Corporate citizen second issue by Corporate Citizen

Corporate Citizen T he Co ol Side Of Bu sine ss

XLRI: Cradle of leadership

Volume 1, Issue No. 2 / December 1, 2014 / Rs.50

Automobile companies on a Voluntary Recall Code

Mohammed Asif Iqbal on over coming blindness

Master Card CEO Ram Chari on his Master Strokes

(Manager, HR Consulting: PricewaterhouseCoopers)

Young Google Ambassadors

Dynamic Duo 2

ACE ACHIEVERS

Uma and Ganesh Natarajan Uma and Ganesh Natarajan

from the desk of editor-in-chiEf

The cool side of business

still vividly remember that it was the day on which Mr. P V Narasimha Rao took oath as the Prime Minister of India. I, as the director of Symbiosis Institute of Management Studies (SIMS), had organised a national seminar on that day in Hotel Taj President in Mumbai. Mr. Ratan Tata, the legendary doyen of Indian Industry was the Chief Guest. The then Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Gen. V P Malik (PVSM,AVSM,SM) was the Guest of Honour. It was indeed a herculean task to get Mr. Tata to inaugurate the seminar. My students were lucky enough to reach out to him over the phone, when he was leisurely sitting on a beach, somewhere abroad. Mr. Ranjit Mudholkar, the dynamic seminar co-ordinator, (now the Vice Chairman of Financial Planning Standards Board, India), was leading the students on this Mission Ratan Tata and he succeeded. He approached him and requested him to inaugurate the seminar. Mr. Tata agreed to accept the invitation on the condition that he will just inaugurate the seminar and leave as he had some urgent commitments While delivering my welcome address, I referred to the political scenario and appealed to Mr. Tata to express his views on the critical economic scenario. It was at that time, India had mortgaged gold to service the debit. Mr. Ratan Tata gave an excellent speech in which he also gave some useful guidelines for the new government. The media was in full attendance for the inaugural session. Excited that his valuable speech would be extensively reported the next day, I bought all the newspapers from the newsstand. However, I was

disappointed to note that not a single line of what Mr. Tata had said was carried except for some small mention in Mid-Day. It was painful for me to see the low priority given by the media to the business world. Perhaps, at that moment itself, I was praying for an opportunity to come out with a magazine where corporate citizens would be the heroes. Also, my tryst with writing goes long back when I was serving the Indian Army in border areas. I used to be passionate about writing short stories during my leisure time. About 150 of them have been published in leading Tamilian magazines. One of my viewpoints on enemy provocation was published in the Journal of Regiment of Artillery. I believe that writing is the best expression of creativity when you are alone, and with your thoughts. I am happy the opportunity to publish a magazine, has arrived. However, times have changed and India is flooded with business magazines and newspapers. So, where does Corporate Citizen stand amidst this jungle of print? I present to you this unique fortnightly with the theme, the cool side of business, wherein inspiring stories of leaders and relevant issues of the corporate world would be narrated in a down-to-earth and delightful manner. See for yourself the difference.

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

December 1, 2014 / Corporate Citizen / 1

Contents

Volume 1 Issue No. 2 1 December, 2014

consumer delight Dr Col A Balasubramanian on his expereince at the popular South Indian joint, Saravana Bhavan

collywood Chatpata Chatter from the Corporate World

wax eloquent Who said what and why

tete-a-tete Ram Chari, CEO, ECS on his Master Strokes

potter’s club Meet the stalwart management educators-Dr. E Abraham SJ, Director of XLRI, Jamshedpur & Prof. J Philip, XIME, Bangaluru

drive in How leading automobile companies stretch out their hands to recall defective cars. It is a great boost to consumer empowerment

CII event Ground reality of ‘Make in India’

centerspread Corporates introduced to “The Cool Side of Business”

women achievers Woman of substance-Shoma Bakre, Founder & Managing Trustee, Let’s do some good Foundation (LDSG)

2 / Corporate Citizen / December 1, 2014

Coverstory

ACE ACHIEVERS

ACE ACHIEVERS: A chat with Ganesh Natarajan, CEO at Zensar Technologies and Chairman of Nasscome and his wife Uma, CEO of Global Talent Track

odds overcome A chat with Mohammad Asif Iqbal, Manager, HR Consulting at Pwc

make in india Digikore, a Pune-based company that colours Archie comics

My campus placement experience II Pratik Anant Kshirsagar on his foray into the corporate world

debate Fixed Hours v/s Flexible HoursThe eternal debate

banking Interest-ing differences

bollywood biz When heroines spin money

better half Jab we met-Dr Jayashree Firodia, better half to Arun Firodia, Chairman, Kinetic Group on the importance of being together

delhi belly Modi keeps Delhiâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s babus on their toes

pearls of wisdom Check your Spiritual Quotient by Swami Satya Vedant

book review Heart Problem? Blame bad governance

close encounters Thank God for the airbags!

student of the fortnight Go-getter Google Ambassadors

mobile apps Five free apps for women safety

44 December 1, 2014 / Corporate Citizen / 3

Editor-In-Chief Dr (Col.) A. Balasubramanian Editor Dr Suresh Chandra Padhy

50 26

astroturf Fortune favours the bold and the lucky

manage money Anil Lamba on whatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a Profit & Loss Account?

innovation Lessening labourers load

food for thought A coffee a day keeps you honest all day

health Walking workstations make healthier workplaces

featherlite Tweets from the corporate world & sudoku

citizen slaps & claps Our bouquets and brickbats for the fortnight

Be A Corporate Citizen

How do you like this issue of Corporate Citizen - The Cool Side of Business? Send in your views, news, suggestions and contributions to corporatecitizenwriters@gmail.com We would love to hear from you! 4 / Corporate Citizen / December 1, 2014

Consulting Editor Vinita Deshmukh Chief Marketing Officer Subash Krishnan Design & Art Direction Kiyan Gupta, The Purple Stroke Graphic Designer Anil Walunj Senior Business Writer Mahalakshmi Hariharan Senior Sub-Editor Neeraj Varty Writers Delhi Bureau Anuradha Shukla Pradeep Mathur Swati Kumari Mumbai Bureau Vidyut Kumar Ta Bangalore Bureau Priyadarshini Nandy Geeta Rao Pune Bureau Suchismita Pai Sangeeta Ghosh Dastidar Kalyani Sardesai Arun Prabhudesai Mohul Ghosh, Anand Karwa Photographers Yusuf Khan (Cover Pic) Taha Dhariwal (Portrait Painting) Ahmed Sheikh For Advertising and Marketing queries email: subash.krishnan@corporatecitizen.in (Corporate Citizen does not accept responsibility for returning unsolicited manuscripts and photographs. All unsolicited material should be accompanied by self-addressed envelopes and sufficient postage) Tel. (020) 30631075 / 30631076

consumer delight

Sir, you forgot your rava dosa!

I was surprised when the waiter, after five days, reminded me of the takeaway I had not picked up Dr Col A Balasubramanian

here is a general impression that Consumer is King only in the USA and other developed countries. The Indian customer is often seen as one at the receiving end of bad buys, poor service and questionably quality of products. The Consumer Complaint Forum is continuously busy, attending to cases of consumer complaints in various categories of products and services. I had a pleasant experience recently. Whenever I go to Delhi, I eat at the Saravana Bhavan, the popular South Indian restaurant. I ordered for an idli and medu wada plate and asked the waiter to parcel a rava dosa. I finished my eating and left. I had completely forgotten about the parcel that I had to carry with me. After about five days, I went back to Saravana Bhavan for another meal. Even then I did not remember about the Rava Dosa. However, I was pleasantly surprised when the waiter informed me that he is giving me the bill by deducting the amount of Rs50 for the dosa, which I had not picked up last time. Such stories of Consumerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Delight in India are perhaps rare because we do not talk about them. Corporate Citizen dedicates a page to such positive stories where consumer has been treated like a king or queen. Pl do write about your good experiences as consumers to: corporatecitizenwriters@ gmail.com

illustration by: Deepak Sankpal

December 1, 2014 / Corporate Citizen / 5

collywood

People in the news

Hats off to RBI chief

Any guesses on who has won it this time? The man who predicted the global crises of 2008—known for his charismatic and winsome personality, Raghuram Rajan, Governor, RBI, has received the Euromoney award for the Best Central Bank Governor of 2014. While announcing the award, Euromoney recorded, “Reserve Bank of India Governor Raghuram Rajan’s tough monetary medicine combatted the storm ravaging the deficit-ridden economy in the recent emerging market crisis. Now, he is battling vested interests to arouse a sleepy financial system for over one billion people.” “As he confronted capital outflows, the rupee at record lows, and over-blown but palpable fears India was marching towards an Asia-crisis style abyss, Rajan duly administered tough monetary medicine to ailing bond and currency markets.” We truly salute you Sir! Pic Courtesy: The Indian Express

Congratulations!!! Google shakeup: Our heartiest congratulations to Sundar Pichai who now has a leg up in Google, one of the best companies to work for. Interestingly, Larry Page, Google’s chief executive has given Sundar Pichai the charge to oversee every major Google product except YouTube. This move perhaps makes Pichai the second-most powerful person in the company, and is intended to give Page more time to focus on more futuristic projects, said a source. Page also said that Pichai’s empire – which already includes the Android and Chrome products, along with Google Apps like Google Docs and Gmail – will now include Research, Search, Maps, the social media network Google Plus, along with Commerce. He will also oversee technical

infrastructure, which is essentially the ever-growing racks of servers and switches that keep all those products working. Does this mean he is on the way to becoming Google’s next CEO? Let’s wait’n’watch…

6 / Corporate Citizen / December 1, 2014

Incredible India India has always been known for its hospitality. Now, it’s official. The Taj Falaknuma Palace hotel in Hyderabad has been voted as the fifth best hotel in Asia by the Condé Nast Traveler Readers’ Awards 2014 UK. In the same category, the Rambagh Palace Jaipur was named as the eleventh best in Asia.The acclaim for India’s hotels is just not limited to Asia. In a list of the world’s best hotels, the Taj Mahal palace, Mumbai, was voted 29th in the World’s Top 100 list compiled by the same magazine, while the Taj Falaknuma Palace ranked 40th. This recognition is quite prestigious, as these awards reflect the views of discerning guests worldwide on the very best of luxuries that the travel world has to offer. All we can say is well done, Incredible India. India rocks when it comes to hospitality!

Hats off to TCS

Sudhir Maheshwari bids adieu to Arcelor Mittal In a surprising turn of events, Sudhir Maheshwari, the trusted lieutenant of steel magnate Lakshmi N Mittal, has decided to quit Arcelor Mittal. A prominent person in the Arcelor Mittal corporate hierarchy, Maheshwari will depart on the 31st of March, 2015. Mittal acknowledged Sudhir’s departure by saying, “I am writing to inform you that Sudhir Maheshwari, member of the Group Management Board and an incredibly loyal and much valued colleague for the past 26 years, has decided to leave us to pursue other opportunities.” Maheshwari has been the driving force behind many high profile acquisitions for Arcelor Mittal. Between 2000 and 2006, in particular, he was instrumental in successfully making acquisitions in Romania, Czech Republic, South Africa, Poland, ISG, Ukraine, Liberia, not to mention the merger to create ArcelorMittal. The departure of Maheshwari is sure to leave a gaping hole in the Arcelor top management. In the meantime, we wish Maheshwari all the best in his future endeavours.

Flying up and up… Boston Consulting Group (BCG) has conferred Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) as the only Indian firm in top 50 most innovative companies. Technology giant Apple topped the chart, followed by Google, Samsung, Microsoft and IBM as the most innovative companies globally. TCS secured the 43rd position in the list. Apart from telecom and technology firms, car makers Tesla Motors, Toyota and BMW as well as firms like Nike, Shell, Airbus and McDonald’s also featured among the top 50. BCG surveyed more than 1,500 senior executives in a wide range of countries and industries since 2004 to help cast light on the state of innovation in global business. Indeed, the IT major is soaring heights. Well done.

Shocking!! A big development that shocked the Indian advertising industry -Abhijit Avasthi, national creative director of O&M India, has resigned. Widely reckoned to be India’s most creative agency, O&M has over the last decade-and-a-half become a global powerhouse of ideas, driven by Avasthi, national creative director Rajiv Rao and Avasthi’s uncle Piyush Pandey, executive chairman and creative director, India and South Asia. Commenting on Avasthi’s departure, Pandey said, “In keeping with the spirit of the young, he has chosen to do

things on his own and these are going to be projects that are not necessarily the agency kind of projects. So I’m happy that he is not joining a competitor.” Such is life, dearies!

December 1, 2014 / Corporate Citizen / 7

collywood An embarrassed banker

Gaining momentum

Pic Courtesy: The Indian Express

As the economy is showing greenshoots of recovery on the job front, recruiters at leading B-schools are hiking stipends for summer internships by 30 to 40 per cent. With Modi government taking charge, the economy is now expected to revive and the job market is all set to gain momentum in FY16 and FY17. What’s even more interesting is that companies are willing to offer as much as Rs 4.2 lakh for a two-month internship and large and established companies are jostling with upstart eCommerce startups for fresh talent. Big bucks, must say!!

Well-known banker and executive chairman and managing director of Kotak Mahindra Bank, Uday Kotak, has strongly pitched for major reforms in the country’s education system. Kotak is distressed that his children had to go abroad to pursue their studies, as he felt that those courses were better overseas. The top banker also strongly feels that there are a large number of “schooled” people in the country, but not “educated”. Figures suggest that billions of dollars are spent every year to send Indian students overseas. Kotak is of the view that the teaching profession has lost some of its respect and that the education system in India should be transformed. There has to be equal emphasis on the creation of education software such as teachers, teaching tools and teaching methods. Let’s hope our ministers are listening… change is the need of the hour! 8 / Corporate Citizen / December 1, 2014

For dear daughter

Roshni Nadar, daughter of Shiv Nadar, Chairman, HCL, has been gifted a bungalow worth Rs 115 crore in the national capital by her father. This is perhaps one of the largest transactions in recent times in an area of Delhi outside of the coveted

Lutyens Bungalow Zone (LBZ), which is home to high-profile politicians and top businessmen, where over hundred crore rupee deals are the norm. The 1,930-sq yard plot that Nadar has bought is near his current home in the same locality and it is believed that the property has been bought for his daughter Roshni and son-in-law Shikhar Neelkamal Malhotra. The new property has a small bungalow built on it, but the Nadars are likely to rebuild it into a large mansion over the next few months, said media reports. Indeed, a precious gift!

Golden Grandeur While the 50th birthday may be a personal landmark, Reliance chief Mukesh Ambani’s wife, Nita decided to have a glowing one on the banks of the Ganga River in Varanasi. With red carpets laid out and fireworks lighting up the sky, the ‘Ganga Arti’ was conducted in the trademark glory that Varanasi is known for. Priests with large-sized diyas, performing arti and chanting prayers, were on that evening, dedicated to the health and happiness of birthday girl, Nita Ambani. Looks like Nita decided to uphold the mission of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Clean Ganga by offering to celebrate on its banks.

Pic Courtesy: The Indian Express

Compiled by : Mahalakshmi Hariharan, Kalyani Sardesai & Neeraj Varty

It’s a man, man (ad) world Meatier scripts and a never-before openness to the possibilities of heroine-centric movies have meant more footage to successful films on girl power in recent times (Queen, Mary Kom, Mardani to name a few). But lest you thought it would result in more financial clout for Bollywood’s beauties—you are wrong. A recent study by consultancy firm American Appraisal reveals that the rift between the fee charged by top male and female celebs (stars and sport stars included) is only widening—with no concessions to the so-called era of equality. Figures peg the average endorsement fees of the top male stars at Rs 10.5 crore a year, while the leading ladies rake in Rs 5.5 crore annually, which is lower than the Rs 8 crore per annum that sportsmen make.

According to the report, King Khan aka Shah Rukh leads with brand value of Rs 1,013.8 crore followed by Ranbir Kapoor at Rs 795.5 crore. The third place is occupied by cricketer M S Dhoni at Rs 422 crore). The first female actor makes an appearance at No 7 in the form of Deepika Padukone, with a brand value of Rs 272.9 crore, followed by Katrina Kaif at the ninth place with a brand value of Rs 205.9 crore. However, not a single woman sportsperson makes it to the list. Varun Gupta, managing director, American Appraisal, explains the phenomenon thus: “The perception is that male actors have higher ability to drive consumption patterns.” Ah, well. Woman power will take some more time to pack a punch. December 1, 2014 / Corporate Citizen / 9

wax eloquent

E-retail boom Industry views on investing and notching a share of India’s e-commerce and retail boom and the subsequent impact on aligned support services such as logistic companies, physical goods retailers and trade bodies. Compiled: Sangeeta Ghosh Dastidar

“This investment by Tata, a renowned name in the Indian as well as global business circles, is of great significance to the company and stands testimony to the growth and success seen by the company in a short span of four years.” Kunal Bahl, Co-founder and Chief Executive of Snapdeal.com, on Ratan Tata, former chairman of Tata Sons Ltd, making a personal investment recently in Snapdeal.com

“All this cash infusion will help e-commerce companies to build a good scale. This will help the market to mature to the next level. After that they’ll look at Initial public Offers (IPO).” Ashvin Vellody, Partner, Management Consulting with KPMG, following recent investments by foreign investors into India’s e-retail companies including the $627 million for SnapDeal by Japan’s Softbank

Courtesy: livemint.com

Courtesy: IANS

“India’s e-commerce market is estimated to swell to $6 billion by next year. “Online shopping is becoming mainstream. Women are now taking the lead in consumption of technology and lifestyle products.” Shivani Dhanda, Head of Marketing, eBay India Courtesy: Business Standard

“On one hand the Flipkart fiasco has left a lot of lessons for Indian e-tailers. On the other hand, there is certainly more to lose for the people who are next. Firstly, because they have to abandon the below selling price completely, as both offline retailers and Indian Government are planning to probe the matter. Flipkart did that and got away, but the impact has now to be faced by others.” Swati Nathani, Business Head and CoFounder, Team Pumpkin, a digital and social media agency on the Diwali retail slugfest by online retailers this festive season Courtesy: http://www.bestmediainfo.com

10 / Corporate Citizen / December 1, 2014

“In the next five years, there won’t be too many players in the field left who will have the financial capability to survive. We do expect a lot of mergers of small players into the big players. Only two-three big players will survive.” Japnit Singh, Senior Director, Spire Research and Consulting, Singapore and India on the Indian e-commerce industry’s likely fate over the next five years Courtesy: IANS

“When you see the limitless growth in the e-commerce sector, you do want to get involved. The next Alibaba (BABA.N) or Tencent (0700.HK) can be created in a country whose population is roughly similar to China. You will get that in India.” Eric Mookherjee, a Paris-based fund manager at Shanti India, whose holdings include Transport Corp Courtesy: Reuters

“Amazon is today advertising 24-hour delivery and that’s where people like us come in. We are looking to get e-commerce market share today because that’s the flavour of the day.” Areef Patel, Executive Vice-Chairman, Patel Integrated Logistics, which serves Amazon India Courtesy: http://businesstoday.intoday.in

“E-servicing firms do not have product risks associated with them like inventory, product obsolescence and related logistics, and servicing challenges. While there are other challenges, the absence of these challenges make these firms appeal to investors as long as the service can justify the ability to generate sizable and growing demand for it.” Ankur Bisen, Senior Vice-President (retail and consumer products) at Technopak, on venture capital (VC) investors having shifted their investment focus to e-services firms Courtesy: Business Standard

“Deals in e-services offer a chance for investors to participate in the overall growth of e-commerce in India at a lower valuation. Compared to e-retail, where investors need to keep pumping money to keep business alive, investors can realise immediately about the success rate in e-services space.” Sanjiv Krishan, Leader (private equity) at PwC Courtesy: Business Standard

“MySmartPrice helps users solve two problems - what to buy and where to buy. In case of most consumer electronics as well as fashion, users are often unsure on what to purchase. While they may have a general idea of the brand or price range other details are often unclear on products such as iron, television, and air conditioner etc. MySmartPrice with the help of extensive filters, a consolidated best seller list, lets you know the most popular products in India and detailed specifications help users decide on what product to buy.” Sulakshan Kumar, Co-founder, MySmartPrice; a platform that enables price comparisons and helps e-consumers find the best price, as well as deals from all major e-commerce stores in India Courtesy: The Economic Times

“We will stage a silent protest before submitting a memorandum, addressed to the Prime Minister and respective chief ministers of the state, through District Collectors seeking probe into the business modules of e-retailers and their pricing mechanism”

Mahendra Shah, National Chairman, Confederation of All India Traders (CAIT), while announcing a protest staged in October 2014 that demanded to create a regulator and regulations to govern the online retail market in India in the wake of ‘deep-discount’ Diwali sale by e-retailers Courtesy: Business Standard

“It has been quite a heady year in terms of e-commerce in India. Reports emerged in August that Amazon may start drone-delivery from India instead of the US. Flipkart, on the other hand, was caught guilty of FEMA violations. However, the e-comm business is a tough market and requires huge investment. While Flipkart managed to raise $1.5 billion and Amazon pledged $2 billion, all the players are yet to make profit.” Sankhya Acharya, Co-dreamer, Fame Per Second Advertising, on factors that have suddenly made e-commerce fiercer in the Indian context Courtesy: http://www.bestmediainfo.com

The Bitter Truth Flipkart, Amazon & Snapdeal on a loss making spree Online shopping is picking up in India. Undoubtedly, competition in e-commerce space, especially amongst Flipkart, Amazon, and Snapdeal, top three e-tailers in the country, has certainly picked up. Almost every online shopper is aware about how these online shopping websites are able to offer products at such attractive price tags. These websites have raised funds from venture capitalist to the tune of $1bln or more. This money is then being burned to acquire new customers, offer discounts and on branding. Now that we all know that these websites are incurring huge losses, you will be amazed to know the exact numbers for of net revenue and loss. Flipkart Vs Amazon Vs Snapdeal (2013-14)

400

321.3 179

168.9

Flipkart

Courtesy: http://www.dnaindia.com

“Public listing will take place for these e-commerce companies shortly. It could happen even in the next three-four months. Demand in the e-commerce space will remain on the higher side in India. There will also be some consolidation in the e-tailing space with some mergers and acquisitions on the cards.” Saurabh Srivastava, Director-Operations with PricewaterhouseCoopers Courtesy: IANS

sangeetagd2010@gmail.com

Snapdeal

Amazon

Net revenue

“The primary reason for physical retailers jumping the e-commerce bandwagon is that most are currently struggling to grow for various reasons. And partnerships with e-commerce portals are being forged in their search for newer business generating avenues.” Harish HV, Partner, Grant Thornton, on online retailers who have shifted their business models from inventory-based to marketplace, resulting in lesser control over service quality

264.6 154.11

Loss Note: All figures are in INR Crore

The revenue numbers above do not indicate the price of products sold (GMV), as these are all marketplaces driving their revenues come from commissions they get from sellers or listing fees that they charge to list the products on their site. GMV or Gross Merchandize Value represents the price of products sold and the net revenue is just a fraction of that. Loss Incurred for Re1 Net Revenue

2.23

Flipkart Flipkart

1.90

1.72

Snapdeal

Amazon Amazon

Snapdeal

Flipkart leads the race with its net revenue of Rs. 179 crore followed closely by Amazon at Rs. 168.9 crore, and Snapdeal at Rs. 154.11 crore (See graph). Flipkart’smargin losses is much higher this time at Rs 400 crore for FY2013-14. Amazon, on the other hand, incurred a loss of Rs 321.3 crore whereas Snapdeal’s losses are pegged at Rs 264.6 crore. See the graph to know about the losses incurred for every rupee spent. Flipkart leads the race again and loses Rs 2.23 for every 1 rupee of revenue while Amazon loses Rs 1.90 and Snapdeal has least amount of losses at Rs 1.72. They might be able to sustain their business for the next few years by burning VC money but what will they do after that? They will have to come up with some other strategy to retain their customers. (Source: VCedge/VCCircle) . VCEdge is India’s most comprehensive financial research platform for private markets) Compiled by Arun Prabhudesai arunpd@gmail.com

December 1, 2014 / Corporate Citizen / 11

Any integration post-merger is certainly a challenge, because of so many people involved and changing cultures 12 / Corporate Citizen / December 1, 1 2014

Pics: Yusuf Khan

tête-à-tête

master strokes

The acquisition of ElectraCard Services by MasterCard will be completed by January 2015. The company aims to have a larger team, post the merger. By Mahalakshmi Hariharan

few months ago, MasterCard, which held a 12.5% stake in ElectraCard Services Pvt Ltd (ECS), a payment services provider, decided to take over the latter for an undisclosed sum. Following the successful acquisition, the company appointed industry veteran, Ram Chari as its Chief Executive Officer, to lead this newly-acquired ElectraCard Services Company. With 20-plus years of financial services and processing experience, having worked in different roles as Senior Business Leader, Alliances and Processing, for MasterCard in APMEA, Chari was roped in to apply his diverse regional expertise to oversee the global operations and growth of the business. In a chat with Mahalakshmi Hariharan, Ram Chari, CEO at Mastercard Services spoke about the acquisition, his career path, vision for the company and also shared his personal world. Chari said that the acquisition process will be completed by January 2015. “We will have a new world classoffice in Pune post the merger. The economics, employee acquisition and other essentials will be done by then. After the acquisition, we will have a much larger team of more than 500 employees,” he noted. At the same time, MasterCard is in no mood for any employee retrenchment. “There will be no layoffs. In fact, we will be investing in people,” Chari added. Describing the word “challenge” in terms of his everyday life and the fact that this assignment would be quite challenging Chari remarked, “Any integration post-merger is certainly a challenge, because of so many people involved and changing cultures. In fact, if you look at it there are challenges all the time. If I am working with someone and the buck stops at me, I should ensure that the solution

also lies with me. Any integration is certainly a challenge.” Chari will be responsible for smooth integration and overall execution of the company’s business strategy as well as establishing dynamic synergies to fuel processing innovations. It is quite impressive the way Chari has climbed the corporate ladder and made it big. Hailing from a middle class family, Chari’s mother was keen on him joining a public sector bank instead of taking up anything else. However, he decided to pursue further studies and completed his masters from the prestigious Symbiosis Institute of Business Management from Pune and the University of Bradford.

Rs 1,750 in his first job nearly 25 years ago, in 1989. Reflecting back on his school days, Chari strongly feels that his days then were much easier and the stress levels were comparatively lesser. “Today, if you look at children in the 10-12 age bracket, they go through immense pressure and are stressed most of the time. In fact, I feel parents are better off than the children, unlike how it used to be. Today, parents undergo less stress levels than what their children go through.” Talking about leisure for his family, Chari says he makes it a point to take a three week vacation with his wife and children every year in June. Like most Indian women, Chari’s wife too

Once you go through the pressure in the corporate world, you will realise that college days were much easier In his previous role at MasterCard, Chari spearheaded developments in mergers and acquisitions as well as in organic business opportunities, which resulted in the strengthening of MasterCard’s regional strategy. Prior to joining MasterCard, Chari was the Chief Executive Officer of Network International in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. Under his leadership, the firm went from strength to strength, spreading its customer reach across 16 countries in the Middle East and Africa, to establish its position as a market leader in the payments industry. Towards the end of his stint, Chari focused on cultivating sustainable payments solutions in emerging markets across Middle East, Africa and India. While Chari has made it to the top today, it is interesting to note that he started off making

decided to pause her career. Chari said his “better half ”, who was equally competent and held high posts in leading organisations, had to take a backseat to take care of the family. “While it is difficult to balance both work and home together, it is essential that one of the two makes a choice to focus on family needs. My wife had to make the sacrifice here.” Chari, in offering tips to today’s young blood just about to enter the corporate world says children think that college life is tough, that assignments and deadlines they have are tougher, but what they don’t realise is that working is much, much tougher. “Once you go through the pressure in the corporate world, you will realise that college days were much easier. So enjoy life and stay happy,” he signs off. Mahalakshmi.H@corporatecitizen.in December 1, 2014 / Corporate Citizen / 13

cover story

ACE Dynamic Duo 2

Achievers Ganesh Natarajan, CEO of Zensar Technologies and Chairman of NASSCOM, is a man of humility rooted in strong value systems. His wife, Uma, CEO of Global Talent Track, matches his virtues to perfection and has carved a niche in the field of technology supported education. Simplicity marks their lives; intellectual drive and passion for excellence mark their professional performance

by Vinita Deshmukh

hen a young Ganesh Natarajan, all of 24 years was waiting in the lobby of the corporate office of Crompton Greaves for a final Management Trainee interview, he forgot to be tense about the questions the panel would ask him, or whether he would get selected. For an unexpected distraction came his way. Seated next to him was a young, chirpy girl, talking nineteen to the dozen about the Indian economy and other such high funda stuff with other candidates. For a while he gave an ear, impressed by this bold and confident MBA from FMS Delhi. Slowly, his eyes fell on her and he made an instant decision not to let the opportunity to know her pass. Reminiscing the moment of 10th April, 1981, Ganesh says, “I found this girl with a strong command over the English language, and being extraordinarily communicative. I was fascinated.’’ She was Uma, then 23 years old, who became his life partner a year and a half later. He says, “We both passed the interviews and got jobs at Crompton Greaves. This helped us to get to know each other, and we felt we were made for each

other.’’ For Uma, it was Ganesh’s intellect that instantly appealed to her. She says admiringly, “At the first meeting itself, I found him to be an amazingly articulate person. As our relationship grew, I admired his ability to connect with people by being interactive at a very personal level. He took interest in varied things, a need that continues to this day. Most importantly, he saw me as an individual in my own right. I was overwhelmed by his courteous manner. He treated me then and he does now, as his equal, which makes living together very happy and pleasant.’’ They married on 7th November, 1982. Ganesh studied in a Christian missionary school in a village in Jharkhand and says, “Although the educational standard was not very good otherwise, we were trained to be proficient in English language by Fitzi, our Vice Principal and I have much to thank him for it. Knowing to converse in good English opens many doors globally today and it’s heartening that Indians have an edge over other countries in this regard. So when I heard this young girl equally confident about herself, if not more than me, it drew me towards her.’’ Uma too is convent educated. Her early years were at Nagpur and her parents worked at All India Radio. So, although both are South Indians, their childhood was spent Pics: Yusuf Khan

14 / Corporate Citizen / December 1, 2014

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My father brought me up like a commoner. I’ve seen and interacted with people from very poor backgrounds. If they are successful, I would say that India has progressed

Pics: Yusuf Khan

in different states, which gave them a cosmopolitan outlook on life. Ganesh fondly remembers his childhood friend Fantoosh, as he spells out his India-outlook. “My father brought me up to feel no different from the others in the village where he ran a factory for Waxpol Industries. I’ve seen and interacted with people from very poor backgrounds. If they are successful, I would say that India has progressed. If Fantoosh fares well, then India has become a prosperous country. Fantoosh was my father’s driver’s son. He was as old as me but never went to school. He used to wait for me to return home and then we would play together for six hours or more every day. I have no idea where he is now, but any betterment in his life and career would reflect India’s prosperity and growth in the true sense of the word. India lives in its villages and not in five star hotels. Fantoosh belonged to the village of Tatisilwai in Jharkhand where my father worked and where I spent the most part of my childhood.” Dr. Ganesh Natarajan now is one of the topmost leaders in the IT world. He is Vice Chairman and CEO, Zensar Technologies, and Chairman-NASSCOM Foundation and will soon be the President of the Harvard Business School’s India Club. Dr. Uma Ganesh is the Founder and CEO of Global Talent Track, a platform for interactive learning through technology and has played many leadership roles in NHRD and CII. Despite achieving high powered success and international recognition, both are humble, unassuming, simple and friendly. Uma and Ganesh continue their pursuit of excellence in their chosen fields. They do not measure their achievement either by flaunting their wordly possessions or having a snobby demeanour. Airing thoughts on humility, Uma says,”Both my parents were in AIR. We know what it is to struggle. We have got our value systems from our grandparents and parents, which we still carry on. I did my initial schooling in Nagpur, under graduate studies in Pondicherry, 16 / Corporate Citizen / December 1, 2014

Post-Graduation from Delhi University and PhD from IIT Delhi. I had friends from humble backgrounds and I was blessed with excellent teachers. We were made to realise that simplicity, humility and honesty were valued virtues.’’ Tryst with Pune The IT industry in Pune has over-shadowed the once premier automobile hub in terms of annual turnover and job-attraction to the youth. Thus, Ganesh is more often in the news than automobile industry heads. In the 1970s and 80s, it was a young engineer’s dream to have the insignia of Telco (now Tata Motors) or Bajaj Auto on his sleeve. Today, IT companies like Zensar have become the coveted spots where youngsters weave their dreams. The Natarajans reside in a quiet and smart residential neighbourhood of Kalyani Nagar in Pune. When they decided to shift to Pune after Ganesh joined Zensar in the year 2001, Uma had already heard a great deal about Pune’s literary and cultural heritage. She had once stated to me, “I was so excited, I told the broker to find us a home in downtown Pune so that I could be at the centre of all the cultural happenings. Unfortunately, we did not get the kind of apartment we wanted there, and we had to settle in Kalyani Nagar, away from the cultural heart of the city.’’ She also rues,” I wish communities could mingle together and experience each other’s social and cultural heritage. There is a communication and information gap regarding events that showcase Pune’s cultural image.’’ Uma’s love for Indian culture and tradition manifests in her love for classical Carnatic music and celebrating the Golu festival (the festival of dolls), a popular custom practiced during Navratri in South India, where odd numbers of mud dolls are displayed. Their only daughter Karuna has inherited the intellect and humility

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1. The Golu Festival of dolls 2. When courtship turned into marriage 3. With daughter, Karuna 4. Fancy dressing for the NASSCOM event 5. Passionate about holidaying too 6. The evergreen romance of the heart 7. In the picturesque Kashmir valley

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A happy extended family

of her parents, and after studying and working at Cambridge UK and Harvard Medical School, is a medical doctor pursuing research in cancer in the world renowned Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Research Center. She was recently married to Hugh Skottowe, a British Phd in Particle Physics whom she met at Cambridge. Hugh is at Harvard and shuttles between Boston, CERN in Geneva and New York. While Ganesh is probably better known due to his network of friends in the society and social media, Uma, though described as ‘chirpy’ by Ganesh when he first saw her, comes across as the quieter person. At work, she is known for her determination and grit. She has turned down smooth-sailing jobs, opted for challenging ones and thus broken the proverbial glass ceiling time and again in her career. At Crompton Greaves, Satpur, Nashik, she was the first woman Management Trainee and was entrusted with multiple responsibilities. Later on at Aptech, she became the first woman Vice President. At Zee Network, she was also the first woman CEO for an educational enterprise and motivated ZEE to go beyond its entertainment mode. Role Models Karuna, their daughter, who graduated from reading and watching medical thrillers to making her dream of entering the field of medicine a reality, is her parents’ biggest fan. She says proudly, “My parents are two of the most exceptional people I know; their commitment to all that they do, their drive, integrity, and above all their warm interest in people are exemplary. They have been outstanding role models, not just for me, but for so many other people at work and beyond. Memories of my school years are full of classmates seeking out my parents as mentors. Even now, my friends will frequently ask my parents for advice.’’ Appreciating their passion for excellence, Karuna states, “While my father’s effortless charm brings him the ardour and attention of many (witness his vast fan following on Facebook, Linkedin and Twitter), my mother has broken the glass ceiling time and time again as a pioneering female senior manager, CEO and entrepreneur. Not only do my parents continue to strive hard to build successful careers, but they infuse their passion for excellence into every endeavour they undertake. For my mother, this could mean unwavering dedication to South Indian traditions such as Navratri Golu and Carnatic music, while to my father it can be enjoying ghazals and new experiences! So, how did Karuna cope when both her parents were so busy during their prime years? Uma and Ganesh, both quip, “My mother, who was an educated lady, a graduate in those days, was a very strong person. She stayed with us and gave the good environment and support that Karuna required during her childhood days. After her schooling, she went abroad for IB at the United World College in the USA and has been abroad ever since.’’ 18 / Corporate Citizen / December 1, 2014

Rendezvous with Prince Charles in Pune

That, Karuna’s upbringing has been in good order despite working parents is portrayed through this statement by her: From them I learnt that you can indeed have it all: a rewarding career, a wide and loving circle of family and friends, engagement with social causes and mind-opening travel, all provided, of course, that you work hard, stay true to yourself and give 100% to every minute of your day to the things that matter most! Now that my husband Hugh has made it a “Family Four”, we look forward to continuing to be happy and successful together even as we try to change the world in our own different ways.’’ Friends and Colleagues Ganesh’s colleagues always have nice words for him, what with him treating them as friends though taking them straight on, sometimes, if they shift focus. Apart from being the father figure of Zensar, you will find his colleagues seeing themselves more as friends of both Uma and Ganesh. Manjiri Gokhale-Joshi London based Manjiri Joshi-Gokhale, who worked for a decade in a top managerial position at Zensar elaborates: “Earnestness, elegance, integrity, simplicity, uprightness, commitment… that’s Uma. Optimism, outstanding communication skills, enthusiasm and passion… that’s Ganesh. As professionals, they are both hard taskmasters but go far beyond the professional to shower their care and affection on the teams they lead. They draw energy from actively seeking and mentoring new talent. As people, even as they straddle continents, they continue to welcome new friends into their fold, bond with each other’s friends with ease and nurture old friendships.’’ Monika Patel Uma and Ganesh are popular even in party circles and adorn Page 3 with as much aplomb and ease as they do, when they hit Page 1. Celebrity Monika Patel, who shuttles between Pune and the US, says Uma and Ganesh are the ‘made-for-each-other’ kind of couple. “Uma and Ganesh excel in their separate fields but are still part of each other’s work. I remember when Uma was setting up GTT, Ganesh was just as passionate about the concept. Their roles are fluid and Uma seems as much a part of Ganesh’s Zensar world as he is in GTT.” And yes, Uma handles Ganesh’s popularity with women with tremendous equanimity, she adds cheekily. Appreciating the ease with which they travel across the world and make friends, Monika says, “Whether it is juggling professional work, a

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Uma and Ganesh excel in their separate fields but are still part of each other’s work - Monika Patel Earnestness, elegance, integrity, simplicity, that’s Uma. Optimism, outstanding communication skills, that’s Ganesh” - Manjiri Gokhale-Joshi authoritative leader. “Don’t rule through authority but connect through people”, is one of his philosophies in meeting business goals. Taking a leaf from the vision set for Zensar Technologies, Ganesh follows the principles of 5Fs as important denominators for success. Fun, Focus, Flexibility, Fast and a Friendly atmosphere, the underlying principles of the culture and philosophy of Zensar have kept the morale high within the group.

“As our relationship grew, I admired his ability to connect with people. I was overwhelmed by his courteous manners, which makes living together very happy and pleasant” social calendar or getting involved with a whole bunch of social endeavours, Ganesh dons all his hats with ease and aplomb. Be it London, New York or Pune, at a dinner with Uma and Ganesh, you are guaranteed to meet interesting personalities. ” Work Culture of Fun and Focus The most striking characteristic of Ganesh is his ease of nature and approachability at work. He seems to do everything with lightning speed where thoughts translate into action, perhaps faster than the computer. In an interview to a business daily, he had said, “I’m very tough in a crisis, I get rather stressed. When there’s no crisis, you have to get people to bond so that when there is a crisis and there’s stress, there’s still an underlying environment of liking each other.’’ “Different strokes for different folks”, is one mantra that Ganesh advocates for managing people, rather than taking on the mantle of an

Of young professionals What does he think of young professionals of today? “People these days are more loyal to themselves than they are to their organisation. The younger generation gets easily impatient but as long as they are attracted to work, they will stay. We need to connect them with love. Also, not all human beings are the same. We have had 300 Americans and various associates from other nationalisties working for us and it is important to be sensitive about their preferences and culture. Youngsters are attracted towards leadership and are interested in working for true leaders. They like to feel included. If they have a problem, they should feel confident that they are cared for. Earning the confidence of people is a huge responsibility and the case study on Zensar which is taught every year at Harvard Business School, demonstrates that,’’ Ganesh says. Uma has spent close to 25 years in IT in India in the education sector. As CEO of Global Talent Track (GTT), she provides relevant education with the help of technology to youngsters who do not have an opportunity to pursue higher education. GTT seeks to develop employability skills among youth in tier-2 and tier-3 cities for IT-related companies. Says Uma proudly, “We have tied up with over 800 colleges across the country. An online test is also conducted and those who pass it have an added qualification for a career in IT.’’ Says Uma, “We try to play the role of catalyst by organising workshops. We were deeply touched during our visit to Srinagar where we found that youngsters there too have the same aspirations as their counterparts in other parts of the country and we have now trained hundreds of young Kashmiris and helped them to find their place in the world. Leisure So what do Uma and Ganesh do in their spare time? Says Uma, “We work from 8 am to 8 pm every day and take breaks travelling in India and abroad. We love to explore various countries to get a feel of their cultural heritage.” As Monika rightly puts it, “With Ganesh, it’s truly a case of, if it’s Tuesday it must be Tokyo, if it’s Friday it must be Frankfurt. Uma does her fair share of globetrotting but ‘desi’ destinations are just as prominent in her travel itinerary.” (with inputs from Sangeeta Ghosh Dastidar) December 1, 2014 / Corporate Citizen / 19

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cradle of leadership

Youngsters are in a hurry to win the world!

Meet the stalwart Management Educators – Dr. E Abraham S J, Director of the prestigious Xavier School of Management (XLRI) in Jamshedpur and Prof. J Philip, President, Xavier Institute of Management & Entrepreneurship (XIME), Bengaluru, also alumni XLRI. Both share the vision of ethical and social learning in management studies. Read their thoughts on management education. By Vinita Deshmukh

hile it is often said that imitation is the best form of flattery, when it comes to management education in India, it is the reverse. Fly-by-night management institutes that have sprouted like mushroom across cities and towns of India have diluted the quality of management education and brought a bad name to it. However, in this ocean of educational institutions that provide post-graduate diploma or degree in MBA (Masters in Business Administration), there are a few institutes so focussed and sincere to the cause that they continue to inspire and deliver corporate leaders with high social and ethical values. Two such management institutes are the Xavier School of Management (XLRI) of Jamshedpur, established in 1949, consistently figuring among the three best management institutes of India and Xavier Institute of Management & Entrepreneurship (XIME) in Bengaluru, established in 1991 and ranked among the 50 best. The reason for this glorious achievement is the steadfast effort of two alumni of XLRI to take these institutes

to a high level of leadership education. Dr. E Abraham S J, director of XLRI and Prof. J Philip, President of XIME are both products of XLRI and therefore share the same vision and mission of producing socially sensitive and responsible managers who hold high ethical values. “Students nowadays are loyal only to their own selves. There is a paradigm shift in the way students see themselves,” quips Prof. Philip, recounting his own student days when the patience to build up one’s own career resulted in the larger good of the company you were serving in, and where working with a missionary zeal was more important than jumping jobs. Dr. Abraham held a similar view. “Technology has changed the way youngsters look at themselves and the society around them. There is very little physical interaction among students. When we were students, we knew each one of our colleagues including their family members and hence, a close bond was established between batch mates. However, in this digital era, it’s very mechanical, whether in terms of friendship or career.’’ Prof. Philip proudly states, “I was a student of XLRI in 1958 and graduated in 1960. I went to Harvard School of Business in 1965

Technology has changed the way youngsters look at themselves and the society around them. There is very little physical interaction among students 20 / Corporate Citizen / December 1, 2014

and thereafter for 11 years from 1968, I was a faculty at XLRI. Hence, the values of XLRI are deeply entrenched in my heart and I believe that ethical leadership is of prime importance for the larger good of the society. The mission of XIME remains the same.” Prof. Philip, who also served the corporate world for over a decade, started his own management institute XIME, to fulfil the desire of his young daughter who dreamt of a modern management institute, but died in a tragic road accident. Prof. Philip pursued her desire and established XIME in 1991, five years after her death. The website mentions: “The story behind the inception of the institute is one widely spoken about in management circles. Two powerful impulses lay behind the unheralded birth of XIME in May 1991. One was intensely personal and stemmed from what was both a dream and a promise. The other was entrepreneurial, the force that makes heroes of humble men and creates great institutions out of small beginnings.’’ So, what are the educational leanings of XLRI that have remained so intact in the mind, heart and action of 72-year old Prof. Philip, whose indefatigable spirit is infectious? Dr. Abraham, who is totally focused in moulding student leaders ‘for the larger good’ as the motto of XLRI extols, attributes two factors. “One, our students are at the centre of the whole. Second, and more importantly, we go by the principle of ‘Magis’ Magis is a Latin word and means “more”. It was often used by Saint Ignatius of Loyola, the founder of the Jesuits, to express the

potterâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s club Pic: Neerat Singh

When we were students, we practiced utmost patience be it towards our teachers or profession. Now, youngsters, in the pursuit of their careers, try to trample or jump over others

(From left) Prof J Philip and Dr E Abraham S J

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It is wishful thinking that all B-Schools should be ‘best’ schools. As industry has various sizes, levels and qualities, so have B-Schools. There is no country where there are only ‘best’ B-Schools

XLRI’s top notch alumni u Rakesh Kapoor

CEO of Reckitt Benckiser u Jaspal Bindra

CEO of Standard Chartered u Krishnakumar Natarajan

CEO and Managing Director of Mindtree & Ex- Chairman, NASSCOM u Vineet Nayar

Former CEO of HCL Technologies and Founder, Sampark Foundation u B Muthuraman

Vice Chairman of Tata Steel, u Leena Nair

Global Senior Vice-President for Leadership and Organisation Development at Unilever u Ajay Kaul

CEO of Domino’s Pizza India Ltd u Madhukar Kamath

Group CEO & MD of DDB Mudra Communications u Naveen Jain

quality of our relationship with reality and the people around us.’’ Dr. Abraham says XLRI is uncompromising on human and social values. “Magis translates into nurturing a passion for academic excellence, uncompromising human values, a sensitive social conscience; and an abiding commitment to improving the quality of life in organisations and society.” As a first lesson in `Magis,’ the 480 freshers have to spend three days in their first term to experience `Bharat.’- Called the Village Exposure Programme and the Outbound Programme, they are designed to create awareness among students about life in rural India, and build team spirit. “Such an integral and value-based formation will impel future managers to be innovative, competent and creative leaders,” says Dr. Abraham. Prof. Philip laments that today’s world of youth is all about impatience. “When we were students, we practiced utmost patience be it towards our teachers or profession. Now, youngsters, in the pursuit of their careers, try to trample or jump over others. Today, we are 22 / Corporate Citizen / December 1, 2014

dealing with a group of youngsters who are in a hurry to win the world.’’ Therefore, says Prof. Philip, “The attitude and approach of XIME is also based on the values of my alma mater, XLRI. Our mission statement says it all: “In an environment which is perceived as ‘Elite’, XIME will harness the power of technology, innovation and excellent human resources, to provide its students with ‘world class’ business education programmes, which are affordable, imaginative and relevant to the Indian business environment and ethos. Recognising that ethics and values are so essential for good business practice, XIME would strive to inculcate these concerns in its management graduates.’’ Both Dr. Abraham and Prof. Philip are moulding business managers - like the potter who moulds his earthen pots to perfection by the skill of his hands and creativity of his eyes. Just as loose clay forms stunning earthenware, XLRI and XIME have ‘created’ so many such leaders, spread across the world, who are making proud their alma mater as well as the places they work in.

Founder of Inome and Moon Express

XIME’s top notch alumni u Sailesh Menezes

Head – HR, Hewlett Packard, Bangalore u Chandan Mishra

Director, PriceWaterhouse Coopers, Bhubaneswar u Gokul Santhanam

Vice President, Mphasis, Chennai u Narasimhan S.L.

Director, State Street Bank, Hong Kong u Suman Menon

CEO, U2opia Mobile, Singapore u Karthik Viswanathan

Director, EMC, Singapore u Ganesh Shenoy

Vice President – Human Resources, HSBC India u Samuel Rufus

Vice President, Deloitte India, Hyderabad u Jijo Olassa

Director, Mindtree, London, The Kingdom.u Dennis Abraham Director [Finance] – HP, Bangalore

United

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Management Ecosystem Great men think alike. Both Prof. Philip and Dr. Abraham hold remarkably similar views on issues concerning the management education eco-system. They share their thoughts

Surveys say that in our country, only five per cent of MBA students passing out each year get good placements. If that is so are we not cheating the students, parents and public alike? What is the solution? This ‘five per cent’ is somewhat over the top. No major survey has gone below 22 per cent in reckoning placement of MBA graduates. Even that is pitching it low. After medicine, business education is, in fact the best ‘job assuring’ education. From my experience, I would say the top 200 schools can lay claim to full employment for their graduates, the next 1000 about 40% to 50% and others may be 20% to 25%. But in a period of a year or so most of them get placed – with some not being in management jobs. But to say that only 5% get good jobs is not factual. There are only a few best B-schools in the country. How can one make India the destination for best B-schools? It is wishful thinking that all B-Schools should be ‘best’ schools. As industry has various sizes, levels and qualities, [variegated] so have B-Schools. There is no country where there are only ‘best’ B-Schools – not even the U.S. Even there one sees B-Schools of ‘A’, ‘B, and ‘C’ categories. A similar situation prevails in India. But with increasing competition among B-Schools, there is a continuous upward movement in quality. It is not that B-schools are not striving to get the best faculty? But they are not available in the market for the price that institutes offer. Comment. Faculty salaries are not really low. In the last five years they have improved substantially. The real problem lies on the ‘supply-side’. Our universities and other institutions don’t produce enough PhDs. AICTE / UGC rules also don’t permit someone to be a professor without a Ph.D. One may have a B.Tech. from IIT-M and an MBA from IIM-A with 20 years of top-class industrial experience, but still, he cannot become a professor. That is the current rule. And we claim that what is taught is ‘practice of management’. The rule must change. Incidentally none of the first Directors of IIM-A,B,C or L had a Ph.D. That was the case with XLRI and MDI too in the early years. History has proved that none of these institutions suffered due to the Director not having a Ph.D. In fact, most of them proved to be better administrators and leaders because of their valuable industrial experience. How do you evaluate regulators of management education in the country? Are they combating or contributing to produce good managers? Are they qualified to constructively contribute and play their real role? Like any other field, you see excellent to average people in this group. That is natural. Most of them are well meaning and highly committed to the cause of management education. However, there is a need to look at some of the current regulatory practices. The emphasis

should shift to facilitation. We would need to develop a partnership model. I hope with the new government’s liberalised policies, regulation barriers will come down. IIMs came much before the London School of Business, ESADE in Spain or CEIBS in China. Most of the B-Schools in France and Spain and even Singapore came much after our IIMs and some leading Private Sector B-Schools in India. But at the international level there are only very few of our B-Schools in the top rung. More than any other discipline, B-Schools need freedom and autonomy. And it is in such a culture that they flourish. Drive away the fear that some institutions may cheat. Even if some do, it will only be for a very short-term. The market is a formidable force in handling such people. And it would be wrong to think that a student with a B.Tech, BA or B.Com. and even with some industrial experience could so easily be fooled. We are talking about a post-graduate programme and not a plus-two-plus programme like engineering or medicine. The HRD ministry keeps announcing the starting of new IIM’s and IIT’s, funded through tax payers money, whereas most private management institutes and engineering colleges do not get grant in aid. Comment. The recent expansion of IIMs and IITs has, in a way, affected the quality and image of these institutions. My advice will be to stop it where it is now. Let the new ones settle down. I have argued for years that at least 50 of the top private B-Schools of the country be supported by AICTE for their Fellow Programme and infrastructure. That way we can build some world-class B-Schools in India. Technology and management are two key pillars for the growth and competitiveness of countries. Encourage them in whatever way possible. What is your opinion about the efficacy or competence of male versus female managers? Is the hue and cry about women’s empowerment in the industry relevant? Is there any disparity in employment conditions, including salary parity, between male and female managers? Our Institute XIME usually has a 50:50 break-up of men and women students. I see absolutely no difference between men and women students. In fact, in some areas of management, women do better than men. And I haven’t yet heard of salary differences between men and women – it may prevail among manual labour, but not among managers. In my experience, in the public and private sector as well as in education, I haven’t seen any salary difference between men and women managers. Anecdotal evidence shows that women are usually better at management studies than men. All this talk about the need for empowerment of women is only a cliché when it comes to managers and management. As I see it, women managers are equal to men managers, if not better.

December 1, 2014 / Corporate Citizen / 23

Corporate Citizen asked Dr. Abraham and Prof. Philip for their views on issues related to management education delivery. Excerpts: Could you tell us whether you saw their potential while they were doing the course? What indications helped you spot their potential? Dr. E Abraham: At XLRI we believe that every student has the inherent potential to be a leader. However, those who excel in their chosen fields perform their given assignments passionately and diligently and are able to inspire their teams to give their best. Leadership is not a solo affair. Prof. J Philip: I could see their potential while they were studying at the Institute. Some key indicators were: u Quality concern u Time sense u Performing beyond the call of duty u Searching beyond the immediate u A helicopter view of issues All of them had most of these, if not all. But the most common element was Achievement Drive. What do you think are the essential qualities of a management student? How do you rate student attitude, approach and expectations now, and say, two decades ago? Dr. E Abraham: It is important that MBA students should have a thorough knowledge of the marketplace, global business trends and an understanding of complex business issues. However, good interpersonal skills, quick thinking and multi-tasking skills enable them to become effective decision-makers who can make even difficult situations turn in their favour. It is important that present-day students learn to be patient and more empathetic while undertaking tasks. Prof. J Philip: Management students should possess an innate sense of curiosity. Going back to two decades ago, generally students’ attitude to learning was more positive. They spent more time in organisations, getting their feet wet, meeting more people and familiarising themselves with the business environment. Currently, management graduates are a trifle impatient; they are ready to quit their first organisation within a month if they do not like their work profile. They are no longer willing to wait, assess their strengths, understand the organisation’s views and put in their best efforts. Secondly, they should also possess a bias for action. They should be willing to go out, meet people from different walks of life and 24 / Corporate Citizen / December 1, 2014

At XLRI we believe that every student has the inherent potential to be a leader. However, those who excel in their chosen fields perform their given assignments passionately and diligently and are able to inspire their teams to give their best. Leadership is not a solo affair.” - Dr E Abraham

be able to contribute meaningfully to team assignments. In every aspect of work, they should focus on an action oriented approach. In terms of expectations, management graduates of the previous decade started off in their career with lesser expectations; they were willing to work for lesser compensation in their early years and willing to move up in the normal course. The present scenario is different. Management graduates leave the portals of the institute with stars in their eyes; their expectations from the organisations are much higher in terms of work profile, status and compensation. Therefore, they often become disillusioned within a couple of months in their first organisation. We cannot say that the shifts in attitude and approach is good or bad; just like any other phenomenon, it has its positives as well as negatives. On the positive side, we can say that these graduates are comfortable taking a non-conformist stance; Therefore, they would be more focused on attaining or achieving their comfort zone and desired work profile. On the negative side, it is difficult for most established organisations to offer a meaningful work profile to new management trainees. XLRI’s approach to ethical leadership is both commendable and rare. How do you teach ethics to your students and what are the values they gain by this approach?

Dr. E Abraham: Since its inception, XLRI has been known for its distinct culture. The values which students pick up at XLRI in terms of an ethical code of conduct, spirit of bonding together, team building, leadership skills and responsibility towards society is immense. These values make students feel privileged, but at the same time, they know how to give back to the society precisely what they have learnt at XLRI. Besides disseminating a world-class curriculum, XLRI has always tried to instil in its students a passion for academic excellence, uncompromising human values, sensitive social conscience, abiding commitment to improving the quality of life in organisations and society, team spirit and integrity. XLRI is the first B-school in the country to introduce a core course on “Managerial Ethics” for both its HRM and BM programmes. We are also a Signatory to PRME (The Principles for Responsible Management Education initiative is the first organised relationship between the United Nations and business schools, launched at the 2007 UN Global Compact Leaders Summit in Geneva). Prof. J Philip: Ethics cannot be preached. It must be seen, felt and shared. it must be institutionalised. The belief and practices of the administration and faculty in this aspect will go a long way in inculcating ethical values in students. In our case, the students see from the very beginning that no one gets in to XIME

potter’s club

I could see their potential while they were studying at the Institute. Some key indicators were: quality concern, time sense, performing beyond the call of duty, searching beyond the Immediate, a helicopter view of Issues. All of them had most of these, if not all, but the most common element was Achievement Drive.” - Prof J Philip who is not meritorious. There is no management quota, NRI quota or Community quota. There is no intention to make quick money. They also see a firm commitment at the institution on the development of every student. Those who are in any difficulty financially are supported through scholarships.

would say about 100. This is as against 15 or 20 that we had 10 years ago. As it happens with everything in India we have the best and the worst in the business school system too. If the regulators could play a strong facilitating role, we could definitely overtake Europe and China in terms of better B-Schools.

How do you view mushrooming of MBA institutes? Has increase in quantity diluted the quality of MBA education? Dr. E Abraham: With the rising popularity of an MBA degree as one of the best post graduate courses worldwide, there are now practically thousands of business schools and an equal number of MBA programs available. Students should keep in mind certain important parameters while deciding to join an MBA institute – pedagogy, code of conduct, updated curriculum, faculty quality, infrastructure, alumni and placements. Before taking admission, one should try to visit the campus to get an idea whether the institute fulfils all the parameters or are they creating undue hype. Prof. J Philip: The so-called ‘mushrooming’ has affected the quality – not that of the good ones but of the marginal ones. This dilution happened mostly to 3-tier and 4-tier institutions – paradoxically, good ones have only further improved, mainly because of the competition and impact of global developments. If one were to look at how many world class business schools we have in India, I

Do you think the MBA syllabus is comprehensive? Do you think there should be changes? What changes did you bring in at XLRI over the years? Dr. E Abraham: A Business Management degree in today’s world is perceived to be the pre-eminent ‘Masters Program’ that holistically prepares students who aspire to be future business leaders with necessary business-centric techniques to augment the efficiency and productivity of an organisation. MBA education is a dynamic area and has to constantly change to keep up with the changing economic scenario. XLRI being a forward-thinking organisation always strives to meet the demands of the industry, and even goes one step ahead and finds out what the next biggest need of the industry is and tries to meet it. Understanding the need of advanced business skill-sets to outperform in a highly competitive marketplace, we have always introduced new electives. These new electives help students to have a better understanding of the domain they are specialising in and help them emerge as impactful and productive

business leaders when they graduate from XLRI. Prof. J Philip: In most good B-schools it is comprehensive. The University System is particularly weak on this aspect. However, don’t simply look at the syllabus; the delivery system is equally important. Our institute re-looks at its syllabus once in two or three years. This is a comprehensive exercise with alumni, students, faculty and recruiters participating. The objective is to make our syllabus current and industry aligned. Some of the changes that we have introduced in the past few years are: u A strong set of courses in International Business. u All the students are required to go for an International Educational Tour. u Students have to do a 2nd practical project – a social project. For this they are placed for three weeks with an NGO during X-Mas vacation. u We have a three-term course on Contemporary Business Environment. This is a students’ lead course meant to keep them truly contemporary. u Learning a foreign language is a must. u In the first term, 15 students each are allotted to a Senior Professor in what we call a “Learning Circle”. The purpose is to orient them to the teaching-learning system of a good business school. u We have a strong course in ‘Time Management’. This is built on Peter F. Drucker’s dictum – “Nothing else perhaps distinguishes effective executives as much as their tender loving care of time”. Indian executives are generally weak in Time Management. Finally, how much time do you spend at the Institute and how much time with the family? Dr. E Abraham: This my second stint at XLRI as Director. I am a priest of the Jesuit order and am obliged to undertake any task given to me by the Jesuit Community. Priests do not marry and consider their community and other lay members as a part of their extended family. Prof. J Philip: When my children were smaller, I used to spend considerable time with them. But when they grew up, my time investment got less. My wife follows her own interests and she agrees to leave me to spend as much time as needed for the Institute – which is usually 12-13 hours a day. This was the case when I was at IIM-B too. Looking back, I would say I used to spend more time for the institution than the family. But I have no regrets, it worked out well thanks to the understanding of my wife and children. vinita.deshmukh@corporatecitizen.in December 1, 2014 / Corporate Citizen / 25

drive in

Car recalls in India gathering speed Car recalls have become the most infamous topic in the automobile industry this year. Corporate Citizen takes a closer look at why recalls are fast gathering steam in India By Mohan Sinha

aruti Suzuki, the most trusted brand in India is likely to recall over 150,000 units of Swift Dzire models manufactured in 2013-14. The company recalled 1,492 units of Eritiga, Swift hatchback, Dzire and A-Star with regard to a mistake in the steering column which was serviced for free. In September 2013, Ford Motors India said it recalled 2,95,648 units of the Figo and Classic. This was the eighth major recall by Ford India in 2013 - the highest in a single year. On November 1, 2014, German luxury car maker Audi announced that it was recalling 6,758 units of its A4 sedans, manufactured between November 2011 and October 2014, to upgrade software in the airbag control unit. They claimed it was just a minor issue. On October 27, 2014, Honda Cars India Ltd (HCIL) announced a recall for 1040 units of Honda Brio, 1235 units of Honda Amaze and 63 units of Honda CR-V, all manufactured between September 2011 and July 2014 for a faulty airbags on the driver side. These and other reports have been appearing with monotonous regularity in the nation’s newspapers in the past two years. You wouldn’t have read such reports even a couple of years back. In the early days, when you discovered a problem with your car, you went to the service station and complained. If the problem was minor they would tweak it and fix it. If it was 26 / Corporate Citizen / December 1, 2014

serious enough and warranted a change of the defective part, the people at the service station would quietly change it and ask you to stay quiet and ensure that it was kept out of the press. Mostly, the customer was relieved to have got the problem fixed for free so he or she didn’t take it further. Discretion could guarantee you better service the next time! Secondly, all these years, the dice has always been heavily loaded against the consumer complaining about being short-changed – be it an automobile part or even a faulty electric iron. The thought of even walking into a courtroom sends a shudder down the spine of most middle class people. Taking on an automobile giant could only result in him losing more money and time. The times have changed. New brands flooding the market, cut-throat competition, globalisation and the advent of the Internet has changed all that. However, says Adil Jal Darukhanawala, a

highly respected automotive journalist and (Editor-in-chief of ZEEGNITION), above all these factors is the right of the consumer to vote and choose with his wallet. Unlike the early days where the consumer had to choose from the Ambassador, Fiat and the Standard Herald, today he is spoilt for choice. He can use his power tellingly against manufacturers who don’t produce an A class product. An A class product is one that runs its life span without any major defect, provided the user follows the guidelines laid down by the manufacturer, which includes regular servicing and maintenance. However, when news about the recalls in the automobile industry worldwide was now

The new Motor Vehicles Act gets tough The proposed Motor Vehicles Act 2014 which everyone hopes will be passed in the winter session of Parliament, has provisions which sets various rules for recall of cars, including compensation to customers. 1. It may require older vehicles to retrofit parts to increase safety 2. It may order vehicle companies to recall vehicles that are defective or unsafe and order compensation to be paid to owners (i.e. refund money paid to buy the vehicle)

Until recently, manufacturers had simply been following that age old policy of not reacting to recalls till the issue became a hot potato. The concept of recalls was, by and large, more a choice than a norm in India until 2012

available online, Indiaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s car makers could hardly drive around with blinkers on. So, in July 2012, the Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers (SIAM) stepped in and told automotive manufacturers to adopt a â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;voluntary recall codeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;. And ever since the voluntary code was adopted, nearly 8 lakh vehicles have been recalled in India. But even that, warn experts, is just the tip of the iceberg. Until recently, manufacturers had simply been following that age old policy of not reacting to recalls till the issue became a hot potato. There had been occasional recalls of vehicles by automakers such as Honda in mid-2000 of its City model for a damper replacement. The concept of recalls was, by and large, more a

choice than a norm in India until 2012. Recalls are of two kinds. One is when it is publicly announced or what is termed as a proactive recall, when the car maker discovers defects in the vehicle over a period of time and voluntarily decides to recall vehicles. The other is where the dealers are quietly asked to replace defective components. HV Kumar, an avid traveller and automobile enthusiast, told Corporate Citizen, that without making formal announcements, recalls are often private affairs where the dealers have the discretion to replace the components in the absence of regulation. How does one know how many vehicles are involved in such recalls, he asked.

3. In such situations, it may even ask the vehicle manufacturer to replace or repair the defective vehicle with another vehicle or vehicle with better specifications 4. Vehicle manufacturers may be asked to pay damages or compensation when accidents are caused due to mechanical or electrical defect in the vehicle The recent case of faulty airbags worldwide is one that begs notice. Nissan, Toyota, Honda and BMW and seven other automakers reported the same problem. Almost 10 million automobiles belonging to different manufacturers worldwide had been reportedly fitted with the faulty airbags, all supplied by the same auto vendor, Takata. All of them have announced recalls to replace these airbags. The other is the infamous case of General Motors and its faulty ignition switch. According to reports, on February 7, 2014, General Motors (GM) recalled about 800,000 of its small car due to faulty ignition switches, which could shut off the engine during impact and thereby prevent the airbags from inflating. The company continued to recall more of its cars over the next several months. As of June 30, 2014, GM had issued 45 recalls in 2014, which involved nearly 28 million cars worldwide and over 24.6 million in the US alone. The lawsuits that were filed against GM alleged that the company knew about the faulty switches since 2001 but did not recall any of its cars until this year. In June, General Motors USA sacked 15 employees for their role in the December 1, 2014 / Corporate Citizen / 27

drive in

Nissan’s Datsun Go-ing, going...?

attitude matters There is the well documented case almost two decades ago, when Mercedes-Benz was launching its first generation A-Class, which was a slightly taller version as compared to the present generation A-Class. It was asked to undergo the high speed lane change test or the Elk Test (as it originated in the Scandinavian countries to avoid errant elks and other animals), which basically meant the car had to turn at a 90 degree angle at speeds of between 80 and 100 miles per hour. While doing that the car would topple. Now, it’s obvious that any car that took a 90 degree turn at that speed was bound to topple, but a competitor of Mercedes went to town when this report leaked out. Mercedes-Benz could have remonstrated and taken the findings as flawed and argued but instead they went back, tweaked the suspension to afford better road holding and asked the same journalists who had deemed the car unsafe to check it out in full view of the public. This sort of a positive approach to tackling issues and problems is what the developed world takes in stride rather than confrontational issues or even gross abuse of position as in the case of GM’s ignition switch maladies.

28 / Corporate Citizen / December 1, 2014

This is one recall that could cost car makers Nissan- if it ever happens. In November 2014, Global NCAP published crash test results for Nissan’s Datsun Go and the Suzuki Maruti Swift (http://www.globalncap.org/ global-ncap-calls-for-urgent-withdrawal-of-datsun-go/). Both cars received zero-star adult protection ratings. The vehicle structure collapsed and was rated unstable during the test. The Go’s body shell was so unstable that it would be pointless to include airbags in the car. Global NCAP Chairman Max Mosley had written to Nissan Chairman and CEO Carlos Ghosn, calling for an urgent withdrawal of the Datsun Go from the Indian and related markets. He was quoted on the website as saying: “It is extremely disappointing that Nissan has authorised the

launch of a brand new model that is so clearly sub-standard.” In January 2014, Global NCAP published crash test results for five of India’s best-known cars: the Suzuki Maruti Alto 800, the Hyundai i10, the Ford Figo, the Volkswagen Polo, and the Tata Nano. All the cars received zero-star adult protection ratings. Volkswagen has since decided to offer the Polo for sale in India with two airbags as standard. This model subsequently received a four-star safety rating.

Why don’t automobile magazines write about these issues in detail? These issues have not been addressed by any auto magazine in India deadly ignition-switch scandal and would set up a compensation fund for crash victims. It took them over a decade to recall the first lot of 2.6 million cars with bad switches due to which, allegedly, at least 13 people lost their lives. In India, GM was treading on thin ice. On July 24, 2013, the company announced that it was recalling 1.14 lakh units of its best-seller MPV Tavera. There were reports in the media that the company had indulged in “corporate fraud” by manufacturing vehicles that violated emission norms. Strangely, almost a year later, owners of just a little over 20,000 units had returned to the workshops to get the faulty part replaced. Kumar, who’s forum on social networking site Facebook gives its 13,000+ members updates in real-time on road conditions in any part of the country, and sometimes even outside, says he knows numerous SUV owners who are unaware of the large-scale replacement of slave cylinders and vacuum modulators simply because the company let the dealers decide who should be “rewarded”. Bengaluru resident Vinay Avasthi, howev-

er, has a positive tale with Honda Motors. He told Corporate Citizen that he had received recall notices for his 2004 Honda City for a damper replacement in 2006-07 and another recall notice for his 2007 Honda Civic around 2012-13. “The experience was great. The damper replacement on his Honda City took four hours and the Civic took a day, I don’t remember which part it was. I received the letter from Honda to contact the dealer and the latter was sufficiently informed and enthusiastic about getting the work done.” He says Why don’t automobile magazines write about these issues in detail? It is significant that despite there being so many large automobile magazines in India, these issues have not been addressed and readers of these magazines are not really aware of vehicle defects and recalls. Most automobile magazines would prefer to not report on such or any controversial issues. Why? Your guess is as good as mine. For many of them, things like these are best swept and kept under the carpet. sinha.mohan@gmail.com

Pic:Ahmed Sheikh

cii event

Ground Reality of

Make in India

by Vinita Deshmukh

ould a youngster prefer to work in a glitzy atmosphere of an IT industry or in the mundane floor of an automobile factory? Very clearly, the former is the first choice and that has adversely affected the attraction of youngsters towards jobs

in manufacturing hubs. Better working environment, innovation, ease in procuring financial aid, the hope of profitability, cutting of red tapism that will lead to ease of doing business, reforming labour laws and building mega infrastructure that will compete with countries like China, Taiwan and Thailand are some of the prominent factors required to make Prime Minister, Narendra Modi’s dream of ‘Make in India,’ a reality. All these factors were brainstormed in the session ‘Make in India’ conundrum: solving the manufacturing puzzle.’ The event was the 13th manufacturing summit of Confederation of Indian Industries (CII) was held in Taj Mahal Palace in Mumbai on 14th November where top notch corporate leaders from all over the country, brainstormed about the possibilities of making ‘Make in India’ a successful mission. The summit, a brainchild of Jamshyd N Godrej, Summit Chairman and CMD, Godrej & Boyce Mfg Co Ltd, hosted it this time to coincide with the string of measures that have been recently announced by the Modi government; the objective of which is to transform India

into a manufacturing centre and give an unprecedented impetus to higher growth. Banmali Agrawala, CEO, GE South Asia rightly pointed out that India has the necessary ingredients required for manufacturing like its availability of skills and natural resources but lacks decision making process and act of governance. While K Venkataramanan, CEO & MD of Larsen & Toubro expressed positivity over the rejuvenated climate of manufacturing after a lull of seven to eight years, Suneel M Advani, Vice Chairman, Blue Star said that we need build infrastructure in order to build the volume of production and make manufacturing the first choice for young entrepreneurs who plunge into enterprise, by ensuring profitability. Godrej called for building up a culture of innovation and companies should talk about how many people they have been able to motivate. Corporate Citizen take: What about quality and work ethos? Manufacturing companies in india are not on par with the developed countries on quality control and work ethos that is thoroughly professional. Inside this issue, we highlight the welcome change in the car industry, wherein automobile companies are stretching themselves to get a defective model recalled from the customer. This is all about quality control and citizen empowerment. What we need is an effective governance and implementation of laws with stringent standards of quality and workforce. Vinita.Deshmukh@corporatecitizen.in December 1, 2014 / Corporate Citizen / 29

centerspread

Consulting Editor Vinita Deshmukh hands over a copy of Corporate Citizen to Jamshyd N Godrej, Chairman & Managing Director, Godrej & Boyce Mfg Co Ltd at the CII Meet in Mumbai

Corporates introduced to ‘Cool side of business’

Corporate Citizen, the unique business magazine, caught the attention of top notch corporate leaders in Mumbai and Pune

ndia’s unique business fortnightly, Corporate Citizen magazine, with the theme “The Cool Side of Business” received appreciation for its unique concept, from various corporate leaders present at the 13th Manufacturing Summit 2014--Making ‘Make in India’ a reality’ held recently at the Taj Mahal Palace Hotel in Mumbai. Simultaneously, it was released in Pune’s Hyatt Regency where a CII meet was held on the very same day. Corporate bigwigs, Anil Patwardhan, Session Chairman, Convenor CII Pune Finance Panel Senior Vice President & Head - Corporate Fsinance & Governance KPIT Technologies Ltd, Rajesh Pandey, Commissioner Appeal, Service Tax

30 / Corporate Citizen / December 1, 2014

& Central Excise, Juzer Miyajiwala, Partner, BSR & Co LLP Pune, Amitabha Mukhopadhyay, Co-Convenor CII Pune Finance Panel Group, Chief Financial Officer, Thermax Ltd along with Dr. Suresh Chandra Padhy, Editor of Corporate Citizen. The presence of many senior dignitaries from the corporate world marked the two summits. The magazine, that is available on newsstands across the country, caught the attention of students, homemakers, young entrepreneurs and various high profile executives from the corporate world. We have been receiving positive feedback about the magazine from across the nation. We are awaiting your feedback and suggestions to make the magazine enhance further.

Pune launch of Corporate Citizen: Avinash Sharma, Student, BIIB, Dr. S President - Corporate Finance & Governance, KPIT Technologies Ltd, R

Engrossed Youngsters

Vandan Shah, Managing Director, SIPPRA

Sanjit Kumar Das - Dy Director, BIIB, Dr. Suresh Chandra Padhy - Editor, Corporate Citizen,, Amitabha Mukhopadhyay, Group Chief Financial Officer, Thermax Limited, Anil K. Patwardhan, Sr. Vice Rajesh Pandey, Commissioner, Central Excise & Customs, Punit Shah, Head - West India, KPMG & Maj Neil Castelino, Deputy Director & Head, Confederation of Indian Industry (CII)

Adil Malia (right), Global Head for Leadership, Learning & People Management, Essar Group

Vijay Crishna, Director Godrej Industries

Vikram S Kasbekar, Senior Vice President â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Operations and Supply Chain, Hero MotoCorp Limited at the CII Summit, Mumbai being handed over a copy

Pics: Yusuf Khan & Ahmed Shaikh

Delegates at CII Summit

December 1, 2014 / Corporate Citizen / 31

women achievers

Woman of substance

An achiever in her own right in the corporate and social space, Bangalore-based Shoma Bakre has a penchant for reading biographies. But taking a page from her own life reveals her successful passage as a lecturer of English literature in a small town in Assam to that of a ‘corporate entrepreneur’ and the gradual metamorphosis to her current role as a ‘social entrepreneur’

Shoma Bakre  Founder & Managing Trustee, Let’s Do Some Good Foundation(LDSG), a social responsibility platform

By Sangeeta Ghosh Dastidar homa co-founded EmPower Research, a business research and analytics company, and was its Managing Partner. When Genpact acquired EmPower Research by the end of 2011, Shoma stayed on with the parent company to help with the transition until December 2012. Heralding positive social change for women’s empowerment and livelihood generation, Shoma is now set on new frontiers, treading paths that also engage with causes for underprivileged and differntly-abled children in the areas of education, health, nutrition, and sanitation. Shoma also features as one of 60 women nominated as ‘Women Achievers’ by CII Southern Region’s Women’s Empowerment Task Force, as the first woman entrepreneur to be featured in the Indian Startup EMERGEOUT initiative by NASSCOM, and in the ‘My Mentor’ series launched by Emberin Australia at NASSCOM. A first time author with her new book, ‘When Dreams Have Wings’, Shoma is also a qualified Hindustani classical vocalist, a food photographer and a keen artist. She is a dutiful daughter and a caring mother who enjoys creative cooking too. Testimony to her culinary fervour is a compilation of recipes contributed by members of her cooking website http://lazycooksparadise.webs.com In an informal chat with Corporate Citizen, Shoma shares her thoughts on a range of subjects close to her heart. CC: What is your idea of community service? SB: To make a difference to society going be-

32 / Corporate Citizen / December 1, 2014

Pic: Junaid Sheikh

To make a difference to society, one needs to go beyond family and self. Initatives need not always be about mass changes that try to transform yond family and self. Initatives need not always attempt mass changes to transform innumerable lives. If you transform the life of even one individual in your lifetime, you have made a good start. CC: What inspired you to set up ‘Let’s Do Some Good’ (LDSG) Foundation? SB: Post-voluntary retirement from corporate life I wanted to revive my dormant passion for social work. Instead of treading known paths within the NGO space, I felt there was a need for a platform to connect and tie-in interested stakeholders to social causes that needed help financially or otherwise. What began as a CSR advisory platform has now become a foundation with many partners and volunteers across social organisations, business houses, corporate foundations and individuals coming together to work for positive social change. Along the way, I have been very inspired by individuals doing selfless acts of kindness, who dedicate themselves to community service much earlier in life despite their own limited resources. You need not wait to reach a certain socio-economic status to commit to social service. And do not get swayed away by other considerations if your passion really lies in community service. CC: What is the current flagship project under LDSG Foundation?

SB: ‘Bridging Gaps In Education’ is a project spearheaded by LDSG Foundation in partnership with Manipal Foundation and Samridhdhi Trust under Bangalore Effective Education Task Force (BEETF), a consortium of 25 partners. Our project aims to provide universal effective education to all under-served, out of school children in Bangalore. The pilot phase this year aims to cover up to 1,000 ultra-poor urban children of migrant laboureres, rag-pickers, and other families engaged in menial labour. The project launched earlier this year works closely with the Karnataka State Education Department, corporations and representatives of NGOs and NPOs in the education sector to provide holistic, accessible and universal education to the marginalised. CC: What is the philosophy and working model of the foundation? SB: The idea was to devise a collaborative, credible, results oriented and measurable impact based model, a fallout of my corporate learning experiences. The primary driver has been my faith in collaboration and belief in NOT reinventing the wheel, but leveraging what other organisations working in the same space have to offer, in order to drive deeper, faster impact. CC: How do you target on a particular project or do people approach you? SB: Luckily for me, what started on a positive note with immediate network of family and

friends supporting various causes under the LDSG platform, has now promoted interests among stakeholders willing to participate in our causes. Partnerships with LDSG go beyond just funding, and is open to all who can help with their skills, services, expertise and synergise with our causes. Our partnership with Manipal Foundation is a key one, wherein they are mentoring us and also providing us with funding support to execute our education project. CC: How can companies help retain more women in the workforce, especially in the mid-career segment? SB: Companies today are working on building inclusivity of women in the workforce by providing facilities and provisions exclusively to address concerns that affect women’s working life, such as motherhood. But the need is also to make women aware of the existing provisions and encourage them to avail them. Make second career opportunities available for ‘back to work’ mums and sabbatical policies too. CC: What are your views on flexi-workng? Is this profitable for organisations? SB: From my own experience, more employees stayed with our company as a result of our flexible working policy granted on a case to case basis and this adressed staff retention issues. As a result of our employee friendly, flexi-working policy, we benefited from significant ROI from a loyal and productive workforce. So yes, flexi-working is profitable for organisations as it reduces the attrition rate and helps retain a happy, more committed and productive workforce. CC: Can women define a good work-life balance? SB: There is no perfect or good work-life balance – you need to realistically define what balance means for you and be happy with whatever you can achieve within your definition. My advice is not to try and overdo the perfectionist in you. Compartmentalise your work and home life environment as much as you can. Invest in and build a sound, long term domestic support system. Do not apologise for asking help from friends and family, delegate work that is non-core and can be done without your intervention. Signing Off An avid reader of non-fiction, she recently read, Minal Hajratwala’s, ‘Leaving India: My Family’s Journey from Five Villages to Five Continents’. She loves the way it seamlessly weaves and traces history, geography, biography, autobiography, through tales of migration and evolution of the Indian diaspora across centuries. sangeetagd2010@gmail.com

December 1, 2014 / Corporate Citizen / 33

ODDS OVERCOME

Looking Forward

An up close and personal chat with Mohammad Asif Iqbal, Manager, HR Consulting at PricewaterhouseCoopers By Neeraj Varty

e can say without a doubt that we have never met anyone quite like Mohammed Asif Iqbal. There are very few people in the world who would look at a debilitating visual disability in the eye and not blink, much less go on to overcome it and achieve a stellar corporate career. From being perceived as the boy with the handicap to being a foremost champion of rights for the differently-abled, Iqbal has come a long way. At an age where most children are blissfully unaware of struggles, Mohammad Asif Iqbal realised he could not see as well as others. He was diagnosed with a rare visual illness which would leave him completely blind within the next few years. From school-teachers to well-wishers, everyone urged him to pull out of school as they didn’t think he could make it. Despite all odds, Iqbal managed to complete his schooling in the US, return to India and then go on to become the first visually-impaired student to graduate from Kolkata’s prestigious St Xavier College, and then the first visually-impaired student to be awarded an PGDM degree from Symbiosis Center for Management and Human Resource Development. He now works as a Principal consultant in Human Resource Management with PricewaterhouseCoopers in Kolkata. In the words of Rachna Nath, Senior Partner at PriceWaterhouseCoopers, “Asif is an amazing guy. He is a source of motivation for all of us.” These words are echoed by almost everyone who has come across Asif Iqbal, even us. We caught up with Mohammad Asif Iqbal for a no-holds-barred discussion on what it really takes to challenge the Status Quo and rise above the rest

Pic: Bhaswaran Bhattacharya

The best work is done when everyone contributes to their strengths, and this holds true for every job, irrespective of their disabilities. 34 / Corporate Citizen / December 1, 2014

Pic: Bhaswaran Bhattacharya

From a young age, you have had to deal with people’s ignorance. How do you deal with the bias that society has towards talented people with disabilities?

This is a global problem. This is not going to be eliminated overnight. There can only be a long term solution for this. There was a time when women were discriminated against at the workplace and over time that injustice has been largely eliminated. I feel the same way about the disabled or any other marginalised group. The journey towards the solution has been initiated. Education and awareness is extremely important, which is why I never miss an opportunity to speak at any public forum about equality irrespective of handicaps.

One needs to constantly stay updated about the latest trends in the industry

You have completed your secondary schooling in the USA. What according to you does India need to learn from the West regarding sensitivity towards disabled people?

When it comes to infrastructure or technical capabilities to accommodate disabled people, India is still a long way off. What is more important, however, is providing a support system for the disabled. We must learn to inspire hope in their hearts, give them the confidence to tackle any goal. We must give them wings to fly. We need to make the effort to broaden the mind-set of the people.

How different is your regular day from others?

Like most corporates, I have to travel a lot, and for that I have to plan my day in advance. Meticulous planning and co-ordination is the key. If I have to travel to another city, I can book my air-tickets and plan my route using JAWS, a software which reads out information displayed on my computer screen. I do, however, need someone to drop me to the airport, where I the airport staff help me to my seat. Similarly, when I land, the airport crew escorts me to the arrival terminal, where I call my driver and arrange for a pick up. The most important thing is effective communication. After checking in to a hotel, I immediately familiarise myself with the room’s layout, so I can move about comfortably.

Can you do complete justice to your job, despite your disability? Is your output the same as your sighted counterparts?

That’s a good question. See, I work in a team, and the team has certain deliverables, and everyone has a role. My strength lies in envisioning a solution to a business problem, but my weakness lies, for example, in making

I have a wife and a 4 year old daughter. She realises her dad can’t see, and she is very sensitive about it. My entire family is very supportive

a Power Point Presentation to demonstrate a solution. That is where some other member of my team shines. The best work is done when everyone contributes to their strengths, and this holds true for every job, irrespective of their disabilities.

Are you growing in the industry?

It all boils down to perception. I suppose if I had normal vision, I could have grown more. Also, I have to constantly face naysayers who feel a disabled person shouldn’t work. The underlying problem is people like the status quo and don’t like to challenge it. That being said, there have been, at least, some good leaders in every company who saw the potential in me and gave me an opportunity to prove myself. I am constantly growing at my work, and the day I feel I am not, I will move on and take on a new challenge. And this is my advice to young professionals.

Self-growth should never stop. Every day you learn something new.

One needs to constantly stay updated about the latest trends in the industry, which can involve a lot of reading. How do you cope up with that? The last assignment I was doing was for competency frameworks, which I didn’t know much about. I did a lot of research on Google using the JAWS software, called up a few friends who work in that field, and in a few days I was up to date with the subject. The only difference here is that I would have to spend some more time to learn about a subject than my sighted colleagues, but that is a sacrifice I am happy to make.

What was your most memorable moment?

Meeting former president APJ Abdul Kalam to discuss technology initiatives for the visually impaired. His warmth and genuine desire to help has stayed with me even till now.

Tell us about your family life

I have a wife and a 4 year old daughter. She realises her dad can’t see, and she is very sensitive about it. If I drop something, she picks it up and gives it to me. My entire family is very sweet and supportive. I wouldn’t be where I am without them.

What is beauty to you?

Beauty has different meanings to different people. To me beauty is anything that gives me satisfaction. A long walk, my daughters laugh, meeting new people, these things are beautiful to me. neeraj.varty@corporatecitizen.com December 1, 2014 / Corporate Citizen / 35

make in india

Archie’s Indian Colours

Digikore, a Pune-based company specialises in colouring comic books from the world over. Holding pride of place is none other than the iconic teen Archie. CEO Abhishek More fills us in on the details… By Kalyani Sardesai

ill Archie’s famous ‘orange’ hair look better against a blue or yellow backdrop? And should Veronica Lodge, the famous fashion plate, be given a Little Black Dress, or a brighter hue, more suited to her age? More questions: how can Jughead’s burger—bursting with meat and veggies—look even more scrumptious, and how can the reader be left in no doubt whatsoever that the sneaky Reggie Mantle is about to get the thrashing of his life from Big Moose? Day in and day out—Abhishek More and his team of 40 colouring artists—come up with creative (and believable)-answers to these questions, while keeping their date with the deadlines—and ensuring Archie fans, the world over, get their monthly fix. “Archie is a legend. He enjoys tremendous brand recall, fans are used to a certain quality, and one cannot let them down,” says Abhishek. “Filling colour is no child’s play for sure. Every hue has a purpose; it must tell you more about the character and take the story forward.” Digikore Studios was established in 2000, when Abhishek, a young management graduate, decided to start a company dedicated exclusively to creative and artistic solutions. Apart from illustrating and colouring comic books and graphic novels, Digikore delivers stunning visual effects for Hollywood and Bollywood films. Digikore recently delivered the visual effects for the movie Haider and has worked on global blockbusters like Transformers, Need for Speed, Titanic 3D, etc. “Colouring comics is an important aspect of our repertoire,” says Abhishek. “We approach publishers; do their test pages, if they 36 / Corporate Citizen / December 1, 2014

like what they see, we are in business.” Digikore hit bulls-eye with their initial few clients itself. Disney comics for the European market followed in quick succession by biggies like the US-based Marvel and DC comics. But Abhishek, an avid Archie fan—pursued an appointment with the editors in Mamaroneck, New York, which was duly given. The mandatory test followed and in 2007, they bagged the account. So this is how it works. Every month, Digikore receives line art along with comic bubbles, which is subsequently coloured as per directions received from the editors. “Every story is unique. While Archie is mostly about fun, there are narrations which are a little more serious. Sometimes we are asked for rendering (realistic colours) as opposed to flat (the regular Archie style),” says Abhishek. “For instance, the Life with Archie series, which tells of Archie’s life as an adult, needs a different approach.” While they do about 15 series every month, including the single digest, 32-page comic book and double digests, come heaven, hell or high water, there is no way they can be delayed even by a few hours. “Deadlines are the holy grail in the comic book industry. No matter what your reasons are, they have to reach the printers on a given day,” he says. Where Digikore scores is the fact that professionally managed colouring studios are not too many. “The world of colouring is usually dominated by freelancers, who, with due respect, can’t manage the commitment provided by an organisation,” he says. “I can confidently state Digikore has world-class artists who understand the pulse of the industry.” So what does it take to run a successful art studio? “Creative visualisation, being tech-sav-

Pic: Yusuf Khan

Archie, at a glance Archie Comic Publications, Inc. is an American comic publisher headquartered in Mamaroneck, New York. The comic is known for its many series featuring the fictional teenagers Archie Andrews, Betty Cooper, Veronica Lodge, Reggie Mantle and Jughead Jones. The characters were created by publisher/ editor John L. Goldwater, written by Vic Bloom and drawn by Bob Montana. Archie’s first appearance in Pep Comics #22 on December 22, 1941, was drawn by Montana and written by Vic Bloom. Archie’s charm lies in the fact that he is no superhero, yet at heart, represents the best of us. We laugh when he gets into trouble and relate to his problems—be they about girlfriends, keeping up at school, or getting a summer job. He works, because he is so human. vy and disciplined, apart from being open to newer ways of doing things,” says Abhishek. Besides this, what helps is that India has, for several decades now, been an Archie bastion. “We have generations that have grown up with Archie, we understand him well,” smiles Abhishek. No wonder then, that in 2009, Abhishek was asked by the late Michael Silberkleit— then chairman of Archie Comics-to suggest an Indian character who would join Riverdale High and mirror not just the American diaspora but also the India connection. After some thought, Abhishek came up with Raj Patel, the camera-junkie (Bollywood—anyone??) who loves to capture his mad pals on film. And even as Raj makes himself at home with Archie, Jughead, Betty, Veronica and Reggie, Digikore gets to add a dash of pep to the fun. kalyani.sardesai@gmail.com December 1, 2014 / Corporate Citizen / 37

my campus placement experience II

Never Lose Hope

Pratik Anant Kshirsagar, who recently got placed with a leading telecom firm, speaks about his journey as a post graduate student with a leading B-school, while offering tips to youngsters pursuing post-graduate programs and will soon be part of the corporate world

uccess does not come easily, most of the time you have to earn it. After a series of ups and downs and much struggle and hard work, I finally took the first step in my career, entering the corpo-

rate world. My B-school journey was not just academics, but a learning process that made me strong, mature and a good decision maker. I started off in July 2012 with the blessings of Lord Ganesh at our own Ganesh temple on the premises, after which we went through an induction programme, a cultural dress competition, BAM presentation and guest lectures.We learnt and experienced the 3Dâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s everyday- Discipline, Determination and Dedication. I was fortunate to have some of the best faculty for our academic sessions who enriched us with their corporate experience. Students come with a lot of expectations and manage to accomplish their objective of scripting a corporate career. Believe in yourself and no one can stop you!! Along with academics, I also learnt how to deal with uncertainties in life, how to deal with crisis and how to be patient. I learnt a lot during my summer internship with a leading firm--the basic skills of Sales & Marketing, how to interact with top echelons of the corporate world, their buying behaviour and how they react to particular situations. My second year and the placement season were full of excitement, frustration and hope. But it was important to keep the right mindset and positive attitude and keep improving our skills and knowledge. As time passed, I grew anxious, was full of dilemma but managed to stay confident. Some of the group discussion topics that I came across were FDI in the retail space, MNCs v/s Indian companies, womenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s empowerment, politics and other current affairs. I worked with my friends on aptitude, GD sessions and we shared knowledge with each other on current topics. We read the newspa38 / Corporate Citizen / December 1, 2014

With friends at the university campus

It was important to keep the right mind set and positive attitude and keep improving our skills and knowledge

Sharing a happy moment

pers regularly. The most awaited day of my life arrived when I got a call from this leading telecom company where I am currently placed. I did read a little bit about the company and the sector. My personal interview also went smoothly. Some of the questions that were asked were: 1) Tell me about yourselfâ&#x20AC;Ś 2) How did your internship go? 3) Your strengths and weaknesses 4) How you can contribute to the companyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s growth? 5) Where do you see yourself in this organisation, after a few years? 6) What are sales and how is it different from marketing? 7) Elaborate the selling process 8) And finally I was asked to sell a mobile phone to the panel members All I would like to tell my juniors is never lose hope and always remember whatever happens is always for a reason. We cannot bear a fruit without effort and pain. I would like to thank everyone who were/are part of my life. Those two years spent in the campus were indeed the best years of my life. December 1, 2014 / Corporate Citizen / 39

debate

Fixed vs flexible Which hours work well?

The advent of the internet has changed the way we work. No longer relegated to the desk, employees can file reports, reply to emails and effectively communicate on the go. Multinational companies are open 24/7, and are constantly connected to their employees around the globe. How relevant, then, is the 9-5 working hour module in an era of globalisation and instant communication? Arenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t flexible working hours more accommodating, or do they hamper productivity? Corporate Citizen spoke to the whoâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s who of the corporate world for their views: By Neeraj Varty

40 / Corporate Citizen / December 1, 2014

Mr Sutanu Chowdhary

Vice President & Head – HR at Mahindra Logistics I believe in the principle of output, especially for the modern workforce. In our organisation we follow flexi-time. As long as you give the required output, we are on board with flexi hours. That being said, there needs to be a core period of 5-6 hours a day, where employees can interact with managers, shareholders and clients at the office.

Rajiv Mitra

Managing Director, Govind Milk and Milk Products At Govind Milk, we have to adhere to a fixed schedule. Every day, the cow gives milk at a certain time, and the rest of the processes directly depend on that. Being a perishable food product, milk processing is extremely time sensitive, so fixed working hours are imperative to ensure that our customers get the best food products at the right time.

it has opened up new thought processes. These days, people want both quality of life, and an efficient way of working. Outside of security-related job profiles, flexi hours ought to yield positive results. And why restrict the subject only to flexi hours? The four day week may well happen sooner than we think.

Dr Anju Jain

Prem Singh

President HR, Wockhardt Pharma Ltd Each organisation has its own philosophy. Given that in today’s work environment, we are dealing with different categories of people with their own way of doing things, people from different parts of the world, workforces with increasing diversity. We need to leverage their capabilities in an effective manner. To that end, flexible working hours provide a much wider window to accommodate everyone while maintaining optimum productivity.

Dr Virendra P Singh

Pratap G

Senior VP Corporate (HR), Maersk India Ltd. As a company, diversity is our priority; diversity of thought, gender and nationality. Naturally, this is a question we have to deal with. Ten years from now, I see most people taking to flexi-hours in a big way. Technology has not only changed the way we work,

of it. It’s simple enough, really. Happy employees perform, and if flexi hours ensure they do just that, why not give it to them?

Executive Director HR, RJ Corporation, Devyani International Ltd. The world around has undergone a sea-change; shifts were valid until a few years ago, but technology is increasingly making one’s physical presence on the job day in and day out redundant. Corporates are appreciative of the fact that employees play multiple roles in the course of their day; they have personal roles to fulfil, alongside professional responsibilities. Flexi hours is the way it’s going to be if you want to retain talent and extract the best out

Founder of ‘Chai Pe’, a talent enhancement platform for women professionals. I think flexi-working is a must for both men and women. Given the 24x7 lifestyles today, a flexible arrangement is a dose of oxygen! I believe it is profitable both in the short and long term as employees are more engaged, loyal and exhibit higher productivity as they are able to manage life and work well.

Shyam Iyer

Head-Human Resources, Tata Power SED Flexi-hours working is the reality that corporate leaders have to wake up to, in the days to come. Everyone wants space, and everyone has individual comfort zones. If you accommodate those, you retain talent. Some people are night owls, while morning hours work best for others. While flexi-hours in India are by and large opted by women employees given their needs of safety and family management, it is going to become gender-neutral in the days to come. At the end of the day, results matter. Of course, the said employee will still need to come to work on certain days. On the other hand there are certain jobs that need you to be on the job at fixed timings, such as security and handling machinery. But by and large, flexi hours can and will work.

neeraj.varty@corporatecitizen.com

December 1, 2014 / Corporate Citizen / 41

banking

â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;interestâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ing differences Disparities in the banking sector have recently come to light, chief of which include irregular appointment processes for the top jobs in public sector banks and wage disparities vis-Ă -vis their private sector counterparts. Corporate Citizen brings you details of some such disparities and how the selection process is about to be changed Chanda Kochhar

By Mahalakshmi Hariharan

few months ago, when the Syndicate Bank scam broke out, one of the many things that got into the limelight was the disparity in incomes in the top notches of the banking sector. SK Jain, Chairman-cum-Managing Director, Syndicate Bank was pulled up in August this year, for allegedly taking a Rs 50 lakh bribe to raise the credit limit of some companies in violation of banking rules. Following this investigation, the Government of India also set up a panel, including Raghuram Rajan, the Governor of the Reserve Bank of India (RBI), to examine the process for appointing top management at state-owned banks. A closer look reveals that private sector chiefs take home hefty sums, as against their public sector counterparts. Private bank chiefs have always made more than public sector chiefs. Now it emerges that public sector chiefs are making a fraction of what the private sector chiefs make. Growing disparity A recent media report suggested that Aditya Puri, Managing Director, HDFC Bank emerged as the highest paid banker for the financial year 2013-14. He then made Rs 6.07

42 / Corporate Citizen / December 1, 2014

Arundati Bhattacharya

SS Mundra

Money Race SS Mundra, Former Chairman, Bank of Baroda

26 lakh Arundati Bhattacharya, Chairman, SBI Shikha Sharma

crore. Chanda Kochhar, MD & CEO, ICICI Bank made over Rs 5 crore, close to Rs 5.20 crore, during the same period. Meanwhile, Shikha Sharma, MD & CEO, Axis Bank, though lesser compared to her private sector peers, made Rs 3.75 crore. The HDFC Bank chief received a 20 per cent hike from what he made the previous year. Interestingly, most of their PSU peers are still paid in the range of Rs 20-30 lakh. Stateowned Bank of Baroda’s Former Chairman SS Mundra drew only Rs 26 lakh in 2013-14, which is just about four per cent of what the private giants make. Pratip Chaudhuri, predecessor to the current SBI chairperson Arundati Bhattacharya was paid close to Rs 23 lakh in 2012-13, before Bhattacharya took over. Arundati Bhattacharya made close to Rs 18 lakh in 2013-14. In fact, it is not just the pay structure. If we look at stock options, Aditya Puri had received 8 lakh options of HDFC Bank during the last fiscal, while Chanda Kochhar received 2.9 lakh options of ICICI Bank’s stock. Experts too agree that the gap in the senior executives’ perks between the public and private sector banks should be bridged. Even considering all the benefits such as pension and housing that top public sector bankers receive, the overall differential in pay still remains. To retain good talent, it is vital for the government to maintain an equilib-

18 lakh Chanda Kochhar MD & CEO, ICICI Bank

5.20 crore Aditya Puri Managing Director, HDFC Bank

6.07 crore Shikha Sharma MD & CEO, Axis Bank

3.75 crore rium in pay structures in line with what the market offers. Because of the growing differences and difference in scales, it looks like these pay scales are not in sync with the skills attached to the individual. In the past, D Subbarao, former RBI Governor had raised this issue by supporting PSU chiefs on the salary front. He maintained that if PSU banks had to compete with private sector lenders, there should be a level playing field in salaries. However, despite this kind of inequality in incomes, what is it that has managed to retain talent and motivate employees? “Traditionally, PSU banks offer greater freedom, job security and benefits that motivate people to stay back,” says a senior PSU banker on condition of anonymity. He adds,

Aditya Puri

“Attrition levels are quite low. The work culture and benefits help make employees loyal towards the organisation. When one heads the country’s largest organisation, the prestige that goes with it and the loyalty that employees develop towards the organisation, given their long association, keep PSU executives going.” New Selection Process In the wake of the Syndicate Bank controversy, the Indian Government set up a panel to examine the process of appointing top management at state-owned banks. The investigation following the scam had, besides uncovering issues about weak oversight, corruption and politically directed lending at state-owned banks, also unearthed irregularities in appointments at top levels. The objective was to make the evaluation system more transparent and streamlined. So, instead of an interview with an appointment board headed by the Reserve Bank of India Governor, those 16 executive directors will face three sub-committees, one comprising of four experts, one of the deputy governors from the RBI and the financial services secretary. It will then be followed by a meeting of the appointment board before the approval from the Appointments Committee of Cabinet is sought and vigilance clearance obtained. This certainly is one good beginning to addressing anomalies in the banking sector. Mahalakshmi.H@corporatecitizen.in December 1, 2014 / Corporate Citizen / 43

Pic Courtesy: The Indian Express

Total Remuneration for 2013-14 (Rs)

bollywood biz

When Heroines spin money

For the first time in celluloid history, women have taken Bollywoodâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Box Office by storm, churning out hits after hits. Corporate Citizen analyses the rising phenomenon of the emergence of women as solid Box Office Gold By Neeraj Varty

hat do you think of when asked what you think makes a movie click at the box office? The story, the leading man, or perhaps the genre? Chances are the lead actress has little to do with it. Bollywood (and to an extent even Hollywood) has always been a boys club. Prima facie, the success of a movie had much to do with the box office muscle of the leading man, with actresses being cast primarily for the sake of arm candy. Upon closer analysis of the box office in 2014, however, we can put this bleak theory to rest. Women today, are as much a Box Office draw (if not more) as their male counterparts, and they have no plans of slowing down. 2014 has seen a refreshing surge of movies with women as leads, which have rocked the box office, and this trend is fast becoming the norm rather than the exception. This trend started with the Kangana Ranaut starrer Queen, which raked Rs 98.8 crore on a production budget of Rs 12.5 crore, setting the cash registers ringing. With an author backed script and spectacular performances, the movie was hailed by critics and moviegoers alike. In fact, Queen has been a game changer in more ways than one. It not only Movie Production Budget Lifetime Box office Collection

Status

Queen Highway Mardaani Mary Kom The Hunger Games

Super Hit Average Hit Hit Blockbuster

Rs 12.5 Cr Rs 3 Cr Rs 5 Cr (approx) Rs 15 Cr $178 Million

44 / Corporate Citizen / December 1, 2014

Rs 98.8 Cr Rs 5 Cr Rs 35 Cr Rs 65 Cr $1.5 Billion

Cinema is fast changing the way it looks at its female stars. Having proven their mettle at the Box Office, women are increasingly emerging as forces to be reckoned with

proved that you do not need a colossal budget for a movie to succeed, but also that a well-known leading man is not a requisite to draw audiences in theatres. To draw a parallel, the much-awaited Salman Khan vehicle Jai Ho was released around the same period, but wasn’t quite the blockbuster everyone expected it to be. Queen was followed by Imtiaz Ali’s Highway, which starred Alia Bhatt in an unconventional road movie. This comingof-age movie, made on a meagre budget of Rs 3 crore, grossed nearly Rs 5 crore at the Box Office. The success of the film lies in its inherent ability to connect with the audiences, rather than production value of the presence of a male star. By not spending a ton of money by casting a major leading man, the budget is kept low, and the

risk of failure decreases significantly. This is a formula, which is being increasingly adopted across the tinsel town’s production houses. Even large production houses are shifting their focus to content-driven scripts with strong female characters, like the recent Yash Raj Films Rani Mukherjee starrer Mardaani, which grossed over Rs 35 crore in its lifetime, almost twice its budget. Content-driven roles aside, there has been an emergence of strong female action stars in both Hollywood and Bollywood. With the success of The Hunger Game series (worldwide gross of $1.5 billion and counting), Jennifer Laurence has become the most bankable action star in the world, leaving behind her male counterparts like Sylvester Stallone and Tom Cruise, whose much

anticipated movies, The Expendables 3 and Edge of Tomorrow could not make even half of the collections of the Hunger Games. Back in Bollywood, the Priyanka Chopra starrer Mary Kom, made on a budget of Rs 15 crore, pulled in over Rs 65 crore at the box office, making it a blockbuster hit. Cinema is fast changing the way it looks at its female stars. Having proven their mettle at the Box Office, women are increasingly emerging as forces to be reckoned with. Production houses are increasingly opting for female leads, which allows them to keep costs down, while giving them more scope for experimentation. Eventually, everything boils down to the movie’s date at the Box Office, and if this year has been any indication, the audience just can’t have enough of their favourite female stars. neeraj.varty07@gmail.com December 1, 2014 / Corporate Citizen / 45

better half

Jab we met

Dr Jayashree Firodia, better half to Arun Firodia, industrialist and chairman Kinetic group on the importance of being together By Kalyani Sardesai

hey will complete fifty years of wedded bliss next year. Wait a minute! But didn’t the Jab We Met party held by the Firodia family some five years ago celebrate that already? Jayashree Firodia breaks into a child-like smile. “Of course! That was the anniversary of our first meeting in college. But 2015—ah, that is truly our Golden Jubilee year,” she laughs. God lies in the details. So does an enduring marriage -one that marks each little memory and cheers on every milestone. Over to the lady on what it means to be wife to a man who is so many things - industrialist, researcher, philanthropist - but at the end of the day, simply her life partner.

Time setting: The late fifties. A far more innocent and conservative world than the one we know today. Venue: Fergusson College, Pune; two scholarly students - Jayashree Pathak and Arun Firodia-meet in the same class. Several common values bind them; not the least, making a mark, academically. Their first real meeting: When he invites her to a canteen party to mark his winning the college gymkhana elections. Her major concern: “Are there going to be other girls present too ??” “Things back then were way different than what they are today,” Jayashree smiles at the memory. “It wasn’t the done thing for boys and girls to be seen together.” Friendship blossomed into love. But they never lost sight of their academic goals. Arun went on to pursue his engineering at IIT Powai, Jayashree studied MBBS. “It was before he went for his higher studies to MIT, Boston that he told his parents about me,” she says. Despite coming from two different backgrounds—he was a Marwari, she a Maharashtrian, all hell did not break lose. “Both sets of parents were educated and open, and I was easily accepted into my marital home,” she says.

Pic: vaibhav kund

The journey of a lifetime… starts in college

46 / Corporate Citizen / December 1, 2014

No regrets for what could have been

While her career took a bit of a backseat, Jayashree did not mind. “The years between 1970 and 1995 were madly busy. I had a clinic at home, but my four kids (Kimaya, Sulajja, Vismaya and Ajinkya) took up most of my time,” she recollects.

This was when Arun was busy with the research and marketing of two of India’s most iconic two wheelers: The Luna and the Kinetic. “It was a hectic but exciting time. So much was happening at once,” she shares. But Jayashree continued to contribute to social pediatrics, especially in rural and

“Of course! Jab we met was the anniversary of our first meeting in college. But 2015—ah, that is truly our Golden Jubilee year” semi-rural areas, as and when she could. “Arun was most encouraging on this,” she says. She may not own a big hospital, but has scored with her four brilliant children. “Today, Arun has four talented and qualified helpers in them,” she says. “Growing up, I was there for all of them and I think it shows.”

A marriage is made up of moments

“Adjustment is the key,” she emphasises softly. “Two personalities are bound to differ. But my motto is: it is easy to break, difficult to bond. Talking helps. When you put in the effort to make things work, the rewards are many.” Doing things together is vital. “We go for walks and enjoy listening to old songs together. Now that our children are all grown up, we make it a point to take two or three trips a year, in India and abroad.” However, she underlines that they got to go out a lot more only in recent years. “When the children were growing up, nothing came in the way of their interests. I’d like to tell young couples that socialising is nice, but with your demanding careers, it is a good policy to devote the rest of your time to your children,” she says. Both enjoy visiting historical places and those replete with scenic beauty. “There’s nothing to beat the natural loveliness of

Arunachal and Kashmir, while Khajuraho and Belur-Halebid are breathtaking for their architecture,” she says.

Shared interests, togetherness multiplied

The Firodias are famously social and warm, and enjoy inviting family and friends. “We have an open door policy. Being the only child, Arun really cherishes people, especially children. At any given time there is a grandchild over. Arun says there must always be a child at home,” says the fond grandmother. One long-standing practice is to savour meals together. “This is the time we really communicate and discuss things. Conversation is crucial to every relationship,” she says.

Arun… in short

“He is loving, intelligent and hardworking. A family man to the core, he would help out the children with their studies—especially Maths—whenever they needed help,” says Jayashree. She believes his ability to take risks and excel is at the root of his achievements. “Even if he is playing scrabble, he won’t rest until he has bested his own previous score,” she smiles. “His philosophy is to be better than he was yesterday.” The quintessential researcher, constant-

ly on the lookout for better ways of doing things, one thing about him does not change. “He is rooted and patriotic,” she says. “Apart from being socially involved and promoting scientific talent, he believes in living each day to the full.” What does she not like about him? “I wish he’d take better care of his health and exercise more,” she says. Arun loves Marwari dishes like Ker Sangri and sweets like rice flour ladoos and rabdi. “I can make all his favourite dishes,” she smiles. Both husband and wife are sticklers for organisation and discipline. “There’s so much you can fit in that way,” she says. So, even as they enjoy their golden years together, a favourite score from Guru Dutt’s movie Pyaasa best sums up their story. “Hum aap ki aankhon mein is dil ko basaa den to…” They played it at their Jab We Met party. They will play it again at their Golden Jubilee anniversary. And so, love continues. kalyani.sardesai@gmail.com December 1, 2014 / Corporate Citizen / 47

delhi belly

Delhi Babus On Their Toes

With longer working hours, swift decision-making and stress on punctuality, Prime Minister Modi is keeping Delhi’s Babus on their toes. By Pradeep Mathur

eave alone booking a table, six months ago, it was difficult to even get parking space for your car during the lunch break at the India International Centre in Lutyens’ Delhi, a favourite hangout of bureaucrats. The place used to be packed with top politicians, civil servants, middle-men and journalists gossiping over the state of affairs during their grand, leisurely lunches over a drink or two. Other such places like the nearby India Habitat Centre, the India Islamic Centre, the Delhi Gymkhana Club or the Delhi Golf Club also looked similar. Today, these hangouts look remarkably quiet during the lunch hours. Thanks to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the winds of change blowing over the corridors of power at the North and South blocks on the Raisina Hills have changed the grammar of governance for most civil servants. With Modi himself starting his day quite early, after an intense yoga session, and ending it well past midnight, even senior ministers can be seen entering offices before 9 am. The Principal Secretary to the PM, Nripendra Mishra, also keeps the secretaries busy with meetings starting right from 9.15 am! Modi’s Swachh Bharat Abhiyaan has not only made the Babus clean up their work premises but also compelled them to clear their pending files swiftly and honestly. Saturdays have become full working days for the PMO and quite a few senior bureaucrats can be seen rushing around with files in the corridors of their ministries even on Sundays! “Our five-day week has surely gone for a six but we don’t mind it as it’s ultimately for the good of the people,” quipped a secretary from the Gujarat cadre who has seen Modi’s style of working from close quarters in Ahmedabad.

48 / Corporate Citizen / December 1, 2014

Besides stress on cleanliness, in another major shift from the UPA-days, finger scanners have been put in place in all ministries to track attendance and to help the bureaucrats break the logjam in decision-making “The PM is a hard task master and he wants nothing but efficiency and quick delivery.” Echoing similar sentiments, the other day at a public function in Hyderabad, Union Urban Development and Parliamentary Affairs Minister M Venkaiah Naidu also said, “Modiji himself does not sleep nor does he allows us to sleep… but we’re still enjoying it because working for the betterment of the life of the common citizens is the most satisfying and joyful thing for us.” No wonder, the work culture of India’s bureaucracy is witnessing a sea-change with the stamp of Modi writ large over its functioning. So much so that it has prompted some newspaper columnists to call Modi the

new CEO of India Inc. Another change that has silently made its presence felt in the corridors of power lately is the gradual replacement of English with Hindi as the official language for communication in some key ministries. For instance, the Agricultural Ministry, headed by Radha Mohan Singh, has made a distinct shift towards developing a work culture in Hindi. More or less, same is the case with the Home Ministry led by Rajnath Singh and Smriti Irani-led HRD ministry. They are both trying to develop a work culture, which is more in harmony with Hindi than any other language. Insiders also say that secretaries have been specifically directed to put their views

and file notings in Hindi. This has obviously caught some of them off-guard and hence translators have become the most sought after individuals. However, the biggest change in the work culture has been seen in the manner in which the work is being done. Modi has given the bureaucrats a free-hand to take decisions, so much so that sometimes key decisions are being finalised between the PMO and civil servants, often at the expense of ministerial authority. In fact, many sources confirm, in a series of meetings with top bureaucrats (often without the minister in-charge of their departments), Modi has exhorted them to take bold decisions and promised them all the support they might require from his end. Says Anil Swarup, a high-flying civil servant known for taking swift decisions, “Modiji has given a

Many sources confirm, in a series of meetings with top bureaucrats, Modi has exhorted them to take bold decisions and promised them all the support they might require from his end virtual carte blanche. Go and do it. But keep him in the loop for immediate action in case of any hurdle.” Besides stress on cleanliness, in another major shift from the UPA-days, finger scanners have been put in place in all ministries to track attendance and to help bureaucrats break the logjam in decision-making that had greatly undermined the Manmohan-government, spawned corruption scandals like the 2G and the Coal Scam, and completely tarnished India’s investment climate. The biggest takeaway of this changed

atmosphere is that doing business with government departments has become pretty comfortable. Today, there seems to be a radical overhaul of the governance paradigm. The UPA-era’s pessimism has been replaced by optimism. Modi has injected a new sense of public purpose in his team. He has restored the power of leadership and now even his worst critics are admitting to the fact that they have not seen something like this happening to Delhi’s bureaucracy in the past 67 years of India’s independence! mathurpradeep1@gmail.com December 1, 2014 / Corporate Citizen / 49

pearls of wisdom

Check your Spiritual Quotient (SQ)

It is crucial that along with a high IQ and a healthy EQ (Emotional Quotient) a degree of SQ (Spiritual Quotient) is maintained for oneâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s wellbeing at home and at work. BY Swami Satya Vedant

50 / Corporate Citizen / December 1, 2014

orporations, educators, bureaucrats and all those who carry a heavy workload around the world are increasingly questioning the same paradigms of efficiency, goal achievement, control and analysis, hierarchy and authority for finding more human and wisdom oriented strategies. It is now being recognised that the mind management or the self-management is central to managerial qualities and responsibilities. Wisdom from the ancient sources can be of immense help in gaining the required clarity for experiencing the joy of management. With the help of wisdom and meditation, we can release blocked physical and emotional energy allowing us to attain greater health, inner peace and professional success. One outstanding reality of our present day world is, however, that all things, all technologies, all information and all teachings are available but we don’t know exactly their right significance and their place in our overall system of life. In the midst of all that is available to us there is also a total disorder – externally as well as internally. Of course, the external disorder is a reflection of our internal disorder, our chaotic state of mind. Mind and world are two sides of the same coin, they are not separate. It is crucial that along with a high IQ and a healthy EQ (Emotional Quotient) a degree of SQ (Spiritual Quotient) is maintained for one’s well-being at home and at work. The business structure needs to be designed for helping the young minds get on the right track from the start. It needs to aim at dealing effectively with a range of issues and challenges that may cover personal and managerial responsibilities. It also needs to be recognised that the human society today is being subjected to too much change in too short a time. In fact, the changes are such that several of them happening in different areas of our endeavors and at the same time. As Alvin Toffler puts it so candidly, we are suffering from “the disease of change.” (The Future Shock, p.4) A major force behind the acceleration of change is the knowledge industry of today.

I want your work also to be part of your spiritual growth; not against it, but for it. But that can come only from your own spontaneity Francis Bacon’s statement, “knowledge is power” was never as true as it is today. Combined with the increasing diversity and sophistication of technology, knowledge has become power because knowledge is the driving force behind change. However, the interesting fact is that a vast majority of people worldwide have yet to grasp the real implications and consequences of this accelerating change. The phenomenally growing change – technological, political, social – today in the world is terribly upsetting our inner world. It is adversely affecting our inner balance and equilibrium. It is making us feel helpless, incapable of experiencing and explaining life around us. And the challenge is, with the growing change outside, we have to constantly keep on adapting to it inwardly – with clarity and sanity. Osho points out: “Outer circumstances don’t need so much effort to be changed but the inner lethargy is centuries old. The unconsciousness is so primitive; its roots are so deep, that it needs a total determination on your part, a tremendous determination, a commitment, a deep involvement. You have to risk all. Unless that happens it is impossible to change yourself, you will remain the same.” (The Dhammapada: The Way of the Buddha, Vol.6, Ch.7). We are witnessing an ever widening gap between material progress and spiritual wisdom; between technological power and universal well-being. This is the basic issue. One thing is clear, as the contemporary mystic Osho explains:“ I want your work also to be part of your spiritual growth; not against it, but for it. But that can come only from your own spontaneity. You have to take the responsibility on yourself. I want individuals to be absolutely free, responsible, alert,

aware...” (The Invitation, Ch.10, Q.2). The choice before us was never as clear in the past as it is today: whether to give in blindly and totally to the transient world of business and economy, and industrial output, or to bring in a balance by valuing the eternal, experiencing the ever-lasting, the non-disposable, the non-returnable. So when we talk about “ancient wisdom”, the emphasis need not be necessarily on the word “ancient.” Ancient wisdom actually stands for truths that are universal, timeless. These truths may have been discovered or realised in the past, but they are always contemporary – because, they are never old or new, or they are both old and new simultaneously. Again and again these truths in various forms, at various times, in various shifts of emphasis are rediscovered and restated. What is needed is: questioning of what we are chasing, questioning of our dreams and the means for achieving these dreams. What is needed, actually, is even more than that – we need to question our interiority, our own self in its entirety, without looking for a corner to hide. Our basic concern today is that of an earnest quest: what is the root of my existence? As sages of the Upanishad ask: Ko hum(who am I)? Our common inheritance of wisdom has to be continually searched, seen, regained, not in time – as from past to the future – but as Here and Now, as from Now to Now. Osho’s insight is: “Begin to meditate. Practice it faithfully so that your life can be filled with the light of wisdom. And when there is light within you, love will flow from you and spread itself far and wide. (The writer, Swami Satya Vedant (Dr. Vasant Joshi) is a Ph.D. University of Michigan, USA and was appointed by Osho: Chancellor, Osho Multiversity)

December 1, 2014 / Corporate Citizen / 51

book review

Heart problem? Blame bad governance The hidden links between your body and the politics of the state

he food we eat poses the biggest risk to the heart, yet the processed food industry is allowed to sell food high on fats, salt and sugar without hindrance. Heart diseases have become a common place in India. Even the young and those living in rural areas have not escaped the curse. So far, the changing lifestyle has been blamed for this upsurge of heart diseases. Dinesh Sharma’s latest book explains this increase in terms of our exposure to the risk factors of the disease – food high in salt, sugar and fat, consumption of tobacco, and lack of physical activity. He then goes on to explain how Indians have become victims of government policies that increase our exposure to these risk factors. Sharma posits that our health is a victim of growth.

Onslaught of processed foods

The biggest exposure to these risk factors is from the food we eat. We are no longer dictated by our likes and dislikes but eat what is made available to us in the markets. As there is no profit in selling cabbages (or any other vegetable, for that matter), industries now prefer to sell processed foods. Study after study has shown that these products are harmful in ways that cabbage can never be. The book explains how processed foods came to become a big part of our diet. For instance, soft drinks, the brown revolution as Sharma puts it, became a household commodity in 1984 when American company PepsiCo decided to enter the market. The policies governing foreign investment prevented its entry but it managed to enter by forming a joint venture with a government venture called Punjab Agro Industries Corporation. In return, they were to help the state process fruits, 52 / Corporate Citizen / December 1, 2014

know your heart Author: Dinesh C. Sharma vegetables and food grains. It took the company four years to get the proposal cleared as it had to go through 14 inter-ministerial panels. To fastrack future projects, the government set up the Ministry of Food Processing Industries in 1988. In 1991, liberalisation brought in many more investors to India. Their unhealthy products rich in fats, oils, salt and sugar became common in markets and replaced the healthy diet of Indians. Toothless government agencies such as those that monitor health and nutrition claims of the products or their advertising, failed to save the country from the tsunami of processed food products.

Policies that aid inactivity, tobacco consumption

Similar details of government’s role in increasing the risk from physical inactivity and tobacco, too, are provided. For example, government policies have aided physical inactivity through its inability to provide public transport and safe walking spaces. In case of

Publishers: HarperCollins, India Price: Rs.250 Book Review: Vibha Varshney tobacco, the government continues to support cultivation, saying that it helps farmers and that they need the revenue provided by sale of tobacco products. Inability to curb surrogate advertising is making the situation worse. The three sections in the book dealing with food, physical activity and tobacco make gripping reading. In the foreward to the book, K Srinath Reddy, an eminent heart expert and president of Public Health Foundation of India, calls the book “a seriously researched piece of scientific writing” written with “stylistic simplicity”.

(Courtsey: www.downtoearth.org)

close encounters

Thank God for the airbags! By Suresh Bangara

otor vehicles in India today, have pleasantly surprised many of us who grew up in an era dominated by acute shortage of quality vehicles, an under-developed industry, inability of most to pay for a new car and severe restrictions imposed by governments on scarce foreign currency for transfer of technology. The good old Ambassador of Hindustan Motors, Fiat and standard Herald were common sight on the sparsely crowded roads of our country. The changes after liberalisation however, saw quantum jump in design, quality and safety standards of cars that continue to flood our market. From the days when a direction- indicator was a rarity, we now match the latest trends in technology and software driven applications in all our automobile products. This is the backdrop against which I am recounting the details of a car crash which my wife and I survived recently. Given that advent of modern cars coincided with attempts to upgrade the quality of National highways and Expressways, the opportunity to exceed an average speed of 80 kms on these newly built surfaces became a reality. While the ability to traverse distances in comparatively shorter duration became a reality, a whole host of

attendant facilities coupled with the need to educate the semi-literate user on the repercussions of high speed traffic, were perhaps not pursued with equal vigour. Safety features in all walks of life in India, be it construction, transportation and industry, are far from meeting well documented and mandatory features enforced by advanced countries of the West. It is thus not unusual to see inadequate sign boards/ warning signals/signs, incomplete safety barriers to prevent human and animal encroachment on high speed corridors, unauthorised traffic of two wheeler, four wheelers and tractors in the wrong lane (often heading the wrong way) and inability to hold highway authorities accountable for dangerous diversions and unlit stretches of potentially high risk accident prone zones. Viewed from the ever increasing density of population bordering on intercity motorways and unregulated settlement of colonies, we are poised on the threshold of serious conflict of interest posed by human/animal and environmental issues. For a country which has witnessed unprecedented growth of motor vehicles but not enough infrastructure development, strict adherence to rules of the road and close monitoring to check indiscipline, should be a very high priority activity. That it is not so is known to all. The chances of encountering an unlicensed driver at the wheels of a truck or load carrier and vehicles with poor material

state are very high, if not real. With all the knowledge at my disposal, I managed to collide with a milk truck on the National Highway near Kolhapur in Maharashtra. Entirely my fault. The rather well made SUV took the brunt of the collision and voila, the air bags deployed as designed. I was in for a further surprise apart from the safety features of my SUV. The emergency road side assistance provided a flat bed and a taxi in a reasonably short span of time. Such facilities were unthinkable a few years ago. Well done Mahindra. The sense of relief and gratitude for our very miraculous escape was marred soon thereafter, by the procedures adopted by the cops who arrived on the scene. That is another story which needs to be analysed in the context of services provided for the common man in India. So we thank the Almighty for sparing us rather lightly. But air bags, seat belts and a well-designed firewall perhaps contributed in no small measure to our survival. Do spend a few moments on the safety features of your new car before you select one. A cashless policy with zero depreciation is well worth the investment for those of you who intend to frequent our Highways. (Courtesy: Vice Admiral Suresh Bangaraâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s post in his http://scsbangara.blogspot. in/) December 1, 2014 / Corporate Citizen / 53

Student of the fortnight

Go-Getter Google Ambassadors

Companies Mobilizing Knowledge via Campus ‘Ambassador’ Programmes. By Sangeeta Ghosh Dastidar f you think scouting for ready talent is the reason why companies visit university campuses, think again.

Conceptualising Student Ambassadors

With the onslaught of new data demands and shorter life cycles of products, tools, services and technology, companies have descended on college campuses to bridge learning gaps via ‘knowledge exchange’ forums through ‘Campus Ambassador’ programmes and ‘mentorship mantles’. Companies are leveraging student connections beyond the scope of promoting or imparting knowledge on company products, apps and services. The ambassador programmes encourage student engagement in line with company offerings in a ‘real’ world set-up. In doing so, they also lay the foundation for ‘themselves’ as future employers within student communities. Students get new found “live” experiences, making them confident enough to seek internship opportunities with these or similar companies.

Two-Pronged Bid

These programmes are particularly prevalent in sectors like Information Technology, where there’s a ready base of potential software developers, coders and designers who can help test their innovations and products. Such campus exchanges also act as a conduit for enhanced application or feedback on tools through engagement with either student groups or faculty interactions. Campus Ambassadors work under the aegis of their ‘mentor’ companies, hosting activities within their campuses during the course of their tenure. While helping fellow students get acquainted with latest techno54 / Corporate Citizen / December 1, 2014

logical know-how, student ambassadors also double up as ‘corporate connect’ for broader platforms that reinforce campus connections with other partnering institutions of the ‘mentor’ company.

Knowledge Empowerment

It’s a two way exchange platform: companies encourage students to work with technology specific applications in their daily lives, while students get to ideate and brainstorm on any product or service. Students work with ‘mentor’ companies on available apps or tools through campus networks and technical workshops. Companies too develop an edge via campus events in growing both, their user and developer base. For instance, Firefox gains mileage by launching the Firefox OS in communities and campuses globally by educating student stakeholders and thus growing the Mozilla tribe.

Scoring on Multiple Talent

The real challenge for ambassadors is manag-

ing and scheduling technical workshops and activities along with existing college routine, regular exam schedules, peer group synergies and team building efforts to strike project competencies. Popular programmes that have seen enthusiastic participation from Indian universities are the Google Student Ambassador (GSA), the Firefox Student Ambassador and the Microsoft Student Partners (MSP) programmes. They have a standardised screening process with deviations to suit geographical destinations. Corporate Citizen met two such campus ambassadors from Bangalore: Kunal Kumar Gupta, Dayananda Sagar College of Engineering, Bangalore and Debarati Guha, MVJ College of Engineering, Bangalore, student ambassadors for their respective colleges for 2014-2015. It was no mean feat for Debarati and Kunal to find a place amongst the 172 GSAs selected by Google Inc., India for the current academic year. Debarati and Kunal spoke to Corporate Citizen on their experiences.

Kunal Kumar Gupta Student Ambassador representing Google for academic 2014-2015, at Dayananda Sagar College of Engineering, Bangalore

Computer Science & Engineering student in his 3rd year, Kunal calls himself “a passionate cricket fan”. An ardent sportsman, he loves reading, especially novels, writing and collecting. He has built up a good collection of books, coins and currency notes. He says, “History has intrigued me since my childhood and my coin collection is one of my most prized possessions! I have a collection of more than 500 coins and 100 currency notes. I love writing, be it a story or an essay; writing has been a friend always.” Kunal wants to work “where people I work with are innovators and creators; working then is fun! I believe we should all give something back to the world in which we live. I too will try doing that.” CC: What made you enrol for the student ambassador programme? KKG: A recommendation from the HOD (Head of Department) got me involved. After the standard technical and non-technical screenings as mandated by Google - a process that lasted nearly two months, I got selected as the first GSA ever from my college for academic 2014-2015. Our team comprising one GSA, three core and six non-core members steer the activities under Google’s mantle. The online technical test was quite challenging. You cannot ‘google’, the answers, you have to genuinely know these solutions yourself. CC:What were your expectations before getting oriented to the programme? KKG: Initially when I looked up the U.S. model online, I was a bit confused. But soon I realised that the programme aimed at developing technical skills amongst student groups via a person or representative who can pull together people with soft skills, an important trait required in any industry. Besides developing great designers and developers in the IT stream, it helps understand and identify people to excel in their chosen field, to steer others to realise their individual and company goals.

When the people I work with are innovators and creators; working then is fun! We should all give something back to the world in which we live Google’s monthly monitoring criteria of campus activities keeps us motivated. Successful implementation can spur more such corporate-driven campus learning platforms. CC: How have you gained from the Google GSA summit held in Pune in August and your engagement under the programme? KKG: I gained first-hand knowledge from industry stalwarts at the summit. The programme has helped me hone my managerial skills. After the summit I conducted a Hangout session based on Android technology.

Seventy-two students participated. Apart from technology upgradation from the workshop, I learnt the nuances of cost and time factors as well as dealing with team members, faculty and external speakers. All this while sticking to the normal routine of a college set up. My fellow students gained insight on the basics of Android apps during the interactive session. Access to the exclusive link on Udacity sharpened their knowledge on Android development. Now students are developing their own in-house prototype applications. Who knows, someone might just bag the coveted prize for the best apps developer! December 1, 2014 / Corporate Citizen / 55

Student of the fortnight

selection criteria. I applied and went through the selection rounds of technical tests, telephone interview and video profiling. After the screening I was one of the five candidates for the post of GSA. Currently, I am the only GSA representing my college along with three core team members and four sub-core members to support the programme for 2014-2015. CC: What were your expectations before getting oriented to the programme? DG: The GSA programme had begun the previous academic year but there wasn’t much clarity. All I knew was that the role of a GSA was an important feature of the college. My main intention was to help students get acquainted with new advents in IT through this platform. I also wanted to give ‘wings to my own ideas’, to make them practically feasible through the learning that I would gain on Google apps, OS and other tools, hone my skills while being a resource for my peer groups to do the same.

Debarati Guha Student Ambassador representing Google and Firefox for academic 20142015, at MVJ College of Engineering, Bangalore.

As a girl representative, it does prove a point against gender bias and negate niggling perceptions in the IT sector that ‘women perhaps are not good enough

student of Information Science, currently in her V Sem., Debarati describes herself as “an over enthusiastic girl” who loves taking part in anything and everything she can. She says, “I love interacting with people. I love singing and am a little bit of a computer geek. I can spend my life surviving on these two.. I emcee and design web pages to earn my pocket money and spend it all on shopping and friends. I would love to be my own boss and build my own start-up, if I get a little help.” CC: What made you enrol for the student ambassador programme? DG: A fellow student and friend had told me about the Google Student Ambassador programme the previous year. I was keen, so I kept track. I studied their model of core and sub-core committees under the programme and the

56 / Corporate Citizen / December 1, 2014

CC: How have you gained from the Google GSA summit in Pune in August and your engagement with the programme? DG: The summit offered interactive knowledge sessions with Google executives on technology as well as the objectives and goals of a student ambassador. It helped me sharpen my technical skills and develop a sense of responsibility in running multiple programmes on behalf of the company within college campuses. The programme drives students to develop good public relations skills. Managing and organising technically-loaded campus events have to have a fun element or people will not participate. Liaising with the authorities for permissions and working around schedules across different engineering streams needs good time-organising capacities. My role helped me enhance these skills. CC: Is it a big deal that you are a girl and an ambassador for both Google and Firefox in your campus? DG: Representing multiple companies does add more responsibility. As a girl rep, it does prove a point against gender bias within college campuses or the workplace and negate niggling perceptions in the IT sector that ‘women perhaps are not good enough’.

sangeetagd2010@gmail.com

mobile apps

5 Free Mobile Apps For Safety Of Indian Women By Arun Prabhudesai In India, women safety is one of the most talked about topics, especially in cities like Delhi, where rapes and murders of women make frequent news headlines. Smartphones have now become a necessity, and they have helped us to improve our lives in many ways. Even in women safety, they can play a major role in avoiding untoward incidences. Here are 5 free mobile apps that women should consider installing on their smartphones to keep themselves safe in all situations.

SOS - Stay Safe

SOS – Stay Safe! is a personal safety application that empowers any individual against acts of violence, and helps summon aid in any kind of emergency. It lets you send out SOS alerts to friends and family quickly, as soon as you sense danger. The alert can be simply triggered by shaking the device using a customisable shake limit. SOS – Stay Safe! can be extremely useful in a wide range of dangerous scenarios ranging from sexual harassment or in case of medical emergencies like heart failure.

Nirbhaya: Be Fearless

Like previous two apps, “Nirbhaya: Be Fearless” is also a free emergency app on Android, which can send a distress call, or an emergency message to a specified contact, or a group in an emergency situation faced by a woman, or any other individual in general. However, Nirbhaya app does have some extra features which include Geo Fence and Unsafe are alerts (these are areas marked as unsafe, and alerts are sent out when app users are in vicinity of that area). It also has the option to use either the power button or shake the phone feature, both of which can send out SOS messages.

VithU: V Gumrah Initiative

This app created by Star India has been widely advertised on their channels, and has over half a million downloads till date. Like SOS, VithU, is also an emergency App that, at the click of the power button (2 times consecutively) begins sending out alert messages every 2 minutes to your contacts that you feed into the app as the designated receivers or guardians. The message that goes out simply says “I am in danger. I need help. Please follow my location.”

The receiver will receive a link to your location every 2 minutes giving them your updated location tracked by GPS. Also, the app gives out updates on the Crime Scene in India and a “Tips Feed” option exclusively giving the user safety tips in an emergency situation. Additionally, being created by a TV channel, users of this app can share the incident with Channel V by posting it in the “Submit Your Story” option in the Menu Bar.

YatraMiTR

Recently launched YatraMiTR app is primarily a dynamic GPS and GPRS based auto-fare calculator, which also has women safety and emergency alert features. Anyone who has YatraMiTR installed on their smartphones will be able to calculate the exact distance of the travel along with exact calculation of fare when you are travelling by an autorickshaw. From safety perspective this app enables the user’s location to be viewed through a browser by their family or friends. The inbuilt alert system will not only send out an SMS with user’s current location, but will also keep constant track of the path to numbers saved in the app’s contact list. The app provides a panic or danger button, when pressed, will send emergency alert SMS to designated contacts.

Woman Safety Shield Protection

Developed by SmartShehar.com, “Woman Safety Shield Protection” app has the same premise as other emergency apps, but it offers some additional features. The app allows you to click a photograph of the situation, whether you are yourself in an emergency, or if something is happening around you. When you click a photo through the app, it gets sent immediately to designated emergency contacts. The location is sent as an SMS and the picture is sent via email. This app can be useful even if you are just a bystander and are witnessing a crime in progress. The photograph that will click can also be used by the police to apprehend and convict the perpetrators. arunpd@gmail.com

December 1, 2014 / Corporate Citizen / 57

astroturf away precious time partying is baseless. Learn to shift the chaff from the grain. Job seekers have great success now, especially if they concentrate on what they need and wish to achieve.

Fortune favours the bold and the lucky

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

Aries

Mar 21- April 20 Though your health remains strong and energy levels are high. You need to take care of niggling problems that keep arising every now and then. Make the best use of this period plan and start working towards laying foundations for your future. Your entire body needs a detox, yoga and massages will do you a world of good. Career advancement and success is seen.

reer more than social life as the year draws to a close. Achieve your goals through consensus and cooperation. Though you are confident of your personal skills, remember that popularity or likeability factor is equally important if you want to climb the ladder of professional success. If you feel that there are uncomfortable conditions, try and adapt or adjust to the best you can do and not make changes.

CANCER

TAURUS

April 21 - May 20 Though overall you will experience much improvement in your personal as well as professional life, yet you need to keep focusing on your family and love life. It is good that you have weeded out the worthy from mediocre in your career so that focusing on your professional growth becomes easier. You are experiencing changes in and around you, but these are happening for the better, so stay positive.

GEMINI

May 21 - June 21 The focus should be on your ca-

Jun 22 - July 23 Time to focus on other people and your loved ones. Self interests needs to be kept at bay. The demand of this month is not to try and change circumstances but to adapt yourself to the existing circumstances or situations. Health needs attention after the 22nd of this month, get your yearly checkups done and do not hesitate to undergo any kind of medical therapy.

LEO

July 24 - Aug 23 Â You are strongly embedded in your personal pleasure peak. Social life is a priority for you. Networking for work enhancement is fine but just whiling

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VIRGO

Aug 24 - Sept 23 This is the month for making psychological progress and for coming to terms with your past. You will be baffled with strong old memories. The cosmos has a reason to shake you up with memories. In the light of your present knowledge you either need to rectify the wrongs done or to justify. Redefine your own self if you want to progress in every way than you already are.

LIBRA

Sept 24 - Oct 22 You are in a period for building up the inner forces for the next outward career push. Focusing on the personal front is also of paramount importance this month. Unless and until your personal clutter is not cleansed you may not be able to build a strong professional front. Mediation, prayer, visualisation hold a great deal of importance as you be able to achieve all your goals.

SCORPIO

Oct 23 - Nov 22 You are in space of your personal independence, so if you are wanting to make some personal changes or change your existing conditions, then now is the time to make them. Be patient with the members of your family, there is no need to have confrontations or make challenging situations worse. Passions are running high in the family, so beware of thrusting your opinions, you mind your own business and only manifest changes conducive to your well being.

SAGITTARIUS

Nov 23 - Dec 22 Even though you may feel some of the bumps in your career, you are going to reap rich benefits in the near future. You possess much personal charisma and magnetism to attract the good around. There could be financial windfalls. Make sure you do good for those working around you as much good happens to you.

CAPRICORN

Dec 23 - Jan 20 Spirituality will become a major focus for you in the coming two years. You could be experiencing all kinds of spiritual phenomena. Your dreams could be conveying certain messages to you and be mentally prepared for unexplained coincidences. Those on the spiritual path will have breakthroughs and enjoy success in this area. Those of you who are not on the path are very likely to enter it in the coming years. You will have to make certain adjustments in your world and probably seek space from those who are close to you.

AQUARIUS

Jan 21 - Feb19 You have been earning success the hard way now is the time to relax and rest, and enjoy the fruits of your hard labour. You will easily outshine all your competitors, and will easily sail through all the obstacles. Your health and energy will remain strong; any kind of niggling problems actually seem to vanish.

PISCES

Feb 20 - Mar 20 If you are clear about your targets and goals, then this period is perfect to accomplish them without a glitch. All the planets in the cosmos are aligned to support your plans and good progress is assured if you work towards your career or personal achievements.

manage money Continuing in the series on demystifying the world of finance, the focus this time is on understanding a Profit and Loss Account. By Dr Anil Lamba

What’s a Profit & Loss Account?

here are no non-finance persons in any organisation. Finance management is the ability of every individual to understand the financial consequences of their actions – and then only do those things that enhance profitability and avoid those that hurt it. How is running a business like playing a game of cricket? What is the objective of playing the game? To win. What is the objective of the game of business? To make profits! Whose actions win the game for you - of the players on the field or the score-keeper’s? The Accounts person is like the score keeper in a cricket match. It’s not the scorer who wins the match for his team but the players: the bowlers, batsmen, captain. Without the scorer, the match loses meaning. In much the same way, the actions of each individual in every department help an organisation succeed. If their actions are financially intelligent the organisation will make profit. If not, it may suffer loss. When anybody says he/she is a non-finance person, it is like saying ‘I don’t care what the financial outcome of my actions will be’. That is ridiculous. You must never do anything without understanding how it affects the organisation’s profitability! When in addition to your designated area of responsibility you also call yourself a Finance person, you mean, “I take financial responsibility for my actions”. When a large majority of the workforce says this, the organisation as a whole flourishes. It does not matter whether your company provides services or products through software, education, manufacturing, entertainment, media, or whatever, we are all in precisely the same business – that of generating profit. Two essential financial statements All financial transactions that take place in an organisation get recorded. The accounting records form the main source of information from which the two most important financial statements are prepared: The Profit and Loss Account and the Balance Sheet. These two statements are the end result of the entire accounting process and reflect, in summary, everything that has happened over a certain period of time. Profit and Loss Account First: Why is a Profit and Loss Account made? Simple. This statement is prepared to find out whether an organisation has made a profit or a loss. Second: Why would you want to find out whether you have made profits or not? The primary objective of starting a business is

to earn profit. Unless the business is making a profit, you might want to reconsider running it. How would you know whether the business was making a profit or not? Is it possible to wander around an organisation, observe the amount of activity, check how busy the employees are and conclude whether this is a profitable business or not? Or drive through a business area, come across a wonderful looking facility, with an impressive façade, see industrious-looking workers and employees, and understand how profitable that enterprise is? No, not even if you are the owner. There is only one way to know whether an organisation is making profit or not, and that is if a financial statement called a Profit and Loss Account is prepared and examined. The Profit and Loss Account is, therefore, made to find out whether or not an enterprise is making profits. How does a financial statement look? Conventionally, most financial statements are presented in a ‘T’ format. Figures are listed on either side of the T. Conventionally, incomes are listed on the right side and expenses on the left. When we say “Profit”, what exactly do we mean? Profit is a situation where the incomes of an organisation exceed its expenses. If, on the other hand, expenses exceed incomes, it results in a loss. Some typical examples of expenses are: materials consumed, salaries and wages, money spent on rent, travelling, printing and stationery. If an organisation borrows money to run its business, interest is an expense too, and so on. What would appear on the income side of a Profit & Loss Account? Income should predominantly comprise of ‘Sales’ (of goods or services). Income appearing under the heading ‘sales’ reflects income generated by an organisation through its core activities..that is, income generated by doing the activities that it is supposed to be doing. But organisations do sometimes receive income from sources other than ‘sales’. For example, interest earned on deposits in a bank, dividends received on investments, profits on sale of certain assets. Such incomes would be shown under a heading called ‘other income’. While the essence of running a business enterprise is to make profit, it is equally important that the business generates profits by doing what it is supposed to be doing and not by what it is not supposed to be doing. Dr Anil Lamba is a practising Chartered Accountant, a financial l iteracy activist, and a corporate trainer of international repute on finance management. He is the author of the bestselling book Romancing the Balance Sheet. He can be contacted at anil@lamconschool.com

Whether you run your own company, lead a multinational operation, work in the ranks or are planning a start-up, you have a responsibility towards the profitability of the organization

December 1, 2014 / Corporate Citizen / 59

innovation

Lessening L Labourers’ load By Arun Prabhudesai

60 / Corporate Citizen / December 1, 2014

oad carrier for labourers is a great example of how a low cost product can be extremely useful in easing the lives of workers carrying around heavy materials or goods every day. In a developing country like India, millions of people work as labourers carrying and transporting heaps of heavy materials or goods on their heads and back from one place to another on daily basis. This activity of transporting goods can cause a lot of strain on the spinal cord, if not done correctly. To prevent any injury of the spinal cord to the workers, Vikram Dinubhai Panchal of The National Institute of Design (NID), Ahmedabad, has come up with this innovation. This load carrier is designed to relieve labourers from backache and provide them a better and a healthy life. Interestingly, Vikram had designed the load carrier way back in 1979 as part of his academic project. But, it was in 2007 that he made a working prototype of his design and got it patented with the Controller General of Patents, Design and Trademarks, Government of India in 2008. Load carrier is a simple, durable and a light-weight device designed to reduce the pressure exerted by heavy materials on the spinal cord when it is carried on the head. It also ensures a good grip over the goods while carrying on the back. This reduces the stress on the spine even further. In a contest arranged by Core77, the product – Load Carrier for Labour – won in the product/equipment category. This simple yet highly useful load carrier is made of plastic, cane and metal. Weighing only 2 kg and priced at mere Rs 300, it holds the potential to improve the lives of millions of people across the globe. Another interesting feature of this load carrier (as shown in the figures) is that it can easily be changed into three different forms. These forms are especially designed for carrying load on the head, on the back and heavy materials or goods via a pushcart. “It is refreshing to see a design that supports a higher standard of living for those who need it the most,” said one of the jury members. The project ‘Load Carrier for Labour’ aims at improving the working condition of labourers and workers at many places like construction sites, factories, ports and railway stations. The objective is to prevent workers from various occupational hazards while demonstrating product design and ergonomic consideration for the welfare of the humans. This product is a dream come true for all labourers who carry heavy loads every day. Indeed, a piece of real grassroots’ innovation! arunpd@gmail.com

Food for thought

Drink Coffee, Stay Honest Reading tea leaves might be an age old way of looking into the future, but coffee beans might hold more honest answers to your current dilemma.

By Suchismita Pai

t may be a lot less cloak and dagger than the ‘truth serum’ of spy thrillers, but it is more easily available and quite effective. Researchers at three business schools in the USA say that a cup of coffee may be all you need to stay honest! According to their study published in the Journal of Applied Psychology early this year, professors at the universities of Arizona, North Carolina and Washington claim that a cup of coffee can prevent you from taking an unethical decision. Longer working hours, global time zones and variable shifts have more people suffering from sleep deprivation than ever before. The loss of sleep, says the article, can make people susceptible to unethical behaviour in the workplace. Sleep deprivation

makes people less able to reject a negative suggestion, as tiredness wears down resistance. The equivalent of a large cup of coffee has enough caffeine to help employees regain short term control of their behaviour and could help sleep-deprived workers resist unethical influence from higher-ups. While long term solutions include ensuring a proper amount of sleep and a healthy lifestyle with enough time for sleep, caffeine provides an instant ‘pick-me-up’ shot in the arm. Reading tea leaves might be an age old way of looking into the future, but coffee beans might hold more honest answers to your current dilemma. So when in doubt as to what to do, just head for the coffee machine and no matter which delicious flavour you choose, you will find it laced with a hint of truth. paisuchi@gmail.com

So what can employers do when the established code of ethics needs reinforcement? The researchers suggest that firms could: l Provide caffeine in the workplace. l Reduce long hours with scheduling, overtime restrictions and frequent breaks. l Avoid scheduling tasks that require a great deal of self-control when looming deadlines make long hours unavoidable. l Provide workplace napping and sleep awareness training. December 1, 2014 / Corporate Citizen / 61

health

Walking workstations make healthier workplaces

Employees with windows in the workplace received more white light exposure during work hours, slept more per night than employees who did not have the natural light exposure in the workplace

Michael Sliter, assistant professor of psychology, demonstrates the walking workstation in his office.

More natural light at work, better quality of life.

The researchers found walking workstation participants had higher satisfaction and arousal, while experiencing less boredom and stress than the standing and sitting workstation participants. In comparison, the cycling workstation related to reduced satisfaction and performance. The paper “Workout at work: Laboratory Test of Psychological and Performance Outcomes of Active Workstations,” which Sliter wrote entirely while using a walking workstation, appears online in the American Psychological Association’s Journal of Occupational Health Psychology and in the January 2015 print edition. Sliter plans to continue exploring the psychological benefits of walking workstations in future studies. Particularly, he is interested in examining long-term psychological and physical benefits of such workstations.

Office workers with more light exposure at the office had longer sleep duration, better sleep quality, more physical activity and better quality of life compared to office workers with less light exposure in the workplace, reports a new study from Northwestern Medicine and the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. The study highlights the importance of exposure to natural light to employee health and the priority architectural designs of office environments should place on natural daylight exposure for workers, the study authors said. Employees with windows in the workplace received 173 per cent more white light exposure during work hours and slept an average of 46 minutes more per night than employees who did not have the natural light exposure in the workplace. There also was a trend for workers in offices with windows to have more physical activity than those without windows. Workers without windows reported poorer scores than their counterparts on quality of life measures related to physical problems and vitality, as well as poorer outcomes on measures of overall sleep quality and sleep disturbances. http://science.iupui.edu/news/walking-workstations-improve-physicaland-mental-health-while-building-healthier-workplace December 1, 2014 / Corporate Citizen / 62

Credit: Image courtesy of Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis School of Science

alking workstations can improve not only physical, but also mental health during the workday, a new study has found. The research was conducted by faculty and student researchers from the Department of Psychology in the School of Science at Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI). With growing concerns regarding obesity in the United States, Michael Sliter, assistant professor of psychology, hopes the study encourages employers to examine methods to assist workers in healthy living. “We found that walking workstations, regardless of a person’s exercise habits or body mass index (BMI), had significant benefits,” Sliter said. “Even if you don’t exercise or if you are overweight, you’ll experience both short-term physical and psychological benefits.” A sample of 180 participants were evaluated on boredom, task satisfaction, stress, arousal, and performance while completing work-related computer tasks across four randomly assigned workstations: seated, standing, cycling or walking.

featherlite

Corporate Twitterati Bill Gates @BillGates @narendramodi has India talking about toilets—and that’s a great thing anand mahindra @anandmahindra As an IT power we help MNCs reengineer their processes; but to visitors we look like dimwits who can’t simplify airport processes Punit Goenka @punit_goenka Accept what is, let go of what was and have faith in what could be. Harsh Goenka @hvgoenka We should appoint Guru Meiyappan to determine whether the arrest of Guru Rampal was a fixed deal. Vishal Sikka @vsikka Tulsi tea, nice paper & pencils, sunshine. Still the best way to think. Satya Nadella @satyanadella “Our Age of Anxiety is, in great part, the result of trying to do today’s job with yesterday’s tools & concepts”

that we have

Vijay Mallya @TheVijayMallya Narendra Modi Government has chosen good people....I feel they will perform well and meet the aspirations

Uday Kotak @udaykotak Make in India is good. I am in services . I also believe in ‘serve in India’! Both ‘make and serve’ are needed for creating jobs. Mark Zuckerberg @finkd So many interesting people are following me. I think I’ll follow some of you guys as well. Compiled by Neeraj Varty 63 / Corporate Citizen / December 1, 2014

Laugh Aloud l Before going to Europe on business, a man drives his RollsRoyce to a downtown New York City bank and asks for an immediate loan of $5,000. The loan officer, taken aback, requests collateral. “Well then, here are the keys to my Rolls-Royce,” the man says. The loan officer promptly has the car driven into the bank’s underground parking for safe keeping and gives the man the $5,000. Two weeks later, the man walks through the bank’s doors and asks to settle up his loan and get his car back. “That will be $5,000 in principal, and $15.40 in interest,” the loan officer says. The man writes out a cheque and starts to walk away. “Wait, sir,” the loan officer says. “You are a millionaire. Why in the world would you need to borrow $5,000?” The man smiles, “Where else could I find a safer place to park my RollsRoyce in Manhattan for two weeks and pay only $15.40?” l A man walks past a beggar on the corner of the street where he works. The beggar holds out his one hand and the man drops a coin into his hand. One day the man walks past the beggar again and notices the beggar is holding hold out both his hands. He asks: “Why are you holding out both of your hands?” The beggar replied, “You see sir, business is going so well I decided to open another branch”.

illustration by: Deepak Sankpal

Claps & Slaps Business tycoon and philanthropist Anil Agarwal to donate 75% (Rs 16,000 crore) of his wealth to charity Corporate Citizen gives a thunderous clap to NRI billionaire Anil Agarwal and his family who have decided to donate 75 per cent of their wealth to charity. The 61-year-old chairman of the diversified conglomerate Vedanta Resources, who started off as a scrap dealer in India, today has a net worth of $3.5 billion, according to US magazine Forbes. He is ranked 24th among Indiaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s richest persons by the magazine this year. His family has supported the decision. In a recent public function in London, he stated that it is important to give back what one earns for the greater good of the society. He aims to channelise his money towards the eradication of poverty, child welfare and women empowerment. He also desires to invest in not-for-profit university, which would be world class and provide the best education in liberal arts and humanities. While doing public good through corporate social responsibility recently been mandated by law, prominent Indian businessmen like Azim Premji, Narayana Murthy, Anand Mahindra and Nandan Nilekeni have walked several steps towards this selfless goal.

A majority of two-wheeler riders, particularly youngsters, who do not wear helmets while riding on roads ,leading to unnecessary fatalities and serious injuries that sometimes maim the drivers for life A leading neurologist said he is aghast to continuously come across victims of two-wheeler rider accidents, mostly youngsters who are invariably, without helmets and drunk (going by the stink if you are near the victim and allegedly having consumed drugs too). According to available statistics, 1.38 lakh people died in road accidents in 2013 in India, which amounts to 10% of accidental deaths of the world. About three weeks back, a girl who works as a software engineer in Hyderabad was visiting Pune, met with an accident with her boyfriend who was pillion riding. She was not wearing a helmet and had allegedly consumed alcohol. She has injured her left part of her brain, just below her forehead and has lost her speech forever. She would also not be able to use her right hand, probably for the rest of her life, says the doctor. If she had worn a helmet, she would have protected her brain and would not have been disabled for life. In a city like Pune, which has 32 lakh vehicular population with 75% being two-wheelers, there is at least one death due to head injuries and four serious injuries that incapacitates the victim for life, everyday. Imagine the impact on families and the nation which loses people in their prime years.

Printed and published by Suresh Chandra Padhy on behalf of Sri Balaji Society. Editor : Suresh Chandra Padhy. Published from : 925/5, Mujumdar Apt, F.C. Road, Pune - 411004, Maharashtra. Printed at Magna Graphics (I) Ltd., 101-C&D Govt. Industrial Estate, Hindustan Naka, Kandivali (W), Mumbai - 400067.

December 1, 2014 / Corporate Citizen / 64