JULY 2020
SOLUTIONS FROM
tech4.0 TO CHANGE THE WORLD
CONTENTS COVID‐29 FOCUS
21
IMPACT ON INDIAN POLITICS MMA‐KAS in association with NGPL and ORF held a panel discussion through webinar
DECISION‐MAKING IN DIFFICULT 25 EFFECTIVE TIMES A talk by Dr. Manu K. Vora
& GEO‐ECONOMIC 27 GEO‐POLITICAL CONSEQUENCES OF COVID‐19
6
Mr. M K Narayanan, former National Security Advisor, in coversation with Prof. Harsh V Pant
30 IMPACT ON INDIAN ECONOMY
FEATURES
Mr Bhartruhari Mahtab, Member of Parliament and Chairman, Standing Committee on Labour delivered the talk
42
32 PM'S ECONOMIC PACKAGE
A panel discussion on the impact of PM's stimulus
35 COVID & ELECTORAL REFORMS
A Leaders Speak series talk given by Mr. T S Krishnamurthy, former CEC of India
DEMOCRACY IN COVID 38 PARLIAMENTARY TIMES A panel discussion with Mr N K Premachandran, Mr Naresh Gujral, & Prof G Ramesh
14 Leadership and Purpose in Turbulent Times
THE GALWAN CLASH A panel discussion on India's China strategy and China's great game
EDITOR
WOMEN IN POLITICS
Gp Capt R Vijayakumar (Retd), VSM
A panel discussion on webinar
EDITORIAL SUPPORT Gp Capt Dr R Venkataraman (Retd) LAYOUT EXECUTIVE D Rajaram
Women in Leadership
POLITICS UNDER GENNEXT LEADERS A panel dicussion with young political leaders
SEIZING OPPORTUNITY IN TURBULENCE Mr. G D Sharma on 12 key management areas to focus
40 42 45 48
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COVER STORY
Prior to the crisis, Industry 4.0 was an area of great interest to many manufacturers. It was an exciting topic with huge potential benefits and was widely regarded as a ‘positive’ and future thinking topic. The business drivers of Industry 4.0 before the crisis were focused on competitive advantage, cost reduction, productivity, sustainability and innovation. The goal was to make well run businesses run even better.
A N CHANDRAMOULI NATARAJAN
T
he focus for many manufacturers now is survival first and foremost and beyond that, damage limitation. Therefore, at this point it seems insensitive and inappropriate to discuss Industry 4.0 in the way it was discussed before
the crisis. When we study the role already it is playing during the survival phase and what it can potentially play during the revival and post recovery phase, I am sure we all will be convinced about its relevancewhich I propose to illustrate in the coming slides. What are the macro & micro drivers & impact of the crisis on global manufacturing? We have learnt from History that every global crisis creates a fundamental shift that affect government policies, consumer behaviour and industrial sectors for years to come. For example witness the World War 2, the Gulf War 1974, the 9/11 terrorism, the global financial recession of 2009, and now the Covid19 Pandemic of 2020. After every major crisis, humanity has learnt how to survive, revive and recover into a “New Normal” life style. In my view, there are at least 5 immediate effects of this crisis: •
The pandemic hit manufacturers in an unexpected and unprecedented way. For the first time in modern manufacturing history, demand, supply and workforce availability are affected globally at the same time. 7
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•
Social distancing and employee safety measures
﴾1﴿ Additive Manufacturing for Healthcare:
have put an additional level of pressure on
A worldleading UK specialist in custom prototypes and low
manufacturers, as almost 50% of their workforce
volume production parts, called PROTOLABS, is using its
will not be available to perform their functions on
unprecedented speedtomarket to help support the frontline
site. •
While office employees and knowledge workers are able to shift to remote work as the default operating mode, most factories are simply not designed to be
•
battle against Covid19: using its 3D printing, CNC machining and injection moulding expertise to produce critical parts for testing and ventilator masks. 3D printed ‘Charlotte’ valves
managed remotely and they lack the tools and
are being rapidly produced and shipped direct to the customer
infrastructure needed to support such activities.
ISINNOVA, who are producing kits that can be used to create
The pandemic presents a critical moment for global
a noninvasive ventilator mask.
supply chain and manufacturingespecially in North America and Western Europe. Being lean and globalized in structures, the Supply Chains of many companies became specifically prone to the epidemic outbreaks. •
More
adversely,
the
coronavirus
causes
simultaneous disturbances in both supply and demand. It is clear from events unfolding before us that one of the major weaknesses is a lack of real time visibility across the business, to support critical business decisions. It is true that the pandemic is causing not just manufacturers, but entire nations, to reevaluate global supply chains. Japan has moved first; its national bank is allocating billions of dollars to assist its domestic manufacturers in
There are several international case studies of 3D printing, which many manufacturers are using to quickly meet the surge in demand for face shields (Boeing), ventilator valves (Isinnova), testing swabs (Form labs), and personal protective gear (Ford).
reshoring production from China. Subsidies will cover
3D printing offers considerable geographic flexibility.
relocation expenses and investments in laboursaving
Many Indian automobile manufacturers in 2 & 4 wheeler
automation (including robots). Likewise, Australia, South
industry adapted their facilities to manufacture ventilator
Korea, France, Germany and even USA has announced their
parts.
new intentions to bring back manufacturing into their own territories. On 12th May our own Prime Minister announced a mission to go Local in becoming a SelfReliant nation in every segment of economy. Is Industry 4.0 relevant in the backdrop of the crisis and how is it helping to manage the crisis right now?
﴾2﴿ Intelligent Robot for Disinfection Taken from design to sample production in just seven days Intelligent disinfection robots are helping to stop the spread of Coronavirus and other viruses in hospitals. As the spread of the virus began to increase, Head of SIEMENS China’s Research Group for Advanced Manufacturing Automation,
Technologies such as 3D printing, Augmented Reality,
asked himself what he could do to help control the infection
Drones, and Intelligent Robotics have played a vital role in
by leveraging cuttingedge technologies. His idea garnered
combating the Pandemic in the last 6 months.
immediate support from his managers at the laboratory for
8
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robotic applications, coestablished by SIEMENS & AUCMA, the focus of which is on ‘developing special robots, unmanned vehicles, industrial robots, and intelligent equipment’. to prevent further spread of the coronavirus outbreak. ﴾3﴿ Augmented Reality, The New Normal
a.
Surveillance: Where individuals are not complying
COVID19 will accelerate the business world’s move to
with the restrictions knowingly or unknowingly, law
Augmented Reality (AR) and other IoT solutions, as
enforcing authorities such as the local police or
companies look to adapt to a ‘new working normal’. Whilst
municipal authorities are using drones to monitor people’s movement and break up social gatherings
Zoom and Microsoft Teams have become a norm for office workers, physical specialists have embraced digital transformation to build ventilators, deliver crucial training to
that could pose a risk to society. b.
Broadcasting: loudspeakers
Drones
are
used
equipped to
make
with public
apprentices and solve production bottlenecks on automotive
announcements to keep people indoors, take
lines. This has been achieved by allowing remote experts to
necessary precautions, make socialdistancing and
see the physical world in video and annotate objects during
wear a mask if stepping outside from home.
the call, using a smart phone, tablet or wearable technology,
c.
and prevent the further spread of virus, health
such as Microsoft HoloLens glasses. It enables them to capture
authorities are deploying agriculture spray drones to
every step of the process and create an interactive stepby
carry out tasks like spraying disinfectant in
step guide for other people to follow, even in a factory thousands of miles away.
Disinfectant Spraying: To disinfect public spaces
potentially affected areas. d.
Medicine and Grocery Deliveries: Drones are
Traditionally, this would involve engineers travelling to
the safest and fastest ways to deliver medical
the factory, but suddenly it is made difficult due to social
supplies and transport samples from hospitals to
distancing and travel. The crisis has forced industries to adapt
laboratories and even delivering groceries to red zones where outside physical contact should be
quicker than it probably would have done under normal economic circumstances, but now having tasted the operational and financial benefits it can deliver, we can see a
minimum. e.
Temperature Check: During the peak of the epidemic in China, authorities were carrying out
major rise in adoption.
largescale remote temperature measurement in most apartment complexes through the drones,
﴾4﴿ Drones, the Savior: In this war against this invisible enemy, drones play a key role by helping authorities and people in atleast 6 different ways
using infrared devices. f.
Temporary Hospitals: In several countries including China, Germany, and the United States, 9
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empty fields have been converted into temporary
effective platform for fast and efficient automation. The Dull,
hospitals to ease the pressure on hospitals that are
Dangerous, Dirty, Difficult and Distancing are the 5Ds for
already functioning at full capacity, both using
considering Robotic automation. Challenges caused by an
drones, for survey and illumination of construction
acute shortage of labor, changes in assembly lines, and supply
sites.
and demand level fluctuations can easily be overcome with
Last Mile Connectivity and Remote Maintenance: Drones
cobots. What are the major benefits and advantages of using
According to a new European aerospace study involving 320
cobots during the pandemic and beyond?
aerospace business leaders there is an increased appetite for ‘low space’ innovation over (53%) believe that commercial drone last mile delivery of products will be commonplace in next three years. Besides, Drones coupled with AR will be very useful for Remote Maintenance of installations in Mining, Power, Airline, Defence, and Oil & Gas.
Solutions for Recovery, PostRecovery After the Pandemic ﴾1﴿ Robotics & Automation‐Cobots While job functions involving marketing, sales, management, finance, and R&D can work virtually, execution at the assembly line needs to start rolling out at specific
•
Social Distancing: By enabling humans and
physical locations and on time. The dependence on a migrant
machines to work simultaneously, cobots reduce
workforce in manufacturing belts across the country also
contact between human workers, allowing them to maintain safe social distancing standards. •
Partial Automation: By identifying specific applications or processes to deploy cobots, instead of the whole plant, manufacturers can reduce capital expenditure significantly.
•
Quick
Deployment
&
Flexible
Redeployment: In this uncertain environment, many manufacturers need to repurpose their assembly lines to focus on different products based on the urgency of requirements. Collaborative robots are one of the fastest automation solutions on the market to deploy and even redeploy for new applications, with setup often taking less than a day. needs to be mitigated. By using automation in their plants and
•
Democratized Automation: Cobots help
assembly lines, manufacturers can overcome these issues.
bridge the gap between large and small
Collaborative Robots (cobots) are widely accepted as an
manufacturers in the world of automation. In fact,
10
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the
sheer
precision,
costeffectiveness,
and
competitiveness that cobots provide are unmatched in a globally competitive environment. •
Efficient Automation: An MIT Technology Review study found that there is an 85% reduction
“physical shift” of onsite personnel. Enabled by real time data, AIbased insights and a range of communication and collaboration tools, coupled with AR, the “virtual shift” will help digitize and scale up the much
in idle time when humans and robots work together, needed expertise across the organization and enable the onsite which goes to show that cobots are not only safe but workforce to become more focused, effective, and ultimately also effective in driving efficiency. ﴾2﴿ Robotic Process Automation Robotic Process Automation, or RPA, is a technology that is integrated with business processes in order to optimise and automate repetitive activities, minimize human errors, and maximize agility and productivity. One wellknown German automaker recently implemented RPA and successfully automated a total of 28 different tasks as illustrated. The automated activities are now undertaken 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
significantly more productive. ﴾4﴿Artificial Intelligence ﴾AI﴿ In difficult times, AI can help manufacturers increase operational efficiency and transparency across organizations with better monitoring, more precise and timely interventions and better quality control in order to build resilient and agile business operations with intelligence, insights and expertise. For example, an AI application by IBM called Maximo Worker Insights puts compliance at the centre of safety, with the combination of advanced analytics and near realtime access to data from cameras, Bluetooth beacons, mobile phones, IoT wearable devices and environmental sensors, one can holistically manage both the facility and workers. Machine learning and predictive data analytics have the potential to improve manufacturers at 3 levels, namely, the machine level, production cell level, and plant level through applications Predictive maintenance, Optimised supply chains, and Improved product and service quality. Integration of Variou 4.0 Technologies
﴾3﴿ Remote Work & Collaboration
How to respond flexibly and efficiently to ever new challenges
Virtual work is not just for the office anymore; it is a new
and to make production future proof. When the crisis broke
reality that will fundamentally change the work environment
out, it presented a completely new situation not only for
in design, supplier quality, shop floor and after sales service. medical facilities and manufacturers of medical devices, but With social distancing measures in place, manufacturers may
also for all those manufacturing companies whose employees
lose up to 50% of their onsite personnel. We will see the rapid
suddenly had to work from home and no longer had access to
adoption of remote diagnostic, management and collaboration
many digital solutions or automation platforms. With the help
tools. This will result in the emergence of a “virtual shift” that
of simulation tools, products and production processes can
means a team of specialists will be connected remotely and
first be designed and optimized virtually before actual
constantly online in order to guide and support the reduced
production is set up and started. 11
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Highly innovative automation technologies, combined
Conclusion: Role of Industry 4.0‐ Way Forward
with digitalized product development, make it possible to
In the past decade, after the 2009 financial meltdown,
quickly develop and deliver tailored solutions through additive
advances in AI and IoT technologies have enabled tremendous
manufacturing in exceptional medical situations like the
efficiencies in predictability, capacity, availability and
current pandemic. The remote commissioning, maintenance
flexibility of supply chain and manufacturing operations. Up
and repairs of machines is now possible in a digitalized world.
to 2019, many of these technologies and solutions were seen
Sectors, such as the automotive industry, had to shut
as a nice to have. With the pandemic, from 2020 onward
down production for weeks when demand suddenly slumped, Industry 4.0 has a different role: to assist that more companies but they all adapted their production to provide urgently survive as seen already, to shorten the recovery phase and to needed components for medical devices. Many companies will
help return businesses to normal operations as soon as
now be considering ways to diversify their supply chains in
possible, provide the platform to develop new, and more
view of the risks posed by global trade and the desire to
resilient businesses in the medium to long term postrecovery
produce closer to their markets. They will then manufacture
phase. We should not neglect the opportunities of automation
in smaller quantities at decentralized locations. In order to
and digitisation while keeping our roots of labour intensive
meet these growing needs for flexibility, speed and
skills intact. Although, the degree of adoption may be varied
productivity, intelligent production is a must. And this, in
depending on the industry and the readiness of the companies
turn, requires automation and digitalization. Smart
to make huge investments at this time, and readiness of skilled
Automation solutions are enabling technological innovations
manpower to absorb the new technologies and applications,
used specifically to alleviate the effects of the virus. And they
the crisis has certainly acted as a catalyst to the transition to
make production processes so flexible, robust and efficient
automation, especially in building resilience among businesses
that companies can quickly and efficiently adjust their
for future disruptions. In the coming years, greater
production to demand, both during the crisis and afterwards. connectivity through 5g will mean significantly accelerated In the future, these technologies will help ensure that deployment of industrial IoT, including sensing, data companies can respond far faster and more efficiently to crisis
visualization, remote collaboration AR tools and AIbased
situations and changing market demands.
insights across their operations.
12
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Leadership and Purpose in Turbulent Times
14
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LEADERS SPEAK SERIES
The first talk under ‘Leaders Speak Series by Pond’s Veterans’ was delivered by Mr Nandu Nandkishore, Professor, Indian School of Business and former Global C Suite Leader with Nestlé S.A, mentor, consultant, venture capitalist and coach. The event was held on 6 June 2020.
M
r V Balaraman, Past President, MMA and former MD, Pond’s India Ltd delivered the opening remarks wherein he highlighted the core values practised by Pond’s in a challenging environment that was
marked by government imposed shackles in the preliberalisation era. “Human resource was our only strength. We valued character and culture ahead of competence,” he reckoned. He said that Pond’s India trusted managers and gave them the liberty to learn from failures. Talking about the transformation of young executives who joined Pond’s, Mr Balaraman alluded to George Bernard Shaw’s play, ‘Pygmalion’ in which Eliza Doolittle gets transformed from a poor flower girl into a sophisticated young woman. He recalled the heights reached by many professionals who had a stint in Pond’s and went on to don prestigious positions in India and abroad and spread the fragrance of business. Mr Nandu Nandkishore thanked Mr V Narayanan, Mr Balaraman and others under whom he learnt the hard lessons of management while working in Pond’s after his IIT and IIM graduation. He quoted from the Chinese classic Tao Te Ching: “When the master governs, the people are hardly aware that he exists. Next best is a leader who is loved; next, one who is feared. The worst is one who is despised. If you don’t trust the people, you make them untrustworthy. The master doesn’t talk; he acts. When his work is done, the people say, ‘Amazing.’ We did it all by ourselves.” “That was Pond’s and it reflected the culture of Pond’s,” said Mr Nandu. During his gripping address, he stressed the need for people to adapt to changing circumstances and to handle every crisis in a methodical way, staying rooted to one’s core values. He gave many examples from the corporate world of organizations that weathered many a storm and came out triumphantly and also of organizations that failed badly. 15
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Extract from his talk and the
the 20th century and the world became,
subsequent Q&A session are
all of a sudden a much smaller place.
summarized below:
This century has seen more change
The average life span of the 500 biggest
than the 20th century as this pace of
companies in the 40 years since 1960
change accelerates.
has come down from 60 to less than 20
Today, we can’t imagine life without
and now, it’s around 15. Today’s top 10
internet, social media, smartphone and
tech companies did not exist 30 years
online meeting platforms. Worldwide,
ago.
88% of the people go to bed with their smartphones. This is a behavioural
The Kodak Moment
The average life span of the 500 biggest companies in the 40 years since 1960 has come down from 60 to less than 20 and now, it’s around 15. Today’s top 10 tech companies did not exist 30 years ago.
change that has happened in the last ten
We grew up with the image of the
years.
world’s inventor of photography
Change or Die
Kodak. For 130 years, they dominated
Adopting Digital
specialty chemicals and photography.
In 1998, there was one company that
We remember ‘the Kodak moment.’
history, at times of great change,
had the market leadership, with more
They invented the digital camera. But
according to Charles Darwin, ‘it is not
than 50% global market share of
where’s
the strongest or most intelligent who
analogue mobile phones Motorola.
survive; it is, the most adaptable to
Within one year, the technology
change.’ This is also very relevant in
In 1991, they decided to focus on
changed from analogue to digital.
business and the key lesson is:
digital photography; in 1998, they
Motorola too discarded the analogue
closed that business and decided to
version, retooled and adopted digital
focus on photographic paper. They
over the next twelve months, but could
decided to cut costs to compete with
not compete….
Kodak
today?
They
disappeared.
Fuji film but ten years later, they were gone. The speed of technological change throughout the 20th century has been
If you look at the world’s natural
companyNokia came in, whose core
leadership is to prepare the organisation
competency in the home market of
for change. The leaders should also
Finland was making rubber boots.
know that they should not change their
mobile technology and became the
change than the 50,000 years before
world’s number 1 in mobile telephony.
livestock,
etc
as
major
developments. Communication, radio, television, telephone, motor cycles, trains, cars and spaceship –all came in 16
Disrupt or be disrupted.
Therefore, the fundamental task of
century has seen more of technological
wheel,
today is:
In those twelve months, a new
They embraced the new digital
had agriculture, the development of the
Change or Die; or to re state it, the only choice we have
•
accelerating steadily. Arguably, 20th
that, during which (earlier) period we
•
They led the market for close to ten years
and
even
invented
fundamental values while adapting their value chain. Turbulence is a part of the new normal in technology, economy, global trade and visas. The latest addition to this list is the Covid
the
19 crisis. We have no clue as to how long
smartphone. And then disappeared as
it will last. Perhaps, we may choose to
they lost to iPhones, Samsung and the
blame everything on the pandemic or
Android smartphones.
we can build scenarios and plan for
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each. This is a transition event in our history which people will talk about for the next 100 years. Winners & Losers Every crisis has winners and losers. In Covid too, there will be potential winners like anything consumed in Home
such
entertainment,
as
Ecommerce,
Personal
care
&
Healthcare, Food Processing & Retail, Medical Supply & Services sectors and potential losers which are consumed ‘out of home’ like Tourism & Leisure, Aviation & Maritime, Automotives, Construction & Real Estate, Non Essential manufacturing, Financial Services, Education and Oil & Gas sectors. The struggling sectors have to adapt and reinvent themselves.
cost and focus on photographic paper
our brands. The entire value chain
but unlike Kodak, Fuji decided to put
rewarded us handsomely and gradually,
the money saved into their R&D and
our business grew up many fold. Today,
innovation efforts. Today, Fuji is a
Nestle is a 1.5 billion dollar company in
global leader in business. Kodak doesn’t
Indonesia, having bounced back from a
exist.
turnover of 200 million dollars in the year of crisis.
Indonesian Devaluation Crisis
A restaurant owner in Australia, In 1998, in Indonesia there was an who was given just 24 hours to close
The ‘Glass in the Glass Jar’ Crisis
economic crisis. Within 6 months, the
We were selling Nestle Baby glass jars in
down her outlet due the pandemic, exchange rate went from 2000 rupiah
France. In 2009, we discovered there
converted it into a grocery store and
for a dollar to 17000 rupiah. An entire
were pieces of glass in the jars due to a
thrived. Her advice to others: Adapt, segment of middle class went into
defective line. We quickly put a team in
adapt and adapt. When a crisis comes, poverty. Many companies closed down
place and traced the problem to just two
we can stick our head in the sand like an
and many laid off people. I was there at
batches. Some of the products from
ostrich or choose to face it.
that time with Nestle. We struggled to
these batches had already gone to the
maintain our supply chains and keep
market. We quickly alerted the
Wei Ji Mindset
our units running but at the same time,
authorities and customers; together with
There is saying in Chinese called ‘Wei
demonstrated our commitment to our
them, we retrieved the glass jars and no
Ji.’ It is represented by two symbols
core values. We did not lay off even a
one got hurt. The consumers responded
meaning Danger and Opportunity. A
single person. We ensured that our
very positively. Our customers in other
successful strategic response to a crisis
consumers got good quality products.
countries queried through social media
should view the disruption as a threat
In the first year, our business volume
if they too had to return their jars. We
and at the same time, as an opportunity. declined by 30%; we worked with our Like Kodak, Fuji Film too decided to cut farmers/ trade partners and invested in
clarified that the problem was restricted only to France and reassured them. 17
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A few days later, on a Friday
apparently to discredit the government
launched the product along with
evening at 8.30pm (normally big crises
and some multinationals in Chile. He
commercials that reassured them that
happen after 6 pm on Fridays; you can
tested some Nestle baby food products
we deliver the best quality at every
call this Nandu’s law!), I was still in the
and found that they were completely
stage: from field to the jar.
office when I got a call from our social
compliant with the local regulations,
media unit that Hollywood star Alyssa
FDA norms and Codex norms.
Milano who had 17 million followers on Twitter had tweeted, “In the US, Nestle is recalling their baby food ‘Gerber.’ So please return your Gerber baby jars to Nestle.” For no reason, the tweet had created a panic. We had to react immediately. Within 5 minutes, I responded to her on Twitter stating the correct position; the star was so gracious and retracted her tweet saying that the US products were fine; it was a localised issue in France and that the problem had also been resolved. We heaved a sigh of relief! The below aspects are important in a threat response: •
Know
your
vulnerabilities. Act
decisively.
were trace elements in parts per million of a pesticide called Iprodione, the limits of which were permitted in Chilean law. According to European law, it was completely banned. The politician went to the government and complained. The government turned to Nestle and asked us to handle the issue. Questions were
Jim Collins, for his book ‘Great by Choice’ studied several companies over a period of 20 years. He says that good luck and bad luck will keep alternating but those who show resilience succeed. In my life too, I had many successes and failures. The roots of all of my successes lie in my failures. We should always convert a problem into an opportunity.
raised to us: “Are you telling us that
You need to be personally resilient
European babies are more important
with a measured response that separates
than Chilean babies? Why do you have
panic / despair and thoughtfulness. You
double standards?” We don’t. In every
have to build a support network and
single place, we comply with the local
embrace uncertainty. When others
laws and regulations. The product was
follow an ostrich response, you might be
perfectly okay. But still, we recalled the
the only one who balances a threat
facts
and
product and reformulated it over the
response and an opportunity response.
Stop
the
next six months. That is when we
So, never waste a good crisis. The
launched a new initiative.
response to a crisis makes the difference
bleeding. •
He discovered in our product, there
Resilience, the Key Differentiator
Speed
is
important.
between great companies and alsoran Project Saturday
companies. It is also true for individuals
According to this project, irrespective of
and leaders. The Covid crisis is going to
the local law, for each parameter, we
be a watershed moment in our species’
decided to go with the strictest among
history. You have to ask yourself: What
Chilean Vs European Babies
the local, European and US regulations.
will my legacy be? Will I be of proud of
It was Christmas 2010. I was in Chennai
We started with the baby products and
the choices I made 20 years hence? For,
to be with my mother. I got a call from
slowly, worked its way through all
our choices define us. Despite so many
our Chile country manager of Nestle.
Nestle products. We communicated and
disruptions and disasters, the 20th
She said, “Boss, we have a serious
addressed the emotional concern of
century has been, by far, the safest. If
problem,” and explained it. A politician
consumers. We worked with the farmers
we look for greatness in the world, it
used a local lab to test our product,
and the pesticides they used and re
will get better and better.
•
Know your core values and purpose.
•
18
Protect your consumers.
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Insights from the Q&A Session: a)
As companies grow in size and
10 Rules for Crisis Management
business, the corporate leader should focus on 4 things that
1﴿
Recognise and accept the crisis. Don’t panic.
are very important and help
2﴿
Get a crisis team in place with relevant skill sets and communication experts.
create the culture, which in turn determines how well strategy is
3﴿
Appoint a Devil’s advocate to challenge group think.
executed. (You May have heard,
4﴿
Determine the gaps and put a process in place. Separate facts from
“Culture eats strategy for
opinion. Focus on what you can control. Have a scenario plan for what
breakfast”. Well this is what it
you cannot control. 5﴿
means): *
* *
Remind yourself of the core purpose, values and core strengths which you will not compromise.
Strategy of the company. Are they a box of constraints or are
6﴿
Recognise if there are opportunities.
they stretch oriented?
7﴿
Communicate. Communicate. Communicate.
Processes: Do they focus on
8﴿
Take action and ensure flawless implementation
compliance or discipline?
9﴿
Study the lessons learnt and redesign your processes.
Leadership: Does it revolve
10﴿ Have regular simulations and scenario planning to prepare BEFORE a
around
controlling
crisis.
or
supporting people? *
Team dynamics: Do they run based on contracts or trust?
b)
c)
d)
must ensure good governance.
An individual’s values and
option. Corporate leaders must
There are different styles of
company values should be in
respect their employees and
governance. The board must
alignment.
make sure that people have a
ensure that the operational
Decision making: Leaders
dignified exit. Though Airbnb
management
place,
should know to separate facts
and Uber took some tough
appropriate to the stage of
from opinions to arrive at good
decisions, their responses were
business. We come across
quality decisions.
appreciated because of their
people
many
Leadership across places:
hearttoheart communication
companies’ boards and they
Leaders must focus on values.
and the intent shown. The
may not be able to do justice.
Across
the
global chairman of JW Marriot
In India, people are reluctant
fundamental values – for
spoke to all employees about
to be independent directors
instance, respect, integrity and
the situation. There are bad
because of liabilities and legal
trust do not change. Human
examples too. Some companies
responsibilities.
is
beings are not so different.
have fired employees over a
definitely a lot of opportunity
Their underlying values do not
zoom chat. That’s not the way
to raise the standards of
change. Leaders must keep
to do things. This crisis will
governance.
separate great leaders from the
Dealing with Employees in
ordinary.
cultures,
their word, listen and be honest
e)
f)
is
sitting
in
in
There
and transparent. Culture
Covid Crisis: In a worst case
impacts strategy. A leader
scenario, rather than laying off
should work closely with both.
people, salary cuts starting
Governance: Board members
from top level will be a better
One cannot keep on running a loss making unit. I have closed down some units and had the misfortune of laying 19
Business Mandate fountainhead of excellence
off employees. But in every single case
urban areas. For effective
Mr V Balaraman thanked Mr
that I handled, I have tried to look
management of the crisis, not
Nandu Nandkishore for an enticing talk
people in their eyes, talk to them
only national leaders but also
and summed up saying that corporate
corporate leaders and the
leaders must lead from the front, be
rationally, discuss their exit plan and
people should act in harmony
treat people with grace.
and
Behaviours of consumers will change because of the crisis.
*
Leaders must try to protect the vulnerable during this crisis.
*
There has to be different strategy for semiurban and
20
a
conducive
environment. Singapore has
Covid Management, in general: *
create
been an inspiring role model. *
available and visible in a crisis. He recalled that India had come out of many crises well.
Leaders must maintain their
He promised to collaborate with
sanity and balance in their
the Madras Management Association
perspective. They must keep communicating, or else, fake news will fill the vacuum which is dangerous.
(MMA) and bring in more leaders of Pond’s lineage to follow sound management principles, especially in these turbulent times.
Business Mandate fountainhead of excellence
21
Business Mandate fountainhead of excellence
COVID‐19: Impact on Indian Politics MMAKAS in association with NGPL and ORF held a panel discussion through webinar on 3 May 2020. The Panellists: *
K Pandiarajan Hon’ble Minister for Tamil Language, Culture Government of Tamil Nadu
*
N K Premachandran Member of Parliament, Lok Sabha (Kollam Constituency)
*
PTR Palanivel Thiagarajan Member of Legislative Assembly, Tamil Nadu
*
Prime Point Srinivasan Chairman & Managing Trustee DiJAI moderated the discussion.
Extract from the Panel Discussion:
Lockdown Blues
Whether they will be able to work here
He cautioned that people’s compliance
is a delicate matter. Definitely we have
to lockdown should not lead to
to find some ways to rehabilitate the
authoritarian governments at the
foreign returnees.”
Centre and States. “The civil rights, Mr N K Premachandran, Member of Parliament
M
political
rights
and
even
On the muchtouted Kerala model
the
of Governance, he said, “People talk
fundamental rights are being infringed
about the Kerala model of Governance
r Premachandran said that
upon, because of the pandemic
where the power is decentralised up to
after the Second World
situation,” he said.
the local panchayat level. This has been
War, such a disaster has
He suggested that each State has to
made possible by raising the standard of
not struck throughout the globe. He
focus on selfsustainability through
living, thanks to the remittances made
evinced pride in the fact that in the
sustainable development.
by NRIs so far. Therefore, at least now,
Indian lockdown experiment, the entire nation of 1.3 billion people are united in their fight against Covid19. This is a unique political experiment, thanks to Covid19 management.
“As Mahatma Gandhi, the Father of the Nation said, the soul of India
we have to think about rehabilitating the returning NRIs.”
lives in villages. More attention needs
Mr Premachandran expressed his
to be given for agriculture and rural
opinion that management of the
development,” he felt.
pandemic will be a major issue in the
According to him, the Indian
next elections. “PostCovid, India has to
political scenario has to be dissected and
Migrant Labour and Returning NRIs
take headon two vital issues namely
analysed in three distinct phases – the
Regarding movement of migrant
unemployment and poverty and without
preCovid phase, the current phase and
labourers and return of NRIs, he
addressing these, any growth in terms
the post Covid phase. He said that the
strongly felt the need for effective
of figures will only be notional,” he
state of Kerala has learnt a lot of lessons
intervention. He said, “Most of the
summed up in a nutshell the agenda for
from its own practical experiences.
returning NRIs will be above 40.
the government.
22
Business Mandate fountainhead of excellence
of jobs. “What will happen to jobs,
Tamil Nadu government in tackling the
especially in the unorganized sector? We
pandemic –serving free food to the
say India is highly entrepreneurial and
public through Amma Canteens,
almost 18% of the people here earn a
increased testing and tracing, gearing
Mr K Pandiarajan, Hon’ble Minister for Tamil Language, Culture, Government of Tamil Nadu
living by doing something on their own.
up the entire government machinery,
How much support, freedom and push
organising task force for tapping FDI
can the governments give to different
investments and doing continuous
r Pandiarajan felt that we
sections to engage in entrepreneurial
course corrections.
need to debate on issues
activity?“ he wondered.
M
like the unipolar world
attempt by China in the geopolitical
Tamil Nadu and Covid Management
transition, the political realignment of
“The Tamil Nadu government will be
the world and if India will matter in the
engaging with the industry on restoring
comity of nations, emerging either
normalcy,” he promised. He argued for
stronger or weaker post COVID.
more autonomy to the States and
He listed out as the second dominant theme in his mind, the nature
decentralisation of power. He listed out the steps taken by the
Regarding FDI, he said that the state government has set up a task force at the instance of 5 countries Japan, Korea, Singapore, US and Taiwan and hoped that they will deliver results. “Post Covid19, I believe India will emerge stronger. We have a strong national identity today. That will drive us,” he said. 23
Business Mandate fountainhead of excellence
change or era of shifting events,” he said
On talks of likely FDI inflows, he
and shared his views on a range of
opined that it could be misplaced
issues:
optimism. “I hear of companies exiting China
Focus on Governance "This Mr PTR Palanivel Thiagarajan, Member of Legislative Assembly, Tamil Nadu
M
r
PTR
crisis
changes
people's
expectations of politics as opposed to governance.
We
are
seeing
a
fundamental distinction between the
Palanivel
kind of campaigning and sloganeering
Thiagarajan said that we
and rabblerousing as opposed to
are all shaped by our
actually governance; Covid will change
experiences. He recalled his own
the nature of people's expectations of
experiences with multiple kinds of
the learnedness of their politicians.
seismic events. “I was in the World Trade Centre when the planes hit on 9/11. I was a senior executive running the subsidiaries of Lehman when the global financial crisis started. I was part of India and the demonetization that crippled our economy,” he said. Drawing a parallel from the 9/11 crisis, he said there were no elaborate screenings in the airport before 9/11 incident. “Things changed drastically after that. Similarly, post COVID, we may encounter around multiple screenings in airports. We have to live with the new normal.” Alluding Covid outbreak to a watershed event, he said that this crisis is a beforeandafter kind of separator. “Only 10% of the impact is known to us now.
and about the scope for India and Tamil Nadu. I am an exinvestment banker. I've run large trading business with hundreds of billions of dollars balance sheet and transactions a year and I find it hard to imagine a scenario in which we can attract FDI, with this much uncertainty in the world and the lack of execution skill that India has shown. How long will it take for FDI to
One of the reasons that Germany
have an impact on employment? This
has been such an effective handler of the
is not a realistic shortterm solution,”
crisis is that their leader is a scientist.
he said.
She understands complex models and is able to use that in decision making. The
Old Order Should Change
speed at which leaders react and the
He added, “Politics is not only about
nature in which they react is going to
learning, but also driven by people who
shift after this crisis,” he said.
have compassion. Politics is not a
On devolution of power, he
lifelong career; the system needs change
commented, “The notion of centralized
and evolving leadership. The grassroots
versus distributed models of governance
level politicians stay put for too long,
is going to become very starker. We can
choking the pipelines and thus blocking
see the difference between Tamil Nadu
fresh blood.
and Kerala. In Kerala, the devolution
In his opinion, the governments
has been all the way down to the
both in Delhi and Tamil Nadu have
panchayat level.
one main task– to find the poorest and
The average panchayat level
weakest sections of the society and try
executive or committee or councillor in
their best to revive demand and bring
Kerala is significantly more empowered
back their balance sheets to some level
than the one in Tamil Nadu and that is
of neutrality.
The consequences of shutting down
a fundamental component of the
“If we don't do that, we are going to
the economy even partially are going to
outcome that they've been able to
see consequences for years to come,” he
be so humongous. This is an era of
achieve.”
cautioned on a serious note.
24
Business Mandate fountainhead of excellence
E f f e c t i ve Decision‐Making in Difficult Times
"It is not enough just to make decisions. We need to diagnose the decisions...
He explained how in personal life, there are so many opportunities for decision
making
starting
from
schooling, taking up a job, buying an automobile, clothing, selecting a sport, going for vacation, shopping, financial investments and so on. Similarly, he listed numerous opportunities for decision making in profession in the areas of hiring, on boarding, training, giving initial assignment, performance
MMA & KonradAdenauerStiftung (KAS) presented a lecture on the topic, “Effective Decision Making in Difficult Times” through webinar on 15 April 2020. Dr Manu K. Vora, Chairman & President, Business Excellence, Inc., USA and Fulbright Specialist, U.S.Department of State, USA (20162021) delivered the talk.
P
feedback, professional
coaching,
mentoring,
growth,
promotions,
terminations, capital projects, team formation and strategic planning. Dr Vora thus laid out the vast canvas of decision making and then detailed out various models as tools for
eople make decisions all the
and that ‘decisiveness is what makes a
arriving at decisions like tree diagram,
time. The quality of those
good manager.’ He explained with
Steven
Covey’s
UrgentImportant
decisions is often in question examples and personal anecdotes,
matrix, basic decision models: scientific,
even by those who make them. Dr Vora
decision making in personal and
ethical, economical, political, habitual,
provided both background knowledge
professional domain. He discussed
etc. He listed out 9 steps to effective
and practical models to prioritize and
decision making avenues during Covid
decision making. How can we conquer
make decisions. He started with popular
19 pandemic like social isolation,
indecision? “Failure to execute is the
quotes on Decision Making. He quoted
personal hygiene, avoiding outside trips,
single greatest cause,” he stressed.
Lee Iacocca to drive home the fact that
seeking medical assistance, looking after
“Beyond a point, plans are not relevant
a decision taken must be ‘acted upon’ the elderly and avoiding rumours.
and they need to be implemented.” It is 25
Business Mandate fountainhead of excellence
not enough just to make decisions. We need to diagnose the decisions that we made and distill them into good and bad decisions. The lessons learned will help us in future decision making. Dr Vora gave many simple tips like taking one issue at a time, prioritizing and making use of 3H (Head, Heart and Hand) in decisions. The lecture provided useful insights for the participants to fulfill their vision, mission, and goals and empower them to do well in their professional careers.
26
Business Mandate fountainhead of excellence
WORLD
Geo‐Political and Geo‐Economic Consequences of COVID‐19
MMA in association with ORF and KAS presented a live Fireside Chat on the theme “GeoPolitical & GeoEcono mic Consequences of COVID 19” featuring Mr M K Narayanan, Former National Security Advisor of India (NSA) and Former Governor of West Bengal in conver sation with Prof Harsh V Pant, Director, Studies & Head of Strategic Studies Programme, Observer Research Foundation (ORF), New Delhi on 29 April 2020. 27
Business Mandate fountainhead of excellence
The Speakers were: *
Mr
Peter
Rimmele,
Resident Representative to India,
KonradAdenauer
Stiftung *
Mr
Christian
Honourable
Hirte,
Member
of
German Parliament *
inwards even more than what has been
M.K.Narayanan under three
the case in the recent past. Rather than look beyond its borders, nations will
broad areas: * *
The geopolitical impact of
focus on their narrowly defined national
Covid19
interests.
The geoeconomic impact of India’s position, post Covid19
“In times of crisis, leadership is the key.
He remarked that even before the
Unfortunately, across the world we have
advent of Covid19 crisis, tectonic plates
a leadership vacuum. There is an
Research Foundation, New
of the global politics were shifting and
absence of leaders who can think
Delhi
that the pandemic has clearly exposed
beyond their immediate problems and
the Chinese vulnerability.
well
V
Strategic
Programme
Mr
M
former
Pant,
K
at
Studies Observer
Narayanan,
National
Security
*
beyond
their
immediate
“There is a great shift taking place,
surroundings,” Narayanan observed and
we are moving from the global order we
added that the US is faltering and for a
have known since 1945 to a new global
variety of reasons, it has been retreating
Head of Observer Research
order, an extremely uncertain one,”
from the world stage for some years
Foundation, Chennai
remarked Mr. M.K. Narayanan. He
now. This has created a big vacuum.
Adviser of Government of India Mr N Sathiya Moorthy,
“In times of crisis, leadership is the key... There is an absence of leaders who can think beyond their immediate problems and well beyond their immediate surroundings,” ‐ M K Narayanan
28
contours of his chat with Mr
Leadership Vacuum
Harsh
the
*
be that nations are going to look
Covid19
Prof
Director, Studies and Head of
*
P
rof Harsh V Pant set the
outlined the new emerging global order.
“There has been a total failure of
“The new world order is no longer
international organisations, such as the
dominated by the US; China is to some
United Nations and WHO, to step up to
extent in the driving seat and most
the present challenges. WHO has been
other countries are badly bruised by
charged with grossly underestimating
Covid19 and the global recession,” he
the pandemic,” he said and commented
said.
that to rebuild or repair institutions of eminence, we need great leaders but
Globalisation in retreat According
to
Mr.
such leadership is missing today. Narayanan,
globalisation has undeniably been in
Geo‐politics Worse than Geo‐
retreat for some years now and the
Economics
corona virus pandemic is likely to
“In some ways, the geopolitical
exacerbate this process. He felt that
situation is far more threatening than
though there is a lot being said about
the
international
and
Narayanan stressing that leadership of
international community, one of the
a nation gains precedence over the
devastating impacts of COVID19 will
nation’s economics.
cooperation
geoeconomics,”
opined
Mr
Business Mandate fountainhead of excellence
Assessing the geopolitical landscape,
COVID‐19: An Opportunity for India?
and added that political clout doesn’t
Mr Narayanan felt that the European
Narayanan felt that it’s wishful thinking
always rely on economic growth.
Union is struggling with its own internal
to believe that India can exploit
problems; Other than Angela Merkel of
opportunities created out of companies
Future of Pakistan‐India Relations
Germany, the EU does not have a
trying to move out of China. Countries
Given Pakistan’s refusal to join the
promising leader. PostBrexit, the UK
like Vietnam are more likely to benefit
SAARC video conference, Narayanan
too is weakened. West Asia has been in
from it than India.
was
asked,
if
IndiaPakistan
relationship had a future.
shambles for some time now and the
He explained that though India has
region is set to face further difficulties
the resilience to survive the crisis, it is
“Every relationship has a future.
due to the oil price meltdown. Russia, he
not in a position to exploit it because of
India can deal with Pakistan and it has
felt, may not be severely affected. India
its economic downturn.
to deal with Pakistan” Narayanan
could have offered some leadership but is handicapped by its economic situation, he argued.
While China is undoubtedly trying to fill the leadership vacuum, Mr Narayanan felt this was not the situation that the world wanted to be in. According to China
has
been
very
important in terms of restricting the spread of the virus but economic
China: Black Swan to White Swan
him,
“Lockdown
should
have
been
stigmatised for its failure to alert the world in time about the virus. It first identified and detected the virus COVID19 in Wuhan in December 2019, but sounded the alarm only in January 2020, Narayanan pointed out. “Having had an early recovery, China is now trying to exploit the situation by utilising its manufacturing capability into an advantage sending out masks and PPE to Asia and Africa. Instead of helping the affected
capacities have bottomed out. China holds all the cards, what are the cards that India holds?” he asked. Reordering Foreign Policy Priorities
stated. Maintaining Relations with China Having
been
a
foreign
policy
practitioner and China expert since the sixties, Mr Narayanan stated that China will not be happy with India’s efforts to gain influence in South Asia.
Looking ahead, Narayanan felt that
“However, China will not look to get
India’s foreign policy had invested far
into a conflict with India. Rather, it will
too much in the US. The world is
look to constrict India in its
changing in crucial ways; India’s foreign
neighbourhood and isolate it from the
policy and its diplomatic efforts need to
rest of the world,” he added.
reflect these new changes.
He also said that China recognises
To hitch our wagon to the US now
India’s intellectual strength. Therefore,
would be unfortunate,” he said. He
maintaining good relations with China
recommended that India needs to
will be India’s biggest foreign policy goal
strengthen its position in South Asia
and challenge and which will throw up
and SAARC has to be brought back.
challenges as well as opportunities,
“India has to be seen as the glue that
requiring deft handling.
keeps SAARC together.
To conclude, Mr Narayanan said,
countries, it is trying to exploit the
It is imperative for India to
“India is too important a country to be
opportunities. It is attempting a change
strengthen itself in South Asia, only
sidelined in the world. India should
from being a Black Swan to a White
then will the rest of the world will see it
strive to be a beacon of light to the
Swan,” cautioned Mr Narayanan.
as a leading power, said Mr. Narayanan
world.”
29
Business Mandate fountainhead of excellence
He also allayed fears that Disaster
CURRENT AFFAIRS
COVID‐19: Impact on Indian Economy
Management Act would be misused by the states to quell labour and public rights. “We are in an emergency now, facing a warlike situation. All our executive decisions taken now need the approval of legislature or Parliament, as applicable, after 3 months and within 6 months. After this, anyone can question the decisions in a Court of Law,” he told. He was also appreciative of the Government’s efforts in ensuring that there are no starvation deaths due to the crisis. “Our granaries are full. The government has provided three months ration to all the needy people. It has also transferred money to the Jan Dhan accounts of poor people,” he informed. State of The Economy:
MMAKASORF in association with NGPL & Presense presented a talk under “Leaders Speak Series” through Webinar on the theme “COVID19: Impact on Indian Economy” on Friday, 15 May 2020. Mr Bhartruhari Mahtab, Member of Parliament and Chairman, Standing Committee on Labour delivered the talk.
Mr Bhartruhari Mahtab said that at present, the state of the Indian economy is worrisome. According to him, the relief measures and the stimulus package of Rs 20 lakh crores is a welcome measure
M
r Bhartruhari Mahtab
Pandemic Management:
spoke on the pandemic
“The lockdown announced by the
management in India and
Indian Prime Minister was a right
the current economic situation. As
decision taken at the right time and
Chairman
of
Parliamentary
without which Covid19 would have
Standing Committee on Labour, he
exploded on a much larger scale in
He expressed satisfaction at the
discussed the proposed labour reforms,
India,” argued Mr Bhartruhari Mahtab
Prime Minister’s prescription of ‘Aatma
the migrant labour problem and
and said that all the Indian states have
Nirbhar’: Self Reliance for India and
measures that have to be put in place to
done reasonably well in managing the
went on to suggest that we should also
prevent a recurrence of the problem, in
pandemic, using the provisions of
aim for Self Independence or
future.
Disaster Management Act.
‘Swawlambi.’
30
the
and he is hopeful that the Finance Minister’s
various
announcement,
detailing the relief package, would put money in the hands of the common man and help revive the economy.
Business Mandate fountainhead of excellence
optimistic that the present labour reforms in the form of 4 Codes, when implemented, will benefit all the workers. He also appealed to all the states to use technology and maintain a live and updated database of migrant workers. Centre‐ State Relations: In sharing of the Central funds among the states, he expressed his opinion that the Union Government is not doing justice.
Labour Reforms:
enterprise factor. That will be disastrous
He gave an overview of the numerous
for the nation and economy,” he
and archaic labour acts that are in force
warned.
and about the Union Government’s labour reform initiatives whereby the
Migrant Labour Problem:
labour ministry has decided to
Mr Bhartruhari Mahtab traced the
amalgamate 44 labour laws into four
origin of the migrant labour problem
codes—on wages, industrial relations,
that resulted post lockdown and which
social security and safety, health and
according to him is very unfortunate
working conditions.
and should not have been allowed to
On the present status of these acts,
happen.
However, as a true national leader, he said, “I love my state, but I love my country more. So I respect the Finance Commission, which is the constitutional mechanism in place.” From his vast experience,
he
felt
that
many
bureaucratic tangles between the Centre and the States can be resolved smoothly if the State Chief Minister or Chief Secretary has a direct dialogue with the Union Government.
he said that the code on wages has been
“The industries should have taken
approved by the Parliament and the
care of the workers but as the units were
Positive Initiatives:
other three are in the process of getting
shutdown, the migrant workers wanted
Mr Bhartruhari Mahtab said that the
approved.
to go back to their homes and with lack
Union Government’s initiative of JAM
of conveyance, they started walking
(Interlinking Jan Dhan account,
back,” he explained.
Aadhaar number and mobile number)
“These codes, when passed, will immensely benefit the labour force and make industries to strictly comply with
Going further into the roots of the
has proved to be a big boon, especially
the provisions,” he assured. He was also
problem, he said that in India, only
in reaching out to the poor and migrant
pragmatic when he said that the growth
about 8% of the labour force is in
labour. He also gave thumbs up to the
of industries depends on two sides of
organised sector. The rest, a whopping
Finance Minister’s announcement that
the coin – namely, labour, on one side
94% are in unorganised sector and they
“One Nation, One Ration Card,” will
and enterprise, on the other. “We
are not covered properly under the
soon become operational and which will
cannot focus on labour and discard the
social security acts. He sounded
greatly help people on the move. 31
Business Mandate fountainhead of excellence
remarkably reluctant to lend. “Nothing
POLITICS
has changed to remove that risk
PM's Economic Package: Different Strokes
aversion. Measures like the suspension of IBC will make the banks even more reluctant,” he noted. The Centre has come up with sovereign guarantee for loans extended to MSME. This, he felt, addresses the problem partly but the execution remains to be seen. He said, “The statement of intent is there. But the details are missing.” According to Dr Narayan, the lockdown was well timed but the government grossly failed to see the migrant labour issue coming up. “This and the resultant pain could have been
MMAKAS in association with ORF presented a talk under “Leaders Speak Series” through Webinar on the theme “PM’s Economic Package: Different Strokes” on 26 May 2020. *
Mr P Ravichandran, Sr Vice President, MMA delivered the welcome address.
* *
easily avoided. The lockdown, however, gave two to three months time for the government to prepare better and take the disease head on, with an armoury of PPEs, face masks and ventilators,” he
Mr Peter Rimmele, Resident Representative to India of Konrad
said. He added that the recovery rate of
AdenauerStiftung delivered the Introductory Remarks.
close to 40% is good and our death rate
Mr R Srinivasan, Editor, The Hindu BusinessLine moderated the
is low compared to other countries, if
discussion with Dr S Narayan, IAS (Retd), former Economic Advisor to
official data are correct.
Prime Minister.
M
Dissecting and analyzing the PM’s
r R Srinivasan drew
Commenting on the stimulus
economic stimulus package of 20 lakh
attention to two recent
package of Rs 20 lakh crores, he
crores, Dr Narayan sounded an overall
studies –one done by
observed that after a detailed analysis,
note of optimism. He broadly put the
SBI’s Economic Research wing and the
the actual size of fiscal stimulus is less
package into 3 boxes, namely:
other by CRISIL. Both have reported
than 10% of what is announced. The rest
*
Survival
that our economy is falling off a cliff;
comes from the monetary measures
*
Revival and
Next year’s GDP growth will be 6.5%
announced by the RBI, more in the
*
Growth.
and the next quarter’s GDP will shrink
nature of potential for injecting liquidity
Under Survival, he listed out the
by 25%. “This,” he said, “is the direct
in the economy. He lamented that RBI
announcement of one nation, one ration
result of lockdown which started in the
depends on the banking system to
card for public distribution system.
last week of March 2020.”
deliver and that our banks are
This, he said, is a big reform and will
32
Business Mandate fountainhead of excellence
to look at small industries and localized and dispersed industries?” He said that we are self sufficient in PPE, face masks and ventilators. “Pharma industry is ramping up. Large imports of China will get reduced.” Dr S Narayan and Mr R Srinivasan debated some of the important issues facing the nation, in a freewheeling chat. Suspending Labour Laws: help the migrant labour immensely. He also emphasized that we have enough food stock. Additional funds
infrastructure like food processing, cold chain, etc augur well for revival of agriculture.
allocated for MGNREGA will help the migrant labour who go back to their
some BJP state governments to suspend
villages. He pointed out that banks have
many labour laws temporarily, for a
automatically increased the working
period of 3 years. Though this is not the
capital limit of MSMEs by 20% without
right way, this will help in more
asking for any collateral. Also, he
employment opportunities for the
commended
migrant and returning labour and be a
easing
the
monetary strain of NBFCs by providing
boon
them credit guarantee to the tune of
government’s initiative of ‘One district,
45,000 crores.
one skill,’ by which each district will be
Under Revival, Dr Narayan pointed out the proposed amendment to agricultural product marketing act and taking out many things from essential
to
labour law or suspending some of the provisions is not labour reform but implementation is real reform. Labour
He pointed out the efforts taken by
Centre’s
Mr Srinivasan said that doing away with
FDI.
He
lauded
UP
developed with a particular skill of people– for example, Kanpur will focus on leather industry, Banaras on textiles, etc.
rights have to be respected. Dr Narayan added that the present archaic labour laws need to be changed, so that the industries can comply with them, without resorting to circumventing the laws. This will help to reduce the 90% unorganised labour force in the country and solve many of the issues like the ongoing migrant labour problem. Only Supply Side Stimulus? Mr Srinivasan noted that the PM’s stimulus package focuses only on the
commodities act. These measures will
Under Growth measures, he opined
supply side and demand has been
open up the agricultural markets in a
that the government perhaps feels that
neglected. Dr Narayan suggested that
very big way. He even bracketed this
the 1991 reforms were inadequate. “The
the government, as a short term
step with the 1991 reforms. “This will be
91 reforms provided openings for large
measure, should put money in the hands
a big thing for agriculture, similar to
industries to grow. When big industries
of the people by way of dole outs.
what happened for industry in 1991,” he
grow, it leads to wealth and GDP
observed. He also said that pumping of
growth. There is now a paradigm shift
Outdated Budget?
a lakh of crores into agri based
in government’s thinking. “Is it possible
Mr Srinivasan said that the Union 33
Business Mandate fountainhead of excellence
Budget announced in Feb 2020 is no
sectors. Pharma industry will do well.
longer valid. Dr Narayan also agreed
FDA will give more approvals to Indian
and suggested that the government has
formulations. Food and food processing,
to come up with a revised budget, as
agriculture related businesses and
many of the assumptions in the budget
logistics will pick up.
are no longer valid. Middle Class Woes: Mr Srinivasan referred to the sharp reduction of manpower in the organised sector. There have been job losses, pay cuts, rationalization of work force, etc
Real estate and construction and automobile industry will have a tough time. IT industry will save a lot of money by asking people to work from home (WFH) for 2 to 3 days in a week. This will be the new normal.
left to the states. They don’t have money. Their main sources of income, namely taxes from fuel and liquor and land registration charges have been affected. GST compensation is also delayed. Dr Narayan agreed that many states struggle to even pay salaries. The states must be allowed to borrow at reduced interest rates from the centre. The Centre should not link it now
which have increased the pressure on
Centre –State Finance:
middle class people. It doesn’t help
Mr Srinivasan pointed out that the
The States should also seriously look
consumption. Dr Narayan noted that we
lockdown was imposed by the Centre
at their expenditure and prune their
need to look at this issue from specific
and the exit from lockdown has been
freebies to restore fiscal health.
34
to reforms like Power sector reforms.
Business Mandate fountainhead of excellence
STATECRAFT
Covid19 and Electoral Reforms MMA in collaboration with Konrad AdenauerStiftung (KAS) presented a panel discussion under ‘Leaders Speak’ series on the theme, “Covid19 and Electoral Reforms” through webinar on 3 June 2020. ORF and NGPL were the event partners. The expert talk was given by Mr T S Krishnamurthy, former Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) of India.
G
roup Captain R Vijayakumar
schedule in November 2020 in Bihar will
way of bringing them down would be to
(Retd),
give a good platform to introduce Covid
have more of digital meetings and use of
related reforms,” he stated.
social media in a responsible way, rather
VSM,
Executive
Director, MMA welcomed the
participants.
Mr
Peter
Rimmele,
Resident Representative to India of KAS delivered the introductory remarks.
Contending that no democracy in
than meeting people in person. This will
the world is perfect, he pointed out
also help in checking the spread of Covid
mature democracies like Germany, 19.
Mr T S Krishnamurthy dealt in his
Australia, UK and US, despite having
address the compelling need for
problems, are able to resolve issues by
introducing several reforms in the Indian
discussion and debate and not though
electoral scene, especially in the post
violence. He stressed that electoral
Covid19 phase. He said that the need
reforms must happen in Asia and Africa.
for electoral reforms is often talked
State Funding: While he appreciated the German system of State funding of elections, he suggested public funding for India with 100% tax exemption. This, he argued,
about but rarely do the ideas that are
Digital Meetings:
would bring in transparency and
expressed get implemented. “Covid19
He listed out India’s main problems in
discipline and curb black money.
has given us an opportunity to take up
elections as political corruptions,
The limits now imposed on
many reforms. The upcoming election
intolerance, hatred and criminality. One
expenditure of a candidate is flawed in 35
Business Mandate fountainhead of excellence
encouraging parties to nominate good candidates, this has not served its purpose, according to a study, he pointed out and suggested that continuation of NOTA needs to be reviewed. Internet & Mobile Voting: In the postCovid phase, due to social distancing and other restrictions, he recommended to opt for internet voting in a limited way, for certain categories of the absence of any limit for spending by
antidefection law and they wreak havoc
the parties, he pointed out. He was firm
by forming unholy alliances and toppling
in denouncing the electoral bond scheme
governments. He strongly made a pitch
now in place, citing total lack of
for barring independents in state
transparency. “Though they are routed
legislatures and introducing laws to
through banks, the source of money is
regulate
not questioned.”
elections.
them
in
parliamentary
people including NRIs, senior citizens, physically challenged, diplomats and people from armed forces. He also suggested introducing mobile polling booths so that voters, especially senior citizens need not commute to vote, exposing them to the virus in the process.
Law for Political Parties:
Devolution of Power:
Though Indian Constitution is one of the
“Democracy survives only when the
longest, Mr Krishnamurthy highlighted
power is devolved,” he said and
the glaring omission of reference to
recommended
political parties in the constitution.
governments with adequate powers to
While acknowledging that at the time of
manage themselves and raise resources
independence, this could have been
should become a reality. This, according
“Even many foreign countries have
acceptable whereas now, we definitely
to him, will prevent concentration of
come and seen the robustness of the
need laws to regulate political parties.
power either at the Centre or with State
machines,” he said and regretted that
The recognised parties should be limited
governments and vastly bring down
when a politician or a party loses power,
to a few serious contenders. The frivolous
corruption.
EVM becomes the scapegoat.
ulterior motives should be derecognised,
NOTA:
One Nation, One Voting:
he argued.
At present, there exists an option called
“This is very attractive,” said Mr
NOTA – None of the above in voting
Krishnamurthy and added, “Unless the
Checks on Independents:
where the voter can reject all the
constitution is amended such that the
In the same vein, he also said that
candidates. Though this was introduced
Parliament and State Legislatures have
independents are not covered under the
with
fixed tenures, this is not possible.”
that
local
self
Electronic Voting Machines ﴾EVM﴿: He made a strong pitch for continuance of EVMs saying they are the pride of the nation and that they are completely tamperproof.
and nonserious parties, formed with
36
the
positive
intention
of
Business Mandate fountainhead of excellence
Election Duration:
both of them as serious flaws in our
He strongly recommended that national
election system.
elections should be completed within 3 weeks, except for J&K and some sensitive states and that they should be limited to three phases by deploying adequate manpower and paramilitary forces. “The last elections in West Bengal were conducted in 6 or 7 phases and this is totally unacceptable,” he said.
“Paid news should not at all be allowed. If a candidate has benefitted from paid news, he should be disqualified and a law has to be framed for this,” he suggested referring to a Supreme Court recommendation made in a case.
Deserting Pre‐Poll Alliances: Observing with regret that it has become a practice among parties to form an alliance before poll, win the elections and after winning, ditch the alliance and form new alliances of convenience, he strongly made a case for discouraging this practice through law. “People who voted for the alliance are being fooled by political parties,” he
He also said that social media has to
said. To arrest this, he suggested that
Social Media and Paid News:
channelized and used effectively and there
the parties should face an election
Strongly denouncing paid news and lack
has to be a monitoring and regulatory
should they decide to drop out of pre
of regulations on social media, he pitched
mechanism to check its misuse.
election alliance.
37
Business Mandate fountainhead of excellence
CURRENT AFFAIRS
Parliamentar y Democracy in Covid Times
Madras Management Association (MMA) in collaboration with KonradAdenauerStiftung (KAS) presented a panel discussion on the theme, “Parliamentary Democracy in Covid Times” through webinar on 23 June 2020. ORF and NGPL were the event partners. The panel comprised the following distinguished members:
G
roup Captain R Vijayakumar (Retd), ED, MMA welcomed the
panellists
and
the
participants. Mr Peter Rimmele, Resident Representative to India of KAS delivered the introductory remarks. “Parliament is the beating heart in
*
Mr N K Premachandran – Member of Parliament, Lok Sabha (From Kerala)
*
Mr Naresh Gujral – Member of Parliament, Rajya Sabha
*
Prof G Ramesh – Professor – Public Policy, IIM Bangalore
Germany,” he said and underlined that Parliament can never be independent of the Executive. Mr M R Madhavan – CoFounder & President, PRS Legislative Research moderated the panel discussion. He highlighted the functions of Parliament and stressed that though Parliament’s
38
Business Mandate fountainhead of excellence
monsoon session should commence in July, considering the extraordinary ground situation due to Covid19 pandemic, the resultant economic crisis and other issues, Parliament should have been convened by now. He listed out many countries where Parliaments meet through digital platforms. Mr N K Premachandran, MP pointed out that there has been no meeting of Parliament since 27 March. It is a big gap, he reckoned, citing various highly critical issues like the pandemic management; NRIs stranded abroad,
Mr Naresh Gujral, MP was also of the strong opinion that Parliament should meet immediately, preferably in an indoor stadium in New Delhi to ensure
“When Parliament works, all government departments work in a frenzied way. It has to be seen how these support staff can be mobilised,” ‐ Prof. G Ramesh IndoChina and IndoNepal border
physical distancing. He felt video conference for 543 members may not be feasible yet. He batted for increasing the number of working days in a week and
frenzied way. It has to be seen how these support staff can be mobilised,” he said and cautioned that people above 60 should be taken care of. Concluding the discussion on a very positive note, all the panellists agreed on the following: *
Parliamentary standing commi ttees should be convened
extending the working hours of
without further delay; this can
Parliament, to manage disruptions due
be done digitally and if possible,
to the pandemic. “Democracy cannot be
through physical meetings.
kept in suspended animation,” was his
*
Parliament must be convened; the
fervent pitch.
government
has
to
deliberate on how it can be
issues, financial package announce
Prof G Ramesh highlighted the high
ment, etc. Avoiding Parliament, he
attendance of Canada Parliamentarians
argued, will lead to autocracy and
when they participated through virtual
Parliaments function, their
warned that ‘absolute power corrupts
meetings. He was firm in saying that
outcome and challenges.
absolutely.’
technology and connectivity should not
He suggested measures like video conferencing and meeting of Parliament on alternate days. Net connectivity in India and data security are big challenges but, he agreed, they can be managed.
be a major issue as we now do many mission critical jobs including online banking and online stock exchange operations, in a secured manner. “When Parliament works, all government departments work in a
done and decide. *
*
We can learn how other
We
have
never
seen
a
pandemic of this magnitude since independence. So we need to pool in and find a way out to see that Parliament functions and democracy in India is alive. Where there is a will, there is a way. 39
Business Mandate fountainhead of excellence
G
roup Captain R Vijayakumar (Retd), ED, MMA welcomed the
panellists
and
the
participants. Mr Peter Rimmele,
CURRENT AFFAIRS
Resident Representative to India of KAS delivered the introductory remarks in
The Galwan Clash
which he said that all the neighbours of China are uneasy in dealing with it and that China’s image has taken a beating after its less than transparent action in dealing with Covid19. He said that in Europe, the thinking is to exclude China in major contracts and added that the US also exerts pressure on Europe in this direction. However, he reckoned that China is an economic powerhouse and cannot be ignored. He highlighted the role of KAS in promoting democracy and internal order. “We need to work with our partners and find common
Madras Management Association (MMA) in collaboration with KonradAdenauerStiftung (KAS) and The Peninsula Foundation presented a panel discussion through webinar, under the ‘Strategic Leadership’ series, on the theme, “The Galwan Clash: India's China Strategy and China's Great Game” on 26th June 2020. The panel comprised the following distinguished members:
solutions,” summed up Mr Peter Rimmele. Air Marshal M Matheeswaran (Retd) moderated the Panel discussion. He pointed out that Chinese aggression has been going on steadily from 2010 onwards. While in 1980, both India and China were at the same level of growth,
*
Admiral Arun Prakash (Retd), PVSM, AVSM, VrC, VSM, Former Chief of the Naval Staff, Indian Navy
*
Ambassador G Parthasarathy (Retd), IFS, Chancellor of Central University, Jammu and Former Indian High Commissioner
*
China strategy needs recalibration. Lt Gen Kamal Davar (Retd) pointed out that India shares 3488 km
Lt Gen Kamal Davar (Retd), PVSM, AVSM, Former DG,
border with China and the Eastern
Mr Mohan Guruswamy, Former Advisor to Finance Minister & Former MP, Rajya Sabha
40
today, he stated and argued that India’s
to Pakistan Defence Intelligence Agency
*
China’s GDP is 6 times that of India
sector has been a perennial problem area. He lamented that despite China’s super power ambition and strategy,
Business Mandate fountainhead of excellence
India has always been naïve with China. ”Forget the sweet talks. Always be wary of the wily, crafty China,” he said and cautioned that the present situation is very serious. He remarked that the IndoChina border is now manned by ITBP and Special Frontier Force; instead, he advised a singular command to be effective. “We should follow ‘One Border; One Force’ policy” he insisted. Ambassador G Parthasarathy (Retd) said that strategic containment of India is integral to China’s political thinking. He felt that India can hold China and no further territorial gains should be allowed. He pointed out that
China strategy. “We need to engage with
singled out the government’s Sagar
China diplomatically and expose to the
Mala project as a good initiative but
world about China not agreeing to any
noted that not much progress has
LAC,” he said. While China has vastly
happened.
huge employment opportunities.
rise. “We have lost the plot after
too should build our Comprehensive
“The whole world made China rich in the last 25 years, doing vast trade with them and shifting many production facilities to China."
National Power and also strengthen
‐ Mohan Guruswamy
space even in vital sectors like Telecom,” he said. He suggested that like China, we
that
augments our security but also provides
Jinping, China has had a remarkable
heavily from China and given them huge
advised
strengthening maritime power not only
under the aggressive leadership of Xi
liberalisation and started importing
He
Mr Mohan Guruswamy traced the genesis of the problem to China’s superiority complex and their natural dislike for India. “The whole world made China rich in the last 25 years, doing vast trade with them and shifting many production facilities to China,” he noted.
maritime security, pursue diplomacy,
Denouncing the jingoism against
leverage on Quad group to exert
boycotting Chinese products, he drove
pressure on China, mobilising all anti Chinese forces on a single platform. He underlined the importance of
improved
its
military
strength,
technology and production, he regretted
home the ground reality that we now depend heavily on China.
that for over 70 years, India has avoided
He said that this is a wakeup call
making a national security strategy and
to bring in land and labour reforms, so
our politicians are more focussed on the
we can attract FDI and ramp up
Admiral Arun Prakash (Retd)
elections. “India should have a Minister
production facilities in India. He batted
insisted that India should have a clear
for Defence Production,” he argued. He
for long term military policies.
India’s strategic partnership with Germany.
41
Business Mandate fountainhead of excellence
G GENDER
Women in Politics
roup Captain R Vijayakumar, Executive Director, MMA introduced all the speakers.
Ms Kavitha Chitturi delivered the welcome address. Mr Peter Rimmele of KAS delivered the introductory remarks in which he spoke about the rise of women in politics in Germany and Europe and the challenges they face. He emphasised that the society has a strong responsibility to support women in politics. Ms
Lakshmy
Ramakrishnan,
moderated the panel discussion. She eloquently summed up women power: “When women lead, the virus loses,” drawing reference to a recent article that detailed out how women leaders from Germany to Kerala have delivered efficient, effective and empathetic responses to the pandemic. “The
MMA in collaboration with KonradAdenauerStiftung (KAS) presented a panel discussion on the theme, “Women in Politics” through webinar on 18 June 2020. ORF and NGPL were the event partners. The distinguished speakers on the panel were: * * * * * * 42
Ms Kavitha D Chitturi, Joint Managing Director, The KCP Limited Mr Peter Rimmele, Resident Representative to India of KAS Ms Kushbhu Sundar, Spokesperson, Indian National Congress Ms Nupur Sharma, National Spokesperson, Bharatiya Janata Party Ms Rehana Ameer, Elected Member of Common Council, City of London Corporation Ms Lakshmy Ramakrishnan, Actor, FilmMaker and Activist
reasons for their stellar show are easy to comprehend,” she said. “Women are natural care givers, open to expert opinions and team players.” Ms Kushbu Sundar of Congress said that a series of cases filed by people in 2005, to vilify her for an opinion she expressed, provoked her to join politics. She said she singlehandedly fought the cases. After the Supreme Court ruled in her favour, she joined the DMK party. She wondered if a person like her with a successful record in film industry and having a solid platform could be rattled by political parties, then what will be the plight of lesser mortals. She decided to
Business Mandate fountainhead of excellence
raise her voice for women by joining politics. She praised the role of late DMK leader Mr Karunanidhi in mentoring her. She did not regret leaving DMK later on, to join the Congress party. She said that women politicians have to be courageous and need the support system from their families. Education, according to her, is not a bar. “Do not give more than two terms to any politician,” she suggested and batted for more youngsters in politics and 50% reservation for women in parliament, to promote gender equality. Ms Nupur Sharma of BJP said she was 23 when she joined politics. “It was my calling,” she said. Finding it tough to balance her lucrative profession and
"I wanted to break the stereotypes, while retaining my individuality and conviction. That’s how, I took my plunge into politics in 2016." ‐ Rehana Ameer
her role in BJP legal cell, she gave up her Supreme Court practice and became a full time politician.
“Instead of becoming somebody, I
Nupur acknowledged that the late
wanted to do something and give back
BJP leader Sushma Swaraj inspired her
to the society. I wanted to break the
for her people skills and memory.
stereotypes,
“To be in politics, one has to have a
while
retaining
my
individuality and conviction.
She advised young women, “Be who you are; be accountable to the environment. Take things as they come along.” Summing up, the moderator Ms
good education and make oneself
That’s how, I took my plunge into
known,” Nupur said. She pleaded for
politics in 2016,” she said and added,
domain experts in bureaucracy and for
“Democracy is a way of correcting
restructuring the UPSC system. “Talk
historic wrongs.” She acknowledged
less, do more,” was her counsel to
that the ecosystem in London
aspiring politicians. Ms Rehana Ameer
recognises individual talents and
of London Corporation said that though
competencies. She suggested that men
she hails from a traditional background,
in power should have adequate data
She concluded that the right
her parents gave her good education and
before framing policies concerning
time for women to enter politics is
plenty of freedom.
women.
–NOW.
Lakshmy Ramakrishnan brought out the commonality in all the three panellists–of finding their calling in politics, to be the change agent, the urge to give back to the society, never to give up and to promote diversity.
43
Business Mandate fountainhead of excellence
PANEL DISCUSSION
Politics Under GenNext Leaders
G Mr
roup Captain R Vijayakumar, Executive Director, MMA welcomed the participants.
Peter
Rimmele,
Resident
Representative to India of KAS delivered the
introductory
Priyadharshni
remarks.
Rahul,
Ms
National
President, Next Gen Political Leaders (NGPL) and Advocate, Supreme Court moderated the panel discussion. Extract from the panel discussion:
Mr Tejasvi Surya Member of Parliament, Lok Sabha
MMA in collaboration with KonradAdenauerStiftung (KAS) presented a panel discussion on the theme, “Politics under Gen Next Leaders” through webinar on Friday, 29 May 2020. ORF, NGPL and PreSense were the event partners. The distinguished political representatives on the panel were:
T
ejasvi Surya touched upon the influence of family legacy in Indian politics and how it
offsets a level playing field and becomes a barrier for young politicians. Asked to comment if one should choose to be in a profession before entering politics, he said, “There are more variables than constants in
*
Mr Tejasvi Surya, Member of Parliament, Lok Sabha from BJP
politics. For a youngster, to depend on
*
Dr V P B Paramasivam, Member of Legislative Assembly,
politics for bread and butter is a huge
Tamil Nadu from AIADMK
challenge. It is therefore better to be in
Mr Rangarajan Mohan Kumaramangalam, Working
a profession or business to insulate
*
President, Tamil Nadu Congress Committee
oneself from the vagaries of politics.” He stressed the need for a clear and consistent ideology and personal 45
Business Mandate fountainhead of excellence
discipline to take on the adverse impact
would mention about two types of
learn from all the leaders who made an
of the variables.
leaders
pursues
impact on the polity, irrespective of
‘siddhi’ (enlightenment) and the other,
their party affiliation and timeline,” he
Navigating Social Media
‘prasiddhi’ (fame). Those who work for
suggested.
When queried about the influence of
the former will progress steadily while
social media in boosting a politician’s
latter category will flatter to deceive.
chances and strategies for increasing
one
who
On tips for building one’s image, he said that in politics, unless a product is good, no amount of image makeover
“...It is It is therefore better to be in a profession or business to insulate oneself from the vagaries of politics.” ‐ Tejasvi Surya
will help. If the person has dedication, stocks will go up. He quoted a verse
Dr V P B Paramasivam Member of Legislative Assembly, Tamil Nadu
from Bhagavat Gita which espouses one
Mr Paramasivan said that young
to maintain equanimity in success and
entrants to politics need not necessarily
failure.
aim for an MLA or MP’s post. They can
passion and equanimity, naturally his
Youngsters, Come on Board! the number of followers, he said, “Social media can help in amplifying one’s work. But it cannot substitute brick and mortar work on the field.” He added that social media is a powerful tool which politicians must definitely make use of, to communicate effectively and reach out to large number of people.
He was emphatic in saying that youngsters will have a big role to play in Indian politics and taking India forward, blended with guidance from senior leadership. “For a long time, people had been confusing maturity with seniority. It is wrong. Young people can be matured and far more
start working from the panchayat level and gradually move up the ladder. He corroborated from the experiences of his own party men. “In AIADMK, our late Chief Minister J Jayalalitha had established a culture that anyone in the party, irrespective of caste, creed, religion, economic status and family legacy can grow in the organisation, if he/she is committed and performing.”
However, he warned about the
responsible,” he stressed and quoted his
pitfalls of social media. “On social
own Lok Sabha election experience.
Youngsters are Tech‐Savvy
media, one day they will praise you sky
“My campaign team had a bunch of
As a young politician, does sitting with
high and on the next day, they will
youth – all in the 20something age
political veterans and stalwarts in the
dump you down the drain,” he said and
group. Everyone said that it’s a recipe
Assembly, unsettle him? “No,” he
advised
for disaster. But I won by a record
replied firmly and added, “I have been
margin.”
elected by nearly a lakh of people. They
politicians
to
maintain
equanimity. Siddhi Vs Prassidhi He referred to Prime Minister Modi’s talk to the young and upcoming politicians in his party in which he 46
When asked about the influence of
have reposed their confidence in me and
Mahatma Gandhi in his life, he said
that gives me the courage to face the
many leaders including Gandhi, Nehru,
Assembly. In fact, I could get more
Ambedkar and others made a huge
funds for my constituency than many
influence in his life. “Politicians can
seniors.” He said that youngsters can
Business Mandate fountainhead of excellence
appetite for risk,” he felt and said that politics is a full time activity. He suggested that passive income would help young politicians to fall back upon in case one ends up in financial trouble pursuing politics. “Balancing a full time profession / business and politics can be extremely challenging,” he cautioned. Asked if Congress party identifies the right people and trains them, he said that the youth Congress has a system in place and conducts training to political aspirants. handle challenges better than seniors through personal drive and usage of technology. He advised young aspirants in politics to visit libraries, read a lot and be familiar with Parliament / Assembly proceedings, party history and ideology. “You should be willing to
politicians need a combination of economic, social and political capital. Family legacy can help a candidate in getting some social and political mileage. But that alone will not suffice, he contended.
learn from seniors, even if they belong
According to him, economic capital
to the opposition party.” He batted for
is a major barrier for entrants to
universal health care, ensuring uniform
politics. He argued for removing this
quality of education across the country
barrier through state funding of
and phased closure of government run
elections and electoral reforms. At
liquor shops.
present, election commission imposes limits on the election expenditure of a candidate. This, he said, is highly impractical and should be scrapped. He regretted that power is now getting more and more centralised. The reverse
Mr Rangarajan Mohan
should
Kumaramangalam Working President, TNCC
“Presidential form of governance is not
M
He however dismissed suggestions
happen,
he
pleaded.
good. We should move towards
r Rangarajan Mohan
devolution of power right up to the
Kumaramangalam
panchayat raj,” he said.
"We are moving away from ideas and towards personality‐oriented politics..." ‐ Mr. Kumaramangalam on making educational or training as mandatory qualifications for political entry. “If you contest and win an election, you become qualified. It is as simple as that,” he said. “We are moving away
from
ideas
and
towards
personality oriented politics which is not good for the nation. Every politician should be given his/ her space. We should be open to ideas and practise the art of compromise,” he expressed. “Many are not even interested in knowing about the parties and the candidates who contest. This is
differed with Mr Tejasvi
Surya on the impact of family legacy in
Need for Risk Appetite
unfortunate and must be remedied,” he
electoral politics. He said that
“Political entrants should have a high
pleaded. 47
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with partners across; reestablish
BUSINESS IN 2020
relationships with their lenders,
Seizing Opportunity In Turbulence
alliances and the society at large; and restructure the business and the organisation to support the rebooted
12 Key Management Areas To Focus On
strategy. Business must go on. So, an allout effort to turn 360 degrees on its axis, from an ‘Insideout‘ to an ‘OutsideIn‘ perspective holds the key. The traction outside the business is so strong that it must be entirely factored in to rejig the business model and the Organisation to support execution. Re‐affirm the Purpose, Culture & Values ﴾and the Pride for the Company, its Products & Services. ﴿ In these times of ambiguity about what
First of a 2part Article on key areas that Management must address to respond purposefully to challenges posed to Business Enterprises during these COVID times
needs to be done, and uncertainty about the future, we must reinstill confidence and pride in the Company, its Vision, its Core Values, and in its Products &
G. D. SHARMA
I
business are addressed, and a fine balance achieved. These are :
Services. Core Calues define the priorities of a Business and shape the culture of the company.
Business Continuity and Re‐
And, after all, it is when the
n these times of COVID19, the
commencing Operations
business is under pressure that we
world has been pushed towards a
In these unprecedented times, all
demonstrate who we are to our
new normal in every sphere of life
businesses are facing issues they have
customers, employees, suppliers and
– economic, commercial and social.
never
The
other stakeholders. It is at this time that
When companies are resuming work
disruption caused by COVID19
we have to instill pride in what we stand
amidst a proliferation of negativity and
outbreak
and
for and do; and to boost confidence
pessimism all around, Management, and
significant, impacting every business
amongst stakeholders. It is very
Leadership in particular, must ensure
and its supplychain – customers,
important for the workforce to feel the
these mustDOs (to keep the wheels of
suppliers, employees, investors and
positive vibrations on a daily basis, and
business running), to ensure that both
lenders. Companies are having to re
to reassure themselves that all is well
the hard and soft dimensions of the
discover their customer base; realign
and that “we shall overcome…“.
48
encountered are
before.
farreaching
Business Mandate fountainhead of excellence
Communicate, Communicate and
As a sequel, HR must facilitate
employee involvement, such areas
Communicate, Right Upto The Last Mile
Redefinition of Roles, and
should be identified for greater buyin
I am fond of saying that there is nothing
examine whether to eliminate,
known
as
overcommunication!
Communication across the length and breadth of the Organisation, and to the last mile of the workforce is the need of the
•
reduce, modify, replace or refresh
roles,
and
role
definitions and scope. This mustdo for today’s times.
that have taken a cut in their salaries or
Manage Paradoxes & Finding a Balance
it a very inclusive and involved process
Life itself is full of paradoxes and
down the line to capture ’what and how we
dualism. Business & Management are no
should be doing’ is the secret. This
exceptions. A best practice, therefore, is
approach is bound to build confidence
for Leadership to strike a fine balance
down the line, strengthen everyone’s
between what must be done now and
involvement
teamspirit.
what must be borne in mind for the
Communication has got to be a continuous,
longer term; between the imperatives of
consistent and allencompassing in
business requiring valuable employee
frequency, content and scope.
contribution & productivity, and the need for empathetic considerations for
Help Employees Re‐Disover Meaning
their safety, health and wellbeing;
In Their Work.
between effectively managing costs and
HR must facilitate connecting
the need to conserve and preserve talent;
individual jobs to the greater
and between efficient execution and
cause. Identify what purpose drives indivduals to achieve the results that they seek, and how it connects to the super ordinate goal. Students of Management are familiar with
expectation management, and so on.
Strategy; Bad Costs that do not align
is it that you are doing? The
with the growth strategies of the
third mason responds by
Company, and Best Costs that help the
saying I am bulding a
company in building its competitive
or Policy Deployment, as a
earlier, only bad costs need to be tackled in this fashion and therefore employee cost should only be the last option. All in all, we are in these exciting times of a crisis which is a unique opportunity to explore new avenues and new horizons. We must leverage the huge potential of our people and their ideas to emerge victorious in the marketplace. With so much negativity all around, it is the mindset that makes all the difference – to be able to see the bright side of things. As Richard Bach has said – “Sooner or later, those who win are those who think they can."
types of Costs in a Company Good
respond to the question, what
established like HoshinKanri
restructuring initiatives. As mentioned
I have known that there can be three Costs that are needed to support
revisited and realignment
even layoff as a response to business
Managing Costs as a Significant Initiative
the story of 3 masons who
Cathedral. Goals have to be
Channel Partners, and to strangthen the Supply Chain. We hear of companies
are doing what we are doing’; and making
•
supporting their Vendors, Contractors,
can help build a tight ship, a
hour. Transparency in conveying ’why we
and
and ownership. Companies are today
advantage. Bad Costs need to be re allocated to businessbuilding and institutionbuilding initiatives. More so
lean management method, in today’s times, many cost management opportunities exist, and through total ensures.
(Author is a class‐topper from the 1979 Batch of Tata Institute of Social Sciences, Mumbai, and a Senior HR Professional with over 40 years’ Corporate, Consulting, Mentoring & Teaching experience. He can be reached at ‐ beelinehr@gmail.com)
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