Volume 2 issue 18 for website

CRADLE OF LEADERSHIP Army Institute of Technology for wards of army personnel Volume 2, Issue No. 18 / Pages 68 / www.corporatecitizen.in

corporate trends

If Corporate India allows more women in its cadre, achieving a double-digit growth shouldn’t be a difficult task, say experts

Dynamic Duo: 42 Chandra and Venkat Rajendran

Perfectly Imperfect loved & married too

Loveena Aggrawal and Jason Leonardo on their unique Indo-US ties at home and work

cii conference Experts speak on need for a robust strategy in automotive design

December 1-15, 2016 / `50

education hub

Sagarika Roy Bhatia, veteran educationist, on challenges faced by teaching fraternity due to well informed parents

interview

Internationally renowned artist-painter Shombit Sengupta on his creative business strategy

2 / Corporate Citizen / December 1-15, 2016

December 1-15, 2016 / Corporate Citizen / 67

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68 / Corporate Citizen / December 1-15, 2016

Guest Editorial S K JHA

What we owe to the Tatas

T “The world is divided into those who want to be something and those who want to do something. The Tata clan obviously belongs to the second category.

The rise of Tatas as India’s premier business dynasty is a story which begAn in 1839. It was not just the birth of a business but the start of a revolution in industries in India“

he ‘Tatas’ are in the headlines today for the wrong reasons. The chairman of Tata Sons has been sacked, and dirty linen is being publicly washed. What went wrong or which side is correct will be known only with the passage of time. But it is really sad.

It is a dent to the corporate legend known for its integrity. The group which is highly respected for its ethical values and corporate governance has been brought to stand in the dock today. There are media reports about leaked inside information, which is really painful. It is beyond my competence to speak anything on the current situation, but it will not be inappropriate to speak about the Group and to also give my personal observations.

The world is divided into those who want to be something and those who want to do something. The Tata clan obviously belongs to the second category. The rise of Tatas as India’s premier business dynasty is a story which began in 1839 when Jamsetji Nusserwanji Tata was born in a family of priests in Navsari.

After initial trading ventures in Hong Kong and Europe, Jamsetji started a private importexport firm in 1868 with a capital of ₹21,000 and this is how the Group was born. It was not just the birth of a business but the start of a revolution in industries in India. It is said that Jamsetji had a vision to start industries in the core areas to make the country economically vibrant. He was a nationalist and wanted to give back to the society. In 1893, he had a chance meeting with Vivekanand on a ship.

The Swami was on his way to speak at the firstever Parliament of World’s Religions where he gave the message of unity and harmony of all religions while Tata was on his way to seek steel technology that would make India a strong nation. The Swami remarked to the nationalist businessman, “How wonderful it would be if we combine scientific and technological achievements of the west with the asceticism and humanism of India.”

Swami Vivekanand must have made a lasting impact on Jamshetji as is evident from his subsequent actions in business and philanthropy.

Deeply influenced by Vivekanand, he donated almost 50 per cent of his personal wealth to start the institute for scientific research-IIScin Bengaluru. This well-known institute of science got started after his death and even today is one of the best institutes in the country. Prior to his death in 1904, Jamsetji was able to establish four companies: Empress Mills, Swadeshi Mills, Ahmedabad Advance Mills and Taj Mahal Hotel. Tata Steel Company at Jamshedpur was in the process of getting commissioned when he died and the work was completed by his son Dorabji Tata in 1907. The Tata Group today is an Indian multinational conglomerate with global presence. The Group has 30 public listed companies with 660,000 employees with a combined revenue of more than `650,000 crores .The market capitalisation of the Group as on March 2016 is $116 billion. The Group has the unique position of creating some of the best institutions in all sectors like TIFR, TISS, Tata Memorial Cancer Hospital, NCPA and the earlier mentioned IISc. The Group has many charitable trusts. In FY 2015-16, the Group spent `750 crore on charity. As early as 1892, the charitable trust in the name of J N Tata Endowment scheme was started to finance scholars to go abroad for higher studies.

The Tata Group exhibits a unique form of shareholding as the apex company, Tata Sons that owns all other companies is itself in turn owned more than 60 per cent by non-profit trusts. Hence either the profits stay with Tata Sons and redeployed for business or is given to the Trusts for non-profit philanthropic activity.

To have philanthropy at the top of the pyramid of ownership is remarkable. The bottom line principle of Tata companies is to operate not only for the owner, shareholders but for the benefit of all stake holders like customers, employees and the society at large.

The companies in the Group are in businesses ranging from salt to software, but they function as enlightened corporate citizens

December 1-15, 2016 / Corporate Citizen / 3

Guest Editorial on ethical and moral principles. The impact of Swami Vivekanand on the founder of the Tata Group is very much visible even today.

Also, the nationalistic thought of Jamshetji exhibited when he started the Taj Mahal Hotel in Bombay. While visiting abroad he did not get proper respect when he wanted to check into a prestigious hotel as he was an Indian, and this triggered him to open a real big hotel in India. Today, the Tata Group is the biggest employer in Britain.

Including Jamsetji, Tata Sons had five chairmen from the Tata family over the years, and each of them contributed to the growth of the Group. Cyrus Mistry was the sixth chairman and he was the only one from outside the Tata family. After the death of Jamsetji in 1904, his elder son Dorabji became chairman.

He remained chairman from 1904 to 1932.

For a short time Nowroji Saklatwala was the chairman from 1932 to 1938 and then came JRD Tata who had a long innings from 1938 to 1991. Ratan Tata succeeded JRD and he held the chair till 2012 when he took voluntary retirement as per his self-created retirement policy.

Cyrus Mistry was selected by the selection committee to succeed Ratan Tata. Cyrus Mistry happened to be on the Board of Tata Sons since 2006. Pallonji Mistry, the father of Cyrus Mistry, is the single biggest

“The Tata Group exhibits a unique form of shareholding as the apex company, Tata Sons that owns all other companies is itself in turn owned more than 60 per cent by non-profit trusts. Hence either the profits stay with Tata Sons and redeployed for business or given to the Trusts for non-profit philanthropic activity. To have philanthropy at the top of the pyramid of ownership is remarkable”

individual shareholder of Tata and Sons with a shareholding of 18.5 per cent. The Shapoorji Pallonji group to which Cyrus Mistry belongs is an old and respected group engaged in the construction business. Cyrus Mistry had to demit office in 2016 as his services were terminated by the Board of Tata Sons.

On becoming chairman, Dorabji fulfilled the dreams of the founder chairman and his late father. He started with completing the unfinished agenda of Jamsetji Tata. Tata Steel got started in 1907 and then Tata Power in 1911. He also founded leading insurance companies, New India Assurance Company and General Insurance Company Ltd. He was also a pioneer in his contribution to scientific research for the development of the country.

The Tata Group reached its peak during the long tenure of JRD. He was a man of action who nurtured the Tata empire but at the same

chairman than to his own companies of the Tata Group. He believed in what he said, “Live life a little dangerously.” He worked taking risks while adding new companies to the Group.

But while working for the Group, he never lost sight of his bigger purpose of life and that was development for the country.

He said, “no success or achievement in material terms is worthwhile unless it serves the needs or interest of the country and its people and is achieved by fair and honest means.” For the work done for the country, the obliged nation awarded him the highest award, ‘Bharat Ratna’ in 1992. He was a real team builder and built the team with affection and vision. The real leaders were promoted to head the companies of the Group and the companies functioned as autonomous entities with guidance from Tatas Sons in times of need. Some great institutions of the country

Source http://www.slideshare.net/

time thought for the country as a whole. He had worked for a year in the French army as he was born in France and had lived there in his early years. He was an avid aviator too. His army discipline and passion for flying gave him the unique ability to see dreams that reached the sky and then work hard to achieve them.

Companies in the Group mushroomed during his period. Some of the companies added to the group by him are Tata Motors, Tata Chemicals, Tata Consultancy Services, Voltas, Titan, etc. JRD is also considered the father of civil aviation in India. In his initial period as chairman, he had started Tata Airlines which ultimately became the Air India of today. It is said that he devoted more time to Air India, a government of India undertaking as its initial

4 / Corporate Citizen / December 1-15, 2016

were founded by him which spoke for his nationalistic zeal. While building the ‘Tata Brand’, he had a clear idea that a lasting brand can be built by following the principle of high integrity and quality products. He saw to it that he would never give bribes for any work.

I remember hearing from my colleagues in the tax department that Tatas are big litigants and that they would fight each legal battle, but would not indulge in tax evasion. It was JRD himself who used to thank small tax officers for early refunds and showed his modesty.

It was common knowledge that JRD lived simply. He motivated youngsters. Ratan Tata succeeded JRD and it was real tough for him to follow JRD’s act. Ratan Tata went for some big overseas acquisitions. Tata Steel acquired

“The Tatas have also been pioneers in the field of human resource development in the corporate world. Analysts call the group “a model of good behaviour”.

Tata Steel began an eight-hour work day in 1912, much before it began in the US and Europe. It started leave with pay in 1920, 25 years before it became law in India” the Anglo-Dutch company, Corus. Tata Motors acquired the Jaguar and Land Rover business from Ford. Tatas became the biggest employer in Britain. Side-by-side, he enthusiastically managed the existing group companies. He will also be remembered for bringing the world’s cheapest car, Nano. He demitted his chair based on his self-created rule of retirement in 2012 and then Cyrus Mistry succeeded him.

Ratan Tata will be remembered as a low profile business tycoon who lived simply but thought big and thought internationally. ‘Brand Tata’ became synonymous with ‘Brand India’ in the international commercial world.

The success of large corporations in the private sector provides the fuel that lights up the nation as a whole. The Tata Group has played a lead role in this endeavour. It has also played a pivotal role in enhancing the brand appeal of India Inc. internationally. “Tata—integral part of Indian life” was a TV commercial of a happy Tata Steel sometime back. The triumphant commercial was not off the mark. You wake up in India with a sip of hot Tata tea; go to office in a Tata sedan or in Tata bus, wear a Titan watch on your wrist for the whole day and come home and relax with Tata Sky controlled TV shows and probably end the day with a Tata marketed Starbucks coffee. Not to forget, the taste of the food we eat provided by Tata salt. The Tatas have been major partners in nation building as they brought our oldest steel company and power companies to serve our core sectors.

For the nation to grow, economic health has to be nurtured and the government cannot do this alone. The country requires partners and hence the role of business groups. The Tatas

have proved that they are not only the first, but one of the most reliable partners for the nation.

These days companies have very low longevity and in this context if some companies have served the nation for more than 100 years, then it is really creditable. Tatas have given some such companies which are now more than 100 years old and still growing. The contribution of Tatas is equally praiseworthy in sectors other than the economic sector. They have given the greatest institutions in the field of education, scientific research, social science research, cancer care and research, environmental science and arts.

In totality, the Tatas cannot be considered only a business group working to earn profit but an agent to bring all-out development for the country and its people. The Tatas have also been pioneers in the field of human resource development in the corporate world. Analysts call the group ‘a model of good behaviour’. Tata Steel began an eight-hour work day in 1912, much before it began in the US and Europe. It started leave with pay in 1920, 25 years before it became law in India.

Business is meant for creating wealth.

The Tatas also did create wealth, but with a difference. They created wealth for the society.

We require many business groups like the Tatas for our country and for our people. For the Tatas, a business that makes nothing but money is a poor kind of business. Will it not hurt if something wrong happens to the Tatas?

Something really bad happened that the person who was selected to head the Group after four years of search had to be moved out just after four years of his being at the top. It is sad

because it brings the Tatas into unnecessary controversy. But I am sure it will die down soon.

This Group has seen two World Wars and it kept moving upwards. This present problem will not prove more than a small knock. In my opinion, let the concerned government departments or Stock Exchange verify the allegations brought out into the open by the leaked letter of Cyrus Mistry, and I am sure nothing wrong will be found. This will stop the gossip around the Tatas and the group will begin a new innings with a new selected chairman with more sparkle and verified credibility. Companies which have skeletons in their cupboards need to be afraid of any enquiry, but not the Tatas. “A brand for a company is like a reputation for a person. You earn reputation by trying to do hard things well,” said Jeff Bezos, the owner of Amazon.

Tatas have worked for 148 years doing hard things nicely and in the process created the highly respected ‘Tata Brand’. The brand will keep shining, helped by top professionals on the top despite the possible absence of people from the Tata clan. “If people like you, they will listen to you, but if they trust you they will do business with you,” said Zig Ziglar. People not only love the name Tata, but also trust this name and hence business with Tata will keep on growing and increasing. We want the Tatas to grow. We want the Tatas to provide employment to our youth—unemployment is one of our biggest problems. We also want the youth to flourish imbibing the Tata values and culture. Tatas! You command our respect and so our best wishes to you.

(S K Jha, IRS (retd) is former Chief Commissioner of Income Tax)

December 1-15, 2016 / Corporate Citizen / 5

Contents 22

Cover story

Dynamic Duo 42

Perfectly Imperfect An in-depth interview with corporate leader turned entrepreneur Venkat Rajendran who aims to become the `McDonalds’ of South India with his string of popular restaurant chains and his enterprising wife Chandra, who creates exclusive Sakhi sarees

09 COLLYWOOD

Chatpata Chatter from the Corporate World 13 MANAGE MONEY

How to analyse the uses of Funds-Flow Statement of an organisation to evaluate the health of a business 14 WAX ELOQUENT Who said what and why 16 CORPORATE TRENDS If Corporate India allows more women in its cadre, double-digit 6 / Corporate Citizen / December 1-15, 2016

Volume 2 Issue No. 18 December 1-15, 2016 www.corporatecitizen.in

growth shouldn’t be a difficult task, say experts 18 Interview Shombit Sengupta talks about his art, his early days, how he deploys art in his creative business strategy to create breakaway industrial designs, brands 28 CII CONFERENCE Experts talk on future of automotive design, organised by Tamil Nadu Technology Development and Promotion Center of the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII)

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18

34 All aboard abroad!

Kedarnath Pulipaka talks about the German work culture. He sheds light on some of the work policies prevalent in the country which make it conducive for professional growth 36 Cradle of Leadership Brig (Dr) SK Lahiri (Retd), Director, Army Institute of Technology, speaks on this prestigious postgraduate engineering college for the wards of army personnel

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44 Education Hub Sagarika Roy Bhatia, Principal RBK International School, Mumbai, speaks about challenges in front of the teaching fraternity thanks to well informed parents 46 LOVED & MARRIED TOO Loveena Aggrawal and Jason Leonardo have partnered each other both in life and work. From accepting cultural differences to the bringing up of their two boys to the founding and running of their company Everything Expats 50 STAR CAMPUS PLACEMENT Mahesh Kasana, speaks on how his efforts and perseverance paid rich dividends when he earned himself a campus placement

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44

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Editor-In-Chief Dr (Col.) A. Balasubramanian Consulting Editor Vinita Deshmukh

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Assistant Editors Joe Williams/ Prasannakumar Keskar Senior Business Writer Rajesh Rao Senior Sub-Editors Neeraj Varty Writers Delhi Bureau Pradeep Mathur / Sharmila Chand

52 SURVEY Deloitte presents the 2016 Global Human Capital Trends report to help make sense of the blizzard of changes organisations have to address 58 PEARLS OF WISDOM What exactly is peace of mind by Swami Krishnananda 60 BOLLYWOOD BIZ Corporate Citizen brings you on the highest paid Bollywood stars in television

Bengaluru Bureau Sangeeta Ghosh Dastidar Pune Bureau Suchismita Pai / Kalyani Sardesai / Namrata Gulati Sapra

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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 Corporate Citizen brings you the best apps for students which will help you make your study life a lot easier 66 LAST WORD The inscrutable way of politicians

by Ganesh Natarajan

VP - Marketing & Sales M. Paul Anderson +919444405212

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

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Be A Corporate Citizen

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

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On Cover Page Chandra and Venkat Rajendran 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

collywood

People in the news

Padmanabhan is new CHRO of Tata Sons

Tata Sons has announced the appointment of S Padmanabhan as new group chief of HR (CHRO).

Padmanabhan also continues to lead the Tata Business Excellence Group. A stalwart within the Tata ecosystem, Padmanabhan has been with the Tata group for over 32 years, starting his career with Tata Consultancy Services (TCS).

As chairman of the Tata Business Excellence Group, or TBExG (earlier Tata Quality Management Services), he played a pivotal role in launching the process of taking the group towards overall business excellence from the initial focus on quality. Padmanabhan acquired vast experience in HR, mainly from his stint with the Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) as HR director. As executive director (operations), Tata Power Company, he was responsible for the profitable and sustainable operations of all thermal and hydro generation plants across India, and the transmission and distribution systems in Mumbai.

A distinguished alumnus from IIM Bangalore and a gold medallist and distinguished alumnus from PSG College of Technology,

Coimbatore, Padmanabhan is a Glaxo Marketing Scholar Medallist. He has completed the Advanced Management Programme at the Harvard Business School.

He is also a life member of Computer Society of India (CSI) and a senior member of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE).

Sunita Narain in Leonardo Di Caprio film The documentary, ‘Before the Flood’, by Hollywood’s Leonardo Di Caprio features Sunita Narain, Director General, Centre for Science and Environment in it.

The debut of the documentary took place on the National Geographic channel recently.

The film that is freely available

worldwide delves on the imminent threat of global warming and documents the violent impact of climate change all over the globe. “We need to put the issue of lifestyle and consumption at the centre of climate negotiations,” says Narain in the documentary.

Modi in Incredible India Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be featuring in ‘Incredible India’ campaign with the Tourism Ministry planning to use—or radio and audio release—two types of audios and videos of different durations where Modi had talked about the uniqueness and diversity of the various places in the country. The role was lying vacant ever since the ouster of Aamir Khan earlier this year. Plans to rope in any Bollywood stars, including Amitabh Bachchan, as mascot of the campaign were considered. However, the ministry has finally decided to use video footages of Modi over the last two-and-a-half years where he has talked about tourism in India and abroad for the campaign, a senior ministry official said.

“At present, the ministry is working on selecting the footages”, the official said, adding that the campaign would be released soon, as the Indian ‘tourism season’ starts by November-end due to favourable weather as also the Christmas holidays and New Year celebrations. Earlier, Tourism Minister Mahesh Sharma had endorsed Modi saying there was significant rise in the tourist inflow from the countries Prime Minister visited.

December 1-15, 2016 / Corporate Citizen / 9

collywood Reliance Jio-BSNL team up

Telecom operator Reliance Jio Infocomm Ltd has made a commitment to install around 45,000 mobile towers over the next six months to boost its 4G network.

Reliance Jio has already signed a pact with BSNL for intra-circle roaming— roaming within the same telecom circle—which will enable BSNL customers with a 4G-capable phone to use Reliance Jio’s 4G services in roaming mode and Reliance Jio’s customers to use BSNL’s 2G network for making voice calls. The commitment was given by Reliance Jio in a meeting with the Telecom Minister, Manoj Sinha. The company plans to invest `1 lakh crore over a period of four years to strengthen its 4G network and the new towers are part of this investment. Reliance Jio is said to have informed the minister that it has already invested `1.6 lakh crore in the network and installed 2.82 lakh base stations all over the country to cover 18,000 cities and two lakh villages. Currently Reliance Jio has optimised its network for urban and suburban tier I and tier II towns.

Damandeep Singh, Director, CDP India

Tech Mahindra on the Climate ‘A List’ Tech Mahindra has been awarded a position on the Climate ‘A List’ by international not-forprofit organisation Climate Disclosure Project (CDP) in recognition of its actions and strategies in response to climate change. The list, which has been produced at the request of 827 investors with assets of US$100 trillion, has 193 ‘A

Listers’. Tech Mahindra is among nine per cent of corporations participating in the CDP’s climate change program to be awarded a position on the Climate ‘A List’, in recognition of its actions to reduce emissions and mitigate climate change in the past reporting year. Sandeep Chandna, Chief Sustainability Officer at Tech Mahindra said, “It is indeed heartening and humbling to know that we have been featured as an ‘A’ lister by CDP for our disclosures on initiatives to reduce our carbon foot print. The CDP ranking is a validation of our focus on impacting climate change positively through sustainable initiatives and including sustainability as part of the strategy in every aspect of our business practices.” The Climate A List is released in CDP’s ‘Out of the starting blocks: Tracking progress on the corporate climate action report today’. The report, which establishes the baseline for corporate climate action, reveals that global corporations have started the transition to a low-carbon economy and some are already capitalizing on the opportunities this affords.

Companies’ progress on reducing emissions in line with the goals of the Paris Agreement will be tracked against this baseline in future annual reports. “We are enthused to note that the quality of disclosure and efforts by Indian companies is improving year on year. Especially noteworthy is the fact the companies are adopting science-based targets. There is clearly a hope and we encourage companies to do more which will future-proof the growth trajectory,” said Damandeep Singh, Director, CDP India.

Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw for new employment opportunities Chairperson and MD of Biocon Ltd, Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw has called for the formulation of pragmatic and visionary polices to create new employment opportunities in India. “Yes, we are witnessing jobless growth but that’s not because of automation.

It’s because of poor industrial and agricultural policies that are not creating infrastructure development, manufacturing and services jobs,” the biotechnology entrepreneur was quoted

10 / Corporate Citizen / December 1-15, 2016

saying in an agency report.

Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw felt restrictive e-regulations that try to protect conventional bricksand-mortar jobs are an example of jobless growth in India. She said, “Unions are pushing back and governments are yielding.

Until pragmatism is enforced we are likely to miss the opportunity of creating new jobs based on changing business models.

One bright spark is the start-up culture.”

Equitas Small Finance Bank ropes in cricketer Ashwin Chanda Kochhar, MD and CEO, ICICI Bank

India’s first pilot blockchain - based network EdgeVerve Systems, a wholly owned product subsidiary of Infosys, Emirates NBD, the leading banking group in the Middle East, and ICICI Bank Limited have announced the pilot launch of blockchain network for international remittances and trade finance on the UAE-India remittance corridor. With this, Emirates NBD has become the first bank in UAE and ICICI Bank, the first bank in India, to pilot a blockchain-based network for financial services. Both financial institutions have started the process towards a network consortium for further participation by interested member banks to expand the transaction network. With the blockchain network in place, both banks expect automation of inter-bank processes through smart contracts, secure digital exchange of documents and real-time monitoring of positions through integrated dashboards. This will lead to significant cost savings for the business. Dr Vishal Sikka, Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director, Infosys said, “We look forward to further collaborations with our clients and other banks to create a blockchain-powered consortium in the financial services industry.” His Highness Shaikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, Chairman, Emirates NBD stated, “We look forward to further collaboration with the public sector and our private peers to further the adoption of this technology in the UAE.” Chanda Kochhar, Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, ICICI Bank said, “I envision that the emerging technology of blockchain will play a significant role in banking in the coming years by making complex bilateral and multi-lateral banking transactions seamless, quick and more secure.”

Indian cricket team off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin will now be seen endorsing the Equitas Small Finance Bank, a private sector bank from Tamil Nadu.

Equitas recently roped him in as its brand ambassador. The cricketer will now do advertising campaigns and other promotional programmes endorsing Equitas’ products and services.

Ashwin, who also hails from Tamil Nadu, is the fastest Indian bowler to reach the 50, 100, 150 and 200 wickets mark in Test cricket and currently holds the No. 1 position in the ICC test bowlers’ ranking. PN Vasudevan, MD at Equitas Small

Finance Bank said, “Equitas is a new age bank which seeks to provide high tech banking where the customer enjoys the banking experience. Ashwin is a high performer who gives joy to spectators. We believe each complement the other and look forward to a long association.”

Ashwin said, “Equitas Small Finance Bank is working in sync with Prime Minister of India’s mission of banking for the masses. I love their vision of empowering 5% of Indian households through financial inclusion in the next ten years and I look forward to doing my small bit in this great vision.”

Ashutosh Agarwala is Essel Infraprojects CFO Ashutosh Agarwala has been appointed as Chief Financial Officer (CFO) of Essel Infraprojects Limited. In his new office, Agarwala will be screening and examining acquisition opportunities, identifying new business prospects, raising long-term funds for group companies and conducting comprehensive business diagnosis. “Ashutosh’s joining the company highlights EIL’s

commitment towards acquiring new talent,” said Ashok Agarwal, CEO, Essel Infraprojects. Agarwala was president, finance and CFO at Reliance Power Limited prior to taking up his new job. He has worked with ICICI Bank, United Phosphorus Ltd, Nagarjuna Fertilisers & Chemicals Ltd, Aditya Birla Group, GMR, Jindal Steel & Power Ltd and Essar Steel India Ltd.

December 1-15, 2016 / Corporate Citizen / 11

collywood Zensar acquires Foolproof Limited Zensar Technologies (UK) Ltd., a wholly owned subsidiary of Zensar Technologies Limited has announced that they have entered into a definitive agreement to acquire Foolproof Limited along with its two wholly owned subsidiary companies in UK and one wholly owned subsidiary company in Singapore for an undisclosed sum. As per the agreement, Foolproof will now be a wholly-owned subsidiary of Zensar Technologies (UK) Ltd. The deal will be financed by internal accruals, and will be EPS positive for the company.

Foolproof is one of Europe’s leading design agencies, headquartered in London with other offices in Norwich and Singapore.

The company helps global brands

design digital products Harsh Goenka, Chairman, RPG Enterprises and Zensar and services and has Foolproof brings marquee many Global500 firms in its cliclients across BFSI, retail, high ents. Harsh Goenka, Chairman of technology and oil and gas RPG Enterprises and Zensar said, segments into the Zensar fold.

“Foolproof ’s market leadership The addition of Foolproof ’s 100 in experience design and the consultants, with knowledge and strong management team at its understanding in strategy and helm are strategic to Zensar’s plan planning, design research, design to increase market share in this and development and creative increasingly pertinent space. The technologies will strengthen integrated proposition of the two Zensar’s digital capabilities. companies will augment the value Foolproof will operate under Zensar delivers to clients.” its own brand name, and will con“Joining forces with Zensar will tinue to be managed by founders give us access to greater resources, Peter Ballard and Tom Wood. and extends our global reach to Foolproof’s management team and help us in our mission to positiveall their associates based in Lonly impact the lives of millions of don, Norwich and Singapore will people around the world through become a part of Zensar’s Global great design,” said Peter Ballard, Digital Services organisation.

Partner at Foolproof.

ARRIS, US opens R&D centre in Bengaluru ARRIS International plc recently opened its largest Research and Development (R&D) and operations centre outside of the US – in Ulsoor, Bengaluru. The state-of-the-art facility has a combination of world-class engineers from two former ARRIS and Pace sites following ARRIS’s January 2016 acquisition of Pace. The centre promotes collaboration and the efficient development of advanced broadband and video solutions for the next generation of services - including Gigabit broadband, 4K TV, and Wi-Fi. The multi-million dollar Bengaluru centre, with lab infrastructure, test facilities, and 24x7 support for installation activities at customer premises globally, provides leading design, development, and quality

12 / Corporate Citizen / December 1-15, 2016

assurance programs across the vast majority of ARRIS global solutions.

“Our world-class Bengaluru facility is at the center of ARRIS’s global initiative to innovate and scale the technology that will transform how people around the world watch video and connect to the Internet,” said Bob Stanzione, Executive Chairman and Chairman of the Board of Directors. “This center unites two premier groups of engineers and empowers them with the resources to deliver the next era of innovation for our customers worldwide.”

Kiran Gadi, Country Head and VP, Engineering, ARRIS India, added: “The Bengaluru R&D center represents ARRIS’s commitment to the region, to collaboration across our talented engineering teams, and to our global customers. Together, we’re positioning ARRIS and its customers for the next stage of growth.”

Saptarshi Roy, is Director (HR) of NTPC Saptarshi Roy, Executive Director, NTPC has taken over as the new Director (HR) of India’s largest power company, NTPC LTD. He replaces U.P. Pani, who was superannuated upon attaining the age of superannuation on 31st October 2016. Ten other candidates, five from NTPC and the rest from companies like PGCIL, NHPCBSE, STC and DoT were in the race.

Fifty-six-year-old Roy, an Electrical Engineering graduate, has served a 36-year long stint with the NTPC. He has been Regional Executive Director (North) and ER-I Regions as well as Executive Director (Corporate Planning) besides Head of HR at Projects and Corporate Office.

Roy played a critical role as HR Head in managing transition and people integration issues during acquisition of old assets and turning them around into successful ventures in NTPC. He was catalyst in ensuring healthy and productive employee relations climate conducive for growth.

He has been actively involved in negotiating long term wage settlement in the past.

Compiled by Prasanna Keskar prasanna.keskar@gmail.com

manage money Dr Anil Lamba

Evaluating the financial health by reading a Funds-Flow Statement In the previous issue, we saw the sources side of the Funds-Flow Statement. Now, let us look at the uses side Funds-Flow Statement Sales

Uses

Profit 400,000

Redemption of bonds @5% premium

210,000

Decrease in Working Capital

700,000

Plant purchased

900,000

Sales proceeds of investments

250,000

Dividends paid

240,000

1350,000

1350,000

Statement showing in Work Capital Year 1

Year 2

(A)

1200,000 500,000 240,000 1940,000

800,000 560,00 80,000 1440,000

(B) (A)-(B)

1000,000 1000,000 940,000

50,000 1150,000 1200,000 240,000 700,000

Current Assets Inventories Debtors Bank Balance Current liabilities Short-Term Creditors Net Working Capital Decrease in Working Capital

Note: Sales of the company has remained constant over the two years.

The uses reveal 210,000 being used for redemption of bonds at a premium of five percent. This organisation must have issued bonds and borrowed 200,000 in the past. In absence of information, it will be logical to assume that the bonds must have matured during the year under consideration.

The organisation, therefore, seems to have honoured its commitment of repayment of loans to the bond-holders and has returned the loan with a premium of five percent. Honouring commitments, and repayment of debts, that too at a premium, gives this company a few more brownie points. A plant has been purchased at a cost of 900,000, which is a major part of the uses of funds. Buying a plant, which results in the creation of more capacity, is indicative of the organisation planning expansion and growth, which is a positive sign. And the organisation has distributed dividends of 240,000 amongst its shareholders. The amount distributed, does not reveal anything about the percentage of dividend, since we don’t know the amount of share capital. However, we do know that the profit earned by the organisation is 400,000 and dividends distributed are 240,000 which amounts to 60 percent of the profit. What is distributed is called ‘pay-out’ and the portion of profits transferred to Reserves is called ‘pay-in’. A 60:40 pay-out : pay-in ratio is generous by any standards. If you were contemplating investing in this company, this could be a most attractive feature. Everything about this company seems to be fine. It is a profit-making company, efficient (as reflected by the ability to maintain its top line despite reduced working capital), is selling its investments and ploughing back the money into the

business, repaying its debts on time, expanding its capacity for production and growth, and generously rewarding its shareholders. Someone who does not know how to read financial statements would probably conclude that this organisation is in terrific shape.

What is the real picture?

While analysing this Funds Flow Statement, did we apply a single rule that I explained earlier? Did we calculate any ratio? Let’s take fresh look at this Funds-Flow Statement, check the application of the rules of good financial management, and re-assess our comments on the health of this business. The first area of concern in this statement is the footnote saying the sales over the last two years have been constant. I would usually not recommend investing in an organisation unless the sales graph is facing skywards. There are thousands of companies to choose from. Why would anyone want to go out of their way and invest in a company whose sales have either started stagnating or falling? However, let me not write this company off merely on the basis of a footnote. I have always felt that the function of a Funds-Flow Statement is less to supply answers and more to help you frame the right questions, about which you should seek information. One can then form opinions based on the information so received. So before I reach any conclusion, I would like to meet an important functionary of this organisation, preferably the CEO, and ask a couple of questions.

Q1. Why have your sales stopped growing?

Q2. Even though your sales have not increased, why have you made this substantial investment in a plant?

What if the CEO tells me that their sales not growing is nothing to worry about? The sales have remained the same not because they did not have orders-they are in fact overloaded with orders-but because they ran out of capacity. For this reason that they have made an investment in a new plant. Such answer would bring about a paradigm shift in my outlook. My concern about sales not increasing, as also about the investment in plant, have been alleviated. But now I have another question. If the organisation has plenty of orders on hand, and now the capacity has also been created, it would mean that the company expects to produce and sell more in the coming months? It is also natural, that to support the increased levels of activity, the company will need larger amounts of working capital. However, the Funds-Flow Statement shows a drastic reduction in working capital. So my next question is: How do you explain this? On one hand, you have purchased a plant, indicating increased levels of activity. On the other, a large portion of the money required to fund the purchase comes through reduction of working capital! I now begin to fear that even if this organisation is flush with orders, and also has the requisite installed capacity to increase production, I doubt if it will be able to do so. It seems very likely that it is going to run short of working capital. (to be continued) Dr Anil Lamba is a practising 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 December 1-15, 2016 / Corporate Citizen / 13

wax eloquent

Demonetisation Masterstroke

Take a look at what our corporate leaders have to say about recent trends and their experiences in the business world

Defining impact on India’s destiny

At the heart of the black cash economy

“Demonetising high denomination notes can be an effective means of checking accumulation of wealth in cash. The government has taken a measure aimed at the heart of the black cash economy.”

“In every nation’s destiny comes a time when the actions taken have a defining impact on its destiny.

We are at one such moment today.”

Narendra Modi, Prime Minister Courtesy: Mint

Naushad Forbes, president, CII

Courtesy: www.thehindu.com

Realise the power of digital approach “For the move towards a cashless economy, this is a huge boost. I think the experience of cash management that everybody is going to encounter in the next few weeks, will make them realize the power of a digital approach.”

Nandan Nilekani, former UIDAI chairman & Infosys co-founder Courtesy: Mint

Step towards increased transparency

Success requires an element of surprise

“Success required an element of surprise and it’s incredible that this master stroke was kept confidential.”

Anand Mahindra,

vice-chairman, Mahindra Group

Courtesy: http://zeenews.india.com

14 / Corporate Citizen / December 1-15, 2016

“It is a major move which will help curb unaccounted cash in the real estate sector. We have just witnessed a tremendous step towards increased transparency in the Indian real estate industry. The effects will be far-reaching and immediate, and shake up the sector in no uncertain way.”

Anuj Puri, chairman and country head, JLL India Courtesy: www.thehindubusinessline.com

Bold and innovative move “It’s a bold innovative move and honest tax payers have nothing to worry about, though there may be initial discomfort and inconvenience which should be borne in the larger interest of the society and the nation,” Soli Sorabjee, former Attorney General of India Courtesy: www.business-standard.com

Most significant move ever

“This is perhaps the most significant move ever taken to curtail the parallel economy. This move will give a sharp boost to all formal channels of payment which, in turn, will help the formal economy to grow.”

Chanda Kochhar, MD & CEO, ICICI Bank Courtesy: Times of India

Clever find ways around it

More reasons to transact through electronic payments

“If most of the black money is brought into bank accounts or into the tax net, there will be far less reason to deal only in cash, and far more reasons to transact through electronic payments.”

R Chandrashekhar, president, Nasscom

A masterstroke

“Prime Minister is working hard to reduce corruption. Black money is a scourge on any developing economy. He (Narendra Modi) has been a great supporter of digital economy. So, on Tuesday when he made the announcement, I thought it was a masterstroke.”

N R Narayana Murthy, Infosys founder and chairman emeritus Courtesy: http://www.thehindu.com/

Courtesy: http://www.business-standard. com/

“In the past demonetisation has been thought off as a way of getting black money out of circulation.

Because, people then have to come and say ‘how do I have this ten crore in cash sitting in my safe’ and they have to explain where they got the money from.

It is often cited as a solution. Unfortunately, my sense is the clever find ways around it.”

Raghuram Rajan,

former governor, Reserve Bank of India Courtesy:http://www.huffingtonpost.in/

This government is going to fight cash “Suddenly, with one stroke, all of these preferences for cash will go away. Everyone will say, ‘how do I accept electronic?’ If he already accepts electronic, he will ask, ‘how do I accept wallets?’ I want to accept more and more wallets so I don’t become dependent on cash. It’s very clear that this government is going to fight cash, and this will not be the last strike against cash. So it won’t just be the consumers, but also the merchants.”

Bipin Preet Singh, founder and CEO, MobiKwik Courtesy: http://gadgets.ndtv.com/

A boon to honest tax payer

“It was done some 30 years ago and since then a huge build-up of unofficial money had happened. It will have deflationary impact in general and more specifically on real estate prices and make homes affordable and is indirectly a boon to honest tax payers.”

Nirmal Jain, chairman, IIFL

Courtesy: : www.thehindu.com

Indians adopt very well “As we always say no pain, no gain. So, clearly there will be some pain in the interim but Indians adopt very well. What happens to the old currency, either people will start declaring it or else that much of currency has vanished from the country which actually benefits the Government of India’s balance sheet.”

Dharmesh Mehta, MD and CEO, Axis Capital Courtesy: www.moneycontrol.com

Great step for financial inclusion “The ban will speed up the less-cash vision for India.

This is a great step for financial inclusion. It will help control ‘shadow economy’, reduce crime and drive growth. Modification of ATM withdrawals will also drive e-transactions.”

Porush Singh, S Asia president, Mastercard,

Beginning of digital currency era

“This will mark the beginning of digital currency era and bitcoins have a huge potential to grow and eradicate black money totally out of the system. We foresee immense movement in our space.”

Saurabh Agrawal,

CEO and co-founder, ZebPay Courtesy: www.thehindu.com

Courtesy: Times of India

Compiled by Rajesh Rao rajeshrao.rao@gmail.com December 1-15, 2016 / Corporate Citizen / 15

corporate trends

W

hile an avalanche of accusations by American president-elect Donald Trump for his lewd comments on “prettier and colourful” American women working in its corporate sector brought in a lot of criticism, back home, it’s a different narrative altogether.

And there is a sound logic behind it, as it calls for increased women’s participation at our workplaces to speed up India’s gross domestic product (GDP) growth rate.

Currently hovering around seven percent, India’s GDP can go double digits if only we could enable more and more women to take part in our economy on par with men, asserts Amitabh Kant, CEO of Niti Aayog or the National Institution for Transforming India.

Addressing an impressive gathering of women entrepreneurs recently at Delhi’s FICCI Ladies Organisation (FLO), Kant in his witty and pointed speech said, “Worldwide, women contribute to almost 40 percent to the GDP, while in India it’s just 17 percent. If women’s share in India’s GDP rises to 40 percent, the country

How can

women save Indian economy?

If Corporate India allows more women in its cadre, achieving a double-digit growth shouldn’t be a difficult task, say experts across sections of the society By Pradeep Mathur

It’s important that we learn to respect the country first for making ‘Make in India’ a success because India can never be successful if Indians don’t value Indian products and the importance of being Indian —Sabyasachi Mukherjee

would be able to add $700 billion to its GDP by 2025,” he said, citing references of former US President Bill Clinton.

Taking a cue from the stupendous economic growth made by countries like Norway (40.12 percent), Sweden (29.31 percent), Finland (25.89 percent), South Africa (18.31 percent) and the United States (17.37 percent) by having a substantial presence of women in their workforce and board rooms, Kant criticised India’s top corporate leaders for not being fair to the fairer sex in this respect.

He appealed to FICCI’s business leaders to promote more and more women to their middle and senior management level. The current scenario, he added, is “pretty bad” because the

16 / Corporate Citizen / December 1-15, 2016

presence of women members on boards of Corporate India is less than seven per cent which is “even below the average percentage of many developing countries.”

Nevertheless, he exhorted women achievers, present in big numbers, to exploit their innovative powers as they hold the “key to achieve a double digit growth rate” in the country.

Describing the current economic environment as “extremely conducive for starting a new business”, he said India urgently needed 10 percent growth annually for the next ten years to take care of “its myriad problems.”

This goal, he said, is “achievable” if only young women entrepreneurs work a bit hard by taking full advantage of various government

initiatives taken to raise their contribution to India’s economy.

Author of “Branding India—An Incredible Story” and a key driver of Prime Minister Modi’s flagship initiatives including Make in India, Start-up India and Skill India, Kant said that top business leaders across the world today openly recognise that India is the powerhouse of an “innovative society”.

No wonder that over 1500 multinational companies have set up their global innovation centres in India, he revealed.

The senior bureaucrat who in his earlier avatar had made Kerala a top tourism destination by branding it as “God’s Own Country”, is currently monitoring the progress of the Modi government’s key infrastructure and public-private partnership programs.

Referring to the various measures taken to provide better access to capital, Kant said, “The present government is committed to making `Start-Up India’ and `Make in India’ initiatives an all inclusive and scalable reality and thereby provide an enabling environment for entrepreneurs to thrive in, especially women. Similarly, the new textile policy announced by Smriti Irani, the textile minister, gives lots of boost to exports and generates employment, especially for women,” he added.

But will initiatives like `Make in India’ really succeed?

“It depends,” said India’s top fashion designer Sabyasachi Mukherjee, 42, who also addressed the women entrepreneurs. In his brief but pointed speech, he said, “From modern gadgets

India urgently needs a ten percent growth annually for the next ten years to take care of ‘its myriad problems’. This goal is achievable if only young women entrepreneurs work a bit hard by taking full advantage of various government initiatives taken to raise their contribution to India’s economy —Amitabh Kant

Fashion designer Sabyasachi Mukherjee and Amitabh Kant, CEO of Niti Aayog along with women entrepreneurs at FICCI Ladies Organisation (FLO), Delhi

to international schooling—today’s millennials are exposed to luxury from day one. The problem with this new generation of Indians is that they have forgotten to celebrate themselves. For every small thing, they wait for validation from the West. I therefore strongly feel an ambitious program like `Make in India’ cannot be successful unless we Indians do not understand the importance of being Indian and buying Indian,” he declared.

A graduate from the National Institute of Fashion Technology Kolkata, who creates ripples during the annual Lakme Fashion Week with his Bollywood clientele, Mukherjee said, “It’s very painful that most Indians have still not come out of their colonial hangover. For a very long time, we’ve been very close to the Western world. We still think that what one gets outside India is the best in the world. This (kind of thinking) needs to change,” he added rather thoughtfully.

The man who designed costumes for Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s award-winning film ‘Black’ which received critical acclaim for its dresses said, “If only we pay as much attention to our social and cultural roots as we pay to our religion, India will be a different country altogether.”

A strong believer in the idea behind ‘Make in India’, Mukherjee described PM Modi “a visionary” who wants to “push the thought of India at the global level.”

Hence, he pleaded, “It’s important that we learn to respect the country first for making ‘Make in India’ a success because India can never be successful if Indians don’t value Indian products and the importance of being Indian.”

Talking about the way people consume fashion nowadays and hinting at the tendency to buy cheap Chinese products, Mukherjee said, “Believe me, the day India starts organising itself, China will be nowhere in the market. It’ll be just a distant cousin,” he added with a twinkle in his eyes.

Concurring wholly with Mukherjee’s nationalistic views, Vinita Bimbhet, President FLO, hoped that after ‘Make in India’, the proposed ‘Handmade in India’ campaign of the Niti Aayog will also help in reviving the country’s rich heritage of hand-woven and handicraft products.

She also felt that if we could leverage the synergy between handlooms, handicrafts, khadi and village industries, there is no reason why India couldn’t play a bigger role in the global markets.

But the million-dollar question is: “Are we prepared to bring about an India-first attitude in our thinking, as Mukherjee suggested earlier?” mathurpradeep1@gmail.com

December 1-15, 2016 / Corporate Citizen / 17

interview

Art and painting comprise his big motivation and the adrenaline rush he gets in transforming his vision into canvas makes him more and more convinced that he was born with painting in his blood. Known for deploying art in his creative strategy, Shombit Sengupta, is an internationally renowned artist-painter of Gesturism art and a brand strategist who has done designs for over 2,000 corporate brands around the world. Called Sen in the West and in the fine arts world, Shombit has literally brought his artistic canvas into the business world and has become part of the haute-couture of strategic brand design. In an exclusive interview with Corporate Citizen, Shombit talks about his art, his early days and how he deploys art in his creative business strategy to create breakaway industrial designs and brands

By Rajesh Rao You have done designs for over 2,000 corporate brands around the world. From being a painter how did you enter the design and branding profession?

First and foremost, I am a painter. By default I became a designer. I have never studied any applied art in any art school, my studies have always been fine art. So entering the design profession was for my livelihood necessity when I was young. Design was my response of the logical requirement I had of feeding my family. In my heart, mind and soul I have always remained a painter.

Rarely did I get a brief from my client for each of the brands I have created or renovated.

Clients always ask me what visionary direction I can bring for their brand for its long term sustainability and which can bring in profitable returns. That is why my focus has always been end-user centricity. Only if the customer reaches out for repeat purchase of the brand, will that client get returns. So, by anticipating the customer’s latent needs a brand can sustain for the long term.

Every branding exercise has huge process and a system to follow it up in a continuous way. I have seen that whichever client followed the customer centricity blueprint of the whole brand

strategy I have given, they have mesmerized the market with high profitable returns for themselves. Also those who did not take customer sensitivity as strategic vision, they had to suffer.

Branding is only one part of the story; how you consistently engage in brand management is the key. And most significantly, a brand cannot be a brand without meshing together the organisation’s people, product development and the point of purchase.

What encouraged you to be a painter?

Tell us about the inspiration behind your paintings?

Picasso had said, “Every child is an artist. The problem is how to remain an artist once we grow up.” I started drawing from age five and I have continued drawing and painting ever since. It’s the only thing that inspires me in life. Art and painting comprise my big motivation to look forward to the next minute. You have a canvas of a determined size. But the vision you can translate into it is never determined, that’s in your own hand and mind. The adrenaline rush I get in transforming my vision into canvas makes me more and more convinced that I was born with painting in my blood.

18 / Corporate Citizen / December 1-15, 2016

Tell us about your early life in Kolkata (where you were born) and then going to Paris at the age of 19, to realise your dream of becoming an artist and get into the domain of art?

My family had to flee their affluent home in East Bengal during India’s turbulent partition in 1947.

They landed penniless in Shohid Nagar, 60 km from Kolkata, in a slum-like refugee camp without electricity, sanitation or drinking water. My mother was the only breadwinner in our joint family. Her primary school teacher salary of `40 per month was only enough to buy rice. As we were on squatted land, municipality people would come tomtoming with a drum to declare that unless we paid taxes within a given time, our mud houses with thatch roof would be destroyed.

We had no money to pay. This made me feel unstable and rootless. I secretly wanted to go away somewhere else.

I remember being stifled in the classroom. Instead of rote learning and number crunching, I’d escape with paper and pencil to draw nature. The spinning potter's wheel captivated me-hands that animated clay dolls, idols, shell bangles or carved wood kept me rapt. Shubinoy Uncle, a neighbour at the electricity supply office outside

“The big factor to make the brand a success is to ensure that the inherent quality of the product and service is better than the competitor at any given time. This matter of quality is what Indian companies do not understand or pay attention to. Indian companies do not invest to build a brand�

Pics: Shining Consulting

December 1-15, 2016 / Corporate Citizen / 19

interview Shombit founded his company Shining Consulting in Paris in 1984. Shining’s international clients include Danone, Nestle, Total Petroleum, Renault, Valeo, Galerie Lafayette, Carrefour, Unilever, Adidas, Delta Dairy, P&G, Cartier, Pernod Ricard, Reckitt & Benckiser, Bic, Remy Martin, Horosmart among others, and Indian clients include Wipro, Britannia, Jubilant, M&M to name a few

our refugee camp, had graduated from Kolkata Art College. He taught me how to draw and paint. He was my role model but he discouraged me from art saying there was no future in art.

My father was a Communist party leader. He used to hate the British Raj, and influenced me to learn how France was the world’s first radical society. Just crossing the Hoogly river from our home, I’d escape into Chandannager, the erstwhile French colony. I had still not been to Kolkata or seen the British heritage there. Chandannagar became my place of dreams. The historical French museum, the library, broad, tree-lined avenues along the river bank and buildings, was so different from my refugee camp. This was the bait that ignited my yearning for France.

How did you move into the advertising world and become part of the hautecouture of strategic brand design?

I never liked advertising because it does not have legitimate creativity. It is a wind of make believe

that passes on. Advertising is a collage of multiple elements with no unique character. Although I say that, I endorse that advertising is extremely required for communication of the brand.

When customers watch an advertisement, they don’t spend any money. This is free information for them. In the current situation of digital proliferation, communication has to be relayed in the product itself for delivering its functional and emotional benefit.

I see advertising as corrupting of a collage of multiple elements to achieve the objective of satisfying the client’s brief. On the other hand, design is a touch-connect to the masses. Design helps in the end-user’s decision making to spend money on the brand. I like this contact very much. You will find today that at least one or two products designed by me are used by people in Europe, the US, Argentina, Japan, China and India on an everyday basis in their lives Tell us about your Emotional Surplus

20 / Corporate Citizen / December 1-15, 2016

Delivery through a Creative Business Strategy and Implementation and how it can provide value beyond the customer's expectations?

A brand has to sustain year after year by killing the newcomers that come in with new technology or the competitor’s challenge. So repeat purchase is a big factor. If a brand cannot deliver surplus value to the consumer in every circumstance, then it is not a brand. To do that, let me repeat that the mesh of the company’s people, product and point of purchase becomes the key factor.

Another key is a product’s RFE factor that I have developed as a process. This is a benchmarking tool that measures the potential and worth of a brand in its competitive scenario. R stands for the rational factor which measures invisible quality. F stands for the functionality of the product, its usage advantage and E is the emotive quotient where look, likeability and feeling for the product comes into play. When you scientifically segregate the RFE factors of the product to benchmark whether it is superior to its competitors, then go back to work on it so it beats the competition in the consumer’s perception and experience, you will know that you are on the winning post surpassing the customer’s expectation. This is the emotional surplus design that sustains.

There is an interplay between design and business strategy. How do you help companies innovate contextually, together with your art?

I have literally brought my artistic canvas into the business world. My design concept has always been very much driven by artistic form. It is totally opposite to regular design which is more geometric and applied art graphic centric. For example, if you see the rainbow flower of Wipro, it’s a piece of art. If you compare it with any other in the IT service industry, you will find nobody has this approach, they are all are very geometric graphics. The Saffola bottle design visual I did has a sculpting emotion of a joyful heart to get rid of the oily character of the oil bottle. So I can say with Saffola oil people use a “piece of art” in their kitchen. But I will not compare these works with my painting as these are all reproductive industrial work. A message has to be passed because functionality is important for the commercial purpose of selling. Here there are some constraints for pure art. By default these designs may have artistic form but I cannot consider them as real pieces of art. But in my painting canvas and drawing, every piece is a piece of art. What I have done for Renault Kwid is an extreme piece of art.

The fundamental difference between art form and design is that art is a single piece with an ideology where the artist has total freedom of visual expression. Design has the fundamental aspect of

‘désordre’ installations.

“The fundamental difference between art form and design is that art is a single piece with an ideology where the artist has total freedom of visual expression. Design has the fundamental aspect of functional benefit to the user. Without functional benefit a design has no meaning” functional benefit to the user. Without functional benefit a design has no meaning. A sculpture cannot be a design because it has no functional benefit. But when a designer has the fine arts grip in hand, he/she has the advantage of more freedom to express design in an extremely creative way to differentiate in the crowd of competition.

What role does design strategy play in helping companies integrate design with brand?

Real worth of design: The first contact any end customer has with a product always goes through design, either visual design or industrial product design. In the competitive environment a brands plays in—the end-user connect to the brand is the first key point. How well the product can deliver functionality with high expression of beauty to increase the end user’s value of life is the real worth of the design. So if a company wants to make profitable business it should go with a brand; this is the key necessity of the enterprise.

A brand solves the purpose to retain an end user’s spend and repeat purchase.

The big factor to make brand a success: For the trading business, a brand is not needed. Unfortunately, India is a country of traders where most products only address the demand led market. Indian industry has still not understood how to create demand in the market. This is a big deficiency. When people try to lure customers by pronouncing something is cheap, already they have destroyed the brand. Indian industries do not give credence to the mystic element a brand has. The big factor to make the brand a success is to ensure that the inherent quality of the product and service is better than the competitor at any given time. This matter of quality is what Indian companies do not understand or pay attention to.

Indian companies do not invest to build a brand.

Making of a great brand in Indian market:

The heterogeneous Indian character of inclusiveness is undoubtedly extremely spiritual and has priceless value. But this value cannot create the brand. The brand has an intrinsic discipline of its performance. In its evolution, the brand’s performance has to move faster than the consumer’s expectation. It is quite amazing how religious leaders in India have really understood that the Indian type of branding by the big corporations here does not have any extra added value. So if you are a spiritual baba who is well known in the market you can sell a brand. This is a hollow way of considering a brand. A brand can be used by heterogeneous people but cannot be conceptualised by a heterogeneous discipline. A strict discipline of the company’s people, product and the point of purchase has to be harmonized by digging the content of human social life. Every successful brand in the world will have some sort of additional value of being inventive power.

That’s the way a brand becomes a great brand.

Can you tell us about your new art style creation called Gesturism Art? Gesturism Art is a creative celebration of the limitless gestures of all living beings, from birth to death. My colour palette is Indian, my inspiration is France where I grew up since my teens and where I conceived Gesturism Art. Gesturism Art is purely based on the artist’s handmade craftsmanship free of manipulative digital art. It is boundless energy in human conduct, alive, impromptu and unprompted, dynamic and awash with essential pulsations. It provokes us to take on challenges, and implement the shock of the difference to make an impact which can sustain.

My Gesturism Art encompasses paintings and

Can you explain your concept of ‘désordre’ installations using Gesturism expressions and what it represents?

‘Désordre’ installation art is probably like no other art piece in the world because here I invite the public to physically touch my set of canvases within my given theme, to recompose it any way they want to, They can even unscramble it to find the original painting I did. Gestures of viewers touching the art make it non-static, endowing it with life and movement. As each canvas can move 360 degrees, collectors can even regularly change canvas placements to see the same painting in different perspectives, even in totally abstract form.

The impact of India, the world’s most heterogeneous society, is what gave rise to ‘désordre’ in me. Since ancient times, migrants from Greece, Africa, Central Asia, Iran, Afghanistan, Europe and more recently the British arrived to mingle into India resulting in the creation of extreme diversity and physical, unpredictable disorder in every aspect of life. In spite of that, India’s values of love, affection and inclusiveness are highly treasured among the multiple cultures where every single reality is interpreted with different visions.

Why do you call your Gesturism Art as an artistic revolt against digital virtual art?

Gesturism is human touch creativity to always unearth something new in movement and dynamic form. It’s my way of imagining creatively to differentiate from the indoctrinated world of trick after trick in every aspect of life. I don’t consider digital art to be a pure art form as it is reproductive by nature and happens through the pre-programmed operating system of a digital device. It is technical centric and is not a single piece of creativity, rather it is duplication and reproductive.

Among digital artists you can compare who has better skill in handling the computer system but the output cannot be compared with real art form of modernism or contemporary art. That’s why when I see that an exhibition mixes modern art with digital art, I avoid entering to see the art. digital art distorts human craftsmanship. By itself, it could be a reflection of social trends.

Gesturism art is totally anti-trick and spontaneous. Beyond painting and installation art, Gesturism can be extended to society in different creative aspects such as documentary film and photography without preparation, industrial design, poetry, impromptu theatre acting and visual design. A feature film cannot be Gesturism because it is tricky and pre-determined in every aspect. In fact Gesturism Art has to have impromptu impact. rajeshrao.rao@gmail.com

December 1-15, 2016 / Corporate Citizen / 21

Cover story

Perfectly Dynamic Duo: 42 /

VENKAT and CHANDRA RAJENDRAN

imperfect

An in-depth interview with corporate leader turned entrepreneur Venkat Rajendran who aims to become the ‘McDonalds’ of South India with his string of popular restaurant chains and his enterprising wife Chandra, who creates exclusive Sakhi sarees

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BY SEKHAR SESHAN

ntrepreneurship came quite late in the life of R Venkat Rajendran, after having built up a career as an engineer for three decades before launching out on his own in 1994. Venkat, then having entered his 40s, co-founded Deccanet Designs Ltd, a telecom technology company that worked for big-name clients like Motorola, Intel and Siemens. Ten years down the line, he sold Deccanet to the US-headquartered supply-chain solutions company Logisitics Flextronics, now a US$25-billion giant, then stayed on to head Flextronics Design operations in India and China for a couple of years. A serial entrepreneur, he is now involved in a number of new start-ups in the technology, retail and social domains.

The enterprising family

Twelve years later, Venkat founded a holding company for most of his new ventures - Billionways Consultancy Pvt. Ltd, of which he is the Chairman and CEO. He and his son Vijay Abhimanyu now run a chain of fine-dining and quick-service restaurants (QSRs) specialising in cuisine from the four South Indian states.

Chandra, who was a housewife and mother when she and Venkat lived in Delhi, used to embroider her own cotton saris to make them more attractive.

“Friends began asking me where I got this distinctive wear from, and asked 22 / Corporate Citizen / December 1-15, 2016

me to make similar things for them,” she says. “I started doing that in 1992, still as a hobby that I indulged in during my free time when my children were at school.” The family moved to Bengaluru, and she continued to do what she loved. It was only then that she began to explore opportunities to work with local weavers to get the six-yard drape made according to her own designs. “I never studied textile designing, I’m totally self-taught,” she says. “And I soon found that some of my designs couldn’t be executed by weaving alone, so I started using other means to get the result I wanted. Creating one sari often took me as long as three months—but there was no pressure so I worked at my own pace.”

Her daughter Neeta, then still a student, used to help her mother, painting designs on the sarees. “I liked doing that—and I earned pocket money with Amma paying me like her other job-workers!” she says. After doing a B E like her father and interning in his telecommunications firm, she found the work uninteresting; so she decided to go into business. Venkat told her to set up her own boutique—which she did from scratch, right from getting a licence to handling sales and computer coding, figuring out and executing operations, the point-of-sale strategy and so on. Mother and daughter now run the designer saree chain Sakhi, which was born in 2004.

Venkat, who graduated in Electronics and Communications Engineering from The Madras Institute of Technology (now part of Anna University)

Pics: Sanjay MD

“If both of you have a very similar view of life, you are lucky. But as you grow older, the finer cracks show. The different views show up. Learn to respect them and enjoy” —Chandra

December 1-15, 2016 / Corporate Citizen / 23

Cover story in Chennai, landed a job at the Electronics & Radar Development Establishment (LRDE) of DRDO (Defence Reseach & Development Organisation) in Bengaluru. He then moved to the prestigious Telecom Research Centre (TRC), a telecom research and development organisation set up by the Government of India, as a Deputy Director and worked on designing telecommunications switching systems.

At a young age, he became head of software design, joining a handful of engineers globally who have built a high-availability ‘carrier class’ central office switching system from scratch. “This system successfully delivered the largest real-time embedded product designed in India,” he says proudly.

“When Sam Pitroda assembled a small group, the Centre for Development of Telematics (C-DoT), under former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi’s directive to kick start telecom research in India, I was part of the core team that started India’s telecom revolution. I was responsible for building the Fault Tolerance system in C-DoT’s family of central office switches.”

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Enterprise - From Deccanet to BillionSmiles

t was a good 30 years before the business bug bit, and Venkat turned entrepreneur—launching Deccanet and moving on to sell it. Now, with son Vijay Abhimanyu R, 28, he runs a chain of fine-dining and quick-service restaurants specialising in South Indian cuisine.

“I hail from a family that has traditionally been in the food business,” he explains. “Naturally that’s what I gravitated towards. I believe there is a great opportunity to get into this sector which caters to the middle classes: it is currently totally unorganised.” With a keen interest in China, where he spent a lot of time as part of the acquisition of Deccanet by Flextronics, Venkat believes: “There is excellent scope for combining national strengths. I pursue this with vigour, and I am involved in a few new technology ventures in China, too. I was also influenced by what I saw in China: the booming restaurants sector. Back in India, this was running in the back of his head, and the idea of building a McDonalds of South Indian cuisine seemed very

attractive. “I realised that if we didn’t do it soon, we would all end up eating McDosa,” he exclaims. Having got Billionsmiles going, his interests include Building Entrepreneurship, building a good eco-system for Entrepreneurship and Indian Rural Education. Beginning in Bengaluru, the restaurants have quickly spread to other southern states and have begun a steady march towards the north and the west too. The first of these genres, branded South Indies and Born South, are aimed at the upmarket consumer, while UpSouth is the future, he says. With Vijay at the helm, leading what he calls “a young and hungry team”, the aim is to build up Billionways into a one-billion-dollar business in five years. Between father and son, the aim is to bring a billion smiles to faces across India with their BillionSmiles Hospitality, the holding company for the restaurants.

Says Venkat: “We will stick to small, modest self-service outlets which have no frills like air-conditioning. This makes it easier to add numbers and, therefore, return on investment.” UpSouth has learnt from the successful QSRs in the West, and is looking at becoming what Venkat describes as the ‘McDonald’s of south India’. A lot of research has gone into the positioning of the chain, which has a stylised knife and fork as its logo, it offers only south Indian food—which, he points out, is popular across India. This is true for everything from vadas to the multiple varieties of dose, all day: right from seven or eight in the morning to 11 at night. Chinese and Italian food come next, while north Indian cuisine finishes a poor fourth.

Vijay, who was Venkat’s ‘cheer leader’ at age 17 and is now Managing Director of Billionsmiles Hospitality, points out that in keeping with this popular taste, 80 per cent of the menu at UpSouth is ‘classic’: the usual dosas, idlis, vadas and the like. The remaining 20 per cent , however, is made up of innovative dishes, like a ‘Malabari parota sandwich’ or a ‘Sabudana cheesa vada’ as well as various breakfast and meal combos.

“We started these as experiment, to see if the customers like it—they do, especially the young crowd,” he says. “The elanir (coconut water) mousse is a huge success, too!”

“I am happy that I became an entrepreneur and then a serial entrepreneur and later still am able to mentor my children and others as entrepreneurs. With humility, I accept this as a great responsibility that has come to me. My life is centred around this role“—Venkat

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McDonalds of South India

he model is to supply the outlets twice a day from a central kitchen, while live cooking is also done for items like dosas. Everything is duly certified according to HACCP and other standards. With ten outlets already in operation and plans to raise the number to 200 in five years, Venkat sees revenues rising to `1,000 crore very easily.

“We are priced at the middle of the pyramid, which makes us one of the most competitive,” he says.

True to his engineering and infotech background, he has also used technology a lot, with a menu displayed TV monitor so that it can be changed centrally, and a vibrating device that is given to a customer when he or she orders at the counter, to signal when the food is ready. For home deliveries, they worked for two years to create the right type of packaging, using a plastic lining inside the cardboard carton so that nothing spills. They are now working on a recyclable container. “We have lots of that business,” Vijay points out. “Many of it is for repeat customers – we planned our catchment area very well.” The plan now is to set up a call centre to cover the whole city.

With the high customer focus that is necessary to run a food business, UpSouth has a professional CEO and a team of people with experience in multi-national corporations. “We decided to have professional and not proprietary management to ensure consistency – Vijay is the only family person in the business,” Venkat explains. Adds Vijay: “We are very passionate about the customer experience.” And corporatisation is the only way to go: India has only three food companies that are listed on the stock markets, against 300 in the US. Billionsmiles is looking at expanding through franchisees, especially for the fine dining brands, but is also talking to some major private equity funds to raise more money for its expansion plans. “UpSouth, however, will be primarily on the own-store model with, maybe, a limited franchise component,” Venkat says.

“But our entrepreneurial journey actually started with Chandra!” he grins.

“Way back in the 1980s, when I was with C-DoT in Delhi, she used to go shopping to LR Market (Lajpat Rai Market in the Chandni Chowk area of old Delhi) or somewhere, and buy stuff to take home to relatives and friends back home in Tirunelveli.” Adds his wife: “Every time we went, the people there would be waiting eagerly for me – or more, for the bedsheets, chappals, handbags and handmade items I would take as presents for them.” Chips in an obviously admiring husband: “She has lots of skills in creativity, her sourcing is excellent, and her vendor management is superb: her vendors actually worship her!” What Chandra began grew into a full-fledged family of entrepreneurs: “Both of us, our son and daughter, and even our nephew, are all first-generation entrepreneurs,” Venkat points out. “When I myself became an entrepreneur, her hobby was in full swing.”

And no, Venkat didn’t push either her or their son or daughter into entrepreneurship: everything just happened, falling into place as they moved on. “In fact, it was a friend who convinced Neeta to start her own her thing,” Chandra says. “And when I was trying to convince her, Vijay came to me and convinced me to join her. With both of them having finished their studies and doing their own things, I had no longer the responsibility of staying at home to look after them – so I began helping with Sakhi.”

Agrees Venkat: “Both were ready to take on their own problems. Vijay, who was grounded when he was only 17, got a good grasp of a lot of things that I had learnt only when I was 40 years old. Today, when they are entering their 30s, they know a lot more than we did at their age! I had no clue what I wanted to do after passing out of college, but they know exactly what they want.”

Describing the first 10 years as “a struggle before I could achieve a turnaround in the business”, he continues to be involved in everything the youngsters do. “I have stayed a co-owner, being both mentor and tormentor. But in another five years or so, I will move to the role of a mere advisor.”

Venkat and Chandra with their daughter Neeta and son Vijay Abhimanyu

“It requires mastery of an ancient craft form which means drawing with a pen.

We empower these craftspersons by working with them—they don’t need charity. This way, with enough returns, the younger generation is also enthused to take up the craft, and won’t let it die.

India is the only country in the world that can boast of such a rich variety of handicrafts”—Chandra Venkat is, in his own words, “keenly interested in building and nurturing young entrepreneurships”. He says, “I believe strongly that people’s entrepreneurial spirit has great potential to build wealth and solve problems for the community. To bolster this, I build, participate in and advise a number of start-up ventures. And I hold significant stakes in most of them. For example, I helped my nephew Arun also to start a business. I take on a fair part of the operational problems of all of them. I am also a mentor for Nirmalabs, an incubator set up by Nirma University of Management at Ahmedabad, and on the board of directors of GVFL Trustee Company - which is the pioneering venture fund in India.”

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Sakhi for the fashionable woman

handra’s and Neeta’s business has made waves in Bengaluru and globally with the exclusive designs it offers for designer sarees. In 10 years, Sakhi has grown to 50 people and four stores including one in Hyderabad. Even though her business is officially a venture of her father’s Billionways group, Neeta stuck to her resolve not to take the easy way out by asking him for help, but focussed on making money from Day-one so that she wouldn’t be a drain on him “He could have easily given me everything I wanted, and made my path smooth. I really appreciate December 1-15, 2016 / Corporate Citizen / 25

Cover story that he didn’t – doing all the jobs from watchman to director was a great learning experience. It was the most fun I have ever had!” She even went to the National Institute of Fashion Design (NIFT) to hone the skills she had acquired from helping her mother. “Way back, I had no intention of making it commercial,” she says. “It was just something I did.”

That business has been profitable from the first year on. Today, the store also has a major online presence, with its website www.fashions.com. “India has 60 million Internet users, a number that is growing every day. This includes a significant number of net-savvy women,” Neeta explains. Sakhi has ensured that its online venture recreates the boutique experience to the very last detail, with key factors like magnified view to make the online experience very real; details like craft, fabric and care are also included in the website.

The online store is a boon to net savvy customers who aim at having a boutique like experience in the virtual world.

“Setting up our own website was a big initiative at that time, because e-commerce was not yet hot then; the dot-com bust also happened. But we believed it was coming,” Neeta says. Today, the online business accounts for

“I never studied textile designing, I’m totally self-taught. And I soon found that some of my designs couldn’t be executed by weaving alone, so I started using other means to get the result I wanted. Creating one sari often took me as long as three months - but there was no pressure so I worked at my own pace”—Chandra

about `5 crore out of Sakhi’s total business of around `13 crore. Much of this is from exports, mainly to customers of Indian origin all over the world.

Many buyers abroad pick a couple of designs and send the details to their relatives or friends in Bengaluru, who come to one of the stores with a note of these and want to see only those saris so that they can give their feedback along with their own photographs. “However detailed the photographs and descriptions on our, actual sight, touch and feel are very important,” she explains. “We have the lowest return rate among e-com buyers, less than 1 per cent, though we offer the additional facility of pulling products back even from the US at our own cost if the customer is not satisfied.”

Earlier, when the Bengaluru airport was in the heart of the city, NRIs returning after a visit to the city would reserve a couple of hours to drop in and shop at the Indira Nagar store. “Now, we have opened a small one in Sadashivnagar so that they can make a small detour on their way to the new airport,” says Chandra.

Adds Neeta: “Advertising – mainly in Femina, which many women all over India and abroad follow-is ‘very different’ and arouses potential customers’ curiosity. Rather than leaving it all to an agency, I am personally involved in every photo shoot.”

Sakhi also offers a personalised end-to-end service, with a blouse and petticoat-all created in-house. With delivery periods as short as four to seven days even to the US against the norm of 30 days, this is a ‘fantastic’ advantage, the mother and daughter duo points out. “We take an order only if we have the stock-so there is no waiting period while we source it. And we do the customisation in record time.”

Chandra and Neeta work a lot with silk now: tussar silk, which is Chandra’s ‘first love’, and Kanchivaram. They are now looking at khadi, because they plan to get into readymade garments like kurtis for a younger audience.

The traditional dastkar work of Andhra Pradesh goes well with khadi, especially a specially fabricated material with mercerised cotton. “We don’t chase fashion trends, we work the other way!” Neeta adds. They also go to the silk sari capital Kanchivaram every month, where Chandra sits with the weavers to explain her designs to them.

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Showcasing the Sari heritage

long the way, Sakhi also held a mini craft mela at Sakhi to show people how much work and attention go into the masterpieces that these artists create. “People got the answer here to the often-asked question of why a Kalamkari sari costs `8,000,” Chandra points out. “It requires mastery of an ancient craft form which means drawing with a pen. We empower these craftspersons by working with them -they don’t need charity. This way, with enough returns, the younger generation is also enthused to take up the craft, and won’t let it die. India is the only country in the world that can boast of such a rich variety of handicrafts!”

One of their new designs is a ‘concept Kajeevaram—‘the queen of silk’, she calls it—with a broad velvet border. The aim is to continuously reinvent and contemporise the sari so that it stays relevant for years to come. They use a variety of mix-and-match fabrics: like Korvai saris where the body of the sari is pure handloom cotton and the border is pure silk; concept saris like partly pallu in which the pleats, pallu and blouse are in contrast with the rest of the sari; rising concept, wherein the sari is diagonally divided and shows a gradual play of colour when draped; different kinds of half-and-half, with the top half of the sari in complete contrast with the bottom half and both halves in contrast with the pallu and blouse; or symmetric saris which can be worn either way, creating a new look and complemented by two unique blouses.

Besides saris, Sakhi also offers salwar-kameez sets, which combine excellent materials like Kanchivaram, chiffon, cotton, crêpe, georgette, lace, matka, net, organza, and tussar with traditional crafts such as applique, badla, chamki (sequins), cut work, embroidery, hand block print, Kalamkari, Kundan work, mirror work and others in a glorious mélange of colours and designs.

It also has a matching set of accessories carefully chosen to go with the saris and salwar-kameezes, making the ensemble complete.

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“Marriage is a long friendship. As someone said, it is not necessarily a perfect couple having a perfect relationship, it is two imperfect people learning to enjoy their differences. We know our strengths. But more importantly we know our ‘imperfections’ and learn to enjoy them too” —Venkat views of life. Says she: “If both of you have a very similar view of life, you are lucky. But as you grow older, the finer cracks show. The different views show up. Learn to respect them and enjoy.” Learning to accept differences in culture and upbringing also play a big role. Vijay, for instance, is marrying Parsi girl, whom he brought home to meet his parents and make sure she fit in, that his mother would like her. “I do like her,” Chandra says.

A The latest innovation from the Sakhi line is the Insta sari, a ready-made garment with a concealed zip that does away with the drudgery of draping a sari and worrying about it slipping down if it’s not anchored firmly. A onepiece constructed unit with a blouse attached, this can be custom made to each customer’s measurement in addition to standard sizes. The collection is crafted using fine quality materials like Lycra blended silk, French lace and flowing net contrasted by brocades and glamorous sequin as highlight.

The Insta sari wraps snugly around the body. “It takes 60 seconds to get into, against 120 seconds to make instant coffee!” she claims. “It’s great for foreigners, even 20-40-year-old Indians.” Neeta herself, who fits into the middle of that age group, is as comfortable wearing a sari as her mother is: “I can drape it blindfolded!” she grins.

Says Chandra: “At Sakhi we strive for our clients to stand out from the rest… We try and create a unique style every season - question the ordinary and explore the beautiful Indian sari in texture and treatment.” Together, the mother and daughter have combined their energies to weave the Sakhi story and build it into a brand that stands for the traditional Indian sari in the mind of the modern woman– the “real woman of today, confident of herself, fully engaged in life, playing varied roles as professional, wife, entrepreneur, home maker, executive, mother, designer, artist and many more”, as their Website describes her. “She makes all our lives vibrant and beautiful. We help her live her true values. We admire her. We love her. We salute her. Sakhi is committed to celebrate this modern woman by bringing out her personality, confidence, beauty and elegance, and has a single profound mission– to make the modern woman look and feel great.”

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Marriage is about two imperfect people

o what, in Venkat and Chandra’s experience, is it that keeps a marriage going? What has kept theirs together? “Marriage is a long friendship,” he replies. “As someone said, it is not necessarily a perfect couple having a perfect relationship, it is two imperfect people learning to enjoy their differences. We know our strengths. But more importantly we know our ‘imperfections’ and learn to enjoy them too.”

Their advice to young couples today is to learn to celebrate the different

Be the engine of society

nd what are their individual philosophies of life, by which they live? Each has a different one: “Being an entrepreneur is like being an engine in a society,” Venkat says. “Some of us get an opportunity to play the role of the engine in the game of life. If you are a successful engine, you generate the energy required to pull a lot of people forward. This is a very important role in any modern society. I am happy that I became an entrepreneur and then a serial entrepreneur and later still am able to mentor my children and others as entrepreneurs. With humility, I accept this as a great responsibility that has come to me. My life is centred around this role.” Chandra, on the other hand, sums up hers in a single sentence: “It is a simple philosophy - do what you are passionate about,” she says.

And now that the government is giving a boost to start-ups, what do they think of entrepreneurship? Is Karnataka an entrepreneur-friendly state? Says Venkat: “India’s GDP share of the world was around 30 per cent in AD 1000.

It steadily decayed for 1000 years to become 2.5 per cent by 1980s. We started taking risk. With liberalisation, the boost was given for entrepreneurship in India. A country which forgot how to take risk woke up and started moving up. We now account for about six per cent of World’s GDP and by 2050, most projections show India will be about 15 per cent of world GDP and the second biggest economy - overtaking the US in size. Entrepreneurship is key to achieving this. It is all about taking risk and exploring new worlds. The system has relaxed itself from a command and control mode to allow Indians to explore their inherent entrepreneurial spirit. There is a clear turn around.

It is a once-in-a-millennia opportunity. We have come a long way in the past two decades. We are glad that the government has realised this and started playing a helping hand. However, the mind-set across the system has to still change much and it would take some time. India is one of the few countries in the world which has built democracy first before building capitalism. This is a bit of a handicap and slow things down-but is a steady and surer way to grow.” Adds Chandra: “Karnataka, especially Bengaluru, is a great place for entrepreneurship as it attracts a very cosmopolitan crowd and the best talent from across the country.”

Between the two of them, with their children up front and doing all the hard work, they are helping to feed almost everyone, across budgets, and clothe some of them. Good going so far, though Venkat and Vijay have a long way to go to become a McDonald's, which is the world's largest chain of hamburger fast-food restaurants, serving around 68 million customers daily from 35,000 outlets in 119 countries. Chandra and Neeta, of course, have no such ambitions: their target audience is only the well-heeled women who belong to the upper echelons of society. sekharseshan@gmail.com December 1-15, 2016 / Corporate Citizen / 27

cii Conference Automotive Design

Need for a Robust Strategy

The automotive industry has deployed various programmes and global concepts to achieve product excellence. In an emerging market like India, where price sensitive consumers expect more value addition, innovation is the key to drive the industry forward and is required both at technology side as well as business side. With mobility patterns undergoing change, design has the potential to retain and attract consumers towards automobiles. The success of a product is determined when customer requirements are matched, mass customisation delivers more personalised products, new products aligned with markets on time, which marks the need for a robust design and innovation strategy or culture. At the recently concluded conference on Future of Automotive Design, organised by Tamil Nadu Technology Development and Promotion Center of The Confederation of Indian Industry (CII), at the Hotel ITC Grand Chola in Chennai, on the theme “Design Empowering Tomorrow�, key industry experts talked on design trends in automotive sector and what will be its future. The panellists for the plenary session were Sridhar Lakshminarayan, Vice President, Satyam Venture Engineering Services, S Prakash, Dean-Mechanical, Sathyabama University, Sathiyaseelan G, Head-Styling (PD), Ashok Leyland, Yogesh Umbarkar, Vice President, Ricardo India, and Amit Jain, Country Head, Electronics Group, India Visteon By Rajesh Rao

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Sathiyaseelan G

Head-Styling (PD), Ashok Leyland

Where are we heading now?

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esigners are the ones who are taking the society to the next level.

With a focus on transportation design and what is the future of transportation design, we have to see what is happening today, what was in the past, and what will be the future. So, there are lot of predictions—I cannot say, this is what is going to happen, but I can say what is happening today. A report says that by 2030 the world’s population is going to double from what it is now. Are we going to go this way without asking any question? The system has not changed of using cars or any vehicles and dumping people in it. The phones have changed, the way we dress has changed, the food we eat is changing and appliance designs are changing.

In India there no bus manufactured separately, which is specifically a school bus. What we do is make a 12 metre bus, paint it yellow, write school bus on it and that becomes our school bus and same goes for college or university buses. We are selling school buses in Dubai, and it has to go through full quality check and meet all necessary requirements. When we were doing this school bus project, I had gone all across the country and asked parents, if they have ever gone inside the school bus their child travels every day to school. Surprisingly, not even one parent said that they have seen it. Parents pay so much of fees for school bus service for their children, but they never see what kind of facility, what kind of fabric and safety is available inside the buses.

The future…

You go to a car showroom, may be you have your own colour, have your own customised parts assembled and take your car. In the future, if I fill my car with 50 litres of fuel, that will go for may be 500-800 kms. The roads in future are going to be the source of energy. When it comes to future, every automobile manufacturer is looking for something new. In 2011, Ford announced their interlinked drive. Volvo has its city safety sys-

We have to develop a new way of recycling right from the design process and know what we have to do when the vehicles expire. So, all these digital, environmental, safety related, regulated technologies advancement has culminated into transportation design today

tem, wherein at 15 kmph speed if anything coming across, it automatically applies the brakes. We are ready to have fully autonomous driving cars till 2019. So, the conditions of roads will have to be taken care by technology.

But what will happen to the commercial vehicles—the trucks are going to be more informative than the driver. The system is going to be the hero tomorrow. Today, the commercial vehicles are not seen as luxury or comfortable mode of transport. The commercial vehicles like buses will have to be designed properly for various purposes.

We have to develop a new way of recycling right from the design process and know what we have to do when the vehicles expire. So, all these digital, environmental, safety related, regulated technologies advancement has culminated into transportation design today. Looking at what happened yesterday, today and tomorrow—yesterday it was all metal and mechanical and today everything thing is digitally connected to the system; yesterday we had IC engine, today we are charging it and tomorrow the roads are going to be the source of energy; yesterday we had analogue audio systems with big buttons and today we have remotely controlled audio systems and may be tomorrow these systems will be voice activated; yesterday we found our way using printed maps, today we can find our way using GPS, while tomorrow smart cars will help us find our way to the destination we want; yesterday we had first-aid box, today we have safety sensors.

When we are talking about future, you have to think about how we are going to take the experience of something to the next level and we have to simplify. Unfortunately, we always make things complicated.

Amit Jain

Country Head, Electronics Group, India Visteon

Design for the user experience

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have been in the automobile field for last 20 years and I have spent many years trying to resolve two enigmas—working with many teams within the automobile vehicle systems, I have seen that outputs that come out from different teams are sometimes very different. I have seen teams that are very capable, which have all the right inputs in terms of technology, in terms of resources, and in terms of capability they are all the same, but the final outputs they get in terms of perceived quality are very different. Same thing is with respect to perceived values, you see very different output come out of different teams. These are the two enigmas that I have been trying resolve for the last few years.

Enigma One-Perceived quality People look at automobile, basically as a machine and also engineers like me, look at it basically like a machine. Then there are team who look at it December 1-15, 2016 / Corporate Citizen / 29

cii Conference When you really start engineering a product, those design considerations need to be there and what really is needed in trying to create the best experience within the vehicle, is basically one single strategy, one single approach and output, and that needs to be clear for everybody who is working on that product like space, where the user comes in and that’s what you will finally try to sell.

Then it’s the product–it’s an aggregation of different products that finally make the automobile. Then outside the automobile we got all this different considerations that are constantly changing. There is driving complexity that is increasing—there is much higher amount of distraction that we need to deal with. The safety norms are constantly increasing and need of safety is also constantly increasing. If you really try to look at design elements that make up automobile design today—we have these various considerations that we start looking at like interior design, exterior design, sound, graphic, UI, seat and lighting—it really depends upon what perspective we look at it. You are looking at it as a machine, as a space and as a product and you really come up with different strategies, approaches and you try and achieve different outcomes. But, if we break these up with some common design considerations…looking at visual design, we see in terms of the styling of the vehicle, interior, and exterior.

Classic dialogue that happens between designers and engineers and the one that irritates the designer the most is engineers coming and saying that I have this perfect product just made and it’s exactly what the engineers need, it is most advance and innovative—now can you make it look beautiful?

But, unfortunately it doesn’t happen that way. You really have to build a visual design—it cannot be an afterthought. And the same thing goes for audio and sound design within a vehicle. The sound considerations—when you really design a vehicle, need to be there, right when you are trying to design vehicle interiors. You cannot design a vehicle and say, alright now I want it to sound perfect. Unfortunately it doesn’t work that way. You look at functionality—you can’t put an interface in vehicle and say now let’s see what this is going to be used for. An interface need to be designed for what you really are trying to it create for. The point I am trying to basically make here is all these design considerations cannot be an afterthought. You cannot look at these design considerations after you have engineered the vehicle or after you have engineered any product.

When you really start engineering a product, those design considerations need to be there and what really is needed in trying to create the best experience within the vehicle, is basically one single strategy, one single approach and output, and that needs to be clear for everybody who is working on that product. Everybody within that ecosystem, everybody within the OEM, everybody dealing with that OEM, tier 1,2,3 suppliers, everybody associated with that product need to understand that one strategy, one approach and one output in terms of experience that needs to be created when you want to deliver that product. My conclusion with respect to point number one is why I believe that the teams come up with very low perceived quality many a times, is because design many a times is just an afterthought.

Enigma two-perceived value Why do teams have very different perceived value, when there is so much of innovation out there and when they have access to the best innovative designs? Why do they come out with a poor perceived value products?

Please pay attention to my statements of perceived quality and perceived value and not necessarily calculated quality or calculated value. In 30 / Corporate Citizen / December 1-15, 2016

terms of perceived value, you have seen that a sea change has happened, looking at automotive electronics and automotive electronics-consumer electronics and both of them interact here. And you see changes happening in consumer electronics—it’s invaded our lives and all things we do and we are more connected and disconnected at the same time now.

Just to give you few examples of how these invasions are happening and what we are trying to do with these endless possibilities that are in front of us. Many OEMs now have remote apps on the phone that you can control your car with. If you really look at the experience that you are trying to create—you have to really go through 13 steps to unlock the car versus having the key in your pocket and walking up to your car and opening the door in just two steps. It’s a great idea that you have the app and it’s definitely a novelty element, but how long is that novelty going to last. Are you really trying to create a perceived value, which is higher if you just give this app instead of trying to give a key were you can walk up to the car and open the door. You see this happening everywhere.

The point I am trying to get to is that all these consumer electronics penetration that’s happening is leading to many options and possibilities.

What it is really trying to create is much higher amount of user interaction and possibilities, but that necessarily will not translate into user experience. If you really look at it from the automotive perspective, what do we really need to do to improve perceived value and really live to customer delight? One is we cannot ignore the consumer electronics penetration that’s happening, it’s definitely not to be ignored. Convergence happening of consumer electronics cannot be ignored, but what you really need to do is, you need to design for seamless experience. You are designing a vehicle today and may be hoping that it will satisfy needs of consumers for next four years and when you are trying to design it, you are dealing with phones and Bluetooth connectivity, which is changing at a much faster pace. You will have to really design to adapt and what that means is how do you build scalability in the products that you are trying to design.

Why the teams are not able to have the right perceived values is basically because you need to really design for the user experience. You cannot design for the features, you need to design for user experience.

Sridhar Lakshminarayan

Vice President, Satyam Venture Engineering Services

Trendsetting advances

I

ndia has one of the worst ways of driving, with reference to lane indiscipline, driving with high beam on, honking for no reason at all, and off course no concern for safety of pedestrians who are at the bottom of

Basically we are designing your vehicle to take care of the partner vehicle. That is the level of thinking that is going on in the regulatory bodies of some of the countries. All this will initially be done virtually, to figure what’s really happening after every millisecond, you don’t really have to crash cars the pyramid. In some of the industrialised nations they are doing some very interesting things—the amount of importance that is given to human life. We want to introduce a concept called ‘Accident Reconstruction’ and there is a lot to be learnt from it. There is lot of redesign required from the crashworthiness and safety regulations of the car.

Satyam Venture Engineering Services, has been around for 16 years now. We do lot of crashworthiness work and various simulation studies.

Satyam’s clientele currently consists of 75 active customers worldwide— this prestigious list includes nine of the top 10 global OEMs and nine of top 20 automotive Tier-1 suppliers.

Safety authorities in the US have been doing lot of accident reconstructions of accidents that have actually happened—they pick up lot of data from there and do analysis for reconstruction. It has come about after studying many accidents and it shows how seriously human life is taken in many of these industrialised nations.

You are actually designing your car, in this case taking a SUV—we are going to have some these redesigned so that during an accident energy transferred into the small car from the SUV is in such a way that the intrusion in small car is minimum. So, basically we are designing your vehicle to take care of the partner vehicle. That is the level of thinking that is going on in the regulatory bodies of some of the countries. All this will initially be done virtually, to figure what’s really happening after every millisecond, you don’t really have to crash cars. You can see that many OEMs are working on this to protect the partner car.

These are some of the advancements happening, which we are actively working on—not just front occupants but rear occupants are also really important now in the western countries. Obviously there are regulations for seat belts for rear occupants, we can see airbags inflating from the rear of the front seat. These are some of the trendsetting advances that are coming up. Another interesting advance is the airbag in the roof of the car— this kind gives a styling filler to the IT designers—you don’t need to have an airbag coming from the dashboard. So, these are the roof-mounted airbags we are working on. To round-it off, this is just a simulation part of it-we do a lot of computer-aided engineering (CAE) and CAE is obviously going to lead the way with some of these regulations coming into force.

Yogesh Umbarkar

Vice President, Ricardo India

Taking real world factors into designing

H

ow this computer-aided engineering (CAE) part can be used for the future vehicle, rather than using the traditional approaches?

In India, we get certificates, showing the mileage or fuel consumption per litre data from most of the OEMs for the vehicles, but what

you get on the road is very different. So, why is there this difference?

Because, one thing is they specify the fuel economy tests in a very controlled environment. But in real world if I am driving from say my place to the airport—in this scenario you will have lot of real factors coming into picture like traffic, signals, flyovers, weather conditions, driver behaviour, road condition and so on. So, how we can take care of these real world effects while designing the future vehicle? As an engineer it’s a very difficult task and that’s why we have come up with a very advance simulation approach, which takes care of these real world factors into designing and analysing it. It is called agent-based model (ABM), which as per Wikipedia the definition is one of a class of computational models for simulating the actions and interactions of autonomous agents.

These factors we call it as agents interact with each other. For example, depending on how the car on my side is driving, if it wants to take a left or right turn, based on that I will control my speed. There are

In India, we get certificates, showing the mileage or fuel consumption per litre data from most of the OEMs for the vehicles, but what you get on the road is very different. So, why is there this difference? One thing is they specify the fuel economy tests in a very controlled environment. But in real world you will have lot of real factors like traffic, signals, weather conditions and so on. So, how we can take care of these real world effects while designing the future vehicle? few vehicles going fast and some are beeping to me, so that I would change the speed. All these other factors changes my behaviour and my pattern of driving. We call those factors as agents and they are selfdirected entities bounded by simple rules and they also interact with the environment (outside factor and also with each other).

In this agent based modelling simulation, we try to mimic the real world behaviour and these agents are the real world factors. These are the factors which we need to consider in our modelling. For example vehicle model is a physical model which behaves based on the driver's inputs. Now, driver is another agent which represents the human December 1-15, 2016 / Corporate Citizen / 31

cii Conference behaviour and gives the signal to the vehicle on what speed it should drive and at what RPM. The traffic signals can also be represented by pre-programmed schedules and behaviours like in what time it should go from red to green or yellow. Traffic also can be represented by number of cars, which are driving on the same road where I am driving. Those other cars also have their own set of rules, act as a different agent and also try to change your behaviour. Route in terms of from point A to B, you will have different conditions of the road, topology will be different, there will be gradient or slope and the speed limit will also restrict your behaviour on the road. In the morning and evening peak hours I will drive at different speed.

We are defining all these factors into vehicle model, driver model, and then the environment factors. Vehicle model helps you to explore various technologies like what kind of mass I should have for particular road or what kind of tyre I should chose for particular terrain or topology of road. In a real world, driver model can be represented by driver behaviour model, which reacts to what’s happening around them.

And drivers take their decisions based on the traits like aggressiveness, risk tendency or it could be objective based. Again these factors interact with each other and also gives inputs to the vehicle model. The driver model is dynamic, it is not static and it changes its behaviour. The factors we consider as environment model, is represented by road networks, lanes, curvature of road, real time traffic, signals and weather. These vehicle, driver and environment models, they all interact with each other in the real world situation.

What is the difference between the traditional and real world approach? When you are trying to design the vehicle and when you are trying to do the modelling for fuel economy prediction, you use the traditional approach where it is based on speed versus time. So there is no terrain and there are no other objects coming in between vehicles and they operate in a scripted manner. But, the real world will have many things, it is based on the objective—like what is your objective and it covers the environment factors, terrain, topology, traffic and environment. If you model realistic scenario, your predictions and designing is much more accurate.

What I talked about was a very technical application of the design aspect. But in future there will be many such applications, where we can take the benefit of knowing what is going to be ahead, so that you can try to tune your performance. With computer system and technologies used for modelling, you are able to capture the real world scenario and future vehicle has to be designed considering these real world behaviours.

S Prakash

Dean-Mechanical, Sathyabama University

The challenge is not only with designers

T

here is the gap between the industry and institutes and who will fill these gaps? One of my colleague had pointed out that nowadays we are finding it difficult to use raw hands (students)—we have to train them for couple of months and after that they vanish. The challenge is not only with designers, but also design experience of integrated products, know-how of new technologies, impact of application conditions and new manufacturing concerns.

Competition and innovation challenges that we face—only eight per cent of current talent in India is working in automotive. There is a big gap and how to fill this gap? Competence development approach-were we have to find out development of domain experts within an organisation. So organ-

32 / Corporate Citizen / December 1-15, 2016

Automotive design need to be hungry for change, innovative beyond customer imagination, globally integrated, disruptive by nature and genuine not just generous. They have to understand the customer’s needs—like what customer’s profiles I can target, what are my customer’s needs, what user experiences I want to provide, what relationship my customers want to establish with us isations have to find out where people are strong and focus on basic engineering and not only on software tools. A rotation of people within manufacturing organisation. In terms of innovation, organisations have to take a systematic approach to define the innovations to be done, find propensity to develop innovations and create parameters to cultivate innovations.

To carry the way forward, the sectors that would help us are: ■ Government - should update the pace of infrastructures development, implementation of latest technologies and boast the policies to develop new concepts.

■ Academia - develop a curriculum with focus on trend. So, develop a comprehensive curriculum with focus on practical and technical aspects, in collaboration with industries.

■ Industry - A quick adaptation of fast changing scenario, social-legal-technology interest, develop workforce with global competence and increase employee engagement.

Automotive design need to be hungry for change, innovative beyond customer imagination, globally integrated, disruptive by nature and genuine not just generous. They have to understand the customer’s needs—like what customer’s profiles I can target, what are my customer’s needs, what user experiences I want to provide and what relationship my customers want to establish with us. In defining the right services to offer to customers in technology, one has to know—what are the most important services to a customer, to improve their experience of their vehicle and what is their finer interest and what are external factors driving the services. rajeshrao.rao@gmail.com

Claps & Slaps Corporate Citizen claps Rajasthan’s ingenuity. While most railway stations across the country are unclean, Rajasthan has 11 railway stations transformed into art galleries

Corporate Citizen slaps the lack of strong regulatory action and ‘awareness-to-action’ campaigns to curb smog and air pollution as a result of festive celebrations

The government has taken initiative to enthral tourists with its rich cultural history through local art work displayed on the walls of railway stations. Though Sawai Madhopur is the most appreciated, it is not the only railway station in Rajasthan to get such a makeover. Railway stations across the state have been decorated with local and thematic artwork. These railway stations include Jaipur, Udaipur, Bikaner and Ajmer. The artwork syncs in with the destinations and the marvels in surrounding areas. The exquisite art work at Sawai Madhopur railway station, which has bagged the ‘Best Tourist Friendly Railway Station Award’, pays homage to the tiger-you are welcomed by a roaring tiger depicted on the walls of the train station. This railway station acts as the getaway for the Ranthambore Tiger Reserve. Two master painters, Gajanand Singh and Narayan Singh led the artwork from the Ranthambhore School of Art along with a team of 20 artists decorated about 7,000-sq ft area of the railway station with paintings of forests, banyan trees, tigers, leopards, bears, darters and tree-pies. The project was funded by the World Wildlife Fund India. At Bharatpur, which is known for bird sanctuary, the theme for makeover is conservation.

Bikaner station is decorated with floral motifs from Badal Mahal and Ajmer with the famous Bani Thani paintings. Udaipur has representations of Mewar School of Art miniature painting of the 17th and 18th centuries. Kota station has paintings from the Bundi School of Art. Jodhpur station depicts Phad paintings on cloth narrating stories of local deities. Sikar station has Shekhawati paintings and frescos of ‘havelis’. Jaipur is themed around Jogi Art, a tribal art form by artists from Mount Abu. Paintings based on traditional Rajasthani puppets are at Jaipur’s Gandhi Nagar station. Famous Jaipur skyline is painted across the railway platform of Durgapura, the origin station for luxury train Palace on Wheels. Ranjit Hoskote, a contemporary art critic and a renowned cultural theorist, feels, “Public art is both robustly present in our urban contexts, and very fragile. Usually, it has little or no protection from the weather, vandals and casual defacement. It is assumed that it will remain forever.” Khusboo Bharati, an art teacher doing research on public art in Jaipur says, “Usually public art is prone to weather effects and vandalism all over the world. Murals, paintings, sculptures etc, need different handling. Public art doesn’t stay forever anywhere in the world, hence we should not look at it as a long term art.” Though longevity of such art forms is a question, the station makeovers are a piece of art from the heart!

While the post-Diwali smog index in Delhi has set up alarm signals, monitoring of other Metro cities and towns might just wrap up similar pollution numbers. As Supreme Court’s directive of 2005 banning bursting of noise-generating firecrackers in residential areas and other measures were ignored, Delhi saw one of the worst pollution. Delhi’s air pollution must be controlled before winter sets in. Delhi Pollution Control Committee report says, post-Diwali pollution has caused maximum levels of particulate matter (PM) 2.5, the tiny yet prime killers, and all gases—nitrogen oxide, sulphur dioxide, and carbon monoxide (CO) levels are higher than last year. Pollution level peaked during Diwali night—leading to high exposure levels. The report says, “This year CO ranged between 2000 microgram per cum to 4200 microgram per cum as against 1100 microgram per cum to 4000 microgram per cum last year. High level of CO can lead to instant deaths. Analysis of daily data by Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) shows pollution increased by 45 per cent during October 2930, 2016. Night time pollution was very severe during Diwali. We must follow countries which enjoy firecrackers but with regulatory guidelines. Beijing and Shanghai issue emergency plans like ban on fireworks when the city experiences three consecutive days of heavy smog. Fireworks sales are stopped if the pollution crosses danger mark. Besides, there are time and place restrictions. Shanghai reduced the number of authorised firework sellers after pollution levels increased five times in 2013. In the UK, the Fireworks Regulation Act 2004 prohibits the use of fireworks in England and Wales between 11 pm and 7 am, though there are some exceptions. Fine of up to £5,000 and/or imprisoned for up to six months is imposed for illegal sell or use of fireworks. This includes on-the-spot fine of £90 and a penalty of up to £5,000 or six months in prison. India too needs to adopt such regulatory means with penalty attached. There is need to step up campaigns by involving the medical community and putting out hard health facts in the public domain to sensitise people. There is need for licensing policy to restrain volume of crackers sale and measures like banning sound emitting crackers from 10 pm to 6 am.

Supreme Court’s directive to the central government to reclassify all firecrackers into sound and light emitting and make guidelines for both needs to be implemented. All those who endorse ‘firecrackers’ should also play a part in sensitising the community.

(Compiled by Sangeeta Ghosh Dastidar) December 1-15, 2016 / Corporate Citizen / 33

All aboard abroad!

It’s clockwork precision

in Germany

Having worked in Germany for over three years now in the field of laser technology, Kedarnath Pulipaka can talk endlessly about the German work culture. He sheds light on some of the work policies prevalent in the country, which make it conducive for professional growth

By Namrata Gulati Sapra

K

edarnath Pulipaka armed himself with a Master’s degree in Mechanical Engineering from Germany in 2013, after which he found his heart set on the country, the very reason why he picked up a job in Germany with laser technology as his specialisation, ‘Once you get an exposure to the culture abroad, you yearn to work outside India. Additionally, there are very limited opportunities in laser technology in India while, Germany is way ahead in this field’. He provides an insight into what he has gained from working in an alien culture: “I have learnt to be more disciplined and focused as well as manage my time well. Because of these aspects, I now know how to increase my output per hour, which has made me efficient too,” he says. The laser expert who is quite fond of biking and continues to work in Germany goes on to provide a firsthand account of working in Germany to other aspirants.

The heart of work culture...

“Time is prime: This aspect is the very core of the German work culture. Everyone’s time is given due respect, the very reason why one has to schedule an appointment to meet someone during office hours. What’s more, they cannot exceed the per-decided duration of the meeting. In Germany, everything is well planned and timed.

No wonder, Germans are so professional!

Comfortable working hours: Generally, the working hours are from eight in the morning to five in the evening. It is common for Germans to start work as early as 7 or 7.30 in the morning.

In the country, what matters is the completion of eight hours, so there is flexibility of timings.

Working smart: Germans are not only hard working, but also smart workers, as they complete their work within the given time. It is ex-

Kedarnath Pulipaka with wife Sirisha and daughter Samhita

ceptional to find them working beyond office hours as they make optimum use of the working hours, given their efficiency.

All’s fair in Germany: The work is uniformly distributed and the work is divided considering an individual’s capacity. This explains why everyone is able to finish work on time. In case an employee feels he has too much on his plate, he has the freedom to approach the manager, who is readily available. At the same time, no extra work is expected.

Low attrition rate: As there isn’t much work pressure and employees can strike a healthy balance between professional and personal life, attri-

34 / Corporate Citizen / December 1-15, 2016

tion rate is much less compared to India.

On the flipside...

Fire, fire! One of the biggest downsides of working in Germany is that you could be fired any moment for your lack of commitment to work

dress up in formals for meetings with clients.

Easy payroll

The pay is often in congruence with the cost of living. Thankfully, Germany boasts of a stable economy that witnesses a very low inflation rate, so low increment rate doesn’t make much of a difference. At the same time, new joinees are offered good pay packages which compensates for this aspect. One really looks forward to the festive season as Christmas fetches you 13 months’ bonus. Melting pot of cultures: Germany boasts of a variety of cultures. You will find people from all over the globe working here. The numbers from Turkey and China are overwhelming. However, cases of discrimination are next to zilch.

The pay is often in congruence with the cost of living. Thankfully, Germany boasts of a stable economy that witnesses a very low inflation rate, so low increment rate doesn’t make much of a difference All work and no play?

or incapability to perform. In Germany, you are more likely to lose a job than in India.

Raises? Not much: Generally, annual raises vary from one percent to two percent. Three percent would be considered on the higher side.

Private lives are, strictly private: Mostly, colleagues do not have access to each other’s contact numbers nor is online social networking encouraged during office hours. As for the gossip mills, they are never at work.

many offers quite an open culture when it comes to executing new ideas, irrespective of who they come from. As for politics on the work front, there is no room for it. Promotions and other incentives are driven purely by performance; a good rapport with your boss doesn’t fetch you brownie points. There is no tiffin system in Germany, instead, a more common practice is colleagues deciding on a mutual time convenient to everyone and going out together to have a meal.

People to people...

They don’t dress to impress!

Managers have clarity of thought and take quick decisions. They never show fear of failure and are open to experimenting with new things, obviously in consultation with the boss. That way, Ger-

Contrary to common belief, the dress culture in Germany is very casual. You are most likely to see everyone dressed in jeans and plain tees.

The sales, marketing and finance team, however,

A weekend is a weekend!: Germany follows a five day work culture. A six day working week is a strict no-no. No emails or official calls are made on weekends. Germany follows a no-work policy on weekends, barring a few exceptions. He signs off with some food for thought for Indians who aspire to work abroad. “In this day and age, it is important to expose yourself to a work culture other than your own. Therefore, be open and adaptable. Once you have made up your mind to go to another country for work, make sure you learn the language spoken there so that no communication challenges arise and you can connect better with people. It is good to always be culturally integrated. Ever heard of the famous quotation, ‘Culture could eat strategy for breakfast’?

Well, that very much applies to working abroad!” namratagulati8@gmail.com CC

tadka India facing talent shortage Indians find it tough filling job positions due to lack of available talent, and the toughest are those in accounting, finance and IT. The major reasons are lack of soft skills as cited by 36 per cent respondents and desire for more pay (34 per cent). There are 36 per cent of employers who train own their people.

December 1-15, 2016 / Corporate Citizen / 35

Cradle of Leadership {Army Institute of Technology}

Brig (Dr) SK Lahiri (Retd), Director

Armed with Opportunities Nestled in the peaceful Dighi hills of Pune, the Army Institute of Technology is a prestigious postgraduate engineering college for the wards of army personnel. Founded in 1994, the institute has become a force to reckon with in a short span of time.

The institute, affiliated to the University of Pune, is flourishing like never before under the leadership of its Director, Brig (Dr) SK Lahiri (Retd).

Brig Lahiri is an engineer officer, with 33 years of experience in the Indian Army. Other feathers in his cap include a degree in PhD (HRM), an envious degree in Business Management from IIM (Ahmedabad). He has also served as a faculty member at the College of Military Engineering Pune, Officers Training Academy Chennai and Defence Services Staff College, Wellington. In his seventh year as the director of AIT, Brig Lahiri sheds light on what sets AIT apart from other colleges and the factors that make it a top notch engineering college in the country...

By Namrata Gulati Sapra

36 / Corporate Citizen / December 1-15, 2016

Pics: Yusuf Khan

"The very fact that the student has been floating from one place to another exposes the child of an army soldier to various environments. In the bargain, they become highly adaptable to any given situation. They learn to make friends easily at different places, which in turn facilitates their interpersonal skills"

December 1-15, 2016 / Corporate Citizen / 37

Cradle of Leadership Please take us through the history of AIT. and what makes it so special?

Back in the days when Late Gen Bipin Joshi (PVSM, AVSM, PVC) was the Army Commander, he had made a rather valid observation about army soldiers expressing concern over the profession of their children. It was also at this time that engineering was among the most lucrative career options. The nature of an armyman’s job is such that it requires him to move from one place to the other because of which there is difficulty in getting a domicile certificate. Due to these factors, Late Gen Joshi felt there was a need for higher education projects to come up more vigorously. So, the Army Institute of Technology was established. A welfare project, the college began in 1994. The building was originally meant for a public school; there were Army Public Schools running under the aegis of the Army Education Welfare Society (AEWS) and this was our step towards building a college. Thanks to the success of AIT, ten more professional colleges have opened up across the country. AIT caters only to engineering graduates and to all Army wards. For admission into the college, there is a centralised admission process through JEE Mains Exam conducted

by CBSE Advocate Venugopal Rao. The admis-

sion is 100 per cent merit based. Students from all over the country seek to join AIT, which is a fully residential campus. Fortunately, we are 22 years old now and growing by the day. We are also planning to become autonomous by 2018.

The process has already begun.

How are the students of AIT, given that they are army wards, different from students from other colleges?

In a nutshell, the very fact that the student has been floating from one place to another exposes the child of an army soldier to various environments. In the bargain, they become highly adaptable to any given situation. They learn to make friends easily at different places, which in turn facilitates their inter-personal skills. I add here that the lady plays a major role in the army units. The wards see how self-reliant their mothers are and it sets a benchmark for them and they constantly fend for themselves. Secondly, discipline is the core of their daily routine. A popular phrase used in the army could well sum up their lives, “When the going gets tough, the tough gets going”. I have personally asked HR heads of various companies about what sets apart AIT students from students of other colleges, they only reiterate the points I

have made. Army wards also rank highly on the employability scale, given their smartness and strong communication skills.

AIT gets students from various backgrounds, wards of officers and wards of jawans. In an army unit, an officer is placed higher up on the hierarchy pyramid than a jawan. Have there been any cases of discrimination?

Not at all! Even before AIT was founded, we have always approved of the idea of all kinds of students studying together harmoniously.

During their growing up years, students go to central schools and other schools and learn to befriend each other regardless of socio-economic differences. Frankly speaking, the army is a very egalitarian society. During a command, an officer expects the jawans to follow his instructions. But the unit life is such that they even play games together, have food together in the langar. Then there are darbars where jawans can raise issues but in a disciplined manner. So that there is no discrimination as such. Yes, initially, wards of army officers have good speaking skills having been exposed to an English medium environment, which is not the case with the children of jawans, but the latter have the tendency

"Officers’ children perform very well. But in other curricular activities, children of JCOs or Other Ranks put in more effort and excel too. The real fire lies in the bellies of the children of JCOs. Jobs with the highest annual packages of `32 lakh, `27 lakh and `24 lakh—all three have gone to the wards of JCOs or Other Ranks" 38 / Corporate Citizen / December 1-15, 2016

to pick up very fast as they already have good inter-personal and team building skills.

"Reward and recognition play a very important role. There are Best Teacher Awards and Best Result Awards.

We are now introducing the Best Research Awards. There are incentives for a person to do PhD. When I had joined AIT, there were only five PhDs, now there are 13 PhDs and 27 in the pipeline"

Is there an anti ragging policy in place?

Yes, it is. That has become the law of the land now. Three to four years back, there was a policy in AIT where a bunch of final year students were selected to groom the youngsters at the college.

They were asked to take charge of varied hostels and help a fresher in building his/her speaking skills and interpersonal skills. However, a few of them turned out to be black sheep. We learnt through anonymous letters that these students were harassing freshers not physically, but mentally. From then on, we became very strict. We rusticated four final year students for a year, so as to send out a message to other students not to repeat the same. In the years that followed, we completely segregated the first year students and didn’t allow any students to stay with them.

Of course, mentoring is still done, but now second year students mentor the first year students.

Interaction between freshers and final year students is not totally blocked but has now become sort of formal. At AIT, we want open-ended communication between the alumni and students of AIT, as current students approach our alumni for internships or for technical projects and so on. There are sponsored industry projects, extra-curricular activities where students in groups of four to 30 represent the college. In such a scenario, students from all the four years are sent for competitions, therefore the interaction cannot but happen.

What kind of faculty does AIT look at?

We follow university rules and procedures. The university selection committee visits to recruit faculty members. Of course, we have our own representatives too, including the principal.

They are examined on technical skills among other qualities such as a positive attitude. Secondly, we look at English communication skills as English is the lingua franca of the corporate world. Thirdly and most importantly, we involve faculty members in every activity that the students undertake. We have a good system of counselling, wherein, for every 15 students, there is a faculty member to counsel – the same counselling approach we have at NDA or IMA. They are called directing staff. Within this system, the faculty members are expected to be involved with the student not just academically but also in the areas of their personal life. This has certainly paid dividends. The faculty understand students’ problems, and students also start looking up to the faculty.

Do the faculty counsellors also look into the psychological crisis faced by students at any point?

Touchwood, in the last 22 years, we haven’t faced

any suicidal case in our college. Being army wards, they have tremendous strength. Moreover, in hostels, students live in three-seater arrangements. Despite our offer of single-seater rooms for students with good academic performance, they prefer three-seaters. The simple reason is the free flow in exchange of ideas and thoughts and emotional support. That in itself is a stress-buster. Yes, there are cases of depression sometimes but the individual is taken care of by room-mates or on-campus professional counsellors. There are teaching counsellors and hostel wardens available at all times and so am I, as the Director. That said, every faculty member is supposed to be available during the daytime.

Since we have a director, joint director and hostel wardens residing in the campus 24x7, the students do not face any crisis. With the boom in digital media, students have access to e-mail, and we make it a point that any problem is attended to.

Does the faculty have to be necessarily from an army background?

No, all our faculty members are civilians, as per university rules. There are none from an army background but initially, the college had come up with the concept. There were four to five faculty members who served as army officers.

Having pursued their M.Tech from IITs, they stayed with us for two-three years. However, the army couldn’t afford to have their serving per-

sonnel posted at AIT. So, today we have only the director, joint director and the rector, who are three ex-army officers and then, there are a few wardens who are ex-JCOs. Apart from them, all 88 faculty members, including the principal are civilians.

How do you keep the teaching staff motivated? How do you encourage research among them?

Reward and recognition play a very important role. There are Best Teacher Awards and Best Result Awards. We are now introducing the Best Research Awards. There are incentives for a person to do PhD. When I had joined AIT, there were only five PhDs, now there are 13 PhDs and 27 in the pipeline. Then there are patents-in three years we got 24 patents, including 10 by our students. Pay also matters. We pay 6th Pay Commission scales to all our staffers. If there are any HR issues, we try to address them at the earliest.

What about sports facilities at AIT campus?

There are plenty of them. The campus is spread across 30 acres of land. We have a very good football field, two basketball courts, two volleyball courts, a tennis court, two squash courts and a badminton court. Today, Pune University has more than 750 colleges and AIT, with just 1200 students has a squash team in place, a

December 1-15, 2016 / Corporate Citizen / 39

Cradle of Leadership ➊ Ego wall at the Army Institute of Technology ➋ Students working on project

➌ State-of-art library at the Army Institute of Technology (AIT)

➊ ➋

"Approximately `1.7 crores are given out through scholarships, out of which an amount of `1.1 crores is given by the Army Group Insurance Funding where a scholarship worth `40,000 is granted to every fourth child.

Additionally, there are eight corporate organisations who have started scholarships.

This has resulted in more students trying for better results. The large number of scholarships on offer has been a great motivating force for students to perform well"

➌ badminton team, a basketball team, while also taking part in shooting events. We are getting represented in the university team out of such a proportion!

The AIT hostel has more accommodation for boys than girls. What is the reason?

The number of girl applicants is less in an engineering college. Even in IITs, the percentage this year grew to only 20-22 per cent. We are under Supreme Court’s rule that there should be no reservation of any kind, anywhere, so we are going strictly merit- based. Now we get 5000 applications for 300 merit seats, and we find that only 10-15 per cent are girls. But the number is increasing every year.

Officers’ children usually come from 40 / Corporate Citizen / December 1-15, 2016

a more academic conducive environment as opposed to a jawan’s. Is there a difference between how JCO’s children perform and how officers’ children perform?

Generalisations need to be more accurate. Officers’ children perform very well. But in other curricular activities, children of JCOs or Other Ranks put in more effort and excel too. Yes, officers’ children easily get internships provided they are helped by their parents which may not be the case with JCO’s wards. In the arena of our robotic competitions, I find, for example, that all students are drawn towards them. Children of JCOs often perform exceptionally well in the BAJA club (design competitions) while officers’ children do well at debating, or finding an internship or going abroad for their MS after graduation. Yet the real fire lies in the bellies

"AIT was always strong in the area of soft skills, but it was only good enough to get you placements. Gradually, after 2008, IT companies also changed their strategy and started looking for people who were more technically smart. Getting our chaps technically involved and taking pride in it has been my biggest contribution to AIT" of the children of JCOs. Jobs with the highest annual packages of `32 lakhs, `27 lakhs and `24 lakhs- all three have gone to the wards of JCOs or Other Ranks. Even though officers’ wards get placement easily due to their soft skills, they have not reached the `32 lakhs category. Their placement packages usually lie between `6 to 10 lakhs.

What about the fee structure?

The fee structure is absolutely common regardless of the student’s background. One of the biggest strengths of AIT are the numerous scholarships offered. Approximately `1.7 crore are given out through scholarships, out of which an amount of `1.1 crore is given by the Army Group Insurance Funding where a scholarship worth `40,000 is granted to every fourth child.

Additionally, there are eight corporate organisations who have started scholarships. This has resulted in more students trying for better results. The large number of scholarships on offer has been a great motivating force for students to perform well.

In the last few years, the ranking of AIT has gone up. What three attributes according to you have made this possible?

The infrastructure is good. But infrastructure alone cannot be the sole contributing factor.

What makes a lot of difference is student placement, patents, faculty, research publications, etc. Today every faculty member has to write a research paper in a publication or journal which is a high impacting factor on the rankings. Then, there are various personality development programmes that are being given weightage. The students are selected through JEE mains, the cut-off for which is high. But

the most important factor that has upped our rankings was the placement of our students and our infrastructure.

What is the general number of applicants and intakes like? What are the most popular and preferred courses opted for by the students?

When I started off in 2011, there were 6000 applicants which has now dropped down to 4000 applicants. The ratio which was 22:1 has now come down to 13:1. It has gone down certainly but we are in a better position than other colleges as the intake here is still larger than many other colleges. By far, Computer is the most sought after course. Hence we have increased the number by 60 to 120. For E&TC, the intake was 120, but we have reduced it by 60 because not many electronic companies can be found in and around the western region.

Tell us about the various clubs that are a part of the college.

We have 10 clubs in the college. First is the Robotics Club—we have recently opened up a 3DPLB Lab which is a robotic lab. We have signed an MoU with IIT and the EEE Ultra Lab has been opened too. They are all under Robotics, which is extremely popular among our students. We have a BAJA and SupraAsia Club for the Mechanical department. Then again it’s interdisciplinary so we have representatives from other departments too. Every year, they make two models everywhere. It’s a huge investment of course and they go present their models at national level competitions in Chennai, Noida, Pitampura, and have been getting prizes there. Third, there’s an Open Source Software Lab for the IT and Computer department, but

as of today, students of E&TC are also using it.

The Cultural Club is a very strong domain for AIT which has its own branches. There’s a Technology Club, Maths Club, Astronomy Club and Fine Arts Club. Others are subsets of them. And surprisingly, without any formal fine arts teacher, the students of this club have been performing so well. We have a cultural event—Aakriti, which is also a sports event. Students are all charged up about it. So we started something along similar lines called Tech-Aakriti which carries similar marks.

What would you say has been your biggest contribution to AIT as its Director?

AIT was always strong in the area of soft skills, but it was only good enough to get you placements. Gradually, after 2008, IT-companies also changed their strategy and started looking for people who were more technically smart.

We have started making students do their internships. At other places, it isn’t compulsory but at AIT, we have made it mandatory and quite a serious mission for our students.

There are online course like CourseEra, Edu City and Khans Academy which students have to take up compulsorily. Built around this, we have started co-curricular course-based assessment for which every student, right from the first year starts getting graded and these grades are displayed during the time of the final year placements. Getting our chaps technically involved and taking pride in it has been my biggest contribution to AIT. Along with this, to systematise their employability skills, we have signed MoUs. Students are being assessed on aptitude—quantitative, different types of technical, mechanical, automotive engineering—and the five-factor personality

December 1-15, 2016 / Corporate Citizen / 41

Cradle of Leadership test, along with technical competencies. In the bargain, we now know where we are stronger and where weaker. We are focussing on our weaknesses. The faculty members get along well with the students, the campus is fully WiFi enabled, we have national level knowledge network connections. Lesson plans are all updated on the net and classes are very interactive. This is the model we follow to make classes interesting to catch students’ attention.

Case studies must be brought about in classes at least on a weekly basis. Faculty members are encouraged to work harder and students to learn a lot. These are a few of the recent achievements at AIT.

Are you planning to launch new courses at AIT?

We have Civil Engineering already approved, in principle. But it involves a huge capital cost and our guidelines are that it has to be a fully residential college. The introduction of this course will increase college strength from 1200 to1440. So we need to first increase the hostel facilities and then introduce a civil engineering lab, etc. All of this costs money but it has all been approved and we will come up with this new course in the future, maybe.

Not Complacent Over Placements!

How scientifically equipped and modern are the labs at AIT?

We are accredited by NAAC and have got an A grade in that area, meaning alpha. Besides, the computer department has also got a grading equivalent to an alpha. Some of our labs have been reaccredited and the results will come anytime. Experts have gone through our labs and find them pretty good. Six of our labs today are industry sponsored. MoUs have been signed with eight to ten companies who are involved with our college activities. We are in the process of making fab labs for BAJA and have been equipped with latest technologies in this direction. We have also opened up a PG course for machine design in the second year.

One of the factors that makes the Army Institute of Technology a highly competitive engineering college is its competitive placements. Prof Manoj Khaladkar, Training & Placement Head, AIT, has been consistently at work to make the impossible possible.

No wonder that top notch corporate organisations, including the likes of ZS Associates, Deloitte, INA Bearings, Amazon, Microsoft, Oracle, Ericsson and Godrej visit AIT for annual recruitment. The placement expert provides an insight into the prevailing placement trends at the much sought-after institute...

How effectively does AIT groom its students to become entrepreneurs? Does AIT have its own innovation centre?

We have an incubation centre where students are groomed, where they execute and implement their own business ideas. We have an entrepreneurs’ alumni with a strength of over 50, mostly in the IT sector. So there’s knowledge capital acquired after going abroad and later settling here and starting their own enterprise.

Large numbers of students are in the process of starting their own start-ups. We have opened up an Entrepreneurship Development Cell (EDC) where we give the students focussed direction.

You really have to be passionate to take up entrepreneurship. Young people today are very

passionate, we just have to give them some help.

Our alumni also generate funds and we too have come up with seed money to give them at low cost to invest.

What about the hostels, are there any recreational activities for the students?

Hostels are good. We don’t have air conditioned rooms like in Manipal, but our rooms are comfortable. We have built a new hostel with single rooms because final year students want to get

42 / Corporate Citizen / December 1-15, 2016

into single rooms, but when we asked the first year chaps if we could modify their three seater and two seater rooms into single, they didn’t want it. They wanted to stay together with friends. So we shelled that plan. The toilets are as per the latest amenities and hostel rooms are Wi-Fi connected. The mess food has improved a lot, the hostel scene is okay. The buildings are 22 years old and need repair. For this we keep asking for feedback from students, but they have no issues with it.

Team spirit matters!

“Every industry looks for team players and the students at AIT, given their army background, offer exactly that. No wonder, in the last six to seven years, all top industries, especially product-based industries, have been recruiting our students consistently. Ninety per cent of our placements are from this sector alone, which is an achievement in itself.”

Pay packages to look out for

“Our average pay packages are around `5 lakhs per annum. Our maximum package stands at `32 lakhs, which was offered by Works Applications.”

Getting better and better: Year 2017

“For year 2017, 73 per cent of our students have been successfully placed. Among them, HSBC has recruited massively from AIT, with pay packages varying from `7 LPA to `12 LPA.”

Mission Placement

“We have a defined module of placements. We start grooming aspirants from the first year itself. They are tested on written English followed by a verbal test. Students are then shortlisted, graded and categorised further for training.

In the second year, soft skills are paid attention to. All the different disciplines at AIT have this advantage. A special teacher has been appointed or this. Starting from the second year, campus placement training programmes, inclusive of GDs, personal interviews, Quant practice, Analytical practice and a psychological Test (for MCAT) are held. An MCAT personality test is also conducted. Based on the personality 5-factor model, students are evaluated on different parameters like multitasking, extroversion and other qualities that make them placement ready.

In the final year, they are trained very well, especially those who are weak at personal interviews. AIT has designed a format for the evaluation of communication skills for PI. This format has been designed after discussion and

What about parent engagement?

We have given them e-mail ids, and they keep sending regular mails if they have any queries or to seek information. We had begun the concept of PTA meetings two years back. Parents are in regular touch with the counsellors. They are kept in the loop about the marks of their wards through the website where the scores can be checked. There’s enough transparency for parents and I used to keep writing my own DOs to parents about whatever was happening in the

Illustrious Alumni of the Army Institute of Technology, Pune Name of the Alumni

Batch

Branch

Current Position and Achievement

Dhruv Kapur

1998

Computer

Director, Sapient Consulting Ltd.

Akshay Johar

1998

Computer

Principal Test Manager, Microsoft

Rishi Bhatnagar

1999

E&TC

AVP, JP Morgan Chase

Sahil Mathur

2000

Computer

Manager, Facebook

Sumit Roy Chowdhury

2000

Computer

Sr Manager, Deloitte

Puneet Punj

2000

E&TC

Sr VP & Regional Head, DBS Bank Ltd.

Devinder Singh

2001

Mechanical

Business Unit Head-Fastening & Accessories, Stanley Black & Decker Inc.

Pawan Kartik

2002

E&TC

Director, Capgemini, Australia

Kuldeep Singh

2003

E&TC

Associate Director, Cognizant Technology Solutions

Sarita Iyengar

2003

E&TC

AVP, HSBC Singapore

Shikha Rana

2005

IT

AVP, Barclays Capital

Manish Gupta

2006

E&TC

VP, Royal Bank of Scotland PLC, London

"Every industry looks for team players and the students at AIT, given their army background, offer exactly that. No wonder, in the last six to seven years, all top industries, especially product-based industries, have been recruiting our students consistently" inputs from the industry and HR professionals.

This format covers all the aspects of good communication skills.”

Where there is a will, there is a way!

“AIT takes immense pain for good annual placements. We ensure that new names in the corporate world visit us every year. This year, for instance, a newbie hired 13 students at a good package from AIT. That apart, we approach many industries personally and send them our placement brochures. Our ranking speaks highly of us to the topmost industries.”

last semester in the college.

What do you do in your leisure time?

How do you to take out time for yourself amid such a busy schedule?

I play golf. The 9 to5 job does not leave me with much time, but whenever I get time, I go and play golf. I am an avid reader, not just fiction, non-fiction as well. I also delve into books on employability skills, spiritual books, too. I did my PhD in HR management, titled “Employment Compe-

Encouragement like none other

“AIT leaves no stone unturned when it is about providing encouragement to our students. We have improvised an innovative way to motivate students. Every year on Foundation Day, we invite one successful entrepreneur and one eminent industrialist and award them. The number of scholarships that we award is also high. These are industry sponsored or sponsored by NGOs, army group insurance, newspaper industry and others. One in every four students is likely to get a scholarship. Special scholarships for girls, such as Leela Poonawala and Badve scholarships have been instituted exclusively for girls.”

tencies in Small and Medium Enterprises”. That’s another area I remain in touch with. I love travelling too. My children are settled abroad, so I keep going to Europe and the US. Now I’m planning to go to smaller areas of our own country. I haven’t seen much of South India so Kerala is on my list and of course Himachal and Uttarakhand are simply fabulous! My spouse is a teacher at CME Public School, so I have to adjust my holidays and outings according to her schedule.

namratagulati8@gmail.com

December 1-15, 2016 / Corporate Citizen / 43

Education Hub

It’s the age of

helicopter parents!

Helicopter parents mean ones who take an overprotective or excessive interest in the life of their child or children.

Some see this as the behaviour of an overindulged generation, raised by helicopter parents and lacking in resilience.

Sagarika Roy Bhatia, Principal RBK International School, Mumbai, speaks about challenges in front of the teaching fraternity thanks to well informed parents By Vinita Deshmukh You have been an educationist for the past 18 years. Which are the educational institutions that you worked in?

I started my career in international education with Poddar International School, when the concept of international schools had just come to India around 2004. Thereafter, I have worked with SVK International School in Mumbai and D Y Patil International School in Delhi. After that I was Vice Principal at RBK International Academy, Chembur. Now I am heading the RBK International School, Bhayandar. It is an A level, international school. It has the Cambridge curriculum of the UK. Being an educationist for the last two decades what are the changes you have seen as regards parents and children?

Way back in 2004, it was a totally different generation. Globalisation had just started so the exposure was not too much. You did not know much about what is international education at that point of time. With globalisation, awareness has increased. Also, household income has changed.

That is, mother and father, both have their own careers and so all these parents are helicopter parents. Travelling has made them aware what is the education world-wide. Periodicals, the Internet and Television have empowered them and their children, with immense information.

Now they also understand importance of interdisciplinary learning which was not available in the State Boards, ICSE or CBSE curriculums. The focus was only in one discipline, be it Arts, Commerce or Science. Parents, particularly those who are working in the corporate sector want the best for their child/children and take keen interest in what the child is doing/studying even if they are jet setting across the world.

Education in an International School is all about inter-disciplinary learning right from nursery. Also, for the children it is all round development, as sports, music, robotics and various kinds of extra-curricular activities are taught here. So basically the way the educationists are looking into education is the holistic development of the child. When we say holis44 / Corporate Citizen / December 1-15, 2016

Pics: Yusuf Khan

tic, it is not only the IQ (Intelligence Quotient) but also the development of the EQ that is the Emotional Quotient of the child, because when children grow up, it is very important for them to be emotionally stable. Any leader, be it in any field, must be emotionally stable. These are the skills we develop right from Grade I itself, besides developing their Spiritual Quotient too.

You just spoke about explosion of information among children and parents. Has it changed the role of an educator considering earlier it was a one way giving of knowledge?

Initially the definition of a teacher would be one who is at the centre of the stage. But now the teacher is also a friendly guide by the side.

The teacher has to be a role model and has to be multi-tasking. She or he should be multi-talented and multi-faceted. The role of a teacher is all about coming down from the pedestal where he was perched and be able to dance, sing and go hiking with the children. The teachers’ role nowadays is not limited to just teaching.

What about the discipline aspect, or the respect?

Parents earlier were having unconditional trust in the educationists, can you find the difference, positive or negative?

There is a difference. The parents are demanding. It is no more unconditional.

It is very much questionable.

Obviously, when they are paying high fees, they feel it is their birth right to come and inquire into various issues. Anyway, we also keep up to it. Our whole system is transparent. Parents have a view of the classroom and whatever activities are happening. We are on Facebook and Internet, and they can get into our campus also to see things. Everything is transparent. So at the same time that they are becoming demanding, we are also becoming giving. Now it is both ways.

“The What do you think educationists He or she is like a of the future of too need to be philosopher and the child? Earlier guide… it was like you very sensitive about No, he or she has to study and the situation and learnbe more of a friend. a doctor ers they are handling. It become The philosopher or engineer; helps us to know their and guide era has today what are gone. Now you can background. We always the avenues get through to the open? encourage parents to students and learners Every child has a difspeak to us; to tell only when we befriend ferent intelligence. It us their backthem. That is why they does not matter whether say the teacher should be he attains an A or B in his ground” a guide by the side. He or she cannot be dictating or dominating.

We have to be one with them to get through to them. Anyways everything is available on the Internet these days. So, how would a teacher help them? We need to connect emotionally to the child.

You mentioned about the EQ development but what do you find today in a child in terms of emotions than the child of earlier decades?

As I said earlier, children today are very aware of things and they are born digitally perfect. Their learning is more hands on. They are not passive learners anymore. They want to be active learners. And when they become active learners, we as an institution also need to give them enough opportunities to learn beyond the classroom. We cannot restrict the learning only to the four walls of the classroom. We have to create that kind of opportunities for these kind of learners. That’s the difference.

academics. These days, you would be surprised to know, right from 8th Grade we have started subject selection. Initially the subject selection would be only after you finish Grade 9. But now from Grade 8 they are making the choices. So because of the exposure they are getting and number of avenues that are opening up, we will also have to incorporate subjects like Psychology which are given to the learners only at the degree level. Now we offer it at school. This is where an international school is different from the normal domestic curriculum. That is because our curriculum is such that we are catering to levels of children who want to learn, who really are inclined to learning and who want to learn much more than what the state boards are offering.

Do you have psychological counsellors at the school? Are they required? And why?

Yes. They are very much required because we also have children coming from broken families. It is a major concern in these times. When children

come from broken families, it is difficult to handle them. Teachers are not trained to handle them.

That is where a psychologist comes into the picture and takes action to cope up with the difficulties, be them emotional, academic or any other.

So, does such a child have problem in learning?

No. Their problem is not with the learning. Their problem is emotional. The child is not getting the care that he is entitled to by the mother and the father. And then it is left to a single parent. Single parents concentrates only on working. The child is left alone. So there is loneliness and nowadays it is the trend of a single child too. It is not even a joint family system. That one child does not know how to care, how to share and does not have anyone to talk to. Video games are very violent and aggressive. These are the reasons why they are under emotional turmoil. The children of this generation are becoming aggressive because of the games they play.

What is the solution to this?

The solution to this is that as parents, we have to be sensitive. The educationists too need to be very sensitive about the situation and learners they are handling. It helps us to know their background. We always encourage parents to come and speak to us; to tell us their background. In fact, it is social taboo for them to say we are divorced or to say we no longer live together. They do not want to say such things. They do not want to say that their child is dyslexic child or it is having any other problem. It would help if they come out and share with us. If they come and talk to us, we are more than happy because we have resources to help. They should open up. The barrier is breaking but we need more openness from parents. vinitapune@gmail.com

December 1-15, 2016 / Corporate Citizen / 45

Loved & Married too It is not often these days that a college romance fructifies into 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

Loved & Married too

LOVELY INDO-US TIES

Married for over 16 years, Loveena Aggrawal and Jason Leonardo have partnered each other both in life and work. From accepting cultural differences to the bringing up of their two boys to the founding and running of their company Everything Expats—an unique concept that helps ease the process of relocating to Pune for the rapidly increasing expat community. A challenge—and a joy—if ever there was one. This is their story and this is how they tell it.

By Kalyani Sardesai

46 / Corporate Citizen / December 1-15, 2016

Pics: Yusuf Khan

We are both perfectionists and go-getters with an eye for detail—and at times butting heads is inevitable. However, we both have our individual competencies-though at the end of the day we are a unit.

We like to be as hands on as possible but with time the business is expanding, and we will have to let go a bit� —Loveena December 1-15, 2016 / Corporate Citizen / 47

Loved & Married too

T

heir relationship has traversed two continents and a bouquet of experiences—both tough and tender. And like good coffee, only gotten better with time. Possibly it helps that they are still so much in love.

The duo first met in 1998 in Denver, Colorado training as event coordinators for the non-profit organisation ‘Up with People’—a global educational organisation that aims to bring the world together through service and music, with a view to promoting better cultural understanding amongst peoples of different nationalities.

Loveena, a Pune girl, through and through-up to that point had just moved to the US post her MBA—and was looking forward to discovering a whole new world. A world—of which romance—would be very much a part.

First impression of her as she walked into the room? "Pretty girl. And whoa! She actually smiled at me," reminisces Jason. "I later realised that she smiled at everyone—not just me," he grins. Nevertheless, both hit it off very well. The conversation flowed easily, they both had a lot to talk about. So much so, that they actually discussed the possibility of marriage just two weeks hence.

"I brought up the subject—and he said a yes."

It was as simple as that.

When East meets West

The families took a bit of convincing, though— given their different nationalities.

"I called up mom—and uttered just one sentence before hanging up the phone: I had met an American boy," shares Loveena. "Bas! That was

enough to give her a few sleepless nights."

Nevertheless, Loveena's dad—having been a well-travelled marine engineer—was much more open to the idea.

From Jason's side, his father was concerned too—considering his son's capacity to form deep attachments. "He just didn't want me to get hurt.

But when he understood that this was what I wanted, he was happy for us."

Building blocks of a bond

A ring and a poem later

• Earmarking quality time together

Nevertheless, Jason wanted to pop the question with ceremony and care. "So one day, he asked me to put on my best dress—as we were to go out for dinner," says Loveena. This was in Shawnee, a small-town in Oklahoma where they were setting up an event for Up with People.

Jason had taken the trouble to take the Larsons, the family hosting Loveena, into confidence. So they weren't too surprised when he showed up at their doorstep in a Limousine—all the better to pick her up in style.

"He took me to this really nice restaurant. I had an inkling that something was in the air—though I couldn't figure out what," says Loveena. "To top it, he kept asking me why I wasn't visiting the bathroom for a bit—so finally I did."

On return, she found a ring—nestled amidst the fragrant folds of a floral bouquet—Jason on bended knee—even as the staff and other guests looked on. What followed was the most beautiful proposal ever. "He read out a poem he had specially composed for me—telling me what I meant to him...But of course it had to be a yes!"

Things moved pretty fast then. "I had told him at the outset that since I was an only child we would have to live in India one day—and he was

Loveena Aggrawal and Jason Leonardo married the Hindu way in India and the Roman Catholic way in the US

• Being open to each other’s ways-taking the time and trouble to understand nuances way different from those you are used to • Not making an issue of religion

• Pursuing goals of mutual value together ok with that," she says.

So they moved to India in January 2000—a month before their nuptials.

Namaste India!

Naturally, Jason had to take on the onus of understanding and accepting the nuances of a whole new culture. "We had about 400 to 500 people for our engagement—and the journey of adjustment started from there," he smiles. "It was frustrating and overwhelming at times—but gradually it got easier and easier. People here tend to be very personal and caring—they want to do things for you.

Being an independent sort of person, who was totally used to doing things for himself—it was a bit tough—but when you keep an open mind, it all works out eventually."

They married the Hindu way in India in February and the Roman Catholic way in the US in July—and both ceremonies were a whole lot of fun. "It was her side of the family that had planned everything—so there was no confusion or conflict in anyway," he smiles. "My folks couldn't make it; my sisters did though."

Another stint followed in the US before the duo finally moved back to India in 2008—for good—as had been decided.

Possibly they would join Loveena's family business or strike out on their own.

As luck would have it, it was the latter.

Everything expats

It was round about this time that Loveena noticed the change in Pune's landscape. "Rapid industrialisation and growth meant that the expat community was an increasing presence. And with Pune ranking high as the city of preference for most expats, the numbers would only keep growing from strength to strength. What was common to all, though, was the sense of being lost," she says. "Be it buying an oven—to finding the right document for the Indian authorities— to hiring help—to finding schools and furnishing apartments to their test, India can be a confusing and layered experience for many. We decided we could do something to make the relocation 48 / Corporate Citizen / December 1-15, 2016

A lot of expats simply can’t figure out why Indians don’t give a straightforward answer, especially when the outcome is negative.

They wonder if they are being tricked, which is not so. It’s just that locals are loathe to let down guests, or have them form a negative impression of India” — Jason

from another country a whole lot smoother," says Loveena.

And thus was born the seed of an idea—called Everything Expats.

So from helping expats find suitable accommodation by renting property, to doing up their apartment, finding their feet in a whole new country to simplifying the foreigner registration process; help in organising everyday logistics such as Internet and cable TV connections, orienting them with the city to classes in communication skills and social etiquette to help bridge the cultural gap, and finally departure management—everything expats is a one-stop answer to

assorted questions facing the expat community.

"We also help with understanding the finer nuances of Indian culture," says Jason. "For instance, a lot of expats simply can't figure out why Indians don't give a straightforward answer—especially when the outcome is negative. They wonder if they are being tricked—which is not so. It's just that locals are loathe to let down guests—or have them form a negative impression of India."

Nine years on, they have helped relocate thousands of families--and counting.

The mantra of a marriage

"He's friendly and funny—superb sense of hu-

mour," says Loveena on being asked what she likes most about him. For his part, Jason would call her "genuine and honest with a gift of making people feel at home."

What also works big time is neither of them is very religious, but welcoming of different influences. A fact that finds ample expression in the manner they've done up their home—with a bit of both Indian and American taste.

And even as they manage their time around their work—and two boys—Avinash (12) and Andrew ( 9), they are particular about keeping a bit of time for themselves. "We go out on date nights still. It helps us reconnect," she says.

Apart from which, the family takes regular vacations together. "One ritual is to hire a RV and do road trips around the US each summer. It's fun, helps us unwind and we are able to spend quality time together," they say.

Despite the pressures of their schedules, Jason says the family makes it a point to have at least a meal together a day. "It's a bit tough, but worth the trouble," he says.

Working together poses its own set of challenges. "A lot of friends ask me how on earth I manage to work with my husband," laughs Loveena. “So yes, he does drive me crazy at times—but it works out. We are both perfectionists and go-getters with an eye for detail—and at times butting heads is inevitable. However, we both have our individual competencies—though at the end of the day we are a unit. We like to be as hands on as possible but with time the business is expanding, and we will have to let go a bit."

"Mom and dad have great camaraderie," grins Avinash. "I mean, he'll say something like: that woman we met the other day, what was her name? And she immediately gets it."

So maybe, that's what it's all about. They get each other. Yup, that's about it. kalyanisardesai@gmail.com

December 1-15, 2016 / Corporate Citizen / 49

Star Campus Placement

Plugging the

loopholes...

‘Where there is a will, there is a way’- if there is a proverb that could sum up the placement journey of Mahesh Kasana, a final year student of the prestigious Army Institute of Technology, this would be it.

Read on to find out how his efforts and perseverance paid rich dividends when he earned himself a placement with Commvault as a Junior Engineer at a whopping package of `14.5 lakh per annum, even though two major challenges stared him in the face when he joined college...

By Namrata Gulati Sapra Starting right from the scratch

The P-word is enough to run a shiver down the spine of final year students but the placement time can turn into a nightmare of sorts when you know you are at a disadvantage because of your background. “Frankly, I come from a Hindi speaking background. That said, I had no IT-related background and barely had any knowledge of it. Thus, I had my own set of doubts and fears about being able to get a placement.” But Mahesh was too determined not to give up. Like most winners, his preparation began from day one, “I pulled up my socks right from the very first year of college. Thankfully, AIT provides a conducive enough environment to turn one’s weaknesses into strengths. The faculty is approachable too,” Mahesh says.

The only answer: Practice

Practice makes a man perfect and that is exactly what it did to the man in question. Mahesh recalls, “My college has been a great support system throughout. In the first year, our communication skills are polished. In the second year, our concepts on data structures and other computer-related subjects are taken care of. In the year that followed, the mighty and the most challenging Operating System was made our focus.” Mahesh, being well aware of his Achilles’ heel worked day and night to overcome his vulnerabilities. He says, “In the first year of college, I attended all the mock sessions that replicated 50 / Corporate Citizen / December 1-15, 2016

Understand your weaknesses and work hard to turn them into your strengths. Do not give up easily even if achieving this takes its own sweet time.

And most likely, it will, be confident

Tried & tested

placement interviews with corporate professionals and underwent every bit of training I could in order to better my communication skills. That turned out to be a game changer for me as it upped my confidence considerably.

In addition to that, I rigorously studied at an individual level for five to six hours everyday and worked harder on the IT subjects as I had already noticed that IT firms primarily visited our college to hire students. So I did not have an option but to study all by myself to make up for my shortcomings that could not have been overlooked.”

Cracking a tough nut

Mahesh set his sights on an opportunity to work with Commvault as a Junior Engineer at package of `14.5 lakh per annum, but, it was not going be an easy nut to crack.

After all, this was an IT giant. The first round had 300 students appearing for a five-question test that was all about coding and data structure. And the challenge was to solve them in just 70 minutes! Never once did Mahesh lose his calm or patience. “All my hard work and hours and hours of practice gave me my confidence. The investment did not disappoint me as I knew all the answers. And guess what, I was even sure of making it to the second round in

Mahesh gives some tips that might come in handy when your placement time is round the corner!

• Practice, practice and some more is the key to all your anxieties and worries. So is self-study, that too right from the time you join college.

• Understand your weaknesses and work hard to turn them into your strengths. Do not give up easily even if achieving this takes its own sweet time. And most likely, it will.

• No matter what, keep your cool and patience. Be confident. Your perseverance will yield results, sooner or later.

spite of having left a question and I was right! Later in the day, during afternoon hours, the results were declared. I was not surprised to find my name among the list of those who were to proceed to round two to compete further,” he remembers.

He added, “Among 300 students, 28 students were shortlisted for the second round, which entailed as many as nine hours of coding! Phew! Even though we were allowed breaks in between, nine hours is no joke as it exhausts you mentally and drains you out. But I was not willing to let this golden opportunity slip out of my hand. I was not willing for the thorough knowledge I had acquired in the last few years to go to waste. Nor was I going to let my practice be useless. I was determined to join this very organisation and that kept me going throughout my placement journey. I performed well in this tricky round too and grabbed myself this coveted golden opportunity to work with this IT giant at a great package!” namratagulati8@gmail.com

CC

tadka

Sanitation woes in India More than half of the India’s rural population (52.1 per cent), continue to defecate in the open, as per the most recent Swachhta Status report in 2015. The report by National Sample Survey Office (NSSO) notes that among households with sanitary toilet, 95.6 percent use these toilets. But, India fares poorly in comparison to data compiled by r.i.c.e - Sub-Saharan Africa had only about half of the rural open defecation compared to India.

December 1-15, 2016 / Corporate Citizen / 51

survey

The Top Challenges of Global Businesses

The business world is facing changes at an unprecedented pace. We are in the midst of one of the most volatile period in economic history. To help organisations and their leaders understand these changes, multinational professional services firm Deloitte presents the 2016 Global Human Capital Trends report to help make sense of the blizzard of changes organisations have to address. Based on more than 7,000 responses in over 130 countries around the world, Deloitte takes a comprehensive look at the trends and priorities of Global businesses. Corporate Citizen presents the results.

52 / Corporate Citizen / December 1-15, 2016

Survey methodology Latin America and Western Europe formed the bulk of the survey respondents, followed by Asia, Africa and North America.

2016

has been a tough year for Businesses. Organisations are facing the brunt of increasing costs worldwide, while profit margins are shrinking. Developed markets like America and Europe are reaching a saturation point, while developed markets are seeing cutthroat competition. In the face of these unprecedented challenges, organisations are feeling the heat. Executives see a need to redesign the organization itself, with 92 percent of survey participants rating this as a critical priority.

This process is known as Organisational redesigned, and has emerged as the global priority. To lead this shift toward a new organization, CEOs and HR leaders are focused on understanding and creating a shared culture, designing a work environment that engages people, and constructing a new model of leadership and career development. Going forward, majority of HR functions are going to be automated. One of the chief findings of the survey is that HR must upgrade their skills to remain relevant in the new era. Let us now consider each of these findings in detail, starting with the survey methodology.

Professional and Financial services are the most surveyed businesses (15 percent), followed by Consumer Business (13 percent), Manufacturing (12 percent) and Technology and Communications (11 percent).

December 1-15, 2016 / Corporate Citizen / 53

survey The 2016 Global Human Capital Trends research identified 10 important trends In 2016, organisational design rocketed to the top of the agenda among senior executives and HR leaders worldwide, with 92 percent rating it a key priority. Perennial issues such as leadership, learning, and HR skills continue to rank high in importance. Culture and engagement are also a major concern for executives.

The 10 trends ranked in order of importance An overwhelming 92 percent of surveyed executives rated Organisational design as the primary trend. Leadership scored a close second. Changes in learning models and digitalisation of HR are also chief trends that organisations are focusing on.

54 / Corporate Citizen / December 1-15, 2016

Importance of challenges in different regions China and Africa are in the middle of an selfassessment phase, trying to bring down costs and improving profitability in the face of increasing competition. Which is why Organisational Design is viewed as a priority in Asia and Africa (95 percent). India, on the other hand, has a growing economy, but lacks adequate leadership, making it the priority in South-East Asia (97 percent). Organisational Culture is also gaining priority across global businesses.

Importance of challenges in different industries When we look at Capital trend priorities by sector, we see that Manufacturing views organisational design as the highest priority (95 percent), whereas the financial services sector views Leadership (91 percent) as the highest concern going forward. One of the highlights of the survey is the concern of HR’s role in the face of digitalisation in the future. With many of HR processes getting automated, there is concern that HR may have to undergo a significant transition in order to be relevant in the future.

Compiled By Neeraj Varty December 1-15, 2016 / Corporate Citizen / 55

Health

Gym-free workouts Put the fun back into fitness with these equipment-free workouts. These illustrated guides are designed to help make your workouts effective and easy to follow. Created with busy people in mind, these routines from fitness expert Neila Rey, now known as Darebee, can be done anywhere, at any time. Many of these routines count towards your recommended 150 minutes a week of exercise and muscle strengthening activity.

Standing abs workout

56 / Corporate Citizen / December 1-15, 2016

Cardio jump workout

Neck exercises

Roller workout Stair workout

courtsey: www.nhs.uk December 1-15, 2016 / Corporate Citizen / 57

Pearls of Wisdom

By Swami Krishnananda

What exactly is peace of mind?

We are totally disassociated from the world of nature, from its Creator.

That which you call peace, which you erroneously identify with some fancy of yours, is a little different from what you think it to be

A

person with no peace of mind does not actually live, but just exists. Living is different from just existing. First and foremost the purpose of life has to be understood—why you want to be alive at all. Do you want to continue living in this world with distorted feelings, insecurity from all sides, fear that is gnawing into your vitals and dissatisfaction everywhere?

Would you like to live such a life?

Every person has a common complaint that things are not as one would like them to be. This complaint is without foundation because things are exactly, even now, as they ought to be. You are not actually as you ought to be. The complaint, therefore, has to point in your direction and not in the direction of the world outside.

We somehow forget that we belong to this wondrous structure of creation, which we look at as something that is staring at us as if we are

outside it. The world, taken in its totality, never does wrong. It has its comprehensive vision directed towards its own goal. However, much our learning and erudition, we cannot give up the prejudice of feeling that we are standing outside the world, outside everything; we are inside nothing.

We are totally disassociated from the world of nature, from its Creator. That which you call peace, which you erroneously identify with some fancy of yours, is a little different from what you think it to be. Can you define what you really mean by peace? When there is no noise, when nobody talks to you, when there is nothing for you to see in front of you, when everything is calm and stands still—is that peace?

When everything is dead silent from all parts of the world—nothing moves, no sound is created and nobody speaks—is that peace? Naturally you will hesitate to agree that this kind of thing is peace. When there is no disturbance from anything in the world, nobody speaks to you, no sound is created, nothing happens anywhere,

58 58 // Corporate Corporate Citizen Citizen // December December 1-15, 1-15, 2016 2016

why should you not regard it as peace? It may be felt subtly from within. Peace does not come from outside. If the external world is the cause of your disturbance, then the dead silence of everything in nature, or in general, should be considered as peace.

So, the world is not the source of your distraction and suffering. The reactions that you set up in respect of the atmosphere outside are the causes of what you are, basically. I have been telling you many a time that you must regard the whole universe as a single organism. When it is said that the universe is an organism, a living, single unit, complete in itself, it goes without saying, simultaneously, that everything connected with this total organism also is an organism. Little organisms make large organisms, but nevertheless even the little ones are organisms only; they are not dead fractions. Your self is a complete organism. The society outside also is an organism by itself. The governmental setup itself is an organism. Everything is to be viewed in the sense of a totality and a completeness in itself.

Thus we have a series of organisms, or forms of completeness, until we reach the completeness of creation as a whole. The peace that you are speaking of, or want to have, is the extent to which you are in harmony with the organism with which you are inextricably related.

What are the things, actually, with which you are connected in this world? With those things, you have to be in a state of harmony.

The agitations of the mind, caused by various factors, produce repercussions in the external atmosphere, and it looks like social conflict.

There cannot be social conflict unless there is individual disturbance and conflict in one's own self, because society is nothing but many people like you, like me, like anybody. If every individual is filled with inner peace, society will have a completely peaceful atmosphere around.

It is no use saying society is bad… ...The source of peace is the balance that has to be struck in your own mind. The balance is disturbed on account of the mind working as the medium of the sense organs, which move to-

wards objects outside. The agitation of the mind is caused by the necessity to think in terms of external objects—distance itself. That which you call peace or harmony of existence is the situation that you establish between yourself and that to which you belong—namely, the universal whole. It begins with lesser wholes and then enlarges itself into larger wholes until it covers the whole universe. Until the whole creation is in peace, you cannot be in peace, because it is not possible for a limb to be healthy when the organism is suffering.

If completeness is the nature of the entire creative pattern, the peace spoken of in terms of this pattern of creativity is integral to itself.

The universe does not require anything to happen outside it in order that it may be in peace.

Remember what I told you: every part of the cosmic organism is also an organism by itself —including yourself. The universe does not require anything to happen outside it in order that it may be in peace. If that is the truth, then it applies to you also. There is no need for anything

“So, the world is not the source of your distraction and suffering. The reactions that you set up in respect of the atmosphere outside are the causes of what you are, basically” to take place outside in order that you may be in peace, because the law of the universe applies to every individual. The law of the universe is such that it needs nothing external to it. Then how do you expect anything to take place outside yourself, for the sake of your peace of mind? It is, therefore, actually a meditational activity taking place when you are aspiring for peace of mind.

(Courtesy: http://www.swami-krishnananda.org/)

December December 1-15, 1-15, 2016 2016 // Corporate Corporate Citizen Citizen // 59 59

Bollywood Biz

Madhuri Dixit

Earnings – `1 crore per episode The original Dhak Dhak girl of Bollywood is one of the highest paid celebrities. Her comeback innings on the silver screen may not have worked as well as she may have hoped, but Madhuri is more than making up for it in her television stint. Madhuri was reportedly paid `1 crore per episode as a judge on Jhalak Dikhha Jaa, which is a staggering amount by any standards

Highest Paid Bollywood $tars on TV For years, TV was shunned by Bollywood stars because they thought it was too small for them. That notion has been turned on its head with the immense popularity of cable TV and HD Televisions. TV now spells big bucks, and the who’s who in Bollywood is competing for screen space. This edition, Corporate Citizen brings to you the highest paid movie stars on Television By Neeraj Varty

Salman Khan

Earnings – `8-9 crore per episode Salman Khan takes the crown as the highest paid Bollywood star on TV. It is no secret that most people watch Big Boss for Salman Khan’s presence rather than the actual contestants. The Superstar, who’s facilitated Big Boss for six straight years, is reportedly being paid `8-9 crore for every episode for the latest season of the popular reality show. Every season has around 25-26 episodes, so Salman will likely we walking off with a cool `200 crore by the end of the season.

Amitabh Bachchan

Earnings – `3-3.5 crore per episode

Kaun Banega Crorepati resurrected Amitabh Bachchan’s failing movie career in the early 2000s and sent it souring to new heights. In the first season of the show, Bachchan charged a paltry (in retrospect) `25 lakh per episode. In 2013, his fee increased to `3-3.5 crore per episode. He is the first Indian actor in their seventies who is able to command such a premium price , which is unprecedented in Bollywood history 60 / Corporate Citizen / December 1-15, 2016

Aamir Khan

Earnings – `3 crore per episode Aamir Khan has captured the imagination of the country with his thought provoking and socially progressive show Satyameva Jayate. For his work on the show, Aamir Khan gets paid `3 crore per episode. Aamir says that amount is less than his usual fee and he would earn more if he did ads, but chose to do the show instead.

Hrithik Roshan

Earnings – `2 crore per episode In 2011 Hrithik made his TV debut by agreeing to become a judge on the dance reality show ‘Just Dance’.

He charged an eye-popping `2 crore per episode, which was the highest celebrity payment for a dance show.

Hrithik is known as the best dancer in Bollywood, and if he is coming on TV, he certainly won’t come cheap.

Shah Rukh Khan Earnings– `2.5 crore per episode

Everyone knows Shah Rukh Khan started his career with TV—the hugely successful Fauji and Circus. Yet King Khan has not been received too well as the host on not one, but three reality shows—KBC Season 3, Kya Aap Paanchvi Pass Se Tez Hain? and Zor Ka Jhatka: Total Wipeout. However, SRK’s fee went up with each show.

In 2011, he charged `2.5 crore for Zor Ka Jhatka..., an Indian adaptation of the American reality show Wipeout.

neeraj.varty07@gmail.com December 1-15, 2016 / Corporate Citizen / 61

Mobile apps

Best Apps for Students

Being a student isn’t easy. With studies in schools and colleges becoming tougher, students need to study smartly to stay ahead of the curve.

Corporate Citizen brings you the best Apps to keep you ahead in the competition

As well as saving on paper, many student planner apps also send reminders and alerts straight to your phone or device.

Popular student planner apps include Timetable, an app featuring a sharp and clean interface which you can map your timetable onto with ease. For more familiar-looking planner apps for students, consider those with a more traditional spreadsheet-style layout, such as My Class Schedule or Class Timetable.

Healthy eating apps If you are staying away from home for studying, you need to take care of your health. If you’re keen to eat healthily while keeping to a student budget, consider downloading a few healthy eating apps, which include MealBoard, an app which plans healthy meals, grocery shops and recipes based on what you’ve got in the fridge, and Food panda, which will locate the healthiest take out restaurant in your locality and deliver food to your apartment so you can concentrate on your studying.

Other helpful student apps

Lecture capturing apps Just a few years ago, students attending lectures would have to spend the entire time scribbling wildly on notepads, in order not to miss any vital bit of information. Then along came technology, and now, lecture capture apps are a reality. Although, the recording of lectures has been common practice within universities for a while, lecture capture apps allow you to record and listen back to classes without having to spend extra money on expensive recording equipment.

SoundNote is a popular lecture capture App for smartphone and tablet users, acting as a notepad

and audio recorder, so you can store an entire lecture in both visual and audio form. If it's a white-board you want to capture, however, Office Lens allows users to photograph a white-board, convert it to a PDF, Word or Power-point file and store all the data via OneNote or OneDrive for catch-up and revision purposes.

Other popular lecture capturing apps are Lecture Capture, Notes Plus and Audio Memos Free – The Voice Recorder.

Revision apps Revision isn’t the most appealing task of a student’s day to day activities, but technology has made

62 / Corporate Citizen / December 1-15, 2016

revision fun and more productive.

GoConqr is one such app, which offers resources to create revision charts, mind maps, flash cards, notes and quizzes, as well as the ability to connect and collaborate with friends, classmates or students from around the world. Another choice is the aptly named Revision App, covering all education levels, while Exam Countdown keeps track of the days until each of your exams.

Student planner apps Organisation is key for success and wellbeing at school or college, and student planner apps are becoming increasingly popular.

 Oxford English Dictionary: to look up words on the go (free with adverts, or paid with no ads).  Dictionary.com Dictionary & Thesaurus: dictionary and word-finder for those on a budget; also works offline.  Dropbox for mobile: access and edit documents, upload photos and play your own videos anywhere.  Penultimate: a handwriting app made by EverNote, allowing users to write with a digital pen and upload the work to any device.  Skout: a friend-finder app helping students meet new people in their locality.  Socrative: student app for quizzing and assessment.

neeraj.varty07@gmail.com

Featherlite

New India is born, blockbuster move

Tweets of rich and the famous on PM Modi's surgical strike on Rs 500 and 1000 currencies, which had been banned from circulation since November 9, 2016

Amitabh Bachchan@ SrBachchan: T 2435 the new 2000 rs note is PINK in colour ... the PINK effect ..!!

Virender Sehwag@ virendersehwag: In America they will count Votes. In India count Notes. Tonight just notice d houses that dont have lights off,Note Counting On. #BlackMoney

Harbhajan Turbanator @harbhajan_singh: Massive sixer by @narendramodi ji to discontinue the use of 500 and 1000 rupee notes to curb #BlackMoney. Brave move! We’re proud of you!

Rajinikanth @superstarrajini: Hats off @narendramodi ji. New india is born #JaiHind

Karan Johar@ karanjohar: This is truly a masterstroke move!!!! @narendramodi hits it out of the stadium!!!!

Dia Mirza @deespeak: This is PHENOMENAL @PMOIndia @narendramodi!!! #RESPECT #IndiaFightsCorruption

Kamal Haasan @ikamalhaasan: Salute Mr. Modi. This move has to be celebrated across political party lines. Most importantly by earnest tax payers.

Rishi Kapoor @chintskap: PM Modi ji. Ball out of the stadium. Wohaaaaaa!!!!

De monetisation is the right answer.

Congratulations!

Anurag Kashyap @anuragkashyap72: Ballsiest move I have ever seen from any leader.. It will cause a lot of heart ache but Kudos..Super way to make the black money redundant

The demonitised currency notes will be replaced with new visually impaired person friendly currency notes of `500 and `2,000 denominations.

Both will bear signature of Dr Urjit Patel, Governor, Reserve Bank of India. The base colour of `2,000 banknotes is magenta. It has portrait of Mahatma Gandhi at the centre, motif of Mangalayan on the reverse, other designs, geometric patterns, both at the obverse and reverse. The stone grey colour `500 banknote will have Red Fort with Indian flag as well as Swachh Bharat logo on the reverse.

December 1-15, 2016 / Corporate Citizen / 63

astroturf ‘out of the way’ places and ‘out of the way’ people. Health is excellent. Drive more carefully.

Aries

Mar 21- April 20 There will be a lot of cosmic support—and a lot of focus.

Career for yourself or your children will be in focus.

Children should stay out of harm’s ways. You are working hard and will succeed now. Be more health conscious. Rest more and get enough sleep. College or post-graduate students will have some educational surprises. Job seekers need to do more research before accepting job offers.

TAURUS

April 21 - May 20 There is no obstacle that you can’t overcome. From the 8th to the 12th, the Sun moves over your career planet, giving it positive stimulation. This is also a nice career aspect for children.

Pay attention towards the spine, knees, teeth, bones, skin and overall skeletal alignment. There could be important changes in educational plans. Travel plans seem unstable. Finances will be good.

GEMINI

May 21 - June 21 Love and social life will be strong. Love will become more exciting. Finances don’t seem a big issue. You are more concerned with the finances of others. The spouse, partner or current love is likely to be more generous. Excellent period for personal transformation and personal reinvention. It is also an excellent period for job seekers.

Friends are succeeding and will help you.

CANCER

Jun 22 - July 23 People will see you as unselfish and putting others ahead of yourself. This is the time to make changes or to overly assert

ising.

CAPRICORN

(www.dollymanghat.com)

Fortune favours the bold and the lucky

Your attitude is your altitude, says Dolly Manghat, our renowned Astrological expert and believes she helps people create their own prophecies rather than live predictions yourself. You are in the mood for love and you will get it.

Finances will be good, though there will be a few road bumps.

There will be opportunities for business partnerships or joint ventures.

LEO

July 24 - Aug 23 Health and energy are wonderful. Love is going well. Many of you will be travelling from the 1st to the 3rd and it looks happy.

Try to do your holiday shopping.

You will be busy cultivating your social skills. Let others have their own way, so long as it isn’t destructive. If you’re looking for a job this is a good period for you, and there are many opportunities out there.

VIRGO

Aug 24 - Sept 23 Your focus will be on the home, family and your personal emotional wellness.

You will find psychological breakthroughs through meditation and spiritual practice. However, you can learn to harness the power of mood for your benefit. Look for other ‘side jobs’ or overtime opportunities. There is good family support. Love is still stormy, but improving.

64 / Corporate Citizen / December 1-15, 2016

LIBRA

Sept 24 - Oct 22 This is not a career period for you. It is time for home, family and emotional wellness.

The message of the chart is ‘get the emotional life right and everything else falls into place’.

Finances tend to be good right now. Important thing is to get enough rest. Stay in harmony with the current love.

SCORPIO

Oct 23 - Nov 22 You are about to enter in an excellent time for starting a new project, venture or launching a new product. Though there are still financial challenges, prosperity will be happening. A happy career opportunity comes on the 7th or 8th. It is an excellent period for students and they should do well in their studies.

Health is good. side effect.

SAGITTARIUS

Nov 23 - Dec 22 You are still very much in a happy period. There is prosperity happening too. There will be socialising—attending parties or events –outside your normal sphere. Career opportunities will come from

Dec 23 - Jan 20 Happy days are ahead. You have the power and independence to change conditions that displease you. This is the time to use it.

Synchronicities will happen in your life. There will be happy job opportunities. Be patient about the glitches and delays in finances. Health and energy will be excellent.

AQUARIUS

Jan 21 - Feb19 You will do what you lovebeing involved with friends, groups, group activities and organisations. Someone who was ‘just a friend’ can become much more. Singles will find love opportunities in spiritual settings –at spiritual lectures, seminars or charity events. Avoid arguments and confrontations. Earnings are getting stabilised now. You will have mental clarity and direction. .

PISCES

Feb 20 - Mar 20 Put in more work and effort is needed in your relationship.

Career will continue going strong. Advancement and success are happening. Finances are good. Financial guidance will come in dreams, from psychics, astrologers, spiritual channels and ministers. Mars in your own sign also increases your energy level. You get things done fast. Your personal power is growing day by day. This is time to take responsibility for own happiness.

Address: 143, St Patrick’s Town, Gate# 3, Hadapsar IE, Pune-411 013.

Tel.: 020-26872677 / 020-32905748 Email: connect@dollymanghat.com/ info.dollymanghat@gmail.com

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PROF. SUDHIR K SOPORY, VICE CHANCELLOR, JAWAHARLAL NEHRU UNIVERSITY (JNU) Volume 1, Issue No. 21 / Pages 68 / www.corporatecitizen.in

January 1-15, 2016 / `50

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

December 1-15, 2016 / Corporate Citizen / 65

the last word

Ganesh Natarajan

The inscrutable way of politicians For those in the corporate sector, who may see themselves getting caught in political webs, the best solution sometimes may be to cut the cord and start afresh elsewhere! Life is too short to endure the misery of politics in everyday

S

peaking at my alma mater, National Institute of Industrial Engineering (NITIE) a decade ago, Pramod Mahajan, India’s first IT Minister remarked, “After studying in this wonderful management institution I am sure many of you will become corporate executives and businessmen and some will become consultants and a few will be professors.

But if nothing else works out, do consider joining politics!” Mahajan was only joking, but a line in the recent biopic on MS Dhoni reminded me that nothing much has changed in the perception of politics and politicians in society. One of the Bihar cricket administrators says in the movie, “You might ask why there are very few sports persons from Bihar at the national level-it’s because we have more interest in politics than other vocations.”

What is the truth today? Politics does continue to carry a tinge of unsavouriness, with the oft repeated incidents of corruption in high places and unseemly imbroglios erupting with regularity all over the country between and sometimes within political parties. As a nation, we can of course take heart from the almost circus like atmosphere that prevailed through the candidate debates in the recently concluded US Presidential race.

Nothing could have lowered the status of the contestants more than Trump’s repeated allusions to “that

Rajya Sabha MPs , Anu Aga and Vandana Chavan, have shown that good human beings make great politicians too and give hope to future generations

nasty woman” and Clinton joking about her opponent that when he saw the Statue of Liberty, he probably gave her a rating of four and said that if she improved her hairstyle he might consider giving her a five. The personal attacks, the threat to put her in jail and the endless list of allegations and “groping” scandals probably resulted in labelling

Modi's articulation, particularly in his passionate speeches, in the national language and his easy charm in small group meetings, has truly brought prestige to the highest office in the country this the meanest and most insulting campaign ever seen in the history of races for the highest office in the USA and the Western world!

Having said that, one has had interactions with many politicians through the years that have substantially increased respect, not only for the office they fight hard to win and are proud to hold, but also for the dignity they have lent to their office. Prime Minister Modi has brought pride to most Indians, in India and abroad, with his global statesmanship and adroit handling of the recent crisis with Pakistan. His outstanding articulation, particularly in his passionate speeches in the national language and his easy charm in small group meetings has truly brought prestige

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to the highest office in the country.

Through the years, in interactions with Prime Ministers Indira Gandhi and Atal Vajpayee in my youth days and more recently with younger folk like Jyotiraditya Scindia, Jayant Sinha and Arvind Kejriwal, their intelligence and commitment to any cause they chose to espouse has made them beacons of excellence. Closer home, are our Rajya Sabha MPs from the city of Pune, Anu Aga and Vandana Chavan, Anu with her record of selfless social service and Vandana with her passion for the environment and the village of Sudumbre which she has made a truly “adarsh gram” have shown that good human beings make for great politics too and have given hope to future genera-

tions that they can aspire to this vocation as a matter of choice and not a last refuse for the jobless!

And of course, our political friends may be justified in pointing to the rest of the country and saying in true Biblical manner “Let him who is without sin among thee be the first to cast a stone”. The shenanigans in some board room battles in India including the recent Tata-Mistry story, the match fixing allegations and the BCCI and IPL controversies have shown that politics, and often dirty politics is not restricted to career politicians alone. Nirmalya Kumar a Cyrus appointee has written a poignant blog after his unceremonious dismissal from the Tata Group wondering what would happen to his well-meaning initiatives and people who would have joined his team with much excitement and expectation at being part of a core team for one of India’s top groups. And while the jury may still be out and will be for some time on the correct side to be taken in the Tata–Mistry boardroom battles, there is no doubt that this demonstration of high level politics will not show the Indian corporate sector in very good light.

How does one deal with politicians when they are practicing their art at a truly reprehensible level? At national political levels, whether in the US or India or any other country in the world, the power of the ballot gives the best possible expression to disapproving voices, as India’s frequent anti-incumbency votes have proved time and again.

In sporting arena, both FIFA and BCCI have shown that the machinations of politicians will be tolerated thus far and no further. But in the corporate sector, the complex interplay between politics and hierarchical levels can make the life of apolitical people hell in charged political environments. Those who may see themselves getting caught in such political webs, the best solution may be to cut the cord and start afresh elsewhere! Life is too short to endure the misery of politics in everyday life!

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

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