Of discretion and valour!

IIPM fights meltdown, places 2300 students By Education Mail Bureau

Even we blinked... but then, figures don’t lie! TV ad volumes of telecom equipment declined 58% during Jan-March 09’ as compared to 2008. Telecom services did better, but even they saw a 7% decline in TV ad volumes. Telecom is one of the few categories still shining in the otherwise slowdown infected economy and so the figures did surprise. But come April (and IPL season), the surprise was wiped off our faces. The seeming lull was in fact, all about the storm ahead - and some fiscal prudence by marketers no doubt! Since April, television has been flooded by telecom marketers. The spots come in all shapes and sizes. If Vodafone’s zoozoos (with 10 spots, no less) have set the small screen afire with their antics; Aircel & Dhoni are busy peddling their ‘Pocket Internet’. Virgin Mobile is incorrigible with its ‘hatke’ messages and Reliance GSM is living it up with Hritik baba. Nokia and Samsung are also on a roll. Next quarter’s analysis is a foregone conclusion: Telecom & TV wrapped in a bear hug?

For more articles, Click on IIPM Article.

Source : IIPM Editorial, 2009

An Initiative of IIPM, Malay Chaudhuri and Arindam chaudhuri (Renowned Management Guru and Economist).

For More IIPM Info, Visit below mentioned IIPM articles.
Delhi/ NCR B- Schools get better By Swati Sharma
Event at IIPM
The Most Revolutionary Concept In Education PLANMAN CHE CENTRE FOR HIGHER EDUCATION, Supported by IIPM India’s Leading B-School
Detail of all IIPM branches
IIPM set to beat economic slowdown
IIPM - Admission Procedure
IIPM, GURGAON

Enter : BRAND RAHUL!

[Is Rahul Gandhi India’s hottest brand, post elections? Monojit Lahiri attempts a checkout]

In the beginning came the outpouring … (The heir to the throne. Politics’ new Prince Charming. The Dimpled darling.) Then came the (tsunami?) gush from the fairer sex … (Mr. Most Eligible; Classy. Cultured. Intelligent; Stable, good looking, sincere; A Guy you can confidently take home to mom; Hot n’charming; Cool, new-age and savvy; Humble, understated) Suddenly Rahul Gandhi is the new Rock-star, youth-icon that Youngistan is rooting for! What makes Brand Rahul sizzle? More importantly, is he really a brand?

The irrepressible Alyque Padamsee fires the first salvo … and does so with typical flourish. “Rahul Gandhi is most certainly a brand! He represents youth, dynamism and new-age thinking, as is manifest in the way he leverages technology to connect with the masses. I don’t know why people are so cynical or against branding human beings … We live in a market-driven age and each one of us, in our own way, is a brand. JWT’s Creative Director Sonia Bhatnagar, (who worked closely on the Congress campaign), shares the veteran’s enthusiastic belief and reckons that the dimpled darling’s charisma, transparency, sincerity, down-to-earth demeanour and relentless focus on galvanising youth to help the disfranchised, needy and backward rural community in Uttar Pradesh swung it in his favour. “Add to that his cool, good looks and confidence, along with his inspirational leadership qualities – and you got a hip, hot n’ happening brand on the block!”

Hive’s Sushil Pandit – a veteran in engaging with political advertising – presents a perspective reflecting gravitas and sober logic. “First things first. Rahul is really more of a sub-brand. The mother brand is the Nehru-Gandhi name, but having said that, I think this euphoria has to do with the fact that this quiet, low-profile young man has actually been able to turnaround a floundering party and scored in the most critical arena of all – Uttar Pradesh!” Pandit believes that this is a classic case of attributing to the brand, qualities it does NOT stand for! “For example he is most certainly not a visionary yet. Young, innocent, charming, fresh … certainly. However, does he have the ability to see, understand, engage with and solve the vast, complex problems that plague this huge, diverse country of ours? Remains to be seen.” Unlike Padamsee and Bhatnagar, Pandit is uncomfortable about branding politicians … “For me branding inanimate objects make sense but human beings change, evolve … I think it has to do with marketing gimmickry in a world that is fast becoming a market place …” Future Brands’ Santosh Desai wraps up the debate, in style. “The phenomenon is fascinating because just a few months ago he was seen as politically naïve, belonging to an elite family and totally disconnected, from grassroot Indian reality. Suddenly, he is not only the STAR politician but also Mr. Eligible, the man who saw tomorrow, youth icon, an agent of change … the works!” Desai believes that this overpowering, multi-dimensional projection has something to do with youthfulness, being a surrogate for telegenic and the compulsive need to consume Rahul Gandhi in a particular way. “It is amazing that his astonishing victory in Uttar Pradesh seems to have been hi-jacked in the public eye by just two simple characteristics: youth and success. Everything else is a spin-off from these two traits.” Desai believes that it is unfortunate that things worth celebrating – placing the long-term above the short-term and endeavouring to institutionalise some processes – (both, more old-fashioned than youth-driven moves) are being perceived as new-age initiatives! Regarding BRAND RAHUL, Desai believes that a brand is about identifying and resonating with an ideological core, with a set of predictable actions. “For me, so far Rahul Gandhi is nowhere near a brand because there is no clear sense of what he is all about. He is emerging. What he really stands for and represents – Brand values – may come soon. Unfortunately the word is bandied about by one n’ all and has become cool n’ fashionable to flaunt and coming to mean anything or anyone that is popular.” So from Brand Obama and SRK to Brand Kamasutra and Amul Macho to Brand Pepsi, Coke, Sprite, Thums-up and Mountain Dew to Brand Mumbai, Delhi, Gujarat and India … and now Brand Manmohan and Rahul, anything goes!

Monojit Lahir

For more articles, Click on IIPM Article.

Source : IIPM Editorial, 2009

An Initiative of IIPM, Malay Chaudhuri and Arindam chaudhuri (Renowned Management Guru and Economist).

For More IIPM Info, Visit below mentioned IIPM articles.
The Most Revolutionary Concept In Education PLANMAN CHE CENTRE FOR HIGHER EDUCATION, Supported by IIPM India’s Leading B-School
Detail of all IIPM branches
IIPM set to beat economic slowdown
IIPM Admission Detail
IIPM - Admission Procedure
IIPM, GURGAON

SANJIB DEY, AGENCY HEAD, SAATCHI & SAATCHI

IIPM Best B-school

1. The Times of India’s mast head commercial, where the Rs.100 note kept changing hands
2. Femina’s Gen W ad, where the daughter got her mother re-married
3. 8 PM Border commercial
4. Airtel’s ‘Barrier’s break when people talk’ commercial
5. Feviquick’s fisherman commercial

An Initiative of IIPM, Malay Chaudhuri and Arindam chaudhuri (Renowned Management Guru and Economist).

For More IIPM Info, Visit below mentioned IIPM articles.
IIPM
Professor Arindam Chaudhuri’s Profile
Four Phase of IIPM Global Plans
30 professors of international repute to IIPM
IIPM Global B-school
IIPM Alumni Officially on Facebook
IIPM Respected Business School

No pain with these campaigns

IIPM - Admission Procedure

The 4Ps B&M list of India’s 100 Most Effective Campaigns in the last decade is largely subjective, compiled after speaking to a cross section of CEOs, agency and marketing heads, brand gurus and media planners. But to get an idea of the ‘effectiveness quotient’ of the creative guys out there, we conducted a separate qualitative survey among top agencies in India to capture their impressions of campaigns in the last decade. Enjoy...

“Half the money I spend on advertising is wasted; the trouble is I don’t know which half…” said US merchant Jon Wanamaker, pioneer of the now ubiquitous department store concept. Ever since he spoke those golden words, millions of advertising minds across the world have been trying to work out ‘which half’ of their advertising budget works for them! Or better still, how to increase that half to a distinctly better figure; or gaining more bang for the buck.

With time, there are some who claim to have cracked the mystery (well, almost!) and there are still others who continue to expect ‘different results’ even as they do the same thing over and over again. The questions are numerous. How do we spend our budget wisely? How to achieve effective audience responses? Have we captured the customer demographic properly? Has my special offer reached the target audience? Which media vehicle has to be used at what time? And the answers are getting more and more complicated with the cloud of media clutter & consumer apathy hovering menacingly over their heads.

In the midst of this backdrop, 4Ps B&M teamed up with Indian Council of Market Research (ICMR) to conduct a survey among 50 advertising agencies in the country. The survey was conducted in Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Bengaluru and Chennai. Most of the ad agency branches were also covered under the purview of the study. The creative directors, executive creative heads and others were contacted for one-on-one interviews. Conducted using a structured questionnaire design, the interviews prompted our creative respondents to list their top 5 all time favorite ad campaigns of all time, with regard to the impact they made on the audience, whether it be in terms of increased sales, improved brand equity or in terms of how they generated a buzz in the market that lasted for years after the campaign itself faded away into history.

And the ad campaigns that have emerged victorious are indeed epitomes of creativity. But besides that, the thread that’s common to most of them is the use of a strong emotional plank to send the message across. This is true for the 11 campaigns, those of Vodafone, The Times of India, Idea Cellular, Bharti Airtel, Cadbury, Bajaj, Liril, Tata Tea, Kerala Tourism, Incredible India & Pepsi. The exceptions are Happydent, Fevikwick, Tata Sky and Fevicol. The other stark conclusion from the list can be drawn from the fact that a pathetic 5 campaigns out of the 15 have had the luxury of celebrities in the campaigns, out of which Aamir Khan features in 2 (and none of our cricket stars)! Only goes to show that you can go with or without a celebrity, but you can ill afford to substitute true creativity!

An Initiative of IIPM, Malay Chaudhuri and Arindam chaudhuri (Renowned Management Guru and Economist).

For More IIPM Info, Visit below mentioned IIPM articles.
2300 IIPM students get jobs
Detail of all IIPM branches
IIPM set to beat economic slowdown
IIPM Admission Detail
IIPM, GURGAON

PREITY ZINTA - KINGS XI PUNJAB, EST. LOSS: RS.23.5 CRORE

2300 IIPM students get jobs

After hearing the news of IPL going abroad (South Africa), the businessmen in Chandigarh are sad, especially the ones engaged in the hospitality sector. Gautam, the manager of The Residency says, “We will have a 30% loss in occupancy compared to last year because of IPL not happening in India.” Cricket fans from all over Punjab come to Mohali to cheer for their home team and stay in hotels, in and around Chandigarh.

Not just that, big-ticket sports events like IPL always push up sales volumes across various product categories. Take television for instance: Not only there is an increased demand from the home user segment but restaurants, fast food joints and shopping malls emerge as the biggest buyers of television sets in order to enhance footfalls. “We saw a growth of over 20% in April over the same month last year. IPL was the main trigger in top 35-40 cities, for the sale of colour television sets (CTVs),” says Amitabh Tiwari, Business Group and Marketing Head, Home Entertainment & B2B, LG Electronics India. Ramesh, an executive employed with an agency of Samsung in Sector 22, Mohali agrees. “During IPL matches at Mohali, we had registered an increase of 5% in the sale of televisions and LCDs. In view of the coming IPL matches, we had ordered for an extra stock to manage the increase in demand. But, we had to cancel all orders after hearing that the IPL will not be held in the country.” Clearly, the much hyped ‘slight change in plans’ will greatly affect these periphery businesses.

Media businesses in the country are also gearing up for a similar jolt, primarily the outdoor advertising industry. Selvel Advertising Ltd., for example, was expecting a business of about Rs.1.5-2 crore from this year’s IPL. A disappointed Noomi Mehta, Chairman and Managing Director of the organisation told this magazine, “Last time our business was about Rs.1 crore. This time we were more organised to serve better and do better business, but the League is going abroad.” Selvel had the rights for the display boards of Knight Riders. Apart from that, Selvel also served companies like Cadbury, Reliance’s IPL campaign. Mehta says that the business coming from these accounts will get adversely affected because of this new development.

Then again, there will also be a fall in government revenues through various taxes (entertainment tax, service tax, et al). Last year, the government earned a whopping Rs.90 crore from taxes deducted at source (TDS) alone. A senior official in Delhi & District Cricket Association said that the Delhi government alone will suffer a loss of Rs.90 crore this year in the form of all taxes from IPL.

It was expected that this season of IPL would bring in fresh air of resurgence into the ailing economy, which is currently going through a rough patch. Moreover, the last season of IPL had witnessed so much euphoria that people across sectors were hoping for this season to clear the negative vibes in the air. But guess we can all bid adieu to hopeful dreams of an IPL windfall amidst the slowdown. After all, Mr. Modi’s ‘brainchild’ has found a South African momma!

With so many people taking a hit, in all probability franchisee owners may not be the only ones opting not to vote. Or worse these people may go and vote for a change from the ruling alliance in hope of some respite! So this Modi sojourn from Kolkata to Cape Town may not be a good ‘Idea’ Sirjee!

For more articles, Click on IIPM Article.

Source : IIPM Editorial, 2009

An Initiative of IIPM, Malay Chaudhuri and Arindam chaudhuri (Renowned Management Guru and Economist).

For More IIPM Info, Visit below mentioned IIPM articles.
The Most Revolutionary Concept In Education PLANMAN CHE CENTRE FOR HIGHER EDUCATION, Supported by IIPM India’s Leading B-School
Detail of all IIPM branches
1500-plus IIPM students placed across the country with 44 bagging international offers
IIPM set to beat economic slowdown
IIPM Admission Detail
IIPM INTERNATIONAL - NEW DELHI, GURGAON & NOIDA
IIPM - Admission Procedure
IIPM, GURGAON

“Damn, I wish I knew that”

The Most Revolutionary Concept In Education PLANMAN CHE CENTRE FOR HIGHER EDUCATION, Supported by IIPM India’s Leading B-School

Honda has gained a decent amount of brand equity for itself in the country. But how is Honda dealing with the current slowdown? The India head speaks out...

When do you see the auto sector bouncing back from the current turmoil?
I wish I knew that. But at least in the case of India, since almost a year back when the stock values were suddenly falling down, the impact on the Indian economy was comparatively lower in comparison to that of the global downturn. To be frank the year 2008 was quite a difficult year for Honda. And in comparison the negativity of various issues has come down considerably in various markets like United States, Europe, Japan or China.

Therefore we are already seeing a silver line of hope as inflation is coming down and interest are also following the downward trend along with the consumers’ confidence gradually picking up. Of course we cannot be over optimistic but at least the Indian auto market has much lesser problems.

How has the economic downturn impacted your business?
It has impacted our business a lot. Particularly as we are focusing more on the so-called premium segment and those customers’ profiles are quite connected to the global economy. Therefore this target segment becomes cautious of spending their money in these hard times. But since November when we launched the next generation model of Honda City our sales are gradually picking up.

What are your strategies to out the current impact on your business?
We are aiming for lean operations and we have already adjusted our productions. We have capacity of two shifts, thus we can produce 385 units a day but in the current market situation we are running only one shift a day, thus producing only 200 cars a day. This one shift production strategy has been implemented since January this year and would continue for the next six months or may be more. I hate the over piling of stocks. We always want to keep the demand of our products higher than the supply.

How has catering to the Indian market helped Honda’s growth?
Honda is one of the few auto manufacturers who has been able to post a positive result in the current downturn unlike the Americans and other global auto makers. This is primarilly because of our diverse portfolio, we have other products such as motorcycles and scooters. In fact, if you take a look at the Hero Honda and HMSI’s performance we are doing pretty well in the country.

For the FY 2009 Hero Honda is likely to register a record sales of 3.6 million units whereas HMSI is likely to sell off 1 million units even in the current market situation. This is because though our car market customers are well connected to the global market but there are number of Indian customers who have not been much affected by the global slowdown.

The rupee has lost a lot in value. How much of your financials have suffered because of this?
The devaluation of the rupee has definitely impacted our business a lot. As we import around 25% of the required components from either Japan or Thailand for our Indian manufacturing units, the cost of these components have increased in the past few months due to the depreciation of the rupee and are adding to our total input costs. Which has resulted in forcing us to adjust our retail price accordingly.

Will Jazz be launched on schedule and what are other future launches?
We are very much aware of the fact that our product attracts the Indian consumer and many of the Indian customers are looking forward to the launch of our new product Jazz. So, we plan to go for the launch of Jazz as per schedule and it will hit the Indian market more or less in the month of June. We normally do not like to delay our product launches. Our trial productions are already in the process.

For more articles, Click on IIPM Article.

Source : IIPM Editorial, 2009

An Initiative of IIPM, Malay Chaudhuri and Arindam chaudhuri (Renowned Management Guru and Economist).

For More IIPM Info, Visit below mentioned IIPM articles.
Detail of all IIPM branches
IIPM set to beat economic slowdown
IIPM Admission Detail
IIPM Programme :- SUPERIOR COURSE CONTENTS
IIPM INTERNATIONAL - NEW DELHI, GURGAON & NOIDA
IIPM - Admission Procedure
IIPM, GURGAON
IIPM : EXECUTIVE EDUCATION
Why Study Abroad When IIPM Gives You 3 global Advantages!

Subhash Chandra nevertheless deserves accolades for the manner in which he has retained reasonable profitability compared to peers

IIPM set to beat economic slowdown

Moreover, a projected slowdown in advertising revenue notwithstanding, Zee’s diversified TV channel portfolio is expected to keep the broadcasting company as the preferred option for advertisers. No longer does Zee TV, the flagship channel, account for the lion’s share of ad revenues (it only accounts for about 26%); instead bouquet channels (Zee Cinema, Zee Café’ and Zee Studio) are seemingly contributing almost half the company’s ad revenues. Analysts say that even after a projected loss on ad revenues, Zee may still grow earnings by 15-20% over the medium term. Still wondering why despitethe Indian Sensex’ lean patch, the Zee stock (at Rs.92), continues to trade at about 10 times its likely FY2008-09 earnings?!

Market watchers, punters and drifters alike don’t tire comparing Subhash Chandra to global media mogul Rupert Murdoch. Chandra himself agrees: “Being a strong entrepreneur and risk taker, my beliefs have been very similar to Murdochs’ (smiles).” However, a closer look and you encounter his uncanny similarities with another media tycoon, Ted Turner. If Turner is a college dropout, Chandra drew the line at school only; both Turner and Chandra began their entrepreneurial stint by rebuilding their father’s respective businesses. In Turner’s case it was a billboard business, while the latter inherited his family’s flour mills. Turner took over the struggling ‘Channel 17’ in Atlanta in 1970 and within five years made it a nation-wide name. Likewise, Chandra gave India her first satellite channel in 1992, which is today the nation’s largest television network.

Despite the similarities, there’s one thing that differentiates Chandra from both Murdoch and Turner: the sheer breadth of his Essel empire that stretches far beyond media & entertainment. Apart from the group’s strong presence across TV, print, movies, theatres, DTH, cable to entertainment parks; its non-media businessess like packaging (Essel Propack), technology, infrastructure, online lottery, education, et al also contribute significantly to the group’s coffers. Essel Propack is a world leader in manufacturing laminate tubes, and raked in revenues totaling Rs.11.93 billion in 2007-08 (67% as much as ZEEL did during the same period). The non-listed companies of the group are estimated to be minting revenues totalling appx. Rs.40 billion annually. The online lottery business (Pan India Network Infravest that operates Playwin) is a big contributor and is estimated to pump in around Rs.30 billion per year. “It’s the drops that make the ocean. While that is as trite a cliché as one can ever get, it still embodies the first principles of growth,” says Chandra, with a grin.

For more articles, Click on IIPM Article.

Source : IIPM Editorial, 2009

An Initiative of IIPM, Malay Chaudhuri and Arindam chaudhuri (Renowned Management Guru and Economist).

For More IIPM Info, Visit below mentioned IIPM articles.
1500-plus IIPM students placed across the country with 44 bagging international offers
IIPM Admission Detail
IIPM Programme :- SUPERIOR COURSE CONTENTS
IIPM INTERNATIONAL - NEW DELHI, GURGAON & NOIDA
IIPM - Admission Procedure
IIPM, GURGAON
IIPM : EXECUTIVE EDUCATION
Why Study Abroad When IIPM Gives You 3 global Advantages!

Eat healthy

Until now, most surveys have examined how adults influence children’s eating habits, but not many have looked at how children could have some bearing on an adult’s eating pattern. So, remember that if you’ve got wee ones in the house, the chances that you will be consuming more saturated fats are high, says a new study. Your kids don’t make you eat more fat but it’s just that people with children around them have different eating habits, which need to be steered in the right direction to obtain a fit and healthy lifestyle. ....Continue

The Pakistani roulette

Exasperated with Pakistan, India continues at strands of international diplomacy to get at the perpetrators of the November 2008 Mumbai slaughter – at least for now. Because the Mumbai massacre is turning out to be just another diplomatic and political gig which is in imminent danger of being relegated to the back pages if some forward moment on the subject is not undertaken.

Some movement, has taken place, only its direction remains unclear. By expressing that an internal investigation by Pakistan of the list of terrorists given by him was good enough for India, Foreign Minister, Pranab Mukerjee, presided over the great Indian comedown. Pakistan too responded, finally agreeing after full throated denials that the movement of the Mumbai butchers could be traced to Pakistan as there were "interesting leads”.

Pakistan’s final report could come later, the Indian High Commissioner in Pakistan, Satyabarata Pal, told Pakistan's Interior Ministry Adviser Rehman Malik. This was the first top-level contact between the two countries since India had demanded the extradition of the suspects who killed over 170 people in November 2008.....Continue

Foxy Chick!

Megan Fox is one chick who not only knows her perfect body but also knows how to speak her mind. Recently, at the Golden Globe Awards in Beverly Hills, the "Transformers" star ripped apart her fiancé, actor Brian Austin Green for not accompanying her to the function. She actually announced openly, “He doesn’t wanna be here. He doesn’t want to be my date. He’s a man, he has an ego.” Maybe the hottie knows that he ain't going nowhere as she has him all wrapped around her 22 inch waist !....Continue

Painter of political angst

Mamata Banerjee, TNC MP, Kolkata

When Marxist grandmaster Jyoti Basu called her a ‘420’ (cheat, as per Indian criminal law), she shouted back at him: “840!” None would dare do that excepting the political tornado from West Bengal, Mamata Banerjee. And she dared because she knew where she came from, for despite her strange and often obnoxious ways of handling political situations, her honesty has not been jeered at even by her worst critic.

Take 30 B Harish Chatterjee Street, which is practically a lane that reflects the picture of (d)rain-washed Kolkata during every monsoon. At a turn inside the lane stands a humble cottage. The only hint of pride about the cottage is three Trinamool Congress flags. Despite having risen from here to hold many ministries at the Centre, Mamata Banerjee still lives there, still the same humble sari costing a maximum of Rs 300, still the youthful waving of hands, and still the lone voice of protest against a reign of Red terror in the state. And even now she delights eating muri (puffed rice, not really a rich man’s delicacy).

Be it Nandigram or Brigade Parade Ground in Kolkata – her pictures are everywhere. Banerjee has always enjoyed an extra ounce of popularity, which is the lethal weapon she deployed to defeat Marxist Goliath Somnath Chatterjee to win the Jadavpur Lok Sabha seat in 1984. In 1996, she confirmed that those who praised her as Banglar Agnikanya (spitfire lady from Bengal), were not exaggerating. Despite being a minister herself, she lashed out at her own government on the petroleum price hike issue. Party leader Partha Chatterjee says, “I’ve never seen Didi wearing a sari that costs more than Rs 200. I’ve seen her taking muri with her even when she has to fly to the US! Isn’t that incredible!”....Continue

What should be the retirement age of Politician of India?

This is due to several factors – a major one being that there is no effort by the entrenched political class to engage them. After the late Rajiv Gandhi, it is only his son Rahul who has brought back the issue of youths' involvement in active politics into the public domain. Like his father, he too believes in the power of the youth and is convinced that only the involvement of the young in politics will usher in real change. Rahul has repeated this in almost every speech: "I am here to open the door for the youth." And he blames his own party for not allowing them to come forward, thus effectively arresting its growth. During his recent visit to Punjab, he wanted to see new faces. But when he arrived most of the state leaders who had lined up were oldies. This so disgusted Rahul that he reportedly announced the names of youth leaders all by himself. Let the older politicos work as think-tanks and guides for the young: no more!

It is sometimes argued that even old politicians can deliver and have vision and courage like Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi. The frail "naked fakir" – as the British called him – had the vision and guts to undertake something that is today a globally revered model: Satyagraha. In 1942, at age 73, he sent out the Quit India movement call, braving, along with his unarmed countrymen, the batons and bullets of the British Police. That was also when Sir Winston Churchill, then 65, was leading Britain through the Second World War. And both Gandhi and Churchill won their wars.

But those were exceptions. For every Gandhi and Churchill, there are hundreds whose old age simply does not let them function efficiently. But this has not prevented a large number of them to carve out powerful political fiefdoms that have room for them only – and certainly for no youngster. Politicians need to take a leaf from our super senior cricketers – two of whom have retired for the good of the game. They need to do the same for the good of the country. They must ensure that India is never found on a weak wicket....Continue

IIPM Arindam Chaudhuri 4Ps Business & Marketing Business & Economy Kkoooljobs Planman Media Planman Consulting Planman Marcom Planman Technologies Planman Financial Planman Motion Pictures GIDF The Daily Indian IIPM Think Tank
The Sunday Indian

“A content people made us win”

What are the challenges you face in your second innings in power?
We have to justify the faith that people have reposed in us. We have to implement the promises in our election manifesto. Efficient governance, which is honest and responsible to the people is our goal. Corruption is a major issue and the people have to be relieved of that burden. I believe mere paper programmes and promises will not change anything. If we can justify this trust of the people we shall come back for a third inning too.

What lies behind the success in the polls?
We were confident we would win… for the past six months, I have extensively toured the towns and villages of my state. I found people contented with our government. I found no discontent either during the “Gram Suraj” (Good Village Governance) or Vikas Yatra (“Development Campaign”). The kind of reception from women that I was privileged to be accorded was amazing. The entire lot converted into ballots for us. Our efforts at development were serious even during the previous tenure.

The entire poll campaign was focussed on rice and Raman, but many of your candidates lost.
The BJP always enters the poll battle led by the captain of the team. I am happy that I justified the trust of the party in me. If you are a people’s representative, you have to deliver the goods. During voting, people mark how you come through to them, whether their needs have been fulfilled over the last five years, and whoever fails to meet these criteria face defeat. It is simple! And this is why the party had denied tickets to those candidates who had not worked for the people.

Why do you think the Congress lost?
(Laughs) You ought to ask the Congress leaders. They suffered from leadership and trust deficit. Which is why people in other states too rejected them.....Continue

IIPM Arindam Chaudhuri 4Ps Business & Marketing Business & Economy Kkoooljobs Planman Media Planman Consulting Planman Marcom Planman Technologies Planman Financial Planman Motion Pictures GIDF The Daily Indian IIPM Think Tank
The Sunday Indian

A filmmaker offers a totally new musical experience

During filming, the backdrop, lightings and even the singers’ costumes were changed as per the requirements of the song. The film is made digitally for viewing in theatres with surround sound. Sounds of percussion instruments like the Mirudangam and Ganjira will get a new lease of life, promises the director.

The film was shot simultaneously with seven 4K RED Digital cameras – a world's first – by award winning cinematographer PC Sriram. H Sridhar, famous Tamil film sound engineer did the audio. The film will be first screened at multiplexes, and then gradually screened overseas. DVDs and audio CDs will be released around April 2009.

Describing the experience of singing for a ‘film’, TM Krishna said: “There were around a hundred crew members, yet there was complete silence. I was in complete peace of mind while singing.”

The rupees one-crore film targets music lovers who find it impossible to attend concerts. “The new concept of multiplex cinema has made such experiments possible. Since most theatres are digitally equipped now, films like "Margazhi Raagam" are becoming increasingly possible,” says Jayendra. Good ideas have always brought about changes. Perhaps this one too will do so.....Continue

IIPM Arindam Chaudhuri 4Ps Business & Marketing Business & Economy Kkoooljobs Planman Media Planman Consulting Planman Marcom Planman Technologies Planman Financial Planman Motion Pictures GIDF The Daily Indian IIPM Think Tank
The Sunday Indian

"international opinion is on our side"

Former Indian high commissioner to Islamabad, G Parthasarthy, tells TSI this is the best chance for India to mobilise international opinion against Pakistan Is Pakistan involved in the Mumbai attacks?

All evidences point to the ISI and Pakistan's role, even perhaps a larger organisation could be behind it.

What should India do?

Get more international pressure on Pakistan. Get more international opinion on its side. Tell the world that while aggression is not what we want, India should reserve the right to strike across the international border if terrorists, from let's say the Lashkar-e-Taiyaba, strike in any part of the country again. That should be conveyed to the world. There should be no ambiguity about it.

Is Pakistan likely to take international opinion seriously? Traditionally they have tended to believe that there are limits to international opinion.

This time they do not have many options. Too many nationals from various countries have been killed in the terror attack. There are many countries involved. This is the right time to mobilise international opinion in India’s favour. Interests of many countries coincide on this issue.

Some say Pakistan has played its cards well. It has told the US that it would have no option but to deploy its 100,000 troops on its western border with Afghanistan and redeploy them on its eastern frontier with India, should New Delhi decide to get belligerent. In other words, they are telling the US that their war on terror in Afghanistan will be compromised in a military conflagration with India.

It all depends upon how we play our cards. International opinion is on our side. In my view, India should get the US to move the UN Security Council under section 1373. Pakistan’s hands would be forced....Continue

IIPM Arindam Chaudhuri 4Ps Business & Marketing Business & Economy Kkoooljobs Planman Media Planman Consulting Planman Marcom Planman Technologies Planman Financial Planman Motion Pictures GIDF The Daily Indian IIPM Think Tank
The Sunday Indian