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CRADLE OF LEADERSHIP

Air Marshal C K Ranjan, Commandant, Armed Forces Medical College (AFMC) Volume 3, Issue No. 16 / Pages 68 / www.corporatecitizen.in

November 1-15, 2017 / `50

Dynamic Duo: 60 Rune Jul Larsen & Sujata Bajaj

India is our love Loved and Married Too

Entrepreneur Sameer Gokhale and his HR consultant wife Ruchika

INTERVIEW

Swapnakant Samal, Head–Digitisation of Talent Acquisition Group, Reliance Industries Ltd Survey

Quarterly Employment Survey (QES) on employment in eight sectors in India Career Fest 2017

Careers in Hospitality

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feedback

Moving narrative

Issue currency in `2 and `5

Central government and Reserve Bank of India (RBI) rightly took decision to issue currency notes in denominations of `200 in accordance with set international norms which require denominations in currency and coinage to be in a closer range like in multiples of 1:2:5. By the same logic with re-issue of one-rupee notes after a gap of about two decades when these were discontinued with other low-denomination notes of `2 and `5 for same reasons, re-issue of notes in denominations of `2 and `5 is also a must in case central government does not reverse its decision by stopping any further printing of one-rupee notes. It is significant that in neighbouring Nepal, still notes rather than coins are in circulation in denominations of `1, ` 2 and `5. Compulsion of re-issue of one-rupee notes can be solved through legislative amendment whereby currency notes other than of rupee-one may also be signed by bureaucrats rather than RBI governor. Everyone knows that one-rupee note was issued only for bureaucratic-craze to sign currency note because it is the only denomination which is signed by a secretary-level bureaucrat unlike notes in rest other denominations which are all signed by RBI governor. It will also solve in-fighting amongst senior bureaucrats to sign one-rupee note, because then all the secretarylevel bureaucrats in Union Finance Ministry will get sufficient opportunity so that notes in different denominations may be signed by different bureaucrats.

—Subhash Chandra Agrawal

Insight into men in uniform

Corporate Citizen puts the spotlight on the veterans of the Indian Armed forces, more than any other magazine in India. At a time when India has successfully managed to push the Chinese Army from Doklam, the Armed forces deserve much credit, but are unfortunately side-lined in most publications. It is heartening to read your ‘Military to Management’ series and other such

Light-hearted side of corporate

CRADLE OF LEADERSHIP

FOUNDER VICE CHANCELLOR, PROF. (DR) RANBIR SINGH, THE NATIONAL LAW UNIVERSITY, DELHI (NLUD)

The personalities of educators that you pitch in Corporate A heart-tugging Facebook post by Sangeeta, wife of Major Akshay Girish Citizen, under the ‘Cradle Kumar, martyred in Nargota terror attack of Leadership’ banner, are of great magnitude and your writers rightly convey these personalities into the DYNAMIC DUO: 59 article—the stories also have great human-interest appeal.

We can learn a lot from their work, their cognate qualities Major Arun Phatak (Retd.) and his in education, how they faced enterprising wife Pratibha, on life challenges, and achieved in the Army and making a mark in the corporate world recognition. It is not always easy to know what you should believe and what you should ignore, when you are bombarded by contradictory advices from online sources.

The mix of features, regular columns and news on a wide range of corporate topics in Corporate Citizen are unique and light-hearted.

—Desmond Pereira, Pune

October 16-31, 2017 / `50

Volume 3, Issue No. 15 / Pages 68 / www.corporatecitizen.in

MA J

FROM MY WALL

SURVEY Ease of doing business survey by NITI Aayog and banking corporation IDFC

PHATAK UN (R AR

D.) ET

I am not a regular reader of Corporate Citizen and I am not even a corporate person. But I happened to see an old issue (December 1-15, 2015) and began to read the editorial note because it mentioned your Chennai days and you mentioned my friend R Chudamani. I was very moved by that part of the narrative. Chudamani remained a very close friend of mine until her death. I am also a Tamil writer. I write in the name of Ambai.

—C S Lakshmi, Director, SPARROW, Sound & Picture Archives for Research on Women, Dahisar (E), Mumbai

CAREER FEST 2017 CAREERS IN BPO AND ITES SECTOR

Dare To Do

inspirational articles in CC, which give us an insight into the stoic life of the men in uniform.

—Ravish Dubashi, Mumbai

Repository of knowledge

This is with reference to the fantastic Article titled China’s Diabolic Design by S K Jha, which presents a realistic view on the burning subject.

My humble submission is that China is the third largest country in the world after Russia and Canada when it comes to its area and not the fourth largest as referred therein. USA, Brazil, Australia and India are the other largest countries in area respectively. Corporate Citizen is the repository of knowledge and valuable information apart from being educative as well.

We have all its issues in our collection as our proud possession.

— SN Srivastava, Indore

Will stay with you and expect more

I am a magazine enthusiast and find Corporate Citizen magazine very absorbing, especially the stories and images. The editorial team has discerning eye for what is happening in the always changing corporate world. Although today

we get news stories to our mobile screen at the press of a button, magazine has its own charm and approach of how stories are presented and about trust built with its readers. The recent story I particularly liked is the Dynamic Duo interview “Co-Pilots for Life” of Air Chief Marshal P V Naik (Veteran) and his wife Madhubala, in the issue dated September 16-30, 2017. A great read that profiles and captures their strength and spirit.

—Manohar Das

We look forward to your feedback We at Corporate Citizen, believe that information should not be a one way street. Your opinion and views about this issue are most welcome. Your ideas and new thoughts you may have, to enhance the content quality of our magazine, are most welcome. We rely on you to keep Corporate Citizen, on the positive and cool note, through your interaction on this page—just as you trust us with the content that we bring you, every fortnight. Mail us your views on:

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November 1-15, 2017 / Corporate Citizen / 3

Editor-in-Chief’s Choice / Kaushik Basu

Dr (Col) A Balasubramanian

Economic Graffiti

A higher opportunity India can become a global hub for higher education. Much can be achieved without government having to do the heavy lifting

A

longstanding proposition in economics, under the label of “industrial policy”, emphasises the importance of the government choosing special sectors to focus on and incentivise. The expectation is that this will create enough spillovers to drive up overall growth. Industrial policy has had its share of demurrers, arguing that the state should not get into picking winners and losers; but the fact is that it has been used to great effect by Britain, Germany and other nations during the Industrial Revolution and by China in recent times.

Without entering that debate, I want to point to two areas where the Indian government should put in special effort: Medical tourism and higher education. India made huge strides in the former in the early 1990s, but this sector seems to be running out of steam, with other emerging nations taking the lead.

We need more effort here. The other sector where the prospect is big is a global hub for higher education. In both these sectors, much can be achieved, without the government having to do the heavy-lifting. Given my own expertise, I focus here on the second.

From ancient Greece to 19th century Britain and 20th century United States, there is evidence that when nations do well in higher education and research, they do well in economic development. For historical reasons, India has a huge strength here. First, while India’s colonial history did plenty of harm, it conferred one

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advantage. When leaving India, luckily the English could not take away their language. English is the world’s most important language and India’s strength in it is a natural advantage today. Second, thanks to the far-sightedness of India’s founding fathers and, in particular, Jawaharlal Nehru, India took major steps in nurturing higher education and scientific temperament, setting up the IITs, the IIMs, and promoting some fine universities.

One can see the advantage this history has conferred from indirect data. America has a large Study Abroad programme under which its students take a break from their home universities and go to other countries for education. In 2014-15, 3,13,415 students went abroad under this scheme. The biggest destination is the UK — 12.2 per cent of the students went there — followed by Italy (10.8 per cent) and Spain (9 per cent). What is surprising is India does not do too badly on this. It is the 14th most popular destination (1.4 per cent).

If we can build on these strengths and create room for private universities and institutes to flourish, India can become a destination for students from around the world. This would not be a charitable act. The aim should be to provide high-quality education and charge international students the full fee for this (though I would recommend subsidies for students from poor countries).

Private firms that invest in this sector will need some flexibility on how much they charge and what

salaries they pay. In the US, universities compete to attract the best professors and so salaries vary vastly. I wish the world were not like this but it is and, to succeed, India has to give this freedom to the private universities. Some of these universities, it is likely, will start up partnerships with universities in the US, UK and elsewhere, and that should be welcomed.

In the US today, in many good universities, annual tuition fees are above $60,000. If Indian universities are given the freedom, they could charge, say, $20,000, provide comparable education and still make a profit.

For a four-year education, this means a saving of over $1,60,000 to the student. It is likely that students would come to India not just from developing nations but also rich countries. The big advantage of this is that the government does not have to do much beyond creating an enabling environment. The return on this investment will be enormous.

Often, our biggest plans flounder not because of big mistakes, but because the nuts and bolts are not in place. The government has to pay attention to the little matters. For example, students should be able to get visas for their two-, three- or four-year study at one go. No one will want to come here, however good the education, if he or she is at the mercy of the bureaucrat in the visa office every six months. There are nowadays retrogressive groups trying to take India backwards in the name of Hindutva. They will have to be restrained from shaping curricula if our institutes of higher learning are to flourish.

There is enough enterprise in India and enough profit potential in this sector that private universities will crop up and do the actual delivery once the government provides this basic ethos. As Ratan Tata wrote in the Oxford Companion to Economics in India, if the right policies are in place, India can “leverage the country’s scientific and engineering talent pool to create value”.

Of course, regulation will be needed but the main aim of the regulation must not be to control salaries, curricula, and speech on campus, but to ensure that students are not cheated. Several of India’s private teaching institutes mislead students by giving them false information about their placement record and tuition costs. Some of them let students in for a small fee and then raise charges midway through the education. We will need intelligent, lean regulation to deter such behaviour.

In this new setting, the quality of universities will vary, with only a handful being of top international standards. That is unavoidable. If we try to have 800 universities (as of February 2017, India had 789) of uniform standard, they can only be uniformly mediocre.

It is true that the private universities are likely to cater to education in the commercially more lucrative disciplines, whereas a nation’s advance also depends on literature, poetry and pure mathematics, which have little immediate commercial value. The advantage of the nation becoming a global hub for education

There is enough enterprise in India and enough profit potential in this sector that private universities will crop up and do the actual delivery once the government provides this basic ethos. As Ratan Tata wrote in the Oxford Companion to Economics in India, if the right policies are in place, India can “leverage the country’s scientific and engineering talent pool to create value” is that this can yield so much income that the government can then take the responsibility of providing these other kinds of education to its own citizens. The government should also take the responsibility to ensure that all Indians get education, taking account of the fact that many are so poor that they will have to be provided education for free.

But even with these caveats, the investment-to-return ratio for the government in the education sector can be disproportionate. Few other sectors can match it.

(The writer is a Professor at Cornell University and former chief economist and senior vice president, World Bank. The article was originally published in The Indian Express.(http://indianexpress.com/article/ opinion/columns/a-higher-opportunity-industrial-policy-indian-government-medical-tourism-4844079/ ) November 1-15, 2017 / Corporate Citizen / 5

Contents 24

Cover story

Dynamic Duo 60

India is our love Rune Jul Larsen, a Norwegian linguist, educationist and former diplomat for the Norway government and his internationally acclaimed artist wife Sujata Bajaj, on their love story, India and what does marriage and parenting mean, in the context of the world, as a global village

9 9 COLLYWOOD Chatpata Chatter from the Corporate World 13 MONEY LIGHT Though money today is just everything, some actually crack jokes on it 14 WAX ELOQUENT Who said what and why 6 / Corporate Citizen / November 1-15, 2017

Volume 3 Issue No.16 November 1-15, 2017 www.corporatecitizen.in

32 16 EXPERT VIEW What can be done to make the farmer more prosperous 20 INTERVIEW Swapnakant Samal, Head - Policy, Processes and Digitisation of Talent Acquisition Group (TAG) CoE, Reliance Industries Ltd, on future of human resource management

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32 CAREER FEST 2017 Ritesh Pratap Singh, Vice President - Organisation Effectiveness & Development, Taj Hotels Resorts and Palaces, on careers in hospitality 36 CRADLE OF LEADERSHIP Air Marshal C K Ranjan, Commandant, The Armed Forces Medical College (AFMC), on what makes it the excellent medical college that it is today

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44 CAMPUS PLACEMENT Yogesh Pardeshi shares his experience of college and the first job 46 LOVED AND MARRIED TOO Banker turned entrepreneur Sameer Gokhale and his HR consultant wife Ruchika on their journey together

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48 TRAVEL Mehul Jobanputra, CTO and CoFounder of DesiDime.com, on his favourite destination, Berlin 50 SURVEY Quarterly Employment Survey (QES) by the Government of India on employment in eight selected sectors in the country

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contents

Editor-In-Chief Dr (Col.) A. Balasubramanian Consulting Editor Vinita Deshmukh vinitapune@gmail.com Assistant Editor Prasannakumar Keskar prasanna.keskar@gmail.com

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Senior Business Writer Rajesh Rao rajeshrao.rao@gmail.com Senior Sub-Editor Neeraj Varty neeraj.varty07@gmail.com Sub-Editor Vineet Kapshikar vineetkapshikar@gmail.com

54 HEALTH As per recent research, people can get many negative effects when they vent their anger freely

Writers Delhi Bureau Pradeep Mathur, mathurpradeep1@gmail.com/ Sharmila Chand, chand.sharmila@gmail.com

56 PEARLS OF WISDOM Swami Krishnananda, on conflict with Ultimate Reality 58 BOLLYWOOD BIZ Will Newton win the Oscar?

60 MOBILE APPS Corporate Citizen takes a look at big-screen smartphones which have embraced the bezel-less design

Bengaluru Bureau Sangeeta Ghosh Dastidar sangeetagd2010@gmail.com Pune Bureau Joe Williams / Kalyani Sardesai / Namrata Gulati Sapra

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66 LAST WORD Reinitiating the process of human contact in these days of incessant social media-by Ganesh Natarajan

Manager Circulation Mansha Viradia +91 9765387072, circulations@corporatecitizen.in West : Jaywant Patil +91 9923202560 North : Hemant Gupta +91 9582210930 South : Asaithambi G +91 9941555389 Creative Direction Sumeet Gupta, www.thepurplestroke.com

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Graphic Designer Shantanu Relekar On Cover Page Sujata Bajaj and Rune Jul Larsen Cover Page Pic by Yusuf Khan Photographer Yusuf Khan Website / Online Subscription www.corporatecitizen.in For Advertising, Marketing & Subscription queries Email: circulations@corporatecitizen.in (Corporate Citizen does not accept responsibility for returning unsolicited manuscripts and photographs. All unsolicited material should be accompanied by self-addressed envelopes and sufficient postage) Tel. (020) 69000677 / 69000672

collywood

People in the news

Ambani richest, Premji 2nd No matter what the economy of the country is going through, nothing seems to affect the wealthiest of our country. Reliance Industries Chairman Mukesh Ambani tops the Forbes annual list of 100 richest tycoons followed by Wipro Chairman Azim Premji. Ambani leads the list with a net worth of $38 billion, Azim Premji stands at $19 billion. In spite of business facing difficulties in the aftermath of the demonetisation of high-value currency last November and rollout of the Goods and Services Tax (GST) in July this year, India’s 100 wealthiest tycoons have seen their combined net worth zooming to a whopping $479 billion, up 26 per cent from $374 billion in 2016. Meanwhile, the Bollywood stars too had their share with Shah Rukh, Salman Khan, and Akshay Kumar among the world’s top 10 richest actors this year. Among Indian actors, Shah Rukh Khan ranks the highest in the world at 8th with $38 million in earnings during the period. Salman Khan is ranked 9th with an earning of $37 million and Akshay Kumar is 10th with $35.5 million.

Robin Leopold is HR Chief, JP Morgan Chase Robin Leopold has been appointed as Head of HR at JP Morgan Chase. Till now, she was HR Head for the organisation’s corporate and investment bank.

She takes charge from John Donnelly who goes as Vice Chairman and Senior Adviser to the Chief Executive Officer Jamie Dimon. The 51-year-old Donnelly has been the CHRO since 2009 and has spent 30 years with JP Morgan Chase. He will continue to work on executive succession, recruitment and coaching. Leopold had a vast experience of 20 years with the Citigroup

before joining JP Morgan in 2010. She started her career with the American Stock Exchange in 1996, with degrees in psychology and business management from the University of Massachusetts.

Talking about the move, CEO Dimon boasted about his firm’s progress in boosting diversity, particularly with African-American and women employees.

He talked about their focus on school recruitment, retention and hiring of ‘more senior African-American talent,’ and highlighted the fact that now a black woman runs their retail division.

Shourie calls demo a moneylaundering event

The largest moneylaundering scheme ever, said the former Union minister Arun Shourie about the Narendra Modi government’s demonetisation saga. Shourie also blamed the note ban and a poorly implemented Goods and Services Tax (GST) for inducing the current slowdown. A tax reform is being compared to the independence of India,’ said Shourie. He called the midnight ceremony for GST launch `event management’. Shourie’s comments came after former Union Finance Minister Yashwant Sinha criticised the current Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) dispensation over demonetisation and GST. Both of them served in the Atal Bihari Vajpayee government and have been vocal about their views on the Modi government’s economic policies. Reacting to the comments, BJP dismissed Shourie and Sinha’s criticisms as coming from `frustrated politicians’ who have been side-lined.

November 1-15, 2017 / Corporate Citizen / 9

collywood Ola gets new CFO, VP–HR Ola, which has been without top drivers for quite some time has filled in the vacuum by appointing two seniors to strengthen their battle against Uber Technologies Inc., in the Indian market. Harish Abichandani comes in as Chief Financial Officer, and Ganesh Subramanian as Vice President, Human Resources. Abichandani was formerly Chief Financial Officer with Flipkart’s logistics arm eKart, while Subramanian was the Director in charge of Human Resources, Enterprise and Technology Solutions at Unilever. Prior to Flipkart, Abichandani was CFO at Tata Teleservices. Ola has been struggling to find a new CFO after Rajeev Bansal left the company in February. Pallav Singh, Vice President, Operations at Ola, was the interim CFO. There have been many top personnel exiting Ola, which last raised $250 million from Softbank. Last month, Deep Singh, Senior Director, Operations resigned. Earlier this year, Sriram V Iyer, Head of Engineering and Senior Director at Ola Innovation Labs also resigned. Ola’s Chief Operating Officer of Offline Initiatives, Anuj Bhargava, who was instrumental in launching initiatives like Ola Play quit the firm, which was followed by Raghuvesh Sarup, Chief Marketing Officer at Ola who joined Microsoft India at the same position.

Rajnish Kumar to helm SBI Rajnish Kumar has been appointed Chairman of the largest public sector bank, the State Bank of India (SBI), replacing Arundhati Bhattacharya who completed her one-year extended term recently. It will be a task cut out for Kumar to address the issue of huge Non-Performing Assets (NPA) of the bank. The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet approved Kumar’s appointment for three years from the date of taking charge on or after October 7, said an order issued by the Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT). Kumar, aged 59, joined the SBI board on May 26 2015. Prior to this appointment, he was Managing Director — Compliance and Risk, and Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of SBI Capital Markets Limited, the merchant banking arm of the SBI, according to his official bio-data. Kumar has also worked as Chief General Manager Project Finance and Leasing Strategic Business Unit. He has held several key assignments across various business verticals, including two overseas assignments in Canada and the United Kingdom. Arundhati Bhattacharya became the first woman chairperson of the SBI in 2013. She was given a year’s extension in October last to ensure continuity, as the SBI was then in the process of absorbing five associate banks. State Bank of Bikaner and Jaipur, State Bank of Hyderabad, State Bank of Mysore, State Bank of Patiala, State Bank of Travancore and Bharatiya Mahila Bank merged with the SBI earlier this year.

Sanmitra Trivedi joins Finolex Sanmitra Trivedi is the new president and CHRO of Finolex Industries. He was the Senior VP and Head-HR, Petroleum Refining & Marketing at Reliance Industries. With three decades of experience across industries, Trivedi has also served on the committees of NASSCOM, CII and Petrofed. Trivedi will now be based out of Pune, operating from the PVC manufacturer’s head-

10 / Corporate Citizen / November 1-15, 2017

quarters. Prior to this, he has worked with Larsen & Toubro, Verizon Data Services, NCR Corporation, Halliburton and Atos Origin. Trivedi began his professional journey in 1988 at Mukand, where he worked for nine years. He was acknowledged by the Chairman and MD of the company for his extraordinary performance and growth.

He joined Halliburton in 1997 and led HR for all legal entities in India and Bangladesh. He also implemented the global merger of Halliburton and Dresser Industries in India.

Tata Cliq splits luxury, creates new app In their bid to approach many, Tata Cliq, the e-commerce arm of retail firm Trent Ltd, will separate the luxury version of its website, and also launch a separate app for luxury brands. This will include clothing brand Armani, bags brand Michael Kors and men’s formal wear brand Brooks Brothers, according to a top company executive. Elaborating on the move, Ashutosh

Pandey, Chief Executive Officer at Tata Cliq stated, “Luxury started as an experiment and we had to choose what the right assortment was for ‘luxury’ in India.” And went on to add, “We saw a lot more traction on the more premium end of our brands. A lot of customers browse our (luxury) site. The conversion is low but they keep

coming, the customers there are sticky.” The company will also launch three new categories including one for Indian luxury brands, Pandey said, along with seven to eight new brands to be sold on the platform, although he declined to name them. India does not have a clearly defined luxury e-commerce firm on the lines of websites such as Net-a-Porter and Matches.com in the US and UK respectively. This attempt to specialise comes at a time when the focus on fashion and apparel sales in e-commerce is increasing in India. While Amazon and Flipkart went on sale, Aditya Birla Group’s apparel e-commerce website abof.in announced it was closing operations by the end of this calendar year.

However, e-commerce industry pundits are of the opinion that selling luxury online, particularly in fashion, is a difficult task in India. The potential market for websites like Tata Cliq could be Tier II and Tier III towns where businessmen and elite consumers are looking to spend on luxury brands whose physical stores are not present.

PeeCee on Forbes’ top-paid TV actresses list Indian Bollywood star Priyanka Chopra is among the 2017 Forbes magazine’s list of world’s highest paid TV actresses, led by Modern Family star Sofia Vergara. Priyanka is ranked eighth in the list. With the success of the popular American thriller series Quantico, Priyanka is the only Indian celebrity in the list. She managed to rake in $10 million between June 2016 and June 2017, reports forbes.com. Vergara retained the top spot in the list for the sixth year in a row. Best known for her role as Gloria Delgado-Pritchett in Modern Family, Vergara collected $41.5 million. She was followed by Kaley Cuoco, who earned $26 million, thanks to the hit comedy show The Big Bang Theory.

Mindy Kaling and Ellen Pompeo are tied at the third spot as they both earned $13 million each. Mariska Hargitay of Law & Order, Special Victims Unit fame rounded off the top five with an earning of $12.5 million. She was followed by Julie Bowen ($12 million) and Kerry Washington ($11 million) at the sixth and seventh positions respectively. Priyanka, who made her Hollywood debut with Baywatch earlier this year, left behind Robin Wright ($9 million) and Pauley Perrette ($8.5 million), who came ninth and tenthth respectively.

November 1-15, 2017 / Corporate Citizen / 11

collywood Wipro buys Cooper In its bid to strengthen its digital offerings to clients globally, the country’s third largest IT services company Wipro has acquired US-based design and business consultancy firm Cooper, which counts Google and Starbucks as clients. Cooper, which Wipro is buying for $ 8.5 million (`56 crores), will be integrated with Designit, the digital arm of the Indian firm as CEO Abidali Neemuchwala deepens the company’s expertise in digital offerings and focus on earning higher revenue. Cooper’s founders Sue Cooper and Alan Cooper will join Wipro to push the company’s aggressive digital strategy. Alan Cooper is considered the ‘Father of Visual Basic,’ and is a prominent player in interaction design, UX (User Experience) and professional design education for more than 25 years. Wipro also gets access offices in New York and San Francisco with the acquisition. Wipro said Cooper would also help the

Sanjay Bose moves from Taj to ITC company expand its reach in the North American market and add capabilities in professional design education. Wipro acquired Designit for nearly `595 crore in July 2015 to add design and digital technology capabilities. Commenting on the move, Rajan Kohli, Global Head and Senior Vice President, Wipro Digital, said, “With Cooper, an acknowledged leader and pioneer in the design community with roots on both the Eastern and Western coasts, we will now be the pre-eminent firm for world-class UX and interaction design. This coupled with Designit’s global strategic design services and our world-class engineering capability, will allow us to support the complete digital journey for our clients, helping them transform their businesses for the future.”

Wipro’s digital arm and Designit currently serve clients from across 16 offices in different markets in the world.

Anuranjita Kumar joins RBS Anuranjita Kumar joined Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS) as the Managing Director, Human Resources for International Hubs. Anuranjita will be based out of Gurugram, while she’ll be travelling extensively to the UK and other locations under international hubs.

Anuranjita has been the Managing Director, Chief Human Resources Officer-South Asia at Citi since 2012. She is a business management graduate from XLRI, who began her professional journey at Procter & Gamble in 1994, a post at which she joined Citibank in 1995, and stayed with the brand for over 21 years. She rose up the corporate ladder at Citi, working across geographies —the US, Middle East, Africa, Europe and South Asia. Talking about the move she said, “RBS is at an exciting phase in its journey, where 12 / Corporate Citizen / November 1-15, 2017

it is getting out of the legacy and the past, and swiftly moving forward into the next phase with the people agenda at its core. This is where I see a great opportunity to make a difference.” She is a well-recognised and revered HR professional, and was the first woman management committee member at Citi India.

She was also the first South Asian and woman leader to be appointed as Head of HR, Global Banking, EMEA in 2007. Anuranjita has always had talent development at the top of her agenda as she calls it, ‘Talent with a big T’. Even at RBS now, she is looking forward to nurturing a strong employer brand with meticulous focus on talent development, along with building managerial and leadership capabilities, enhancing employee engagement and operational excellence.

After being 20 years with Taj Hotels, Sanjay Bose moved to ITC Hotels as the Vice President-HR. After having joined Taj Hotels in 1995, Bose had grown through the ranks and last served as the Vice President-HR Operations at the company. He was responsible for the entire global HR operations for the Taj Group in his last role. Bose completed his MBA in HR from the Xavier Institute of Social Service in 1995 and that’s when he kick-started his career with The Taj Mahal Hotel in New Delhi as an Assistant Manager-HR. He had a generalist HR exposure in his formative years as he managed employee life cycle events in his first role.

He also worked in the area of labour legislation, domestic enquiries and court cases, and conceived and implemented a computerised database for HR records back then. In 1999, he joined the corporate HR team at Taj Hotels and deployed an HRIS system across all 60 hotels of the company. He worked extensively in the area of M&A and was part of a team that oversaw four large acquisitions for the Group. He was also part of a three-member core team that designed and implemented a rightsizing exercise for the company.

Bose took up an advanced management development programme at IIM, Bangalore in 2002.

Compiled by Joe Williams joe78662@gmail.com

Money Light

Money talks... mine says goodbye

Money today is just everything. Thank God, some don’t take it seriously; they actually crack jokes on it!

A

n investment banker stood at the pier of a small coastal village when a small boat with one fisherman docked. Inside the boat were several large yellowfin tuna. The banker complimented the fisherman on his catch and asked how long it took to catch them.

The fisherman replied, “Only a little while.”

The banker then asked why didn’t he stay out longer and catch more fish.

The fisherman said he had enough to support his family’s needs.

The banker then asked, “But what do you do with the rest of your time?”

The fisherman said, “I sleep late, play with my children, take siestas with my wife, stroll into the village each evening where I sip wine and play guitar with my friends. I have a full life.”

The investor scoffed, “I am an Ivy League MBA and I could help you. You should spend more time fishing and with the proceeds, buy a bigger boat. With the proceeds from the bigger

boat, you could buy several boats, and eventually you would have a fleet of fishing boats. Instead of selling your catch to a middleman you would then sell directly to the processor, eventually opening your own cannery. You would control the product, processing, and distribution! You would need to move to the capital city. Then the best part. When the time is right you would announce an IPO and sell your company stock to the public and become very rich. You would make millions!”

The fisherman asked, “But how long will this all take?”

To which the banker replied, “Perhaps 25 to 30 years.”

Okay, then what?” asked the fisherman.

To which the banker replied “Then you would retire. You could move to a small coastal village where you would sleep late, go fishing, play with your kids, take siestas with your wife, and stroll to the village in the evenings where you could sip wine and play guitar with your friends.”

One liners…

Making Money ´ The world is full of willing people - some willing to work and some willing to let them.

Saving Money ´ Misers aren't much fun to live with, but they make great ancestors. ´ Retirement is the time in your life when time is no longer money. ´ Money talks ...but all mine says is good-bye. ´ If you think nobody cares whether you're alive, try missing a couple of payments. ´ A little boy asked his father, "Daddy, how much does it cost to get married?" Father replied, "I don't know son, I'm still paying." ´ Money, if it does not bring you happiness, will at least help you be miserable in comfort. ´ Money is not the most important thing in the world. Love is. Fortunately, I love money. ´ Business is the art of extracting money from another man's pocket without violence.

November 1-15, 2017 / Corporate Citizen / 13

wax eloquent

Look at India Afresh

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

Rising economic potential

“India will account for more than half of the increase in Asia’s workforce in the coming decade, but this isn’t just a story of more workers; these new workers will be much better trained and educated than the existing Indian workforce.”

Anis Chakravarty,

India will be the ‘New India’ “He (Narendra Modi) is able, capable and innovative enough to look at India afresh. I, for one, am optimistic that India will be the ‘New India’ that he has promised. As Prime Minister now, he is offering to the Indian people a new India.

I think we need to give him that opportunity to offer that new India.”

Ratan Tata,

Chairman Emeritus, Tata Sons

Courtesy: http://www.financialexpress.com

Economist, Deloitte India Courtesy: Mint

I’m hugely optimistic about Indian startup ecosystem “I’m not as actively close to the Indian startup ecosystem as others may be, but I’m hugely hopeful of the potential of what can get created in India. The startup ecosystem can do for India what the IT services did for the country in the late 1990s, early 2000s, in terms of being a huge employment creator, a huge wealth generator and a huge brand builder for the country.”

Rishad Premji, Chief Strategy Officer And Executive Board Member,

Seize the moment and act fast

Wipro Ltd

“This government has far less differences than the previous one and that probably is its problem. I would suggest that somehow the government seize the moment and act fast. If this continues for long, it will take a disproportionately greater effort to recover to what is now considered a normal 7% growth rate.”

Opportunities aplenty

Himanshu,

Associate Professor In Economics, Jawaharlal Nehru University Courtesy: https://qz.com

14 / Corporate Citizen / November 1-15, 2017

Courtesy: http://www.livemint.com

“India is the most fierce country in the world in terms of media and entertainment with opportunities aplenty. So first, we have to establish ourselves in media, before we look at newer opportunities. The strategy is very clear, to create good content either in Hollywood or here based on the insights of consumers, use digital appropriately and make sure our partners grow with us.”

Mahesh Samat, MD, Walt Disney India

Courtesy: http://businessworld.in

It’s been about single-minded dedication “I enjoy doing difficult things. This is my 27th year and I continue to design for movies. My business is now a 100 crore label. It’s been tough; it’s been about single-minded dedication. There’s nothing else I love beyond my work.”

Manish Malhotra, Fashion Designer And Stylist Courtesy: https://www.filmfare.com

Failure is a necessary process

“Failure is a necessary process to make great things. We cannot avoid failure. Most of the people are afraid of failure before trying something new. I think it is some kind of prejudice. Failure is a necessary process; you don’t have to worry about it.”

Taizo Son, A mobile games entrepreneur who is setting up an agri-food tech accelerator in India Courtesy: http://www.thehindu.com

We are the investment exchange of the country

Business thrives when there is a social purpose to it

“Every one of you would want to become a Bill Gates, a Nandan Nilekani or a Mark Zuckerberg. But values and purpose are important. Business thrives when there is a social purpose to it.”

Suresh Narayanan,

Chairman And Md, Nestle India Courtesy: Times of India

India is going to be a lot bigger

“I am not a politician but what a country needs to do is set up all the things that make a country grow; education, health, infrastructure and competitive tax system. So I know for a fact, when I come back in ten years, India is going to be a lot bigger than it is today. If you reduce corruption, if you create a digital world that you are talking about, it will lead to far bigger growth in future and lifting up all the Indian people.”

“We are doing what matters for India. We are the investment exchange of the country. We are not a speculative exchange.

We are thought leaders in all the main areas of investment. We have a much larger footprint and a much better technology capability.

When people want to invest, they remember the BSE.” Ashishkumar Chauhan, MD & CEO, BSE

Courtesy: http://www.thehindubusinessline.com

Jamie Dimon, Chairman And Chief Executive Officer, JP Morgan Chase Courtesy: Mint

We will keep evolving Sense of accomplishment

“I feel extremely satisfied with my discovery about myself, my inherent nature, about who I am as a woman and what my tendencies and capabilities are. I left home with none of the knowledge when I was 15 but at the age of 30, I know a lot about me. And there is a sense of accomplishment, I am a three-time National Award winner, I have shattered box office records. Even if my journey ends here right now, I have nothing to lose. I still have a huge success story in every which ways for the rest of my life.”

Kangana Ranaut, Actor

Courtesy: http://www.indiatvnews.com

“In an uncertain world, you have to stay lean, learn, adapt and empower employees. Unlike some companies who start with a black sheet of paper and say disrupt, we believe in disrupting while building on our legacy. It is one thing to say a company has great AI capability. But when it is grounded in a physical understanding of how things work, only a handful of companies in the world think in that fashion.”

Munesh Makhija, VP, GE India Technology Centre & CTO, GE South Asia Courtesy: http://www.thehindubusinessline.com

The competition is cash “The environment is very nascent for the payments business in India. For us, the competition is cash; not the other players in the system. Also, if you see the proportion of India’s economy that is cash-based, the potential for innovation is huge. We feel people need not be pushed.”

Diana Layfield, Vice President Of Product Management, Google (With the launch of its payment app, Tez, Google is looking to enter the payments space in India) Courtesy: http://www.livemint.com

Moving from campus to corporate “Moving from campus to corporate is like transitioning from bachelorhood to married life. Unlike your spouse in married life, you will have colleagues in the organisation.

It is our ability to adapt and learn from them, which will make us successful.”

S Ramesh Shankar, Executive Vp & Country Hr Head, Siemens India

Courtesy: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com

True innovation is about…

“Create your network and leverage the network. True innovation is about being alert, iterating your idea well, and using technology to create value from it. What succeeds is when you start working on your own problem, put new technology to it, and create value generating ideas—that’s what innovation is to me.”

Nivruti Rai,

GM, Intel India, and VP of the Platform Engineering Group, Intel Corp Courtesy: https://yourstory.com

Compiled by Rajesh Rao rajeshrao.rao@gmail.com

November 1-15, 2017 / Corporate Citizen / 15

Expert View

Prosperous Farmer, Prosperous Nation!

by S K Jha

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

Is the much touted intention of the Modi government to double the income of farmers by 2022 too ambitious and far-fetched? What can be done to make the farmer more prosperous, and thereby make ours a more successful nation? Here are some ways….

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

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

W

e need the services of a doctor, a lawyer, a politician or a preacher only sometimes in our lives, but we need the services of a farmer, three times a day. There is an adage that if you ate today, then thank a farmer. Farmers toil in the field to grow food for us irrespective of the harsh conditions of the summer heat, rain and chilly winter. India is primarily an agriculture-based country with 53% of its workforce in this sector. But unfortunately the contribution of agriculture to the GDP is only 17%. The condition of farmers in our country is not good, we hear about our farmers committing suicide in many parts of the country. 'If the farmer is poor, so is the entire country,' as the Polish proverb goes. Recently our Prime Minister, Narendra Modi has been emphasising at many public forums to put all-out efforts to double the income of farmers by the year 2022, when India celebrates her 75th year of independence. This fact has been reiterated by our finance minister on the floor of the Lok Sabha while presenting this year’s budget. He said that the government intends to go beyond food security and give back a sense of income security to our farmers. The self-imposed target by the government is highly laudable but it is too steep a target to be achieved unilaterally, unless all stakeholders join together for an honest effort.

Income is the additional money, which we earn against our investment. Commercial entities increase their income by enlarging their activities or by expanding their manufacturing base supported by an efficient marketing. An individual can increase his income by putting

more man-hours or by doing some additional work. The case of farmers, however, is complex.

The income of a farmer is dependent on many extraneous factors such as weather conditions like drought and monsoon, fertility of land, market conditions for agricultural products, etc., besides hard work on the field.

Banking on hope

Farming is a profession of hope. A farmer’s income is not farm income alone as it has a wide amplitude with many supporting legs. For doubling a farmer’s income, we must have an insight of these supporting legs. They are: 1. Farm yield, 2. Horticulture yield, 3. Yield from rearing, 4. Farm linked activities like mushroom, bee keeping and sericulture, 5. Fisheries 6. Rural

16 / Corporate Citizen / November 1-15, 2017

handicrafts, 7. Miscellaneous income like sale of tree, floriculture etc. A farmer’s income can easily be doubled by increasing the activities in each related sector while working at the same time to increase the farm yield. Simultaneously, we will have to evolve ways for developing an efficient market for farmers, which is free from brokers and intermediaries. Once sources of better income have been identified, the next step is to develop strategies to harvest the maximum result under each such sources.

The most important source of farmer’s income remains farm yield. The starting point is the area of the farm. Bigger the area of plots, farming becomes more profitable. Unfortunately, 86% of land holdings are less than two hectares. Land holdings are also unevenly distribut-

ed as the top 10% of land holdings account for 53% of the cultivable land. Cultivable plots are further diminishing in size due to developmental activities. In this situation, Professor Swaminathan, in his report, has strongly suggested land reform, but that is a time taking process, though an ideal solution. For the short-term, we can think of co-operative farming for the sole objective of more output per unit of land as it will increase individual cultivable area and permit use of tractors and other equipment thus ensuring more yield.

The second big issue related to farm yield is irrigation. Out of 141 million hectares of net cultivable area, only about 65 million hectares are irrigated.

In this situation once the monsoon fails, our farming is greatly affected. The government of India has started a project namely Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayee Yogana (PMKSY) but there is a serious limitation due to lack of adequate resources. The annual allocation collectively for all the states and the centre for irrigation is about one lakh crore when the requirement is roughly of three lakh crores.

'Per Drop More Crop'

For the short term, till the country has adequate resources, we have to strictly follow the policy of 'Per Drop More Crop'. We have to use water resources wisely and learn from a country like Israel about farming using less water. Farm output is also directly related to the fertility of the soil and a studied and optimal use of fertilisers.

The scheme of the government to have soil heath card is good but what is needed is that it trickles down to the farmers in all parts of the country. To have soil test laboratories in village high schools or village community centres is desirable. Research should be made for the nature of crops to be raised in the non-fertile areas and the farmers should be enlightened about that.

Increase in the cropping intensity is another good idea for raising the farm output. We normally have two major crops of kharif and rabi in a year. We got to use the intervening period between two major crops for shorter duration farming. Thus a farmer will get more output from the same plot.

In addition to the quantity of the farm yield, we also have to concentrate on the value of the yield so as to increase the income of a farmer and for this diversification towards high value

crops is needed. Lastly, the need for quality seeds should be addressed as only quality seeds can give better crops. Farmers’ bodies should co-ordinate with different concerned agencies of the government for quality seeds.

Focus on horticulture

Similarly, fish farming can be adopted by more farmers. To begin with, to a lesser extent, a farmer can have a small pond in the backyard of his land holding. For a regular fish business however, access to more water area will be required. Fishery has an ever increasing market and farmers should take necessary help from government departments.

The second source of farmers’ income is horticulture and it is the most reliable source as many times crops fail due to the vagaries of Related activities weather conditions but fruits and vegetables There are some other farm linked activities do not. In the year 2014-15 and 2015-16, when which may appear small but which can play a droughts were there, the production from significant role in accumulating farm income horticulture bypassed the production of food like mushroom cultivation which has a huge grains. As per the available statistics, it was 281 market potential. Earlier, mushroom cultivamillion tonnes of horticultural production in tion used to be a seasonal activity in some hilly 2014-15 of which fruits and vegetables account areas of the country, but now the idea of comfor 92% of the yield. This sector is more reliable mercial production of mushroom in controlled as normally horticulture area is created near the conditions is taking place. More farmers should facilities of irrigation. Demand for fruits and join the bandwagon to multiply their income. vegetables are growing and hence there is a Beehive farming, sericulture and rural handigood potential for an increased market. Farmcrafts are other profitable areas under farm related activities which should be pushed. It is felt ers can earn more by expanding the area under that many of our farmers are not fully informed horticulture for growing more fruits and vegabout these activities and here lies the role of etables. There is also a growing export market our government departments to educate them for our horticulture. and also assist them.

It is advisable that smaller land holding farmWe in India have a tradition of worshiping ers should consider vegetable cultivation. There is a direct nexus between good income from vegetables and Farmers have to partly move hard work put on the farm, which small and marginal out of the domain of farming farmers are capable of doand think of value addition to ing. Floriculture, production their products. This will ensure of spices and other smaller items of horticulture require additional income while the core to be pushed. There is a good income against the agricultural market potential for growing produce remains in the safe zone. medicinal plants for our pharmaceutical products especialFor example, a farmer producing ly with the growing ayurvedic spice can have value addition of sector. his produce if he also engages in Farming and animal rearing are twin activities. Aniprocessing his produce by drying, mals like cows and buffaloes grinding and even packaging. are reared by farmers for milk and the by-product organic Thus, farmers can think ‘from manure is also useful in agfarm to mall’ and do things on riculture. Dairy farming has their products which others do been termed as a dependable class of agriculture. Milk profor their produce duction is a sustainable source of income for farmers. Income from this source can be multiplied by following trees on many of our religious occasions. This the Amul model of co-operative dairy-farming logically means that our culture values trees. wherever possible. Farmers are eligible to take Following this tradition, farmers should grow loans from the organised banking sector for the some high value trees as a must in areas which purchase of cows and buffaloes. It should be the are not cultivable for crops. These trees will target of farmers to at least double the income serve as an insurance cover to the farmers and from the sale of milk and milk products in two will give windfall profit at the time of need. years and this way they will easily reach the tarHigher income can never be achieved unless get of doubling their income in five years. production is served by efficient marketing.

November 1-15, 2017 / Corporate Citizen / 17

Expert View Farmers suffer on this count, while the cost to consumers is high; the price which the farmers get is normally low. The intermediaries between the farmers and consumers reap the benefit sometimes even by resorting to illegal activities of hoarding. The creation of a national agricultural market, where farmers can have direct access is urgently needed. The Agriculture Produce Market Committee (APMC) in states have failed the farmers and benefitted the market brokers and they should be abolished or at least reorganised. Platforms for farmers should be created and farmers should also be helped in participating in e-commerce of agricultural products. There is also an urgent need of frequent revision of MSP based on realities of the situation so as to provide additional cover to the farmers for their produce.

Another area of an urgent post-harvest consideration is to prevent the loss of the produce.

In the case of fruits and vegetables, the loss is sometimes as much as 30%. Farmers do not have proper storage capacity. Warehouses and cold chains are needed and here both central and state governments should step in and the private sector should also be given incentives to

For the short-term, we can think of cooperative farming for the sole objective of more output per unit of land as it will increase individual cultivable area and permit use of tractors and other equipment thus ensuring more yield invest. We hear stories as to how our food grains rot in the godowns of the Food Corporation of India and hence the new warehouses should be of better standards.

Value addition to products

Farmers have to partly move out of the domain of farming and think of value addition to their products. This will ensure additional income while the core income against the agricultural produce remains in the safe zone. For example, a farmer producing spice can have value addition of his produce if he also engages in processing his produce by drying, grinding and even packaging. Thus, farmers can think ‘from farm to mall’ and do things on their products which others do for their produce. Capital requirements on softer terms can be met by Mudra

Bank, which has been recently launched for small entrepreneurs. For the convenience of farmers, it is also desirable that the government should start more food processing parks.

The burden on farmland is very high as a major proportion of our population is dependent on farming. Thus, the per capita income of farmers is very small. In the year 2012-13, the average income of a farmer was `6,400. With droughts and floods, the income from farming remains volatile. In this situation, shifting of a part of the cultivators from farming to non-farming occupation will help them generate more income. Non-farming occupation can be both farm related or absolutely independent.

Poultry farming, textile weaving at the cottage industry level, furniture making, etc., can be thought of. They should also be considered for employment in nearby development activity works. Sugarcane growers should have first claim on the jobs in the nearby sugar factories.

One good way to shift farming population to non-farming occupation will be to train them in the art prevalent in their society and convert them into professionals. For example, Mithila painting is popular in North Bihar and the village women there make world-class paintings.

Members of the family of farmers in this area should be trained to become professional painters and market their paintings both in the domestic and export market.

Income is dependent on cost, so lesser the cost, more the income. Farmer is the only man in the economy who buys everything in retail while he sells everything in wholesale. The retail price is always higher compared to the wholesale price and thus for a farmer his input costs, say on seeds, fertilisers, pesticides, etc., is high while his produce is sold at a lesser, wholesale rate. Farmers also bear the added cost of transport both at the time of buying and selling. It is

18 / Corporate Citizen / November 1-15, 2017

suggested that for a farmer, co-operative societies should be floated for the purchase of his input requirements and also for transport so that he can reduce some cost.

Costly finance

One major component of cost for the farmer is the cost of finance against loan. The situation is sad; almost 40% of farm loan is taken from money lenders and not from formal banking sources, which is at a much higher interest rate.

We have to aggressively pursue this matter so that farm loans are taken at lesser rate from the formal banking sector. This will not only increase the income of farmers but also reduce the agrarian stress leading to suicide by the farmers.

Doubling the income of farmers in five years is possible. Prosperous farmers will mean more employment, better economic growth due to increased buying power of a major part of our population. The country will grow with the income growth of farmers.

CC

tadka

Scientists decode body clock Three American scientists have won the 2017 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for unravelling secrets of how the body's internal clock or circadian rhythm works.

Jeffrey C. Hall, Michael Rosbash and Michael W. Young were able to peek inside the human biological clock and elucidate its inner workings. The winners will share a prize of 825,000 British pounds.

Corporate Debate

Who is a Better Boss?

Man or Woman?

By Sharmila Chand

‘If you want to feel good at work, you should work for a woman’: Meryl Streep in The Devil Wears Prada.

Is it true? Are women better bosses?

We initiate a debate : ‘Who is a better boss-a man or a woman?’ We get an interesting insight as shared by a cross section of people working across different sectors.

different from men because they not only have to prove their mettle but also overcome gender bias. This in particular can be motivation to other women who would like to move up the corporate ladder but don’t do anything because they often feel like they are being pulled back for pursuing their dreams. I feel like I learn more from women bosses about how to handle those struggles and how they overcome the obstacles they face. A downside of this is that, in order to overcome these, sometimes women bosses feel the need to build a wall around them in order to appear tough and this can be misunderstood as being intimidating, rude or indifferent.

When I had just started working at Genpact, I had a woman boss who was considered ruthless and cold. Unfortunately, this reputation led to people talking behind her back. She was aware of what was said behind her back. However, I never once saw her unfazed. She would only focus on the job and took no nonsense from anyone. I was fortunate to get in her good books and realised that she intentionally put up this facade so that people took her seriously.

Namrata Matharu,

PR professional at Karma PR I am comfortable working with a boss whose personality is approachable, from whom I can learn and grow and who exhibits leadership qualities.

During my days of working in Genpact, Gurugram, my boss of four years was extremely supportive and during my performance appraisals, he would always encourage me to push myself. He also urged me to explore the in-house management trainee programme and assured me that even though I did not see it in myself, he knew that I had the leadership skills to go ahead. He mentored me through the programme and I eventually was selected for the programme out of 40 other participants. In my current job, I have a woman boss and I get on very well with her. She is extremely easygoing. However, when it comes to work, she knows when to be professional and when to be casual. She ensures that there is work-life balance and this makes the work atmosphere very enjoyable and fulfilling. From both the above bosses, I have learnt a lot and can say that they have had a pivotal role in my personality development.

The struggles that a woman has had to get to the position of a boss are

Mrinal Kumar,

Senior Business Development professional I enjoy working with women bosses more since they have two worlds to deal with, one work and another family. Thus ,they have more sense of balance and responsibility. I have had four men bosses in my career and one woman boss. The level of support and career development, I had under the woman boss was exemplary and surpassed all the four men bosses together. Women bosses have less ego and have better level of commitment to succeed. chand.sharmila@gmail.com November 1-15, 2017 / Corporate Citizen / 19

“Technology is our own brain child, why should we be shy about it. That’s why I always say that technology is never a challenge, but acceptability that this technology can make wonders is the challenge. I am sure people have started experiencing and understanding it” 20 / Corporate Citizen / November 1-15, 2017

Pics: Ahmed Shiekh

Interview

Digitally Empowered HR A certified behavioural interviewer and job evaluator, Swapnakant Samal, has more than 18 years’ of extensive experience in designing and implementing HR policies and people practices across various industries. Currently as Head - Policy, Processes and Digitisation of Talent Acquisition Group (TAG) CoE, Reliance Industries Ltd, Swapnakant extensively works on recruiting system digitisation, recruiting process efficiency and policy development. In his free time, he loves to mentor young and bright management students. In an exclusive interview with Corporate Citizen, he talks about his career journey, HR practices and the future of human resource management

By Rajesh Rao

What made you choose the HR field as your career path?

I started my journey with sales and marketing in Heinz India. Coming out of Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad, I joined Heinz as a management trainee. My stint in FMCG sales and marketing has shaped my today. While in Sales, I felt HR will be a more strategic job with better access to leadership.

Thankfully, I found my feet in corporate HR. Since then, it’s been a long journey—I have worked over six organisations. Later, I moved to IT/ITES before trying a startup venture. I have also had an experimental move from corporate sector to a mid-sized law firm-a sector, which had very nascent HR practice.

After establishing and growing the firm, I moved back to corporate sector, in Reliance Industries Ltd (RIL).

Throughout, I have been involved in business partnering role of HR. Work at RIL is a new experience for me as I get to work in the digital side of HR.

You are looking after policy, processes, digitisation and change. Can you explain this role of yours in digitisation and change, as HR?

The Talent Acquisition CoE is responsible for building internal and external hiring capability and ensures RIL policies and processes are fit for purpose; aligned with the changing requirements of the business; and communicated to the relevant stakeholders and audi-

ences throughout the organisation. Large conglomerates like Reliance has to have very strong policies to attract and retain its people. This role involves policy development, managing processes and undertake change management activities as required to implement the vision for recruitment. In this role, I lead large-scale digitisation projects like implementing applicant tracking system, integrating it with social hiring solutions, digitising onboarding and continuously monitoring the system to make it robust and error free.

How are HR departments embracing digitisation and is it empowering the HR professionals?

For example, today, people are socially connected and are networking with people who have similar profiles.

During sourcing, a recruiter needs to view who this person is connected to professionally, this gives him/ her the lead to similar profiles. It all happens through your mobile device—you post a job requirement through your mobile device, you get the resumes through your mobile device and you immediately see the connections of that individual with his network, or with someone who is already in your organisation—this way you are highly empowered with lot more information. That information when it is put to use, it becomes the basis of your digital HR empowerment. Given the extensiveness of November 1-15, 2017 / Corporate Citizen / 21

HR Talk Interview

Being Relevant Interestingly, the most common job in the US market is of a goods transporter or a truck driver. But, with driverless technology coming big way, have you imagined what will happen to this profession in 10-15 years from now. It will become irrelevant. The bottom-line is, 65 per cent of jobs that you will be doing to earn your bread-and-butter in near future, are not existing today. If you don’t know what the future will look like, how you will acquire the right skills, which will make you ready for future-isn’t it a contradiction.

Digital disruption is here to stay, if you have to make a living, you have to make yourself relevant in digital world. Fortunately, a great deal of research says there are four skills which are timeless, to help us succeed in the ever changing world. They are critical thinking, which is about solution thinking—how to give a solution. Then comes design thinking—do you have that innovativeness to create something futuristic. Then comes effective communication and networking with people. mobile technology coupled with ability to find and select talent, it’s no surprise that HR at many organisations is becoming increasingly digitised and empowered.

Let me give an example of how the organisation’s policy and feedback mechanism has changed. Today, employees are increasingly expecting anytime-anywhere easy access to organisation’s policies’-what was once available in hard book formats and has now moved to being digitally available in your mobilephone, along with ways to give feedback. When a new employee joins, there is a settling-in period. In large organisations a mobile app like ‘Mobile Buddy’ helps the new joiner from day one, on vast range of issues like finding people with common interest, ways to be successful in the organisation to more informal things like places for lunch, hobby clubs, and car pool etc. This is engaging-a great candidate experience in terms of the way you welcome them into the organisation and the way you make them comfortable on their first day. This creates a kind of stickiness with the employee and that is how we are creating the employee empowerment side.

Organisations are taking a design thinking approach in integrating employee needs and user experience. Mobile technology, information analytics and flexible processes are maximising the digital experience.

Is automation and digitisation being looked at as a challenge that HRs have to overcome and get used to it?

Digitisation is not technology, digitisation is not automation—digitisation starts with being able to imagine the superlative user experience.

A candidate, who comes in for an interview to a large campus, will have tremendous difficulty in locating which building he/she has to get into. So, how can digitisation help here?

If you apply design thinking perspective, the solution lies in committing to good candidate experience. It starts with ease of commuting to interview location, hassle free entry into office and overall timely and smooth interview.

Moreover, the candidate feels great to share feedback of his/her experience exactly the way

“The HR job in the future, will be more refined, enjoyable and better. We are talking of AI and Robotics, but we need people to create it. HR leaders will be the facilitators to help scout such talent, build a culture, which will nurture the talent and can optimise relationship among the employees. For such skills, we may need new work model contracts” 22 / Corporate Citizen / November 1-15, 2017

it is done after a ride in Uber or Ola. To achieve this, the backend needs a lot of integration of multiple stakeholders, who commit to work towards overall candidate experience. They streamline respective processes in such a way that candidate uses just a handset to complete all interview related formalities.

Looking at the technological changes that are coming up, how will you forecast the skills required for the future?

The hotel and hospitality industry, they never would have imagined in their life that there would be a situation like Airbnb, where people will simply pack their bags and start staying in rented rooms without bothering about five star facilities available in the hotels. Things change very rapidly; it is almost futile to estimate what will be the kind of skill requirement in future. But, there are certain traits of employees, which are very important to acquire, to succeed in future.

So, what are the four-five things, which will help future employees to succeed? In my opinion the ability to think, ability to interact with lots of people, ability to critically evaluate the difficulties and solution designing in imaginative way are going to be key to success in future. Technology is our own brain child, why should we be shy about it. That’s why I always say that technology is never a challenge, but acceptability that this technology can make wonders is the challenge. I am sure people have started experiencing and understanding it.

With over twenty years of your experience in the HR field, tell us about key trends that are changing how HR is being practised.

Today the HR’s recruitment efforts include the concept of job-on-demand. How do you look at it?

A lot of things have changed-designations have become meaningless now. Carrying a decorative designation without being able to contribute is worthless. Leaders of future will be more hands on. Teams are becoming smaller with cross-functional expert. The concept of experience is getting challenged by ability to imagine and deliver. Workforce is becoming demanding and agile. I am seeing the young employees who possess a lot of energy, agility and superior knowledge of technology. They want to work on meaningful things to bring in changes. The hierarchy is dead-the work is happening in highly networked project clusters with multidiscipline teams and feedback is becoming more straight forward and acceptable.

Today if organisations are not transparent, people will reject the culture and express it in social media. Can organisations face it—you cannot say that people write because they were not happy. People write because they want to express it, and the organisation did not give them a chance to express it. People want the culture to change. Social, mobile and networked workforce wants these changes to happen fast.

The skills can be classified in pyramid structure with three parts. The bottom of the pyramid is called commoditised skills, the centre of the pyramid is called marketable skills, and the top of the pyramid is called niche skills. If you don’t have commoditised skills, you are as good as nothing and if you have lots of commoditised skills you are still as good as nothing. Marketable skills give you an upper hand but employees need to continuously reskill them to keep that strategic advantage.

Niche skill are used in specific jobs, which would demand people on a specific term basis, they will come work, turnaround the project and move on. Its demand-supply gap, which is shaping fix-term employment. I have recently read that in armed forces, they need scientists to code language for the drones. Now there would be hardly 200 people in the country, who have that skill. So, they are on high demand-till that skill moves from the top niche skill to the marketable skill you will see term based employment.

Are big data and data analytics, giving HR the opportunity to be more strategic?

What is the future of HR? Is there a possibility that AI will take over the HR job?

Yes. Big data is all about information and insights. HR will become more strategic by the nature of its delivery by using these insights to attract, retain and nurture talent in the most appropriate way. To attract best talent, we need to use the business managers who are true representative of HR, who have lot of insights. In collaboration with HR these insights can be sorted, filtered and used to narrow down to manage talent.

The HR job in the future, will be more refined, enjoyable and better. We are talking of AI and Robotics, but we need people to create it. HR leaders will be the facilitators to help scout such talent, build a culture, which will nurture the talent and can optimise relationship among the employees. For such skills, we may need new work model contracts. Who do you think will do these? These will be future HR expectations.

What is your advice for those who are aspiring to be in the HR field?

There are many don’ts in life and I suggest you focus on the dos. You should have lot of energy, which is not about how much energy you have, but the energy of how you can help others. The most important thing is being human, because being correct always is a gift; however, being kind is a choice that you make. These are the things you have to have in human resources management, so that organisation can nurture employees.

Otherwise, it will be like a machine and end of the day human beings may be users of digital technology, but in true sense they are analogue. rajeshrao.rao@gmail.com

CC

tadka

India-US business travels more popular Business travel from India to the US is one of the most popular destinations, as seven American cities get listed among top 10 destinations (outside of Asia-Pacific).

A report released by American Express Global Business Travel (GBT) showed that strong links between India’s technology and engineering sectors and the US seem to be driving an increase in business travel to San Francisco and New York, which have both overtaken Singapore to move to the 2nd and 3rd most popular business destinations.

November 1-15, 2017 / Corporate Citizen / 23

Cover Story

Cover Story Dynamic Duo 60

e v is ourLo Rune Jul Larsen & Sujata Bajaj

India

Rune Jul Larsen, a Norwegian, is a linguist, educationist and a former diplomat for the Norwegian government. An admirer of India, its culture and historical heritage, his connection with the country is his wife, Sujata Bajaj. She is an internationally acclaimed artist, who has been hailed and guided by iconic figures in the world of art – Jean-Claude Carriere and S H Raza.

Recently, she has held a series of exhibitions of painting and sculptures on the theme of 'Ganesha' in Delhi, Mumbai, Pune and in Dubai. Sujata and Rune reside between Paris, Dubai and India.

While Sujata remains a staunch Indian, in attire as well as heart, Rune is Indian more by heart. He has taken to vegetarianism and runs one of the most popular Yoga centres in Paris. His belief in Vipassana, brings him to this spiritual 10-day meditation course, practically every year. Their daughter, Helena, graduated this year from the renowned college for design and fashion Parsons in New York and is an embodiment of a perfect international citizen, speaking five languages and having assimilated very well the diverse cultural background of her parents.

Corporate Citizen spoke to Rune Jul Larsen on his ongoing love story with India and what does marriage and parenting mean, in the context of the world, as a global village‌Excerpts

By Vinita Deshmukh What were your childhood dreams?

Rune: I had one that I remember clearly: I wanted an international life. In that I am much fulfilled, beyond expectations.

How did it happen?

My childhood was spent in three countries. I am a Norwegian born in Norway; I spent my childhood in Norway, the United States and France.

So, I grew up with these three cultures, which to a large extent still run in my veins. They have given me the opportunity to live a different life than the 24 / Corporate Citizen / November 1-15, 2017

average Norwegian, as I had many more cultural and linguistic experiences than the kids with whom I played and went to school with.

Your relationship with France seems to be the strongest...

Yes, probably, and this is because I have a very passionate relationship with the French language. I have lived almost half of my life in France and while working in Norway I taught French grammar at the university. Then I left Norway to teach Norwegian in France. After some time, I was called to be a diplomat in Paris and I thoroughly enjoyed this experience as well. That

Pics: Yusuf Khan

is when I met Sujata. One day, in 1989 I entered an exhibition at the international student campus in Paris where I was the director of an institution.

Sujata also stayed at that campus. In fact, we were neighbours. She was a student scholar and a painter. The exhibition I just mentioned featured seven selected young international artists and Sujata was one of them. Three of her works were on the walls and I wished to acquire all three but just one was left to be sold. So, this is how I met the artist and I liked her as much as her paintings! In due course, I got her as well (not in that deal of course), but it all started at that exhibition, which I had randomly visited, with the

Three of Sujata's works were on the walls and I wished to acquire all three but just one was left. So, this is how I met the artist and I liked her as much as her paintings! In due course, I got her as well November 1-15, 2017 / Corporate Citizen / 25

Cover Story purchase of the painting. We got married in 1991 and settled down in Paris.

We simply love this city.

Sujata: It’s been 26 years of our marriage.

So how did the love relationship grow?

It was a very strange love at first sight, because at that time I was not so young. I was 35 years old and I lived in a place where there were lots of young people and students who hailed from different parts of the world.

Norway House, where I stayed in those years, was next to India House. I would see young Indian women going in and out and at that time they did not dress in jeans-they all wore sarees or salwar kameez. I used to think they came from a very strange culture.

So how did your friendship go forward?

Then our friendship grew but there was this understanding that before we could consider taking it to the next level, Sujata insisted that I had to see her country. I came to India in 1989, met Sujata’s family and visited many parts of the country. India in 1989 was of course quite different from India today. I was curious and had at that time sufficient understanding, I believe, to grasp at least parts of the Indian culture. I was immediately attracted by some of the values there. Sujata’s parents Radhakrishnaji Bajaj and Anasuya Devi Bajaj were extraordinary people, not only in the way they welcomed me of course, but also in the way they conducted their own lives. They were historical followers of Gandhiji and firmly rooted in the principles that Gandhiji had laid out for the country. They were closely connected to Vinoba’s Ashram in Wardha, where I have stayed myself many times.

Meeting Sujata’s family was a conclusive experience, if I may say so. It made it easy to consider a lifelong commitment

Sujata's parents were historical followers of Gandhiji...

They were closely connected to Vinoba’s Ashram in Wardha, where I have stayed myself many times. Meeting Sujata’s family was a conclusive experience, if I may say so. It made it easy to consider a lifelong commitment Did you fall in love with India as well?

There were things in India that I could not fall in love with. For the first time in my life I saw poverty. Remember, I come from a very egalitarian society where people by and large are treated equally in all matters. In India the opposite seems to be the rule. That was a shock for me. I had heard about strange beliefs, sacred cows, castes and all that but the scale of poverty was tough. It took me some time, I must admit, not to get too disturbed by this.

However, India is such a great and grand country because of the marvels of its ancient civilizations. Many features of its glorious past are present in every day’s India. I am sensitive to that and I am truly grateful that I have been given the opportunity to know India and its culture. Sujata has remained very Indian. She has not moved into changing her core values unlike so many Indians today. I appreciate that.

So you went back to Paris and decided to get married?

Yes. We went back and after a year, in the summer of 1991, we decided to get married.

What did your parents say then?

Rune: My parents were more reluctant than Sujata’s parents. I must confess that in my part of the world there were misunderstandings about India.

At that time Norway was giving foreign aid to the country. India was con26 / Corporate Citizen / November 1-15, 2017

sidered poor and backward with strange customs and beliefs. This was the prevalent opinion. So, my parent’s attitude was naturally influenced by this.

Since I was the only son, marrying an Indian girl made them initially a bit uneasy. In their view it was risky.

Sujata: Risky because they were insecure and had a biased view of our culture and of our country.

Rune: My parents were probably also less curious. We, young people are more curious. It was true then and it probably is even today. I was on the right side of this divide and they were most likely on the wrong side because of their age. It was not easy for them to even try to understand India. So, for my parents our marriage was quite challenging to accept, I must admit that.

Sujata: But they came to India to attend our wedding and after that they were very happy.

Rune: Yes, they came to our wedding in Pune and they were very favourably impressed with everything.

How would you rate hospitality of people in India and in Norway?

The hospitality of Indians is on a different level because I believe, India is still very much a family based society while Norway is no longer that. We rely on the Government and our support system today is public welfare schemes. In India the family is there to help. This is a major difference.

When you enter an Indian family, the family sees it as a duty to welcome that person, because I think Indians understand that when a foreigner comes to India he or she faces a very unfamiliar situation. When a foreigner comes to Norway it doesn’t matter because the society is such that there is no trouble and everything is functional and smooth sailing. You don’t need help to buy a train ticket whereas in India it can be very challenging for a foreigner to buy a train ticket without help. I have always felt that the Indians in general - particularly Sujata’s family with their strong Gandhian values - are extremely welcoming. But this is at the individual level. At the level of the society, Norway is very welcoming. Sujata was for instance fantastically well received as an artist. She has had a host of very successful shows both in Oslo and in Stavanger and there are hundreds of works of Sujata adorning walls of Norwegian homes that testifies to this. These days a prominent Norwegian art critic is writing a book on Sujata.

After you married her, what is that has cemented your relationship?

Well, there are some aspects I would like to underline which might not be too common. Sujata and I work together, we travel together and actually live in countries in which we both are considered foreigners. This creates special bonds. And there is of course our daughter, Helena, and the time we both take out spending with her. The three of us have a common passion in traveling and we make it a point to go on trips together. Last year we were in Japan, this year in Peru. Personally, I have become more interested in art over the years and I have taken a keen interest in Sujata’s profession to the extent that I have made it partly my own profession. Not that I am creative but there were quite a few technical aspects that I could take care of and thus free up time for her to paint. Now we spend a lot of time in France which is a country we both love. Paris is a beautiful city and has been a blessing for us.

festivals and she follows them gladly. We also celebrate Christmas since I am a Christian. We try to give her a broad mind-set. And, we want her to be not just our daughter, but also our friend. I think we have managed this quite well. Now that she is 22 she speaks to me as a friend. She shares things with us that we believe not so many people of her age would share with their parents.

Technology is everything today and things are moving very fast as we all know. When it come to this, children often know more than their parents.

Indians understand that when a foreigner comes to India he or she faces a unfamiliar situation. When a foreigner comes to Norway it doesn’t matter because the society is well-organised

How did you take to the Indian cuisine?

Sujata is a vegetarian like her family and I am personally convinced it is the right answer – both, for our health and for the benefit of our planet. I am brought up differently, as a fish and meat eater like all Norwegians, but I have reduced significantly eating non veg, as you Indians say. I have compromised without feeling that I have sacrificed anything at all. I must add that we travel a lot so I do get opportunities to eat other things whenever I wish.

Sujata: Rune has made a serious effort. When we decided to get married, my mom wondered how I would cope as I had never eaten nor cooked non-vegetarian food. Being pure vegetarian is the rule in my family so this was an important point.

Tell us about upbringing of your daughter...

Rune: Languages play an important part when you have a background like ours. Helena was born and brought up in France. She speaks French and English fluently. With Sujata she speaks mostly in Hindi.

Sujata: Yes, she speaks Hindi beautifully…

Rune: Yes, she does. And that is a big achievement. The credit goes to Sujata.

She has insisted that Helena learns Hindi. Many Indians are surprised when they hear how well she expresses herself in Hindi, especially in Mumbai where youngsters of her age tend to speak English.

What should be the upbringing of the child when the parents come from two countries with very different cultures?

The upbringing should aim at trying to make the child understand the best values of the father and mother by balancing the importance of both.

We wanted Helena to be a tolerant person, accepting people of different races and creeds. She respects Hindu traditions, so we celebrate Hindu

It is the first time in history that important technological knowledge is in the hands of children rather than in the hands of their parents. This has a profound impact on relations between generations and on how you bring up your children. I know many people who can no longer communicate with their grand-children because they cannot handle the technology and that becomes a pain point. In India you probably feel an even bigger pain because you still live in a system where one must respect the elders. However, after some years, even in India, youngsters will stop respecting their elders because they are not so techno-savvy.

What should be the definition of a parent today?

I think parents should to be close friends of the child because the emotional highs are not what they used to be-the identity the child creates is now very much related to Facebook, to Instagram, to Snapchat and this is disturbing the children. The child has a friend one day and then there is a message on the phone that breaks this friendship and the child seeks for a new friendship once again. I think parents must step in and spend real time with their children. The friendship we have with our daughter is valuable because we see that this makes her differentiate the relationship she has with her friends and schoolmates. We are constantly in touch with her; we get calls from her saying, `‘Oh, I am so unhappy because this happened, because that happened and so on.’’ I have regular WhatsApp calls with her, we have been November 1-15, 2017 / Corporate Citizen / 27

Cover Story cover story like to. So, at times artists can be really complicated to relate to, because they don’t share the standard codes of standard social behaviour

Your interest in Yoga is amazing; it has led to you creating a yoga centre in Paris...

The Yoga centre that I created five years ago is something that I wanted to do for a friend to start with. Sujata and I have some very good friends and one in particular who is very dear to us and who has dedicated his entire life to help other people. He is very skilled as a yoga teacher, in fact, he is extraordinary I would say. Six years ago we could establish our own centre.

Technically I am the boss, but he runs it, I am very happy with that.

Sujata: The centre, which has the best features and an excellent location, has the lowest fees in Paris. The students are very dedicated. Our friend gives attention to each person’s need. I think you could say that our yoga centre is idealistic and very person-centric.

Rune: Yoga became a big thing in the western world even before Mr Modi’s efforts to make an International Day for Yoga. It is still gaining momentum.

You also do Yoga and Vipassana; can you tell about that?

I do Yoga but not the complete set of exercises I have some limitations I cannot go fully into that. I was interested in some of the spiritual practices of India since my first visit to the country and particularly some of the meditation techniques that are thought to be developed by the historical Buddha.

One such technique is called ‘Vipassana’. I do a course every year and I am very happy with that. It is 10 days in complete silence; waking up at 4 a m, eating little food. I take it as a challenge.

How do you feel after Vipassana?

Peaceful. And thankful that such a technique exists and that I have the possibility to follow courses. After a course, you feel light in the body because you eat healthy for 10 days. You lose weight. You lose lot of mental weight also of course and that is the purpose. You understand that you should not indulge in all the petty things in life. We all have a tendency to create problems because of small things in life; Vipassana teaches you to see the bigger picture and to remain in the bigger picture while being non-reactive to things and events around. All the misery of the world happens because people react to things and do so in a wrong way; some reactions of course are necessary when there is danger, but most reactions are unnecessary.

The definition I think is that happiness in marriage, is not a right that you have; it is something you actively build. Many young people, if they look good, think that they have the right to happiness because in movies you see it like that using these devices and we have to because she is in New York and she is happy with this kind of communication.

What would be your advice for young couples ?

Rune: The definition I think is that happiness in marriage, is not a right that you have; it is something you actively build. Many young people, if they look good, think that they have the right to happiness because in movies you see it like that. But, this is not the real world. Happiness is a precious state of mind that both the spouses have to know how to identify, appreciate and how to build in interaction with each other. Secondly, where there is life there is change. We have to understand that we will all change over the course of time and that your partner will also change.

How do you cope with an artist who has erratic timings?

Artistic people have strong opinions and they live in a different world, largely of their own making. They can allow themselves to work and think differently. Other people have to relate to so many formalities, on the work place and in society. We have a boss, a secretary, assistants, partners; while artists have only their own work to do by themselves, at whatever time they would 28 / Corporate Citizen / November 1-15, 2017

What is your philosophy of life?

Very simple: do not harm, try to do good and purify your mind. On a worldlier level, I think it is very important to be aware of the food we eat. It should be healthy because today we have all the knowledge we need for that. For educated people there is no excuse. I believe we have a greater responsibility towards our own bodies and our own health today than before. And the health of our planet is also linked to our food habits. So this issue is really an important one. We need to be equally vigilant with our mental health. Today we are aggressively bombarded with information. To find moments of mental silence is difficult, but it is necessary.

What is your favourite travel destination?

Rune: Sujata and I love the island of Santorini, Greece. It has a the most stunning view of the Mediterranean you can think of. We go to this island each year; to the same hotel where we stay in the same room-a very simple and basic room. The owners have become our friends. This is one thing which is very dear to us. Apart from Santorini, Sujata and I are very happy to travel to Thailand which is a recent discovery for us. We really enjoy the people there, their smiles, their politeness, the abundance of fresh fruits at all seasons and of course the beautiful flowers.

Colours of Norway

Paris

&

From her days at Ecole des Beaux Arts, in Paris, where she experimented with the mixed media to her studio in Norway and her home in Pune, Sujata Bajaj explores various materials, medias and methods. She has worked with different art forms and media such as etching, wood-cut, sculpture, murals, cold ceramic, fibre-glass, metal, mixed media and, now, acrylic. Sujata was in India recently to showcase her monumental work on the theme 'Ganpati' manifested through paintings and sculptures. Corporate Citizen caught up with this vibrant artist whose work has won international acclaim through various awards making India proud of her

By Vinita Deshmukh and Kishore Singh

November 1-15, 2017 / Corporate Citizen / 29

Cover Story cover story

S

he can be quiet and contemplative, but also vivacious and spontaneous-dwelling on thresholds of sensitivity as it were. She lives between Paris, India and Dubai. Her husband Rune Jul Larsen is Norwegian. That takes her also to Norway. Unapologetic about her convictions and beliefs, she always carried India as well as her cosmopolitism wherever she is. Like her work, she is difficult to distil in words. Which is why it is easier to let Sujata Bajaj walk us on the promenade of time, let her unleash her memories-of colour, of childhood, influences of Ganpati and the essence of her life, juxtaposed against her work.

Pune girl Sujata Bajaj has grown to be a stalwart international artist today. She held her first show at the tender age of 19 years at the Bal Gandharva Art Gallery, Pune in 1978. At one of her subsequent exhibitions in the 1980s, S H Raza, one of India’s priciest artist who lived in Paris (he passed away in 2016) described her as, "one of the best young talents around, someone who is very clear about her concepts in art."

In 1988, Sujata went to Paris at Raza's insistence. She was awarded a scholarship by the French Government. In Paris, she enrolled at the Ecole Nationale Superieur des Beaux-Arts, and worked at Studio Claude Viseux. She got exposure to a unique technique, the monotype, which over time became her signature mixed media technique.

France also proved to be a fascinating world for Sujata, one that helped her "find the balance between Indian aesthetics and modern painting."

Indian tribal art plays a major role in Sujata's work even today. Quite natural given the fact that she did her PhD degree in Indian tribal art and has lectured on it across the world. Art critic Ranjit Hoskote, while reviewing Sujata's work says, "Each of her frame acts as a variation on the past, the ancestral inheritance: in the ochre yellow and red palette, we are recalled into the ritual circle of sacrifice; a hero-stone, a tribal totem, a lost goddess of fertility is suggested by certain motifs; and in the elegant calligraphy of the sacred texts, the hymns repeated until the pitch of perfection has been achieved."

Sujata Bajaj spends her time between India, Paris, Dubai, Norway. She’s an Indian by the clothes she wears, the food she eats and the way she paints, seated cross-legged on the floor. Through the window she sees the tree-tops and the sky. "It is a way of conserving a link to the earth,’’ she says. "It is also a way of meditating. I forget everything, except the canvas."

Her childhood

My parents played a monumental role in my life. I inherited a strong sense of freedom and security from Ma. In fact, I would sometimes cry at the thought of leaving India for Paris and she would say, `Why do you cry?

If your roots are solid, you can live anywhere. Don’t start comparing; take whatever is good, wherever you are and think of both India and Paris as the front and backyards of your home.' From my father, Radhakrishnaji Bajaj who worked till he was 100 years old, I got my conviction and my passion. In Pune, while doing Fine Arts, drawing portraits wasn’t something I enjoyed very much. A teacher pointed it out through my less than satisfactory grades. That day I decided to draw a head every day before I ate anything at all. Later on in life, I would also take to eating only grapes 30 / Corporate Citizen / November 1-15, 2017

for ten days in the month of September. I still do this even though I don’t particularly like grapes but I suppose this cure really shapes my will.

My siblings and I had a strong Gandhian upbringing. It was not an affluent childhood, but one that was rich in experiences. Our house was a hub of very eminent people. The famous reformer and philosopher, Kakasaheb Kalelkar would often visit us. And it was like a ritual between the two of us. He would always tell me a story on his arrival in Wardha and another one while leaving. There was Vinoba Bhave, the father of the Bhoodan movement who was like my own grandfather. He would make drawings for me and call me Chitrakarini (artist) and made sure I loved the verses of Bhagwad Gita. Jayaprakash Narayan (JP) would visit us too.

We were five siblings. I was the youngest. Our home was wonderfully tolerant and I never knew of any distinction of gender, caste or religion.

My father was a social worker and was most of the time very busy but my mother was always with me. I learnt simple values but I also came to know what it meant to be free and understood. Those days we didn’t go to bazaars to buy things; we made it with our own hands. Surprisingly, today my daughter Helena does it the same way. She does not buy presents for us for her friends but makes something herself, which makes it special and personal. No wonder she became a designer

The country that has influenced her the most

I am the way I am and I live the way I am. Essentially, I am an Indian. But today I feel deeply that France and Norway are equally prime colours in my palette. I also live within these cultures. I was able to live in France the way I wanted thanks to the French acceptance of the individual’s right to individuality There you can be what you are and never feel judged.

The critical mind of the people of France, its intensity, its unwillingness to compromise on details, its permanent striving towards perfection I get that from France.

Norway, on the other hand gives me the ability to draw inspiration from nature. There, I can spend my days looking at the sky and the ever-changing clouds. I have received a lot of appreciation for my art in Norway and the beauty of the land and its peace has instilled something valuable within me. I have also made some very good Norwegian friends that keep my ties to the country alive.

Her favourite colour

Red. It denotes all aspects of human life-it is the co-

is my quiet companion through my work, sometimes even up to the early hours of the morning, never intruding or scratching…but simply sitting by my side. I wouldn’t be where I am today but for the constant encouragement, support and appreciation family and friends have given and continue to give me.

Her various works of art

As you know I have used Bhojapatra or the white paper-like bark of the Himalayas birch tree-in my mixed media. My mother collected it up in the mountains in 1948 when she walked with Gandhiji’s bhasma visarjan varta-the journey undertaken in the Himalayas to disperse Gandhiji’s ashes. She gave me these precious pieces in 1980 and told me to make good use of them since they carried a very special, positive energy. I used some of the bhojaopatra over 20 years ago and now I have used it again in the current work on Ganpati.

Then in 1981, I went myself to the Himalayas. While I was visiting the temple of Triyuginarayana, I saw many hand-written pieces of paper on the temple walls and I was instantly attracted to them. The priest of the temple helped me collect a good number of these papers, which I have used in my etching collages. These are said to be wish-fulfilling papers.

And I can tell you that my wish-to get those papers so that I could use them in my work-has, indeed, come true!

Ganpati is supposed to be everywhere and nowhere, appearing and disappearing, and yet his prototypical form-half elephant, half human-is not realistic, rather it is surrealistic. Therefore, abstraction is the right artistic take on it, it is justified.

Red colour denotes all aspects of human life − it is the colour of love, of fire and passion, of blood, of volcanic energy and spirituality − the colour of the universe at its beginning. Red is such a powerful colour. But it has to emerge from darkness or else be just another patch for me lour of love, of fire and passion, of blood, of volcanic energy and spirituality-he colour of the universe at its beginning. Red is such a powerful colour. But it has to emerge from darkness or else be just another patch for me. It will not have the same intensity unless it comes from black and has its support. So, I also use a lot of black. It offsets the red; gives it a lot of vitality.

Her support

Unquestionably,my family! My parents gave me both security and independence. I could happily choose to walk my own path without worrying about lack of support if I chose something they wouldn’t approve of. Even my husband has always been very supportive of my life and work as an artist. I bounce ideas off him and go to him for counsel and critiqe. When my daughter Helena was little, she knew she must not disturb me when I was painting. She would sit and watch me working.

The next time she would bring along her own colours. I’m happy to say she has, over the years, developed a strong sense of line and colour herself which bodes well for her career as a designer. Perhaps, it is in her DNA, as we would say today Sometimes, when I look at her work more as a critic, I’m surprised how mature her aesthetic sense is and how effortlessly she responds to colour, texture and form. In fact, being her mother has nourished me artistically and inspired me. Our cat, Nicy,

Her artistic vocabulary

I found my artistic vocabulary and language in Paris, where I truly started my journey as an abstract artist. At the time, I realised I did have something special when it came to doing lines with such spontaneity. What was it that gave me such an obedient wrist? I can, probably trace it to my college years in Pune and my teacher M R Kelkar, himself a good artist.

He had noticed my work. I had asked him for guidance. The next day he came home where I was living with my brother’s family with a 1000 large sized sheet of paper and six pencils and said to me, "You will draw vertical and horizontal lines till they are as straight as a ruler. You are not allowed to use ruler on the eraser. I will come back in a month or so to check and only when you get them absolutely straight will we start to work together."

There was no way I could achieve this, I said to myself. But I sat down and started drawing straight lines, horizontal and vertical ones, trying to make perfect squares, month after month, for four months. And I did it. What an intense experience that was! And it has given me such an immense freedom in my strokes and lines.

(The above interview has excerpts from Sujata Baja’s beautiful coffee table book, Sujata Bajaj: Ganpati) vinitapune@gmail.com November 1-15, 2017 / Corporate Citizen / 31

NHRDN Career Fest 2017

Careers in

Hospitality The Government of India has unveiled several initiatives aimed at generating employment and employability through programmes such as Make in India, Startup India, and Skill India. The aim is to transform opportunities for India’s youth to move up the value chain of employment and make our demographic dividend a blessing. In this context, the National HRD Network (NHRDN) Mumbai Chapter, recently organised a career fest at Nehru Centre in Mumbai, wherein professionals with multifaceted expertise talked on prevailing career trends and also about diverse sectors which are there.

Senior people management professionals from Taj Hotels Resorts and Palaces, Ritesh Pratap Singh, Vice President - Organisation Effectiveness & Development and Natalie Beale Chopra, Corporate Director - Cadre Building, shared some pertinent facets of hospitality industry.

In this edition, Corporate Citizen brings you their talk on how the hospitality industry is attracting and retaining the best fit talent

By Rajesh Rao

Ritesh Pratap Singh Vice President - Organisation Effectiveness & Development, Taj Hotels Resorts and Palaces

What is it that attracted me to Taj and the hospitality industry

My journey began in FMCG sector and I also had doubts when I was thinking about moving to Taj-in hospitality sector, from FMCG sector. The story of 26/11 was there-the fact that such a massive onslaught happened on the flagship hotel of Taj. There is enough written about it—there is also a Harvard case study around it, which tries to capture what went in the minds of people. The sense of ownership the Taj employees had-why was there such a massive sense of commitment to the hotel, after all it was just a job that they were doing. Also, what made them ensure that they could care for the guests. What made number of them to lay down their lives, while taking care of guests in that moment. That’s something that really attracted me to the industry. Whatever experience that I have had, it actually captures the kind of ownership commitment, the kind of love, and the connect people have with that organisation. When people talk about engagement, they will say that employees are engaged if they are connected with the organisation. If and when the moment arises, they are willing to use their discretion and go beyond the call of duty. To my surprise, I see that happening very often at Taj.

Travel and Tourism

Travel and Tourism industry is very closely associated with hospitality. What happens in Travel and Tourism, that makes hospitality as one of the rising sectors for us to look at? There is no doubt the sector is growing and offering lots of opportunities-the same way Indian IT industry grew in the last twenty years, giving opportunities to lots of people to create wonderful careers within that sector.

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Asia-Pacific to drive world tourism forward

World per say is shrinking and lot of people across the world are travelling. The travel and tourism industry is expected to grow beyond what global GDP is growing. Which means, travel and tourism is going to grow as an industry, far faster than what global GDP and global economy is going to grow. The world tourism is growing at 4 per cent—the important point to note here is that within Asia-Pacific, the two very large and fast growing economies of India and China, are going to grow faster than the world average.

Which means, lot of action is going to take place in India and China, as far as world tourism is concerned. India and China, more importantly Asia-Pacific, is going to act as the engine that is going to drive world tourism forward.

Big opportunity in travel and tourism industry

The fact is, globally travel and tourism is one of the fastest growing sector. It already constitutes around 10 per cent of GDP and going forward; it is expected to become even larger pie of the local GDP. From the employment perspective, we have been hearing lot about how employment generation is coming under stress. Old jobs are going away and new changes especially in the domain of Artificial Intelligence and Robotics are going to impact the sectors. The fact remains that tourism and especially hospitality is very people-connect driven. Currently, the industry which employs around 28.4 crore globally, is expected to employ more than 37 crore people in the next ten years. That’s the kind of employment generation we are seeking in the travel and tour-

"Occupancy has gone up, average room rate has gone up, revenue per available room, which means how much money you are making in the hospitality industry, is also going up. It is good news especially for people who are working in this industry" ism industry. That’s the opportunity that lies in front of the youth.

What is happening in India?

In India, travel and tourism industry was primarily created with the help of Government of India, when the India Tourism Development Corporation (ITDC) was established. Thereafter, Taj Ho-

tels along with other private players, started creating and growing this space. This sector is bound for massive growth in the coming years. The fact is that more and more people are travelling within India. The fact is that more and more people from abroad are looking at India as a favoured tourist destination. That’s a wonderful news for a sector like this. So, we are seeing that the demand is out-

November 1-15, 2017 / Corporate Citizen / 33

NHRDN Career Fest 2017 stripping the supply. It is a challenge and an opportunity-the demand that is getting generated, is because of not just internal travellers, but also because of external travellers.

Moving from metro to non-metro

The other point for us to understand is that the hospitality sector has primarily been very metro-centric. But, what we are seeing now, is that because of the benefits of economic growth moving rapidly, it is not just getting centred in metros, but also moving towards non-metros.

The hospitality sector-the hotel and tourism industry is seeing growth in non-metro areas as well. That’s a very heartening news because that’s where lot of jobs will get created and that’s where lot of careers will be made.

How government is enabling us?

Government has stated that e-visas from 161 countries have become operational. That removes a lot of hurdles for people who want to come and experience India. We will see how it will impact numerically, the flow that we have seen within India.

The key players that are shaping the industry within and outside India

The key global players who are in this space, are really big names and are very well established players. So, if you look at Marriott International and Starwood Hotels & Resorts, they play not just the volume game but they also play very strong value game. They have offerings which are right at the high end of the luxury. When we are talking about the key hotel chains, they have segmented approach to the customer. When you are looking at, within the brand that they have created, they will have multiple offerings across different customer segments. So, that’s how they are trying to connect and make sure they are making themselves available across the chain.

Looking at the competition in our space...

At Taj, we have taken a very conscious choice that we want to be a collection of hotels, which are not only globally present but also globally reputable. Which means we want to be the custodian of Indian heritage—the nobility of Indian heritage and tradition. We don’t want to move the same way the global chains have gone, wherein they have gone and created footprints across the globe. That’s the conscious strategic choice that we have made as an organisation. We are primarily very India centric hotel chain. To increase our footprints, we are opening new hotels and we are also trying to ensure that we are not losing on the perception that we have around our brand, and we will remain the dominant brand that we are in India.

The growth of hospitality industry across India

"Currently, the industry which employs around 28.4 crore globally, is expected to employ more than 37 crore people in the next ten years. That’s the kind of employment generation we are seeking in the travel and tourism industry. That’s the opportunity that lies in front of the youth"

This is an aggregated data for all the players who are in the market—occupancy has gone up, average room rate has gone up, revenue per available room, which means how much money you are making in the hospitality industry, is also going up. It is good news especially for people who are working in this industry, because the overall industry is making money.

As for Taj Hotels, we are ahead of the industry in this space. That’s a good news for employees, who play a key role in the business and also to all our key stakeholders, who have invested money with us. We are very closely linked with people who are travelling within India. We are especially concerned about how many people are coming from abroad and visiting India. That’s were lot of foreign exchange comes and we contribute to India as an economy. Year after year we have been growing, but there is a sharp jump in the last few months and that is the result of the e-visa that Government of India has created. This is how one decision of Indian government can make an overall impact.

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Natalie Beale Chopra,

Corporate Director - Cadre Building, Taj Hotels Resorts and Palaces

Taj—the brand that I represent

I have been with this brand for last 13 years. I joined as a management trainee with the brandknew nothing about hotels then, except that hotels are lot about glamour. Where you see a superstar from time to time, but you can’t take an autograph, because you are working. There are various different things about the industry that you go through when you come to the industry, but it gives you way more than what you expect.

For information, Taj Hotel opened up its gates on 16 December, 1903, when the room rate was just six rupees.

Do you match what the industry is looking for?

We are looking for somebody who takes service very personally. We are looking at somebody who wants to exceed expectations every single time. You might be taking a checkout for the 20th time in a day, but the person who you are escorting is being escorted for the first time. So, are you giving 110 per cent every time you do what you are doing? Are you somebody that can learn the art of great hotelier? This only comes

body who is inclined towards engineering and join the hospitality industry. You could be somebody who is passionate about sales and marketing and look at selling our rooms and restaurants. You could be somebody who is interested in training human resources and still join the industry. So it doesn’t curve you only to these four operational departments. It also gives you an opportunity to move across, but before you get to say human resource department, it’s nice for you to see and feel the hotel through operations, for you to understand what it is all about.

with practice. You can’t expect it in first couple of months, you get better with time. As you get more experience and more practice, you get better and better. And then lot of companies want you because you are better and you can add lot of value. So, you do have an opportunity to move industry and move brand. From hospitality industry, you can even branch out to retail, into analytics, and hospitals. You can branch out to anything because you become a lifestyle person, as you know everything about anything, you can also read minds. That’s what we train you to do.

However, you need to know the business at the back of your hand and you also need to be somebody who is obsessive about detailing, because if you miss the details you will not be able to customise. But honestly, we need somebody who is genuine and spontaneous. It cannot be forced—if you are being forced into the industry, don’t join, you will die out soon. Join if it is something that you are passionate about and if it’s something that you want.

Core operations in hotels

You have four core operations—front office, housekeeping, food and beverage, and kitchen—which are the domains you can look out for as a career. However, that’s not the know-all or end-all of operations. You can also be some-

Catering establishments in the hospitality industry

Those aspiring to get into hospitality industry, need to know what are the offerings that you have and the different roles that you can look at in the industry. But, first and foremost you need to understand what are the different catering establishments available for you as a career opportunity.

■ Hotels: In terms of establishment, Taj is a hotel. So, hotels are one opportunity that you can possibly look at as a career.

■Standalone restaurants: What are becoming very trendy these days are the standalone restaurants. So, anybody interested in food production, kitchen, culinary, the hotels and standalone restaurants are the areas you can possibly go to. These are little more niche segments and these have become more popular because they are better at marketing.

■Executive dining rooms or clubs: These are multiple clubs with memberships that you can move into.

■ Others: Then there are the institutional, airlines, hospital catering businesses. You also have the carryout or takeaway establishments.

Opportunities as far as food and beverages is concerned

Food has become a new trend-everyone wants to try new food and beverages. Everyone is going global and the awareness around food and beverages has increased, more than what it was ten years ago.

■In-room dinning/room service: This is where a guest check into a hotel and then he/ she orders food and then you deliver the food.

■Coffee shop: One of the most renowned places in a hotel—people party and then go into a coffee shop after they party, to ensure that they eat food.

■Speciality restaurants: They have a particular kind of cuisine that they specialise in, cuisines like Chinese, Indian and newer cuisines that are coming up like comfort food.

■Lounges and cake shops: These are becoming very popular today and lot of people are going abroad, studying, specialising in bakery and confectionary, because of its big money and then coming back and opening their bakery and confectionary outlets.

■Event: Lot of people are moving into events as career. Event management is a separate field, but as an hotelier we do something called bouquets, conferences and meetings. There are different setups for different occasions. What we figure at hotel is that we customise every single experience that goes into conferences.

■Bars, pubs, discotheques: A lot of people are very passionate about beverage and bartending has become the new trend in the world today. You have trends changing every week, in terms of bartending. So, there is a lot of learning and those who like learning new things, this is the industry to start a new career. rajeshrao.rao@gmail.com

CC

tadka

India Inc workforce trivia TCS and Coal India are the only listed companies in India with more than 30,0000 permanent employees, which is highest in India. While the biggest employers are the financials and technology companies, they employ more than 40% of the workforce.

About women employees, TCS has the highest number of women employees among listed companies at 34% of its total workforce, while Infosys has highest proportion at 36%. These are some of the facts culled out by foreign brokerage CLSA, about 76 top Indian companies that together account for $1 trillion in market capitalisation.

November 1-15, 2017 / Corporate Citizen / 35

Cradle of Leadership Air Marshal C K Ranjan,

Commandant, The Armed Forces Medical College (AFMC)

Doctors in Uniform!

The Armed Forces Medical College (AFMC) is a name to reckon with in the field of medical education. The celebrated temple of learning hones the skills and polishes the qualities of its students (better known as Cadets in the military set up). From the three branches of defence services - the armed forces, navy and air force, in order to transform them into worthy officers as well as capable doctors and nurses, who are committed to the health care needs of the personnel of the Indian army. Having produced more than 6500 doctors, the college has come a long way since its first batch passed out in 1966.

Air Marshal C K Ranjan took over the reins of the esteemed institution in 2016 as its Commandant. In what could be termed as a glorious academic career, the Air Marshal, an alumnus of the Armed Forces Medical College, has held several significant appointments, Principal Medical Officer at Headquarters, Training Command, Indian Air Force; Professor and Head, Department of Aerospace Medicine at Institute of Aerospace Medicine in Bengaluru, to name a few.

An excellent career profile coupled with his extraordinary leadership skills also earned him the appointment of Commandant of Air Force Central Medical Establishment (New Delhi); Commandant, Command Hospital Air Force, Bengaluru. The Commandant, who is wedded to a cardiothoracic surgeon, has a vast number of scientific journals and research publications to his credit. The recipient of Ati Vishisht Seva Medal and Vishisht Seva Medal has also won a Commendation Card by the AOC-in-C (Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief) in 1992 for his meritorious career. Air Marshal C K Ranjan, talks about AFMC and what makes it the excellent medical college that it is today, in a tell-all interview

By Namrata Gulati Sapra

36 / Corporate Citizen / November 1-15, 2017

Pics: Yusuf Khan

Armed Forces Medical College, Pune has established itself as a centre of excellence in medical, dental, nursing and paramedical training and research, which is specific to the health care needs of the Armed Force

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Cradle of Leadership

AFMC, Pune has an eco-friendly campus where students are permitted to use only bicycles

Please take us through the history of AFMC.

The Armed Forces Medical College was established on May 1 1948, as a central institution, by amalgamation of the Army Medical Training Centre (AMTC), the Medical Research Organisation, the Central Military Pathology Laboratory, the Army Transfusion Centre and the Central Army School of Radiology. It is the first medical institute established for the Armed Forces by any country in Asia. The Graduate Wing was added to the College on August 4, 1962 and the College of Nursing was established on November 10, 1964.

Please tell us about the various courses offered at the reputed college.

AFMC, Pune conducts undergraduate medical training for award of the MBBS degree, postgraduate training for award of MD degree in 17 disciplines, MS degree in six disciplines, MDS in four disciplines and DM/MCh/PhD in four disciplines. In addition, the College of Nursing conducts training for award of BSc (Nursing) degree and MSc (Nursing) in four disciplines. AFMC also conducts Bachelor of Paramedical Technologies (BPMT) courses in 11 disciplines, Postgraduate Diploma in Laboratory Technologies (DMLT) and several other courses for officers, nursing officers and paramedical staff of the three services (army, air force and navy).

What is the most extraordinary feature of the curriculum followed at AFMC?

AFMC, Pune is affiliated to Maharashtra University of Health Sciences, Nashik. Training is imparted as per the guidelines laid down by the Uni38 / Corporate Citizen / November 1-15, 2017

versity and other statutory professional bodies. The students are simultaneously provided medical education as well as exposure to the specific health care needs of the Armed Forces. This is a unique feature of training at AFMC, Pune. Undergraduates are trained to become doctor-soldiers.

Which course has the maximum intake of students?

The pride of AFMC lies in the Graduate Wing, which conducts training for award of the coveted MBBS degree. It was established with the aim of providing well-trained and highly motivated Medical Officers for the Indian Armed Forces. The annual intake for this course is 135.

What is the admission criteria for various courses?

Admission to professional courses is on an all-India basis through a merit list that is drawn on academic performance in examinations such as National Eligibility and Entrance Test (NEET), All India Post Graduate Medical Entrance Examination (AIPGMEE)/ All India PG Dental Entrance Examination (AIPGDEE) and other entrance tests. In addition, nominated students from friendly foreign countries such as Nepal, Bhutan, Maldives, Sri Lanka, Myanmar, Seychelles and Afghanistan are also provided training of the highest standard.

On what basis are the students assigned one of the three services, that is, army, navy or air force?

Undergraduate students are commissioned into the Armed Forces Medical Services (AFMS), after completion of training. The AFMS has a tri-service affiliation. The students are allotted their service, that is, Army, Navy or Air Force on choice cum merit basis. They compete on merit for post-

graduate seats through an all India PG entrance test. All nursing graduates are commissioned into the Military Nursing Service (MNS). They are selected for post-graduation on merit cum choice. Paramedical personnel are selected by their controlling authorities to undergo training in various disciplines, based on their merit and requirements of service.

What is the ratio of commissioning of the AFMC cadets into army, navy and air force?

There is no fixed ratio for deciding the number of cadets who will be commissioned into each of the three services. In 2017, 82 newly commissioned officers joined the Army, eight joined the Navy, whereas seven joined the Air Force. The Office of Director General, Armed Forces Medical Services (DGAFMS) takes a decision depending on the vacancies available in the three services.

Does the curriculum vary depending on the cadets’ choice of opting for the navy, army or air force?

All Medical Cadets are trained for award of MBBS degree as per the prescribed curriculum. In addition, they are also made aware of the health care needs of the three services. The decision to join the Army, Navy or

The quality of life provided to cadets on campus allows them to evolve as human beings, even as they gain knowledge of medical science. The stress on all round development of personality is a hallmark of training imparted here. The overall milieu ensures that they imbibe officer like qualities by the time they graduate Air Force is taken once the medical cadet graduates, on completion of training at AFMC. They receive military training that is specific to their service, after they complete their internship training. The Armed Forces Medical Services is a single organisation with affiliation to all three services and doctors can be moved from one service to another during their career. Therefore, there is no distinction in training that is provided to Medical Cadets in relation to their future choice of service.

cial emphasis is on personality development. There is a special multi-purpose facility ‘Aprameya’ to provide support for various extra-curricular activities. The Graduate Wing has a number of extra-curricular clubs and societies including, Musimatics, Dance & Dramatics Club, History and Heritage Club, Hobbies Club, Med Cine Club, Adventure Club, Computer Club, Gymnasium Club, Prayas Club, Students Scientific Society, Cycling Club, Debating Society, Literary Society and Racquet Club. Undergraduate medical students have the status of Medical Cadets.

What is the mission of the college–to produce a doctor or a soldier?

The Mission Statement of Armed Forces Medical College, Pune is ‘To provide comprehensive medical and nursing education to the cadets, students and student officers to ensure a holistic development of medical knowledge and skills with an aim to prepare technically competent medical professionals who are courteous, caring, compassionate human beings, conscious of social and environmental responsibilities’.

Where are the alumni of AFMC rendering services?

Till date, 6258 medical students have graduated from this institution. Over

The campus has an impressive display of Tanks, Aircraft and to scale models of Ships, representing the affiliation of the Armed Forces Medical Services with all three services

What does the daily routine look like for an officer under training?

Training is carried out as per a carefully planned programme that is tailor-made to meet the objectives of the MBBS course. Lectures, practicals, demonstrations and clinics are all well planned and conducted round the year, except for two short vacations. Students in the clinical terms receive training at the affiliated teaching hospitals. These include Command Hospital (Southern Command), Military Hospital (Cardiothoracic Centre), Military Hospital Kirkee, Artificial Limb Centre and Cantonment General Hospital, Pune. Apart from professional training, wide exposure is provided to Medical Cadets, which is aimed at their all-round development. SpeNovember 1-15, 2017 / Corporate Citizen / 39

Cradle of Leadership 1191 nursing graduates have passed out of the College of Nursing. The alumni of AFMC form the bulk of Officers serving in the Armed Forces Medical Services. Other graduates, who had opted out of service liability, or have been released after competing SSC or have proceeded on retirement, are working in various civilian medical institutions in India and in a number of countries all over the world. Wherever they are, AFMCites act as the brand ambassadors of the institution, which is renowned all over the world as a centre of excellence.

AFMC, Pune has an Alumni Association, which boasts of a strength of more than 6000 members. A number of alumni have distinguished themselves at the National and International level in medical science as well as other fields. They include Dr M K Bhan, Dr Soumya Swaminathan, Dr Gladwin Das, Dr Gurumukh Singh, Padamshree Dr Arvind Lal, Dr G Gopal Rao, Dr Sanjeev Arora, Dr Camila Rodriguez, Dr James Thomas, Padamshree Dr Rajagopal, Dr Arvind Chopra and Dr Zach Zachariah.

How do you ensure the Officer like Qualities (OLQ) in the cadets of AFMC?

The faculty of AFMC are specially selected for their tenure in the college as teachers. They act as role models for cadets to emulate. The bedrock of institutional life is discipline. The quality of life provided to cadets on campus allows them to evolve as human beings, even as they gain knowledge of medical science. The stress on all round development of personality is a hallmark of training imparted here. The overall milieu ensures that they imbibe officer like qualities by the time they graduate.

What are the facilities provided to the cadets at AFMC?

Training at AFMC is provided free of cost to all undergraduate students.

Facilities provided include free fully furnished hostel accommodation, free food, free books, free uniforms, canteen and extensive sports as well as recreational facilities. The students are provided free medical care and travel facilities (AC 3 Tier and Special Coaches). No tuition fees are levied on students.

How does AFMC train the cadets to meet the challenges encountered on the battlefield and yet perform his or her role as a doctor with perfection? How do you ensure that a graduate from AFMC is also combat ready?

AFMC empowers its graduates with knowledge and skills, endows them with mental robustness and physical fitness and inculcates a sense of dedication that enables them to perform their role as doctors in uniform to perfection. The quality of academic training is reflected in the professional calibre of the alumni. They are not only providing healthcare to the Army,

AFMC empowers its graduates with knowledge and skills, endows them with mental robustness and physical fitness and inculcates a sense of dedication that enables them to perform their role as doctors in uniform to perfection. The quality of academic training is reflected in the professional calibre of the alumni 40 / Corporate Citizen / November 1-15, 2017

Navy and Air Force in far-flung border areas, but also at the forefront of innovations at the tertiary care level.

What are the three main attributes that differentiate a doctor from AFMC from a doctor from any other medical college?

What sets apart a graduate of AFMC is that a cadet develops a positive attitude to life, is caring, dedicated, knowledgeable, physically fit, mentally tough and a leader. He is a soldier at par with other soldiers apart from being a doctor who is at par with the finest medical practitioners anywhere in the world. I would like to call it ‘the AFMC difference.’ The officer trained at the prestigious institute is a compassionate doctor, a brave soldier and an ethical achiever.

Tell us about the posting profile of a doctor in general.

After commissioning, medical officers go for internship training to recognised service hospitals. Then, they undergo basic military training at Officers Training College in Lucknow. Upon the completion of their training, they are posted for a tenure of about three years in the border regions of the country. After completing four years of service, they qualify to undergo training for post-graduation. Thereafter, they are posted for tenures of three years’ duration in various units and hospitals as specialist officers. Some of them go for super-specialisation. After completing about twenty years of service, they are promoted to a level where they have to also work in administrative appointments. In the higher echelons, most of the appointments are of an administrative nature.

What is the fitness regimen of the cadets?

The AFMC crest is ‘within a lotus wreath surmounted by the Ashoka lions is placed the rod of Aesculapius with serpent intertwined’. The snake is regarded as a symbol of wisdom, virility and eternity. It is depicted as being intertwined around the staff carried by Aesculapius, the Greek God of Healing. The same symbol is also found in Indian mythology. The two snakes symbolise ‘Kundalini’, the life of eternity. The lamp symbolises the eternal flame of knowledge and wisdom. All these elements have been brought together in the crest of AFMC, Pune.

Are military/defence hospitals as equipped as the best hospitals in India?

Please also tell us a little about the motto of the college.

Medical Cadets are required to undergo a stringent physical examination when they join AFMC, Pune. They are required to participate in games and adventure activities. They are permitted to use only bicycles so that they keep fit. Additionally, there are regular periods for physical training and yoga. Other than that, they are provided very high quality meals in the Central Cadets Mess. Therefore, they are physically fit and mentally robust by the time they graduate from the college.

The system of health care in the Armed Forces Medical Services is structured in order to meet the heath care needs of the three services, in peace and war.

Primary level care is provided by Medical Officers who are located with the soldiers, sailors and air warriors. They are provided with all the essential equipment and medicines for immediate medical care. There is a very well organised system in place for evacuating and transferring patients to peripheral and zonal hospitals that are located in all parts of the country. Where required, patients are further transferred to tertiary level hospitals, which are called command hospitals. All tertiary care centres are provided with stateof-the-art equipment and facilities. In the referral system, Army Hospital (Referral & Research), New Delhi is at the apex. The facilities are comparable with those available in the private sector heath care establishments.

The crest of AFMC looks rather fascinating. Please shed light on it.

The motto of the College is ‘Sarve Santu Niramayah’, which translates to ‘Let all be free from disease’.

The institution has been consistently ranked amongst the finest medical institutions in the country. It has received NAAC re-accreditation with CGPA of 3.66, which is amongst the highest awarded to any medical institution in the country

The Iconic Main building of AFMC, Pune was constructed between 1953 and 1956

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Cradle of Leadership Could you shed light on the excellent sportspersons/ athletes that the college has produced over the years?

Outstanding sportspersons from the college include Maj. (Dr) S K Punia in Athletics, Dr Otilia Mascarenhas, who is a winner of the Arjuna Award in hockey), Brig. V P Dhand, who was conferred the Bharatshree Award and Lt. Gen. S A Cruze, known for his hockey and mountaineering skills.

AFMS also boasts of a number of officers who have been honoured with prominent awards.

Gallantry award winners include Capt. Devashish Kumar Sharma, recipient of Kirti Chakra (Posthumous). Several alumni, who have risen to the highest rank in the Armed Forces, have been conferred distinguished service awards by the President of India. Till date, three alumni of AFMC have held the appointment of DGAFMS. The DGAFMS and DGs of medical services of all three services today are alumni of AFMC.

Several graduates from AFMC are representing in UN Peace keeping missions. Tell us about that.

Medical Officers, Nursing Officers, postgraduates and paramedical staff of AFMS are selected for UN Peace Keeping Missions in all parts of the world. A large number of them have been trained at AFMC, Pune. Their competence has enhanced the reputation of the College as a centre of excellence in the field of medical education and training, specific to the health care needs of the Armed Forces.

What are the avenues available to the veterans?

Adequate opportunities are provided for professional growth and medical research. Doctors of the Armed Forces Medical Services are much sought after for their professional competence. Hence, re-settlement

How does AFMC keep up with the latest medical trends?

Faculty and postgraduate residents regularly attend professional conferences in their areas of specialisation. Many members of the faculty are members of professional bodies and on the editorial board of prestigious national and international journals. A large number of books and chapters have been authored by the faculty. Eminent personalities in the field of medical science are invited to speak on contemporary issues in health care as guest speakers. That aside, AFMC organises a large number of professional conferences, CME programmes (Continuing Medical Education programme) and workshops. These include the Armed Forces Medical Research Committee (AFMRC) meeting in February every year, where research project proposals submitted by officers of AFMS are discussed and sanctioned. AFMC has also been at the forefront of undergraduate medical research. A large number of Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) and Maharashtra University of Health Sciences (MUHS) funded projects are being carried out by cadets under the guidance of the faculty. AFMC hosts ‘Illuminati’, an undergraduate research conference at the national level every year to provide undergraduates a forum to showcase their research work and interact with eminent medical researchers.

Tell us about the background of the faculty members.

AFMC, Pune has highly trained, qualified and experienced teachers. They are specially selected from the specialist cadre of AFMS. The calibre of teaching staff can be gauged from their academic qualifications and professional publications. AFMC, Pune and its affiliated teaching hospitals have more than 320 teachers as on date. In terms of qualifications, all teachers have post-graduate qualifications. As of today, 22 teachers have PhD/MCh/DM qualifications.

42 / Corporate Citizen / November 1-15, 2017

prospects after superannuation from service are excellent. Veterans of the AFMS are much sought after for their dedication, once they superannuate or take premature retirement. They are readily absorbed as specialists, health care administrators, nurses, and paramedical staff in the private health care sector. Faculty of AFMC, Pune are much sought after as teachers in private medical, nursing and dental colleges. There are several professional avenues available to veterans in the health care sector in India as well as abroad. Mentally robust by the time they graduate from the College.

Please trace your military journey from the time you were a cadet to now, when you are an Air Marshal.

I am a graduate of the Armed Forces Medical College, Pune myself. I was commissioned into the Indian Air Force in year 1980. I have done my MD and DNB (Diplomate of National Board-a title conferred by the National Board of Examinations, an autonomous academic body under the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, on candidates who successfully complete their postgraduate or postdoctoral medical education under it) in Aviation Medicine. I am a graduate from Defence Services Staff College, Wellington.

I have also been awarded an M Sc degree in Defence Studies and M Phil in Hospital and Health System Management. During my career, I have held various specialist and staff appointments including Professor and Head, Department of Aerospace Medicine at Institute of Aerospace Medicine, Bengaluru, Commandant, Air Force Central Medical Establishment, New Delhi, Commandant, Command Hospital Air Force, Bengaluru, and Additional DGAFMS ( E&S) in the Office of DGAFMS (Director General Armed Forces Medical Services). I was holding the appointment of Principal Medical Officer, Headquarters, Training Command,

Medical Services, apart from professional competence, doctors in uniform will enhance further on the fine reputation they have built for themselves for all round excellence, as doctors and soldiers, in the years to come.

An Insight into AFMC

• The Armed Forces Medical College has consistently been ranked among the top three medical colleges of India • Col P P Chowdry, MC was the first Commandant of AFMC • The college campus is set up on a sprawling area of 119 acres, which boasts of a swimming pool, a canteen run by the unit, a café, gymnasium, movie theatre, nursery school, crèche and a place to worship and other facilities • The prestigious institute is not only home to a well-manicured garden, but also an intriguing mix of heritage buildings (for instance, The Department of Anatomy, also one of the first departments of the Undergraduate Wing of AFMC, is part of an exquisite heritage building) • Currently, the college is holding as many as 89 training courses; there are a total of 29 departments • Barring Army Medical College located in Rawalpindi, Pakistan, the Armed Forces Medical College is the only college in Asia, whose expenses are borne by the government • Six years ago, medical cadet Shikha Awasthi became the first woman in the history of the college to be honoured with the coveted Sword of Honour. What’s more, the navy doctor earned distinctions in 12 subjects, which made her the first graduate of AFMC to get the three top honours, namely, Sword of Honour, President’s Gold Medal and the Kalinga Trophy.

She was felicitated at the passing out parade of the Armed Forces Medical College • Lt. Gen. Punita Arora (Retd.) must be mentioned here. A recipient of the PVSM, VSM, SM, the former Director-General of AFMC went down in history as the first lady army officer to achieve the rank of lieutenant general. That apart, she was also the first Vice Admiral of the Indian Navy, who was a woman • AFMC is a referral centre designated by the World Health Organisation for certain diseases, such as, centre for ricketssial diseases and HIV-regional laboratory • The college is extensively active on the research front, concerning various medical areas, likely to influence the personnel in the forces during war or peace. With this goal in mind, Armed Forces Medical Research (AFMR) has been set up. It is the biggest conglomeration of experts from military in the medical field of the three services. Towards this end, an Armed Forces Medical Research Committee Meeting is organised annually in the month of February at AFMC, Pune • The graduates of AFMC have done exceptionally well in serving the United Nations Peacekeeping Mission both in India as well as outside it • Renowned athlete Maj. (Dr) Surendra Poonia is an alumnus of the Armed Forces Medical College. He holds a record in the Limca Book of Records for having the rare distinction of winning medals in power-lifting as well as athletic events in four world championships, one after the other • This year, the AFMC announced that it may increase the intake of students in its coveted course of MBBS from 130 to 150. Once that is achieved, AFMC would successfully manage to fulfil 50% requirement of the Indian Armed Forces namratagulati8@gmail.com

What sets apart a graduate of AFMC is that a cadet develops a positive attitude to life, is caring, dedicated, knowledgeable, physically fit, mentally tough and a leader. He is a soldier at par with other soldiers apart from being a doctor Indian Air Force prior to assuming command of my alma mater.

How do you envision the future of the institute as well as a doctor in uniform?

Armed Forces Medical College, Pune has established itself as a centre of excellence in medical, dental, nursing and paramedical training and research, which is specific to the health care needs of the Armed Forces. The Institution has been consistently ranked amongst the finest medical institutions in the country. It has received NAAC re-accreditation with CGPA of 3.66, which is amongst the highest awarded to any medical institution in the country. At AFMC, the finest clinicians, surgeons and stalwarts in medical science utilise their vast collective experience as teachers and researchers to pass on the baton of knowledge to the next generation of health care professionals, with unsurpassed devotion and care. The Institution will continue to grow in stature in the years to come and we hope that it will be accorded the status of an Institute of National Importance. Given the core values that guide members of the Armed Forces

November 1-15, 2017 / Corporate Citizen / 43

Campus Placement

Y

ogesh Pardeshi, a B Tech in Instrumentation and Control from Vishwakarma Institute of Technology, Pune took a major step forward in his life, as he joins the big gun in the corporate world-Honeywell Automation India Ltd. He was just like any other kid from his village, who had his education at the Zilla Parishad run local school. He went through hardship helping his father in the field, along with coping with academics. Getting into a better college is what every youngster looks forward to, so as to get better opportunities. Yogesh’s journey passed through rough seas, but his parents and uncle-a police officer-motivated him to step outside the village and make a name for himself.

Right from the first day in college, the word ‘Campus placement’ had been ringing in his ears, and during his early days, he did see many of his seniors walk out of the interview rooms smiling. He would always want to come out of the room in a similar way. But all this cannot happen unless one goes through the grind. And Yogesh worked hard for it and he too walked out of the room smiling. It was not just getting a job, but making it with a reputed company that was top of his agenda. “Yes, it was surely one of the most sought-after placements,” says Yogesh.

He would always ask himself, “Will I be able to give my best at the interview, or what if I fail in answering the questions, these were my fears. I overcame them by convincing myself that it was an opportunity that I had worked for, for the last five years and most importantly I was carrying the hopes of my parents, so I cannot end up on the losing side.” Confidence was the key note for Yogesh. ‘One should not fear of what you lack but should be confident of what you know,’ was his motto.

This is just the beginning for Yogesh, and he

Confidence is the key to success Moving away from parents at a young age to make a name for himself, Yogesh Pardeshi got into the corporate world building on his hardwork and steeling himself to stay confident

By Joe Williams 44 / Corporate Citizen / November 1-15, 2017

knows there is a long way ahead. “Yes, it is time Yogesh with his friends to keep moving looking for the best, and give the best to the firm you are working for, the firm Yogesh with which has given you a passage into a different his family world, the corporate. There is nothing like settling or being content with the job and the salary, one has to look forward and explore the open world.

You will have to discover new beginnings at each step,” he says.

The best, the happiest moment in life for any son would be to see happiness in the eyes of his parents and this was the most cherished dream for Yogesh. “I could see the happiness and satisfaction in my dad’s eyes and there were tears of joy. That was the best thing in my life. It was like he had achieved the best harvest that year. It is due to the hardwork of my parents and the experiences, which I earned I became during my journey-especially a totally when every time I was shifted to a new place-that made me strong, different person than adaptable and hardworking.” the one I was a few Life at the small village called Kochur in Raver taluka of Jalgaon years before. On the district (Maharashtra) has been a first day, I was full of eventually this also struggle for the Pardeshi family. passion, confidence me score a good “My family was an average income and dreams to prove helped 85% in my SSC Board family and each family member exams. I not only scored had a role to play in making both myself and sustain good marks, but I also ends meet,” said Yogesh, who after in a competitive city carried the experience of his VI standard schooling moved like Mumbai. And years where I startto Junnar for secondary education. that turned out to be four ed thinking and analysIt was a tough call. “No old friends, ing the things happening no roaming about in the village, the biggest turning around me”. no parents around. All of a sudden, point of my life and Yogesh feels that he is I was in a different world altogeth- it was here I realised much better than many er.” He was just 12 years old, and it was difficult for Yogesh to com- why my parents had other youngsters around as he narrates this story. prehend why his parents sent him sent me away from “I would like to mention away from home. As he narrates, the family” a friend who was very “I was not able to understand why talented, but his economic condition was not that my parents wanted me to be away from them, good. He used to eat sweets from the panditji at why they were making me stay with my uncle.” the Ganesh temple. His words are still ringing There was some solace as his mother came to in my ears. He said, “What if we don’t have the stay with him in Junnar, but there was something money to buy gifts? God has made sure that we more challenging for Yogesh as he had to comcan have them by visiting him in the temple.” pete with students from the urban area. “I was These words gave inspiration to me and helped admitted to Swami Vivekanand Vidyalaya Name remain calm, satisfied and lucky that whatevshik from VII standard. Initially, it was a tough er I have is enough to suffice my needs.” call for me to compete with the students of the He completed his diploma in Instrumentation city and again adjusting into a new environment. from Government Polytechnic in Mumbai. He I was afraid at that time that I was not clever was like a fish out of the pond then. “I became a enough and I did not have confidence in myself. totally different person than the one I was a few But then I understood that if I had to survive, I years before. On the first day, I was full of pashad to work hard.” sion, confidence and had dreams to prove myself And it was here that Yogesh grew up to join and sustain in a competitive city like Mumbai. the league of the ‘Big Boys’. “This energised me And that turned out to be the biggest turning and made me confident to be determined. Thus,

point of my life and it was here I realised why my parents had sent me away from the family.”

There are many people behind the success story of Yogesh, apart from his parents. “My aunt with whom I stayed in Nashik and my PSI uncle and my friends became the cause behind my inspiration. Now I wanted to be the one who could support anyone who needed help, especially youngsters who don’t even get the opportunity to get proper education.”

Honeywell Automation India Ltd came to the college for recruitment. It was the first company for his batch. In all, there were 46 candidates, who went through four stages of selection-aptitude test, group discussion, technical interview and HR interview. Out of the 30 candidates for technical interview, just three were selected and Yogesh was one among them. “That was when I realised that nothing is unconquerable.”

Joe78662@gmail.com

CC

tadka

IPL costlier than India’s matches Star India has won the Indian Premier League (IPL) media rights for a whopping 16,347.50 cr for the next five years. The record 16,347.50 cr bid, which will run from 2018 to 2022, makes IPL costlier than India’s matches.

November 1-15, 2017 / Corporate Citizen / 45

Loved & Married too

It is not often these days that a college romance fructifies into wedlock. Corporate Citizen unlocks the story of love that has culminated into marriage, for we believe in the stability of a relationship and family unit. We bring to you real-life romances that got sealed in marriage

Togetherness, unleashed You've heard of ties that bind. Well, sometimes there are ties that set you free to pursue your dreams, safe in the knowledge that you are loved and believed in. Married for 14 years, Sameer and Ruchira Gokhale (both 39) share just such a bond. Erstwhile corporate citizens (he a banker, she an HR professional), both have chosen to follow their hearts instead. While she's a self-employed consultant for Diversity and Inclusion, he's embarked on the entrepreneurial project of his dreams: ‘Unleash’, a boarding facility for dogs in Pune's Mundhwa area-a business that combines livelihood with his passion for animals

S

By Kalyani Sardesai

ameer Gokhale's day begins at 5.30 am even as he readies to walk his dogs up the hill. Returning sometime later, he nevertheless reiterates that he loves his life and work, and wouldn't have it any other way. “Heck, work does not feel like work when you follow your passion,” he exhales.

His spouse and best friend Ruchira couldn't agree more. After all, it was she who was the first to turn her back on a 9 to 5 set up, choosing to freelance as a consultant, in a very different area: diversity and inclusion. “It is of great interest to me as to how businesses benefit from bringing in assorted talents and cultures,” she says. Even as both husband and wife follow their hearts and dreams, it is perhaps a fitting milestone in a journey of togetherness spanning 14 years.

Back to the beginning

The couple first met in Pune's MIT school of Management. It wasn't a classic case of love at first sight. “The true story was I liked someone else. Ruchira was my friend and shoulder to cry on. But as time went on, I realised we were meant to be together,” grins Sameer.

As people, they couldn't be more different.

She's the more quiet and reserved of the two, with only a handful of close friends, whereas he has a thousand friends, and clearly the more talkative. Still, there was a lot to bring them together.

“We are both fauji kids. And as you may know, the armed forces have a culture of their own. Two fauji kids understand each other in a manner that someone from another background can't. It is a world in its own self,” says Sameer.

Their caste differences did not faze their parents. “I am a Maratha, he's a Brahmin. But it did not make any difference to us, because we had a cultural binding already,” says Ruchira.

“Only thing, I had to have a balvivah (child marriage) at 25 because her parents weren't ex-

46 / Corporate Citizen / November 1-15, 2017

actly amused at the prospect of having to wait for me to settle down and so on,” laughs Sameer.

Post marriage, though, there was a bit of separation given that he was working with HDFC Mumbai, whereas she had a job in Pune. After the initial work and travel, they finally settled down in Pune after their daughter Janhavi (12) was born. Post marriage, Ruchira took a sabbatical from work-which was not seen as a desirable thing to do-to bring up their little girl. “It was my decision completely; I wanted

to be there for my daughter full-time in her initial years and I had Sameer's support to do the same,” she says. Subsequently, though, she rejoined work, with Cummins.

From strength to strength

Sameer has now given up a flourishing career as a banker to follow his childhood calling: looking after animals and making them comfortable. “After having worked with the best brands, including HDFC, HSBC and Reliance, I realised that it was now or never. I had been branch manager with HDFC, Senior Vice President HSBC and Assistant Vice President, Reliance.

Janhavi, an all-rounder in the making

Dos and don’ts •Respect each other's dreams •Give each other space •Share responsibilities •Celebrate differences

My career was great, but I craved something else. I had wanted to be a vet, but my paediatrician dad was having none of it. However, animals, particularly dogs, remained a passion for me. And I had to take that risk to do something for them, and be with them. Plenty of research and number crunching later, I zeroed in upon the idea of a boarding facility for dogs.”

Aptly titled 'Unleash', this facility allows owners to travel leaving their precious pets behind.

“Much as we love our pets, there comes a time

Bonded by love and mutual belief: Sameer and Ruchira

“Marriages are complex, and change is a constant fact for both partners. Still, if I had to zero in on a few essentials, it would be: love, trust and space. These are vital to any relationship. Personally, I love travelling solo or with a girlfriend, and Sameer is completely game for it” -Ruchira when we have to leave them behind for a bit.

Here's where a modern, up to date facility run by loving hands makes a difference,” he says.

From acclimatisation programmes for dogs to monitoring their health, diets and play times, Unleash does it all. “Sometimes dogs who have never been left by themselves fall into depression.

We have to reassure the parents that they will be fine. It takes them time to trust us-particularly the Indian breed of dogs, who have faced a lifetime of abuse. On the other hand, learning to get by in a group is an easier process for pedigreed dogs who have been house dogs for generations.

Each animal is an individual though, and needs to be handled with care. Luckily, most respond to love over time,” he says.

So what was Ruchira's reaction to her spouse planning to quit a high paying job to do this?

“Honestly speaking, it did not take me one second to say yes,” she says. “Being self-employed, I understand the joy of working for oneself. By no means is it a dream to be underestimated.”

Yes, the challenges, particularly, the logistical ones are real, given that they are a nuclear family.

“From the beginning though, we were clear that we did not want our parents to be babysitters for Janhavi. It isn't fair. They have lives of their own, though, of course, they are always ready and willing to back us in times of need,” says Ruchira.

To add to their daughter, these days, responsibility involves looking after groups of mischievous dogs-three of their own. “Stepping out for dinner together is a big deal, and usually not doable. Yes, we have maids and helping hands.

But looking after lives is a 24X7 responsibility,” she adds. A quiet evening over a drink together is their way to finding ‘us’ time.

Bringing up baby

Both Ruchira and Sameer are united on the fact that they would want their daughter to be an all-rounder. “Studies are important yes, but to the extent that she does her best. But so are other aspects of her personality. Honestly, I would rather have a smart kid, equipped with vital life skills and the ability to get along with others, rather than an overtly, studious one,” expresses Sameer.

“He may seem like an easy-going person, but he's a disciplinarian and particular about certain aspects of her personality. For instance, he is firm about helping me out with certain chores. They aren't a lot, but they help make her responsible,” points out Ruchira. “On the other hand, I tend to be more worried about her health, rest and diet.”

The building blocks of a marriage

“Marriages are complex, and change is a constant fact for both partners. Still, if I had to zero in on a few essentials, it would be: love, trust and space.

These are vital to any relationship. Personally, I love travelling solo or with a girlfriend, and Sameer is completely game for it,” she says. “Responsibilities are shared, and so is parenting.”

Conflict management is another arena that each couple has to work out for themselves. “I am the one saying sorry most of the time,” chortles Sameer, and Ruchira agrees. “I have to give it to him. He has the largeness of spirit to not to make a big deal of certain potentially serious differences. At the end of the day, each one has to decide what works for them.”

And as the Gokhales ready themselves for yet another busy, noisy and laughter filled day with their dogs, it is evident, this works for them. kalyanisardesai@gmail.com

November 1-15, 2017 / Corporate Citizen / 47

Travel Mehul Jobanputra CEO and Co-Founder of DesiDime.com, has a Master’s degree in Business Management from the University of Strathclyde.

After around seven years of defining corporate strategy, M & A and Diversification strategy for a strategy consulting firm, he finally gave up his comfortable job to chase his entrepreneurial dream and helped launch DesiDime along with his cousin Jimish Jobunputra, the CTO and Co-Founder of the website. Inspired from SlickDeals.net, a similar website in the US, DesiDime prides itself at being one of India’s largest shopping communities. It is a community-driven website where users post deals and coupons, found around the internet, as well as interact with one another.

Your favourite holiday destination?

Berlin, Germany. It is a casual kind of a city and has strong historical vibes to it, thanks to the various iconic sights like the Berlin Wall, Prussian Palace, French Cathedral that dot the city.

The people there are extremely friendly, chilled out, and never take things too seriously. Also, it has some of the world’s best cafes.

When did you visit last?

Beautiful

Berlin In September 2016.

The three things that you should not miss in Berlin are its unbridled night life, the fabulous food and the rich history. It outdoes New York in being the city that never sleeps, says Mehul Jobanputra CEO and Co-Founder of DesiDime.com By Sharmila Chand

What do you like about Berlin?

For me, the two things that stand out about Berlin are its relaxed and casual lifestyle, and the friendliness of the locals.

Although Berlin is the capital and the largest city of Germany, it still holds a rustic appeal. It starts with you landing at Tegel Airport. They have designed the airport in such a way that within 10 minutes of landing you are out of the airport. As soon as the aerobridge is over, you

have immigration; just behind immigration is the baggage belt and 20 feet after that is the exit.

You will find people here religiously enjoying life, rather than chasing money and status symbols. Be it any time of the day, you will find cafés in Berlin always crowded. A small corner side shop will see few locals standing outside the shop at the end of the day with a cold beer in hand and just chilling. Drinking and socialising are a ritual here.

48 / Corporate Citizen / November 1-15, 2017

Thus, it is no wonder that you feel welcome and accepted in this city. The people follow the ‘Live and let live’ philosophy, and give a lot of importance to creativity and personal freedom.

You will see hints of it in their punk dressing styles and hair-do’s. On every third wall in the city, you will see some beautiful artwork by an anonymous artist.

Tell us the highlights of Berlin, what should not be missed, what do you recommend to see and do?

The three things that you should not miss in Berlin are its unbridled night life, the fabulous food and the rich history. I think it outdoes New York in being the city that never sleeps.

The clubbing culture of Berlin will leave you amazed to say the least.

It’s not just after dark or only on weekends, but you will be able to enjoy a great glass of beer and lively music, almost 24x7 in Berlin. And it’s not just your regular, expensive clubs, where you can enjoy all this. There are basement clubs, beer gardens, cocktail caverns, techno temples-a whole spectrum of party places you can choose from. In fact, I would say,

and should not miss is a visit to The Holocaust Memorial.

Apart from that, if you visit Berlin during Christmas, you must not miss the Christmas market.

Which restaurants you like to visit in Berlin?

Café ‘The Barn’-it’s a small café, which serves one of the best coffees in the world. It is actually a leading Specialty Coffee Roastery in Europe.

Which are the good hotels to stay in Berlin?

Novotel Berlin Mitte, Radisson Blu, Waldorf Astoria Berlin, The Westin Grand Berlin.

Which is your favourite hotel to stay?

if you are visiting Berlin during summer, you must not miss the Beer Gardens, parks and just roam around the city.

Berlin also serves you all the world’s amazing cuisines in its numerous restaurants and cafes. Apart from great German cuisine, you will also find Viennese, Italian, Turkish, Brazilian, Vietnamese food in this city.

There are some of the most mindboggling and glorious food halls in Berlin’s shopping complexes like the ones at the KaDeWe department store and the Galeries Lafayette. You should also take a walk along Prenzlauer Berg lined with cafes and try the amazing coffees and cakes.

As the capital city, Berlin has also been the centre of all the historic events of Germany and thus it boasts of some of the most iconic sights and structures like the Riech StagGermany’s parliament, the Berlin Wall, Bradenburg Gate to name a few. What you cannot

Hotel I31, it’s a Boutique Hotel, with a café-style breakfast area, gym, sauna, and a peaceful garden. It also lets you borrow bicycles, smart and e- scooters for sight-seeing, all free of charge.

No city can be improved; each city has its own charm. A city is made by its people, history and culture. And Berlin boasts of the warmest people, a rich, textured history, and a vibrant culture with emphasis on personal freedom and creativity. As far as tourism is concerned, thanks to the friendly population and great public amenities, you have no trouble going around this city on your own. So, I can’t think of anything that Berlin needs to improve on.

What can other destinations learn from Berlin?

How to make tourists feel welcome and included: That is one thing other destinations can learn from Berlin. This city embraces and accepts you with open arms and makes you feel welcome and good about yourself.

Contrary to general belief that Europeans are rather cold and unwelcoming, people in Berlin are super hospitable and openhearted.

Any interesting episode of your holiday in Berlin, which you can share with our readers?

Can’t think of any particular episode, however, all the experiences I had there were unique: Right from the fashion sense of the people to their love for freedom. I observed that when it comes to smoking, they won’t even listen to their own government on where and what to smoke. It was amusing how I stopped to admire and gawk at all the beautiful graffiti on the streets while the locals passed by without so much as a

“Berlin also serves you all the world’s amazing cuisines in its numerous restaurants and cafes. Apart from great German cuisine, you will also find Viennese, Italian, Turkish, Brazilian, Vietnamese food” Three tips you can give to fellow travellers for Berlin?

1. Don’t rush through the city, take your time exploring 2. Don’t forget to mingle with locals, they are incredibly friendly 3.Don’t take a guided tour, use public transport or bikes or visit places on foot because that’s the best way to see Germany. However, be prepared to walk a lot if you choose the last option

According to you, how can Berlin be improved?

glance. Then there were all those café-lined neighbourhoods, and suddenly in the middle of it all, I would find a Tajikistan tea room or an Italian restaurant.

What kind of a traveller are you – planning well or more impulsive?

I like planning my trips.

What tops your mind when you travel?

Trying local cuisine/ specialties of the place and seeing offbeat places. chand.sharmila@gmail.com

November 1-15, 2017 / Corporate Citizen / 49

QES Survey

of working

Indians Employment is crucial for the survival and growth of the citizens of a country.

Employment is also recognised as a human right. With a view to generate high quality accessible data on labour market for effective implementation of policies and welfare of labour, The Government of India has decided to conduct a new series of Quarterly Employment Survey (QES), which provides information about the employment statistics every quarter. Corporate Citizen presents the results Compiled by Neeraj Varty

are empl 50 / Corporate Citizen / November 1-15, 2017

Key Findings ●The present survey covers all the establishments/ units in the segment of Non-farm Industrial economy having 10 or more workers in eight selected sectors viz. Manufacturing, Construction, Trade, Transport, Education, Health, Accommodation & Restaurants and IT/ BPO. The information was collected from around 10,600 units as a sample in these eight sectors at all India level as of 1st April 2017 ●Total estimated employment in eight selected sectors was at 205.22 lakh in the country. Of the total employment of 205.22 lakh, 148.07 lakh (72.15%) were male and 57.15 lakh workers (27.85%) were female ●Out of 205.22 lakh total workers, around 5.56 lakh workers (2.71%) were self-employed and 199.66 lakh workers (97.29%) were employees ●Out of 199.66 lakh employees, around 162.96 lakh (81.62%) were regular, 26.60 lakh (13.32%) contractual and 10.10 lakh (5.06%) casual ●Out of total employment of 205.22 lakh, around 196.68 lakh (95.84%) were full-time workers and 8.54 lakh (4.16%) were part-time workers

Distribution of sample establishments by rural & urban and by location At the all-India level, among the sample establishments covered under the survey, 71 per cent establishments were in urban areas and 29 per cent in rural areas. The sector-wise details by rural & urban are given below:

oyees

Rural Area 29%

Urban Area 71%

November 1-15, 2017 / Corporate Citizen / 51

QES Survey

Total employment

5% IT/ BPO 4% Accommodation & Restaurant

Estimated Employment in eight selected sectors S. No.

Sector

Total Employment

(%) share

101.17

49.30

3.67

1.79

14.45

7.04

1

Manufacturing

2

Construction

3

Trade

4

Transport

5.80

2.83

5

Accommodation & Restaurant

7.74

3.77

6

IT/ BPO

10.36

5.05

7

Education

49.98

24.35

8

Health

12.05

5.87

205.22

100

Total

24% Education

3% Transport

7% Trade

6% Health

2% Construction

At the all-India level, the estimated employment in eight selected sectors stands at 205.22 lakh in the country. The sector-wise composition of employment in eight sectors is given in the following table.

Distribution of total employment by self-employed & employee Self-employed 3%

Employees 97%

49% Manufacturing

It is clear from the above figure that among all eight sectors, manufacturing sector was the largest employer providing employment to 101.17 lakh workers constituting 49.30 per cent. This was followed by education sector employing 49.98 lakh persons (24.35%), trade employing 14.45 lakh persons (7.04%), health 12.05 lakh persons (5.87%), IT/BPO 10.36 lakh persons (5.05%), Accommodation & Restaurants 7.74 lakh persons (3.77%), transport 5.80 lakh persons (2.83%) and construction employing 3.67 lakh persons (1.79%) pan India.

Employment by sectors Sector-wise percentage distribution of Self Employed and Employees S. No.

Sector

Self Employed

Employees

Total

Self Employed

Employees

1

Manufacturing

2.79

98.38

101.17

2.76

97.24

2

Construction

0.10

3.57

3.67

2.72

97.28

3

Trade

0.77

13.68

14.45

5.33

94.67

4

Transport

0.09

5.71

5.80

1.55

98.45

5

Accommodation & Restaurant

0.50

7.24

7.74

6.46

93.54

6

IT/ BPO

0.05

10.31

10.36

0.48

99.52

7

Education

0.95

49.03

49.98

1.90

98.10

8

Health

0.31

11.74

12.05

2.57

97.43

Total

5.56

199.66

205.22

2.71

97.29

Manufacturing is the sector with the maximum amount of employees 98 lakh as well as the maximum self-employed (2.79 lakh). Manufacturing also provides the maximum employment amongst the surveyed sectors with accommodation to 97% of the working population. The IT/BPO sector has the highest disparity between employees (99.52%) and employers (0.48%).

52 / Corporate Citizen / November 1-15, 2017

Women lead in education sector Distribution of Total Employment by Gender Health

Distribution of total employment by gender There is dominance of males workers in total employment of eight selected sectors. Thus, for employment as a whole, around 148.07 lakh male workers constitutes 72.15 per cent of the total employment as compared to 57.15 lakh female workers with 27.85 per cent at all India level.

There is no significant deviation in this pattern observed in the sectors in respect of gender-wise employment in a particular sector.

Education IT/ BPO Accommodation & Restaurant Transport Trade

Female 27.85%

Construction Manufacturing 0%

20%

40%

60%

Male

80%

100%

Female

Estimated Employment (in lakh) in Eight Sectors by Gender S. No.

Male 72.15%

Sector

1

Manufacturing

2

Construction

3

Trade

Male

(%) share

Female

(%) share

Total Employment

82.60

81.64

3.11

84.74

18.57

18.36

101.17

0.56

15.26

3.67

11.82

81.80

2.63

18.20

14.45

4

Transport

5.14

88.62

0.66

11.38

5.80

5

Accommodation & Restaurant

6.53

84.37

1.21

15.63

7.74

6

IT/ BPO

7.12

68.73

3.24

31.27

10.36

7

Education

25.51

51.04

24.47

48.96

49.98

8

Health

6.24

51.78

5.81

48.22

12.05

148.07

72.15

57.15

27.85

205.22

Total

As presented in the table, the percentage share of female worker in total employment was highest in Education (48.96%) followed by Health (48.22%) and IT/BPO (31.27%).

Conclusion Employees remain the largest type of work for Indians, and therefore job creation is extremely crucial for the country.

Manufacturing is the largest employer in India, and the government’s initiatives to boost the manufacturing sector must be applauded. The working population is predominantly male, and that disparity must be gradually reduced. Finally, small businesses and self-employment must be encouraged to provide impetus to more job creation and self reliance. neeraj.varty07@gmail.com November 1-15, 2017 / Corporate Citizen / 53

Health

r e g n aManagement It was commonly believed that venting anger is a better solution than holding it in.

However, recent researches show that people can get many negative effects when they vent their anger freely

A

nger can have many devastating impacts in the workplace. Non-violent anger can still be costly, many workers have cold, festering anger due to unfavourable corporate policies, which can turn to outbursts, such as strike or riot. Anger in the workplace can be expressed directly or indirectly, and some angers may not be expressed at all.

Anger can cause hurt feelings, disruptive interactions and mental preoccupation. Other more subtle costs of anger can be more personal such as diminished career prospects and poor health. Workgroup damages caused by anger are lost innovation, wasted time, increased turnover and absenteeism. While calculating monetary value of indirect and direct costs of anger is difficult, it is possible to enumerate most common

By Mark Thomas impacts of poorly controlled anger.

It was commonly believed that venting anger was a better solution than holding it in. However, recent researches show that people can get many negative effects when they vent their anger freely. In the individual cases, anger causes strong physical and emotional responses, which result in impaired physical and cognitive functioning. Badly managed health can be damaging to your career and if your anger is especially chronic, there could be long-term implications on your health.

These are the specifics:

Emotional Components • Diminished caution • Diminished ability to reason • Increased feeling of dominance • Increased impulsiveness • Increased animation

54 / Corporate Citizen / November 1-15, 2017

Physical Components

• Heart beats faster • Epinephrine surges • Blood pressure rises • Muscle in the arms, back and chest may tense up • Adrenal glands release cortisol • Body may feel clammy, sweaty, pale or flush • Potential career problems • Co-workers carry open or secret grudges against you • You are vulnerable to non-juridical hearings or may become a target of lawsuits • You have a reputation of losing temper easily • You have a reputation of being abusive • You have a reputation of being incompetent under pressure • You can become a target of revenge, in both legal and illegal forms • People don’t want to talk or work with you

• You’re prevented to participate from high-priority and critical projects • Vendors, customers and clients tend to avoid you

Long-Term Health Problems

• Poor immune system • Gastrointestinal tract illnesses, such as gastritis • Heart attacks • Kidney disease • Strokes headaches • Higher blood pressure • Respiratory disorders • Arthritis • Skin disorders • Circulatory disorders • Nervous system disabilities Additionally, anger may cause serious emotional disorders and in some cases suicide. Anger can cost organisations and work group immensely. The target can suffer considerably and those who are nearby can eventually become targets as well. Organisations or companies will not suffer from lower commitment and efforts, but can also be affected by significant financial and legal consequences.

Those who are on the receiving end of emotional storm can experience physical and emotional effects similar to those felt by the angered person. Common emotional responses felt by targets are sadness, fear, thought of revenge and increased caution. In some cases, the target can have more powerful anger than the angered individual. This may cause immediate retaliatory responses, both verbally and physically.

Often a superior’s anger can cascade down to the lowest rung of the organisation. However, anger can also spread upward and under such circumstances, it is usually covert in nature. For example, it can take form as an attempt to undermine others’ goals, failure to communicate or failure to cooperate.

Benefits

Often when we talk about anger, we only cover

Anger can cause hurt feelings, disruptive interactions and mental preoccupation.

Other more subtle costs of anger can be more personal such as diminished career prospects and poor health. Workgroup damages caused by anger are lost of innovation, wasted time, increased turnover and absenteeism about its negative effects. Anger is often considered as a forbidden emotion and angry people are often believed to be "out of control" or "irrational"-among the worst things that can happen to a person. It is especially true on companies, where employees are expected to leave their emotions outside the office doors. What we often forget is, anger is actually a neutral energy. It is neither negative nor positive. With proper control, anger can actually lead us to a productive and fulfilling life.

We can more easily distinguish positive responses to anger when we can extricate ourselves from conflict and uncontrolled anger. In general, to get the most of anger, we should see ourselves as an emotionless observer. When we consider a typical anger scenario and imagine likely responses, we can see that conflicts can potentially be converted to creative energy. Anger and conflict are evidences that workgroup and individuals are committed to their goals, as conflict can motivate people to produce better results. That’s why some researches indicate that conflict in a project can actually encourage better outcomes, although in some cases, it is intense enough to cause anger. But as long as members of the team are completely focused and control their emotion, the result is often satisfactory.

Positive anger emotions are often focused on the work itself, instead of to one or more member of the workgroup. These are the ways in which anger can improve productivity: • It channels energy to fuel intensive works for many hours • It leads people to persevere when facing difficult goals • It encourages people to become more innovative and creative • It encourages debate among competing ideas, which can results in better results • It encourages competition among group members that drives quality • It provides important data on whether current conditions, behaviours, relationships, practices and policies are both effective and efficient • It leads to fruitful discussions, actions and resolutions • It motivates people to deal with competitors in the same industry

• It motivates people to face wrongdoers • It draws attention to perceived injustice Of course, anger is not focused solely to work environment, even if it is a great breeding ground for anger. Although most work-related anger tends to degenerate into interpersonal conflicts, anger can be very valuable asset when effectively handled. Organisations that are vulnerable to work-related anger should perform regular brainstorming sessions to manage anger.

(The article is originally published in http://www. healthguidance.org)

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tadka

The bullet speed

The fastest trains in India currently is the Rajdhani Express that runs at a speed of 160 km/h. While, as of now, the fastest train is the Japanese maglev L0 series that can speed up to 603 km/h. The first bullet train planned in India, will run between Mumbai and Ahmedabad.

November 1-15, 2017 / Corporate Citizen / 55

Pearls of Wisdom

By Swami Krishnananda

Conflict with Ultimate Reality

We feel that we are capable of achieving everything, and yet, at the same time, feel that perhaps we are not for it. We feel the touch of the finite and the infinite at the same time. This is the human predicament

T

here is also a little suspicion in one’s own heart. This difficulty arises because we are too much human, and unable to get out of this human aspect in our nature. Not merely that, the feature which is human goes together with a sense of finitude and incapacity of oneself. As a human being, you feel very small, and consider yourself as a little one, almost nobody in this large humanity.

Two forces work within us at the same time. Sometimes we feel that we can achieve our purpose. This feeling inside is demonstrated in the unending desire for knowledge and achievement in the world. No one is satisfied with one’s own present achievements. There is a longing to achieve more and more objectives in life. This longing shows that one is capable of these achievements. A totally unachievable objective cannot rouse an aspiration in regard to it, so our longing for unending completeness of life is justifiable somehow, and therefore there is a hope of our achieving all our ends in life.

But together with this wondrous hope surging forth in our hearts, there is a simultaneous diffidence caused by our finitude, so we require propping up support every day when we are drooping down with a sense of finitude and 56 / Corporate Citizen / November 1-15, 2017

limitation. Both these forces are working inside us simultaneously. We feel that we are capable of achieving everything, and yet, at the same time, feel that perhaps we are not for it. We feel the touch of the finite and the infinite at the same time. This is the human predicament.

These conflicting situations should be encountered properly, not only in our yoga practice, but also in our other performances in this world. This problem is not only a spiritual problem; it is a day-to-day problem of every person. The conflict referred to is present in every walk of life, in every human being.

Actually, there is no such thing as a spiritual conflict or a political conflict.

It is a single conflict before us of a uniform nature. All conflicts are rooted in a single conflict. They appear like spiritual, social, intellectual, political, and the like, by outer forms of their expression. It is the conflict between the finite and the infinite. It is the conflict I referred to earlier in one session, which is fourfold. You have to remember this character of the fourfold conflict every day in your mind. It is not clear to me if you will remember all these things that have been told to you for so many days‌ There are four aspects of conflict in life. The most immediate pressing

The most immediate pressing conflict is your irreconcilability with human society, people outside. This outermost conflict appears as political, social, communal, etc., in many forms...

conflict is your irreconcilability with human society, people outside. This outermost conflict appears as political, social, communal, etc., in many forms. It is basically a difficulty of relationship between one person and another person. That can be a relationship between two persons or many persons in a family, or a larger congregation like the nation or the whole world. In a quintessential form, we may explain this circumstances as social conflict. This is the only thing that is occupying our minds mostly.

Day in and day out, we think of other people, and our difficulties with other people. When we sometimes say the world is good or the world is bad, we are referring to other people only. We are not thinking of the rivers and the mountains when we speak of the goodness or the badness of the world. The human world is nothing but the world of people. So here is the immediate difficulty we face right from the time we wake up in the morning till we go to bed at night. It is a question of self-adjustment with people outside…

The reason behind social disharmony and absence of social equipoise is psychological nonalignment of people. Human beings are not a solid stone.

They are made up of various layers of inner constitution. The human per-

sonality also is a wondrous psychological organisation. It is this psychological organisation that manifests itself as a social organisation outside, and therefore a nonaligned psyche will always come in conflict with other psyches in the world. As much as this seems to be a feature prevalent in almost everybody in the world, it appears to be an insoluble problem. Unless the psychological alignment of the inner constitution of people is achieved, social peace cannot be achieved. But the question will arise: How will you achieve it?

There is a cause behind this psychological difficulty also. This is the third type of conflict I referred to earlier. Actually, it is not the third type; it is the cause behind this second cause, and that is a thing which least attracts the attention of anybody in the world. The higher things do not usually become the concern of people. Just as a little worker or an official thinks mostly of his immediate boss and not the higher ones, people also think only of immediate causes and not higher causes. But it would not be a wisdom to be totally ignorant of the final causes of experience in the world. There is something which has a final say in all things.

These difficulties which are constitutional, or you may say psychophysical, are caused by cosmological factors. As we have the most outward form of social conflict and inward psychological conflict, there is a conflict with man of the whole of the world. Nature works in one way, and we do not seem to be appreciating it fully. We cannot reconcile ourselves with the workings of nature. We have a complaint against nature’s laws and operations also. We do not know why nature behaves in the way it does, just as we do not know why people behave in the way they are doing. So there is an ignorance of many causative factors of this type.

So I mentioned to you three facets of conflict: social, psychological and cosmological. But topping this list, there is a last word that is to be uttered.

That explains everything. It is the conflict of everything with the Ultimate Reality of the cosmos. The effect cannot reconcile itself with the cause.

This is a philosophical way of explaining the problem. You may wonder: What do you mean by the irreconcilability of the effect was the cause?

There is a basic difficulty in understanding relationships of any kind. You cannot easily understand how one thing is connected with another thing.

Philosophers have tackled this metaphysical question of the relation between cause and effect. It has been found that this is the crux of all the problems; in what way is the effect connected with the cause.

(The articles is sourced from www.swami-krishnananda.org)

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tadka

Indian reeling under an under-employment ecosystem Niti Aayog, in its ‘3-Year Action Agenda’ report for 2017-18 to 2019-20 said that not unemployment but a “severe under-employment” is the main problem facing the country. It said that a focus on the domestic market through an import-substitution strategy would give rise to a group of relatively small firms behind a high wall of protection.

November 1-15, 2017 / Corporate Citizen / 57

Bollywood biz

Will I Newton win the Oscar?

Newton has been named as India’s official entry for the 90th Academy Awards, and there is a collective buzz about India's tryst with the world's most famous film awards. Will Newton finally bag the elusive prize of best Foreign Language Films at the world’s most prestigious film awards? Corporate Citizen analyses its chances

By Neeraj Varty 58 / Corporate Citizen / November 1-15, 2017

t’s that time of the year again when India’s official nominee for the Oscars is announced, and the whole country is excited about India’s chances at the Oscars. Every year there is hope that India will finally manage to bag the most coveted award for a foreign language film in the world. But what does it take to crack the Oscar code?

The fact of the matter remains that simply picking up a film that best represents the cinema of the country, which is how the Academy views official submissions, is not enough. For example, Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam and Paheli were India’s entries to the Oscars in the past, but they certainly weren’t critically acclaimed even in India. Cultural representation doesn't make any difference to the approach the average Academy member would have towards the film. After a country sends its official entry, the film with English subtitles is screened for the Foreign Language Film Award Committee whose members select the five final nominations by a secret ballot. Needless to say, this is where preferences and/or prejudices come into play. A member need not see each and every film to make a considered choice and if the film has generated enough buzz via advertisements, previously being released or winning accolades on various film festivals is perhaps enough to convince one way or the other.

But is something else the real factor when it

Does Newton have a real chance of winning at the Oscars? Newton received a warm response at its premiere at the Berlin Film Festival. It also won the CICAE Award for best film in the Forum Section. It has also won Best Film at the Hong Kong International Film Festival. Rajkumar Rao is now seeking help from Aamir Khan, whose promotional efforts for Lagaan had made India closer to winning the Oscars

comes to ‘cracking’ the Oscar for Best Foreign Language Film? Take a look at the two countries that have won the most number of awards in this category and you would notice how these are the very cinemas that have had the biggest impact on Hollywood in terms of influence. Pick up any filmmaker in the last 50 years from the US and chances of them citing the Italian and French New Wave cinema as their learning ground would be really high; hardly surprising then that Italy and France have won the highest number of Oscars in this category. There is nothing wrong in Italian or French films dominating the category. But what it says about the way things operate at the Oscars is that films from the countries that a majority of the voting members like are the ones that don't really have to try hard to make an impression.

Amongst India and Hong Kong, the two cinemas that according to legendary Hollywood filmmaker Quentin Tarantino have not only survived Hollywood but also managed to create a special place for themselves, nei-

ther has ever won an Oscar for the Best Foreign Language Film. Yet Hong Kong Cinema, in particular, has had a tremendous influence on Hollywood, can can be seen in movies like The Matrix and John Wick.

Indian films have been nominated on four occassions—Mother India, Salaam Bombay, Lagaan, and Water—but have never won. Mehboob’s Mother India (1957) lost to Federico Fellini's Nights In Cabiria by one vote while Mira Nair's Salaam Bombay (1988) was beaten

by Pelle the Conqueror, Ashutosh Gowarikar's Lagaan (2001) went up against Amèlie and No Man's Land before losing to the latter and Deepa Mehta’s Water (2006) lost to Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck’s brilliant German film Das Leben der Anderen or The Lives of Others.

Technically, Mehta’s film was in Hindi but it was a Canadian submission and not Indian. A few years ago, Ritesh Batra’s Lunchbox (2013) would have had a strong chance of making it to the final five based on the success it had enjoyed on the festival circuit. There was enough buzz about the film and while it might not have won the award it definitely stood a better chance of making the cut as opposed to The Good Road, the film that was India's official entry.

Another issue that is relevant in this context is originality. In 2014, India’s official nominee was Barfi, which was copied from several Hollywood movies. Incidents like this damage India’s reputation at the Oscars and subsequent films have to pay the price. Newton too faced allegations of being similar to Iranian film Secret Ballot. However, the director Babak Payami has stated in an online interview "I saw the film and there is no sign of plagiarism. These are completely different films.”

Does Newton have a real chance of winning at the Oscars? Newton received a warm response at its premiere at the Berlin Film Festival. It also won the CICAE Award for best film in the Forum Section. It has also won Best Film at the Hong Kong International Film Festival.

Rajkumar Rao is now seeking help from Aamir Khan, whose promotional efforts for Lagaan had made India closer to winning the Oscars.

Only time will tell what will happen, but with Newton, India has much to be optimistic about at this year’s Academy Awards. neeraj.varty07@gmail.com

November 1-15, 2017 / Corporate Citizen / 59

Mobile apps

Samsung Galaxy S8, S8+ and Note 8 Priced at INR 57,900, 64,999 and 67,900, respectively

iPhone X The costliest of the bunch at INR 1,02,000, the iPhone X marks the 10th Anniversary edition of iPhone

The Galaxy S8 has a 5.8-inch screen, and weighs 155g. The Galaxy S8+ offers a 6.2-inch screen, and weighs 173g. The Galaxy Note 8 has a slightly bigger screen size at 6.3 inches and weighs 195g. It also carries the S-pen. All three phones have a resolution of 2960 x 1440p, and have a layer of Gorilla Glass 5. All the three devices are driven by Exynos 8895 processor. The Galaxy Note 8 is also the first Samsung phone to also offer a dual rear camera.

While it introduces face recognition, Apple’s own GPU and Qi enabled wireless charging, it takes away the home button.

The almost bezel-less display has a resolution of 2436 x 1125p.

s s e l l e z e b t s e b s The e n o h p t smar

18:9, en aspect ratio of up re sc a s ha ys la e unlike the old disp , phone manufacturers have com a y, la sp di s es l-l nes. A beze itizen takes e. This year zel-less smartpho s the most immersive experienc ng the dimensions. Corporate C y be of ar ye e th give art creasi 2017 is

By Neeraj V ge display which bezels without in and an edge to ed displays by cutting down on the embraced the bezel-less design with even bigger screen smartphones which have look at bigMi Mix 2 Priced at INR 32,000 onwards

Micromax Canvas Infinity Micromax is the first Indian phonemaker to come up with the almost bezel-less phone with its Infinity series. Priced at INR 9999, its Canvas Infinity has a 5.7-inch screen with a resolution of 1440 x 720p. This is a budget offering driven

by Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 425 processor.

60 / Corporate Citizen / November 1-15, 2017

The Xiaomi Mi Mix 2 is a sequel of the Mi Mix, a concept phone launched in December 2016. It is smaller than the original Mi Mix, but is still a phablet with no bezels on top and sides.

The Mi Mix screen-to-body ratio is 90%, and the device weighs 185 grams. Xiaomi’s Mi Mix 2 offers a higher resolution of 2160 x 1080p and is sized 151.8mm x 75.5 mm. The Mi Mix is driven by Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 processor. neeraj.varty07@gmail.com

Claps & Slaps

Corporate Citizen Claps for Lieutenant Swati Mahadik, now commissioned as an officer of the Indian Army

Corporate Citizen Slaps the September 29th Elphinstone Road station tragedy at Mumbai

Two years ago, she lost her husband, Colonel Santosh Mahadik, who served the Indian Army Special Forces of the 41 Rashtriya Rifles. A year after his death, 38-year-old Swati Mahadik amazed many as she announced that she wished to join the Army. She then waged her own battles by sending her children away to boarding school while she joined the Officers Training Academy in Chennai in 2016. Swati was commissioned into the Army Ordnance Corps (AOC) in September.

In October 2016, Swati was determined to don the olive green uniform like her husband. She joined the non-technical course for women cadets, and succeeded after completing a gruelling 11-month training programme. “The Lady Cadet had opted to join the AOC and her request has been acceded to and therefore she will be commissioned in the Ordnance Corps,” said a senior officer.

She began training in 2014, after she spotted an advertisement inviting military widows to join the Army. She had to compete with much younger cadets but a determined Swati excelled in all physical and academic endeavours. Mother of 12-year-old daughter Kartikee and 7-year-old Suraj, she availed the Army’s age concession for wives of military personnel, who die in the line of duty and cleared the Services Selection Board to join OTA. Her mother-in-law Kalindi Ghorpade, her father Babanrao Shedge and her mother supported her.

Her courage surfaced even when Col. Mahadik was being airlifted to Srinagar, she called Maj. Pravin, the then Adjutant at 41 Rashtriya Rifles headquarters. He said, “Her question still haunts me. All she asked was ‘Zinda rahenge ya nahi rahenge? Bas itna bata do’ (Will he live or not?

Just tell me that).’ She called again a short while later. This time, she asked me a question that haunts me even more. She asked how many rounds hit her husband. I informed her that he had taken seven bullets and that he was unlikely to survive. She said nothing further and hung up the phone.’

Lieutenant Swati says, “When you lose someone who is close to you it hurts. His (Colonel Mahadik) first love was his uniform and his unit, so I just had to wear this. It just happened and I did not even work harder for this. Even my family was with me, so I know I will be able to do it.

After wearing this uniform, I want to know what work has to be done and I will learn it.”

‘Maa Tujheei Salam’, in all respects to such daughters of the land!

As probes and sub-committees, railways and government officials table their documents – the findings of the ill-fated ‘minutes’ to the mishap, poses the dilemma on whether public amenities need a ‘reactive’ or a ‘proactive’ maintenance policy. The stampede killed around 23 people on the railway over bridge connecting Elphinstone and Parel stations and another 50 being trampled upon within a span of a minute or two!

This is a wakeup call for administrators and citizens alike. Ironically, commuters had not turned a blind eye to the eventually that was waiting to happen but, their cautions were allegedly ignored by the authorities.

As citizens unleashed their distress on social media; their Tweets point to apathy of the concerned officials. For example, cartoonist Manjul had Tweeted in Feb 1, 2017 “MANJUL @MANJULtoons - Pre-rush hour Parel station. The only staircase, which people use to exit and enter the station. A major accident is waiting to happen.”

However, the railways and police blame others factors maintaining, “...The rains that compelled commuters to stay put on the foot over bridge, and the constant crowd of commuters alighting from the trains adding to the crowd.” The initial probe had ruled out dereliction of duty on the part of railway officials.

It is appalling to lay the blame on nature’s fury than on commuter friendly infrastructure or warning tools. Post-incident, opposition parties have demanded removal of hawkers from stations to ease commuters’ movement. The railways have asked Government Railway Police (GRP) and Railway Protection Force (RPF) officials to click photos from their mobile phones of hawkers on foot over bridges and to maintain records of illegal hawkers.

A sub-committee set up after the incident along the lines of the multi-disciplinary committee, headed by state education minister and guardian minister of Mumbai Vinod Tawde, will meet once a month to review the works related to Foot Bver Bridges, removing hawkers and ease entry and exit points in and around station premises. The Central Railway Minister Piyush Goyal has announced a safety and capacity audit of all FOBs at 36 suburban stations of the WR and 76 of the CR. The question is-is there any willingness among the policy makers, politicians and officials to take an action, or they will wait only until another ‘shock’ in the future forcing citizens to continue braving the risk?

(Compiled by Sangeeta Ghosh Dastidar) November 1-15, 2017 / Corporate Citizen / 61

Be Grateful Dr (Col) A Balasubramanian

From The Mobile

When Valmiki completed his Ramayana, Narada wasn't impressed. “It is good, but Hanuman's is better,” he said. ‘Hanuman has written the Ramayana too!’

Valmiki didn't like this at all, and wondered whose Ramayana was better. So he set out to find Hanuman.

In Kadali vana (grove of plantains) he found Ramayana inscribed on seven broad leaves of a banana tree. He read it and found it to be perfect. The most exquisite choice of grammar and vocabulary, metre and melody.

He couldn't help himself. He started to cry. “Is it so bad?” asked Hanuman “No, it is so good,” said Valmiki “Then why are you crying?” asked Hanuman “Because after reading your Ramayana no one will read my Ramayana,” replied Valmiki.

Hearing this, Hanuman simply tore up the seven banana leaves stating, “Now no one will ever read Hanuman's Ramayana.”

Hanuman said, “You need your Ramayana more than I need mine. You wrote your Ramayana so that the

world remembers Valmiki; I wrote my Ramayana so that I remember Ram.” At that moment, he realised how he had been consumed by the desire for validation through his work.

He had not used the work to liberate himself from the fear of invalidation. He had not appreciated the essence of Ram's tale to unknot his mind.

His Ramayana was a product of ambition but Hanuman's Ramayana was a product of affection.

That's why Hanuman's Ramayana sounded so much better. Valmiki realised that “Greater than Ram… is the name Ram!!”

There are people like Hanuman who don't want to be famous. They just do their jobs and fulfil their purpose.

So let’s not be like Valmiki, thinking our ''Ramayana” is the best. There are many unsung “Hanumans” too... in our life...your spouse, mother, father, friends....let's remember them and be grateful to all....

Being Happy You can have flaws, be anxious, and ever angry, but do not forget that your life is the greatest enterprise in the world. Only you can stop it from going bust. Many appreciate you, admire you and love you. Remember that to be happy is not to have a sky without a storm, a road without accidents, work without fatigue, and relationships without disappointments. To be happy is to find strength in forgiveness, hope in battles, security in the stage of fear, and love in discord. It is not only to enjoy the smile, but also to reflect on the sadness. It is not only to celebrate the successes, but also to learn lessons from the failures. It is not only to feel happy with the applause, but also to be happy in anonymity.

Being happy is not a fatality of destiny, but an achievement for those who can travel within themselves. To be happy is to stop feeling like a victim and become your destiny's author. It is to cross-deserts, yet to be able to find an oasis in the depths of our soul. It is to thank God for every morning, for the miracle of life.

Being happy is not being afraid of your own feelings. It's to be able to talk about you. It is having

62 / Corporate Citizen / November 1-15, 2017

the courage to hear a “no”. It is confidence in the face of criticism, even when unjustified. It is to kiss your children, pamper your parents, to live poetic moments with friends, even when they hurt us. To be happy is to let live the creature that lives in each of us, free, joyful and simple. It is to have maturity to be able to say, “I made mistakes”. It is to have the courage to say, “I am sorry”. It is to have the sensitivity to say, “I need you”. It is to have the ability to say, “I love you”.

May your life become a garden of opportunities for happiness. That in spring, may it be a lover of joy. In winter a lover of wisdom and when you make a mistake, start all over again. For only then will you be in love with life. You will find that to be happy is not to have a perfect life. But use the tears to irrigate tolerance. Use your losses to train patience.

Use your mistakes to sculptor serenity. Use pain to plaster pleasure. Use obstacles to open windows of intelligence. Never give up.... Never give up on people who love you. Never give up on happiness, for life is an incredible show.

(Pope Francisco)

Thought provoking “Buddha”

Was A Prince Who Left His Palace In Search Of Peace And We All Buddhus Are In Search Of A Palace At The Cost Of Our Peace Time To Think and Decide

I asked God

“How to handle life”?

God replied, “Check Your Room” My room gave me all the answers: Roof said : Aim high.

Fan said : Be cool.

Clock said : Value time.

Calendar said : Be up to date.

Wallet said : Save now for the future.

Mirror said : Always observe yourself.

Lamps said : Light up other's life.

Wall said : Share others' load.

Window said : Expand the vision.

Floor said : Always be down to earth.

Stairs said : Watch each step you take.

And I Said Thank You God

Slaves of technology I had spent an hour in the bank with my dad, as he had to transfer some money. I couldn't resist myself and asked...

“Dad, why don't we activate your internet banking?”

“Why would I do that,” he asked...

“Well, then you won’t have to spend an hour here for things like transfer. You can even do your shopping online. Everything will be so easy!”

I was so excited about initiating him into the world of net banking.

He asked, “If I do that, I won’t have to step out of the house?” '”Yes, yes!” I said. I told him how even grocery can be delivered at door now and how Amazon delivers everything!

His answer left me tongue-tied.

He said, “Since I entered this bank today, I have met four of my friends, I have chatted a while with the staff who

know me very well by now. You know I’m alone... This is the company that I need.

I like to get ready and come to the bank.

I have enough time; this is the physical touch I crave. Two years back I got sick, the storeowner from whom I buy fruits, came to see me, sat by my bedside, and cried. When your mom fell down few days back while on her morning walk.

Our local grocer saw her and immediately got his car to rush her home, as he knows where I live. Would I have that ‘human touch’ if everything became online? Why would I want everything delivered to me and force me to interact with just my computer? I like to know the person that I'm dealing with and not just the 'seller'. It creates bonds and relationships.

Does Amazon deliver all this as well?”

Technology isn't life... Spend time with people not with devices.

November 1-15, 2017 / Corporate Citizen / 63

astroturf pendence will grow every day. You now have the power to create the conditions for happiness, to live as per your terms. Your love planet moves into your sign. Health and energy remain good.

Aries

Mar 21 - April 20

Greatest days: 1, 2, 9, 10 Hectic days: 7, 8, 14, 15 Honey days: 6, 7, 14, 15 Money days: 3, 4, 6, 7, 8 Profession days: 2, 10 Your 8th house is always dealing with finance, inheritance, close relationships, everything that matters in life. This is also a house, which impacts the need to get rid of clutter in your life, physically, mentally and emotionally. other.

TAURUS

April 21 - May 20

Greatest days: 3, 4, 12, 13 Hectic days: 9, 10 Honey days: 3, 4, 6, 7, 12, 13 Money days: 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 Profession days: 2, 10 Love life still remains the headline this month too. Romance is generated with your pay also getting a boost. Finances remain on the upswing. Until the 6th your social connections are important as you will be popular.

GEMINI

May 21 - June 21

Greatest days: 5, 6, 14, 15 Hectic days: 12, 13 Honey days: 6, 7, 8 Money days: 7, 8 Profession days: 7, 8 When the Jupiter moved into the 6th house it brought love and job changes. It is the time to be alert. You will experience a lot of personal popularity as others appreciate your concerns and your love is more proactive now.

CANCER

June 22 - July 23

Greatest days: 7, 8 Hectic days: 1, 2, 14, 15 Honey days: 2, 6, 7, 10 Money days: 7, 8, 9, 10 Profession days: 1, 2, 5, 6, 14, 15 Health and energy are much im-

(www.dollymanghat.com)

Fortune favours the bold and the lucky

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

proved this month. You can expect a fun filled kind of month with creativity thrown to add to your fun. Your primary focus remains on home.

LEO

July 24 - Aug 23

Greatest days: 1, 2, 9, 10 Hectic days: 3, 4 Honey days: 2, 6, 7, 10 Money days: 7, 8, 9, 12, 13 Profession days: 3, 4, 6, 7 The 4th house of family and friends is where all the actions happen this month. Your career planet moves there this month.

Your mission and priority this month remains for the family, networking and loved ones.

VIRGO

Aug 24 - Sept 23

Greatest days: 3, 4, 12, 13 Hectic days: 5, 6 Honey days: 6, 7, 8 Money days: 3, 4, 7, 8, 12, 13, 14, 15 Profession days: 5, 6, 9 Your love life improves in a much better way than earlier.

This month becomes good for those involved in education.Your emotional wellbeing becomes more important than career. This is a time to regroup the forces you will need for your next career push next year.

64 / Corporate Citizen / November 1-15, 2017

LIBRA

CAPRICORN

Dec 23 - Jan 20

Greatest days: 3, 4, 12 Hectic days: 1, 2, 7, 8, 14, 15 Honey days: 6, 7, 8 Money days: 2, 7, 8, 10 Profession days: 6, 7, 14, 15 Your network increases and also your understanding of new technology, science, astronomy and astrology. Good time to invest in these things as your judgement is good. Finances will be much improved this month.

Sept 24 - Oct 22

Greatest days: 5, 6, 14, 15 Hectic days: 1, 2, 7, 8 Honey days: 1, 2, 5, 6, 7, 14, 15 Money days: 3, 4, 7, 8, 12, 13 Profession days: 7 Another happy and prosperous month for you. Money and honey are the main headlines for you this month. Everything you touch will turn to gold.

SCORPIO

Oct 23 - Nov 22

Greatest days: 7, 8 Hectic days: 3, 4, 9, 10 Honey days: 3, 4, 6, 7 Money days: 7, 8 Profession days: 7, 8, 9, 10 Love, money, health and freedom are all for you to enjoy this month. You can be your own self, having things done your way as long as you don’t abuse your freedom.

SAGITTARIUS Nov 23 - Dec 22

Greatest days: 1, 2, 9, 10 Hectic days: 5, 6, 12, 13 Honey days: 5, 6, 7, 9 Money days: 2, 7, 8, 10 Profession days: 9, 12, 13 Your personal power and inde-

AQUARIUS

Jan 21- Feb 19

Greatest days: 5, 6, 14, 15 Hectic days: 3, 4, 9, 10 Honey days: 6, 7, 8, 9, 10 Money days: 7, 8 Profession days: 3, 4, 12, 13 Finance and career remain the headlines this month. The overall prognosis is prosperity. All the planets are supporting you. Other people are important but you may not be so dependent on them.

PISCES

Feb 20 - Mar 20

Greatest days: 7, 8 Hectic days: 5, 6, 12, 13 Honey days: 6, 7, 9, 12, 13 Money days: 1, 2, 5, 6, 7, 8, 14, 15 Profession days: 7, 8 This is definitely a happy and prosperous month for Pisces so make the most of it and enjoy yourself.

More travel is happening certainly the opportunities are there. College students will progress well.

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January 1-15, 2016 / `50

CORPORATE CULTURE

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

INTERVIEW

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

Dynamic Duo 21 MEERA SHANKAR AND AJAY SHANKAR

UNFLINCHING SUPPORT

November 1-15, 2017 / Corporate Citizen / 65

the last word

Ganesh Natarajan

Divine Dolls

In these days of incessant social media and more time spent on devices rather than conversations, here is a change to celebrate positives together, get together with friends and family and reinitiate the process of human contact

I

ndia is a land of multiple festivals, cultures and traditions and there is none so traditional as the celebrations across the country during the Navratri and Dussehra season. In the North, Dussehra marks the victory and vanquishing of Ravana by God Rama, in East the celebrations are centred around the Goddess Kali coming home to set off a period of celebration and puja and in West, it’s the Garba and its modernised celebration of Dandia that sets many feet dancing to the beat of Falguni Pathak and her ilk-whatever be the form, its all a celebration of tradition.

And there is no place where traditions are as valued and celebrated as South India, where Navaratri is seen as a time when homes in many parts of Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, and Kerala are agog with colours, light, music, and food. The celebration of Golu (called Bomma Golu in Andhra) is a colourful exhibition of dolls in celebration of Devi-the Goddess and a time for rejoicing, eating and bonhomie with friends and family. The floor of the home is decorated with Rangoli (Kolam in Tamil). Women in their best Kanjeevaram silks and children in colourful “pavadais” host others at home and greet them with the Golu array of dolls, mainly wooden set in stories from the Ramayan and Mahabharat and other folk lore, chanting slokas and singing traditional songs. Traditionally, the dolls display is regarded as the

Goddess Parvati and consist of a multitude of idols of gods, goddesses, men, animals, and businessmen going about their work and also celebrating the festival with the occupants of homes and their visitors.

The artistic display of dolls on numbered tiers or steps, usually made of wood are traditionally on nine steps representing the nine days of Navaratri.

Traditionally, a few top steps include idols of gods and a ceremonial jar with fresh water, covered with a coconut and mango leaves. The next few steps have idols of saints and heroes of the country. Another step represents human activities, depicting functions such as marriage, temples, and an orchestra or music band. Business is usually represented by the Chettiar set of dolls, with shop items and wooden “Marapachi” dolls dressed in colorful clothes adding variety to the assembly. At our home in Pune, my wife Uma’s collection of over eight hundred dolls have been assimilated over a twenty-five year period from every state in the country and over a dozen countries all over the world. A few dolls get retired and many new ones added every year.

The families eat special dishes offered to the gods, especially the protein-rich legume dish called Sundal with an ever-flowing sup-

66 / Corporate Citizen / November 1-15, 2017

of victory—an auspicious day to start new ventures and journeys, and a day to start learning new skills. Possibly a good day this year for India to launch a new focus on livelihood creation and skills for three hundred million of our countrymen. On the last day, the Golu dolls are symbolically put to sleep and packed away to hibernate till Golu rolls around again next year.

Why are traditions like Golu so important? In these days of incessant social media and more I believe that time spent on devices rather traditions need to than conversations, here is change to celebrate posibe preserved as atives together, get together a way to continue with friends and family and reinitiate the process the process of humans bonding of human contact. A number of people today scoff at and working tradition and culture but while I am in the faction ply of sweets for the common and fruits. good of humanity that deplores excessive display of religion or rituals, I Women folk believe that traditions need to be exchange betel leaves, betel nuts, preserved as a way to continue the coconuts, fruits, flowers, bangles, process of humans bonding and turmeric, and kumkum. The Naworking for the common good of varatri preparations start on the humanity. At the end of one more new moon day by setting up the Golu where the 800 dolls at home steps, decorating the homes and entertained over three hundred temples, and lighting the streets guests and hopefully enthralled of the city in towns and villages many first timers to this colourful in Tamil Nadu. The nine days of tradition, here is wishing everyNavaratri start the next day and body the very best for the many end on the tenth, which is called festivals that we will be celebrating Vijayadasami (day of victory). The in the next few months. ninth day is celebrated with Saraswathi Pooja to worship the Goddess of learning books and musical Dr. Ganesh Natarajan is Chairman instruments are offered along with of 5F World, Pune City Connect & the Golu. The tenth day is the day Social Venture Partners, Pune.

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