sales Tax, Entertainment Tax, Central Sales Tax of the Centre but administrated by States, purchase tax, entry tax, octroi of local bodies and excise duty on alcoholic products. These taxes except state Excise Duty on Alcoholic products will come under the ambit of GST, and will cease when GST comes into force.

Sales Tax/VAT on petroleum products has been kept in abeyance temporarily from the GST. In a nutshell, the proposed GST seeks to be just one tax in the place of many indirect taxes levied both by the centre and states, except for some noted exclusions. Local Body taxes like entry tax/octroi will also get included. There will be one indirect tax to be levied on the sale of goods or on rendering services at one fixed rate for the entire country as a whole.

GST is a single tax on the supply of goods

“GST will make India a unified common market with one comprehensive nationwide indirect tax on manufacturing, sales and consumption of goods and services”

Major reform

The GST had been hailed as one of the most important reforms in the field of finance and taxation in independent India. To understand this milestone, it is essential that we look back on the taxation system which we have been following since independence.

Our taxation system can be classified under two broad categories, direct tax and indirect tax.

Direct tax is collected from the earnings of a person while indirect tax is related to goods and services and it is levied when goods are transferred or services are rendered. A person paying direct tax -- which includes legal entities like companies, firms and other such specified ‘persons’ in addition to living individuals -- will not have to pay any tax if his income is less than the stipulated minimum income. Even if a person has more income than the stipulated exempt income, he has to pay lesser tax if his income falls in the lower slab of taxable income. The underlying principal of direct tax is that a rich person pays

The different laws in different states add to the bureaucratic red tape and this reduces the ease of doing business in our country. Consumers, to avoid heavy incidence of tax, fall in the trap of katcha bills issued by unscrupulous business men which is one of the big reasons for the generation of black money as the goods so sold go into a parallel trade in the black market.

and services right from the manufacturer to the consumer. Credits of input tax paid at each stage will be available in the subsequent stage of value addition and this makes GST essentially a tax on the value addition at each stage.

The final consumer will thus bear only GST charged by the last dealer in the supply chain with set off benefits at all previous stages. GST will make India a unified common market with one comprehensive nationwide indirect tax on manufacturing, sales and consumption of goods and services. Thus one indirect tax for the whole nation, GST, will be levied and collected at each stage of sale or purchase of goods or services based on the Input

Tax Credit Method.

To explain the concept of GST and how this is beneficial compared to the old system, I give an illustration here. Consider the case of a ball pen manufacturer. He buys the raw materials, say for

the raw material stage to the ultimate consumer stage, the tax in totality under GST will be ` 10 + 3+2+ 1 = `16.

This will be much less when compared to the old system. Considering the same illustration, the tax on the ball pen when sold to the wholesaler by the manufacturer for `130 is `13. He adds his margin of `20 and now the value goes to `163 (130+13+20). Tax on 163 when the wholesaler sells to the retailer will come to `16.30 at 10 percent tax.

The selling price of the ball pen to the retailer will be `179.30 (163+16.30). The retailer now adds his margin of `10 before he sells it to the consumer. With this margin, the value of the product goes to `189.30 (179.30 +10). On sale to consumer by the retailer, the tax at ten percent will come to `18.93. The total tax on the chain will be ` 58.23 (10+13+16.30+18.93) as against `16 under GST, since ultimately, the

“The process of multiple indirect taxes levied both by the Central and State governments which makes the product costlier for the consumer” goods and services. This would be collected by the centre so that the credit chain is not disrupted. On imports, IGST will be levied in addition to customs duty. On exports there is no GST, as GST is a destination based system as against the old origin based taxation. The GST council will be an apex supervising body on GST. It will have the Union Finance Minister, State Revenue ministers and Finance ministers of all the states as its members. This council will decide the rate of GST and settle the disputes between states or between states and the centre. Parliament and State legislatures will pass legislation on CGST and SGST.

What benefits?

`100 which includes a tax component of `10.

He assembles and processes the raw materials to manufacture a ball pen with a value addition of say `30. The value of the ball pen now is `130 (100+30). Assuming a tax rate of ten percent, the tax on the manufactured ball pen comes to `13. Under GST, the tax of Rs 10 paid on the input raw material gets set off from the tax on the product, the ball pen. Thus the effective GST incidence on the manufactured ball pen is ` three (13-10) only. Now, the wholesaler purchases the ball pen for `130 and adds his margin of `20 and sells it to the retailer for `150. Tax on this transaction at ten percent rate should have been `15, but under GST it will be `15-13, that is, ` two. The retailer now adds his margin of `10 and sells it to the consumer for `160 (150+10).

Tax on this transaction should have been `16, at ten percent, but under GST the tax will be `16-15= `one. If we consider the entire chain of transactions, and consider tax thereon from

consumer has to bear the burden of tax escalation. The cost of the goods under the old system is much higher compared to the cost under the GST system The cascading effect of tax on tax under the old system makes the product costlier as compared under GST, as setting off the tax on input removes the incidence of tax on tax.

CGST and SGST tango

Keeping in mind the federal structure of India, there will be two components of GST: Central GST (CGST) and State GST (SGST). Both the Centre and the states will simultaneously levy GST across the value chain. The Centre will levy and collect CGST and the state will levy and collect SGST. The credit of CGST would be available for discharging the CGST liability.

Similarly, the credit of SGST will be available against SGST liability. No cross utilisation of credits would be permitted. An Integrated GST (IGST) would be levied on inter-state supply of

What are the advantages of GST? There are many to count. GST will widen our tax base both in indirect and direct tax. Traders and service providers as well as manufacturers will have an incentive to provide proper pucca bills so as to claim credit of tax paid, and subsequently the taxpayers’ base in indirect tax will widen. At the moment, many of these people keep themselves hidden by not issuing proper bills or not issuing bills at all. Such hidden people will have to come out of hiding and pay income tax and thus even the direct tax base will widen. Many economists have said that in the process, our GDP will increase between one to two percent.

Voluntary compliance

There are countries with GST but India will be the first country to have one tax for more than 125 crore people. In a vast country like ours, tax collection will increase only when there is voluntary tax compliance by making the system simple and transparent. The country requires resources and for that taxes are needed, but the same should be like gathering honey from flowers as said by Chanakya. GST is an attempt in that direction so as to enrich the country with resources without hurting taxpayers. For any efficient tax administration, the trust of the taxpayers is very important.

Nothing is constant in life except change. With the coming of GST, a big change is coming in our tax administration. Welcome the change and remain positive. This is a change for the better.

October 16-31, 2016 / Corporate Citizen / 39

Corporate Recall

My First Boss A stepping stone up or down your career?

They say the Boss is Always Right! The true virtue of a boss is that of a mentor and more often than not, many career successes have been dedicated to their very first bosses. A dipstick survey

by Corporate Citizen across start-ups and companies reveals how career growth and good bosses go hand in hand

By Sangeeta Ghosh Dastidar

Manish S Sugandhi, Co-Founder and COO, GrabOnRent

Are you here for a marriage, asked Ankit Aggarwal

"Do I wear something formal and get to the first day at work, or should I keep it ‘cool’ with something casual. This was such a trivial thing running in my mind until I walked in with the formals and my manager, my first boss, jokingly asked – “You are here for a marriage?” And this statement started (so far) a marvelous journey!

Despite multiple internships during the course at IIT Guwahati, my first full time came in at Flipkart in the early 2013. It was a much different e-commerce atmosphere – Amazon was almost non-existent, Myntra & Jabong were fierce rivals, Snapdeal was the biggest threat and so on. Amongst these, I was part of a small group of people who ran the Flipkart Marketplace as an experiment – launching new categories, breaking and building systems and having fun. Yes, “Having Fun”. In hindsight, when I think about the work, I realize how important Ankit Aggarwal, as my first boss was breaking myths that I had presumed before this happened. Managing is dictating, I could not have been more wrong. He defined that leadership in not tall words, but dedicated hard work that comes from everyone in the team. (Ankit Aggarwal- is currently the Co-Founder, CEO, Flashdoor (a destination store for all your home services) Through the interesting and mundane work, the ‘Boss’, kept us

40 / Corporate Citizen / October 16-31, 2016

energized and made sure we were having fun. When you create a culture, you either create one when people avoid responsibilities or take problems up and solve them as next big opportunity. In a team of 12 people that Ankit managed , it was not a surprise that we had six startups (multiple founders) and over $50m in funding. These startups are RoadRunnr, Town Rush, Parcelled, Flashdoor, Playmate and GrabOnRent.

May be, everyone will not be as lucky as I who has Ankit Aggarwal as the first boss. But you have to choose the best qualities (of your boss) and imbibe!"

Rajesh Padmanabhan, CoFounder, NFN Labs

Capt N S Mohanram, A Murugappan taught me planning before execution

I joined Indian Express Newspapers, Bombay, in July 1994 as part of their EDP department as a junior developer. I was assigned to do a listing report. I must admit I had no clue how to construct the code.

My first boss, A Murugappan, understood my problem and spent some time in making me understand the nuances of software development. We “My first used to have three shifts morning, regular and evening. To understand boss, A the nuances, I was assigned to the Murugappan, morning shift which allowed me to understood my spend time with the team.

In those days we had couple of problem and 286 machine and one 386 machine. spent some We developed applications using time in making FoxPro2.0, Clipper 5.1and a main frame. Initially I was not given any me understand machine and code construction was the nuances on paper. He made me do the data of software flow diagram, main condition with development” proper 'if.else..end..if' or 'do enddo' or 'case endcase'; had to justify why I chose one over the other and how the logic will withstand. 75 percent of the code was done on paper before touching a keyboard. This approach of paper before keyboard helped me in the long term.

Though I stopped active coding in 2000 this approach of ‘paper first’ helped me in my consulting career. Proper planning before execution helps in drawing a solution. I am quite positive that without Mr.Murugappan, my professional life would have taken a different path.

Naval Architect (designed the INS Godavari) and Corporate Consultant

Please tell me about your own strengths and weakness, urged Viren Shah I have worked for Viren Shah, CMD of Mukand from 1984 to 1989. I first met Viren Shah, when he interviewed me for a position in Mukand Limited in early 1984. It was an unusual interview. After the initial exchange of pleasantries and putting me at ease, he said “I am not qualified to check out on your technical capability. Your track record tells me that you are a brilliant engineer and a capable manager. I want to understand how you are, as a person. Please let me know what are your weaknesses and strengths!”

I was surprised by the question and told him so. He replied gently “No one can really know you better than yourself! Please go ahead.”

After some thought, I replied “My strengths are: capability to work hard, enthusiasm, intelligence, good engineering fundamentals and ability to work in a team. Weaknesses: I cannot tolerate any slight to my integrity or self-respect. Also, I am not capable of being associated with any corrupt or questionable transaction. If the job on offer needs me to indulge in shady dealings, kindly count me out!”

He smiled and said that I would never face such a dilemma. He hired me on the spot, offering me a position as General Manager (profit center head) of the Construction and Engineering division of the company! Mr. Viren Shah was very polite and always addressed me as ‘Captain Saab”, though he was ten years my senior! If he wanted to see me, he would telephone “Captain Saab, can you spare me a few minutes, at three ‘o’ clock today afternoon?”

He was a wonderful human being, kind and considerate to everyone.

He treated his managers with great courtesy and warmth. I cherish my five years association with him at Mukand and owe my progress in my career outside the Navy to him. sangeetagd2010@gmail.com October 16-31, 2016 / Corporate Citizen / 41

Star Campus Placement

Against all odds Ninad Singh Rajput, a graduate in computer engineering on his first job after a string of rejections

A

By Namrata Gulati Sapra Puneite to the core, Ninad completed his schooling from Malegaon with science as his specialisation in high school. Soon after, he joined Computer Engineering at College of Engineering, Pune (COEP), one of the oldest engineering colleges in Asia.

A sought-after placement

Ninad sheds light on his campus placement, “I received the placement offer from IDeaS -a SAS company during our placement procedure. Our firm provides solutions for revenue management in the business of hospitality. My current profile is that

of a software developer. Talking about package..” he says, arousing our curiosity, “Well, the gross compensation is good. That apart, the organisation has plenty of perks and benefits on offer. There is no dearth of healthcare facilities, a health club, daycare reimbursement, among other exciting benefits.”

Surmounting fears

“At the outset, I couldn’t appear for most of the placements because of my low CGPA. Honestly, I felt greatly let down and disappointed. But I did not give up hope and finally, some companies came to the campus where I was eligible to appear for placement.”

However, grabbing a good placement is easier said than done. “I couldn’t perform well in my

42 / Corporate Citizen / October 16-31, 2016

first placement interview. That motivated me to prepare harder for the second one. I worked day and night for it. And why not, the job profile, location, lucrative salary, a stress free work environment -- everything under the sun was so perfect. I was determined not to lose this golden opportunity. I was under immense pressure, but did not let that unnerve me, the reason why I was able to crack the interview.”

Time to pull up the socks!

Following a string of disappointments, Ninad was now single-minded focusing on grabbing this particular placement opportunity through the only means possible—dedication. Towards this goal, he devised a foolproof study plan. “I divided the whole study into three segments.

The first segment included the technical fundamentals and skills enhancement. The second part was completely dedicated to the improvement of aptitude. This involved rigorous study of quantitative aptitude, puzzle solving, logical reasoning. The last goal was

interview preparation. To prepare myself thoroughly for this, my friend and I would take turns to interview each other. That really helped.”

Testing mettle

And finally, it was the big day of placement.“The placement procedure varies from company to company. Ours was a two-layered process. First, there was an aptitude test involving 40 MCQs. Around 120 students appeared for the test, out of which 15 students were shortlisted for the interview. There was a single interview involving both technical and HR questions.

Out of the 15, only four got the job.

I was one of them.” Even though the interview sounds like a cakewalk, it was far from it. “First, they asked me which programming language I preferred. What followed was a string of questions based on that. A majority of the questions asked were conceptual in nature, and application based.

Lastly, I was asked to design an algorithm for a problem, which I did from scratch.” Phew!

“Try to be humble and polite with the interviewer. If you don’t know the answer, clearly say so, don’t try to shoot bullets in the dark.

Because it’s a job interview, not our typical engineering viva,” cautions Ninad.

Ninad with his friends during their excursion in their college days

The six tricks

Ninad suggests six important things you could do to master a placement exam...  Stay up to date with current affairs. It helps a lot.  Do a rigorous study of the company you are going to appear for during placement time.  During interviews, just be yourself. If you fit into the company’s environment, you will get the job. Campus placement is not the end of the world, so no need to give it unnecessary importance.  Develop your problem solving skills. It is a million times better than bookish knowledge.  Most importantly, be honest with the interviewer. Your interviewers are smart enough to catch your smallest bluff in no time. namratagulati8@gmail.com

A word of thanks

“Being in the elite institute of this state helps a lot. A chunk of my success goes to my lovely institute, College of Engineering Pune. And I am really fortunate to have been a part of this amazing college. Kudos to the training and placement cell for bringing in so many opportunities for students.” In the same breath, the software engineer thanks his parents, “My father is a government servant and my mother is a house wife. My parents have been extremely supportive and helpful throughout my placement journey. I cannot thank them enough for keeping me going.”

Two months into the sought-after corporate job, Ninad says he is enjoying himself immensely. “In fact, I was so confident about my first day that there wasn’t a trace of anxiety or nervousness. On the contrary, there was the huge excitement of stepping into a new world coupled with curiosity to learn new things, meeting new people.”

During interviews, just be yourself.

If you fit into the company’s environment, you will get the job.

Campus placement is not the end of the world

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tadka

Vodafone pumps in ` 47,700 crore into India They’re not taking the entry of Reliance Jio passively for sure. And even as India’s Vodafone India receives `47,700-crore fresh capital from its parent to fund business expansion, the competition is all set to get fierce. MD and CEO Sunil Sood claims that this is the single largest FDI inflow into the country—till date and that the funds will be used for expanding networks and deployment of next-generation technologies.

October 16-31, 2016 / Corporate Citizen / 43

2016 Deloitte Millennials Survey

What do Millennials want?

Millennials are the most influential group in the workplace today. Reaching adulthood at the turn of the 21st century, Millennials form the bulk of the workforce around the world. They are responsible for bringing in fresh ideas, a youthful culture and a focus driven outlook for the future. So what makes Millennials tick?

That’s exactly the answer leading multinational professional services firm Deloitte hoped to obtain by conducting the 2016 Deloitte Millennial survey. Corporate Citizen presents the findings By Neeraj Varty

M

illennials are increasingly becoming the largest group of employees on Planet Earth. Yet, not much effort has been put into understanding their outlook, their views and the reasons for their satisfaction or dissatisfaction at work. With a view to address this issue, Deloitte collected the views of nearly 7,700 Millennials representing 29 countries around the globe. The results of the survey are quite assuring. Millennials are not as money minded as previous generations. They care about the world around them. They are aware of the ethical responsibilities of businesses.

On the flip side, Millennials feel under appreciated at work. They feel that they aren’t given more opportunities to shine. This has led to a trend of shifting from one job to another without staying in an organization for more than a few years. Millennials also feel that they need some sort of flexibility regarding working hours, as priorities are now shifting from money to work/life balance and personal growth.

The main takeaway from the survey is that given sufficient mentor ship, growth opportunities and flexibility, Millennials can be very happy and productive at work and would strive to make not just their own lives, but the entire world a better place. Let us now see the survey in detail 44 / Corporate Citizen / October 16-31, 2016

Methodology

Deloitte obtained the views of nearly 7,700 Millennials representing 29 countries around the globe. All participants were born after 1982, have obtained a college or university degree, are employed full time, and predominantly work in large (100+ employees), private sector organisations. The survey included Millennials from developed countries like the USA and the UK as well as developing countries like India, Brazil and China, to give us a holistic picture

Job Hopping the new trend

During the next year, if given the choice, one in four Millennials would quit his or her current employer to join a new organisation or to do something different. That figure increases to 44 percent when the time frame is expanded to two years. By the end of 2020, two of every three respondents hope to have moved on, while only 16 percent of Millennials see themselves with their current employers a decade from now. This remarkable absence of loyalty represents a serious challenge to any business employing a large number of Millennials, especially those in markets—like the United States and India—where Millennials now represent the largest segment of the workforce.

October 16-31, 2016 / Corporate Citizen / 45

2016 Deloitte Millennials Survey

Millennials believe in moving on In each of the 29 countries where Millennials were surveyed, a majority believe they will have left their organisations before 2020 has passed. The percentages range from the low 50s in Belgium (51 percent), Spain (52 percent), and Japan (52 percent) to more than three quarters in Peru (82 percent), South Africa (76 percent), and India (76 percent). In general, the intention to move on is greater in emerging (69 percent) rather than mature economies (61 percent). Regionally, Latin America (71 percent) has the highest figure and Western Europe (60 percent) the lowest

Millennial parents more loyal to the organisation When looking at demographic subgroups, we find that Millennials who are parents show somewhat more loyalty than those without children; 32 percent of the former intend to remain with their current employers for five years or more, compared to 24 percent of the latter. This is a statistically significant difference. That said, twice as many (64 percent) Millennial parents expect to leave their current employer before 2021 as to stay beyond this date.

Women (67 percent) are slightly more likely to leave within the next five years than men (64 percent).

46 / Corporate Citizen / October 16-31, 2016

Lack of loyalty may be a sign of neglect

While many Millennials have already attained senior positions, much remains to be done. More than six in ten Millennials (63 percent) say their “leadership skills are not being fully developed.” In some markets, such as Brazil and the southeastern Asia nations of Malaysia, Singapore, and Thailand, the figure exceeds 70 percent. Unfortunately, little progress is being made in this area. In the 2014 survey, 49 percent of respondents thought their organizations were doing all they could to develop their leadership skills. Meanwhile, last year it was observed that “regardless of gender or geography, only 28 percent of Millennials feel that their current organizations are making ‘full use’ of the skills they currently have to offer.” Of great significance in the current survey results is the finding that 71 percent of those likely to leave in the next two years are unhappy with how their leadership skills are being developed.

Millenials care about the world around them Millennials continue to express positive views of business, and their opinions regarding businesses’ motivations and ethics showed stark improvement in this survey. However, much skepticism remains, driven by the majority held belief that businesses have no ambition beyond profit. Almost nine in ten (87 percent) believe that “the success of a business should be measured in terms of more than just its financial performance.” This is a widely held belief; only in Germany (22 percent) and South Korea (30 percent) do more than a fifth of Millennials say business success should be measured in purely financial terms.

Business has a positive impact on society Millennials continue to hold business in high regard: three quarters (73 percent) maintain that it has a positive impact upon wider society. This shows that, despite a downturn in certain local and regional economies, Millennials remain upbeat about businesses’ potential to do good for society. This positive evaluation is, perhaps naturally, most evident among those in senior positions (83 percent), but also peaks among Millennial parents (81 percent), the “super-connected Millennials” (87 percent), and “active citizens” (76 percent). These latter two groups represent those making significantly more use of social media or who volunteer, campaign, donate, or more actively engage with social, environmental, or political affairs. As such, it is encouraging that such Millennials are pro-business rather than anti-business.

Focus on their own agenda rather than considering the wider society

Behave in an ethical manner

Leaders are committed to helping to improve society

Have no ambition beyond wanting to make money

neeraj.varty07@gmail.com October 16-31, 2016 / Corporate Citizen / 47

corporate column Aditya Nagarkar

Manager, Centre for Behavioural Excellence, Talent Transformation, Wipro Ltd.

Acing client interviews—

A Three Step Approach While communicating with clients, it is important to understand that the listening process never ends. Being alert with “an ear on the ground” can go a long way in successfully completing a consulting assignment

I

f I were to ask you, “What are the top attributes of a successful consultant?” what would your answer be?

Your response would most likely be traits such as, a strong sense of integrity, ethics and values, expert domain knowledge, unrelenting hunger for challenges (and solving them), helping the client achieve their goal (and realising their vision), delivering maximum value wherever possible. All these traits are musthave; however, one skill that every consultant should definitely possess is listening attentively while interviewing clients and their stakeholders. Clients may not precisely know what or where the problem that is hounding them lies.

Supplementing this with the skill of asking the right questions (at the right time and to the right people) leads to clarity on whether the stakeholder is focusing only on the symptom or the root cause of the problem.

If you are not listening and probing at appropriate points, you stand to lose out on important information such as, the complex inter-working of various departments, the business situation and the delicate fabric of culture that binds the organisation together. The consequence of not listening is you face the risk of falling short of recommending a solution that fits their needs.

In these scenarios, one may want to adopt

the the three step process to excel the client interview stage:

Preparing for the interview

Before interviewing your client, one should research about the company – listen to what is said about the client and their organization, read and understand all about the client’s business and problem areas, no matter how small or insignificant it may seem. Areas you can deep dive into could be – the client organization’s vision, their performance over the last couple of years, the customers they work with (and any reported issues such as changes in their investment, etc.), the markets they operate in, their position with respect to competition (and the edge they hold over competitors), etc.

Ask yourself questions on what you have gathered. Being prepared definitely helps in structuring questions you want to ask your client. It is important to keep an open mind and avoid getting into assumptions or getting influenced by the pre-work that may lead to ignoring certain scenarios.

It is also extremely vital to list all the stakeholders you plan to interview in the client organisation. Getting insights into the role they perform, who their influencer are, the social structure that exists in the client organisation and the rapport your stakeholders hold with

48 / Corporate Citizen / October 16-31, 2016

their peers and others help in framing the right kind of questions.

Asking the right kind of questions

Begin with posing open ended questions that span across a broad area of the role your client or stakeholders perform. For example, if you are interviewing a CEO or a department head, pose high level questions which they can answer, rather than questions to which they have no clarity or visibility into. This ensures your credibility as a consultant remains intact – their confidence in you is strengthened and you have not wasted their precious time which may have otherwise been spent elsewhere. When interviewing mid-level managers and other stakeholders further down the chain of command, you could pose more specific questions on the processes, procedures, systems in place. With sufficient research prior to the interview pro-

With sufficient research prior to the interview process, a consultant can avoid asking tricky or sensitive questions that may put off the client or stakeholder being interviewed

cess, a consultant can avoid asking tricky or sensitive questions that may put off the client or stakeholder being interviewed.

Listen to the

unspoken words and analyse what it means

In this step, a crucial element that a consultant must possess is the power of observation. A consultant should assess the situation and observe non-verbal communication of the stakeholder being interviewed. Vital clues can be picked up for analysis at a later stage by making a note of how the question was answered (speaking tone), were they making eye contact (and if not, does it mean the answer is not true?), silence before answering the question (which could mean that the answer could be an opinion or fact). Analysing these responses across multiple sources of people and data provide a more realistic view of the problem at hand. Conducting private in-

terviews at the initial stages followed by group interviews provides insights into that influences whom and how to leverage the delicate fabric of relationships that hold people together.

Implementing this three step approach will instill confidence in your client as you have not only listened to their responses but also provide them with an assurance that you have understood them. Further, this would help you in summarizing the expectations and then framing the desired results in the client’s own words.

Another factor that is important to consider is that clients are strapped for time and they expect to see tangible results. Nothing is more conclusive and credible than a solution which is hardened with data, facts figures and research.

Lastly, the client’s business environment and their needs may change in many ways throughout the entire life cycle of the consulting engagement. It is important to understand that the listening process never ends. Being alert with

“an ear on the ground” can go a long way in successfully completing a consulting assignment.

(The author is Manager, Centre for Behavioral Excellence, Talent Transformation, Wipro Ltd.)

CC

tadka

More Indians are buying cars Passenger vehicle sales in July 2016 grew by 9.62 per cent year-on-year to 177,604 units as compared with 2.68 per cent growth and 223,454 units in June 2016. According to Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers (SIAM), domestic car sales for FY 2015-16 stood at 20,25,479 units as compared to 18,77,706 units in FY 2014-15.

October 16-31, 2016 / Corporate Citizen / 49

Loved & Married too

It is not often these days that a college romance fructifies into a wedlock. Corporate Citizen unlocks the story of love that has culminated into marriage, for we believe in the stability of a relationship and family unit.

We bring to you real-life romances that got sealed in marriage

A Permanent Connection All set to complete a year of married bliss, the young corporate couple, Hemveer Singh (26) and Ramnik Arora (28) tell us how technology can serve as the great connector despite the (usually) disruptive role ascribed to it. That, and how differences can be a point of celebration, instead of obstruction

By Kalyani Sardesai

T

his love story started about three years back, when Ramnik Arora, a young product manager with a leading Mumbai-based pharma firm was scrolling through the assorted features of a fun app called ‘V-chat’ on her android phone. The concept of the app is that it allows people within a two km radius to chat with each other—without revealing their identity, unless comfortable. She saw the unusual name ‘Hemveer’ and sent a casual ‘hey’. The rest, as they say, is history.

“Honestly though, there was no intention of looking for a prospective romance or any such thing,” she says—even as Hemveer affirms: “She sent me a chat request in a pure gesture of friendship, and it was in that spirit that I accepted.”

Both of them out-of-towners—he from Kanpur, and she from Chandigarh, it was nevertheless nice to find someone to have a meaningful chat.

There was a lot in common—both management professionals and Sikhs living in the Shere-Punjab area of Andheri.

Luckily for them, they hit it off quite well from the word go. “The conversation was comfortable and flowed naturally. We found, we had a lot to talk about”, reminisces Hemveer, a former student of BITM (marketing finance), who had just been placed with Nestle’ on campus.

Even so, she took her time sending across her photo, and he was fine with it. A month or so later, they decided to meet up at the Shere-Punjab gurudwara. “Again, it was a very casual meeting--no love at first sight or any such thing. I found her pleasant, mature and companiable, but that was all,” he says.

Evidently, that was far from all, as the conversations went from strength to strength.

“She is the quiet sort; takes a lot of time to open up. At the same time, I found her very good company; someone who had intelligent opinions, and was very calm and poised,” he says.

For her part, Ramnik found herself attracted to his simple, child-like nature. “He is a very honest and truthful man—very loyal as well. These are 50 / Corporate Citizen / October 16-31, 2016

qualities any girl would cherish,” she says.

Still, the first time he asked her for a spin on the bike, the answer was a ‘no.’

“So we took an auto ride instead—taking in the sights and smells of Mumbai. Shopping, eating together, meeting up after office—a shoulder to rely on in case of a crisis, the relationship progressed gradually and meaningfully. And one day, she just popped the question casually. It had been on my mind for sometime—the idea of Ramnik as a potential spouse—still, when she actually articulated the question in words, I was taken aback,” he grins.

It took them to an entirely new world

The families took some persuading too, though not a lot. “I am the only son of my parents,” says Hemveer. A few proposals had been coming in for me—courtesy, the relatives. My parents, on the other hand were planning my wedding a few years later. When I told them about Ramnik, they were concerned how a love-match would pan out. Then there was the substantial height difference between us—she’s 5 feet and I am 6 feet,” he smiles. On the other hand, Ramnik’s family were a lot easier to convince. She does have the reputation of being very mature and responsible. Had a lot of faith in her judgment,” he said.

Even as the process of communication started between two families, they do, despite the fact that they Hemveer’s dad, a straightforward are both still in their twenties with and decisive gentleman if ever there major demands on the career front. was one—on being told that her While Hemveer’s profile as a sales family was planning to visit them officer (chilled dairy) for Nestle has in Kanpur told them straight out: him travelling a lot, Ramnik’s cur• Conversation and “Since both the children have liked rent designation as project mancommunication each other, and his mom liked her ager with IPCA pharmaceuticals • Trust on their first meeting, while I like requires her to tour as well.

Hemveer. Let us unite them with a “The key is to give your partner • Spending time formal engagement (roka).” all the space and time they need together At such short notice, there was for their pursuits; at the same time, • Respecting no way that Ramnik could have spend enough time with each othand celebrating come from Mumbai. “So we had er,” she says. “The problem with redifferences the roka, with Ramnik online. ” lationships in the corporate world laughs Hemveer. or any other for that matter is when With the formal seal of approval people confuse having a job with from both families, the couple got back to work in having a life, and a family for a part-time thing.

Mumbai. “We had a wonderful official courtship It doesn’t work that way. A marriage requires due of about 1.5 years. During this time we really got time and effort. Besides this, trust and support are to know each other and spend time together—a hugely important,” she adds. must for any strong relationship,” they narrate.

While the couple have a cook, both share Finally, the duo were wed on October 4, 2015 in household chores together. “When I am in the a happy, fun-filled, colourful Punjabi ceremony. kitchen, he joins in and we end up spending some quality time together,” she says. Besides this, both are enthusiastic foodies, who love trying out difMarriage, the game-changer? ferent cuisines and going on long drives together.

“Yes, and no,” says Hemveer. “ We used to hang Hemveer chips in, “Time management is the out before marriage—that hasn’t changed. But secret behind a successful married and profesnow that she’s moved in, she makes me keep the sional life. If you manage that aspect, you can house clean; everything has to be spick and span, do justice to everything.” Apart from which, he that’s one big change from my bachelor life,” he believes in giving due respect to her career. “She’s says wryly. driven and competent. Let her achieve all that she Work-life balance is crucial to everything

The key is to give your partner all the space and time they need for their pursuits; at the same time, spend enough time with each other

The pillars of a marriage

has set her heart to; she must have her own little world, in terms of both her work and interests. I don’t want to interfere with that. Similarly, when we start a family, I will help in every way.”

Both are great believers in the power of conversation. “I think that has been the best aspect of our relationship—the fact that we speak so much with each other and discuss everything. A problem shared is a problem halved. While we try and keep work pressures away from home, it is a good idea to keep the partner in the loop as to the pressures one is facing,” he says.

For the moment though, it’s time to buy a cake—even as they inch towards their first anniversary. kalyanisardesai@gmail.com

CC

tadka

Deloitte stands a winner amongst companies hiring b-school grads With a hiring score of 282 graduates from the class of 2016 from prominent business schools in India, Deloitte has emerged at the top of ET’s (Economic Times) survey of top recruiters at India’s leading B-schools. Besides Deloitte, the top 5 list include Cognizant, ICICI Bank and Wipro.

October 16-31, 2016 / Corporate Citizen / 51

Against all odds

Para-heroes bring glory to the Nation Four Paralympic athletes made India proud, winning medals at the Rio 2016 Paralympic Games. They overcame many odds to make their mark in the field of sports. The medal winners have now been honoured with Khel Ratna awards

By Joe Williams

I

t is not just the four medal winners at the Rio 2016 Paralympics for whom life has changed, but the entire community of para athletes of the country. Besides money which has been pouring in, the Khel Ratna Awards have come as a morale booster for these athletes.

But there is a dark side to the story, in that many brands are still fighting shy of offering whole-hearted support to these high-achieving athletes.

The Khel Ratna awards are given to outstanding sportsmen/sportswomen of the country. “Yes, it is a big leap for these athletes who have been forgotten heroes of the country,” said one of the followers of these athletes, and what is more ironic is the fact that these athletes have won more medals at these games than the able athletes at the same level of championship in the globe.

“Yes, they are also deserving candidates for the Khel Ratna Awards,” announced Vijay Goel, Minister of State (Independent Charge) Ministry of Youth Affairs And Sports at a function to felicitate the four Paralympic athletes after they arrived in the country with their prize procession of medals.

Devendra Jhajharia

“Going by the count, the country has garnered equal number of medals in the last four editions of the Games (2004-2016), but the Paralympic athletes have won two gold while able bodied athletes have just one gold under their belt.”

A look back on the four medal winners at the Rio 2016 Paralympic Games:

Dream realised: Mariyappan

It was the high jumper Mariyappan Thangavelu who set the ball rolling for the Indian athletes. The 21-year-old Tamil Nadu athlete won the T42 class for athletes with lower limb impairment. Mariyappan grew up in extreme poverty in the southern state of Tamil Nadu, where he lives with his mother and two siblings in a house that is smaller than his room in the athletes' village. Mariyappan was a child when an accident left him with a permanent impairment. A state bus swerved off the road and ran over him, shattering his right leg below the knee. His mother had to take a loan for his medical treatment. Sports was a constant passion for Mariyappan. He played volleyball

52 / Corporate Citizen / October 16-31, 2016

in school before one of the school teachers suggested high jump when he was 14. And it was here that a new champion rose on the blocks, as he finished second in a competition against able-bodied competitors. Like at home, the modest and determined Thangavelu won the support of the crowd at the Olympic stadium. As the bar was raised and his opponents got eliminated one by one, the excitable Brazilian fans began to throw their support behind the 1.68-metre tall Indian. He was the only athlete to clear 1.89 metres. Mariyappan uses his right leg and damaged right foot in particular to propel the beginning of his approach and then power his launch over the bar. He says his right toe gives him leverage.

Birthday gift for Deepa

Deepa Malik celebrated her 46th birthday on September 30. One of the oldest athletes, Deepa won silver in the shot put (shot put - F53) event. Born in Bhaiswal, Sonipat district, Haryana, Deepa is a resident of Delhi where she stays

Deepa Malik

with her husband Malik, a veteran cavalier, Colonel Bikram Singh. She is also the daughter of a veteran Infantry, Colonel BK Nagpal. She is the mother of two adult daughters, Devika and Ambika. She is currently being supported by the GoSports Foundation through their Para Champions Programme. Deepa is associated with the Himalayan Motorsports Association (H.M.A.) and the Federation of Motor Sports Clubs of India (F.M.S.C.I.). She has undertaken an eight-day, 1700-km drive in sub-zero temperatures which included a climb of 18000 feet, at the Raid De Himalaya. She is a member of the working group formulating the 12th Five-Year plan (2012-2017) on Sports and Physical Education, nominated by the Planning Commission HRD Division on behalf of the Sports Ministry. The Rio Olympics bronze medallist wrestler Sakshi Malik termed the life story of para athlete Deepa Malik as inspiring. “Deepa Malik narrated her life story to me. Her story is very inspiring. Indeed, I learned a lot from her," said Sakshi. Deepa overcame a spinal tumour, 31 surgeries and 183 stitches to win India a silver medal at the Rio Paralympics.

Life has never been able to pose a challenge that could dim Deepa’s spirit. From getting operated upon when her husband was serving the nation

Mariyappan Thangavelu (left) along with Varun Singh Bhati

The Khel Ratna awards, which are given to outstanding sportspersons of the country, is a big leap for these athletes who have been forgotten heroes of the country October 16-31, 2016 / Corporate Citizen / 53

Against all odds Medals won by Indians at the Olympics 2004-2016

Paralympics medals won from 2004 till 2016

2004 Athens

2012 London

2016 Rio

in Kargil and getting 183 stitches between her shoulder blades, she has been a real-life inspiration for years now. Having won sporting laurels at the international stage for close to a decade, the only medal missing from her repertoire was the Paralympic one. And at Rio, she fulfilled even this dream. She has never been daunted by adversity.

When told as a 26-year-old that her choice was between paralysis and death, anyone else would have had a meltdown. A budding sportswoman and cricketer for Rajasthan despite suffering paralytic shocks since the age of eight, Deepa, however, faced the impossibility of life head-on.

Seven broken vertebrae and frequent MRI scans in the absence of titanium plates did not stop her.

Devendra continues his fine run

Devendra Jhajharia, hauled the javelin to a distance of 63.97 metres at the Rio Paralympic games -- a world record incidentally bettering his own mark set at the 2004 Summer Paralym-

2004 (Athens)

2008 (Beijing)

pics at Athens, to snatch the second gold medal for the country competing in the F46 event. The first Indian Paralympian to win two gold medals at the Paralympics, he won his first gold in the javelin throw at the 2004 Summer Paralympics.

Devendra already has a long list of achievements to his name. He was born into a low-income family in the Churu district in Rajasthan. At the age of eight, he lost his left hand after accidentally touching an electric wire while trying to climb a tree. However, Jhajharia’s life took a turn after he began participating in para-athletics in 1995 while in school. In 1997, coach Ripudaman Singh identified his potential when he saw him competing in a school tournament and encouraged him to take up the sport seriously. India’s flag-bearer at the 2016 Paralympics, Devendra is a recipient of the Arjuna award in 2005. The same year, Rajasthan government also felicitated him with the Maharana Pratap Puraskar Award.

Varun turns the odds

The country has garnered equal number of medals in the last four editions of the Games (2004-16), but the paralympics have won two gold while able bodied athletes have just one gold

Prime Minister Narendra Modi with the proud athletes

54 / Corporate Citizen / October 16-31, 2016

2012 (London)

2016: (Rio)

Varun Singh Bhati, who competed alongside Mariyappan in the men's high jump T-42 event at the Games was a leader during the course of the final event. Although he could not maintain the lead, he made history along with Mariyappan and won the bronze for the country. Bhati jumped his personal best of 1.86 metres to finish third. The 21-year-old, who trains at the Sports Authority of India (SAI) centre in Bengaluru, is suffering from a disability classification in sports for differently-abled track-and-field athletes with a single ‘above the knee' amputation or a comparable disability. A resident of Greater Noida, he is the son of Hem Singh Bhati and also a student of BSc. Maths (Hons). Varun’s inherent talent was spotted by St Joseph’s School, Greater Noida from where he did his schooling and is still his home ground. His talent is further nurtured by Satyanarayana, a former national athlete. Varun is currently being supported by the GoSports Foundation through the Para Champions Programme. Varun managed to find the right balance in sports and education and made great progress in both. Afflicted by polio at a young age, Varun took to sports in his school days, and has been consistently getting better.

Classification identified by letters:

The different classifications are identified by letters. Thus, T is for track and jumping events, F is for field events, while the numbers specify the type and severity of disability. The lower the numbers, the more severe the impairment.

11-3 Visual impairment 20: Intellectual impairment 31-38: Co-ordination impairment (hypertonis, ataxia and athetosis) 31-34: Wheelchair users 40-41: Short stature 42-44: Lower limb deficiency, leg length difference, impaired muscle power or impaired range of movement 45-47: Upper limb deficiency, impaired muscle power or impaired range of movement.

51-57: Umb deficiency, leg length difference, impaired muscle power, impaired range of movement (wheelchair users). joe78662@gmail.com

life & culture

Diversity within Diversity

Being an American-born Confused Desi is difficult. We dwell on the dichotomy between American and Indian culture, with a cultivated respect for both.

We go through phases where being Indian is easier, but usually the American phase predominates By Ananya Ghosh

I

mperialism. It’s a word that the entire world was familiar with when Great Britain was a force to be reckoned with.

Snatching up territory to expand its sphere of influence, the unassuming island claimed lands from the bottom tip of Africa to the northern regions of the Americas.India was also caught in its wide cast net, tangled in fishing line, but jumped to turn back to water.

In the traditional sense of the word, imperialism is now obsolete. Countries don’t stake claim to territories; they influence others by diplomacy, military, and most importantly, culture. America’s cultural imperialism is very subtle, taking the form of a boosted denim industry in Korea and a greater likelihood of spotting a Kentucky Fried Chicken in India.

If my India-dwelling counterpart is swaying from her traditional Indian culture, then how am I, a first generation America-dwelling desi, supposed to stick to mine? This imperialism is not only the root of an internal struggle,

but also led to the birth of the American-born Confused Desi (ABCD).

This person will be ready to eat a Domino’s pizza, while secretly craving some biryani, butter chicken, and saag paneer. This person loves to go to football games, but also gets up at five in the morning to watch the India-Pakistan cricket match. This person perfects the art of the Indian mono-braid at a young age, and later perfects the art of the messy bun.

But sometimes, this dual-culture can be confusing. Do we go to the new Hollywood blockbuster with trendy actors, or do we go to the run-down theater on the other side of town to see the Bollywood box office hit? Do we press a single button on our car sound system to get English music, or do we shuffle through our Hindi music playlists on our phones while, simultaneously rushing to find the aux cord at a red light? How many times can we make a conscious decision to immerse ourselves in American culture before we can no longer make a list of the Top 10 Shah

Rukh and Kajol moments from film, or forget the words to our favorite Hindi song? How much time does it take for us before keeping up with Bollywood movies, Hindi songs, Indian sports and current events becomes too taxing?

Being an American-born Confused Desi is difficult. We dwell on the dichotomy between American and Indian culture, with a cultivated respect for both. We go through phases where being Indian is easier, but usually the American phase predominates. Maybe some can sit on the bridge between the two, but such cases are regarded as rare.

However, even the most ‘white-washed’ Indian treasures and possesses the remnants of his Indian heritage.

He might wear Polos and Sperry’s to school, but he still remembers how to play the tabla from the lessons he took as an elementary school kid. She might refuse to speak Hindi at home, but she will always oil up her rusty vocabulary before speaking on the phone with her thamma. And even the most ‘fresh off the boat’ Indian still captures part of the essence of American culture growing up, despite his boycott on Hollister tees and McDonald’s fries.

ABCDs lie on a spectrum of Indian-American culture, but can never reach one side completely.

This diversity within diversity is what makes the Indian community in America remarkable.

Instead of consisting of two primary colors blue and yellow, an American-born Confused Desis is one of thousands of shades of green. We might have struggled growing up in two worlds, but as young adults, we appreciate our unique cultural perspectives, our atypical social experiences, and our great fortune of having been born into a culture with such a storied past and present.

We are criticized for being too Indian by Americans, and too American by Indians. But by our own standards, we are all sitting on a bridge together.

(Ananya Ghose, Age: 16-winner of the Essay Contest organised for Indian American students in USA by NRI Pulse newspaper. This article is originally published in www.nripulse.com)

October 16-31, 2016 / Corporate Citizen / 55

Health

Wisdom of

Mahesh Singhi, founder and Managing Director of Singhi Advisors, believes that workout enhances his work significantly

By Sharmila Chand

K

Workouts

nown as Mahesh ‘deal’ Singhi, he started his entrepreneurial journey in 1989, when he came to Mumbai for the first time. Hailing from a typical middle class, servicemindset family background from Rajasthan and having lost his paltry paid job of `1400 as a shop floor engineer, he came to this city of dreams. The best he could think was to advise first time entrepreneurs in setting up factories on a ‘Concept to Commissioning’ basis!

There has been no looking back since then. Today his company is amongst top 10 M&A advisory firms in India, having global footprint in 22 countries through strategic stake in one of the largest global network‘Mergers Alliance’ and the largest mid-market focused M&A advisory team, having closed over 1000 transactions since inception. He says, “for a first generation entrepreneur like me, life is a deal, which is to be lived as it comes.”

A father of two teenagers, he loves spending free time socialising with friends or pursuing adventure sports with family.

On his philosophy of Fitness

In my 25 years in business, I have learnt that if I rise early, my productivity quotient on a daily basis is enhanced greatly. No matter where my busy schedule takes me around the globe, I routinely try to wake up at 6am. Rising early allows me to exercise regularly and spend quality moments with my family, putting me in a positive frame of mind before I get down to the business of the day. Charting a positive life pathway for achievement of goals involves: * Meditating, to clear your mind, regularly. * Reading, to build your motivation, inspiration, and knowledge. * Writing, to channel your focus, which can

be in the form of creating a to-do list, writing a gratitude list and so on * Physical activity in to boost your productivity

On His Mantra of Staying Fit

Life is not a dress rehearsal, so we should live each day to its full capacity.

Look after yourself: I don’t smoke and I eat a

I have always believed that the benefits of letting your team have the occasional blast at an after-hours get-together is a hugely important ingredient for creating a family atmosphere and a fun-loving, free-spirited corporate culture.

56 / Corporate Citizen / October 16-31, 2016

balanced diet with a healthy proportion of fruits and vegetables. But I party hard. When I’m at home, I make it a point to party every night and live my life to the fullest.

Watch your weight: I have regular workout sessions which keeps me fit. I go to the gym even when I’m travelling, play tennis and go for walks.

I also ran the marathon last year.

Sleep well: I sleep like a baby. I only need six hours a night.

Exercise

My number one “secret” to greater productivity is to exercise and keep fit. Exercise increases energy levels, helps you to sleep better and improves your focus and concentration. I actually often

get up early at 6am to walk!

Find a workout buddy or join a club that will encourage you to compulsorily exercise during some part of your day. One timeless proverb says, “As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another.” Achieve personal well-being and it will result in significant benefits for your career.

Inspiration and Motivation!

Besides a terrific workout, I make it a point to

Keeping fit and active is the best thing you can do for your health, for your creativity, and for your family relationships.

What keeps you fit and healthy?

I love challenging myself, and love challenging the people around me,” especially when it comes to succeeding in otherwise established markets, where most businesses are “diabolically run.”

Whether in business or life I am constantly

Find a workout buddy or join a club that will encourage you to compulsorily exercise during some part of your day. One timeless proverb says, “As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another.”

Achieve personal well-being and it will result in significant benefits for your career

Your Healthy Dose as Parting Shots?

There is a popular saying that ‘everybody loves a good party’.

At Singhi, we have always reveled in taking on the seemingly impossible rather than shying away and playing it safe. This applies as much to having a good time as to business, and we have never had any qualms about kicking back and enjoying a fun party with our people.

I have always believed that the benefits of letting your team have the occasional blast at an after-hours get-together is a hugely important ingredient for creating a family atmosphere and a fun-loving, free-spirited corporate culture. It also goes a long way to tearing down any semblance of hierarchy.

Chand.sharmila@gmail.com

constantly learn about new trends in fitness, nutrition, and lifestyle. In addition, I read motivational messages to stay on track for leading a disciplinary life.

challenging myself. I see everything as an opportunity to strengthen resolve, experiment and grow.

Food Philosophy

1. Find a routine that works for you:

I have started a regular breakfast routine where previously I would have a serving of toast or cereal or even skip breakfast altogether. I have my daily dose of proteins through a combination of lentils and spinach at breakfast, which keeps me full all morning.

Added benefit? Reduced body fat percentage and lower heart rate and lower numbers on the scale (I haven’t been this trim since I was in school!!)

reorganise your to-do list.

To set priorities and give myself the space to focus, I write down lists of tasks, with an emphasis on details and time lines. This helps me to assess their possible impact on the company and organize my activities accordingly.”

2. Ditch the guilt: As much as working on your business is important, you need time away from work too. To ditch any guilt you might feel about stopping work, schedule some of your time in your planner for relaxation on a priority basis.

I’ve found that it’s not a good idea to dive straight into work when you wake up so I dedicate my mornings to exercise and have family time. It helps me clear my mind and energises me for the day ahead.

3. Have fun: This is often underrated, but you are far more likely to succeed if you are enjoying yourself.

If an opportunity doesn’t excite me, and if it’s not something through which I can make a difference in the world while having a lot of seriously creative fun, then I’d rather pass it on and move along to something else that does interest me.

Never hope to find time in your daily schedule to workout. Make the time to workout and reap the benefits!

Your stress busters?

For some people achieving work-life balance depends on adhering to a strict routine: eat, sleep, exercise and repeat. However I don’t have a set routine. I believe that flexibility is the answer for me.

You can never be certain what tomorrow will throw at you, so the ability to adapt and prioritize is incredibly important. When a challenge presents itself, disrupting your plans, you need to be able to assess its potential and accordingly

CC

tadka

India, China, fastest growing economies In 2015 China’s per capita GDP growth was 6.4 percent and India’s 6.3 percent based on World Bank data. in the same year, the EU’s per capita was only 1.7 percent, the US 1.6 percent, and Japan’s 0.6 percent. Data for 2016 to date show the same pattern of rapid growth in China and India and slow growth in the US, EU and Japan.

October 16-31, 2016 / Corporate Citizen / 57

Bollywood Biz

The Best Education Related Movies

Education has always been a topic of fascination for Cinema.

Cinema allows us to look at education from an appreciative, critical as well as a satirical lens all at once. It teaches us that education is more than the sum of its parts. This issue, Corporate Citizen presents the best education related movies you should watch!

By Neeraj Varty

3 idiots

Starring – Aamir Khan, Kareena Kapoor, R Madhavan, Sharman Joshi 3 Idiots is not just the story of three engineering students; The movie presents the pressures of the education system on students and the undue expectations society places on them. It effectively highlights the problem of parents pushing their children to choose what they don’t like and make them forget or ignore their hobbies that could have become a great profession for them. The great thing about the movie is that it is never preachy, it is always relatable to every past, present and future student out there. The message 3 Idiots conveys stays with you long after the movie is over – Follow your dreams, and success will follow you!

Taare Zameen Par

Starring – Aamir Khan, Darsheel Safary The movie is about an eight-year-old boy Ishaan Awasthi (Darsheel Safary) who finds it difficult to fit in with his other classmates. Ram Shankar Nikumbh (Aamir Khan) gets appointed as a temporary art teacher of the boarding school. Unlike other teachers who follow definite norms in educating children, Ram makes them think out of books, outside the four walls of the classroom and paint their imaginations. Ram takes effort to understand Ishaan and his problems. He makes Ishaan’s parents and other teachers realise that he is not abnormal but a very special child with talents of his own. Aamir Khan, who has also directed the film, has handled this delicate theme with dexterity and precision, pointing out that education is not just scoring marks, it is opening your mind to limitless possibilities.

58 / Corporate Citizen / October 16-31, 2016 58 / Corporate Citizen / October 16-31, 2016

Aarakshan

Starring – Amitabh Bachchan, Saif Ali Khan, Manoj Bajpai Prakash Jha has always been known for his socio-political movies, and Aarakshan is no exception. Aarakshan is loosely based centered on the Supreme Court's 2008 verdict on the approval of additional reservations for other backward classes, and the impact it has had on the education system. The film is hard hitting, well researched and conveys a social message about the growing commercialisation of education. Watch it for powerfull performances

by Amitabh Bachchan and Manoj Bajpai as well as Prakash Jha’s skillfull direction.

Dahavi Fa

Starring – Atul Kulkarni Dahavi Fa (translation: Tenth 'F') is a Marathi drama film based on a story of how teachers discriminate against the students failing the exams. Kids from class 10 'F' realise that they are the victims of brutal discrimination. They are not willing to accept tags like goons or thugs. Frustrated with the situation, these kids decide to take matters in their own hands and end up vandalising school properties. As a result, they get suspended from school. Atul Kulkarni, who plays the teacher in the film, however teaches students to channelize their anger in a positive way. The film was so popular that it was screened for 35 weeks when it released in 2002.

Good Will Hunting Starring – Matt Damon

The film stars Matt Damon as a janitor at MIT who likes to party and hang around the old neighbourhood. He is also a mathematical genius who can solve the most complex of math problems, but who never attended school growing up in bad company. Lambeau, a professor at MIT, offers a prize to any student who can solve a difficult problem.

The next morning, the answer is written on a blackboard standing in the hall. But none of the students managed to solve it. Lambeau finds out that it was actually the janitor who solved it. Good Will Hunting is the story of how this kid's life edges toward self-destruction and how a concerned professor tries to haul him back by getting him to enroll in school again. Don’t miss it for the world. neeraj.varty07@gmail.com (All the above listed movies are available to watch on Google Play Movies, except Dahavi Fa, which is available on Youtube) October 16-31, 2016 / Corporate Citizen / 59 October 16-31, 2016 / Corporate Citizen / 59

Pearls of Wisdom

By Dada J. P. VASWANI

Success is not what we take it to be

I would define success as the ability to be happy and make others happy; the ability to love and be loved; the ability to remain in peaceful harmony with oneself, with those around you and with God’s cosmic laws

E

very one of us wants to be successful. Though we move along different pathways of life, we are all in search of success. Each one wants to be successful in his or her sphere of activity.

A girl met me the other day and said, “During your absence from Pune, my wedding will take place. I want you to remember me on that day and pray for me, so that I may be successful in my new phase of life.”

Yet another day, I received a long distance call from a student in America. She was about to appear for her final examinations. “Do pray for me that I may be successful in my examinations and show brilliant results!” she said to me.

Everyone wants to be successful in life. But there are few who know the elements of success, the factors that go to build up success. Today, success is being confounded with making money, with amassing millions and billions. John D. Rockefeller was such a multimillionaire, to whom success did not bring happiness. His biographer tells us that by the time Rockefeller was 53, his life was a wreck. He was the richest man in the world and yet he was miserable! He was sick –physically, mentally and emotionally.

All his millions could not make him happy.

Rockefeller turned a new leaf. He stopped accumulating wealth, and began to give away his wealth. Thus was born the Rockefeller Foundation, which sponsors and supports education and medical care throughout the world. John Rockfeller re-wrote and re-defined the meaning of success for himself.

60 / Corporate Citizen / October 16-31, 2016

Some people equate success with power and position. A fond mother said to me that her son had achieved success in life at the young age of 23. He had been appointed as the Managing Director of a large industrial concern. But a few days later, I heard that the young man was rude to his colleagues and unpopular with his workers; that he had a foul temper; and that he had fallen a victim to the two vices of gambling and drinking. Would you describe this young man as being successful?

Many of us tend to equate success with visible material acquisitions. There was a

young woman who wore expensive clothes and diamond jewels; her handbag was stuffed with currency notes, she drove about in a Mercedes. Everyone agreed that she was indeed a woman who had achieved success in life. But when this young woman met me, she said to me with tear-filled eyes, “I am one of the unhappiest women on earth. My husband is constantly running after other women and pays no attention to me.” Would you call this young women successful?

Jay Gould, the American millionaire, amassed great wealth. But as he lay dying, he lamented, “I suppose I am the most miserable man on earth!” There is no happiness in wealth, but there is considerable wealth in the experience of happiness.

What is the definition of success?

What is true success? I believe that true success is in some way or the other, related to inner happiness and peace of mind. It has been rightly said that if you lose your wealth, you lose but little. If you lose your health, you lose something. But, if you have lost your peace of mind, you have lost everything! Outer things, external achievements, are not the yardsticks for success. Power, prestige, position, social influence, higher degrees awarded by universities — all these are outer things. They only touch the fringe of life, they don’t enter the depths within. A man may have all this, and yet he may be intellectually barren; he may be emotionally unbalanced, spiritually sterile. Would you call such a man successful?

What then, is success all about? I would define success as the ability to be happy and make others happy; the ability to love and be loved; the ability to remain in peaceful harmony with oneself, with those around you and with God’s cosmic laws.

I believe that true success is in some way or the other, related to inner happiness and peace of mind. It has been rightly said that if you lose your wealth, you lose but little.

If you lose your health, you lose something. But, if you have lost your peace of mind, you have lost everything!

CC

tadka

Growth in Mutual funds asset base

Mutual Funds asset base of equity funds and Equity Linked Saving Scheme (ELSS) increased to Rs 4.5 trillion (US$ 67.18 billion) at the end of July 2016. Net inflow during April-July 2016 stood at Rs 11,985 crore (US$ 1.79 billion)

October 16-31, 2016 / Corporate Citizen / 61

Mobile apps

The Best Cooking Apps Cooking is not just a skill, it is an art. Just like any other art form, cooking is a skill that must be honed and perfected.

All you need is some time on your hands, a smartphone and willingness to experiment.

Corporate Citizen brings you the best free apps to bring out the Masterchef in you

By Neeraj Varty

With more than 3,50,000 recipes, BigOven makes cooking simple. With this cooking app, you’ll be inspired and organized in the kitchen and on the go. Some of the highlights include access to BigOven’s massive library of recipes, the ability to add snapshots of your own recipes, the option to make a grocery list in the app based on recipes you’d like to create, and help to make your meal planning a lot easier with the weekly organizer. The app also adds a social feature, allowing you to check out what your friends, family, and favorite bloggers are making. Plus, it offers seasonal collections right from the home screen to get you inspired.

62 / Corporate Citizen / October 16-31, 2016

With so many cooking shows like Masterchef gracing the airways, everyone has a favorite chef they just love to watch.

Food Network in the Kitchen brings all your favorite TV chefs from TV directly to your mobile device. There are already thousands of recipes to choose from, with new ones added every month. The app also offers helpful videos and photos from notable chefs and shows. You can also search for what you want or need by chef or ingredient. Furthermore, you can add your own notes, tips, and substitutions for any recipe. And once you start cooking, you can even use the unit converter to figure out volume or weight, or simply revel in the app’s multiple timers for multi-dish meals.

Yummly’s greatest strength lies with its search engine. Of course, it’ll provide hundreds of recipes to replicate and experiment with, but you can also tailor searches to fit your specific needs and lifestyle.

Going on a diet, but still want to enjoy a good burger? Yummly has you covered. Have a particularly nasty food allergy you’d rather not deal with anytime soon? Yummly can adjust for that as well.

The app will come to learn what you like and don’t like over time and begin recommending recipes more suited for your individual lifestyle. From there, you can easily save those recipes or add the needed ingredients to an in-app shopping list. Best of all, Yummly has Instacart built-in, allowing you to use that shopping list to shop on Instacart, then order those items, and, depending on where you live, have them delivered within an hour.

If social media doesn’t already saturate every aspect of your life, Cookpad—formerly known as All the Cooks—is the app for you. Cookpad creates a virtual place to exchange recipes with friends, family, and strangers.

When you’re done cooking, you can upload a recipe with a picture of the finished dish and others can comment.

The comments range from potential substitutions for food allergies, to side dishes that would pair well with the recipe, each of which depends on the dish at hand. Recipes are also sorted into different categories and the app creates a profile for you, so you can see what others have uploaded and liked. Cookpad is an excellent way to improve your cooking and flaunt your skills as you get better.

Download it right away! neeraj.varty07@gmail.com

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CORPORATE CULTURE

Chanda Kochhar, MD & CEO, ICICI Bank on women in leadership and gender diversity

INTERVIEW

An in-depth interview with Vishal Parekh, Marketing Director India with Kingston Technology and Rajeev Bhadauria, Director, Group HR, at Jindal Steel & Power

Dynamic Duo 21 MEERA SHANKAR AND AJAY SHANKAR

UNFLINCHING SUPPORT

October 16-31, 2016 / Corporate Citizen / 63

the last word

Ganesh Natarajan

Celebrating Indian culture

Culture is a many-splendoured thing and we can choose to celebrate it wherever we live or just go through the motions and ignore it

C

ulture is one of those wonderful aspects of living that we find easy to forget in the hustle and bustle of daily existence. While we in India have our culture and traditions brought to life through the myriad festivals we celebrate with much sound and light, our families abroad always need to make the extra effort to remind their children of their cultural roots.

I have always been intrigued when I interact with the ABCD (American Born Confused Desi) community, at the contradictions they have to face at home and outside. We have been fortunate to have a few of this ilk stay with us for a few weeks to help their concerned parents get their kids an immersion into Indian culture.

My favourite anecdote is of this young man who was born and raised in California by traditional parents, who had moved to that country before he was born. When we visited their home in the late nineties, 10 year old Akaash (name changed for confidentiality) enthralled us by singing a few bhajans, watched proudly by his doting parents. Fast forward a decade and 20 year old Akaash was landing at Pune airport for his cultural immersion through a six week stay with us.

True to our prediction. Akaash touched our feet and seemed for the first hour every bit as ingrained in Indian culture as we had expected him to be. Till my wife Uma asked him “Ganesh is going to a BPO party but you can stay home and have an early night” to which the young Akaash jumped up and said, "The BPO party will be what I think it will be, I am certainly going with him.”

It took us just a few days to understand the motivations of this American youth in Indian skin and even less for young Akaash to throw himself into the party circuit with a vengeance. It also showed us how adept young folks are at keeping

their parents happy while choosing to live their own life on their own terms.

This is not to say that young Indians living abroad do not enjoy Indian culture. Our own daughter Karuna went abroad for high school over 15 years ago and after a stellar academic journey through Cambridge and Harvard, is now a research scientist and oncologist at the famous Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Centre in New York. When she and Hugh Skottowe decided to marry a few years ago, she wanted the wedding of a true Indian princess. But not for her, just the pomp and pageantry of Rajasthan, where we had a memorable wedding. The scientist couple wanted every minute of the two day wedding scripted and choreographed to perfection. And not only did they immerse themselves into every nuance of the wedding process, they took efforts to ensure that every line they would utter as part of the marriage process was scripted and sometimes jointly done by the 100 plus American and European guests who joined

Each one of us as responsible citizens of the country need to develop an attitude of respect for all cultures, traditions and social mores of every citizen who co-inhabit India.

We must ensure that we are truly a land of equal opportunity, not only for our own countrymen but also many people from different countries and cultures who are increasingly choosing to live and work in Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru, Pune and so on

64 / Corporate Citizen / October 16-31, 2016

Tying the knot: Karuna and Hugh Skottowe nearly 200 Indians at the wedding. Even for us, it was an opportunity to delve deep into every tradition and understand every nuance of the traditional Indian wedding.

So, what’s the point I am making here? Culture is a many-splendoured thing and we can choose to celebrate it wherever we live or just go through the motions and ignore it even living in traditional bastions of culture like Pune or Chennai. And culture can still be celebrated, whichever part of the world you live in, if the need to understand and celebrate it rests deep within our hearts. The recent “haafu� controversy featuring Miss Japan Priyanka Yoshikawa and the outrage created by her and the previous winner Ariyana Miyamoto, the first half-African woman to represent the country in a beauty pageant, underline the fact

that people living away from their country will always suffer the double disadvantage of being laughed at when they come to the country of their origins while occasionally being spurned in their adopted land. It takes a wise head and a forgiving heart to ensure that such folk have the spirit and courage to understand their roots while still integrating themselves in the cultural milieu of their new homeland.

Back home in India, each one of us as responsible citizens of the country need to develop an attitude of respect and celebration for all cultures, traditions and social mores of every citizen who co-inhabits the land we call India. We cannot condone condescension or derision towards any community or state and must ensure that we are truly a land of equal opportunity,

not only for our own countrymen but also for many people from different countries and cultures who are increasingly choosing to live and work in Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru, Pune and so on. How can we expect a Europe or America to open its arms to our youth and give them free access to jobs and pathways to residency and citizenship if we resent people from other countries and sometimes even other states moving around in search of a better job or entrepreneurial opportunity? Let us genuinely become open in our minds and hearts and create the Atithi Devo Bhava culture in our land.

Dr Ganesh Natarajan is Chairman of 5F World, Pune City Connect & Social Venture Partners, Pune.

October 16-31, 2016 / Corporate Citizen / 65

astroturf SAGITTARIUS

Aries

Mar 21- April 20 Take time to deliberate on issues before making up your mind. Health needs monitoring.

Focus on important things in life and get your priorities correct. Finance will be good and opportunities of expansion for your partner. Good period to pay down all your debts. Clear your decks so that new and better can come in.

TAURUS

April 21 - May 20 This period you will be social hectic month. Singles will experience many opportunities.

Love opportunities could be found at work place or in educational or religious settings.

An old flame could also reappear in your life, mostly likely to resolve certain unfinished issues. There could be pay raise happening.

GEMINI

May 21 - June 21 Avoid any arguments or confrontations both personally as well as professionally. Overall this is a happy period, enjoy your personal space, as your creativity is ultra strong this period. Your love life is much improved over the past year. Singles get the opportunity of meeting perspective marriage partners.

CANCER

Jun 22 - July 23 Home and family issues get resolved. Health needs to be monitored. Detox and physical exercise will benefit you a great deal. Keeps the stress away. Do your best to maintain family harmony. The month ahead looks prosperous, as money pours in through family or its connections. Money is earned through your private enterprise.

(www.dollymangat.com)

Fortune favours the bold and the lucky

Your attitude is your altitude, says Dolly Mangat, our renowned Astrological Expert and believes she helps people create their own prophecies rather than live predictions further.

LEO

July 24 - Aug 23 Students will find success in their education departments.

Good time to buy equipment or asset. Your judgment will be good and you can rely on your own intuition. Siblings and relations around you will also be enjoying life and you witness progress and happiness. This is the right time to build your infrastructure that makes further career progress possible. Even career and financial opportunities happen through networking friends and family connections.

The moral is get your family life sorted and everything else falls into place. Short term health problem may arise.

LIBRA

Sept 24 - Oct 22 Make the changes that need to be made, create conditions, as you desire them to be. You have the power to do whatever you wish the way you desire.

Take responsibility for your own happiness. Those of you involved in the intellectual arena writers and teachers will have a fruitful month ahead.

Students or all those connected with education will succeed in all their endeavors. There is accomplishment seen for sales marketing advertising and public relations people too. Chances are you may think about buying a new asset for yourself a car or something valuable.

VIRGO

Aug 24 - Sept 23 Finances have been good this year and from here on they get even better. This is your lifetime financial peak. You will get support from your family too in every aspect. The real estate industry is good. There is financial guidance in dreams or from psychics, astrologers, and other spiritual channels.

Miracle money happens for you.Net working both socially and personally will flourish. Job changes can happen this month.

66 / Corporate Citizen / October 16-31, 2016

SCORPIO

Oct 23 - Nov 22 Your career gets boosted as a side effect. Career guidance will come in dreams or through psychics’ ministers or spiritual channels. Your energy levels are high and all things are possible now the going will be good as all kinds of doors open for you.

Happy career opportunities are on the horizon. Love seeks you out, there is nothing much that you need to do, just show up.

Singles find love opportunities as they pursue financial goals.

Nov 23 - Dec 22 You will be able to change conditions and make them more conducive to your liking.

There will even be romantic opportunities that happen ingroup settings. This is a month where fondest hopes and wishes come to pass. ising.

CAPRICORN

Dec 23 - Jan 20 Being involved with charities and good causes is a valid way to advance your career.

Your good work ethics is also important, and superiors or those in authority take notice.

Do not allow yourself to get over stressed or tired.

AQUARIUS

Jan 21 - Feb19 The status of the family enhances.

You will have good family support for whichever career you want to pursue. You will be successful elevated and promoted.

You will enjoy your career path. This is a very good and encouraging period for children or college going students. .

PISCES

Feb 20 - Mar 20 Even though your bosses may be demanding but you would be better able to handle them.

Health is much improved this month. Short-term goals seem to have been more or less achieved, so now is the time to provide more practical help for the beloved. The spouse, partner, or current love is in a yearly financial peak this month.

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68 / Corporate Citizen / October 16-31, 2016