India-Business, Diplomatic, Diaspora and Political Connectivity
Editor’s Desk Information technology and business are becoming inextricably interwoven. I don't think anybody can talk meaningfully about one without the talking about the other. —Bill Gates
M
icrosoft co-founder Bill Gates couldn’t have said it better. Indeed, both IT and business are inextricably interwoven like never before in history. Whether it’s a pilot’s dependence on air traffic control for landing on the right tarmac, or a housewife’s tryst with an online vendor that allows her to order vegetables and dairy items at a time of her choosing, our world is increasingly driven by information technology (IT), and its famous first cousin—the app. IT is relentlessly pushing the frontiers of technological excellence. It’d only be fair to say that at the forefront of this exciting scientific churning are men like Asoke K Laha, President and MD of Interra Information Technologies. Mr Laha is a wonderful example of why India’s stock all over the world is so high, especially when it comes to the IT terrain. Currently InterraIT, founded in 1996 and headquartered in Silicon Valley, California, works with several Fortune 1000 companies. It boasts of a sales network spanning the USA, Canada, India and Japan. Mr Laha’s story is as much inspirational as it is one of diligence and hard work. Quality and value for customers form the core ethos of his firm, and his team. Mr Laha who plays a key role in top Indian business chambers has given us an engaging interview which should be a must read for all aspiring entrepreneurs. Elsewhere we have a range of items on India’s engagement with transcontinental business forums, especially by India’s Commerce and Industry Minister Suresh Prabhu. He interacted with diplomats at the IndiaLatin America and Caribbean Strategic Economic Cooperation, the India-Italy Joint Commission for Economic Cooperation, the Saudi-India Business Council, the India-Argentina Business Forum, Indo-US CEO Forum. Meanwhile, Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed the India Korea Business Symposium hosted by Invest India and Korean Chamber of Commerce and Industry in Seoul. Champagne’s ties with India dates back three centuries. In 2017, over 400,000 bottles of the bubbly were shipped to India, in spite of high taxes. Vincent Perrin, Director General of The Comite Champagne throws more light. There’s also an EIU Survey on corporate travel across Asia’s cities for business and leisure, uniquely termed bleisure. There’s plenty to navigate through. Hope you enjoy what you read.
Sayantan Chakravarty sayantanc@gmail.com www.indiaempire.com
iNDiA
empire Volume 14 No. 10 March 2019 www.indiaempire.com RNI No.: DELENG/2005/16693
GLOBAL ADVISORY BOARD Mr Inder Singh, Dr Rami Ranger, Dr Kamalanathan Sappani, Mr Mridul Pathak, Ms Priya Tandon Editor Sayantan Chakravarty Consulting Editor Yogesh Sood (Business and Commerce) Sipra Das (Photography) Kul Bhushan Jayant Borkar (Mumbai Affairs) Sanjay Sharma (BJP Affairs) Paras Ramoutar (Caribbean Affairs) Vishnu Bisram (New York) Premchand Ramlochun (Mauritius) Liladhar J. Bharadia (Kenya) Jay Banerjei (Toronto) Head—Art and Print Jaydev Bisht Additional Contributions From Vishal Gulati, Yogi Ashwini
Registered Office: N-126, II Floor, Greater Kailash I, New Delhi - 110 048. Contact: +91.11.2923.3647, +91.11.2923.1515. Our Associate Offices: Hyderabad: Abhijit Bhattacharjee, Tel: +91.9848033874. Mauritius: 28, Cnr. Jasmins and Lataniers Avenue Résidence Sunsetville, La Caverne, Vacoas 73310 Republic of Mauritius Trinidad and Tobago: 61 Main Road, Caparo, Trinidad, W.I. Canada: Suite 209 885 Progess Ave, Toronto, ON M1H G3G Canada New York: 260, Madison Avenue, 15th Floor, New York, NY 10016 ADVERTISEMENT AND SUBSCRIPTIONS Email: contactindiaempire@gmail.com info@indiaempire.com sales@indiaempire.com M: +91.9899117477, +91.98116.27971 Printed, published, owned by Sayantan Chakravarty. Editor is Sayantan Chakravarty. Published from N -126, II Floor, Greater Kailash I, New Delhi 110 048, INDIA. Printed at Archana Advertising Pvt. Ltd., C-78, Okhla Industrial Area, Ph-1, New Delhi 110020. All rights reserved throughout the world. Any kind of reproduction in any media is prohibited. All disputes are subject to jurisdiction of courts in Delhi.
Like us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/indiaempire1 Follow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/INDIAEMPIRE
Sayantan Chakravarty is in a select group of 12 writers chosen by Scholastic Education to promote advanced English literature for schools worldwide. Included in the group are Nobel Laureate William Butler Yeats, R K Narayan (Padma Vibushan and Sahitya Award winner), journalist and poet Walt Whitman, writer Saki (Hector Hugh Munro), poet Nissim Ezekiel (Sahitya Akademi Awardee), writer Jerome K Jerome (author of Three Men in a Boat), poet Edward Lear, Roald Dahl (16th on Time Magazine’s list of greatest British writers). Sayantan Chakravarty’s stories featured in Best of Indian Express of 25 years and among select stories in Best of India Today’s 25 years.
cONTENTS
12
March 2019
18
GLOBAL AMBASSADOR OF INDIA’S IT PROWESS ......................................... 12 Asoke K Laha INDIA’S BUSINESS AND COMMERCIAL ENGAGEMENT ..................................................... 10 USA, Saudi Arabia, Italy, Argentina, Norway, Africa, LAC
24 ASIA’S BEST CITIES ............................................ 20 EIU survey on bleisure INTERVIEW ......................................................... 24 Himachal CM DIASPORA .......................................................... 27 Indian achievers in US West Coast
ADVERTISE IN INDIA EMPIRE MAGAZINE
LATEST MONTHLY ISSUES
AND CONNECT TO THE BUSINESS. DIPLOMATIC, DIASPORA, POLITICAL COMMUNITY
CONNECT: +91.9811627971 / +91.11.29231515 / 29233647 EMAIL: contactindiaempire@gmail.com / info@indiaempire.com / sayantanc@gmail.com
diplomacy
quote unquote
DIPLOMATS TO InDIA EMPIrE Indians have discovered Hungary and are visiting our country in ever larger numbers. Tourist arrivals are doubling each year. It is not by happenstance! Rabindranath Tagore himself has said about Hungary: “I have seen almost all the countries of the world but I saw nowhere such a beautiful harmony of the sky and the water than that I had the privilege to enjoy on the shore of Balatonfüred, filling my soul with rapture.” We welcome all Indians to Hungary, who want to have the same experience as the Nobel Laureate poet did. —H.E. Mr Gyula Pethő, Ambassador of Hungary to India
“Portugal and India have been trading partners with strong historical links for over 500 years. Recently, Indians have been showing an increasing interest in discovering Portugal as a tourism destination, with its rich heritage and cultural offer that appeals to Indian tourists. In the last 6 years, Indian tourism to Portugal has tripled, and this trend is expected to continue as our countries develop further cooperation in various fields. In fact, Portugal is the only European country ever to have an Indian descendent Prime Minister, which says much about our multicultural and welcoming society. In 2018, Portugal was elected for the second time in a row, the World’s Leading Destination at the World Travel Awards.” —H.E. Mr. Carlos Pereira Marqurs, Ambassador of Portugal to India We would welcome views and comments from Missions at sayantanc@gmail.com
PERU’S PISCO DAY Pisco is the national drink of Peru, a spirit made from only certain varieties of grapes, which are fermented to wine and then distilled. The first reports of the production of this grape spirit can be traced back to the 17th century. Today, pisco is only produced in the coast of Peru in the regions of Lima, Ica, Arequipa, Moquegua and Tacna with the aim of protecting its geographical indication and exported to more than 19 markets in Europe, North America and Asia. The king of pisco cocktails is unquestionably the pisco sour, which by many accounts was invented by an American bartender, Victor Vaughen Morris, in his bar in Lima in 1916. This popular cocktail spread all over the world reached India at the turn of the century. Now it is possible to enjoy a refreshing pisco sour at the main bars of Delhi, Mumbai and Goa. The International Pisco Sour Day is held annually on the first Saturday of February, but in India the Embassy of Peru decided to set aside the entire month to this fine drink. Peruvian restaurant On The Go kick started the celebrations in Goa on February 2 and the following week the pisco sour was commemorated in Delhi at Nero, the chic and classy bar located inside of Le Meridien Hotel. A special mention goes to Mr. Rajen Ghalay, Director of Sales, at Le Meridien, 6
india empire | march 2019
for helping organize and plan a successful event. To celebrate the friendship between the Land of Spices and the Land of the Incas, the mixologist at Nero created ‘pisco masala’, a new flavorful and aromatic cocktail which blends pisco with Indian spices and which was presented for the first time at the event on February 8. Celebrations followed in the cities of Mumbai, Bangalore and Kolkata.
FoReIGn AFFAIRS
india-KorEa Startup Hub launcHEd The India Korea Business Symposium was hosted by Invest India and Korean Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI) in Seoul in February 2019.The symposium was organized to felicitate the Korean business community on their success in India and to present more opportunities for Korean business in India. Prime Minister of India Mr Narendra Modi addressed the business gathering on the way ahead to further strengthen bilateral ties between India and the Republic of Korea. Over 400 Korean business leaders, which included corporate groups like CJ Group, Hyundai, Youngone Corporation, Samsung, LG, Lotte Group, SK Group and Hyosung were present on this occasion. To further strengthen the bilateral ties between India and Republic of Korea, PM Modi launched the India-Korea Startup Hub and Startup Grand Challenge. The Hub is hosted on the Startup India digital platform, the world’s largest virtual incubator with over 300,000 registered startups and aspiring entrepreneurs. The Hub will enable access to resources for market entry and innovation exchange between India and the world. The Startup Grand Challenge, on the India-Korea Startup Hub, will channelize the entrepreneurial capacity between Indian and Korean Startups to work together and build solutions for the challenges facing the world. Initial challenges will be focusing on issues across the themes of Credit Rating,
PM Modi addressing the India-Korea Business Symposium in Seoul in February Predictive Analytics, Fraud Detection, Cyber Security, Primary/Secondary/Tertiary Healthcare. The State Bank of India and Mahindra Group of India will be mentoring, providing pilot project opportunities, and financial support of up to USD 50,000 to the winners. The applications for the Startup Grand Challenge are live on www.startupindia.gov.in/korea.
india-italy JcEc The 20th Session of India-Italy Joint Commission for Economic Cooperation (JCEC) was held in February 2019 in New Delhi. The JCEC is an institutional mechanism for bilateral trade engagement. The meeting was co-chaired by India’s Federal Minister of Commerce and Industry Mr. Suresh Prabhu and Italy’s Deputy Minister of Economic Development Mr. Michele Geraci. Mr Prabhu highlighted the importance of Italy as a trade partner. Italy was India’s 5th largest trading partner in the European Union and 25th in the world during 201718. Italy has inherent strengths in manuIndia’s Commerce Minister Suresh Prabhu and facturing, design and innovation and skills Italy’s Deputy Minister Michele Geraci with delegates training while India has a vast pool of skilled human resources, competitive wage rates and an edge period stand at USD 2.72 billion. Mr. Geraci pointed out that Italian companies are keen in sectors such as leather, gems and jewellery, auto compoto invest in India and it is time to put in place practical nents and textiles. There is an immense potential for Italian mechanism on the lines of the working group on agriculture and Indian industries to have partnership and cooperation. that has been set up to facilitate investment joint venture The Commerce Minister said India has an attractive foreign investment policy and a number of liberalization meas- agricultural sector both countries. He further said Italy is ures have been undertaken in recent years. Italy is 17thin looking to work in areas like financial services, renewable the FDI inflow ranking into India between April 2000 and energy, infrastructure, transport development in railways, December 2018. Total FDI inflows from Italy during this construction and the automotive sector. march 2019 | india empire
7
dIplomAtIc AppoIntmentS
prESEntation oF crEdEntialS Different Ambassadordesignates presented credentials to President Ram Nath Kovind in the last few weeks. They include (from top) Mr Ahmed Yousif Mohamed Elsiddig from Sudan, Mr Shalar Geldynazarov from Turkmenistan, Ms Aishath Mohamed Didi from Maldives
8
india empire | march 2019
prESEntation oF crEdEntialS Different Ambassador and High Commissioner-designates presented credentials to President Ram Nath Kovind in the last few weeks. They include (clockwise from top left) Mr Leko Ado from Niger, Mr Bounneme Chouanghom from Lao People’s Democratic Republic, Mr Andrei Rzheussky from Belarus, Dr Ron Malka from Israel, Mr Sekou Kasse from Mali and Mr Gabriel P Sinimbo from Namibia
march 2019 | india empire
9
dIplomAcY
Suresh Prabhu addresses diplomats of LAC region
Minister Prabhu at an interaction on India-Latin America and Caribbean strategic economic cooperation in New Delhi in February
W
hile interacting with diplomats of IndiaLatin America and Caribbean Strategic (LAC) Economic Cooperation in New Delhi in February, Union Minister of Commerce & Industry and Civil Aviation, Suresh Prabhu, stressed on the need for a multi-pronged strategy to enhance India’s bilateral trade, both in merchandise and services. He said that establishing value chain linkages will help to boost trade relations between LAC-India. Patterns of trade have changed dramatically over the past few decades, and business activities at different stages of value addition are now located in different countries, based on where they are most efficiently produced. Any strategy for enhancing bilateral trade between LAC-India will therefore critically hinge on the scope for value chain integrations in various manufacturing and services segments. Several countries in the LAC region are agriculture powerhouses with large exportable surpluses. In fact, the region is often referred as another global breadbasket. The Global Harvest Initiative estimates that if the region maintains a Total Factor Productivity growth rate of 2.67 percent per year, food demand within the region can be met and exceeded by 2030, enabling it to vastly increase its contributions to global agricultural markets. The Commerce Minister said that Indian companies could form joint venture projects for cultivation of lentils, oil10 india empire | march 2019
seeds and food grains, which are crucial import items for India, providing win-win opportunities for our regions. Indian companies could also invest in in-situ storage to reduce producewastage. India could also share best practices and conduct joint research in sectors such as dairy farming, seeds and pulses. Suresh Prabhu informed that owing to its competitive advantage in the sector, pharmaceutical products have also emerged as one of India’s main exports to LAC, accounting for nearly 3.3 percent of the region’s imports. The LAC region comprises of 43 countries and the most important economic and trading partners of India are Brazil, Argentina, Peru, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Guatemala, Venezuela, Panama and Cuba. The bilateral trade during 2017-18 was USD 29.33 billion, with exports at USD 8.61 billion and imports at USD 20.72 billion. Bilateral trade between India-LAC was USD 38.48 billion (2014-15), USD 25.22 billion (2015-16), USD 24.52 billion (2016-17). The large variation was due to petroleum crude prices. The Commerce Minister said with the strength and capability in the Information Technology sector, Indian IT firms are also establishing business partnerships in LAC countries. The region has a huge pool of multi-lingual, costeffective professionals which Indian companies are leveraging for a near-shore business model. ❐
India-U.S. CEO Forum
I
Minister Prabhu chairs the Indo-US CEO Forum
ndia and the United States held India-U.S. Commer- It has met thrice after its reconstitution in December 2014 cial Dialogue and India-U.S. CEO Forum in New by the Governments of India and USA. Delhi in February 2019. The Union Minister for Both sides appreciated the progress achieved under the Commerce & Industry, and Civil Aviation Mr. Indian-U.S. State Spotlight Webinar Series. They noted the Suresh Prabhu, chaired the meeting. Secretary of successful webinars conducted with the states of Odisha, Commerce, United States of America, Mr. Wilbur Ross, Michigan, Washington, Texas, and West Bengal to highlight could not attend because of an unforetrade and investment opportunities in seen flight cancellation due to inthose states for U.S. and Indian compaThe CEO Forum was clement weather and technical nies. In an effort to ease the operations co-chaired by Chairman, Tata problems. However, he participated in of U.S. companies in India, a fast track Sons, N. Chandrasekaran and the most of the sessions remotely mechanism has been established, under President and CEO of through teleconference. which two roundtables were held in American Tower Corporation, The sides assessed the progress 2018 to address the concerns of these Mr James D. Taiclet. The two made during the year 2018 on the companies. In addition, three more Governments were commercial track targets and appreciroundtables were also conducted in represented by Secretary, ated the performance in the areas of 2018 with U.S. companies for resolution Department for Promotion of standards, business climate and inof sector-specific issues. Industry and Internal Trade, vestment and travel and tourism. Both The CEOs from both countries, Mr Ramesh Abhishek and US sides resolved to further expand and after detailed deliberations, provided Ambassador in India strengthen trade and commerce ties. their recommendations relating to enMr Kenneth Juster They appreciated the importance of ergy, water, environment, information bilateral engagements in mutually benand communication technology, emergeficial areas to address commerce and trade issues. ing technologies, digital infrastructure, entrepreneurship and The CEO Forum was co-chaired by Chairman, Tata inclusive growth, promoting small business, and infrastrucSons, N. Chandrasekaran and President and CEO of Amer- ture and manufacturing. Both the Government representaican Tower Corporation, Mr. James D. Taiclet. The two tives and CEOs expressed commitment to work together Governments were represented by Secretary, Department for benefit of commerce and industry in both the countries. for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade, Mr. Ramesh The US Department of Commerce has taken the initiaAbhishek and US Ambassador in India Mr. Kenneth Juster. tive to organize Trade Winds event which will bring in a lot The Forum is an effective platform to highlight key is- of SMEs having interest in India in May 2019. Both sides sues that affect business entities and to identify areas for agreed to constitute a private sector led SME initiative on closer collaboration for mutual benefit of both economies. the side lines of this event. â?? march 2019 | india empire
11
coveR StoRY: InFoRmAtIon technoloGY
Interview with Asoke K Laha President and MD, Interra Information Technologies
“At InterraIT, quality and value are buzzwords” The journey of Asoke K Laha, President and MD of Interra Information Technologies, has been nothing short of sensational. A bachelor of engineering from Kolkata’s Jadavpur University, Mr Laha acquired double MS from the Northwestern University and University of Saskatchewan. He’s served as MD of Cadence India and senior software manager in companies like Digital and GTE Communication Systems. InterraIT, founded in 1996 by Mr Laha, has evolved into a diversified services company that caters to many customers worldwide, including those in Fortune 1000 companies. The company headquartered in California has operations spread across five continents with a sales network spanning the US, Canada, U.K., India and Japan. It is the largest privately held offshore consulting company with operations in India and boasts of a large team of certified professionals skilled in diverse technologies including product engineering, virtualization, big data analyses, mobile domain, healthcare and more. Mr Laha speaks to Consulting Editor Yogesh Sood You have been in top leadership positions in the global IT space for well over three decades. Needless to add, you’ve seen it all. In your field, what separates the men from the boys? The key attributes for a successful leader are sharp focus, extreme desire to succeed, Go getter approach, taking ownership, excellent communication skills, ability to articulate crisp and concise, ability to influence people, ability to recruit and retain A+ people, taking risks, willing to make mistakes and learn from it, must know his/her limitations, always willing to learn (must internalize that “what got you here, will not get you there”). These attributes separate men from boys. In the cerebral battle zones of Silicon Valley, highs and lows are common. They say that only one in ten startups will go on to achieve glory. According to you, what are the main reasons that cause the others to die unsung? Out of 5 companies which fail, are due to their inability to manage their expenses and finance (they run out of money). Other 4 companies fail because of poor business model, poor leadership and inability to cope with adverse environment. Over the years you’d have addressed thousands of employees, some of whom may have gone on to become entrepreneurs themselves. They say the employeeentrepreneurs are the ones who add maximum value to companies. Could you tell us about some of the traits that such enterprising employees display, that make them a cut above?
12 india empire | march 2019
Yes of course. I have seen and taken an active role in grooming many employees into becoming successful entrepreneurs later. In my mind a successful entrepreneur is someone who treats opportunities of growth like any businessman would do. He or she will not be limited to a role of nine to five order taker. They are extremely disciplined and focused and work long hours to always exceed the expectations. These people have what we call the fire in the belly. That fuels them. All of them have exhibited most of the characteristics of Virat Kohli. I subscribe to a very interesting management concept which asks every employee to work as an individualized corporation in the organization. The company will provide a forum and an umbrella while each person will play a role of entrepreneur to his or her best ability. In one of your interviews you spoke about a bookstore owner who showed no signs of being deflated by the influx of online book sales. Do you sincerely believe that in the long run traditional businesses will be able to co-exist alongside businesses transacted across digital platforms? Yes I do. Technology always will evolve itself to new heights. The traditional business has to adjust itself to these innovations. But at the same time some of the traditional, older businesses will flourish and survive in the new ecology too. The customer is not primarily bothered what technology or tools you may be using. He or she wants the best product and the best service. Printed books and e books are running parallel to each other in the market. Both have their loyal users. Technol-
Mr Asoke K Laha Founder, President and CEO, InterraIT
ogy is of great importance but a business grows on the basis of its delivery of the service and the products for the users. Isn’t it! I personally purchase hardcopies from book store to read in relaxing environment: on the other hand I purchase books from Apple Book store to be read in my IPad when I am travelling. Would it be fair to say that “quality” and “value” are the twin buzzwords in your company, Interra Information Technologies? If so, could you kindly elaborate? Yes absolutely. In my whole career which was mostly spent in the US, I have always worked in companies which focused on these two words. I have always followed the same in my own organization InterraIT. I would say with us or any good business, customer is king. It’s this supreme customer centric mindset which demands an uncompromising attention to Quality and Value, mind you, with capital Q and capital V. Why is it so crucial to assess the demands of the marketplace for a budding Entrepreneur? Any business loses steam and meaning if it is not connected with the market which provides the revenue. Like a plant without the soil around it a business gets irrelevant and dies its natural death without a real time connect with the market including observation and analysis of the dynamic market place. Classic example is introduction of IPhone by Steve Jobs eleven years ago: he accurately predicted the needs of customers.
Communication skills or interpersonal skills? Which one in the long run would you want to see more in employees, given that they are competent and have high skills set…? And why? > I do not view them as different and unrelated to each other. Communication skills include interpersonal skills to a significant extent. I would rather combine communication with leadership skills which make it cover a whole gamut of human relations and interface area including interpersonal exchanges. IT today requires not merely technology skills but high level of communication skills to procure, serve and augment business in diversifying global market. However, I give more importance to effective communication skills to brilliant skills. In my company we have a vibrant Toastmasters club which help people develop these skills in a non threatening self learning environment.
As President of the NSEZ Entrepreneurs Association and leadership roles in various industry bodies what is that key area that you address for making Indian Businesses globally more competitive? I think we should concentrate on Quality and competitive Cost both. With India’s skills and resources we can play a leadership role globally with these two main criteria met. Given that you work across continents, and have a jetsetting lifestyle, how do you relax? I have been an avid and voracious reader since early years. Reading is my relaxation apart from occasional private travelling. With such a riot of information on the internet and with people getting easily hooked on to stuff that steals away one’s time without any meaningful gains, what advice would you give your readers on how to separate the wheat from the chaff…? I myself believe in focus in life. I advise the same to my team members too. You cannot go ahead in life without prioritizing your tasks. Internet or any archive or library for that matter, is only a database. What you will need and select from there is only up to you. So if you have some target in life you have to use internet with that in mind. Otherwise you will lose time, get confused or deluged by unnecessary data. I personally do not spend too much time in social media. Time is most precious and one must know how to utilize them properly and effectively. ❐
march 2019 | india empire 13
coveR StoRY: InFoRmAtIon technoloGY
INTERRAIT: FUTURISTIC AND GOAL DRIVEN By Yogesh Sood
D
igital transformation is not a destination – it is a never ending race track where the course keeps changing and newer, faster cars continue to enter the race track. The impact of technology is massive, from the wrist watch one wears to the car that they drive. Every single thing is digitized. In fact, more and more companies are using emerging technologies as a competitive weapon to maintain and develop their businesses. The pace with which transformation has occurred seems unbelievable, but will continue to grow at this exponential rate in the future. In response to dramatic changes in the digital enterprise, business users require access to on- demand services and a proven service management framework tailored to their unique specifications. A large number of businesses have to rely on broader portfolios of Advanced Machine Learning, Augmented Reality, Cloud Technologies and Robotics. InterraIT has been a leader in the Information Technology Industry since its founding in 1996. The company is a Global Software Services organization that delivers innovative business and technology solutions to Fortune 1000 companies. Accredited as ISO9001:2015 certified organization; it has also been listed as one of India’s Top 20 Best Employers by IDC-DQ Best Employers Survey. InterraIT’s operations are spread across 5 countries, with a sales network spanning the United States, Canada, United Kingdom, India and Japan. The company has two state of the Headquartered in California art development centers in India, which are the focal point in servicing its esteemed customer base across the globe. The company began operations from the home of its President and CEO, Asoke k. Laha in New Delhi. Today, the company works for some of the biggest names in all industries all over the world but even no project is small for this modest but indomitable captain of industry Asoke Laha hailing from Bengal. His infectious smile and a sharp brain, doing things to near perfection leaves one spellbound, a rare attribute that one finds today in captains of the industry . His bio speaks volumes and his experience to 14 india empire | march 2019
lead a team of highly skilled team to deliver quality leaves one to learn a lot. Ask him what drives him to lead a company – he politely with a spark in eye says –Passion. InterraIT, a leading solution provider, adopter and adapter of emerging technologies has redefined the rules of the game. It has brought the technology solutions to help clients redefine their business models. In turn, that has become the core policy of the company to redefine its own processes and be a part of the go- to – market strategy. Today, InterraIT is one of the largest privately held offshore consulting companies with operations in India. The company offers a comprehensive portfolio of IT and IT-enabled services with a distinct focus on providing product engineering services, ERP solutions, web-based custom enterprise applications and mobile application development. Having worked with customers from varied industries for more than two decades, the company consciously aligned itself with specific industry verticals which include Telecom, Retail, Financial Services, Logistics and Independent Software Vendors (ISV). This has helped InterraIT in developing tremendous domain specific knowledge and subject matter expertise resulting in its ability to deliver innovative solutions and enhanced business value for its customers. And that is InterraIT culture precisely; one comes across sitting and looking through the glass walls of the company. Its client list reads who’s who of the MNCs including Congara Foods- leading Packaged food company worldwide; Univar–one of the largest distributors of Chemical Products, Master Brands – leading manufacturers of Kitchen and bath cabinets in the US and they have partnered with VMware, Oracle, HP and more , just a few names to mention . It is not just the name of the company that signs a contract but the key is indeed up with the customer making lifelong bonds that the CEO and his team build. Sample this testimonial that one of its clients, VERIO,an NTT communications company writes “ VERIO considers itself very lucky to have a partner which understands our com-
mitment , delivers tirelessly and has the maturity to work with us”. This is just a sample to prove a point of how the customers value the services and solutions provided by InterraIT. Read another one: InterraIT has been a valued partner to Mazda for 8 years. They offer the commitment and quality of service our customers expect from our brand says Patrick Halfpenny Senior Manager, Application Development, Mazda North American Operation. DECODING THE DNA Asoke Laha, the founder President and CEO InterraIT right from his childhood had been a highly focused student. He feels proud of his middle class background and fondly recalls the arduous journey from Calcutta, where he completed his education, to Canada and the US where he completed his computer education had been an enjoyable one. In retrospect, he recounts that it had been a wonderful journey that helped him look at gaining the knowledge of eastern and western values. Reflecting about the advances in the IT industry has feels that it has changed dynamically but two constants – appreciation for quality & values as well as timely delivery have remained constant. A widely travelled and highly admired Computer Scientist, Laha says that the enterprises focused on mobility solutions, supply chains always remained a puzzle for the organizations that were looking at making their business processes agile and seamless. He steered his own company towards mobility and supply chain management key domains in InterraIT as its core strength. Laha and his team have built a hundred percent quality driven organization and in his words “our recipe for success doesn’t lie in delivery of solutions, but it is the quality with which keeps the clients happy and with us for a long haul.” INTERRAIT - THE BRAND EQUITY InterraIT under the dynamic leadership of Asoke Laha’s has gained a leadership position backed by strong global experience coupled with heavy investments infused in the next league of technologies- Crypto currencies, Artificial Intelligence, IoT and disruptive financial technologies to enhance the bouquet of service offering in line with the changing business demands. In today’s fast evolving world, business owners must incorporate new technologies into their company’s growth strategy to keep ahead of the competition. In this technology driven world, Information technology (IT) services need to be focused on building state of the art applications and services for retaining a delighted customer. In highly competitive and disruptive technology market place today leveraging the cutting edge helps brand to establish their leadership position. Ask Asoke Laha what makes the InterraIT unique he says “Recognizing gaps, promoting Innovation and Entrepreneurial thinking – values & beliefs that make InterraIT unique. The Workplace Environment - Focus on being the best; to strive relentlessly, constantly improve and get recognized as a domain focused industry leader in Digital Transformation, Cloud, Cognitive Computing, and Mobility.
The organizational goals being – Sustainability, Fairness & Excellence. Pushing the frontiers of Technology is not the only goal we work towards. We exist to re-define progress, prosperity and excellence for society as well as businesses. Our goal is to engineer and develop advanced technologies with forward looking perspectives to build a bold future. “With strong commitment to sustainability, adherence to corporate governance and a dedicated workforce serving clients in the U.S. and in Europe, InterraIT is set out to deliver path-breaking solutions in Digital Transformation, Cloud, Cognitive Computing, and Mobility to help our clients adapt to the digital world and make them successful. Our organizational values drive our goals of simplifying lives, supporting government initiatives, and helping businesses flourish, and thrive in a digital age.” says Laha. A PRAGMATIC ROADMAP In today’s fast evolving world, business owners must incorporate new technologies into their company’s growth strategy to keep ahead of the competition He says that a few technologies that has been transforming today’s IT world: include the block chain is an undeniably ingenious invention. It uses a distributed system to validate each transaction—a peer-to-peer network of nodes. The fortune of Bit coin, a digital crypto currency has drawn a lot of public attention to Block chain technology. The technology has a lot of potential to disrupt enterprises of many kinds. It brings unmatched benefits of security, reliability, immutability, and efficiency. By permitting digital information to be distributed but not copied, block chain technology formed the backbone of a new type of internet. Originally developed for the digital currency, Bit coin, the tech community is now defining other potential usages for the technology. It provides costeffectiveness, seamlessness, and trust in transactions amongst organizations as intermediaries are eliminated. Another area is Artificial Intelligence (AI) which has completely changed the world around us, and will continue to do so. Machine learning is a core part of AI. Learning without any kind of supervision requires an ability to identify patterns in streams of inputs, whereas learning with adequate supervision involves classification and numerical regressions. According to Gartner, almost all software will use AI at some level in completing tasks while also learning from repeated interactions. Both AR and Virtual Reality (VR) are emerging slowly and steadily. The two are the most hyped technologies that provide a competitive edge for businesses with plenty of marketing solutions and mobile app development. Furthermore, the technologies play a significant role in transforming IoT (Internet of Things) to IoE (Internet of Everything). The result of new technological advances will hinge on how they are perceived—as threats or opportunities. The exponential improvement of technologies will change every business industry; we will witness faster and more accurate AI, machine learning, IoT applications. Although the rapid advancement in technology will create certain threat to data march 2019 | india empire 15
coveR StoRY: InFoRmAtIon technoloGY
Students from Seton Hall University make a special visit to the InterraIT Noida office security but continuously evolving solutions and approaches will ultimately led to data secure world. The future is paved with innovation and technology. Will your business be prepared to handle the massive changes being brought about by these emerging technologies—sooner rather than later? The founder President and CEO InterraIT, Asoke Laha says “What we at InterraIT apply practice that are based on our global ITSM experience to rapidly get our clients where they need to be. We help enterprises assess their maturity levels, prioritize their ITSM program plan and build a pragmatic roadmap that gets them on the right path to accomplishing objectives. InterraIT’s comprehensive ITSM Services leverage end to end service delivery models for the effective management of IT infrastructure. The idea is to empower the clients to assess, design and implement Continuous Service Improvement programs that unveil additional costs savings unrealized in an initial IT Service Management Lifecycle implementation.” RETAINING A LEADERSHIP POSITION At the InterraIT, cutting edge technology at several levels is used to understand customer behaviour. Big data and Analytics based tools are used to generate a better insight analytics. Laha adds that” In short customer-orientation is the key part of overall marketing strategy and company’s messaging.” Over the past decade, the world of information technology has made tremendous innovative strides that in turn, have impacted other industries, such as retail, manufacturing, and healthcare. However, none have been as pronounced and as influential as artificial intelligence. For better or for worse, it is here to stay. In 1950, Alan Turing published a groundbreaking paper, “Computing Machinery and Intelligence,” that discussed how to build intelligent machines. Fast forward to today 16 india empire | march 2019
where it is predicted that global spending on AI could reach close to $58 billion by 2021. Artificial intelligence has already made a transformative impact across industries, with the introduction of self-driving cars and trucks, chatbots that can hold natural conversations, and intelligent personal assistants, such as Siri and Amazon Echo. The obsession with AI appears to be everywhere, at an all-time high. There is a growing consensus that artificial intelligence and big data are becoming closely interconnected. In a way, one can see that recent advances in AI have been largely thanks to the explosion of data. Corporations that have access to large volumes and sources of data are able to feed AI algorithms, which in turn, can understand and analyze patterns and behaviors. While there is great excitement and promise to what AI can bring in to the world of IT and other sectors, there is also understandable fear that AI might replace jobs in the near future. This fear is not misplaced—with automation; there is a significant possibility that certain types of jobs can be replaced. AI will replace significant groups of projects, which need low-level programmers. Apart from jobs, security issues will continue to pose huge risks in the tech space, prompting the need for companies to continue building increasingly secure systems. Artificial intelligence is growing an astronomical rate—it will be very exciting to see what the future holds in store for us. To conclude, in essence, the decision makers today should invest in targeted efforts to source data, build models, deploy advance analytics and use the insight to transform their organizational culture. Needless to say that InterraIT’s technical expertise, strong customer centric approach coupled with domain knowledge and experience of providing end- to- end solutions has made the company stay as a leader—always ahead ■ of competition.
Pictures Š siPra Das
PhOTO GALLEry India Empire’s Consulting Editor (Photo) Sipra Das flew down with the Indian Air Force to Bengaluru for the Air Show. She also went with the IAF to Pokhran where a helicopter demonstration on dismantling terror infrastructure was given (bottom right)
march 2019 | india empire 17
FoReIGn RelAtIonS
morocco dEal important: ForEign miniStEr External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj in February said that the agreement signed with Morocco in the field of counter-terrorism was important for India as it has been facing the scourge of terrorism for decades. “India has faced the menace of crossborder terrorism for decades. Therefore, our agreement with friendly nation Morocco signed today (Monday) in fighting terrorism together is important for India,� Mrs Swaraj said during her visit to the kingdom. She underlined that India gives importance to its multilateral relations with Morocco and feels that there is unlimited scope for expanding bilateral trade. She pointed out that bilateral trade between the two nations has grown up to $1.5 billion as in October 2018. She said that the talks with her Moroccan counterpart Nasir Borita were fruitful, as the External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj and Moroccon Foreign Minister Nasser Bourita signed and exchanged four documents in the fields of counter-terrorism, two leaders discussed how to deepen bilateasing of restrictions on business visas, housing and human settlement and eral cooperation in the future. The Foreign youth matters in Rabat, Morocco in February Minister added that since 2015 the two countries have exchanged 20 ministerial-level visits between Indian community living in Morocco who were contributthem while 37 MoUs and agreements have been signed. ing to strengthening trade and economic relations and The Minister said she met the representatives of the were acting as a bridge between the two countries.
india-norway ocEan dialoguE In February, the Union Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi has approved the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between India and Norway on India-Norway Ocean Dialogue. The MoU will promote cooperation in the areas of mutual interest pertaining to the development of blue economy. Norway is a global leader in the area of Blue Economy and has cutting-edge technologies and expertise in areas such as fisheries, hydrocarbons, renewable energy, sustainable harnessing of ocean resources and maritime transport. The proposed MoU will contribute to create opportunities for collaboration in areas such as exploitation of hydrocarbons and other marine resources, as well as management of ports and tourism development for the mutual benefit of all stakeholders within the framework of the Joint Task Force (JTF). It will contribute to the objective of Food 18 india empire | march 2019
PM Modi with the Prime Minister of Norway Ms Erna Solberg at Rashtrapati Bhavan in January Security through infusion of new technologies in fisheries and aquaculture. It will further offer a platform for businesses in both countries to execute profitable ventures. Scientists and researchers may collaborate on studying ocean ecosystem also in the context of the Arctic region.
india-uaE coopEration In February, the Union Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi has approved the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between India and the United Arab Emirates on Development Cooperation in Africa. The MoU entails setting up of a framework of cooperation between the two countries for implementing development partnership projects and programmes in Africa. The proposal will help strengthen political and economic linkages between India and the countries of Africa and serve our broader strategic interests.
Saudi arabian dElEgation Union Minister of Commerce & Industry and Civil Aviation Mr Suresh Prabhu met with a Saudi business delegation in New Delhi in February 2019. The Saudi delegation was led by Mr Kamel S. Al-Munajjed, Chairman, Saudi-Indian Business Council. During the discussions Commerce Minster said that India’s energy security is ensured due to the continuous and uninterrupted supply of petroleum products from Saudi Arabia. But now it is time for both the countries to go beyond petroleum and diversify into new products, businesses and regions. He said that opportunities are endless for both the countries to collaborate and work together in new regions like Africa. Both Saudi Arabia and India have to now look beyond the Gulf region and explore new markets. The Commerce Minister welcomed Saudi investment in businesses like medical implants, agro- processing, education and other sunrise sectors and stated that this will not only help India but also benefit Saudi Arabia in expanding business opportunities. Mr Prabhu informed that India too is looking to invest in Saudi Arabia so that the relations between the two nations are taken to newer heights. For this, eight working groups have been set-up to identify companies in Saudi Arabia and India who can work together.
Minister Prabhu and Mr Kamal Al-Munajjed, Chairman, Saudi India Business Council, with delegates Saudi Arabia is the 15th largest market in the world for Indian exports and is destination to 1.85% (2017-18) of India’s global exports. On the other hand, Saudi Arabia is the 3rd largest source (4.74% in 2017-18) of India’s global imports. For Saudi Arabia, as per 2017 data, India is the 4th largest market for its exports, accounting for 8.88 % of its global exports. In terms of imports by Saudi Arabia, India ranks 7th and is source of around 4.13 % of Saudi Arabia’s total imports.
india-argEntina buSinESS Forum In February, Union Minister of Commerce & Industry and Civil Aviation Mr Suresh Prabhu said that India is keen to strengthen bilateral ties with Argentina which is one of the leading trading partners of India in the Latin American region. Addressing the India-Argentina Business Forum the Commerce Minister said there are complementarities between the two countries. Both countries recognize need to upgrade bilateral trade and economic relations from the current level to a higher level by utilizing the untapped potential available to both nations. Mr Prabhu said that India wants to partner with Argentina in its efforts to become a USD 5 trillion economy by 2025. He said that the Commerce & Industry Ministry has identified 12 champion sectors to enhance the contribution of services sector to USD 3 trillion. The Minister urged Invest India to create special dispensation for Argentina. The Commerce & Industry Minister informed that Argentina is a major player in the field of agriculture and India can benefit from the expertise of Argentina in reducing pre and post-harvest losses. The Minister also said that India and Argentina can work together to reduce the impact of climate change on agriculture.
Minister Prabhu addressing at the India-Argentina Business Forum at New Delhi in February The Minister said that Indian pharmaceutical products are recognized globally for their high quality and affordable prices and cooperation in this sector can greatly benefit consumers of Argentina. India is capable of supplying high quality generic drugs at affordable prices to meet the needs of the Argentine pharma market. march 2019 | india empire 19
eIu SuRveY
blEiSurE–aSia’S bESt citiES
A
s corporate travel booms across Asia-Pacific, the concept of bleisure is gaining traction, spurring the region’s cities to better integrate opportunities for leisure amid busy business trips. The 2019 bleisure barometer: Asia’s best cities for work and recreation, sponsored by All Nippon Airways, reveals that while Asia’s best bleisure destinations provide the right balance of business activity, high-quality infrastructure and top-flight leisure experiences, a number of less obvious choices stand out as well. Rank Cities were scored out of five pos1 sible points, with scores tabulated from 2 responses of a survey of 1,500 busi3 ness travellers from around the world, asking them about a variety of factors 3 impacting business travel, such as ease 5 of transportation and availability of 6 consumer goods and services. Scores 7 were used to determine rankings as well as star groupings, with five-star cities 8 scoring above the average and one-star 9 cities scoring below. 10 One significant finding from the study is that Asia’s best cities for bleisure are not necessarily its most liveable. Although the specific questions used in the survey were inspired by ourGlobal Liveability Index, some striking differences emerge. For example, wealthy cities such as Auckland, New Zealand, and Adelaide, Australia, sit atop the league tables for live-
ability, but drastically underperform on bleisure. Meanwhile, Shanghai and Beijing, while rarely considered highly liveable, show their rising business might in the bleisure study, filling the four-star tier. The study also assesses specific aspects of the bleisure experience, such as what makes for a successful business trip and what travellers look for in their leisurely diversions. On the former question, ease of transportation takes the top spot, followed closely by safety and orderliness of streets/urban areas and quality of business facilities. On the question of City leisure activities, dining out won by a Tokyo large margin, with visiting local hisSingapore torical or heritage sites and going to Sydney an art museum/gallery ranking second and third. Hong Kong According to Naka Kondo, editor Melbourne of the report: “Cities in Asia-Pacific Shanghai should take note: facilitating leisure Beijing experiences for corporate travellers can be the key to differentiating in a Osaka crowded business travel market. Some Perth of the top cities in our bleisure Seoul barometer are already world leaders in this regard, while others can learn from the best in improving access to the intersection of business and leisure travel in the region.” The report, including full scoring and star bracket methodology, as well as an infographic and video, can be found at: https://fivestarcities.economist.com/?utm_source=PRMO
aSia’S top citiES For blEiSurE
20 india empire | march 2019
About the research Five stars Four stars In December 2018Tokyo Shanghai January 2019, The Singapore Beijing Economist Intelligence Unit conducted a survey Sydney of 1,500 business travHong Kong ellers, sponsored by All Melbourne Nippon Airways, to assess the quality of bleisure experiences-including both ease of doing business and quality of leisure activities--across 34 cities in Asia. Cities receiving fewer than 50 responses were excluded from the final analysis, resulting in 26 cities in the final list. Cities were assigned scores out of five points; scores were then used to determine rankings and placement in star groupings, from one to five stars. City scores on corresponding indicators in the Global Liveability Index were not tabulated into the final bleisure scores but are presented in the white paper for comparison.
Three stars
Two stars
One star
Osaka Perth Seoul
Taipei Guangzhou Kuala Lumpur Mumbai Wellington Brisbane New Delhi Auckland
Bangkok Adelaide Shenzhen Jakarta Ho Chi Minh City Colombo Hanoi Manila
tions throughout Japan, and also offers same-day connections between various North American, Asian and Chinese cities. For more information, please refer to the following link: https://www.ana.co.jp/group/en/ ❐
About The Economist Intelligence Unit The EIU is the thought leadership, research and analysis division of The Economist Group and the world leader in global business intelligence for executives. We uncover novel and forward-looking perspectives with access to over 650 expert analysts and editors across 200 countries worldwide. More information can be found on www.eiuperspectives.economist.com. Follow us on Twitter,LinkedIn, and Facebook About ANA Founded in 1952, ANA is currently the largest Japanese airline, operating 78 international routes and 118 domestic routes. ANA is a multi-winner of the “Airline of the Year” award (Air Transport World), and has maintained its prestigious five-star ratings by SKYTRAX for the past six years. ANA offers a unique dual hub model which enables passengers to travel to Tokyo and connect to various destina-
march 2019 | india empire 21
chAmpAGne tIeS
SPARKLING & BUBBLY
It’s been a long journey for India and champagne, going back over three centuries. In 2017, over 400,000 bottles of the bubbly were shipped to India in spite of the high taxes, says the head of a key French organisation that ensures that only the original product is served around the world
“Champagne and India have a long story that dates back to the first shipments in the 18th century. Maharajas were the most important consumers of this new wine at that time. Since then, shipments have continued and Champagne enjoys a great recognition, which was confirmed with the registration of the Champagne appellation by India in 2008,” Vincent Perrin, Director General of The Comite Champagne, told IANS in an email interview How would he describe the journey over the past decade and how have the two sides benefited? Noting that one of the The Comite Champagne’s key missions is to ensure that the name Champagne is reserved only for sparkling wines produced in the Champagne region of France to give “to our winegrowers and houses the best environment to sell their wines”, Perrin added: “To achieve this objective, education programmes and protection of the Champagne name are two levers that we continuously use.” To this end, the registration of the Champagne appellation, which was renewed recently, “is a recognition of the reputation of Champagne wines on Indian territory. It’s also a guarantee for Indian consumers of the origins of the wines,” added Perrin, who joined The Comite Champagne in September 2014 after an extensive career in diplomacy and international business development. Speaking about the impact of the association on IndiaFrance relations, Perrin said Champagne has had a strong connect with India “and it perhaps showcases best the French art de vivre. We hope that this relation will only grow and strengthen in the future”. 22 india empire | march 2019
Mr Vincent Perrin, Director General, The Comite Champagne How does he foresee the roadmap for the future? “As India emerges as a global economic power, Indians who are likely to consume luxury products should increase in the coming years and wines play a growing part in the drink sector. There is a strong potential, despite high taxes, for Champagne wines which have grown steadily over the years. Educational tools, including e-learning like the ‘Champagne Campus’ app, have been developed by The Comite Champagne to educate a wide audience, both in France and abroad, about the wine-growing region of Champagne, the vines, winemaking process, tasting et al. These will help more Indians approach champagne with more confidence. ❐
Pictures Š siPra Das
PhOTO GALLEry President Ram Nath Kovind presented the Nari Shakti Awards 2018 on International Women’s Day to (clockwise from top left) commando trainer Dr Seema Rao, filmmaker Anu Malhotra, octogenarian architect Dalia Narayan, rural India social worker Pamela Chatterjee, acid attack survivor Pragya Prasun, worker in agro-biodiversity Rahibhai Soma Popera
march 2019 | india empire 23
polItIcAl InteRvIeW
“Confident of doing well in LS elections” Facing the challenge of retaining all the four Lok Sabha seats, Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur says he is not being dictated to by the RSS and that he enjoys a free hand to lead the party in the coming elections. For him, development work and no witch hunting is the mantra. “This accusation (of RSS remote controlling him) does not have an iota of truth.” Our central leadership has reposed full faith in me and has given a free hand to run the affairs in the state. The RSS is an apolitical nationalist organisation, which has nothing to do with state affairs,” Mr Thakur told IANS in an interview
By Vishal Gulati
F
ive-time legislator Thakur (54) was elevated after the BJP’s chief ministerial candidate, Prem Kumar Dhumal, suffered an abject defeat in the 2017 assembly polls. Several names were doing the rounds at the time, including that of Union Health Minister J.P. Nadda, whom the party did not relieve from national politics. “I don’t think there is anything wrong in seeking the advice of Mr Dhumal and Mr Nadda, on any regarding matter related to the development of the state,” Mr Thakur stated categorically. On getting free hand from the high command to lead the party in the elections, Mr Thakur, who has won his fifth consecutive assembly election, said: “The elections are fought with collective efforts and with collective strategy. Being head of the state I would have greater responsibility to motivate the rank and file to ensure the party’s victory.” “I am fully confident that the BJP will retain all the four Lok Sabha seats (from the state) in the General Elections,” Mr Thakur added. Carrying out development on the debris of decades of vendetta politics, Mr Thakur said the BJP has brought a generational change in the state politics. “This change has brought new ideas of governance. Shunning the politics of revenge and counter accusations, we have put forth development as our guiding principle in reforms. We have taken several new people-centric initia24 india empire | march 2019
Mr Jai Ram Thakur Chief Minister, Himachal Pradesh tives in 13 months,” the plain-speaking Mr Thakur said. The first-time Chief Minister, who has 11 ministers— half of them first-timers, believes the biggest achievement of his government has been winning over the confidence
Mr Jai Ram Thakur called on Prime Minister Mr Narendra Modi at New Delhi of the people. “The government from day one started working with a sole aim of development and welfare of the people. My government is working without any vendetta and vengeance towards our political opponents.” The state, he said, has implemented several decisions and schemes which are bound to transform the economy and the people. “The Jan Manch (public meeting in every district headquarters on first Sunday of a month) programme launched by us has been appreciated even by our political opponents. Till date, over 33,966 grievances of the public have been redressed in 106 Jan Manchs. Similarly, the very first decision of the government to lower the age limit of senior citizens for availing old-age pension without any income criteria from 80 to 70 years have benefitted over 1.60 lakh people,” he said. Mr Thakur, who rose through the ranks, believes establishing direct contact with the common masses will definitely help his party retaining four Lok Sabha seats in the ensuing General Elections. On the central leadership reposing faith in him and his first-time cabinet colleagues and bringing generation change in the state politics, he said: “Yes, I agree that the Vidhan Sabha elections results of 2017 brought in a generation change in the state politics. Since all my cabinet colleagues are young and have a new vision and new vigour, this would
definitely help progress and development of the state.” “I did not face any challenge as such during the last one year. But still the major concern before me has been to bring back the derailed economy of the state back on track and understand the developmental aspirations of the people. For this, I toured 65 (of the 68) assembly constituencies during this one year to understand the developmental needs. “I am sure that after a year in office now I am more clear and precise about the expectations of the people,” he said. The Himalayan state, whose hydropower generation as well as horticulture and tourism are major contributors to the economic development, is facing one of its worst financial crises - with its loan liability at nearly Rs 50,000 crore. “We have inherited a loan burden of over Rs 46,500 crore from the previous government due to their financial mismanagement and mindless expenditure. Therefore, the biggest challenge before us was to bring back the derailed economy back on the track.” “It is true that due to limited financial resources of its own the state has to heavily depend on financial assistance and loans from the Centre and external funding agencies. Still soon after assuming the office in the state, the government took some concrete steps to stop wasteful and unproductive expenditure, besides striving hard to create its own resources for income generation,” he added. ❐ march 2019 | india empire 25
BuSIneSS
cp KuKrEJa acquirES dbHmS India’s frontline Architectural firm CP Kukreja Architects (CPKA) has acquired the India arm of Chicago based renowned design firm dbHMS. CPKA has been consistently ranked amongst the top 100 design firms in the world and the top 10 in Asia. The Indian arm of dbHMS has two verticals – Sustainability and Engineering. They have been leading the Innovative Engineering and Green Building Movement in India. It is a historic moment in Indian Architecture sector where for the first time ever an Indian design firm has acquired an International design firm. The deal will redraw the architecture landscape in India as CP Kukreja Architects expand its operations and further focus on sustainable infrastructure with dbHMS’ expertise. It will also give a massive boost to the firm’s vision of environmental friendly buildings which in India have received limited attention. "We are delighted that we are able to bring this world
class expertise to our clients in India. The country is poised for unprecedented development in the years to come and it is important that the foundation of our work is based on sustainability and environmentally responsible design", said Dikshu C Kukreja, Managing Principal, CP Kukreja Architects. dbHMS is a USbased company incorporated in 2002. The company is known to be one of the most innovative engineering firms in the world. They started their operations in India from 2010 and were a part of many prestigious projects. According to the Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion (DIPP), the overall Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) received in Construction Development sector between April 2000 and June 2018 was around $25 billion.The Infrastructure sector plays a pivotal role in the Indian economy and through carefully designed Government initiatives can immensely contribute to the country’s overall development.
uday KotaK’S wEaltH growS Banking tycoon Uday Kotak's wealth has increased three-times in the last five years even as he has been locked in a legal case with the Reserve bank of India (RBI) over reduction in promoter shares in Kotak Mahindra Bank. The founder of Mumbai-based Kotak Mahindra Bank has seen his wealth nearly triple since March 2014, when the RBI said he failed to meet the first of its successive milestones to reduce his stake in the bank, a Bloomberg report said. Currently, his wealth stands at $11.4 billion, according to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index, mainly due to share price gains that have increased the value of his holding in Kotak Mahindra Bank. Kotak cur26 india empire | march 2019
rently holds 30 per cent stake in bank. The latest RBI deadline for Kotak to reduce his holding below 20 per cent was by the end of last year. It is part of the regulator's efforts to reduce the influence of founding shareholders in Indian banks. The bank is contesting that legally, arguing that a sale of preference shares last year which raised Rs 500 crore comMr Uday Kotak plies with the RBI regulations. The bank's counsel said that the issue was about concentration of control and suggested that promoters would not vote in excess of 20 per cent till May 2020. However, the suggestion was not accepted by Justice A.S. Oka.
DIASPORA NEWS
dIASpoRA—ARun BhumItRA
ARun BhumItRA
Life of an Adventurer The biggest adventure you can take is to live the life of your dreams. —Oprah Winfrey, Talk show host, actress, producer, and philanthropist
J
aipur-born Arun Bhumitra lost his father when he was only 14 years old. His father worked with India’s state-run domestic air carrier at the time, Indian Airlines. With the breadwinner gone, Arun’s family plunged into a deep crisis, something they would never have anticipated in their worst nightmare. It became doubtful if the education of Arun and his brothers would continue, as the family’s greatest worry was where the next meal would come from. The fact that since the year 2003 Arun Bhumitra owns real estate holdings all over, including the Arjay Plaza in Torrance, and that the family has over 200 cell phone stores across 18 states across the USA, along with one in Brussels, a software company in Ireland, and employs over 800 people, is testimony to what is possible if a man is willing to live, as Oprah Winfrey says, the life of his dreams. Arun has done that, and more. Arun’s father had plans to send him to the Bishop Cotton School in Shimla, a city which was the erstwhile British summer capital in India. The boarding school was modeled after London’s elitist Harrow School, known to be a cut above most other schools in England. His mother, a strong-willed lady, wanted to keep her husband’s dreams alive. Arun recalls that his mother camped outside the headmaster’s office for two days, that is until he agreed to grant the boy admission at the prestigious school. Then she camped for another two days to secure free tuition and lodging for her son. When the headmaster eventually acquiesced, his mother told him that Arun had two brothers who also needed the same benefits. His mother’s perseverance paid off, and with it started the journey of Arun and his brothers—Maxy and Shelly—into a world filed with excellence. The eldest, Vijay, had graduated earlier. At Bishop Cotton, everyone was up at 5:30 a.m. for the morning tea. By 6:00 a.m., students had to start warming up by running. The winter dress code included grey suits, white shirts and ties. In summers the boys wore shorts, blue shirts, ties and calf-length grey socks. They were counseled by teachers at the lunch tables. When school hours were over, the boys boxed, dribbled, took penalty corners on the
hockey fields, and also put their skills at soccer and cricket to test. Arun had plenty of stamina, and he was good enough to make it to the field hockey team of the state. Years later, all four brothers were to repay with plenty of interest the kindness that the school and its headmaster had showered on them. Together they established the school’s largest endowment fund that provides scholarships to less privileged children. They have also funded many computer learning centers. BOMBAY TO NEW YORK After completing his schooling, Arun was ready to face the world. He took admission at Bombay’s Elphinston College and upon graduation joined the Mechanical Engineering course at the Visvesvaraya National Institute of Technology at Nagpur. Soon after he graduated, Arun
From the book Indian Americans in Greater Los Angeles Area by India Empire Publications 28 india empire | march 2019
was one of the candidates selected from among 7,000 applicants to take up an engineering managerial job at Bombay Marine. They were tasked to build freighters for Qatar. Arun was only 25 years old, and his pay was Rs 700 per month (about 90 USD those days). But, he constantly felt unsettled and felt the need to seek out a better life. His restlessness made him give up the Bombay Marine engineering job while he was only 10 months into it. He boarded a plane for New York and entered the city on a tourist visa. He had just 3 USD in his pocket. It was November 1975, and winter was setting in. His younger brother, Shelly, was already in the Big Apple, but Arun did not want to let him know he was there, until such time that he had got himself some work. New York in the 1970s was known as the murder capital of the US. Some parts, like the Central Park, were particularly unsafe. But oblivious to New York’s nocturnal notoriety, Arun slept on a bench in Central Park for a week. He braved the icy-cold winds and somehow believed that things would turn around. He was determined to stay back in the USA, no matter how hard life was in the initial period. And then the first job came his way. It was at a wire manufacturing plant, and he was on the graveyard shif. He had to start at 3:00 a.m. work until 7:00 a.m. He then found another job at a machine shop where he had to report at 8:00 a.m. and continue until 2:00 p.m. A third one at a metal sheet factory came up sooner than he had expected. He would begin that at 4:00 p.m. until 10:00 p.m. All his employers were Long Island aerospace subcontractors, and none of them felt the need to ask him for his immigration papers. New York was wiling to give a man a job, provided he could demonstrate that he had the skills for it. Arun with his background in mechanical engineering certainly had. Sleep was at a premium, and he hardly found the time to
eat. His work timings were so odd that he went hungry mostly, and constantly felt like he could do with a bit more energy. During this time, he met, and married, Marina, a doctor. Marina had done her residency at Kent Oaks Medical College in Michigan. Once in New York she completed a degree in psychiatry from the Stony Brook Medical College in Long Island. Four years after he landed in New York, he completed an MBA from Long Island’s Dowling College. CALIFORNIA CALLING In 1980 he was able to make a move to the West Coast when Northrop recruited him for a job in California. At the firm he designed tools for making parts for the F-18 fighter bomber. Simultaneously he also joined the University of California at Los Angeles as an associate professor where he taught tool engineering. But as defense spending in the USA began to decline because the Cold War was palpably thawing up, Arun knew that his students would find it difficult to get jobs in defense-related sectors. He, therefore, gave up his teaching assignment. In the mid 1980’s, even though they were not making waves, cellular phones were just about knocking on the American consciousness. His business instincts kicked in, and Arun decided to be a part of the cellular phone industry where he saw a great future. Arun opened a cellular phone store in 1987, but joined Motorola at Fullerton for the 7:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. shift to learn more about the business, while continuing to be on the 3:00 p.m. to 11:00 p.m. shift at Northrop where he supervised 45 engineers. At one point the thought of manufacturing cell phones crossed his mind, but he realized quickly enough that it would require a very heavy investment. He did the next best thing, joining LA Cellular as a
From the book Indian Americans in Greater Los Angeles Area by India Empire Publications march 2019 | india empire 29
dIASpoRA—ARun BhumItRA
dealer. The man who had started out on the docks in Bombay in the marine industry, worked in aerospace in Long Island and in the defense market in California, was now switching sectors again. In 1988, he gave up his jobs and became a full-time dealer. Those days cell phones resembled small books and lacked compactness, and they cost anywhere in the region of 4,000 USD each. Even though Arun was making 1,500 USD per sale, there were few takers for the product, and it wasn’t smooth sailing. He would make cold calls all over Southern California but the people he spoke to would ask him what value would be added to their lives by having a cell phone. For five years, Arun and his brother Maxy, who is New York-based, struggled with the business. There were issues with cell towers, signal strength, and hilly terrain where receptivity remained poor. His main customers, he realized, were doctors and lawyers. So one day on the advice of a vice president at LA Cellular, he decided to focus on the South Bay area which had plenty of doctors and attorneys. Things began to turnaround in 1993 when coverage started to improve and the sizes of cellular phones became more compact. All of a sudden, business which had been shaky, began to grow. Over the next decade or so Arun and his brothers were on a store-opening spree. They opened over 200 new cell phone stores in 18 states across
the country, and in the process provided jobs to over 800 persons. Maxy has plans to open an another 150 new cell phone stores in the Los Angeles area to add to the 200 that already exist. In addition, the brothers own several successful businesses. Things were going well, but Arun, ever the calculated risk-taker decided that the next big opportunity lay in real estate. Arjay Plaza in Torrance is named after his two daughters, Arielle and Jaya. It is a high profile address where some of California’s Who’s Who like Arnold Schwarzennegger, John McCain, Craig Huey, Betsy Butler and David Hadley have rented political campaign offices. At his office, he has pictures with Bill Clinton, Rudy Giuliani and President Barack Obama, President Donald Trump, Nikki Haley, among others. About 150,000 cars go past this building every day, it is an impressive edifice that is hard to miss. Today, he has become one of the doyens of the Indian American community. Arun Bhumitra could have continued making a living at Bombay Marine, but somewhere along the line it dawned on him that he was cut out for better things. By leaving for the USA, going through the hardship of sleeping in a park in cold weather for a week, Arun made it clear that he was going to do what it takes to pursue the life of his dreams. Oprah Winfrey will agree. ❐
From the book Indian Americans in Greater Los Angeles Area by India Empire Publications 30 india empire | march 2019
dIASpoRA—AnIl AGGARWAl
dR AnIl AGGARWAl
Navigating his way to the top Not all those who wander are lost. —J. R. R. Tolkien, English writer, poet, philologist
N
ot all who wander, and wonder, are lost. On the wings of a wandering and a wondering mind can a man hitch his wagon to the stars. Dr Anil K Aggarwal has certainly hitched his. His firm AMCOMP has launched itself to stratospheric levels—it provides crucial GPS navigation and communication backbone to the US Air Force. He also has several clients in Government and private sectors. Dr Aggarwal launched AMCOMP in 1988 with focus on three support areas: broad range of systems engineering support for Global Positioning System (GPS), space systems acquisition support for satellite and launch vehicle systems, and enterprise wide computer network. Shortly after 2002, AMCOMP became part of British Aerospace. In 2007, Dr Aggarwal became co-owner and member of the Board of Directors of TopVue Defense Inc. This Utahbased corporation supports Military Acquisition Program Managers and Prime Defense Contractors in Configuration and Data Management functions. Dr Aggarwal’s work ethics through the years has been based on excellence, integrity, service and responsibility, cornerstones of any successful venture. PUNJAB TO USA Born in Punjab, he went on to earn his Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering (Magna Cum Laude) from the Punjab Engineering College in 1969. He then secured admission at the prestigious Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore. He was awarded a distinction during his Masters in Aeronautical Engineering. Dr Aggarwal then enrolled at the Rice University at Houston, Texas, and got his PhD in Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering in 1974. The major thrust area of his research was in Global Positioning Systems. Soon after obtaining his doctorate degree, Dr Aggarwal joined Texas Instruments in Dallas Texas and in 1978 moved to Magnavox Electronics Systems Co in Torrance, California. Dr Aggarwal is an active member of the Institute of Navigation and has written numerous technical articles on the subject. Overall, he is a tireless achiever who’s striven towards perfection.
DEBT OF GRATITUDE Dr Aggarwal is thankful to his family and says, “my late father, Lala Paras Ram Aggarwal, influenced and transformed me more than any other mentor in my life. His guidance and sacrifice put me on the right path and hugely shaped my character, thinking, and work ethics.” And he heaps praise on his wife, saying, “one of my life’s greatest accidental achievements was to marry Madhvi, from Ambala, in 1976. She received an MS in Biology and entered in the Microbiology PhD program at the University of Texas campus in Dallas. She is the love of my life and the mother of our two great children—Payal and Sameer. Payal is a Finance Program Manager and Sameer is a Technical West Coast Program Manager with their respective companies involved in US Defense Systems. Madhvi worked toe-to-toe with me at AMCOMP Corporation. She brought the balance to a high energy and fast decision management style. Without her love, care, skills, and presence, my contribution as an entrepreneur to integrate technology, personnel, and financial resources could have been significantly degraded.” Indeed, the stratospheric levels he’s reached are due to the support systems he’s had at home, and, at the work place. ❐
From the book Indian Americans in Greater Los Angeles Area by India Empire Publications march 2019 | india empire 31
dIASpoRA: AmARJIt SInGh mARWAh
dR AmARJIt SInGh mARWAh
Peerless Stalwart I always wanted to be a dentist…I was accepted to dental school in the spring of 1972. —Mark Spitz, Swimming hero at Munich Olympics
M
ark Spitz may have scorched the swimming pool at the Munich Olympics with seven gold medals, but he probably missed out on being a dentist. Dentists may occasionally forget, but their patients, celebrity or otherwise, always remember. Would you forget the time you had a root-canal treatment? Or a gaping cavity fixed? Or a tooth re-implant done? Meet Dr A S Marwah, intellectual nonagenarian and a towering figure in the Indian American community in Los Angeles, who became a dentist first, and then many things after. Indeed, it would require a magnum opus to chronicle his life’s journey. Abridging his story is a bit like a layman who tries to become a dentist in a week’s time. He’s worn so many hats, we’d require an entire cabinet to store them. He’s a beacon for the Indian community in Los Angeles, an absolute guiding light for many. He’s been in the USA for over well over 66 years, and there is little that he does not know or hasn’t seen about the evolution of the Indian American community. As a dentist, his patients have included a galaxy of celebrities, and he’s rubbed shoulders with the Who’s Who of USA all the time. Even today, at age 90, there is more than just a spring in his step. There is more to accomplish, and miles to go, a la Fauja Singh of Ilford, England, who ran his first marathon at 88, and continued doing so till 101, before “retiring”. Dr Marwah came to the USA soon after the Guggenheim Foundation offered its very first Dental Fellowship in India. It was the year 1950, and the 24-yearold Amarjit appeared for an interview in Bombay. There were 40-odd dentists in contention. But given his convincing skills and fine articulation, Amarjit stole the show, and with it pulled the fellowship rug from under the feet of other candidates. His maiden voyage overseas followed, and he landed in New York to pursue higher studies through the Pediatric Dentistry fellowship. It was rare to find an Indian in the USA those days (perhaps there were no more than 50 across the country), and rarer still to see a turbaned Sikh walking the streets. Amarjit was code-
named Young Santa Claus. The two well-known Indian names that he frequently heard about on arrival were J.J. Singh Walia and Bhagat Singh Thind, youngsters who were at the forefront of a movement to seek better rights and prospects for Asians and Indians. Even as his year-long fellowship at the Guggenheim Foundation in New York was drawing to an end, he had secured an admission and another fellowship at the College of Dentistry at the University of Illinois, Chicago where he pursued an MS in Pathology. After two years of graduate study, he received another fellowship from the Howard University in Washington DC to pursue a two-year program in Doctor in Dental Surgery. This too was completed on time. In 1954 he became the very first Indian doctor in the USA to obtain a license to practice dentistry. The same year he returned to the University of Illinois in Chicago and became a full-time teaching faculty at the College of Dentistry. In 1956, young Amarjit had a real experience of how an
From the book Indian Americans in Greater Los Angeles Area by India Empire Publications 32 india empire | march 2019
election campaign was run in the USA. The legendary Dalip Singh Saund was trying to add steam to his campaign as he was trying to get elected to the Congress. Saund’s younger brother had worked with Amarjit’s uncle in the Railways in Lahore. And so Amarjit, excited at the prospect of an Indian contesting and likely to do very well, took two months off from his job at the University of Illinois. Saund was contesting as a Democrat—his official name during the campaign was D S Saund. The man who had done his Doctorate in Math from the University of California at Berkeley in 1924, and then become a farmer in California, was quite a hit with Americans. Partly it had to do with his fair complexion because of which he had a wider acceptability in the America of the 1950s. The other reason was that his wife, Marian, was American. Whatever the reasons, he simply blazed the campaign trail. Saund revealed his full name only after he won the elections, and then went on to serve three full terms. Amarjit Singh Marwah who had a role to play in the background in this significant and trendsetting moment for Indian politicians in the USA was, of course, over the moon. It was 50 summers ago that Dr Marwah became a citizen of the USA in 1957, one of the earliest modern-day Indian immigrants to do so. Two years into his new citizenship, he took a sabbatical. In 1959, he returned to India, where for 18 months he remained an exchange professor to the Bombay University, a position sponsored by the U.S. Department of Health Sciences. When his tenure got over, he was back in Chicago, a city he was to remain in for eight years. In 1962, by which time quite likely Chicago’s icy drafts and wind chill had become too much for him, he decided on moving to the sunnier climes of California. He joined the University of Southern California as a fulltime professor,
and also began part-time dentistry practice. But it wouldn’t be long before he opted for dentistry practice full-time. LIFE IN CALIFORNIA It was also in 1962 that Dr Marwah, his wife, Kuljit Kaur Sodhi, and three daughters—Anilam, Harpreet and Jaspreet—moved into their home at Baldwin Hill. It was the first Indian home to come up in the Los Angeles area. He was also the first practicing Indian doctor in California. There were only a handful of Indians in California those days, and the few that were there would regularly drop by to the Marwah home in Baldwin Hill. His enormous reputation preceded him. Not just Indians in California, but those coming from India, would regularly come knocking at his door. Indians knew that Marwah was the big ticket guy who could guide them to their dreams in the USA. And he did help out many. Amarjit’s reputation of having skillful hands in dentistry catapulted him to the big league in no time, and fame began to follow him like an ever-present shadow. Not too many can claim to leave Roman Holiday hero Gregory Peck openmouthed for one reason or the other. Dr Marwah, the dentist did, for Peck was his client, as was the charming Elizabeth Taylor of Cleopatra fame. Both lived in Los Angeles. Dr Marwah had singer-actor Barbara Streisand as his neighbor at his 14-acre Malibu Ranch, while Hollywood star Martin Sheen was his tenant. The list of the wealthy, illustrious and powerful that he knew well, and those that knew him well, runs long, among them presidents and prime ministers. Both President Zail Singh and Prime Minister Indira Gandhi visited him in California. When President Gerald Ford’s son got married, the venue was the Marwah family ranch overlooking the beautiful Pacific Ocean.
From the book Indian Americans in Greater Los Angeles Area by India Empire Publications march 2019 | india empire 33
dIASpoRA: AmARJIt SInGh mARWAh 10,000 every year for the betterment of the school. In 1969, on the 500th birth anniversary of Guru Nanak, Dr Marwaha was instrumental in opening and establishing the third Sikh Temple in the USA at Hollywood, California. He funded a major portion of the investment. The Gurdwara building in the beginning was registered in Dr Marwah’s name but in 1974, he transferred to the Sikh Study Circle. For years, he played active role in the management of the Gurdwara and even now financially supports projects undertaken by the management. He along with the late Inderjit Singh, founder of Punjab and Sind Bank, launched the Bank of In many ways, Dr Marwah was a pioneer that arrived much before the “Indian invasion” of the West Coast. Even legendary figures began to arrive in Los Angeles only in the 1960s, such as Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, made famous in the West by the Beatles. Soon he was to become Dr Marwah’s patient. Also over time arrived the likes of sitar maestro Pandit Ravi Shankar and Harbhajan Yogi. At the dawn of the 1970s, Dr Marwah struck a deep friendship with Tom Bradley, the first black Mayor of Los Angeles, and after whom a terminal is named at the city’s international airport. Bradley was a police lieutenant who contested for the City Council, and Dr Marwah was involved in the campaign. Bradley remained five-time mayor of Los Angeles. When his dear friend passed away, Dr Marwah was one of the pall bearers alongside Al Gore, America’s Vice President. It was Bradley who had appointed the famous dentist a City Commissioner in 1974, a position he was to hold for 18 years, a record for any Indian American. He also chaired the Cultural Heritage Commission and the Hollywood Art Commission during this period. Nearly 300 sites, including the Walk of Fame and the Roosevelt Hotel, were declared protected monuments. In 1968, he founded the Los Angeles chapter of Sister City International, leading a delegation of established Americans in an effort to form a relationship with prominent citizens of Bombay. The group set up an American wing at a school in Mahim run by the Bombay Municipal Corporation. Appropriately, it was called the Los Angeles High School. The society has been sending USD
Punjab in the 1990s. EARLY LIFE Young Amarjit Singh Marwah was born in the village of Bhera in Shahpur district now in Pakistan. His grandfather Dr Sucha Singh was the Chief of Medical Services in the princely Faridkot State in 1880. In 1910, his father, Dr Chanda Singh, held the same position. He grew up being pampered, and somewhat spoilt by his doting grandmother. Even his mother was always effusive in her affection for Amarjit. His father, though, had the tough job of disciplining the bright young man. He completed high school at Kothkapura and in 1941 was sent to Lahore to attend the Sikh National College. His classmates included Prakash Singh Badal, the current Punjab Chief Minister, among others. Despite the pulls of the nationalist movement, Amarjit completed his college and following family tradition decided to study medicine. He chose the four-year dentistry course at King Edward Medical College, the only one offering dental studies. He was in Lahore when the violence in the aftermath of India’s partition in 1947 broke out in all its fury and ugly frenzy. He was only 21, and some of the carnage and pillage that he witnessed are forever emblazoned in his psyche. In spite of the traumatic experience, he was able to collect himself, and ride into the future with a song in his heart, and confidence in his steps. The wise dentist is a peerless stalwart that has added teeth to the reputation of ❐ the Indian community in more ways than one.
From the book Indian Americans in Greater Los Angeles Area by India Empire Publications 34 india empire | march 2019
Pictures © siPra Das
PhOTO GALLEry President Ram Nath Kovind presented the Nari Shakti Awards 2018 on International Women’s Day to Doordarshan’s senior anchor Neelam Sharma (left) and first woman marine pilot Reshma Nilofer Naha (right) among 41 individuals and three institutions
A highly fortified marketplace in Uri, Jammu and Kashmir following the Pulwama attack march 2019 | india empire 35
dIASpoRA: BoB BAWA
BoB BAWA
Turnaround King A journey of a thousand miles must begin with a single step. —Lao Tzu, Chinese philosopher and writer
T
he west coast of the United States has become a region that houses some of the finest Indian brains in the world. Bob Bawa is a perfect example of that brain gain for America that has made it a giant reservoir of intellect from around the world. After graduating from Thapar College in India with a BS in Mechanical Engineering, Bob studied at the University of Southern California (USC) and received an MBA with a specialization in finance. Degrees in hand, Bob pursued a 30-year career in hardware technology and aerospace
The investments caught the eye of key aerospace companies, from Lockheed Martin to raytheon to honeywell. LA Gauge now has contracts to manufacture precision components for missile guidance systems, targeting systems for various fighter jets (including F35), nuclear reactors and other components for the aerospace industry companies. As a financial analyst at Ducommun and Rockwell International, he built financial models for key M&A and divestiture decisions. Over time, he developed a reputation for implementing financial systems in turnaround situations. He worked on overhauling pricing strategy at Western Gear, building a new accounts payable system at Tectonics Bearings, and establishing a job costs system at Contour Aerospace and Ralee Engineering. Through each experience, Bob refined his skill in identifying opportunities in turnaround situations and implement systems and programs to drive growth and profitability. In parallel with his finance career, Bob applied his skills in other entrepreneurial endeavors. In 1990, Bob learned that the preschool that his son was attending and wife was
working at was in deep financial trouble. Seeing an opportunity for investment and improvement, he and his wife purchased the preschool. His wife ran the school and he spent his evenings managing the finances. Their efforts led to a successful turnaround and over the course of 15 years they purchased and managed 3 preschools. Although his turnaround efforts across varied industries proved successful, Bob continued to seek entrepreneurial opportu-nities, particularly in the aerospace field. In 2003, his reputation for turnarounds lit a possible path toward his goal. While CFO of Ralee Engineering, a subsidiary of Triumph Group, he was selected by management to become Vice President / General Manager of another division, LA Gauge Company. The division specialized in ultraprecision
From the book Indian Americans in Greater Los Angeles Area by India Empire Publications 36 india empire | march 2019
machining of exotic materials, such as beryllium, for the aerospace and defense industry. At the time, it was a struggling company with $4M in revenues and negative profitability and hardly any backlog of business. He quickly realized that a true turnaround effort required significant investment in equipment and long term contracts. He secured major contracts with Lockheed Martin. However, Triumph Group was reluctant to make the required investments to deliver on these contracts. Bob saw an opportunity to achieve his lifelong goal to own and manage an aerospace company. He succeeded in purchasing LA Gauge Company from Triumph Group in 2007. His entrepreneurial dream had become a reality. The niche the company occupied was a growing market and extremely difficult to enter by other companies given the quality standards and skills required. Once in the driver’s seat, Bob’s turnaround plan was simple: invest in the highest quality equipment and people. He did exactly that to ensure that the company’s capabilities were above any other potential competitor in the market. To address a new growth market in electrooptics, he created an optical polishing department. More importantly, Bob further invested in the growth of talented machinists at LA Gauge. The company began offering apprenticeship programs and subsidized college coursework. The investments caught the eye of key aerospace companies, from Lockheed Martin to Raytheon to Honeywell. LA Gauge now has contracts to manufacture precision components for missile guidance systems, targeting systems for various fighter jets (including F35), nuclear reactors and other components for the aerospace and defense industries. Building on successes with customers and continued
reinvestment in capital equipment, the turnaround effort began to show returns. Today, after 10 years of private ownership, LA Gauge has surpassed the previous market leader in beryllium machining. The workforce has doubled, sales have more than quadrupled, and the company is profitable. He is quick to note the improvements he is focused on, but his investments have positioned LA Gauge Company very well to take advantage of expanding markets in aerospace and defense. Bob Bawa can be proud of his accomplishments, since he arrived on the western shores of the USA. ❐
From the book Indian Americans in Greater Los Angeles Area by India Empire Publications march 2019 | india empire 37
column: YoGI AShWInI
mInd And BodY
FInDInG BLISS By Yogi Ashwini Yogi ashwini
A
re you depressed? Is it because your job doesn’t pay you well enough? Or because your spouse and children do not listen to you? Or because your talent goes unnoticed and you are not valued enough? Or is it because of how your body and looks are deteriorating by the day? You are not alone. If you look around you will find that every individual is entwined in the same set of four worries— health, finances, relationships and/or status/position. In the physical world, the root of all these problems is an unfulfilled expectation. While the actual reason for this is the basic nature of soul and it’s not being able to find solace. Unfulfilled expectations gradually pull one into depression, where the person hopes and tries to fulfill his/her expectations and while they never get met, the body ages...hair become grey, skin wrinkles, senses dull and then one day the breath also stops. The expectations still not met and so birth is taken to fulfill them. Expectations are directly proportional to one’s ego. The higher the ego, the more one expects from him/herself and the things/people around, and when those expectations are met, he/she goes into depression. Medically, it is seen as an imbalance in specific hormones in the body which is triggered usually by psychological factors, age-related changes and in some cases owing to mental instability. Yoga says, this is because of avidya, which is lack of knowledge of reality. Everything in the physical world is unreal and is in passing. Basic nature of physically manifested world is destruction. Every second, all that is around us is getting destroyed. Actually, what we get depressed about doesn’t exist. The interesting thing about expectations is that there is no limit to them. King Yayati enjoyed youth and its related pleasures for a thousand years and even after these thousand years, with all the women, food and wealth of the world, his desires and expectations were still not met and he realised that there is no way they could be met by further indulgence. Expectations can never be met, the more you have, greater is the expectation from it. And the irony is, that
38 india empire | march 2019
whatever you have in the physical—be it health, wealth, relationship or power—it will also leave you one day, and when it leaves the disappointment will be directly proportional to the pleasure it brought with it, all this is because of avidya. To give you an example, I knew a man who had a very loving wife. She cared for him and kept him happy and healthy. At sixty, she left the body, and the husband could not take it. He went into depression. A healthy man, he died of a heart attack within a month. Everything in the physical is temporary, it is foolish to keep expectations from it. King Yayati, realised this and so returned the youth back to his son, and went in search of that which is permanent, which does not grow old or cease to satisfaction, to bliss. And that reality, only a Guru can show you by giving you the experience of what you desire and expect, and gradually change those desires and simultaneously lower the ego, so the expectations too fade away. I detail here a simple kriya which when practiced in the presence of your Guru, instantly alleviates all kinds of depressions, giving you the experience of bliss, an instant glow is an added benefit. Sit in a comfortable position with spine erect. Close your eyes and paying reverence to the energy of Guru, take your awareness to the centre of the chest cavity. Become aware of light pink lotus at this point, become aware of a soft pink light emanating from this lotus and filling up your entire body. Gradually let this light grow to fill up your immediate surroundings, the entire planet and eventually all of creation. Now become aware of your Guru and connect with him/her in this light pink light (if you do not have a Guru, you can become of aware of the image on website, www.dhyanfoundation.com). Gently holding the hand of the Guru, drop all awareness, let go. Let there be no thoughts or movement beyond this point. Whenever you feel like, open your eyes looking first at the centre of the ❐ palms. Write to me about your experiences. —Yogi Ashwini is the Guiding Light of Dhyan Foundation and can be reached at dhyan@dhyanfoundation.com