December 2018 by Unique Times

Vol 8 Issue No.86 Dec-Jan 2019

Tuvalu: Small, but Big

Indiaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s rising interest rate scenario is headed for a pause Shri V.P. Nandakumar, MD & CEO, Manappuram Finance Ltd.

M A D E

F O R

R O Y A L T Y

Introducing Senator from the house of CERA C u r a t e d b y r e n o w n e d I t a l i a n d e s i g n e r, E t t o r e G i o r d a n o .

s e n a to r.c e ra- i ndi a.c om Senator Boutiques in Kerala: Ernakulam: Sanitary Equipment Stores, Meera Sreedhar Tower, Opp. Compass Building, Near MC Donalds, Vysaly Bus Stop, NH By-pass, Chakkaraparamb, Ernakulam 682028; Tel: +91 484 4021932, 4033693 â&#x20AC;˘ VTJ Homedecor, Chorakuzhy, M.C. Road, Koothattukulam, Ernakulam 686662; Mob: +91 9645566718. Kannur: KPK Rialto, Thana, Kannur 670012; Tel: +91 497 2701865. Kottayam: Steelite Enterprises, Steelite Arcade, M.C Road, Adichira, Perumbayikadu, P.O, Kottayam 686016; Mob: +91 9048785088. Thiruvananthapuram: Saraswathy Enterprises, Saraswathy Tower, Thamarakulam, NH By-pass, Near CRPF Camp, Pallippuram P.O., Trivandrum 695316; Tel: +91 471 2750500. Thodupuzha: Choice Saniwares and Electricals, Crystal Arcade, Kothayikunnu By-pass, Nr. Private Bus stand, Thodupuzha 685584; Tel: +91 4862 220778. Uzhavoor: Jairaj Traders, Koonthamattathil Building, Uzhavoor P.O., Kottayam District 686634; Tel: +91 482 2240258. Kochi: 1st Floor, Bay Pride Towers and Mall, Marine Drive, Kochi 682031; Tel: +91 484 4052213, 2365440; E-mail: cochin@cera-india.com Thiruvananthapuram: 2nd Floor, CPS Plaza, TC 79/342/5/6, Opp. Nissan Showroom, NH By-pass, Venpalavattom, Anayara P.O. , Thiruvananthapuram 695029; Tel: +91 471 4064101; E-mail: trivandrum@cera-india.com

Printed by: Ajit Ravi Published by: Ajit Ravi Owned by: Ajit Ravi Printed at: St. Reddiar & Sons P.B. No: 3627, Veekshanam Road, Cochin Published at: Pegasus, L5-106 Changampuzha Nagar Kalamassery Ernakulam-682 033 e-mail: editor@uniquetimes.org uniquetimesindia@gmail.com Ph:0484 2532040, 2532080 Mob:+91 98460 50283, 94470 50283 Editor Ajit Ravi Sub-Editor Vignesh S.G Associate Editor Ravi Saini Editor-In-charge Jebitha Ajit Legal Advisor Latha Anand B.S.Krishnan Associates bskrishnanassociates@gmail.com Correspondents Dr. Thomas Nechupadam Vivek Venugopal- Quarter Mile Amrutha V Kumar Karthika S Nair Marketing UAE Phygicart.com P.O. Box: 92546, Al Karama Dubai Mr. Anish K Joy Mob: +971528946999 info@phygicart.com Plot No 19A, 9th Floor, Green Building, Film City, Sector - 16A, Noida - 201301 Tamil Nadu Vice president Uma Riyas Khan chennai, Mob: 9841072955 Unique Times, No.6/31, Arunachalam main road, Saligramam, Chennai – 600093 Andhrapradesh & Karnataka PEGASUS Ph: 09288800999 Sunilkumar NN, Saneesh Ashok Your wing Dr. Susan S Sunny Director Shwetha Menon Photographer Ashique Hassan Creative Design PEGASUS Cover Photograph ALTURAS G4 by Mahindra

Editorial D

ecember is the month of jingle bells and Santa. The true spirit of Christmas is love and I wish you all a merry Christmas. Our cover story introduces Mahindra’s Alturas G4, the SUV that has the finesse of a luxury car with the ruggedness of an off-roader. If big and bold is your thing, this is the SUV for you. Alturas G4 has everything to lock horns with all its competition. Priced between Rs.26.95 - 29.95 lakhs, ex. showroom, the Alturas G4 is a proper seven-seater SUV for the money. Chairman and Managing Director of Manappuram Finance, V.P. Nandakumar in his regular column explains that five major factors which determine the Reserve Bank of India’s interest rates in India. Our expert on Auto unravels the Mercedes E 63 S, one of the fastest four door sedans you can buy on the planet, and explains why this sedan costs around Rs.1.5 crore? Travel section reveals an Island country of Tuvalu, which is rather unknown, located in Pacific Ocean between Hawaii and Australia. It is interesting to know the big surprises in this small country. Stories on beauty, stock market, gadgets, banking, success, movie, and books are there. I sincerely hope you find as much joy in the issue as it brings me.

Dr. Ajit Ravi

CONTENTS

Indiaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s rising interest rate scenario is headed for a pause

Checklist while embarking on your entrepreneurship journey!

ALTURAS G4 by Mahindra

Companies (Amendment) Ordinance, 2018-A few key aspects

Never let the competition define you!

Gadgets

Recipes

Fruits that help repair skin

Tuvalu: small, but big

Mercedes E63S

UNIQUE DIARY

EU to strengthen ties with India

he European Union has done their part responsibly to strengthen its ties with the South Asian country of India. As a part of its effort in that direction, the EU has developed a ‘strategy paper’. It is learned that the EU wants to increase its engagements with India in a wide range of important sectors, including security and defence, innovation and investment. It is also indentified that the EU wishes to work with India to address the challenges posed by the new world. If the things develop as expected, India is likely to develop military cooperation with the EU in the India Ocean Region.

India inks at least five important agreements with Australia

“Make every detail perfect and limit the number of details to perfect.” Jack Dorsey

ndia has inked nearly five highly important agreements with Australia, when the Indian President, Ram Nath Kovind, has met the Australian Prime Minister, Scott Morrison, during the former’s trip to the land of Kangaroos. Agricultural research, disability and education are expected to be the prime areas in which India aims to strengthen its cooperation with Australia at this moment. The agreements, which have been signed by the leaders, are expected to give fresh energy to the Indian government’s efforts to achieve its plans in that front. At present, Australia is one of the highly preferred options for those Indians who plan to pursue quality education abroad.

Dec-Jan-2019

India takes the issue of ‘the US tariff on steel and aluminium’ to WTO

ndia has taken the issue of the United States move to impose high import duties on certain steel and aluminium goods to the World Trade Organisation. It has asked the multi-lateral organisation to create a special panel to verify the issue of the US tariff on steel and aluminium. The US move to impose high duties on certain goods has prompted many countries to articulate retaliatory measures to express its disagreement and dissatisfaction over the move. There is an assessment that the protectionist policies the US has articulated may push the world under the clutches of a brutal trade war.

India and Mauritius to ink CECPA soon

“Your most unhappy customers are your greatest source of learning.” Bill Gates

ndia has been negotiating with Mauritius for the establishment of Comprehensive Economic Cooperation and Partnership Agreement since 2006. So far, the process of negotiation has achieved no serious progress. But, now, India asserts that it would finalise the deal within two months. India plans to finish the negotiations before the proposed visit of Mauritian Prime MinisterPravind Jugnauth is expected to visit India in January. While the issue of double taxation was the one that disturbed the process of negotiation at the initial stage, now the prime issue is Mauritius’ demand to include more products under the category of the goods that enjoy the benefit of India’s tariff concession.

Dec-Jan-2019

UNIQUE DIARY

AIKS joins Indian seed companies’ battle against Monsanto

ll Indian Kisan Sabha, the farmers organisation supported by the Communist Party of India, has joined the battle of Indian seed companies against Monsanto, a US based biotechnology conglomerate. The battle is to establish that no company has the right to patent seeds in India. Earlier, the Delhi High Court ruled that BT Cotton seeds could not be patented by the US conglomerate, which developed the seed, as no seed can be patented as per the Indian law. The Supreme Court of India is presently hearing the appeal filed against this rule by the US-based biotechnology conglomerate. Apart from AIKS, renowned activist Vandana Shiva has also come strongly against the company.

Krishnamurthy Subramanian appointed as CEA

“It’s not about ideas. It’s about making ideas happen.” Scott Belsky

he Indian government has filled the powerful position of Chief Economic Advisor, left vacant after the exit of renowned economic expert Arvind Subramanian, with acclaimed financial expert Krishnamurthy Subramanian. The position of the CEA has been lying vacant for last six months. The government in the past faced serious criticism for that. Earlier, there were rumours that Poonam Gupta would be appointed to the post; had she been appointed she would have been the first women CEA of the country. Anyway, the new appointee can serve in the post for next three years. Let’s hope that the young brain would help the country to overcome the challenges posed by the turbulent global economy.

Dec-Jan-2019

BUSINESS

Shri V.P.Nandakumar MD & CEO Manappuram Finance Ltd.

With the US economy reporting relatively strong growth, low unemployment and inflation within the Fed’s target of 2 percent, the general consensus until recently was that the Fed would continue to increase interest rates, with another 25 bps hike coming in December 2018, followed by two more increases of 25 bps each in 2019, which would bring interest rates to a range of 2.75 to 3 percent.

India’s rising interest rate scenario is headed for a pause

n the article titled “Are interest rates poised for reversal” published in the March 2018 issue of this magazine, I had written about how the RBI, after cutting interest rates by 2 percentage points over four years since 2014, was poised to reverse course and increase rates. Since then the RBI’s monetary policy committee (MPC) has held four meetings and increased policy rates twice. While status quo was maintained at the first meeting in April 2018, there was a 25 bps (or quarter percentage) increase in June 2018. This was followed by another 25 bps increase in August 2018. When the MPC met in October 2018, the market expected another hike of 25 bps given that crude prices were up and the rupee was

Dec-Jan-2019

down but the MPC chose to maintain the rates unchanged. However, it changed its liquidity stance from neutral to “calibrated tightening” indicating that more rate increases were in the offing. The hike in the policy rates was attributed to rising inflationary pressures in the economy. The sharp increase in international crude oil price, heightened geo political tensions, volatility in the global financial markets with emerging markets under particular stress, and rancorous trade disputes among the advanced economies and China posed challenges to economic growth and clouded the inflation outlook in India. But now, even as barely two months have passed since the last MPC meeting, India’s inflation outlook appears to have undergone a

sea change. Indeed, it now appears that the RBI is more likely to hold back from further increases in interest rates, if not reverse course. There are several factors, both external and internal, which impact decision making by the MPC and many of these factors cannot be influenced from India. Here we take a look at five major factors at work in determining the course of interest rates in India.

1. The stance of the US Federal Reserve:

The great financial crisis of 2008 was followed by the unprecedented injection of money into the economy by a process known as quantitative easing (QE) which essentially is the US Federal Reserve (the Fed) aggressively buying up bonds to hold interest rates down at artifi-

cially low levels (and thereby stimulate a weak economy). The Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) is the monetary policymaking body of the US Fed. Every year it schedules eight meetings at intervals of roughly six weeks. (In India, the equivalent monetary policy committee or MPC of the Reserve Bank meets bi-monthly, or once every two months.) Between 2008 and 2015, the US Federal Reserve in total bought bonds worth more than $3.7 trillion, in the process inflating its balance sheet with total assets going up from about US$ 860 billion in 2007 to a peak of about US$ 4.5 trillion in 2014-15. The Fed is now in the process of unwinding QE so as to normalise interest rates and bring down its balance sheet size, presumably to the levels prevailing before it commenced QE. Accordingly, it has increased interest rate eight times since 2015, with each increase amounting to 25 bps or a quarter percentage point. At its last meeting in November 2018, the Fed

had left the policy rate unchanged at 2% - 2 Âź percent, pointing to a moderate decline in fixed investment by business, while the guidance was of a likely hike in its next meeting (i.e. in December 2018). With the US economy reporting relatively strong growth, low unemployment and inflation within the Fedâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s target of 2 percent, the general consensus until recently was that the Fed would continue to increase interest rates, with another 25 bps hike coming in December 2018, followed by two more increases of 25 bps each in 2019, which would bring interest rates to a range of 2.75 to 3 percent. However, given the recent change in the political scenario in the US, with the Democrats regaining control of the lower house of the US Congress, there is now uncertainty over the future course of action. It will not be a surprise if a Democratic controlled House of Representatives initiates investigations into various allegations against the Trump administration

and chooses to obstruct policy actions which could act as a stimulus to the economy, say, increased government spending or lower taxes. As a matter of fact, the boost to the US economy given by the tax cuts signed into law by President Trump in December 2017 is beginning to fade now. And without more stimulus, the US economy could see a slowdown in growth which will surely make the Fed reconsider the pace of policy tightening for 2019. Further, the moderation of fixed business investments (which could impact business activities and employment generation), the fallout of the trade dispute between US and China, and overall slowdown in global growth are all key factors the Fed will have to weigh before it presses ahead with further hikes in interest rates.

2. International Crude prices have peaked for now

In recent weeks, International crude price have corrected sharply. After breaching the US$ 85 mark, the price of the benchmark Brent

Dec-Jan-2019

crude has crashed to about US$ 60 per barrel. Oil price had peaked in the first week of October this year on concerns that US sanctions on Iran will cut supply from Iranian oil fields, draining inventories and leading to shortage. Oil prices have moved into what the markets refer to as a contango, a phenomenon where the spot price is lower than that of a futures contract. The price collapse came about after increased production from the OPEC and non-OPEC producers who were all anticipating a supply shortfall once sanctions on Iran came into force, along with the significant growth in the output of shale oil in the US. The increased production became counter-productive when the Trump administration granted waivers to eight countries to continue import of crude oil from Iran for 180 days. Further, the risk-off sentiment in the market due to trade wars, rising interest rates, and slowing global economic growth have raised concerns over the global demand outlook for oil. US shale oil output is expected at a record 7.94 million barrels per day (bpd) in December, 2018. The surge in onshore output has helped overall US crude production hit a record 11.6 million bpd, making it the world’s biggest oil producer ahead of Russia and Saudi Arabia. And this has come about even as production of shale oil has been constrained by a lack of pipeline capacity to move crude from the Permian Basin in Taxes to the refining and export facilities on the Gulf of Mexico. When oilfields are located in the hinterland, the absence of pipeline infrastructure means that

Dec-Jan-2019

you have to transport the crude oil by rail or road which pushes up cost so much that it becomes uncompetitive. But then, here is another twist in the tale. The recent run-up in crude oil prices has spurred investment in the pipeline infrastructure and analysts expect significant pipeline capacity addition by the end of 2019. It is possible that the current weakness in crude price may get arrested with OPEC members agreeing to cut production. The biggest OPEC member Saudi Arabia has declared that it will curb output by around 1 million barrels a day from October levels, and plans to cut exports by 500,000 barrels a day. Come 2019, however, the new pipeline capacity coming on stream for US shale oil will mean a further dent in OPEC’s ability to push prices beyond, say, US$ 60 or so, as the shale oil producers will immediately ramp up their production to take advantage of a price which makes their oilfields profitable.

3. Subdued Inflation outlook

India’s consumer price Inflation for October was reported at 3.31 percent, the lowest level since September 2017. It has remained below the RBI’s medium term target of 4% for three consecutive months. The Monetary Policy committee (MPC) of India has now lowered its inflation projection for the second half of this fiscal year. At its fourth bimonthly meeting in October, the MPC revised its inflation forecast to 3.9-4.5 percent for the second half of FY19, down from 4.8 percent earlier. The earlier projections of in-

flation were higher because the recently announced increase in minimum support price for farm produce was expected to put pressure on retail inflation. Also, the uneven distribution of monsoon this year could have limited kharif output. However, core inflation — which measures inflation after excluding volatile items like food and fuel — remained sticky at a relatively high 6.1 percent in October, exceeding the RBI’s upper ceiling. On the other hand, consumer price inflation is expected to remain benign for the next quarter given the favourable base effect, declining international crude oil price, and continuing weakness in agricultural commodity prices as reflected in low rates of food inflation. With the general consensus among analysts leaning towards an upward bias in India’s overall inflation outlook — anticipating recovery in food prices due to recent announcement of hike in minimum support price (MSP), uncertainty over crude price, expected fiscal slippage in the run-up to the 2019 general elections — there is an expectation that RBI will effect another hike in policy rates by March 2019. However, we also need to keep in mind that over the last couple of years, actual inflation in India has consistently been lower than what the RBI had projected, and if crude prices stay depressed and the targeted fiscal deficit is not breached (the finance ministry insists it won’t be), there is a good chance of inflation staying low.

4. The Rupee Dollar equation offers comfort

The India rupee was one amongst the worst performing currencies in the Asian market as compared to the US Dollar. By October2018, the rupee had depreciated by more than 13 percent but subsequently went on to recover some of the lost ground, appreciating by about 5 percent from its lowest point. Although the rupee declined precipitously against the US Dollar, it had not depreciated against other peer trading currencies, indicating that the depreciation was not so

much about the rupee losing value, as it was about the US dollar gaining strength across the board. The decline in crude oil price and the calming of trade tension between major advanced economies has helped the rupee to stabilise. Besides, the return of foreign capital inflow along with softening in dollar value has helped it to recover. Foreign portfolio investors have pumped in more than Rs.4,000 crore into Indian equities so far in November after three months of continuous outflows. Further, three foreign brokerages have revised their outlook for Indian equities with HSBC upgrading Indian equities to “neutral” from “underweight” as valuations have become more reasonable.

5. Bond yields have come down

The tightening of global liquidity due to the Fed tightening its policy rates has also affected domestic liquidity as it led to increased capital outflow from Indian markets. To support and stabilise the Rupee, the RBI was forced to intervene in the market by selling the US Dollar in the Indian market. This has the effect of sucking liquidity out of the market as the dollars sold by RBI have to be paid for in Indian rupees. Yield on the benchmark 10 year government bond hit a four year high at around 8 percent in September, mainly due to expectations

of higher inflation following the rise in crude prices and the uncertainty around the trade wars. The rising bond yields compelled the RBI to raise policy rate which further increased the cost of borrowing in India. But now, the decline in crude price and falling inflation has provided some respite to the RBI even as the rupee has managed to recover some lost ground. To improve liquidity in the system RBI has been resorting to more frequent open market operations involving purchase of government securities which has helped reduce bond yields. Bond price and yield move in opposite direction. On the other hand, the private sector bond market has seen significant disruption due to the IL&FS crisis, but this is expected to be a temporary phenomenon. The initial panic has already subsided and now we can expect a gradual recovery. While the government’s fiscal deficit had already touched 95 percent of the full year target within the first six months of the year, subsequent buoyancy in GST collections and the oft-repeated resolve of the government to maintain fiscal prudence, suggests that bond yields are unlikely to harden in the near term.

To conclude

Making predictions about future course of events by looking into a crystal ball is a skill that very few

would possess. However, when trying to predict trends in the Indian and world economy, it is possible to examine the relationship between the various factors that shape events and drive decisions of policy makers to arrive at an educated guess. The point here is not to say that such and such thing “will” happen, but that it is “likely” to happen. Till the other day, interest rates in India were widely expected to head upwards. But recent events have changed the outlook and today a pause is more likely than continuing increases. Will the pause be followed by a phase of falling interest rates, or will rates head up once again? I would say, it’s too early to tell. In the meantime, keep watching this space

BUSINESS

Rajesh Nair Asociate partner-markets, Ernst & Young LLP Rajesh is also the President of the Kerala Chapter of TiE Global

The busiest of entrepreneurs often seem to find more time than others. An apparent irony of life –when you are really engaged into a ‘calling’ or a vision for your organisation, you often find that you have more time in your hands. That extra time comes from focus and intention to do the best.

Checklist while embarking on your entrepreneurship journey!

t is increasingly becoming clearer and popular that ‘entrepreneurship’ is a career option much like the fancied engineering, medicine and accountant streams. Unlike the past, the best students are keen to start their journeys into starting a business much before the regular rigmarole of working in an established firm and gaining experience etc. There is also a fair share of mentoring voices and advices available to the aspirant today. Here is a checklist of things which are in three phases. 1. Are you ready for entrepreneurship? 2. What is it that I want to do? 3. What does investors and partners look for in you and your business? The first set of questions, you need to probe yourself on whether you have the mental makeup which is suitable for entrepreneurship. You look at your idea and feel those goose bumps of purely being enamoured with the product or service. You sleep less and dream more and nothing can come in between you and business success.

Dec-Jan-2019

While the excitement of ‘starting something’ is often too overwhelming and, in some sense, a little romantic, one has to be realistic. In the frenzy of excitement, it is often good to remind ourselves of a few seemingly minor aspects, which have large bearing on your onward journey. Here are the six questions:1. Are you ready to maintain exemplary discipline? One of the first things a lot of jobbers do is to think that they are now masters of their time. In a recently TiE Meeting, a senior entrepreneur reminded us that from the first day on his business, he still woke up early, got dressed and walked into his office –a makeshift office in the guest room. As entrepreneur, time is never yours any more, he remarked! 2. Are you ready to ask for work? Most of us feel extremely awkward to ask our friends, batch mates and relatives for work. One needs to have the courage and conviction to do this. It is vital, during the initial days.

3. Are you ready to receive feedback and to work on it? No one gets the product and service right, the first time over. You have to listen and work on the gazillion comments and feedback. Your ability to positively and constructively look at changes will be crucial for your journey. 4. Are you still keeping the fall back option? Your business venture has to be like a bullet fired –‘No option to stop it and get back to work’! This is easier said than done, but a lot of empirical research says that people with plan B, C, D are not as likely to succeed as the one with only a plan A. 5. Are you ready to forgo you monthly pay check? Behavioural scientists say that the monthly pay slip is more addictive than drugs, alcohol and cigarettes. The addict group is more than all the others put together. The security that the first of the month brings you and the unconscious smile you conjure, is not easy to lose.

6. Are you hoping for better work life balance? A good percentage of new ventures are people who leave main stream careers to have ‘more time at home!’ There is a difference between a sabbatical and entrepreneurship. An entrepreneur has not distinction of work and life. It is all just life! In the life of every entrepreneur, there comes some ‘penny dropping moments’ or, as per the popular management phrase, ‘the moment of truth’. This is the moment when epiphany happens and where the puzzle starts solving by itself. This is the moment when the ‘go-getter’ stops just ‘going’ but starts ‘getting’. There is no age for this to happen nor is it the results of years of expe-

Dec-Jan-2019

BUSINESS

rience. It just happens. I present these moments as five questions which will trigger the answers. 1. What is it that I am trying to sell? It is amazing when entrepreneurs come and discuss their ‘do it all’ solutions –product or service, which has more potential than any other product in the universe. But, often, they have not really answered the questions: what does their product do, and who will buy it. The moment this dawns on them, they have seen the one ray of light – a humbling, divine moment almost spiritually cathartic! 2. Am I selling or am I gifting? A senior entrepreneur recently told my team that he is not selling a product, he is gifting something that he created with love and passion and with all the nurturing instincts It is of a parent. A phi-

amazing when entrepreneurs come and discuss their ‘do it all’ solutions-product or service, which has more potential than any other product in the universe.

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losophy like that will bring you close to your customers. 3. Am I pushing or creating a pull? A quickest analogy is a piece of rope. Which is easier –pushing it or pulling it? That law is the essence of business –the targets, the numbers and the push are all futile unless you create reason around your product and make people pull or demand it. 4. Should I be serving or making money? One of the first questions you hear from investors or perhaps even from your logical mind is ‘does this product make money’. Of course, it is an important question. But, the more crucial ones are how’ll it value add and how will it serve. It pays to

focus on what the customer wants and exceeds that expectation with a great ‘product experience‘ –it will make money! 5. How did I get more time in my hands? This is an amazing revelation. The busiest of entrepreneurs often seem to find more time than others. An apparent irony of life –when you are really engaged into a ‘calling’ or a vision for your organisation, you often find that you have more time in your hands. That extra time comes from focus and intention to do the best. So, what does the investor look for in your business -this question is the ‘holy grail’. There is some very intelligent literature available on this subject and each of them gives

you perspectives of experts. You will easily get advice on sprucing up your product explanation, business plan, getting the right resources in your organisation et.al. They are all sound erudite nuggets that one needs to take seriously. But, what is the common thread? What makes the Venture Capital guy choose Jane over John? The secret sauce of the pudding is –YOU! Yes, no one else! The core element of the entire message is YOU and the ordeal to get the investor trust you. It could be the elevator pitch, the hundred slide deck or the difficult video conference. It is at the end, your ability to get the investor’s conviction that their money is safe with you. Safety of their investment comes first and then the scale, the growth and the exits. There is no panacea for generating trust and neither is there an all cure snake oil. But, here are some interesting snippets, I heard in this journey. Vision: Your product or service may not suddenly change the world but what is the larger picture. You need to be able to articulate that and build the blocks together. Passion: It is not just that complete faith you have in your product or service, but the intent and verve and the ability to convey that enthusiasm. Passion can never be overrated. Integrity: Be truthful on the strengths and weaknesses of the product. Don’t lie –it never works the long haul and you will have to have super memory to piece all those wise replies you gave if they were not true! Learn: At times, some of the questions you get disappoint you, make you lose confidence and perhaps even cut your concept into shreds. Consider it an opportunity to learn, adapt and make your pitch stronger in the future. All these ingredients need to have a pinch of earnestness and the intent to take feedback and be mentored through personal experiences and benefit from the feedback of others!

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f big and bold is your thing, the Alturas G4 by Mahindra is the SUV for you. As far as full size SUVs go, this one has all the bases covered. Strong ladder frame chassis -Check. Four wheel drive with low range -Check. Seven seats -Check. Launched this month, the Alturas goes head to head against the Toyota Fortuner and the Ford Endeavour. Massive size and big presence are key factors here. The Alturas has the longest wheelbase and is the tallest and widest SUV in its class. That big logo on the front grille may say Mahindra, but this is in fact a fourth generation Ssangyong Rexton. But, unlike the Rexton they sell in other countries, Mahindra has made ours fully loaded and feel more premium. The Alturas is Mahindraâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s flagship offering in India and sits above the XUV 500. The SUV looks substantial when viewed from the front. The familiar grille and the HID headlamps with integrated DRLs give it a wider look. The side profile has a sharp character line that stretches between the exaggerated wheel arches. The rear is very well designed with shapely tail lamps extending to the tail gate. The interiors are a class apart

with quilted tan, black nappa leather and top quality dashboard. The seats are very well designed to provide long hours of fatigue free travel. The driver’s seat comes with 8 way adjustment and three memory functions. Not only that, it slides back automatically for easy ingress or egress when you open the door, like in a Mercedes only to return back to previous position when you are seated. Those perforated front seats are ventilated too, so your back wouldn’t feel hot on a sunny day. The Alturas comes with dual zone air conditioning for the front and AC vents for the second and third row seats. It also gets ambient lighting on the doors, cleverly designed storage spaces all around the cabin and a 60:40 split middle row and 50:50 split third row for added practicality. If you think that’s a lot, the Alturas comes loaded with even more features. There is an 8 inch touch screen on the centre console that comes with Apple Car Play and

Dec-Jan-2019

Android Auto in addition to the usual Bluetooth, Aux and USB connectivity. It also has a full 3D surround reversing camera which takes its feed from 4 cameras around the car to show you what obstacles are there on all four sides. There is another 7 inch display in the meter console for vehicle information that looks so high tech. There are so many thoughtful touches in this car that would bring a smile to your face. The smart rear tail gate is electrically operated and all you have to do is, walk up to it and wait for 3 seconds before it pops open –handy when you are coming back from your shopping with your hands full. The remote not only lets you have full keyless entry and push button start, it also lets you roll down the windows or close them by long press on the lock or unlock button. Even the rear view mirror on the left tilts down a few degrees to help you reverse carefully, without hitting the curb. Features like these were once the preserve of expensive German cars. The Alturas comes fully loaded

with a sunroof, cruise control, automatic headlamps, automatic wipers, tyre pressure monitoring system etc. There are some features that extend to the safety side too. There are nine airbags including one for the driver’s knee, Electronic stability programme, Active Rollover Protection, Hill-Assist Control, Hill Descent Control, Brake assist, Emergency Stop Signal and ABS with EBD. Powering the Alturas is Ssangyong’s own 2.2 litre D22DTR engine with 178bhp and 420Nm torque. Most of that torque is available at low revs making for very punchy performance. Rextons in the past have shared a lot with the Mercedes ML and this one on the Alturas uses a seven speed

The Alturas comes fully loaded with a sunroof, cruise control, automatic headlamps, automatic wipers, tyre pressure monitoring system etc. There are some features that extend to the safety side too.

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torque convertor automatic gearbox sourced from Mercedes Benz. It sends its power to the rear, but can shift to four wheel drive mode at the twist of a knob. And with all that electronics, a full low range box and huge 244mm ground clearance the Alturas can go properly off-road too. Looking brawny and packing all those features, the Alturas G4 has everything to lock horns with its established competition. It has the finesse of a luxury car with the ruggedness of an off-roader. Priced between Rs.26.95 - 29.95 lakhs, ex.showroom, the Alturas G4 is a proper seven seater premium SUV for the moneyď&#x20AC;˝

Dec-Jan-2019

Rewriting the prevalent norms of automotive business

iveira Motors or ‘B Motors’ is a product of passion and perseverance founded by Melton Biveira and his wife Soumya Biveira. Melton, even though a marine engineer, always had a passion towards the automotive field, and was known amongst his friends and relatives for his custom build bikes and cars. Being a

she ended up doing auto detailing, considered to be a man’s domain, she says; “B Motors was born out of my husband’s passion for automobiles, his infectious dreams got passed on to me, and I was hooked from the word ‘go’. Currently it’s as much my baby, as it’s his, and I am proud to be the only woman auto detailer in Kerala, or perhaps

fulltime marine engineer, he wanted a right partner to convert his passion to product, and he found this ideal match in his wife Soumya and they together started the company “B Motors”. B Motors is the only woman managed auto detailing company in India, and Mrs. Biveira is aware of that fact. When asked about how

India”. Soumya Biveira is from a business family and is the middle one among three daughters. After the demise of her father, she took upon his mantle in business and ensured that the company stays afloat, and the workers don’t lose their livelihood. This was detrimental to her dreams of becoming a dentist. Busi-

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ness was what she was meant for, and once the entrepreneurial bug hit her, there was no looking back. When asked about how she manages the business with a spritely kid of 2 years, she replies that it’s all because of her late father’s advices and very considerate in-laws. Mrs. Biveira leaves to work by 7.30 am, and there are occasions when she can’t come back even by midnight as the customers expect their dream machines to be delivered back in record time. “Having a business is not like your typical 9 to 5 job, here one has to be on their toes always, and to ensure that you deliver a product that satisfies your customers in a timely manner means burning the midnight oil occasionally”, says Mrs. Biveira. ‘B Motors’ is the only company in Kerala that distributes Taiwan based KubeBond Nano ceramic coating for your vehicles to look and stay new life long. KubeBond has been tested and certified by ‘SGS’, ‘REACH’, ‘IMO’ and ‘ISO’, the world’s leading, inspection, verification, testing and certification company. Unlike the older generation of paint protections like wax and sealants offered by other car dealerships or paint protection companies, the KubeBond Diamond 9H forms a permanent bond with the coating of your paint work which can only be removed by machine polishing. This makes it extremely durable and reduces the need for constant reapplication. The 9H ceramic coating is a revolutionary product that creates a superior layer on surfaces to keep them strong and shiny, just like a diamond. Not only is KubeBond the best choice of

paint protection for your paintwork. It is also suitable for fabric and leather interiors. Using the same molecular compound, KubeBond can keep the interior of your car free from any stains and dirt. This means less amount of time spend on vacuuming the inside of your car, and more spent driving! Malayalees are second to none in their passion for cars, and going by the huge demand for auto detailing, Mrs. Biveira has a lot of work in her platesď&#x20AC;˝

Dec-Jan-2019

Vinod Kumar

You cannot avoid people. People are your best and biggest resources. Each person and then the population are all, your raw material. You have to manufacture methods to be able to transact with other people. Ensure, that there are no strangers.

Relationship Possibility I

t is all up to you and you alone. Your neighbours, and your colleagues, and your skills and talents are all, actually, like a provision store. Yes, inside of the provision store, you go there, to procure your provisions and groceries and other supplies for the week. Every week, this house holder enters the department store (provision store) to bring home the purchases. Those material that he have procured must sustain his home, for the entire week and then the month. But there are caution. This provision must be used prudently. Must not waste or squander. Identical to this principle, are the activities and all other transactions. Every day, as you step out of your house, you are into provision store. Outdoors or indoors, you have all provisions. But the big question is, whether you get your probabilities and then the possibilities. The

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provisions are all with the potential. But your skill must be to organize things in such a way that you construct possibilities. Probabilities of collapse, defeat and failures must be identified. But your visibility must be on the possibilities that are in your favour. Your work is to plan and prepare. You cannot avoid, but to participate in the events and situations. So, let us agree, that you are the foundation for your joy and happiness. Your work and inputs has to feed and replenish your intentions. Promises must get follow ups. So, get your indicators of your performance and productivity. You cannot avoid people. People are your best and biggest resources. Each person and then the population are all, your raw material. You have to manufacture methods to be able to transact with other people. Ensure, that there are no strangers. Implement a method to convert all

strangers, into your friends. Learn to say first â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;helloâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;. Then assure that they get gifts of wisdom, from you. What is that your friends learn from you, that is of utility to them? Any gifts from you, that gave them convenience and comforts? People need care and attention. Share your time with the strangers. Educate to them about your ethics and your principles. Produce the method, by which you establish a relationship with people. A relationship of caregiving and friendliness. That of support and encouragement. Build trust among people that meet you and greet you. These relationships of kindness and compassion are the foresight and insight into the minds of people. All people can provide you with harmony and prosperity. Your community and society are the people you can depend upon. But you must be assessed by them. They must analyse you and

infer that you are predictable in your behaviours. Your output must look credible, of its honesty and sincerity. You must develop devices and tools to bring visibility about your contribution. Your strategy must have visibility of your generosity and charity to the cause of â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;people upliftmentâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;. This undertaking of orderly philanthropy will build your personality. The public will be grateful only if you practice the method and manner, of magnanimous mind. A person, that is reliable for all, when they are in need. This does not mean that you must be a micromanager. But that your macro policies, are seen as all inclusive. That you can accommodate all diversity and variety. That you are not promoting inferior gossips. That you do not indulge into petty and frivolous disputes. It is important that you stray clear of shallow and shabby conflicts and confrontation. Understand the prospects and possibilities in the world. Have you developed your skills to generate revenue? When you interact, then there are things to irritate you. Pest behavior or pestering from other people, can anger you. But if you do some breathing techniques and meditations, then these external harassment cannot provoke you. It is urgent and necessity that you learn to be unprovoked, even in a combat. Convert frustration and your emptiness, as your friends. Then use it to your advantage. Induce some yoga principles into your

daily routine. Then the content of yoga and pranayama and meditations will get to you, the most needed sense of purpose and goal. Simply go and study the people in the airport. There are precisely two behaviours. One is the departure gate behaviour and the second is the arrival gate behaviour. One is the goodbye gate behaviour and the second is the hello gate behaviour. Two specific sentiments. A sentiment of parting from each other. Then second is a sentiment of uniting with each other. The arriving passengers are all having very accurate goals. Each of them want to discover that person who is waiting for their arrival. And those who wait to render a welcome, also looks for that one face which is familiar. Neither guest nor the host, will experience or allow any distraction or derailment from their focus. Much to learn from these mental fixations. Hugs, kisses and all gestures of hospitality and happiness are components of the welcome ceremony. In the departure gate also, is cordiality in separation. There is not any anger and bitterness in the goodbye. Though the departure gate is of goodbye, yet all are exiting, as if looking forward to return back and reunite. The people and friends and relatives return to their homes after the festive sent off. They look as if, part of their joy and happiness has bid farewell to them. There is no backtracking. The aim is to leave the past. The aircraft will

land into a new city. Yet an opportunity for fresh beginning. Much more possibilities for new starts. Suitable stories are a possibility. You can say goodbye. Discard the mental baggage that does not fit in with you new and fresh imaginations. Appropriate attitudes must be cultivated inside your mind. Culturing the way that you think, needs attention. Are you thinking by design of thoughts? Are you thinking by default of memory? Can you articulate your emotions. Study the method that you spell correctly, your feelings and your sentiments. Then the words and spellings will sustain you. Your ideas can prevail, when you become expert at spelling your thoughts, then delete the spills and slips. When you eliminate the errors from your expressions, then the clarity will emerge, your designation and work role shall announce your contribution. You can be presented as a complete leadership package. Look at the people who deliver their guest at the departure gate. And also those passengers who arrive at the arrival gate. I strongly prescribe that everybody must make a research and study, on the body language and facial gestures of passengers. Clarity of purpose, time management and accuracy of choices are all evident at this point of time. Nobody is confused or is in any kind of doubt. No passenger experiences pressure or burden to locate their counterpart who is waiting for them. Is it a task or

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project to identify your welcoming relative. Do you make a mistake of joining another or a wrong host at the arrival gate? So by what algorithm is your mind guided and directed? What is the game changer or the tipping point that is ensuring the one pointedness. These behaviours of identifying the correct person who has come to receive you, cannot be distracted or derailed. What is protecting these accuracy in thought and memory. There is not even a fight of dominance or that of taking control. There is no fight for power. The departing passengers, does not show any sign of heaviness or ten-

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sion. So learning such behaviours, over three or four days at the airports can open you to more possibilities. Building relationships that lasts a longer duration, is an urgency. It is essential to cut loose and breakfree from defeatist traditions and from fatalistic views. You must get the capacity to become transformed. Without the networking and relationship of mutual concern, then all shallow posturing and insincere positioning, is bound to collapse. Simply, pacifying ignorance of mind, temporarily is inadequate. Know the science of consensus and collaboration.

Demolish all complications and worries. Convert the people from them doing hardly any work into them wanting to do hard work. Subscribe to laser sharp focus on learning. Transform the work culture of your society in to that of output and productivity. The world around you has all the possibilities to bring abundance to the way that you live. All is a relationship. Work together and then bond with one another. Do a picnic and the connect. Talk about your emotions. Express your heart, to connect. Resonate the provisions that are in your environmentď&#x20AC;˝

FINANCE

Adv Sherry Samuel Oommen is a practising lawyer at High Court of Kerala who specialises in tax and Corporate Laws. Presently he heads the tax and corporate law practice of Nash Capital Partners. Apart from being a qualified lawyer, he is also a chartered accountant, cost accountant and a company secretary. He is currently pursuing his Doctorate Degree and is reachable at sherryoommen@nashcp.com.

ith India’s growing stature in the global setting and its rapid rise in economic prowess, the Ease of Doing Business Index by the World Bank has become synonymous to the gold standard on the climate of business in a country. India has been on a constant endeavour to rationalize the various laws and simplify them to be in step with globally acceptable standards. India has in the recent past jumped nearly 30 places to breach the 100 mark in the Ease of Doing Business Index . This can be attributed, amongst others, to the change in the law which regulates businesses in India. Earlier, with the introduction of the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code (IBC) 2016, India had jumped over 30 places on the Index. In furtherance of the various steps being taken, to make India a more business friendly country, the Ministry of Corporate Affairs in July 2018, constituted a ten-member committee (herein after referred to as the ‘Committee’) under the

Dec-Jan-2019

The core purpose of the Committee was to conduct a detailed review of the various offences under the Companies Act, 2013. Since the introduction of the Act, various modalities has arisen while dealing with certain criminalising provisions.

Companies (Amendment)

Ordinance, 2018-A few key aspects

leadership of Injeti Srinivas. The committee included the likes of heads of various top-tier legal firms and other stalwarts of the financial economy. The core purpose of the Committee was to conduct a detailed review of the various offences under the Companies Act, 2013. Since the introduction of the Act, various modalities has arisen while dealing with certain criminalising provisions. The committee has while deciding to retain the criminal nature of certain acts, has attempted to decriminalize and introduce provisions which will for allow in-house treatment of such offences by a way of levy of penalty. The Committee Report had a) examined various acts which can be decriminalized, b) supported the recategorization of non-compoundable offences as compoundable offences, c) spoken for the improvement in the existing mechanism of levy of penalty, d) recommended the introduction of in-house adjudication mechanisms. The President of India had on November 02, 2018 promulgated The Companies (Amendment) Ordinance, 2018 thereby amending some of the sections of the Companies Act, 2013 based on the Committeeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s recommendations.

Dec-Jan-2019

Various amendments related to Corporate Governance and Corporate Compliance

The Rejig of Corporate Offences

The committee has given various innovate recommendations which have been incorporated in the amendment. While maintaining the same amount of severity for serious offences has recommended the rationalization of other offences which are more technical and procedural in nature. The restructuring of Corporate Offences also attempts to relive the special courts of the burden of adjudication of routine offences by setting up in-house adjudication mechanisms including e-adjudication mechanisms. The main amendments include the following. a) There exists 81 compoundable offences out of which the committee has recommend 18 to be recategorised in-order to move them out of the jurisdiction of the special courts and to bring them under the ambit of an internal adjudication mechanism. The defaults under these re-categorized offences would be subject to a penalty by the adjudicating officer. b) Treatment of offences which are non-compoundable and are of serious nature shall remain unchanged. c) The list of remaining 65 compoundable offences shall continue under the jurisdiction of the Special Courts due to its nature and to

Dec-Jan-2019

avoid potential misuse. d) A putting in place of a transparent system of adjudication where a platform for E-adjudication and E-publication of orders is made available. e) Necessitating a concomitant order for making good the default at the time of levying penalty, to achieve better compliance. It is pertinent to note that the Committee has observed that the re-structuring of the offences would help towards reducing the amount of cases filed in the special courts, thereby providing the courts more time to adjudicate serious matters and improve disposal rates. This would help towards improving the ease of doing business and corporate compliance.

De-clogging the NCLT

The Committee has recommended to de-clog the National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT) have resulted in suitable amendments to enlarge the jurisdiction of the Regional Director while enhancing pecuniary limits for compounding of offences under section 441 of the Companies Act 2013. It has further vested the Central Government the power to approve the alteration in the financial year of a company under section 2(41) and the conversion of public companies into private companies under section 14 of the Act.

A series of amendments which aim at improving corporate compliance which include declaration before the commencement of business, requirement of maintenance of a registered office, significant beneficial ownership, independent directors, and maximum number of directorships which have been implemented. Re-introduction of the declaration of commencement of business provision in order to curb shell companies. The amendment requires a company to declare that it has received the value of the shares by the subscribers and has filed a form for verification of its registered office, within 180 days of incorporation. Non-maintenance of a Registered office would set-off deregistration process. The registrar may satisfy himself with a physical verification and in case of default, the companyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s name maybe struck off. This is with the attempt to reduce the existence of paper companies. When a person has exceeded the maximum number of directorships he would be subject to disqualification. Therefore, holding of directorships beyond the threshold would have consequences. A company is empowered to call upon a person who it reasonably believes as a beneficial owner and the nature of his holding. If the holder does not comply with the provisions, the amendment has made the punishment more stringent by making contravention punishable with fine or imprisonment or both instead of fine only Baby Steps towards true ease of Business The Amendment Ordinance which was on the basis of the Committeeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s recommendations is a welcome step towards the rationalizing of various laws, aimed at creating a more conducive environment for the thriving of business in India. There is still much ground to cover before India, creeps closer towards being a market leader where businesses will thriveď&#x20AC;˝

WATC H E S

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MOTIVATION

Dolly Neena Dolly Neena is founder of Your Wing, a training company born out of a noble cause and spirit. She holds a decade long experience being a passionate mentor and entrepreneur.

Always remember, if you really want to achieve your goals and want to be great at anything, you need to walk past the hate-mongers and negative criticism, embrace the positive ones and change as per the lessons you have gathered on the go.

NEVER LET THE COMPETITION DEFINE YOU! “Criticism is something we can avoid easily by saying nothing, doing nothing, and being nothing.” - Aristotle.

ave you ever put your complete heart into something, and got blatantly criticized for that project? Have you posted something you thought was sensible on social media, and got embarrassingly lashed publicly? Have you been honest with relationships, however, gets criticized more often, even when you put your life into it? Wasn’t it so painful, depressing and demoralizing? Were you able to handle it gracefully or did you meltdown on the reaction? What would you do when your joints and whole body aches immediately after you’ve joined for the

Dec-Jan-2019

first time? Do you quit or would you already know that it is a natural process, the pain will subside, and you will come back stronger in a few weeks? Yes, you are what you just answered now. If you thought you’d quit, you seriously need a life coach to lift you up during the tumultuous times. And if you are a person who thinks that it always takes its own course of time and difficulty to see results, you are on the right track. No one is perfect, we improve over time. Failures and imperfections are a definite add on to our success story. And, during our improvement phase, criticisms are a given. Take inspiration and lessons from it, make necessary changes that you find need to, and move on happily with what you are doing. What would have happened if you constantly argued with your

teacher, sports coach or business mentor while they gave you their constructive advices? What would have happened if you relentlessly denied their feedbacks and did whatever you wanted anyway? I am sure you and I are on the same page in accepting that criticisms are important to succeed in life. So, how do we respond diligently to anything negative that you hear about yourself? First thing is to remain calm when it hits you first –stop for a brief moment and think about the criticism, before you react. This helps you to comprehend and analyse the situation you’re confronted with and helps you decide how to respond or react to it. You might have hard time in discerning a valid criticism –just think whether it is hurtful or helpful? Most of the times, when a con-

structive criticism comes your way, you’re bound to thank the person for giving you the opportunity to change and learn positively. However, most of the people, though they are open to compliments, are seen defensive or self-flagellated when it comes to handling criticism. Human tendency is to avoid difficult situations, or ignore it, and hence they become defensive or get into the denial mode. This may cause them to retort negatively to such situations too. However, running away from a problem doesn’t seemingly eliminate it. Excusing or procrastinating a concern might only enlarge it in the longer run. Yes,

we know that some people jump on criticizing only on an intention to bully or demotivate another. Like we have witnessed on social media, there are hundreds out there who get jealous of others’ success, and simply write out criticisms one after another, mostly illogical, just to dispirit another. That’s where we need to hold our emotions, halt, and think. Getting offended for baseless comments won’t help you in anyway. Reacting violently rubbing your ego the very wrong way might get nastier. Mostly, people tend to take criticisms too personally. None of us really enjoy getting criticized. Detaching yourself from the given situ-

ation is a solution to this. You need to actively engage your brain to analyse effectively the situation, the person and history of your relationship from the person criticism came from and whether the feedback would be useful to your future self if taken constructively. If it’s shredding your self-esteem, emotional intelligence can help handling this part of a situation. That makes me talk about something called Gossiping as well. “When we judge or criticize another person, it says nothing about that person; it merely says something about our own need to be critical.”A very close relative to criticism, this

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is another fact that brings all of us to a screeching halt. When criticisms could be constructive and uplifting, most of the times gossips can push you into the chasms of sabotage and deathly depression. Even though sociologists considered Gossips as tempting cerebral dialogues which build relationships as a highly evolved social skill, it’s disparagingly nasty side mostly incurs more damage than good. When you are being invited to listen to such prejudistic judgements of another individual, it is definitely your willful call, as per your sensibility on how to respond to the source. This also depends on how well do you know about who is being harmed by unlawful words. In case, you are the unfortunate one talked about, again it is your own courageous discretion on how much those futility should affect you. While positive gossips do add up to self-improvement value and a scope to improve one’s individual competence. Most of the times, the gossiper indulges in this malicious act in order to satisfy his crookedly sick mental frame, to please the receiver, on a vain attempt to play (anti) hero in the gathering or because he has filthy feelings against the victim of gossip. There are always depraved reasons on why talking spiteful, vulgar and evil about another makes you happy, to be as miserable as the trolls are. Analyze the crowd you’re in, and consciously lighten up on your gossips, if you’re finding disgusting conversations shared. If you haven’t got anything to say nice about anybody, choose not to say anything at all. You need to be sensibly intelligent to understand what’s good for your own reputation and other’s. And, how proud you should be to degrade another soul, or be a part of a detestable group doing so. “Any fool can criticize, condemn, and complain but it takes character and self-control to be understanding and forgiving.” Always remember, if you really want to achieve your goals and want to be great at anything, you need to walk past the hatemongers and negative criticism, embrace the positive ones and change as per the lessons you have gathered on the go. Don’t go too hard or self-flagellated. You are not just one person’s view, you’re more than and beyond that. Believe in yourself and keep moving towards your set goals. Your persistent actions will one day definitely help you reach your desired dream destination. Belief creates the actual fact!

Dec-Jan-2019

Elsa Lycias Joel

In our battle against pollution, technology was long been viewed as the ultimate saviour. But sorry, so many times so many technologies are only clunky reminders how awkward or distant that dream is. Without resolving to change our lifestyles, our attitudes, we modern humans find technologies so alluring.

Let the pampered city breathe

t’s time for resolutions, right? Shall we resolve to make the place we live better and livable by the small yet wise choices we make by keeping aside our selfish being. Yes, it’s about better air, water and environment if not pure. Wait before you blame it on the sandstorms, our pseudo-concern will rectify nothing and let ‘chalta hai Yaar’ remain a movie and not our attitude. If delhiites had thought that pollution and climate change would affect only the Alps’s entire winter sports industry, then it’s time they revised their basics. Levying a pollution tax does not solve the problem of curbing pollution. Since a fifth of the pollution in the city is caused by the traffic, then road space rationing might help a bit. It’s certainly time that city dwellers across India realized that as much as we insist and invest on anything that’s considered part of a community’s infra-

Dec-Jan-2019

structure, we need to do the same with trees. Statistically, Delhi may be one of India’s greener metros, but it isn’t one of India’s greenest cities, and it’s certainly not in the top green cities in the world but the most polluted. The city sure cannot take pride in the abounding parks, gardens, and manicured lawns. I’m yet to believe that Delhi is one of the cities that have a planned tree line. Once trees are looked upon or treated as nuisances that take up road or side walk space, then people will continue to choke and die. The point is to engineer trees into infrastructure as such so that they don’t get shoehorned as an afterthought. Again, urban forests act as some kind of sink only for the CO2 emissions and photosynthesis can’t take care of the rest of the pollutants humans create and release into the atmosphere. Even though every single human is blessed with a

conscience, excuses come from the privileged lot who could afford cars with odd, even and prime numbers. Education in the first place should help us lead a good, clean life. Any development a result of education is not worth it if it happens at the cost of our health. Let’s not be selfish. If you and I think real hard to roll down our windows, just imagine the plight of open- air commuters. We should resolve to not wait on the policy makers, but willingly avail the metro that we attempt to flaunt to the rest of India, use the bicycle tracks and not operate our ACs at 18 degrees because it’s 19 degrees outside. Isn’t it still so humiliating and sickening to not know that the US president had to bring along 20, 000 gallons of breathable air only because US secret service agents who had landed in Delhi suffered weird symptoms of asthma, dizziness and cough also because we live in filth? Luckily, our President and PM could also get some fresh air then, if or not the agent who slipped into coma was revived is another research to

be done. How do we then vacuum CO2 or carcinogenic nanocarbon particles out of air? Companies that sold out diesel vehicles may have to recall them because they emit up to 40 times the allowable levels of air pollutants that are called nitrogen oxides. Sounds like a poor joke? Grapevine has that POTUS is still anxious about that 6 hrs of his life span being shortened by his 3 days visit to Delhi. In our battle against pollution, technology was long been viewed as the ultimate saviour. But sorry, so many times so many technolo-

gies are only clunky reminders how awkward or distant that dream is. Without resolving to change our lifestyles, our attitudes, we modern humans find technologies so alluring. If only we have had good reasoning we will know that the execution of any technology is fabulously expensive, complex and grandiose on a scale that boggles the logical minds. For example, those space capsules and submarines extracting CO2 to maintain breathable air for crew members is not an easy job. The process involves putting one compound, say a hydroxide in contact with the air which sets off a chemical reaction that would grab CO2 thereby incorporating it’s carbon atoms into a carbonate compound. It doesn’t stop with this. Now, with large input of heat the carbonate compound have to be broken apart to reconstitute and trap the CO2. If you read the above sentences once again slowly, you might really understand the simple process. A physicist at Columbia University confidently says that the trapped CO2 can be pumped into the ground, to increase the pressure in oil wells. Geologists come to our rescue and declare there is enough room in the rocks to lock the CO2 forever. A yearly worldwide vacuuming bill might reach some $5 trillions. So, any good mathematician may calculate the cost for Delhi. Is S. Kalmadi the right choice! Anyways, I contend that such blind faith in technologies is a dangerous distraction from the most urgent sacrifices we ought to make to control pollutions of many a kind. Be it the Kyoto protocol or COP-

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21Summit or CMP 10, no matter how we go about it, there will be a lot of politics. So let’s do our own bit, as citizens, as humans willing to learn and unlearn for the greater good. Each one of us knows what to be done. Small possible actions that resolve bigger, dangerous issues of concern have been said to and taught to us in as many languages as possible by activists and experts. Since our contribution towards emissions is mostly through the vehicles we overuse we can think about cleaning the mess we create though we are all aware of the famous quote “No problem can be solved from the same level of consciousness that created it”. Let’s try a bit of gardening the coming year, plant trees for they offer a wide range of functional benefits like sequestering CO2 and convert it into oxygen, remove sulphur dioxide and nitrogen oxide, counter the urban heat island effect, reduce wind speeds and absorb a lot of noise. Urban planners will recognize the ecological value

Dec-Jan-2019

Netherlands is even called the country of cyclists. For those who may not know, Netherlands is an economic powerhouse ranked 16th in the world in terms of GDP.

of trees once people start to act. Remember, a banyan or a gulmohar belongs to a park and not on a relatively narrow road. First things first! Before we ring in the New Year with fan fare, dinners and fireworks, please take some time, precisely 1 hr and 35 minutes to watch “The Lorax”. It has everything that we need to take into our head. Most of all, it has an O ‘Hare who doesn’t want trees so that he can sell breathable air. Watch the movie attentively or you will miss his statement “The more smog in the sky, the more people will buy”. This should definitely ring a bell to Delhiites.

If we could afford, let’s buy a bicycle the coming year, one for each family. In countries like Belgium, Norway, Switzerland, Japan, Finland, Sweden, Germany and Denmark people even the elite and public servants use bicycles a lot for commuting. Netherlands is even called the country of cyclists. For those who may not know, Netherlands is an economic powerhouse ranked 16th in the world in terms of GDP. By all standards, the country is rich YET the prime minister is NEVER driven in convoys. “Every country has the government it deserves”. Very true! But, then again, "Everyone has the right to a standard of living adequate for the health and well-being of himself and of his family, including food, clothing, housing and medical care and necessary social services." This is just another universal declaration and it is up to us to make it happen in the real sense either by doing the right thing or by co-operating with the policy makers if the policies sound healthy

GADGETS

LG G7 Fit

Rs. 28,990 (approximately) Android v8.1 (Oreo) OS 6.1 inches Display 16 MP Primary Camera 8 MP Secondary Camera 4 GB RAM 32 GB Internal Memory 2 TB Expandable Memory 3000 mAh Battery Capacity

Infinix Hot 4

Rs. 7,490 (approximately) Android v6.0 (Marshmallow) OS 5.5 inches Display 8 MP Primary Camera 5 MP Secondary Camera 2 GB RAM 16 GB Internal Memory 32 GB Expandable Memory 4000 mAh Battery Capacity

Dec-Jan-2019

Lava Prime Z

Rs. 1,900 (approximately) 2.4 inches Display 1.3 MP Primary Camera 32 GB Expandable Memory 1200 mAh Battery Capacity

Google Pixel 3 Lite

Rs. 39,990 (approximately) Android v9.0 (Pie) OS 5.56 inches Display 12 MP Primary Camera 8 MP Secondary Camera 4 GB RAM 32 GB Internal Memory 2915 mAh Battery Capacity

Dec-Jan-2019

COOKERY

Chocolates You Can Gift

Toshma Biju

Sprinkle Cookies Ingredients

• • • • • • •

Eggs - 6 large All purpose flour - 5 cups Confectioners' sugar - 2 cups Baking powder -2 tablespoons (plus 1-1/2 teaspoons) Shortening - 1 cup Almond extract - 3 teaspoons Lemon extract -1-1/2 teaspoons

• • • • •

Confectioners' sugar -3-3/4 cups Warm whole milk - 1/2 cup Almond extract - 1 teaspoon Vanilla extract - 1 teaspoon Coloured sprinkles

GLAZE

Method Using a heavy-duty mixer, beat eggs on high speed until light and foamy, about 5 minutes; set it aside. In a large bowl, combine the flour, confectioners' sugar and baking powder; on low speed, gradually beat in shortening and extracts until mixture resembles fine crumbs. Gradually add beaten eggs (dough will be stiff). Roll dough into 1-in balls. Place 2 in apart on ungreased baking sheets. Bake at 350° for 12-14 minutes (tops of the cookies will not brown, but bottoms should brown slightly). Meanwhile, in a small bowl, combine the confectioners' sugar, milk and extracts until smooth. As soon as cookies are removed from the oven, quickly dip two or three at a time into glaze. Remove with a slotted spoon or tongs; place on wire racks to drain. Immediately top with sprinkles. Let dry for 24 hours before storing in airtight containers.

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Ginger Truffles Ingredients

• • • • • • • •

White baking chocolate, chopped -14 ounces Heavy whipping cream -1/2 cup Ground cinnamon -1 teaspoon Ground ginger -1/2 teaspoon Ground cloves -1/4 teaspoon Dark chocolate chips -1 package Shortening -5 teaspoons Crystallized ginger -3 tablespoons

Method

Place white chocolate in a small bowl. In a small saucepan, bring whipping cream just to a boil. Pour over white chocolate; whisk until smooth. Stir in the cinnamon, ginger and cloves. Cool to room temperature, stirring occasionally. Cover and refrigerate until firm, about 3 hours.

Shape mixture into 3/4-in balls. Place on waxed paperlined baking sheets. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour. In a microwave, melt chocolate chips and shortening; stir until smooth. Dip truffles in chocolate; allow excess to drip off. Place on waxed paper. Sprinkle with crystallized ginger. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

Christmas Candy Ingredients

• • • • •

Sugar -1 cup Dark corn syrup -1 cup White vinegar -1 tablespoon Baking soda -1 tablespoon Milk chocolate candy coating, melted -1 cup

Method In a heavy saucepan, combine the sugar, corn syrup and vinegar. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until sugar dissolves. Cook without stirring until the temperature reaches 300° (hard-crack stage) on a candy thermometer. Do not overcook. Remove from the heat and quickly stir in baking soda. Pour into a buttered 13-in x 9-in pan. Do not spread candy; mixture will not fill pan. When cool, break into bite-size pieces. Dip into melted chocolate and place on waxed paper until the chocolate is firm. Store candy tightly covered.

Dec-Jan-2019

Chocolate Truffles Ingredients

• • • •

Chocolate chips -3 cups Sweetened condensed milk -1 can Vanilla extract -1 tablespoon Chocolate sprinkles, Dutch-processed cocoa, espresso powder and cocoa nibs

Method In a microwave, melt chocolate chips and milk; stir until smooth. Stir in vanilla. Refrigerate, covered, 2 hours or until firm enough to roll. Shape into 1-in balls. Roll in coatings as desired.

Dec-Jan-2019

BEAUTY

FRUITS THAT HELP REPAIR SKIN

he food you consume has more influence on your skin than the cream you apply. So, every beauty conscious person must give special attention to the food he/she eats. If you eat good food and do regular exercise, your skin will be as beautiful as angelâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s, as there two are the only available medicines for the better health of skin. Fruits are the best thing that can be consumed to keep skin healthy. Letâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s unveil the secret. Pomegranate:- helps to heal lines and freckles, and to increase blood flow. It is also good to treat skin damages caused due to the effect of UV rays emitted by the Sun. Consume the juice of this amazing fruit at least twice a week for better benefit. Banana:- is commonly available fruit, especially in the Southern States of India such as Kerala, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu. It is good to increase skin elasticity. It also effectively fights against bacterial infections and acne. It is not as costly as other fruits available

in the market, and is more beneficial than many. Eat at least one banana a day for better benefit. Watermelon:- is the best solution to tone problems. It naturally tones skin as it contains astringent. It also has anti-ageing properties. Drink a glass of water melon juice at least four times a week. Many claim that they have received amazing result when they have applied the slice of refrigerated watermelon on their skin. Papaya:- is considered as the king of fruits. It fights wrinkles, and solves the problem of pigmentation. The regular conception of papaya and the application of this fruit on skin at least once a weak are advised for better result. Papaya mask is one of the most effective ways to keep the issue of ageing on the bay. Apple:- is one of the most popular fruits in the world. There is needless to say that it is one of the most nutritious fruits available in the market. There is a popular saying about this

Dr. Elizabath Chacko, MD-Kalpana International

Mob: 9388618112

Dec-Jan-2019

fruit: an apple a day keeps the doctor away. This fruit is famous among beauty conscious people for its brightening and tightening qualities; apple brightens and tightens skin. It prevents tanning and reduce the level of oil in skin. Oranges:- is one of the most delicious citrus fruits available in the market. It is its brightening qualities that attract beauty conscious people towards this fruit. It also has the ability of fight blackheads. If you want a radiant skin, consume a glass of orange juice every day. You can also apply this juice on your face for better result. Kiwi:- is not that common in the Indian markets. It is one of the very few fruits which contain Omega-3 fatty acids. No infections affect your skin if you eat this fruit regularly. Apart from the Omega 3 fatty acids, it is the rich source of Vitamin C. Try to include these fruits in your diet and see yourself how these fruits help your skin to stay healthy.

Dec-Jan-2019

TRAVELOGUE

Tuvalu: Small, but Big T

here is a popular saying ‘expect big from small’. This is what that comes to one’s mind when he/ she visits the Island country of Tuvalu. This Island, located in Pacific Ocean between Hawaii and Australia, is not that popular. Its unpopularity can be attributed to its remoteness. Yearly, less than two thousand visitors land in this Island. Of them, nearly seventy to eighty per cent are Tuvaluan expatriates and those on business purpose. This means that no serious benefit this Island gets from the lucrative industry of tourism. It is not the unavailability of natural beauty that keeps this Island alien to travellers. Tuvalu is blessed with beautiful beaches, exceptional natural beauty and extra-ordinary calmness. Then, why are there no travellers? The answer is simple. Very few have tried to tell the world about the presence of this Island

Dec-Jan-2019

in such a way that encourages travellers to enter this land in their bucket lists. There is a famous statement ‘many see nothing more than what has been said’. Most travellers go by that principle. They only see what has been talked about the most. Until and unless travellers grow to the level of thinker, creators have to do the task of building enthusiasm. In the case of Tuvalu, it is very important to do so, as it is unfortunate to let this amazing land unexplored due to the ignorance of travellers (as per our perspective, creators –for now). Tuvalu is one of the newest countries in the world. It is the fourth smallest country, with the population of less than 10,700 people (as per the census taken in the year 2012) and the total land area of not more than 26 square kilometres. It comprises of three reef Islands and six atolls. Funafuti is its capital city.

Formerly, the Island was under the rule of British Colonials, like many other Islands in the region. It, unlike other colonies, suffered some minute injuries in the World War II.

The country is guided by its constitution. All other laws are under it, and no law which contradicts its constitution is legal in the country. Tuvalu is a parliamentary democracy. Interestingly, Queen Elizabeth II is the head of state of the country. Formerly, the Island was under the rule of British Colonials, like many other Islands in the region. It, unlike other colonies, suffered some minute injuries in the World War II. It said goodbye to all wounds and miseries, when they embraced freedom in the year 1978. What witnessed in this Island was a peaceful transfer of power from the colonials to the locals. After the Independence, it ventured into the path of rapid growth. It received the assistance of the US, UK, EU and Japan. It was one of the most promising economies until the year 2008, in which the world fell

Dec-Jan-2019

Snorkelling is the best activity available for entertainment and enjoyment in this destination.

under the clutches of recession. In the initial stages of that period, it faced a severe shortage of food and water. Actually, the country has not yet recovered fully from the chokehold of economic crisis. Many feel that the lucrative sector of tourism can provide huge relief to this economy. It is the abundance of those elements necessary to transform a normal destination to an attractive tourist spot in this land is what that gives confidence to those who advocates the transformation of this Island into a popular tourist destination. If the definition of an ideal tourist location is the land which offers beautiful destinations, delicious food items, safety, chance to get acquaintance with exceptional art and architectural marvels and valuable culture, opportunity to learn and relearn, get close to good souls, happiness, calmness, cherishing experiences and many other sweet little things travellers love, then Tuvalu is nothing less than that. Funafuti, Marine Conservation Park, Nanumanga, WWII Plane Wreckage Site, and The Philatelic Bureau of Tuvalu are the popular tourist destinations in this Island country. Funafuti is where every Tuvalu traveller enters at first, as it is where the only International airport in the country exists. In a sense, it is what that connects this country to the external world. Funafuti is the largest Island of this country. It is also its capital city. There are several hotels and shopping centres in this 54

Dec-Jan-2019

city. This city is entirely different from rest of the country. There is an 18 Kilometre long lagoon in this city. Most travellers love to spend time in his beautiful destination. Unfortunately, most opt not to step out from the capital city. Actually, it is not a good decision. The actual Tuvalu is what one sees outside this magical city. It is good to start the exploration from the Marine Conservation Park, which is situated close to the city of Funafuti. Like what the name indicates, it is a protested natural park of marine animals. It comprises of six tiny islets surrounded by blue green sea. Snorkelling is the best activity available for entertainment and enjoyment in this destination. It is not wise to miss the opportunity to see amazing sea creatures â&#x20AC;&#x201C;the marvel the God protests under the water surrounding the tiny islets. Nanumanga is the other popular tourist location outside the capital city. It is where the opportunity to perform scuba diving is provided. Fire caves are the popular scuba spots in this area. It is where the remains of primitive settlement of this island were found. It is interesting to note that the Islanders do not love to live in the past. More interestingly, they do not see obstacles, but see opportunity in everything. It is one of the very few places in the world where the

wreckage sites of World War Two are protected and used as a way to attract travellers. The atolls of Nanumea and Motulalo in the island are where these sites are mostly located. It is better to end a trip to Tuvalu in the Philatelic Bureau of Tuvalu. The bureau has a huge collection of stamps. It is not just the palace to display the collection of stamps, but is also the place to sell stamps. No stamp collector ever misses this opportunity to visit this amazing place. Stamps can tell many stories. Buying a stamp means buying a story â&#x20AC;&#x201C;some time, more than one story. Apart from the destinations, it is its culture, dance, music and art that attract travellers towards Tuvalu. Try to find opportunities to get acquaintance with these too. Only then, a Tuvalu trip completes. The Tuvalu cuisine is dominated by sea foods. The Islanders have a unique way of cooking. Westerns may not like the taste of Tuvalu dishes. But, it is always good to try these dishes at least once. Most of these dishes are rich in nutrients. Many big surprises are there in this small country. Find it yourself!!!ď&#x20AC;˝

RECIPES

Teznim Azeez

Banana loaf Ingredients

• • • • • • • • • • • •

Maida - 75gm Wheat flour - 65gm Oil - half cup Sugar powder - 100gm Eggs - 3 Banana{robesta} - 2 {mashed} Baking powder - 2tsp Baking soda - 1/4 tsp Vanila - 1tsp Cinnomon powder - 1/2tsp Cashew - 2tbsp Salt - 1pinch

Method 1. Preheat oven to 180C 2. Grease and line a loaf pan 3. Cream oil wth sugar and essance 4. Add eggs,one at a time,and beat well. 5. Sift maida baking powder baking soda,salt and cinnomon powder and combaine. 6. Add mashed bananas.stir until combained. 7. Pour into cake tin and spinkle cashews on top and bake at 180C for 30-35 minutes.

Chicken pop corn Ingredients

• • • • • • • •

250gm - chicken 2-3 tbsp - cheese grated 1tsp - pepper powder 2tbsp - finely chopped onion 1/2 tsp - origano 1/2cup - bread crumbs 1egg Salt &oil as requered

Method 1. Cook chicken with 1/2 tsp of pepper powder and salt.grind it. 2. Add cheese ,pepper powder,onion and origano.mix well 3. Make small balls. 4. Dip balls in beaten egg and coat it with breadcrumbs. 5. Heat oil in a deep pan over mederate flame and fry the meat balls 6. until crisp and golden brown.

Dec-Jan-2019

AUTO REVIEW

VIVEK VENUGOPAL

Mercedes E63S T

aking supercar levels of power and combining it with the practicality and everyday usability of a sedan has been a popular formula ever since the German autobahns were opened. Over the years, we had come to a point where these are soo good -you donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t know where they would go next. Well, thanks to the times we live in, you can now have a 600bhp all wheel drive four door sedan with a Mercedes badge up front. Enter the E63 S AMG -one of the fastest four door sedans you can buy on the planet. The Mercedes E 63 S we tested came in stunning Selenite Grey Magno matte paint. It looks big next to the regular E class that is only available in the

Dec-Jan-2019

The Mercedes E 63 S we V213 long wheelbase guise. Then tested came in stunning there is the AMG Selenite Grey Magno GT style bonnet matte paint. It looks big line with extended bumper that next to the regular E wraps up around class that is only availthe twin slat grill able in the V213 long giving it a meaner look. The fenders wheelbase guise. are 11mm wider, the air dams are very aggressive and there are strong bulges on the bonnet that allude to the power house underneath. The 20 inch forged rims fill the arches so well and are fitted with massive 265/35R20 and 295/30R20 tyres â&#x20AC;&#x201C; front and rear. Things are much more subtle at the rear where there is a subtle

Dec-Jan-2019

lip spoiler on the bootlid and quad exhausts like there should be in an AMG. Inside, it has all the business side of going fast, well taken care of. The seats are proper AMG sport buckets, the steering is great to hold and because it is an E class, it has all the gadgets and gizmos to keep you

Dec-Jan-2019

entertained. The twin screens dominate most of the dashboard and the controls are logically laid out. You can dive deep into the menu to find an option to tweak everything that little bit better or use the easy access toggles in the centre console. The rear seat may not have the huge legroom of the regular E class,

but it is still plenty. Mercedes has replaced the old 5.5 litre V8 in the previous E63, with a 4.0 litre twin turbo M177 V8 mated to a new slick 9 speed automatic. In the E63 S, it produces 604bhp and 850Nm â&#x20AC;&#x201C;mind-blowing figures for a family sedan. It has two â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;hotâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; BorgWarner turbos which

sit within the vee, than on either side. While in theory, that may not look good for centre of mass or turbine temperature, the short runner length makes them extremely quick to spool. Every time you prod the accelerator, you get a mad rush, accompanied by a gravelly V8 noise that only AMG can manage from a turbocharged engine. It hurls you from one corner to the next and the Ceramic composite brakes are just as good at shedding speed as the engine is at building up. The exhaust crackles and pops like gun shots every time you get off the gas pedal. Mercedes claims a 0-100kmph time of 3.4 seconds. It is important to note that this one weighs 1955kg! For years, you wanted an allwheel drive track focussed car for

grip and a rear wheel drive tyre shredding hooligan to go sideways. Finally, thanks to a clever 4Matic all -wheel drive system in the E63, you can have both. It is quite like a Nissan GTR in the way it sends it power. It always feels rear biased and non-intrusive. It lets the steering angle dictate how far the rear end slides, before correcting it. You can also get it in full rear wheel drive Drift Mode followed by some very expensive tyre bills later. Whatever mode you choose, there is a newfound precision in the E63 AMG that you will enjoy. The E63 S uses an electronically controlled limited slip differential at the rear. The steering is very well weighted and there is a sense of urgency in the way the big saloon changes direction. It is so controllable and

poised. It would shame most supercars. The E63 uses air suspension all round and although ride quality is a bit edgy you canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t fault the grip and traction it has. The E63 AMG retails for Rs.1.5 Crores ex.showroom. That might seem a lot of money, but its breadth of abilities is immense. It can be the perfect unassuming sedan car to arrive at a business meeting and later that day you can take the whole family out for dinner in it. It can cross continents with ease and then do some fast laps on a race track of your choice over the weekend. And when you are happy with the time you set, celebrate it with some very long drifts. All that while being accompanied by that glorious V8 rumble that announce to the world you have arrivedď&#x20AC;˝

MOVIE REVIEW

Kedarnath

t is a beautiful love story directed by popular film actor, director and producer Abhishek Kapoor. The film is based on a real incident: the 2013 North Indian flood. It is the brilliant combination of spirituality and divine love, the two prime concepts the film discuses, that makes this film different. Sara Ali Khan, Sushant Singh Rajput and Mir Sarwar appear in the lead roles in the film. The film clearly portrays how the concept of divine love actually looks like. There are several beautiful songs in the film. The film has the potential to become the most beautiful romantic film of the year.

2.0

t is a science fiction directed by acclaimed filmmaker S Shankar. It is a semi sequel to Endhiran, the popular science fiction movie directed by the same director in the year 2010. It is the ninth most expensive nonEnglish language film in terms of the production cost. Superstar Rajinikanth, Bollywood action hero Akshay Kumar, dazzling actress Amy Jackson appear in the lead roles. Apart from these legends, some talented actors like Sudhanshu Pandey and Adil Hussain also act in the film. Most critics find this movie as interesting as its predecessor. The film is expected to encourage many Indian filmmakers to think different.

Dec-Jan-2019

Mortal Engines

t is a science fiction directed by famous story board artist, visual effect expert, special effect expert and filmmaker Christian Rivers. It is a story of a mysterious woman Hester Shaw who is on a herculean task of taking London out of its disastrous path. The concept of the film may not be that easy to digest for those who don’t look this film through the eyes of fantasy. Anyway, the effort taken by the filmmaker to create this art is worth appreciable. The filmmaker’s expertise in the technicalities of filmmaking is evident in most scenes. Robert Sheehan, Hera Hilmarsdottir, Hugo Weaving, Stephen Lang and Ronan Raftery appear in the lead roles.

Creed II

t is an action thriller directed by renowned American screenwriter and filmmaker Steven Caple Jr. It is the story of a young boxer who decides to participate in the most important boxing match of his life with the son of the boxer who killed his father in the same boxing ring. The prime attraction of the film is the person who trains the boy for the match Rocky Balboa –the world’s most popular boxing character. What is it that waiting for the boy in the ring? The film is totally different from other Rocky films. Sylvester Stallone, Michael B Jordan, Dolph Lundgren, Tessa Thompson and Florian Munteanu appear in the lead roles in the film.

Dec-Jan-2019

BOOK REVIEW

Of Counsel: The Challenges of the Modi-Jaitley Economy Author Price

: Arvind Subramanian : Rs. 489 (Hardcover)

he writer was the Chief Economic Adviser to the Government of India. It was during his tenure that the country witnessed two major economic policies: the demonetisation of the highest denomination banknotes of Rs 500 and Rs 1000; the introduction of Goods and Services Tax. This makes this man inevitable in the history of Indian economy. Given that, it is worthy to learn from him about the policies adopted by him during his tenure as the CEA of India. Actually, the writer brilliantly uses this book to explain the policies implemented during his period. The book has more of an academic character.

Emergency Chronicles: Indira Gandhi and Democracy’s Turning Point Author Price

: Gyan Prakash : Rs. 489 (Hardcover)

t is important to remind Indians about the dark period of Indian emergency at this juncture, as the country continues to show unusual interest in the populist politics despite the country’s bitter experience with that politics. The writer, in this book, dismisses the popular assumption that it was the wicked ambitions of Indira Gandhi that brought the bitter experience of emergency into the Indian soil. On the other hand, he argues that the Indian population’s affinity to the populist politics was equally culpable as that of the then PM’s ambitions for the unfortunate experience India experienced. The book explains the political and other developments happened in the country prior to the period of emergency to prove that the decision to impose emergency was not an accidental or thoughtless one.

Dec-Jan-2019

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BOOK REVIEW

The Tata Group: From Torchbearers to Trailblazers Author Price

: Dr. Shashank Shah : Rs. 489 (Hardcover)

ith around one hundred companies and seven lakh staffs across the world â&#x20AC;&#x201C;in at least one hundred and fifty countries, the Tata Group is one of the biggest global conglomerate based in India. Yet, many know very little about this conglomerate. In this book, the writer-cumresearcher, with the help of his interviews with several top officials of the company and the information he has collected through his severalyears-old research, examines this organisation to explain many questions commonly asked about this conglomerate. Do you wonder how this organisation overcomes the global challenges, takes important decisions, nourishes leaders and maintains their pace of growth? This book has answer to all such questions.

Beauchamp Hall Author Price

: Danielle Steel : Rs. 548 (Paperback)

his is a beautiful fiction, which can be called as the most beautiful womenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s fiction created in the recent history. The writer of this book is the most famous romantic writer of the American literature. Many of her books have received appreciation, and this one is also worthy to receive such a compliment. The book tells the story of Winona Farmington who ventures into an adventurous trip to see the land which she has only seen in the television drama she has been watching since the day she identifies it as the easiest way to escape from the unimpressive world she lives in. Will that journey help her to catch her life? What are those exiting things waiting for her in that land? The writer puts serious effort to make it not sounds like a fairy tale or fantasy tale, but in most places it sounds like that.

Dec-Jan-2019

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