Samburgers n more...

We Lead India !

2008-02-21T23:10:00.000-08:00

If you ask me about the Lead India campaign run by the Times of India Group, I'll always come back and use one word to describe it: inspirational. The participants were great, and each of them had the potential to lead India in the true sense, but this campaign has really gone beyond that !

I'm sure a lot of you would've already seen the video where a child takes the initiative to "do something", by getting there first to remove a log of wood fallen off, and inspires the rest of the world around him to follow suit. I came across another video, which casts a poor child (representing the Indian youth), who looks dedicated, and hard working. He works at a tea stall the entire day and earns his bits. He even dedicates his evening playing time to binding books instead, so that he can use the rest of the day to learn !! His dedication and determination inspires the rest of his friends to learn from him.

Have a look...

Google Goodies !!

2007-04-01T22:32:00.000-07:00

Google is one company that I admire for it's amazing innovative practices... Be it in increasing market share, creating services that we never thought could exist, or simply playing around :)

I'll take the "playing around" bit, coz that seems pretty interesting. Am sure a lot of you might have noticed the Google logo changing looks, when you encounter a global event. The two initial ones that come to my mind are Haloween, and the Football World Cup !! But did you also know that Google plays around with pages on it's site, when we celebrate April Fool's Day ?!?!

Yes... Google celebrates April Fool's in the most innovative manner possible... It'll showcase an entirely different picture of itself, providing something to the audience that would catch attention... Be it introducing a "Google Gulp (A Google 'smart drink')", MentalPlex (A smarter and faster 'search' engine), Google Romance (Your search for love) or G.C.H.E.E.S.E. (Experiments at Google's lunar office). But the one that stands out is Google's PigeonRank service :))

Everyone today knows that Google's PageRank is the technical brain behind better and faster searches at Google. They now created a spoof themselves, and introduced a 'new' technology termed "PigeonRank" !! They claim to rely on the superior trainability of the domestic pigeon and it's unique capacity to recognize objects !! When a search query is submitted to Google, it is routed to a data center, and the results are flashed at blazing speeds. When a pigeon observes a 'relevant' result, it strikes a rubber-coated steel bar with it's beak, which assigns the page a PigeonRank value of one. For every other such peck, the PigeonRank increases by one :)) The pages receiving the most pecks (or with the highest PigeonRank value) are displayed to the user as the "top search result" .. LOL !!

Isn't this amazing !?? Well, you can only expect this from GOOGLE, with the amount of fun they have @ work :) Read more about the record-breaking PigeonRank 'algorithm' here :
1. http://www.google.com/technology/pigeonrank.html

And for other April Fool's goodies @ Google...
2. http://www.google.com/jobs/lunar_job.html
3. http://www.google.com/googlegulp/
4. http://www.google.com/mentalplex/
5. http://www.google.com/romance/tour.html

P.S. : Thanks Akhil, for enriching me with this wonderful info :)

Celebrity Treatment @ Colbert !

2007-02-11T22:03:00.000-08:00


Stephen Colbert of the Colbert Report on the celebrity feud between Amitabh Bachchan and Shahrukh Khan. A special word of thanks to Ishira, who sent this video link to me... And believe me, it's worth a laugh - Just for the way Colbert pronounces the Indian names here, and the overall treatment of the episode ;)) - Hilarious !!!

India Poised - Worth the effort ?

2007-01-25T01:39:00.000-08:00

India Poised... The very first glimpse of this campaign caught my eye, and I read the Times of India for the first time in 2007. They started this year with a full-page anthem, and named it 'India Poised' - A campaign that would run for six weeks, and brings us a critical assessment of India's readiness for any serious claim to international fame.

I was in Ahmedabad at that time, and when I got back to Pune (where I am currently based in), I said to my roommate, "I want a copy of that edition of the TOI. It is a collector's edition, and imbibes the true spirit of India in every line of that anthem."

It was a few days later that I came to know about the website dedicated to this campaign (www.indiapoised.com). And I was further impressed. If I decided to call the above page a collector's edition, what would I call the front page of the TOI - 16th August, 1947 edition (Celebrating the birth of India's freedom), what would I call the one on Feb 11, 1952 (Celebrating India's first ever test victory over England in the Madras Test), what would I call the one on May 21, 1965 (First ascent of Mt. Everest by an Indian - M.S. Kohli), and what would I call all those pages that celebrate the TRUE spirit of Indian history ? This is what caught my eye about this wonderful campaign.

India Poised is just another campaign for some, who might say, "We had India Shining at one point in time. It's India Poised this time. Maybe we'll have India Rocks sometime soon". That's true, but we need to realize the fact that India Shining was a completely political campaign, while India Poised is media-driven. There were different goals behind each one of them, and these goals may not even be fulfilled. But, the point is that India Poised imbibes the true spirit in me (and maybe a few more). And it is this very spirit that is there to prove the world today that India is coming... Beware !!

This campaign celebrates 2007 as the year of India. As Jaideep Bose puts it, "The real story of 2006 is that we've gone from thinking small to thinking big. American kids are routinely warned by their teachers that if they don't take their science and math seriously, the Indians and the Chinese will beat them to the best colleges and jobs in America......"

The India Poised campaign also talks about the most tragic moments of Indian history, which have shocked India ! The day when Mahatma Gandhi was assassinated, the day when Rajiv Gandhi was assassinated, the 1962 Indo-China war, the Bhopal Gas tragedy and many more. Each of these events has left a long lasting impression on an Indian heart, and in the long run today, has given each one of us ample strength, to see eye to eye with anybody in this world, no matter how powerful he/she may be, now matter how superior he/she may be, not matter WHO he/she is ! This is because today, we can face any question with dignity and respect - Questions that forced us to look down, questions that we feared, questions that we chose to ignore and ran away from ! But answers to these very questions are our strength today, as we carry the FACE OF INDIA to the world !

TOI also had a poll on who do we think is the "Face of India". It could be one of Amartya Sen, Amitabh Bachchan, Mahatma Gandhi, Manmohan Singh, NR Narayana Murthy, Sachin Tendulkar. Each of those is a legend in himself, and rules a particular sector ! But, for me, the Face of India is one, who is respected around the world, not for his skills, but for his attitude - Not for his style, but for his guts - Not for how he has changed India, but for the way he has changed the world. And this led me to choose only one : Mahatma Gandhi for me, is the clear winner as the FACE OF INDIA !

So, when we ask, "Is India Poised worth the effort ?", my reply to that would be, "Yes, it is worth every bit of the effort. It tells me why I am lucky to have been a part of the experience called 'India', and it reminds me that I have a very big responsibility to make sure that this experience is BIG !".

MBA Calling : Do I need work experience ?

2006-12-21T00:11:00.000-08:00

One question that lingers on in the minds of final year students today, is this : "Eventually I want to do an MBA. Should I directly jump into it now ? Or should I work for sometime before I take the plunge ?".

My ever-so-diplomatic-like-a-consultant answer to this is "Depends !" :) Frankly, there's no single answer to this. The answer lies in the fact that you need to be clear about why you want to do your MBA in the first place, and what are your long term aspirations after that.

I know this sounds a lot MBA-ish, but it's true. This is the most dreaded question that haunts you (or should haunt you) just before you decide to do your MBA. And believe me, if you can manage to answer this convincingly, that would lead you to the title question - Do I need work experience, once I have decided to do my MBA ?

I know all this seems too vague, and reading this post does not help you solve your problem... Rather, it confuses you even more !! To rectify that a bit, I'll take 3 instances, which would be assumptions as to why you want to do your MBA, and what are your aspirations in life. And accordingly, let's get to a conclusion whether working would be better for you at this stage, or plunging into an MBA directly.

Situation 1
"I want to go in for an MBA because it seems to be the 'in' thing today. Almost everybody seems to be going for it. And I do not want to be left our lurching in the dark."

This basically means that you have very little, or no ambition in life. You do not want too much control of things happening in your life right now, and wish to emulate the academic fashion. And that is not entirely bad ! Not everyone HAS to have an ambition of sorts. And it might happen that your ambition builds up later in life. And it might happen that happens for good. Maybe you develop capabilities sometime later, which you never thought could be the case earlier.

For people falling under this category, they could go for an MBA right away ! This is precisely because it would be good for them to get an opportunity to build their thoughts in the midst of an MBA program. Alternatively, some might feel that it would be better for them to work first, and give more clarity to their thoughts there, but I believe that if they start working after rejecting the thought of doing an MBA right now, it would be very difficult for them to rebuild this thought at a later stage.

Situation 2
An MBA would help me understand everything that goes into a professional world. I'll get to know how people work, how responsibilities are carried out, and how to rise in one's job by performing well. My aspiration is to serve my company in the best possible way that I can.

This is a very common profile, and of someone, who is professionally inclined, and wants to work in a leading company, and rising through ranks through promotions (as a result of his good work). The million-dollar question now, is should he work before pursuing his MBA ?

Monetarily speaking, it makes more sense for him to do his MBA directly. This is entirely based on the assumption that the starting salaries post-MBA would be much higher for him, than investing 2-3 years working first, and pursuing the same job later.

But looking at this from an assessing-the-worth-of-an-MBA perspective, if you have worked in an organization before your MBA, you are already aware of different lines of businesses, organization structures, company cultures, industry scenarios, etc. So, any knowledge that you gain during your MBA would benefit you much more, since you already know the applications of the same !
(An analogy to this would be this : Assume you are asked to develop a program as a part of an assignment. If you are already aware of the output, it would be much more easier for you to develop the program, against the scenario when you are only faintly aware of what it should look like.)

So, my answer to this category of aspirants, is that try and work for a couple of years, gain relevant experience, build your thoughts. And then pursue your MBA to follow on those thoughts and be a more solid professional candidate than anyone else !

Situation 3
An MBA would help me understand all aspects of a business - What goes into building one, and what goes into sustaining one. I'll get to know how companies work, how resources are managed, and how to make a mark in your respective industry. My aspiration is to build a company, that manages professionals, and contributes to the Indian economy !

This is very clearly the situation that I fall in :) Please note the choice of words in Situations 2 and 3. A lot of phrases are similar in both situations, yet very very different ! Situation 2 talks about responsibilities, persons, and a single company. Situation 3 talks about business, companies, and economies. A much-higher level imagery is presented in Situation 3, because we are talking about managing companies here, and not working for one !

Ideally, and very clearly, for these kind of profiles, a 2-3 years work-ex is suited before you do an MBA. You dream of something during very early years (as early as high school / college). You try and reinstate those thoughts, refine them during the time you work. And then build on these thoughts, and carve your dream while in an MBA. Believe me, this is much easier said than done, but the beauty of the thought is worth it !!

So, those were the three situations - very different, and very relevant. Not all people would fall under one of these, but I'm sure most of you would find similarities to some aspects of these 3 personalities.

Again, the thoughts / ideas presented here, are absolutely personal, and very much my own - Not influenced by anything in this world ! So, you might not want to apply them at all - But a comment or two about the same, would probably help me carve my way out to my dream :)

PPTs !

2006-11-22T02:38:00.000-08:00

PPTs... Probably the most academically disoriented acronym that I have ever come across ! Has loads of interpretations, some factual, others innovative :) So, I thought it's high time we put our creative minds to work, and get rolling in the world of PPTs...

Power Point Template
Probably the most often used, and a corporate jargon now. PPTs today, define the life of any management student, whether in India, or abroad :) With tons of presentations at their disposal, PPTs are now a way of life. Infact, this term has become so common now, that it's used in place of presentations. People have almost forgotten alternative modes of presentations. Talk about the effect of Microsoft taking over the world at large !!

Precipitate
I don't know how many people have used this one earlier, but our Chemistry teacher used to use "PPTs" in place of precipitates :) For the uninitiated, precipitation is the formation of a solid in a solution during a chemical reaction (those tiny little particles that remain at the bottom of a test tube). So, PPTs in this sense for a part of my wonderful school memories :)
For more info on precipitates : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Precipitate

Parts Per Trillion
A lot of us use PPT as a measure... Something that is standardized, something that the is used the world over. A lot of you would have encountered the term "ppm" (parts per million). PPT, in this sense, is a measure for more granular things.

Pre Placement Talk
Wow ! Being a B-School student myself, I know what this means... Factually, and psycologically :) To introduce the term, a PPT essentially means that a company is interested in hiring the institutes' students after they pass out, and hence a representative of the company wants to spend sometime with the students, to brief them about the company, what it does, what are they offering in terms of salaries and profiles, and to clarify any other doubts that the students would have. Sounds good ?!? Imagine this then... You are just back from a stupid class, and plan to have a nice afternoon siesta back in your room (Replace this with a movie for some). Just then you get an alert that you gotta rush for a PPT ! XYZ Technologies is on campus, and attendance is compulsory :( There you are... What about that movie that you have been craving to watch ? What about the ever-so-essential-but-never-happens afternoon siesta ?!

But... not all PPTs are the same. For instance, a lot of people crave to go to the Cadbury PPT. Why ?? Because they distribute Cadbury chocolate bars to all the attendees :D Isn't that cool ?? I was one of the lucky ones to sneak in there, and I got a Dairy Milk, a Dairy Milk (Fruit n Nut), a Bournville and a Crackle :)
So, these PPTs are a B-Schooler's introduction to corporate life - Can get boring on most occasions :(

Enough of factual gyaan now... Let's get CREEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE8i\/e

Please Papa, Ticket !
Imagine yourself in the shoes of a li'l child... Your parents decide to take you to a fun-fair, where there is loads of entertainment. You suddenly spot a merry-go-round, and this PPT is the first expression that you speak out !!

Packaging, Presentation and Technique
Those folks who are obsessed with Marketing, would relate to this. Probably the three most important things when it comes to marketing products - Packaging, Presentation (of the idea and the product), and the Technique (Marketing Strategy, Operational concerns, etc.)

Pizza, Pasta and Tobasco
Wow ! I love food, and Italian at that is my favourite !!! A thin crust Pizza, A white-sauce Pasta with a touch of tobasco, and a glass of wine - A Classical dinner for two at your service :) Doesn't that sound yummmmmmmmmmmmmmm ?!?!

Pappu Pager ka Timepass
Pappu Pager (The character played by Satish Kaushik) is one of my all time favourites :) Wow... He was GOOD ! He and Govinda, in those days, formed an unbeatable combo, which rocked the nation with loads of comedy movies :)

Hey, I think I've got my brains working enough to save me from Alzheimer's :) How about you guys suggesting me a few more twists around PPTs ?!?!?

Cricket Mania !

2006-09-11T06:56:00.000-07:00

The recently concluded England-Pakistan series saw some great cricket bring played by both teams, but was driven by its own share of controversies. First, Umpire Darell Hair accusing Pakistan of ball tampering, with Pakistan forfeiting that match, and later Shoaib being accused of scratching the ball (which was later reverted back).

Cricket does not end here however ! Starting tomorrow (Sep 12, 2006) we have the DLF Cup, featuring India, Australia, and the West Indies. This tri-series promises for some great entertainment (assuming that the big black rain clouds can hold themselves in Malaysia) ! India will be looking to redeem their recent one-day series loss against the Windies, while Australia would be looking for some serious practice before the much-awaited World Cup ! One of the foremost things to look out for, in this series, would be the comeback of master-blaster Sachin Tendulkar ! Every Indian is hoping that he would be back to his natural best – Let’s hope that happens !!!

For the English and Australian fans, we also have the Ashes following soon… One of the most awaited series of all times, the Australians would be looking to regain the Ashes – After their horrific defeat last time around… Coach John Buchanan, who plans to retire after the World Cup this year, has this as one of the items in his wish-list. He has been termed as the best Australian Coach ever, by the current captain, Ricky Ponting, and he would be looking to end his coaching career with a World Cup victory.

India will host the second-biggest cricket tournament – The Champion’s Trophy ! This would take place in the months of October - November this year, in Ahmedabad, Mumbai, Jaipur and Mohali. This would be a pre-cursor to the world cup, and would give a taste of preparations that teams are going through for the grand finale in March next year. And this is going to be a treat for the cricket fanatics !

So, plan your days, and get set to witness some of the best cricketing nations battle it out in the months to follow this year - Cricket at it’s best !

Post-Graduation : Passport to Employment ?

2006-09-08T03:51:00.000-07:00

Every Wednesday, when I start to read my daily dose of English news, I do not forget to lay my hands on Times Ascent – The jobs-related supplement with the Times of India. Naaaaaaaah… I’m not looking for a new job, but a quick overview of this supplement gives you a preview about what’s in and what’s not in the employment-friendly city of Pune (India).

When you talk to youngsters, who are on the verge of completing their Bachelor’s, there’s one question on their minds – “Will I get placed ? Will I get a decent job ?”. There’s a sense of insecurity that rushes through in their thoughts. Why’s this so ? Does this mean that they are not capable of meeting organization’s needs ? Does this mean they have not received ‘quality’ education ? Or does this simply mean that they are not ‘branded’ as yet ?

Well, more than anything else, I believe, that more often than not, in today’s scenario, it is the brand that defines what you get ! For instance, a graduate from an IIT may never face a problem. I completely agree that an IIT grad has experienced quality education, has toiled hard to get into the IIT in the first place, and has slogged his nights out to get that oh-so-coveted B.Tech. degree from the IITs. Hence, he is the best candidate when it comes to getting started in his career.

But, this does not imply that graduates from lower-rung institutes are not capable enough to receive similar offers ! It’s just that the percentage students from a batch graduating out of a good institute, and who are deserving (be it an IIT or an REC or something similar), is much larger than that compared to a much lower rung institute.

Let’s take an example here. I graduated from a school known as K.S. School of Business Management. This institute offers B.Sc. and M.Sc. in Computer Science. There is an option of quitting right after your B.Sc. I was a part of the 1998-2003 batch. But, I had the opportunity to interact with a lot more batches (1999-2004, 2000-2005, 2002-2007). And every interaction led me to think just one thing : Aren’t we capable enough to perform in the industry ? Are we as poor as the placements suggest ? Or is it just that we are not trying enough to get recognition in the world today ?

In every batch, out of a large number of students, there were definitely a few, who were exceptional. These students could perform as well as any other student in the country ! This is because, they did not only rely on what the institute provided them with. They did a lot of research and a lot of practice, apart from what was just required at the institute. And this helped grooming them into professionals – ones that could take on the world ! But, as any other individual, when they tried approaching companies, the only answer they heard of, was “Rejected”. This takes me back to the question – Do we need a branded education to enter the big brands in the industry today ?

Branded education today, comes in two formats : One, a graduation from a branded institution, or two, a post-graduation (from a decently branded institution). A post-graduation puts you into the higher league – One that is much above than a graduate from a not-so-good institution. And the companies today, want brand ! They just want to increase their intellectual capital, and hence, your education’s weight on paper is much more than your intellect.

But is this correct ? Does that mean, if I am not a graduate from a good brand, I compulsorily need to go in for a post-graduation, simply because the companies today want it ? Well, take an MBA for instance. Most B-Schools in the country today, are mere placement agencies. They will claim 100% placements, and provide education, which is much below expectations. But people go for it – Why ? Just because they want to get a good job – Something that can pay them well, and something that companies will approach them for.

The mere purpose of an MBA (for instance) is by-gone now. This is apparent from the fact that every year, the number of students appearing for CAT increases exponentially. And I can vouch for the fact that most of these students are simply planning on an MBA because it’s ‘in’ ! But of course, these students are not to be blamed for this. The primary culprits are the companies in the first place (who do not give enough opportunities to deserving candidates), and the b-school administration, who have cashed in on this, and made this into a profit-making organization (rather than an institution) !

Having done a post-graduation, and an MBA myself, I can definitely say that big companies in India today, can gain a lot more, if they start looking at lower-rung institutes as well. There’s ample potential in these institutes, who are much deserving, and if they perform to their potential, they can take India to an entirely different level than what we are today !

The Lexus Experience

2006-07-24T08:48:00.000-07:00

If somebody would ask me the top 5 brands of cars that I would like to ride in, Lexus would be right up there ! Lexus was always a dream, and destiny made sure that this dream comes true :)

I receive a mail from Lee Barnett (our Engagement Manager in the US) inviting me to a drinks-and-dinner party that evening. He was visiting the UK on a vacation, and just wanted to get in touch with the Directors here, and a few of us, who were working on projects related to his department. I confirmed with him that I would be there for sure !

The time was 6 pm… We would be going to a modern bar in Brighton, called Ha Ha’s for a drink or two… Followed by a dinner at Donatello’s (A classic Italian restaurant – One of the very good ones in Brighton). I had a few meetings that afternoon, but got late in the last one… It was already 5.15, when I was getting ready to leave, but realized that if I take the train back, it would be pretty late, and I would not be able to make it by 6. And since this was my first ‘corporate party’, I would have liked to be on time :) I quickly checked out the list of invitees on the invitation I received from Lee that morning. Phil Higson was one of them. I went over to Phil, and asked if I could hop on with him for the party. He had no problems at all, and we headed straight for the parking lot.

In the partking lot, there were only 3 cars parked… One was a small Volkswagen. The other was a longish car (Couldn’t see the brand). There was another sports utility vehicle parked at the far end. I only wished this was Phil’s !! And the next moment, he walks straight upto that one – And says, “Hop in !”. And guess what it was !?? A Lexus !!! It was a Lexus SUV – Which I was getting a chance to ride in :) As I got in, I was just amazed at the interiors, the navigator (which helps you track the roads you are on), the sun roof, the dashboard ! We were conversing about something… But I don’t even remember what it was about J The only thing I was thinking is, “Am I really sitting in a Lexus ? Good that I worked longer… Otherwise I would have been on the usual train :)”.

So, that was a dream come true… A Lexus SUV to ride in… Thanks Phil, for that beautiful ride :)

Ultimate Knighthood - My first day here !

2006-07-20T08:41:00.000-07:00

UK (or United Kingdom, as most would put it) for me is a country of Ultimate Knighthood. The day I landed here, I felt a sense of professionalism in the air... Everybody 'appears' so courteous, that you fall for it ! UK is definitely a country of gentlemen - Very good when it comes to grandeur and formalities...

I had a lovely flight (courtesy Jet Airways) - a direct one from the Sahar International Airport, Mumbai to the Heathrow, London. I had heard that Heathrow was the busiest airport in the world, but when I landed here at 6.45 in the morning, I got a taste of it, when I had to queue up for close to 50 mins for my immigration check ! That's because 5-6 flights had landed together (within a span of 15 mins). But the airport is so well organized, that you just don't realize it. Most officials on the airport are Indians, so it felt like home the moment i landed here :) Baggage checking was very smooth, and I passed through it like a breeze !

I knew I had a taxi booked for me, so I thought it's time to encash my first Traveller's Cheque at the American Express counter there (coz i needed to pay the taxi guy as well). As I go to the counter, what do I see ??!! Two officials at the counter, and both Indians :) The one that i encountered here was pretty rude though, and not a smile on her face ! I said, "What the heck... She might just have had a bad day !" and moved on :)

On my way out, I came across a few duty free shops at the airport... So, was just looking around a bit, when I heard an announcement.... "Mr. Samit Tibrewala - You are requested to report to the Information Desk immediately". My heart was in my mouth as I heard this... Maine socha ki, "Abhi to aaya hoon... Abhi se hi loche ?? Would it be regarding immigration problems ? Would it be regarding customs issues ??". I then, forgot about the duty free shops, and headed straight for the information desk. And there I see the taxi driver waiting for me, with a placard with him :) I was like.... "Sorry, I'm a bit late... Immigration took longer than expected" and thanked my fortunes ;)

By the time I walked upto the taxi, I saw quite a few cars on the way... My first three being - Ford Mondeo, Mitsubishi Charisma and a BMW. I was flattered and zapped right there :) When I reached my taxi, I was re-zapped ;) It was a Skoda Octavia (One of the very low-end cars here) !!! So, loaded my luggage, and there I was - Off to Brighton - My destination !

The drive from London to Brighton was just breath-taking ! It took me around an hour-an-a-half to reach my hotel in Brighton, where I decided to take some rest, and just cool off ! I had known that Brighton is by the sea, and has a beautiful beach to it's name... I was glad to know that my hotel was a couple of mins away from the same beach :D

The first day was pretty chilled out, with me exploring the seafront a bit, and then crashing off very early (at 5 in the evening) to wake up the next day !!! (The advantage of reaching the place early - The jetlag's already dealt with !). That brings me to my first day @ office... Something that I had looked forward to, since a long long time... Something that I'd love to comment on - But in another BloG entry :)

Bangalore - My first bite !

2006-06-03T08:13:00.000-07:00

Bangalore - They call it the 'Info City' of India, and the first few minutes into this city were enough to convince me !! With IT companies spread all across the place, it sure is a city to check out !

Just before I came to Bangalore, herds of people fed me with mixed reviews about this city - There'll be loads of traffic, the food is bad, the weather is good, the crowd is good, easy to find a good place to stay, communication is no problem.... and the sorts !

They really were MIXED reviews :) The traffic, really is BAD ! Up and down the Hosur road twice a day - And you're finished !!! The food... Well, not that bad ! Since it is a cosmopolitan city, you can find anything and everything to eat ! Have been to loads of restaurants - some of them very very good (Spiga, Gramin, Chandni Chowk), others just about okay ! Idlis and Dosas are a part of atleast one meal daily (and this is by choice, and not by compulsion) :) That's simply because i love South Indian cuisine :)

The weather is one aspect that makes you cling to this place... It rains when you expect it to, and also when you don't expect it to :) Remains pleasant for most part of the day (even during the months of May and June), and pretty cool at night !! An ideal weather pattern that you would love to experience :)

The crowd... It's a mix of all kinds of people actually ! The crowd on campus is definitely not worth it ! But when you tend to go to malls and other good restaurants / pubs / lounges, the crowds are really good ! So, selective viewing is the name of the game here ;)

About finding a place to stay... The situation is not as good as it seems to be ! There are ample resources here to help you look for a house, but when you actually go and look for those houses, most of them are useless ! Nothing that fits your list of choices !!! So, finding a house - a GOOD house, is a problem here !

Communication..... Woa !!! I was told that most people here speak english, and hence that's they way you communicate with them :) That actually is true to an extent, but you are in for surprises every now and then :) Had amazing experiences during our stay in the hotel here :))

Bangalore, overall, is a great city to spend time ! But a couple of things that I would like to improve about this place...
(1) The traffic flow.
(2) Extend the closure timings of pubs and lounges to 2 am instead of the current 11 pm !!!

Ad(d) On !

2006-04-17T04:11:00.000-07:00

While we watch our favourite serials / soaps / sport / news on TV, we tend to switch channels during breaks... when they show commercials. But, have we ever wondered what goes into making those commercials ? Why are they made ? Why do companies spend millions of rupees to get them to the audiences ???

Let's take a sneak peak into the world of advertising ! Advertising, today, is a very effective medium to woo public. Historical trends have shown that companies see accelerated sales growth with advertisements that have been effective. But, as a film-maker, how do I know whether my ad will be effective or not ? That depends on only one thing : Understanding your audiences ! If a film-maker has understood his target audience, 99% of the times, he will make a successful advertisement ! And believe me... this is not so easy !

Creating advertisements requires consistency. Consistency in the representation of ideas, consistency in presentation, and consistency in the product itself ! The idea may be very very good, but if not well presented, it will never get what it deserves ! Similarly, good presentation also has to be accompanied with new and innovative ideas ! And that is the essence of advertising.

Now let's talk about 3 of my favourite ads (which i have seen on TV in the past one week)...
I'll rate them on the following parameters : innovation, audience reach, presentation, concept, simplicity and relevance.

And they are (in no particular order of preference) :

Hutch
Hutch has always impressed me with their advertising campaigns. The magical way in which it has communicated the change from Orange to Pink has been worth witnessing ! Hutch has always maintained the theme of its logo (which is its hallmark !), in every form of communication - Whether its just advertisements, or their corporate office, bills, employee uniforms, just about everything ! Hat's off Hutch ! Great advertising !

SBI Credit Cards
Just saw an advertisements about SBI Credit Cards on TV... It depicted a scene wherein a hotel owner promises his clients "central heating", "running hot water", etc. But when he goes to his room, the owner and his helper raise a "heater" towards the ceiling, marking that as a "central heating system", the helper is running with a bucket of hot water, marking that as a "running hot water" advantage :) The ad then says that "Don't believe in whatever you hear". And that's SBI Credit Cards for you :)

Airtel
This one is probably my clear favourite ! Airtel always tried to bond emotionally with its audiences. Most of it's advertisements are in black n white, which add to the emotional feeling. The last ad which I saw depicts the strength of human emotions. Where 2 words ("Quit India") can throw away the British empire, two (the victory symbol) can stop a war, a billion candles can bring peace, a finger can break a billion hearts (Sachin getting out), Prayer can intill hope.... Every scene depicting the strength of emotions ! And hence the tagline... "Express yourself !". That's Airtel for you guys... Majestic, Dynamic, simply classic !

Films français !

2006-04-14T17:08:00.000-07:00

Who says that French films are meant for French audiences ??? A small, little tweak and voila ! Ready for Indian audiences :) Well, that's exactly what happened at Fun Republic (a mutliplex), Ahmedabad a few days back...

There was a French Film Festival held there from March 31 - April 6, 2006. It was organized by Alliance Francaise, a body which promotes the French language throughout India. It was indeed very well organized, with audiences increasing in number as the days went on ! On the last day, there was not even a single empty seat in the audi.

Seven films were scheduled for the 8'o clock show every evening (one film on each day). All of these were essentially animation films with English sub-titles (so that poor souls like me could understand what was going on on-screen) !! And I can tell you.. these movies were very, very good pieces of animation !

Following are the names of the movies screened... (one of them has slipped out of my mind) !

Le roi et l'oiseau de raillerie
The King and the mocking bird

Kirikou et la sorcière
Kirikou and the sorceress

Le chien, le général et les oiseaux
The Dog, the General and the birds

Pleuvoir des chats et des grenouilles
Raining Cats and Frogs

Les triplettes de Belleville
The triplets of Belleville

L'île de MOR noir
The Island of Black Mor

Even though I don't understand much(!) of French, these movies were much better than a Rs. 100-crore hindi movie :) And the animations were excellent - I can say that because I come from a designing background...

I ended up watching 5 of these movies... One with my family, one with friends, a couple with my sis, and one ALONE ! (Yes, I enjoyed the movie alone too) :) One thing different about these movies was that almost all of them had a mix of humans and animals as characters (or protagonists) - All of them animated of course. They tried to portray how can man and nature gel with each other, and make this world a much better place to live in.

All the movies were were innocent in the treatment of stories / plots, and in the way the characters were portrayed. They were very well paced, and kept the audience glued at all times... There was no point in the movie when the audience would have felt confused or even away from the core story... And the most important thing was that every movie had a social message conveyed at the end... Which is lacking in movies today !

All in all, a brilliant experience... Atleast these movies left a message for me... "Learn French. It'll help !" :)

I Salute You !

2006-04-14T01:38:00.001-07:00

How many of us have heard about the recent Meerut blasts ??? Maybe quite a few... And how many of us have heard about two individuals named Javed and Puja ??? Maybe not a lot of us !

Javed, who does not belong to Meerut, was there to meet a friend. His friend had a stall in the mela, the same mela which was glutted down by the fire... And Javed was there with his friend at the stall. With only 2 exit gates @ the mela (against the minimum prescribed norm of 4), Javed managed to get out and escape the fire. But, when the 18 year old turned back to look, he could not believe his eyes. He turns back, and sees women and children trying to evade the fire, trying to search for the exit gates, trying to escape the clutches of death ! And he could not hold himself. Not once did he worry about his own life, but rushed back in to save those children, who were helplessly fighting the fires. He managed to save the lives of atleast 10 people single-handedly ! His own life was the last thing on his mind. He suffered multiple injuries (very severe ones), and was admitted to the Safdarjung hospital, New Delhi. And just yesterday, he was declared dead ! Partly because of his injuries, but partly because of the negligence of the doctors ! What would you call this ? A very clear case of a very very courageous act - which we would rarely get to see in today's world ! Javed - I take this moment to salute you, and extend my support to your family, who should be proud to have a son like you, someone who has made his country proud, someone who has shown that humanity is not dead, someone who has given a lot of people a reason to live. Thank you, Javed !

Puja, a resident of Meerut, is another great individual who deserves accolades. During the escapade, she was never inside the mela ! But when she came to know about the fire breakout, she was just outside the premises. In some time, she got to know that there were not enough exits, and that people were searching for paths to break out of the fire ! So, not caring about her own safety, she went ahead and tore the sheet covering a part of the pandal. This ensured that another make-shift exit gate was created for several people ! And that saved a lot of lives. But due to the intensity of the fire, she has suffered multiple injuries, and is recovering in a hospital in Meerut. I would like to wish her on her heroic deed, and pray that she get well very soon. Thank you, Puja. That was indeed very brave !

Life is a mix of twists and turns, as they say. You never know what is gonna come next. But, it is because of people like these, that life seems so beautiful. Thank you guys, for reinstating the fact that life is much more than just living for yourself ! India stands to salute you today !

Is a B-School all about placements ?

2006-04-12T04:38:00.000-07:00

B-Schools (or Business Schools) seem to be the latest buzzword these days ! You'll see people rushing off to do their so called "MBAs" after any Bachelor's degree you can imagine - B.A., B.Com., B.Sc., B.E., B.Tech., B.Pharm., B.B.A., M.B.B.S. ! But this, essentially, is the beauty of a Business Degree (or an M.B.A.).

Most of the top institutions in India, who offer an M.B.A. degree, try to have a mix of people from all backgrounds. These students come from all over the country, from diverse cultures, some with work experience and others, without. So, if a student like me chooses to do an M.B.A., he's not only doing it for an academic advantage, but also because he will get to interact with the best of the lot, with people from various backgrounds, cultures, and geographies... And will try to gain a lot out of it.

The prime aim of an MBA however, seems to be changing these days. A large percentage of students pursue an MBA because they want decent placements ! Whether he is a fresher, who needs a good job to start off his career with, or whether he is a candidate with prior work experience, who wants to get a much higher raise in life in terms of his salary !

I don't blame people for looking for good placements at the end of the day. I mean, you've earned that all-so-important seat in your school... So, of course you deserve an equally decent placement. But does that mean you will spend 2 years of your crucial time behind it ? Does that mean you will slog your ass out because you want to get into that particular company at the end of two years ? Does that mean that you have only come to do an MBA because THAT particular company comes to your campus ??? Naah !

I did my MBA from MDI, Gurgaon... And can easily say that more than 80% of my colleagues had come there ONLY for placements (This includes freshers and work-ex guys) ! That was one thing that disappointed me big time ! During placements (and even a long long time before that), you would see people sitting in the library, and reading... Reading what ??? Reading stuff that companies would look at during interviews... Reading stuff that companies would question them on... Reading stuff that they didn't want to know... but what the company wanted them to know !

Is that what I did my MBA for ??? Was that my sole purpose of earning a Business Degree from a prestigious institution ??? Was I there for placements along ? I don't think so... I was there to meet people... I was there to be a part of the generation that would lead India in the coming years... I was there to make friends... I was there to develop contacts... I was there to interact with like-minded individuals who would think beyond the obvious... But did I get that ??? No.... Definitely NO ! All I got was a large bunch of individuals, who could only think one way. The most famous question on campus was "Does this company come for placements ?" ! Oh ! Gimme a break !

I am not trying to say that people should not take part in the placement process, or they should not be looking for a job after an MBA... I am not trying to say that one should get into entrepreneurship and leave apart placements just because you have the fire in you... What I am trying to convey is that while you are young and enthusiastic, while you are in an "unlearn and learn" phase in your life, while you get a chance to interact with people (who are probably one of the best lots you can ever hope to get at one place), make the most of it ! Don't be too narrow minded to only aim for placements from Day One... There's a lot more to life than just that ! There's a lot more to enjoy in life, than just crave for placements alone !

Recently, when a couple of IIM-A grads (from the 2004-06 batch) decided to opt out of the placement process, and chose to start their own ventures, a few qualified MBAs commented that if they anyways wanted to get into entrepreneurship, why the hell did they waste 2 precious seats @ the IIMs ? My only answer to that is : They did not go there to get placed. They went there to learn. To interact with people. And to create a vision for the future. And I think they have done that beautifully well... Hats off to them !

I hope that the situation improves in the years to follow... I hope that students who decide to do their MBA look beyond what an MBA degree can offer... There's much more to an MBA than just placements guys ! I hope that when i meet some fresh MBA graduate after 10 years, and when I ask him, "Why did you do your MBA ? And what have you gained out of it ?", I hope I get a different answer than what I get from most people now !

Convocation Pictures !

2006-04-11T04:20:00.001-07:00

Getting nostalgic as I write this one...

The convocation for the batch of 2004-06 (Yes... That's my batch !) took place on the morning of 4th March, 2006. Was undoubtedly the most beautiful day in my life... When i put on the black robe, with a yellow scarf around the neck, and the ever-so-special graduation hat !

Have tried to capture the moments of the event on my personal website... I invite all of you to witness the occasion !

The link : http://samit.info

For all those who do visit this one, please remember to sign in the guestbook... Would be great to get back in touch with you :)

Hail MDI !

A fresh start...

2006-04-11T04:04:00.000-07:00

Started blogging in early 2005... But somehow, could not continue the trend due to involvement in a lot of other activities !

Now that I sit at home, and ponder about what to do next... There's just one thought that comes to my mind ! BloGgiNg :) I promise to be a much more active blogger this time around - I feel it's a brilliant way to put your thoughts across the world... What you think... What you feel... What you experience !

So, here I am, with a fresh start ! Post no. 1, with lots n lots to follow :)

Cheerios !