The Siege Remembered

It's almost a year since the tragic day. The newspapers,television and magazines were rife with people recounting the horror of those unforgettable 62 hours of siege. As I went through those tragic experiences, I couldn't help myself from being pulled back into time. I even had nightmares at times. As I read the newspaper today, one news that really moved me was the interview of Major Unnikrishnan's parents. One of the papers quoted his parents saying, "We all want a Bhagat Singh, but only in our neighbour's house". A year has passed, how secure are we today? I for sure, do not feel any safer. The situation in our neighbourhood has deteriorated even further. As a citizen, I exercise my voting right and remain vigilant of my surrounding. I just hope our nodal agencies become more vigilant as well,our politicians start being more accountable and our government start acting strong. I don't want to take refuge behind the silhouette of the spirit of Mumbai. All my respect goes to the brave NSG commandos and police officers who laid their lives so that the rest of us can live in peace.

Nuptial Harmonica !!

It seems nuptial chords are in the air these days. We keep getting invitations day in and day out from near and far ones for their marriage. A very close friend of mine is getting married on 29t Nov and my cousin is seriously hunting for a prospective bride. At times, and these days most of the times, I find myself amidst these soon and hopefully soon categories. But where do I fit in? I've got no answers to this. My parents would obviously wait for another couple of years, thanks to my higher studies. I keep questioning this, In-laws meet in-laws policy. I mean, how does a guy marry someone his parents like without he himself knowing the girl completely and liking her? Seems and sounds preposterous, but that's the way things are. Au Contraire, I think arranged marriages are more successful. Last week, on a lazy day off, I happened to watch "Whats Your Rashee". The movie helped me kill my time but kindled this thought in me as to what's going to be my criteria for selecting a bride. I do not have a definite answer as yet. But I shall definitely have one pretty soon.

It's in the Air

It's in the Air. I do not know. But somewhere something, I do get a feeling that things are happenning and they are happenning for the better. So there goes my life. Office really sucks these days with most of my friends planning to move out. I am in the midst of my B school applications and hopefully should bag in a few admits..I guess one of the last thing an idiot like me can get. I took a day off today for some work but believe me, being at home without internet is really bad. Not that am a chataholic but it gives me a comfort of having too much of knowledge at my disposal. Now that the fourth light on my router has blinked, I am logged on to my laptop and on this blog. I guess, I spend a lot too much time with my laptop. Atleast, am sure that if I had a gf, she would have cursed my laptop for seeking all the attention that she deserved. So there...it is almost 7 and with the Shabarimala season having just started, I need to follow the routine of taking bath twice a day and perform the pooja at home. Have got an added responsibility these days of cooking food. A blessing in disguise I guess. Who knows if I end up being a cook five years down the line. I would mind the least if it pays me well...Life's fine otherwise with hell lot of things to keep me busy..but somewhere there is a link missing which is not helping my cause. For, it does not allow me to see it in entirety. I think, I will soon find this missing link. It should be somewhere..and am sure, it's in the Air...

Happily Independent or Independently Happy ?

As the car came to a steady halt just as the signal turned red, I peeked out of the window. Independence Day was fast approaching and as usual there was this “something special so to say” feeling in the air. To say the least, what I saw completely astounded me.  A street kid was running haplessly from car to car, trying to sell the Independence day flags. He wore a deserted look and seemed as if he had not seen water for many days. The streets of Mumbai greet you with many such faces. We all know it is a huge trafficking racket that’s at play but no one has yet bothered to look into it. Begging has become a multi crore industry. Whatever it be, it is that child’s life that’s at stake. As I shifted my attention to a huge hoarding on the other side of the road, I glanced upon some political statements. The banner read that the Government is responsible for the price rise. I pitied myself for the ignorance our politicians oozed. Certainly the government is not responsible for deficient monsoon. I agree that it can definitely control illegal stocking of food but certainly not be willing to raise the price of dal to Rs 100 per kg. 62 years after Independence this is what greets me. Way to Go !! We still haven’t matured enough to look beyond our petty issues and think of the well being of our nation as a whole. Things are certainly improving but the growth would be accelerated if the people who have public’s faith , speak the right language. To me, I always believe in what Gandhiji said, “ Be the change you wish to See”. There cannot be a better situation to apply this. The signal has just turned green and my journey continues.

Thought- Less Thought Over

It has been quite some days now, in fact weeks. I am yet to grope with the stark reality that my life as of today is without any purpose. I am shockingly surprised but equally astonished to never have this thought run through my benumbed mind even once. It finally took me a couple of books and quite some introspection to realize the gravity of the problem. If I would be asked this question as to what would I be doing 10 years down the line, I would not have any clear answer. Nor do I know why I am doing what I am doing. It hardly takes some time to realize that I have no clear-cut purpose chalked out.

But isn’t it the way most of us live? I mean who bothers about all these supposedly pseudo spiritual stuff. But then, I guess, it is better to have some sense extracted out of life rather than living in our own microcosm. For the next few days, maybe weeks or months, I would be pre occupied with this thought. For I know, it is something that I need an answer to. 

Pre Budget Blues

Well. the Union Budget is just a few hours away and the blues have already started setting in. Maybe there is a plethora of expectations that is causing unnecessary fluctuations in the anxiety. Here’s my budget wish list.

• The Direct Tax rate should be left untouched and the tax exemption limit under section 80c should be increased.

This would put more money in the pockets of people and thus spending would increase. This would also lead to an increase in demand that would indirectly start reviving certain sectors such as FMCG. I do not foresee a tremendous rise in the demand for housing merely on the basis of increase in exemption.

• Indirect Taxes such as FBT should be removed completely and taxes such as STT should be reduced.

I say FBT should be removed is because this forms quite a substantial chunk of the income of middle class in the private sector. Quite an important part of the salary these days is constituted by FBT and hence should be removed. This would again help revive demand. I still say STT should not be removed completely is because the profits made through markets earn enough to justify at least some tax. I agree that this might affect the volume of transactions but given that the profits that is earned, a lower STT would do a world of good. Goods and Service Tax should be introduced as soon as possible to reduce the existing complexity in the tax structure and to ensure proper and smoother tax implementation.

• Increased spending in Infrastructure and Transport

The percentage of GDP spent on these sectors should be increased substantially. This would be one of the main driving factors of the economy in the years to come. There are existing projects such as The Golden Quad project that needs to be accelerated. Every km of road built in rural areas brings with it increased accessibility, shorter routes, shorter routes, better employment and new investments.

• No Increase in existing public spending plans other than increase in the Rural, Health and Education sector.

These are the main drivers of a demographically rich country such as ours. We need to have better density of well equipped hospitals and capable doctors. We also need to have more institutions of higher and quality educations and should encourage good foreign universities to set up international campuses in India. This would help prevent brain drain.

• Increased spending in Defense as perceived appropriate.

There should be increase in spending in this sector on a need basis. The emphasis should be primarily on indigenous development and research.

• Ways to earn revenues and cut deficits

This is the major concern plaguing the economy currently. To plug this gap, I believe rather than increasing the cess or other taxes, the leaks in the system should be plugged. All the benefits do not trickle down the the needy in public programmes such as NREGA and others. If everyone at every stage is held accountable to whatever he or she does and if it is ensured that benefits are made available to the needy then these programmes shall be much more effective and this shall showing up as improvements in the other sectors of the economy. This albeit an indirect way to plug the double digit deficit, is much more efficient than raising any of the direct or indirect taxes.

Waiting for the Bday tomorrow !!

Why create fuss about the sub zero inflation

It has certainly made an impact amongst the minds of young Indians, not to mention the hype and the hooplah that it is getting in some of those weird news channels. Yes, the inflation is sub zero. Is it time to prepare for the doom? My relative innocuous conscience tells me that it is nothing to worry about. We are indeed sub zero but it is nowhere near to be termed as deflation. We should be happy to be sticking our neck out around the term Negative Inflation. The primary reason being, we are not yet witnessing any drop in demand and that is not going to happen anytime soon. So, deflation is ruled out. The second reason being, the WPI calculated YOY has a significant base effect. The crude that was around 130 $ last year, is around   70 $ today. To top it, we have seen a price decline most other goods, at least in the Wholesale markets. The monsoon has started playing truant and if it does not make its appearance then we shall certainly have a drop in food grain production that would lead to a surge in inflation again. For all I know, the CPI is still around a comfortable 9 percent. That makes the case in point.

Technorati Tags: Negative Inflation,WPI,CPI,Growth,Monsoon

Negative Innovation

The most beautiful thing about Sunday mornings is that they allow you to spend an extra hour or so on the bed, cozying up to the warm feeling of not having to rush to office. As usual, I woke up around 8 and took me sometime to get back to my usual self. It seems that the sleep had got better of me. But a cup of harmless platonic tea did the trick for me. As I glanced over the paper, this thought crossed over my mind. A few weeks earlier some of my colleagues in office went gung ho over a video that showcased an fingertip based web interface. It surely was a great technological innovation I felt but what disappointed me was the thought that, “ After all how many poor or underprivileged lives would this innovation help benefit?”. None, was the answer. Why do then people go crazy over such innovations? Well, as I was jostled back to reality, I decided to coin a new pseudonym for such inventions. I decided to call them “Negative Innovations”. Innovation for me is something that would help the larger mankind, something that would bring bring smiles to more faces, better more lives at the same cost. Micro Financing to me is one of the best innovations to have occurred to a country like India. We need more of such innovations. Designing an android to clean our house or designing a technology that helps use surfaces as touch screens is not the need of the hour for us. Till the day comes when our population is better served, can afford good food for three times a day and can avail of good education and housing, I would unwillingly have to call some of the innovations as Negative Innovations.

Random Musings

I am penning down a post after an eon. Not that I didn’t want to but just that my fickle self didn’t find me enough motivation to write one. Finally, the jinx was broken. In a short burst of 20 minutes, I was bombarded with a fusillade of thoughts that touched extremities. I usually find myself some time that I spend alone. Usually, the night works to my favor. When everyone’s asleep, I break free on my thoughts. I feel that’s the best time one can bring the best clarity to one’s thought. Today, I got this break while travelling in a BEST bus to my home. Travelling amidst the darkness and minor patches of lights in the woods of the Aarey colony, I was confronted with myriad questions.

Is there any pattern to things in life? This has been subjected to intense deliberation over time, but is still left to debate. To me, the entire universe is systematic as opposed to pure random happenings. The only difference being,  no one knows the frequency at which things get repeated. At best, we can provide a guess as to how things would span out but cannot be sure on that. This is because each smaller pattern is embedded in a larger pattern, which in turn is embedded in still larger pattern. Stock Markets are in vogue again. We all talk about the recovery. Some say it is going to be a V shaped recovery and others are of the opinion that it shall be a W shaped recovery. Trend Analysis does help us quite a bit in this but nothing is devoid of serious shortcomings. What makes it difficult to predict things in the immediate short term is that there are quite a lot of unknown factors in play that affect the outcome. At the best, we can retrospect and find the hidden pattern in things. None of us know what tomorrow would have in store for us, but the larger picture in life is still clear to us. It is a great leveler to ensconce in the cozy confines of office or a friend’s car and be a part of the rushing crowd in Buses. It helps me to experience things without letting go off the reality. I read an article in the Guardian today regarding the sanitary conditions in our country and believe me it was shocking. What then is the purpose of our lives? To live selfishly or to live selflessly? I believe it is better to be selfishly selfless rather than being selflessly selfish. I didn’t find any answers to my questions at the end of the journey but I realized one thing. Just as we go with the fundamentals of a company to determine the expected return over a long term period, we should look at the ultimate aim of our lives to guide our action in each and every moment. Momentary deviations are part of the system and are just corrective measures that are bound to cancel out in the long term.

Hey, I have reached my bus stop. I am back to the chaotic world of randomness but am somehow trying to filter off the noise. In the meantime, I guess that our markets would trade flat for most part of June and thereafter the budget is going to guide the way forward for our nation.

Finding a Direction

 

For long I had this dilemma about explaining dissatisfaction with the work or rather explaining where one is and where one wants to be. Most of our population, around 45-55 percent including me, comprises of the youth. Considering our vantage point when it comes to economical superiority, the entire hope lies on this population. It is natural that we should have enough opportunities for job so that we retain our talent. Perfectly fine. But there is always a hidden cost. Do we all live to our true potential? I mean, do we all achieve what we can truly achieve? I do not think so. I have had ample experiences and from these empirical data, I have finally been able to graph out what I think is the dilemma. We join an organization because, it pays well, it provides and economical safety and provides us with a status in society. But the most important benefit is that it helps us do what we like to do. Being in any organization and not liking the work is the worst thing to happen. You are pounded with work and responsibilities alike and you have to do it simply because there is no other alternative. This is what is depicted by Opportunity Cost (A). The resources we need to forego to be in this stage is too high. As we start liking the work or getting into things that we actually like doing, the Opportunity Cost (A) reduces because we make more meaningful use of our knowledge and resources. As we move on this curve, we get on to another curve, where again the Opportunity Cost (B) increases. At this stage one fully utilizes one’s knowledge in a work that one feels one should be doing. The Opportunity Cost is simply the reward paid by the Organization to retain the talent.

I tried my best explaining a point but there is a high probability that I might have sounded too esoteric. Nevertheless, the bottom line is, “Do the work that you really like and want to be doing”.

Numero Uno

“Here I am, awake relatively early on a weekend, sipping my usual cup of tea. As, I frantically turn the pages of my newspaper for news, the number game has already begun. There they are. The crack team from NDTV is already pulling its sleeve. What an amazing excitement? In fact, each of the 543 seats is in itself a scenario changing one. No one knows how far the psephologist would be correct. India gets the voting results the fastest. As minutes pass by, the weight shifts and so do people. Anyways, I am sure I am going to be hooked to the television for the rest of the day. “ Switch of the TV and get on with your work”, is what my mom is telling me, as I somehow pacify her that my work won’t be hampered and that I should not be missing out on this once in a 5 year battle. I hope a stable government comes in and I hope that the psephologists get it right this time.” This is what I wrote yesterday and today, when the picture is almost clear that a very stable and apt government would be heading us, I am more delighted at the growing prospects of getting to see India on its path of glory. What better could happen, when one of the finest brains is to head India suitably supported by the best people in their respective domains. I admire each and every aspect of our Honorable Prime Minister, Mr. Manmohan Singh. But the one that always remains in my heart and mind is when he was asked to define Courage and he replied” Courage is grace under Pressure”. He truly epitomizes it.

The Evanescent Beauty

I am very clear when it comes to identifying the beauty in anything. Be it the joy a poor child gets while having his only share of food or the unspoken silent moments, that two hearts share. But when it comes to girls I really find myself looking for a corner on a circle.

Here I am standing at the bus stop , swearing at the almost inhuman conditions of the city roads and the aggravating traffic situation that we all have to go through. After a long and frustrating wait, the bus finally arrives. I manage to board the bus and take my place. As the bus is about to make a move, there she arrives at the stop. I hardly get a couple of seconds to see her and appreciate her beauty. Well she was really beautiful. I wonder why it always happens that you see someone so beautiful and in a flash of second it disappears. I have long pondered on this but haven't got an answer yet. Well, the answer will not be a long shot. For, I am sure, a day would come when this split second would seem like an eternity and the evanescent beauty a lifetime experience.

Raised the Finger.

It was a big day. The very first of the four day leave that we had got. Thanks to the spate of public holidays preceding the weekend. Many had already left Mumbai to ensconce is the cool comforts of the nearby hillocks. They would never have got any better chance to have a family outing in otherwise difficult times. I got up, as usual, to the grinning sound of construction going on in my neighborhood. It was almost 9:00 AM and the news channels were in a state of excitement to cover the electoral process. I suddenly realized that it was the election day and I hadn't got any voters card. Neither had I found my names in any of the online electoral lists. The very thought of not being able to cast my vote made me feel ashamed. I had waited for this day for five long years and I didn't want to miss out on this one. My parents, in the meantime, were at their polling station. To my surprise, I got a call from them informing me that my name is present on the electoral list. It took me only 10 min to finish of my daily chores and be there to raise my finger. To say the least, being able to cast my vote made me feel empowered and proud. What was equally disappointing is the low voters turnout. Being a Mumbaikar incidents such as 26/11 have changed the mindset of many of us. I had a firm belief that this time around there is a wave of civic consciousness that would manifest itself in terms of large voter turnouts across all constituencies. But that didn't happen. I do not know why the priorities change but all I know is it not casting my vote would have amounted to remorse for the coming five years or whatever. I am glad that my middle finger has saved the day for me again. Well, the index finger is waiting for the assembly elections !

The Great Recovery

 

Heck of a time for sure. I have to make cuts in almost everything, right from the broadband plan I choose to the kind of outdoor expenses. Albeit it has taught me to be more wise and frugal on my spending. I guess on a warm Sunday morning I have no other point to think off or blog down. Analysis after analysis, we have seen all the self prophecised economists and a few outstanding ones predict or try to guess the economic revival. Different views, different timelines and obviously different set of hypothesis. To me, a commoner, we would be seeing a Great Economic Recovery in the years, if not months, to come. It is true that the the entire global economy slided together into recession, but they all are not going to resuscitate together or at the same rate.

We have had the US and EU led consumption driving the world economy till a year back. Asian and other countries were more into savings and acting as a low cost manufacturing hub. In the time to come, my belief is that we would start spending more and US and EU would start saving more. The reason for this is multithrong. Countries such as India and China are slowly replacing the western biggies as a major market for high end goods and services. In the automobile sector, companies like Tata Motor and FAW will become major players. The presence of big forging companies in India would help the cause too. With rising per capita incomes and surge in the youth population, goods such as autos and luxury items would be in great demand. In sectors such as healthcare and generic drugs, we are already proving a major and cheap alternative for everyone around the world. India is expected to maintain its lead in the IT and ITES industries at least for a decade or more. The reason for this is the increasing demand for research spending in the universities and corporations. The west in the meantime would get into a more saving mode just as we were. With an ageing world and reverse ageing India there are all the more reasons to believe that we would recover to a much greater than many others.

China, with its fast paced growth has become a great player. That has got much to do with its die hard ambition of becoming a true superpower. India amidst all its hooplah and challenges, is a self correcting and self sustaining economy. Whatever the equation might be today, there would be a time when we would catch up with or even surpass China. That might not be in the coming three decades but it could happen. I hope, at least now, we start taking our population as an asset. For, that is what is going to set us apart and take us to a formidable position in the world economy.

Earn more and spend more is what is going to define us and hence the world in the time to come.

Leveraged Layoffs

Leveraged Buyouts is a passe. Here comes Leveraged Layoffs. If a company stood to gain by getting into a LBO during its heydays, it is still enjoying its cup of leverage by filtering off non performing assets. During these recessionary times, everyone, right from banks to IT corporations have been asked or are purging off their NPAs. Seems pragmatic of course. But at the end of the day there is a difference between a job less person and a battered financial instrument. Isn't there any? I too am not outside the periphery of such crisis. There is a sword hanging on our team too. I guess, one of the prices we have to pay for what we do. But at the end of the day, it is a job well done that is gonna save everyone's day. In my rationality, there is absolutely no reasoning in shelling out people due to unsustainability. I guess, retaining the assets, albeit at a lower cost makes more sense. On these lines, I agree to Mr Narayanamurthy's views. I take the same stand for my team too. People are the best asset any organization can have and the last resource anyone would ever think of loosing out on. These times have become the ripe time for inefficient organizations and bad managers to save their day. I just wish, these guys realize that it takes a leader not a manager to lead an organization to success.

The First Three Glasses of My Life

 

I had never had the experience of being party to any booze party. If at all, I would just hold on to the relative innocuous cousins of the big boozes. But, this time around, I just decided to give it a shot. Well, the occasion was a DJ nite organized by or rather showered upon by the rare generosity of our superiors had it not been for the Client's visit. I had no plans of ever having a drink, forget being part of the function. At the last moment, I decided to make my presence at the event. Then came the moment when the pitcher was ordered for. I knew, I had been a teetotaler till that day but I somehow wanted to shrug off that tag. There I was with the first glass of the bitter extract in my hand. As the tart tasting liquid made way through my throat, I had the satisfaction of having achieved something that I never thought I would. Then came the second and third glasses, each giving me a different reason to smile for. Well, the least I should say, I was almost near to puking on the third glass but I somehow managed it decently. I would always remember this not for what I did but that I did.

The Certain Uncertainty

 

I always used to take my life as a pre-programmed, kind of algorithmic. For I was sure, albeit in a surreal manner, about the certainty of things. It was only before a few days or rather months that I realized the absurdity of certainty. Be it any part of life, right from career to love, we never know what's gonna happen. All the brilliant minds from the world of economics couldn't guess the housing bubble and we still do not know if there are any bubbles building up in US T-bonds or bullion. For, we can only influence the outcome, not decide it. The book, "Fooled by Randomness" authored any Nassim Nicholas Taleb, went a long way in reinforcing this belief in me.

Stop worrying about what would be in store for us tomorrow. Today, is our best bet. Living in the moment, as rightly said by Steve Jobs, would help us better our prospects for tomorrow. We, Humans are a strange species, we are too stupid to learn from history and yet over ambitious to ensconce in our future. Why not, live our life to the full in the present, do all those things that we wanted to, say all that we wanted to, achieve all that we wanted to. The future is unknown to everyone, today is a pedestal that we can build upon each passing day. So, knowing my abilities and my limitations, I really do not know if I would get all that I want. Today, I will be who I want to be so that I prepare myself for Tomorrow.

Quizzica-2

 

1) Identify the personality. She co-authored one of the famous reports that gave the Economic World a new term.

2) What do you mean by Angelina Jolie stock Index?

3) Identify the logo

 

4)  She is the new Indian face of Barbie. Who are we talking about?

5) Connect "Dreamz Unlimited"  &

 

Answers to Quizzica 1

 

1) Steve Jobs

2) Vulture Funds are those dying funds that are bought over by rich countries/corporations from weaker/poorer ones and sold at high price.

3) White bands symbolizes support to poverty eradication.

4)  Tata Nano

5) Leo Brunett

Technorati Tags: Quiz

Quizza-1

 

Here's my first attempt at being a quizmaster.

 

1) Connect..

     

2) What are Vulture FUNDS?

3) One wears a black band as a mark of protest. Why does one wear a white band?

4) Connect..

 

 

 

5) Connect..

 

    

 

Answers to follow with Quizza-2

The Earth Hour Initiative

This is the first time, I would be getting a chance to play my part in one of the largest global initiatives. As around 74 countries and territories, switch off their lights for an hour from 8:30 to 9:30 on 28th March, a strong signal will be sent to all those who are yet to face the harsh reality of energy shortage and global warming. The very fact that almost 13 percent of this country is yet to be electrified and with electricity pilferage and load shedding rampant, we have become passive participants of the cause but for all the wrong reasons. Going ahead, it is this very judiciousness and frugality that we enact in each and every part of our life that is going to define our tomorrow. So let's contribute our share in earning 60 Earth Hours.

CreditWorthiness @ Times of Recession

The 81st Oscars !!
They came, They saw, They swept. That's how I would put the performance of the Slumdog Team. To me, it was a history more than a victory. Two people, from very humble origins made it big. One, the greatest musician, I would rate in my lifetime, A R Rehman and the other, a personality seldom known till date, Resul Pookutty. For me, the two statements, by both the maestros, almost benumbed me. The one said by ARR " In life , I had two choices: Love and Hate and I chose Love". The other equally stunning and wonderfully put by Resul was, " I come from a land and civilisation that has given the universe a word. A word that is preceded by silence and followed by a bigger silence. OM. " They both have made their imprints at the Oscars. Started during the Great Depression, the Oscar today, during another great depression, has ignited millions of hope and dreams. How many more ARRs and Resuls we will have, only seems more possible.

Rekindling the Goblet of Hope

It is almost 9 minutes past midnight and I am still staring at my laptop, lost in some thoughts as I write this blog. The song, " Jane na kaha yeh duniya hain.." is playing softly in my mind only to be interrupted at times by the noise out of my ceiling fan. Well, I frankly am not writing about any particular topic. Just keying down myself at this moment. Happened to glance past my old blogs and got a bit nostalgic. Had never turned back to that blog until today, more than 2 years later. One of those Aha moments, that keeps recurring to me. A time when everything seems to be falling in place, and a time when I find myself free-willying. When everything around me seems fleeting and every moment seems afresh. There seems to be a new beginning heralding that a lot remains to be conquered. Sometimes a split second rekindles a hope that changes everything. That's what I have been waiting for ..Time to hit the bed, for am sure I would like to continue on this series..

The Unseen Bubble

 

So we all have reached the stage when the kids are being exposed to words such as Keynesian and Hayekian. They surely were jargons some time back but no longer. Having experienced and still experiencing one of the worst recessions in a lifetime, we have all witnessed the procreation of the housing bubble. It all started with the Asian Financial Crisis of 1997, after which the Asian countries started maintaining a Current Account Surplus .Indian too joined the bandwagon. From the perspective of the then contemporary economic policies , having a CAS was supposed to be good. With the spectacular growth in outsourcing and the service sector, Asian countries witnessed huge FII and FDI inflows. This helped them maintain a huge CAS, not to mention the undervaluation of Yuan and other currencies that added to this. The US in the meantime was witnessing growing trade deficits. Over a period of time, the CAS in all the Asian countries had a corresponding CAD in the US. The Asian countries then started investing all the dollars in US Treasuries for safe returns. This drove the Fed's interest rate down to almost 0.25 percent. Low interest rate propelled cheaper loans and housing boom bloomed. This was the first bubble that was being blown. Once the supply surpassed demand the bubble burst and took with it the entire world. This led to a ripple effect in other Financial products. Seems even the trillion dollar pump in is not going to help things. The next visible bubble seems to be the US Treasuries. Having said all this, there is another small but unseen bubble, albeit not economical, being formed in our country. The MBA bubble. a decade back or just 5 years back, MBA was a coveted degree, that brought with it a lifetime of luxuries. This tempted many a young grads and they all jumped into this bandwagon. The number of MBA institutes sprawled across the country with not enough job opportunities. Today, when the job market is in its lifetime low, and recession is biting its share from every bread, there is a mad rush to get an MBA degree. Can we think of the scenario two year hence, when the economy recovers again slowly, there will be a market with unlimited supplies of management grads but the demand will not match up to it. This will lead to people working on a salary that's far too lower than their peers got 5 years back. This is the burst in MBA bubble I am talking about. Although an MBA aspirant myself, and having flunked the exams since the last 4 years, keeping my stupidity aside, I feel we all need to learn to survive. An MBA grad would have to create market for himself and then sell himself. Unlike earlier times when there used to be demand, this time around there is not going to be any such fanciful offers. Entrepreneurship will go a long way and would go on to decide the fate of this country and maybe the coming decade. Asians would have to start spending more for the world economy to recover. How is this going to happen? Where would be the market for it? Answer lies within. We need to create the market right here. And this is possible only if we create entrepreneurs and spread the spirit . Once we have the market, spending will automatically come through. We would then have, what I call brain gain in our country.

Why we all love Underdogs

 

Ms Word no longer highlights the word "Slumdog" as typo in my system. This word truly deserves a place in the dictionary. The Slumdog has had his twenty millions. The entire couple of hours transcended me from a reel to real life. Jamal Malik the protagonist in the movie was about to be  reincarnated in real life. AR Rehman is on the brink of making history. He was never an underdog but to a billion Indians, he is about to achieve something that none has ever. After all the uproar and raucous created, it required a foreign director to catch the essence of the slum life and bring out the heroes in these slum kids. Why have we remained blind to all these until now? We all look upon slums as a blotch in the face of Mumbai. Be it the politicians or any bureaucratic machinery, everyone has ignored the need to address the real issue and look at solving the larger problem. Still today, the traffic signals are beaming with scores of beggars asking for pittance. We all know that there is a larger power at play as has been depicted in many movies, still hardly is anyone ready to rectify the problem. It is amidst these apathy and insalubrious atmosphere that aspirations germinate and fructify. These underdogs are considered to be the last rung of any societal hierarchy and stereotypical to the black side of Mumbai life. Any success or victory achieved by an underdog has always been applauded more than that achieved by the obvious ones.

The same is true in case of Resul Pookutty the young sound graduate who has also been nominated for an academy award. None ever thought these guys would make it to the Oscars or at least be a part of the team that received 10 Oscar nominations. I guess it has to do with the simple human nature, that the happiness is maximum when the expectations are the least. What's adorable is that these guys always raised the bar of their performance. There is a lesson in it for all of us. Under expect and Overachieve !!

Inflated Heart in a Deflated Economy !!

5.24 it is for this week. Now a days this figures don't bother me as much as it used to 5 months back. From an exponential curve it has nose dived into what it is today. Much has already been deliberated and talked upon. Is the 0% inflation anywhere near the horizon. Look closely, and it seems very likely. I have never had the opportunity to live in a nil inflation economy. What would it be like to know that the prices are not rising. It definitely is a very good thing but the money chasing commodities would reduce. This would mean less money in circulation and this definitely will not bode well for some. Hold on. Well, I am not an economist nor am I someone with a degree in Economics. I am just speaking what my stupidity asks me to. Let me exemplify my stupidity by this , Oh God Had it been true , scenario. If I have 10 girlfriends then my heart would definitely beat faster, with the heartbeats increasing with every increase in the number of girlfriends. On the other hand, if I always have these 10 girlfriends then, I am bound to get used to it and there wouldn't be anything in for me then. Life would be the same. Hence my heartbeats would start falling eventually a day will come when I will get so bored that my heart beat would tend to zero. A state of nil inflation. Definitely not good for me ! Now what if the number of girlfriends I have start reducing? Seems to be really bad. Though , now I can pay more attention to each girlfriend , it is not something that would resemble my heartbeat moments during inflationary years. If the prices of all commodities start falling together, we will see a rise in the consumption initially but if the negative inflation or deflation persists, then over a period of time, consumption would start dropping. Neither extremes are good for us for they will hamper our economic growth badly. I from now onwards, would start valuing each girlfriend more than the entire group. For this shall be my only way out of trouble. In a Deflated Economy am going to keep an Inflated Heart.