tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-68222834672292171182024-03-12T17:35:32.017-07:00Rise To The OccasionIndia is a young nation and a nation of Youth. It's only we who can change it- either as an Optimist or a Pessimist nation. What do you want?ArUn ShArMahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10486166351251328648noreply@blogger.comBlogger29125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6822283467229217118.post-45503800463861898282011-08-14T12:05:00.001-07:002011-08-14T12:05:57.290-07:00How it feels like to be a minority?<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify">Life in India has been somewhere between a dream and a nightmare for me. Just like anything else in the world, life in India also has two sides to it – the better and the worse. I have lived the first 24 years of my life (I’m just over 26) in different parts of India and have travelled a lot to see how it looks like in different corners. No prize for guessing what was common in all the corners of India – Hinduism. Wait, wait, wait. If you think I’m one of those ‘Policing’ types who want to gain TRP by criticizing India and Hinduism, I’m not. I just want to share my experiences with you.</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify">So, as I said, I’ve spent 24 years in India and then moved to Dubai for MBA and then job. That’s where I learnt that people can be discriminated against within the purview of law. Anyways, first few months passed by overwhelmed with the grandeur of Dubai – the city of superlatives. Every road was a miracle, every building an epitome of expertise. For some time, I went to Singapore to complete my MBA, but couldn’t forget the extravaganza of Dubai. I always wanted to come back and settle here in a chilled out environment (though artificially so).</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify">Now when I’m here and especially during the month of Ramadan, a strange thought stuck my mind. I realized that I am a minority in this country of Moslems, ironically categorized among the most metropolitan cities of the world. I realized that no matter what religion you belonged to, the food courts in the malls won’t open for you before 6:30pm. You can’t smoke a cigar in open even if your building is a No Smoking building and you are a chain smoker. Nice way of forcing people to quit smoking, isn’t it? The utmost paradox that I faced was when I went to watch Bridesmaids and found out that the food outlets were not open for anyone. I was confused whether Moslems were allowed to watch movies during Ramadan. And if not, then what’s the harm of opening the outlets for those who want to watch the movies.</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify">The most amazing thing is about the language. I never thought that language can be so much intertwined with religion. I found this out while trying to learn Arabic. Almost every salutation, with only rare exceptions, has the name of almighty Allah in it in one or the other forms. I don’t know if we have it in Hindi as well, but it’s not there in English for sure. But Arabic has it and you are expected to learn and use it with your clients, colleagues and friends.</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify">While I come across these things everyday in Dubai, I think about the Moslems and other minorities in India. Would they be in a similar situation? Do the Indian Moslems also feel left out when the PM goes and conducts <i>Bhumi Poojan</i> for a power plant? Do they also feel awkward to be the only odd name in the office? What do they think about when people look at them with a feeling of vengeance when they do not appear to be respecting the local customs of the land, which, most of the times mean the Hindu customs? I’m still looking for answers.</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify">
<br /></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify">-AS</p>ArUn ShArMahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10486166351251328648noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6822283467229217118.post-51445349417163730682010-10-05T13:00:00.001-07:002010-10-05T13:03:54.885-07:00Kisi Ne kuchh banaya tha, kisi ne kuchh banaya hai...<div>Apologies for posting something that's not mine, but it's indeed one of the best things I've read in recent times. Prasoon Joshi wrote this on the occasion on Ayodhya decision declared by Lucknow bench of Allahabad High Court on 30th September 2010. Please read and appreciate.</div><div><br /></div><div><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="line-height: 115%; color: rgb(51, 51, 51); "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" ><i>Kisi ne kuchh banaya tha, kisi ne kuchh banaya hai</i></span></span></span></span><span style="font-size:9.0pt; line-height:115%;font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif";mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-latin;color:#333333;mso-ansi-language: EN-US;mso-fareast-language:EN-US;mso-bidi-language:AR-SA"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" ><i><br /></i></span></span><span class="apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" ><i>Kahin mandir ki parchhayi, kahin masjid ka saaya hai</i></span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" ><i><br /></i></span></span><span class="apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" ><i>Na tab poochha tha hamse, aur na ab poochhne aaye</i></span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" ><i><br /></i></span></span><span class="apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" ><i>Hamesha faisle karke, hamein yu nhi sunaya hai.</i></span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" ><i><br /><br /></i></span></span><span class="apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" ><i>Hamein fursat kahan roti ki golayi k chakkar se,</i></span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" ><i><br /></i></span></span><span class="apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" ><i>Na jaane kiska mandir hai, na jaane kiski masjid hai,</i></span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" ><i><br /></i></span></span><span class="apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" ><i>Na jaane kaun uljhaata hai in seedhe sachche dhaagon ko,</i></span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" ><i><br /></i></span></span><span class="apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" ><i>Na jaane kiski saazish hai, na jaane kiske ye zid hai.</i></span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" ><i><br /></i></span></span><span class="apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" ><i>Ajab sa silsila hai ye, na jaane kisne chalaya hai,</i></span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" ><i><br /></i></span></span><span class="apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" ><i>Kisi ne kuchh banaya tha, kisi ne kuchh banaya hai.</i></span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" ><i><br /><br /></i></span></span><span class="apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" ><i>Vo kehte hain tumhara hai, zara tum ik nazar daalo,</i></span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" ><i><br /></i></span></span><span class="apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" ><i>Vo kehte hain badho, mango, zaruri hai, na tum taalo,</i></span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" ><i><br /></i></span></span><span class="apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" ><i>Magar apni zarurat to hai bilkul hi alag isse,</i></span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" ><i><br /></i></span></span><span class="apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" ><i>Zara thehro, zara socho, hamein saanchon mein mat dhaalo,</i></span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" ><i><br /></i></span></span><span class="apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" ><i>Batao kaun ye shola mere aangan mein laaya hai,</i></span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" ><i><br /></i></span></span><span class="apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" ><i>Kisi ne kuchh banaya tha, kisi ne kuchh banaya hai.</i></span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" ><i><br /><br /></i></span></span><span class="apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" ><i>Agar hindu mein aandhi hai, agar toofaan musalmaan hai,</i></span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" ><i><br /></i></span></span><span class="apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" ><i>To aao aandhi toofaan yaar banke kuchh naya kar dein,</i></span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" ><i><br /></i></span></span><span class="apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" ><i>To aao ik nazar daalein ahem se kuchh sawalon par,</i></span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" ><i><br /></i></span></span><span class="apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" ><i>Kayi kone andhere hain, mashalon ko diya kar dein,</i></span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" ><i><br /></i></span></span><span class="apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" ><i>Ab asli dard bolenge jo seeno mein chhupaya hai,</i></span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" ><i><br /></i></span></span><span class="apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" ><i>Kisi ne kuchh banaya tha, kisi ne kuchh banaya hai...</i></span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" ><i><br /></i></span></span><br /></span></div>ArUn ShArMahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10486166351251328648noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6822283467229217118.post-12676383132162903602010-02-05T11:03:00.000-08:002010-02-05T11:09:32.448-08:00Bihar – The Paradigm Shift<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZr1YHnJaGWwIfHiaM5CTR60PMMqjrssM5P3YKtDxfoTioSrcxzKGexEDBMALiwXfcFznUap93quR_E85be-vI3IdPA2Bk2T_I3nG7PDxndjxTj7jxfgmLOgw39XLn2z702yjgBMz6k9d_/s1600-h/JaiBihar.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 258px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZr1YHnJaGWwIfHiaM5CTR60PMMqjrssM5P3YKtDxfoTioSrcxzKGexEDBMALiwXfcFznUap93quR_E85be-vI3IdPA2Bk2T_I3nG7PDxndjxTj7jxfgmLOgw39XLn2z702yjgBMz6k9d_/s320/JaiBihar.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5434838350714735602" /></a><br /><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify">The strategy professor at the one of the oldest universities in the world – Takshashila University, Prof Chanakya started his Neetishastra by saying the phrase <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal">“Sukhasya moolam dharma, Dharmasya moolam artha”.</i> What he meant was that happiness for a person or a corporate or a kingdom lies in ethical deeds of the entity, but ethical deeds can be expected only if the entity has enough resources to support itself and feed itself to survive. This observation of the chief strategist of the Mauryan empire, headquartered at Patliputra, today’s Patna, is as true today as it was in 4<sup>th</sup> century B.C. when he penned it down.</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify">Bihar, after losing all its glory deep in the past, was regarded as one of the worst performing states in India. It has been long since someone heard about the word Progress in Bihar. The per capita income of a Bihar resident was dismally low at Rs 6,610 compared with the national average of Rs. 20,734 per person in 2007, according to a report by Bihar Times.<a style="mso-footnote-id:ftn1" href="file:///D:/Blog%20and%20SPark/Youth%20Ki%20Awaaz/Bihar%20-%20The%20Paradigm%20Shift.doc#_ftn1" name="_ftnref1" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="mso-special-character: footnote"><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="line-height:115%;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family:Calibri;mso-bidi-Times New Roman"; mso-ansi-language:EN-US;mso-fareast-language:EN-US;mso-bidi-language:AR-SAfont-family:";font-size:11.0pt;">[1]</span></span></span></span></a> The Hindu reported that the literacy levels in rural Bihar for the year 2006-07 stood at slightly over 52% whereas the national average stood at over 65%. With over 1000 (reported) rape cases and over 3200 murders in a year, Bihar faired quiet high on the list of crime heavens in India in 2006.<a style="mso-footnote-id: ftn2" href="file:///D:/Blog%20and%20SPark/Youth%20Ki%20Awaaz/Bihar%20-%20The%20Paradigm%20Shift.doc#_ftn2" name="_ftnref2" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="mso-special-character:footnote"><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="line-height:115%; font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";mso-fareast-font-family:Calibri;mso-bidi-Times New Roman";mso-ansi-language:EN-US;mso-fareast-language:EN-US; mso-bidi-language:AR-SAfont-family:";font-size:11.0pt;">[2]</span></span></span></span></a> This was the situation when Nitish Kumar was elected as the Chief Minister of Bihar in November 2005, ending a 15-year run by Laloo Prasad Yadav and Rabri Devi in power. Since then, the entire perspective of Bihar has changed to a very large extent. A friend of mine, Sanjeev Sharma from Ranchi pointed out that a few years back, they locked themselves up in their homes as soon as it stuck 9 on the clock. But now, he says, the situation has changed and he often has dinner with his parents in some restaurant in Patna, even till 11 at night, without any fear. Such is the visible impact of the change that has come in Bihar in such a short duration of time. Bihar became the 2<sup>nd</sup> fastest growing state, just behind Gujarat, after it recorded a GDP growth of 11.4% in 2008-09.</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify">The important thing to notice in the entire discussion is what brought about this change in Bihar’s administration and Bihar’s mentality. Was it just the attitude of the political honchos that changed in this period or was it more about the play of socio-economic developments that forced Bihar to mend its traditional ways of governance? One of the many initiatives by Bihar government was to promote the traditional handloom industry once again by organizing expo for showcasing the talent in 2008 which was attended by traders from various countries. On healthcare front, organizations to the likes of Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation (BMGF), Institute for One World Health and pain-based agency Medicine-Sans-Frontier are working alongside the Bihar government to improve the healthcare condition of Bihar, especially on issues like kala-azar, polio, routine immunization, and maternal and new-born care and nutrition. No wonder that the efforts were appreciated by Bill Gates himself. Since the state is primarily a agriculture based state, a major emphasis has been laid down on the development of agro-based industries in Bihar. Confidence building policies like additional employment guarantee plan of 80 days of work, in addition to the 100 days mandated by NREGA, are some of the ones that are creating a feel-good factor in the Bihar residents. But as the government has realized, only agriculture cannot help it achieve the aim of being a developed state by 2015, it is imperative to encourage industry as well. A new Industry Policy of 2006 and reimbursement of 80% of deposited VAT are just some of the measures that are beginning to show positive results in attracting industry in the state. Growth of connectivity in terms of mobile phone growth rate is 88.2% in the current financial year. Industrial projects worth Rs 71,000 crores have been approved by the government that are expected to create jobs for over 100,000 people in Bihar. And amazingly, the World Bank ranked Patna next only to New Delhi in terms of ease of starting business in India, ahead of Mumbai and Bangalore<a style="mso-footnote-id:ftn3" href="file:///D:/Blog%20and%20SPark/Youth%20Ki%20Awaaz/Bihar%20-%20The%20Paradigm%20Shift.doc#_ftn3" name="_ftnref3" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="mso-special-character:footnote"><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="line-height:115%; font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";mso-fareast-font-family:Calibri;mso-bidi-Times New Roman";mso-ansi-language:EN-US;mso-fareast-language:EN-US; mso-bidi-language:AR-SAfont-family:";font-size:11.0pt;">[3]</span></span></span></span></a>.</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify">Looking in a perspective, it appears that the growth of Bihar is clearly a result of the shift in the intent of the political masters whose consensus scolded them for what had happened to the intellectual Magadha kingdom. It doesn’t come as a surprise that Nitish Kumar was called upon by London School of Economics to participate in the Growth Week 2009 and was invited to participate in the research and policy session on developing rural areas. I seriously feel that India has pockets of high development, but atleast equal, if not more pockets of ultra-low development. If the policy makers take the initiative to change this disparity in wealth allocation, the citizens will support the ideas and fulfill the dream of a Developed and Unified India.</p> <div style="mso-element:footnote-list"> <hr align="left" size="1" width="33%"> <div style="mso-element:footnote" id="ftn1"> <p class="MsoFootnoteText"><a style="mso-footnote-id:ftn1" href="file:///D:/Blog%20and%20SPark/Youth%20Ki%20Awaaz/Bihar%20-%20The%20Paradigm%20Shift.doc#_ftnref1" name="_ftn1" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="mso-special-character: footnote"><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="line-height:115%;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family:Calibri;mso-bidi-Times New Roman"; mso-ansi-language:EN-US;mso-fareast-language:EN-US;mso-bidi-language:AR-SAfont-family:";font-size:10.0pt;">[1]</span></span></span></span></a> Bihar Times, <a href="http://www.bihartimes.com/news07/Dec/7dec1.html">http://www.bihartimes.com/news07/Dec/7dec1.html</a></p> </div> <div style="mso-element:footnote" id="ftn2"> <p class="MsoFootnoteText"><a style="mso-footnote-id:ftn2" href="file:///D:/Blog%20and%20SPark/Youth%20Ki%20Awaaz/Bihar%20-%20The%20Paradigm%20Shift.doc#_ftnref2" name="_ftn2" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="mso-special-character: footnote"><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="line-height:115%;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family:Calibri;mso-bidi-Times New Roman"; mso-ansi-language:EN-US;mso-fareast-language:EN-US;mso-bidi-language:AR-SAfont-family:";font-size:10.0pt;">[2]</span></span></span></span></a> <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight:normal">“</b><b><span style="mso-bidi-;font-family:Helvetica-Bold;">CRIME OF BIHAR, From 2004 To 2008”</span></b><span style="mso-bidi-mso-bidi-font-weight:bold;font-family:Helvetica-Bold;">, Bihar Police,</span><b><span style="font-family:Helvetica-Bold;mso-bidi-font-family:Helvetica-Bold;"> </span></b><a href="http://biharpolice.bih.nic.in/menuhome/crime04-08.pdf">http://biharpolice.bih.nic.in/menuhome/crime04-08.pdf</a></p><p class="MsoFootnoteText"></p><h1 style="margin-top: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: 17.55pt; "><a href="file:///D:/Blog%20and%20SPark/Youth%20Ki%20Awaaz/Bihar%20-%20The%20Paradigm%20Shift.doc#_ftnref3" name="_ftn3" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family:Calibri, sans-serif;"><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><b><span style="line-height: 36px; font-family:Calibri, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">[3]</span></span></b></span></span></span></a><span style="font-family:Calibri, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"> “</span></span><span style="font-family:Calibri, sans-serif;color:black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">New Delhi, Patna best cities to start business: World Bank”</span></span><span style="font-weight: normal; font-family:Calibri, sans-serif;color:black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">, By PTI, The Times of India, 30 June 2009<o:p></o:p></span></span></h1><div><span style="font-weight: normal; font-family:Calibri, sans-serif;color:black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></span></div><p></p> </div> <div style="mso-element:footnote" id="ftn3"> <h1 style="margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height:17.55pt"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:Calibri, sans-serif;font-size:130%;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 16px; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:7;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 32px; font-weight: 800; line-height: 36px;"><br /></span></span></span></span></h1><div><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif";mso-bidi-font-weight:normalfont-family:Arial;font-size:10.0pt;color:black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">(Originally Written for and published on Youth Ki Awaaz, </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:Georgia, serif;font-size:16px;"><a href="http://www.youthkiawaaz.com/2010/01/bihar-the-paradigm-shift/">http://www.youthkiawaaz.com/2010/01/bihar-the-paradigm-shift/</a>)</span></span></div> </div></div>ArUn ShArMahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10486166351251328648noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6822283467229217118.post-80516742145013751202010-01-23T10:59:00.000-08:002010-01-23T11:06:30.284-08:00Rural Development: Creating A Better India<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_T0AkymqBGi5Sc0mXLiJ6CV_y-FH0ZnxSVnVVhnG370nno6GbbO8YfkmdIsbmhVckq-S31EKYfHWJQ3B9N0OeD7D32Hyn-FDeFZk6xDHsAWFBjNe98-KHwV7dFyK_4gORmCQwx-Xz8G5q/s1600-h/bihar-tourism.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_T0AkymqBGi5Sc0mXLiJ6CV_y-FH0ZnxSVnVVhnG370nno6GbbO8YfkmdIsbmhVckq-S31EKYfHWJQ3B9N0OeD7D32Hyn-FDeFZk6xDHsAWFBjNe98-KHwV7dFyK_4gORmCQwx-Xz8G5q/s320/bihar-tourism.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5430012966788696130" /></a><br /><p class="MsoNormal">According to the 2001 census, 72.2% of the Indian population resides in the rural areas constituting about 638,000 villages. The CIA database says that atleast 22% of the entire Indian population is living under poverty line. Though the social scientists and the businesses interpret the entire rural population as a BPL population and try to target them as their potential customers for low cost products, these statistics refute the argument. For all practical purposes, it is safe to assume that the rural economy is an agrarian economy. And since rural population constitutes 72% of our population, it becomes imperative for the government to ensure the development of the rural sector for the overall growth of India. </p> <p class="MsoNormal">In the Union Budget 2009, the Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee laid immense emphasis on this issue and revealed the plans to build infrastructure across length and breadth of the country. Various schemes like <a href="http://www.youthkiawaaz.com/2009/12/has-nrega-been-effective-concise.html">NREGA</a>, JNNRUM and Rashtriya Vidyutikaran Yojna are ambitious enough to ensure that the government is willing to promote infrastructure development in the rural India, fondly known as Bharat. This is something known as <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal">inclusive growth</i> where the growth is targeted not only at the urban India or the business world, but also at the other members of the Indian population.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">But more important than the role of the government, is the role of private organizations in the process. India has grown to be the IT hub for the world and that has opened new ventures for its citizens. But there was a minimal involvement of the government in the growth and development of IT sector or what I prefer to call as <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight:normal"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal">Bangalorization</i></b>. A similar revolution is required once again in India to ensure the development of the rural community.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">All said and done, the only way the private sector or the profit-sector can be attracted to this world is by showing them the market size and the market potential. Many organizations have already realized it and have started expanding their horizons to the rural markets through various innovative routes. Microsoft conducted a research in the villages to know why acceptability of computers was low in rural areas even when government had provided computers in every school for the students to access. It came to understand that only one student, usually a boy from upper class, used the mouse and nobody else was allowed to touch that. So, Microsoft came up with the solution in the form of multiple mouses connected to the same screen giving equal access to each student. This new research is being commercialized now. Similarly, Google tried to find out the reason for low internet penetration in India and particularly in villages and realized that people in villages did not understand English. So, it developed an Indic Transliteration Technology that helps the person use the Roman alphabet keyboard but the display comes in the local languages. </p> <p class="MsoNormal">Many more similar examples like these and Unilever’s Shakti Amma are available to illustrate that the development of the rural India cannot be ignored if India wants to grow. And since we have ignored it for so long, we can start with the learnings from the mistakes that we made in the past. Instead of taking electricity to the villages from thermal power plants, we should plan sustainable energy sources like Solar or Wind Energy for them. Rather than taking products in polythene bags to villages, let’s encourage the use of jute bags from the beginning itself. Instead of building roads from petroleum byproducts, we should use the plastics and polythene to make roads that last longer and better.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" line-height: 17px; font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">We must realize that the growth of the Indian rural sector can prove to be instrumental in bringing up the pace of growth of India Inc. The unexplored markets and the moral obligations are both a financial and social justification for the corporate to participate in this growth story.</span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 17px;"><br /></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 17px;">(Originally written for and published on Youth Ki Awaaz, <span class="Apple-style-span" style=" line-height: normal; font-family:Georgia, serif;"><a href="http://www.youthkiawaaz.com/2010/01/rural-development-creating-a-better-india/">http://www.youthkiawaaz.com/2010/01/rural-development-creating-a-better-india/</a>)</span></span></span></p>ArUn ShArMahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10486166351251328648noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6822283467229217118.post-88906454178594880592010-01-19T10:55:00.000-08:002010-01-19T11:04:21.344-08:00The new face of Social Enterprise in India (III of IV)<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify">Continuing with our journey through some of the most admired social entrepreneurial ventures across India and Pakistan, this last part of this series once again visits some of the ventures in India that have decided to take the unusual route to redefine the Social Enterprise.</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal">Barefoot College:<o:p></o:p></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify">Established by Bunker Roy, this unique set-up in Tilonia, Rajasthan, has become an example for the world. This Doon School passout is a very humble, down-to-earth man who loves the village and wants to transform it into a model for the entire world to emulate. When we were at TIlonia, the village people were very excited to greet us with the beats of dhol at the station. In this land, where scarcity of water is a major problem, a 5<sup>th</sup> grade passout, middle aged woman handles the water management for about 200 villages through her computer. This was shocking enough for us to create enthusiasm and excitement to know more about the college. Bunker Roy introduced us to the various facets of his venture whose major focus is to train the locals in various fields of specialization for which we thought that professional degrees were a must. These trained villagers are the youth and the women who would otherwise have had no choice but move to the cities to earn a livelihood. The trained villagers are not awarded any degree or certificate, but they are trained to live in the village and practice. We met several Barefoot Engineers, Barefoot Doctors and Barefoot Architects during our visit. It was heartening to see two women who have been trained on welding skills, earn more than their husbands by making Solar Dishes and selling them out for about Rs. 25,000 each.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>No wonder that the Barefoot College has been recognized as Social Work and Research Center and has won numerous awards across the world. Besides equipping its own citizens, Barefoot College has been assigned the task of training women from African region as well. Women from the remotest parts of the world who do not understand the language of the villagers (just like the villagers don’t understand theirs) are sponsored by the government of India to visit, stay and learn the skills to earn a livelihood for themselves, back in their native countries.</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify">I must say that to make India a super-power, more of Barefoot Colleges need to set up to give a confidence boost to the villages and reduce the wealth disparity that is always seen as a hindrance for India to achieve that goal. (Visit: <a href="http://www.barefootcollege.org/">http://www.barefootcollege.org</a>) </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal">Jaipur Foot:<o:p></o:p></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify">Jaipur Foot is a live example of the level of motivation that can be provided by a cause. Mr. Ram Chander Sharma revolutionized the limb technology through his development of the artificial legs that have been categorized as good as the original ones except that they do not have blood. But the idea was put into the venture form by Mr D.R. Mehta who has recently been awarded the Padma Bhushan by the Govt. of India. Jaipur Foot, with technical assistance from Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) developed these limbs from very cheap but sustainable material that wasn’t used elsewhere in the limb industry. The major motive for the development of Jaipur Foot was to help the people in the war affected areas or border areas where the land mines were not removed and hundreds of innocent people turned handicapped because of them. This technology helps them regain not only their legs, but also their confidence and their ability to stand on their feet – literally and metamorphically. As compared to the cost of below the knee prosthesis in US which stands at around $2,500, this technology has reduced it to a drastically lower price of $30. At this cost, the Bhagwan Mahavir Viklang Sahayata Samiti is fitting about 20,000 artificial limbs every year besides 30,000 Polio Calipers and the other appliances fitted through their camps. The vision of Mr. Mehta is changing the way people walk and helping India to walk on the path of success and self-dependence. (Visit: <a href="http://www.jaipurfoot.org/">http://www.jaipurfoot.org</a>) </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify">The Social Entrepreneurial ventures discussed in this series are, by no measure, the only or the best performing enterprises in India and Pakistan. But they represent a broad sense of changing preferences for the residents of these countries. Given the levels of poverty, corruption, illiteracy, lack of self-confidence, non-resourcefulness and healthcare, we need many such motivated organizations and role models to lead the sub-continent to the role of leadership on the world map. We salute the spirit of the patrons who have given up the luxuries of life to serve the people of the nation through whatever means they had.</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify">(Article originally written for Youth Ki Awaaz, published at <a href="http://www.youthkiawaaz.com/2010/01/the-new-face-of-social-enterprise-india-part-iii/">http://www.youthkiawaaz.com/2010/01/the-new-face-of-social-enterprise-india-part-iii/</a>)</p>ArUn ShArMahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10486166351251328648noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6822283467229217118.post-81224338017433942632010-01-11T05:57:00.000-08:002010-01-11T06:01:27.683-08:00The new face of Social Enterprise in India (I of IV)<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjn3l2psRKpHtoWgAbsKKhpM_jnLRQBoxtnPIg6NIf5u5hrix78T_IWnsCXKX7Qkawh1QJTjymbiu-7RO2HDHQGqKjQBgjGw3-z26qBnIUzKMQ3wW1hL5DGKH4Ab5j2P2XW5zUsFp37UR-O/s1600-h/social+enterprise+cutouts.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjn3l2psRKpHtoWgAbsKKhpM_jnLRQBoxtnPIg6NIf5u5hrix78T_IWnsCXKX7Qkawh1QJTjymbiu-7RO2HDHQGqKjQBgjGw3-z26qBnIUzKMQ3wW1hL5DGKH4Ab5j2P2XW5zUsFp37UR-O/s320/social+enterprise+cutouts.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5425481665371137250" /></a><br /><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify">In an earlier post (Emergence and Growth of Social Entrepreneurship in India), I highlighted the way in which the social enterprises evolved over time in India and the world. This evolution was majorly driven by the causes of social justice, poverty, female upliftment and illiteracy which were also used as measures of political success by the critics of the governments. But over time, with the empowerment and awareness among the Indian citizens, the social enterprise grew in size, scale and scope. As a part of the Tata Jagriti Yatra 2008, I got a unique opportunity to visit and witness the work done by some of the social entrepreneurs who are working on some unorthodox social issues in different parts of India.</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal">Goonj: <o:p></o:p></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify">Founded by Anshu Gupta, a student of journalism, this Delhi-based NGO has targeted a very niche area to work and impact the society – clothing. As pointed out by Anshu in his session at SMU, Singapore, clothing is one of the three basic needs of mankind and still no policymaker in the world gives any importance to it. He was moved by the story of a rickshaw puller in Delhi who used to carry stray dead-bodies to the police station only to be given 2 yards of clothes and Rs 20 in return. And this rickshaw puller told Anshu that his “business” grew so much in winters that he had to keep some dead bodies at home for the night to deliver them in the morning. Such was the impact that Anshu started to champion the issue. But he also realised that for a poor person, his dignity is everything and he decided to combine the two. So, Anshu, along with his friend started this program of “Cloth for Work” where they went to villages and urged the villagers to “earn” their clothes for building up schools, roads, wells etc for their own village. Goonj collects “waste” clothes from cities across India through various campaigns like “Joy of Giving” and then segregated into various categories according to the usage. In times of need, these clothes are sent to places like Tamil Nadu at time of Tsunami, Bihar in times of floods and Kashmir in time of earthquake. In peace times, these clothes are used for promoting the infrastructure build up among the urban poor and the downtrodden villages of UP, Orissa, Bihar and other similar parts of India. Besides clothes, it also teaches the poor women about the importance of the hygiene of sanitary pads and how to make them at home. This initiative is targeted to reduce the incidents of pregnancy problems and basic hygienic problems leading to death of women in some extreme cases. (Visit <a href="http://www.goonj.org/">http://www.goonj.org/</a>)</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal">Naandi Foundation:<o:p></o:p></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify">With Dr K Anji Reddy of Dr Reddy’s and Anand Mahindra of Mahindra & Mahindra on its Board of Trustees, Naandi Foundation is growing fast as a social sector organization. On meeting Manoj Kumar, the CEO, in Hyderabad, we immediately realized that he did not want Naandi Foundation to be called an NGO because of the simple reason that he did not want his organization to be looked with sympathy. Founded in 1998, this organization has a three-point agenda of Child Rights, Safe Drinking Water and Sustainable Livelihoods. In the words of Manoj Kumar, “Naandi Foundation doesn’t believe in doing anything small because it’s wastage of resources.” With operations spanned over nine states (Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Chhattisgarh, Orissa, Nagaland and Andhra Pradesh), Naandi Foundation provides midday meal to lakhs of students everyday that have high nutritional value and are prepared with benchmark levels of hygiene. It is also involved in Organic Farming and Lift irrigation or coffee through which it provides livelihood for small and marginal farmers who otherwise could not sell their product in the international market. On Child Rights front, Naandi Foundation runs the programs like Early Childhood Care and Education, Schoolchild Healthcare Plan and Nanhi Kali covering thousands of schools in various states. With its clear focus on and proven success in creating a sustainable and scalable social enterprise, I believe that it can be a role model for other social entrepreneurs in coming times. (Visit: <a href="http://www.naandi.org/">http://www.naandi.org/</a>)</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal">Aravind Eye Care:<o:p></o:p></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify">An eye surgeon, retired from his government service, had the dream of eradicating the “needless blindness” from the world and decided to give up all his resources to the cause to establish a unique eye care facility by the name of Aravind Eye Care in 1976. The surgeon, fondly known as Dr. V dreamt of create a McDonald’s of eye care where everyone involved in the process, does only the part of it, enabling the system to increase the efficiency. Dr. V had the vision of creating an organization that will treat the needy with equal expertise and precision irrespective of whether he or she can afford the surgery or not. Those who can’t afford the treatment need not pay for it and those who can, compensate more than the free component. The uniqueness about Aravind Eye Care lies in this uniqueness of its Operational and Financial models which are very unorthodox. Today, Aravind Eye Care is the largest eye care facility in the world in terms of the number of surgeries and the number of patients treated. With the principals and values enforced by Dr. V himself till date, this eye care facility has grown from an 11 bed hospital to a facility that treats 1.4 million patients in a year. It is associated with many international groups like Clinton Global Initiative, World Health Organisation and Seva Foundation. In the last financial year itself, the AEC conducted more than 3 million surgeries, half of which were free of cost. This was in addition to around 373,000 free OPD patients and 2.75 million check-ups through camps for the entire year. This makes AEC a unique epitome of sustainable and scalable social organization whose fundamentals can be emulated by other social entrepreneurs in their future endeavors. (Visit: <a href="http://www.aravind.org/">http://www.aravind.org/</a>)</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify">AS</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify">(Part I and Part III, written by me for Youth Ki Awaaz <a href="http://www.youthkiawaaz.com/2010/01/new-face-of-social-enterprise-in-india.html">http://www.youthkiawaaz.com/2010/01/new-face-of-social-enterprise-in-india.html</a>)</p>ArUn ShArMahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10486166351251328648noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6822283467229217118.post-28425728837271027582010-01-05T10:20:00.000-08:002010-01-05T10:23:15.633-08:00Alternative Energy Sector: The new source of energy<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuoWq0wxWPnUy8th41CDYOXDpzz5RQb1m1sGzcRaQpF-8kmgM4AkoI-r_3ZNEmMt29PsBG6jktRKcEyERszMUArLVfi7vKR5FPdXmBoN8cgbcwQvrQ6g9widWddUutImAdeZbERWdF3u4f/s1600-h/renewable-energy-in-tourism.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuoWq0wxWPnUy8th41CDYOXDpzz5RQb1m1sGzcRaQpF-8kmgM4AkoI-r_3ZNEmMt29PsBG6jktRKcEyERszMUArLVfi7vKR5FPdXmBoN8cgbcwQvrQ6g9widWddUutImAdeZbERWdF3u4f/s320/renewable-energy-in-tourism.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5423322790494745442" /></a><br /><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify">The world just witnessed one of the biggest summits on one of the most important issues faced by the mankind – climate change. Just a few days back I talked to my parents back in Punjab, India who told me that it’s just mildly cold out there when it used to be chilling cold just 6-7 years back when I was a teenager. July showers were observed in late August and winter peak is expected only after mid-January and that too for a very short period.</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify">Working on a project on the financing of renewable energy sources with a major bank here in Singapore, I realized that the nations are yet to understand the urgency of this issue. It was correctly pointed out in the latest Hollywood flick, Avatar that “there’s no green in our world. They kill their own mothers.” Industrialization of the nations and a race to get ahead of everyone else spoiled the sons of the land who never cared about clearing the forests for setting up industries that further polluted and depleted the environment. From my childhood, whenever I’ve been asked to draw a factory, it always had a smoke chimney releasing black smoke at the top of that factory and a water pipe releasing waste acidified water at the bottom. </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify">Thankfully, we are much more aware about the consequences of our actions now. Environment ministries world-over have sprung into action and given confidence to the people that it’s in their own interest to help in putting a barrier to this climate erosion. One of the most important steps in this context is the encouragement being given to Renewable Energy projects that has got an equally overwhelming response from the private sector. There are various kinds of tax benefits that are being provided to the renewable energy projects in different forms by respective countries. In US, it is the Investment Tax Credit and Production Tax Credit that is the form of tax benefits to RE projects. India and China also have similar tax credit schemes along with power purchase agreements (PPA) for the RE projects. Today, India is one of the leaders in Solar Power in the world and is catching up fast in Wind Power.</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify">Companies like GE Energy, Vestas, Suzlon and Mitsubishi have come up in the forefront to invest heavily in R&D to develop efficient wind turbines for the world. Since the largest damage was done by the industrialized countries like US and European nations, they were the ones who had to take the lead to reverse the trends, and they rightly did so. Today, Germany and US are the largest wind power producing nations in the world. But the developing world, as mentioned earlier, has not remained far behind in the league.</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify">Besides wind and solar energies, another source of alternative energy that has become popular recently is the nuclear energy. Though India isn’t in a very good position in terms of nuclear energy, China already has planned to construct atleast 100 nuclear reactors by 2020. The US also has a considerable number of nuclear reactors under construction and even countries like Pakistan are working towards the same. Nuclear energy, as is obvious, has a very high upfront capital cost. But the new parameter that has evolved to measure the relative performance of power projects is Levelized Cost of Electricity (LCOE) which is an indicator of the per unit electricity cost from a project over its lifetime. On this measure, Nuclear energy projects are just as economically viable as any other source of energy. This has given a boost to the investments in this sector with many private players entering this arena as well.</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify">Another major milestone in the journey of alternative energy development or the clean energy initiative was the carbon trading that was conceptualized and legalized in the Kyoto Protocol of 1997. The major constraint of this carbon trading is that US, the largest emitter of CO2 and other greenhouse gases, is not a signatory to Kyoto Protocol and hence, is not a participant in the carbon trading. If Copenhagen would’ve been successful in persuading US, under the regime of Obama, the carbon trading would’ve become stronger and encouraging factor for the world markets. Though the risk of speculations and exotic derivatives is attached with this form of trading, but returns are much higher than the risks. A major chunk of the revenues of RE projects is being provided by the carbon credits earned, that earns somewhere in the range of $15 to $25 per ton of CO2 avoided. </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify">There are supporters and critics to the carbon trading in the market, but then there’s no technology, no innovation, no celebration in the world that doesn’t attract criticism. I believe that the road that we have chosen is correct but the destination is moving at a faster speed away from us than the rate at which we are moving towards it. We have an obligation to prove it to our future generations that there is a green world out there, out here, out everywhere.</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify">(Originally published at Youth Ki Awaaz: <a href="http://www.youthkiawaaz.com/2010/01/alternative-energy-sector-new-source-of.html">http://www.youthkiawaaz.com/2010/01/alternative-energy-sector-new-source-of.html</a>)</p>ArUn ShArMahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10486166351251328648noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6822283467229217118.post-6330024265896069722010-01-01T13:52:00.000-08:002010-01-01T13:54:28.644-08:00The Emergence And Growth Of Social Entrepreneurship<p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align: justify;">Social Entrepreneurship as the concept was coined long ago but has been in the corporate parlance in just the recent past. Traditionally, entrepreneurship has been associated with profit making individuals who aim high and achieve a lot for themselves in the world of tough competition. And the success of enterprise was and is being judged on parameters like ROI and Net Income margins. But, with the empowerment and awareness of the citizens of the developing world, a new revolution has started, particularly among the youth of the world. This revolution is the growth of Social Entrepreneurship – the form of entrepreneurship where profits are not the end result, but just the means to achieve the end result of social upliftment and further empowerment.</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify">Initially, the concept of social entrepreneurship used to be associated with the Corporate Social Responsibility of the corporate houses that provided funds to the charitable institutions to run the philanthropic organizations at a small scale. These institutions or organizations did not have any business model of their own and largely operated with the funds from government or donations from the donors. Globally, non-profit organizations like SOS Children’s Village, however large they are, are funded completely by the donors who are the charitable trusts, individuals, governments or corporates. Though the objectives are noble and the achievements are incredible, the business model of these organizations is to be judged on two very important parameters: Sustainability and Scalability. </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify">Can these non-profit organizations sustain on their own if the external funding from them are unplugged? Can this model be applied to other sectors successfully? As explained by CK Prahalad through his book “The Fortune at the Bottom of the Pyramid”, social cause has always been considered a moral obligation that cannot be fulfilled by means of business. But the paradigm shift took place when the entrepreneurs realized the potential of the untapped markets that could generate profits for them and provide a better way of life to citizens of the society at the same time. The biggest boost was given by the Nobel Prize winner Dr. Mohammad Yunus when his brain-child Grameen Bank became so successful in one of the so-called least developed countries, Bangladesh. It was soon realized that profits can be made along with serving the society, provided you treat profits as a means and not the end result.</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify">Subsequently, initiatives like Casas Bahia and CEMEX in Brazil, and ITC e-choupal and Aravind Eye Care sprung up in India. Most of these initiatives are well into their second-generation, in business terms. In India, various other organizations like SEWA, AWAKE, Nandi Foundation and Jaipur Foot have been started by the awakened and empowered citizens of India. But as they say, Entrepreneurship is contagious and so is Social Entrepreneurship. This sector, called the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal">“third sector”</i> in the book “The Emergence of Social Enterprise”, has been growing at a very high pace even through the current economic downturn. Definition of social entrepreneurship has changed over time. From corporate philanthropy to non-profit and now to self-sustainability, Social Entrepreneurship has evolved and will keep evolving with time and needs of the world.</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify">But the major challenge that Social Entrepreneurship faces today is the definition of the goals and the objectives. Unlike the corporate sector where the achievements are clearly defined and roles identified, it’s seldom to be seen in the social sector. Organizations like SEWA are content to provide employment to the women in downtrodden areas of India, but do not have any goals in terms of the number of employed women or the average salaries, if these parameters can be justified as relevant goals in the first place. Nevertheless, this challenge doesn’t hamper the progress of the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal">third sector</i> but infact makes it more challenging for the entrepreneurs to explore.</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify">The above flow of thoughts can be summarized by approving the fact that intention is a critical parameter to distinguish between the two forms of entrepreneurship – Social and Business.</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify">(Originally published at Youth Ki Awaaz, <a href="http://www.youthkiawaaz.com/2010/01/emergence-and-growth-of-social.html">http://www.youthkiawaaz.com/2010/01/emergence-and-growth-of-social.html</a>)</p>ArUn ShArMahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10486166351251328648noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6822283467229217118.post-66219360729935911822009-12-18T08:39:00.000-08:002009-12-18T08:41:42.467-08:00Strategic Philanthropy: The new mantra<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify">On one side where strategy is usually understood as a plan of action to achieve specific goals, philanthropy essentially is a symbol of giving, possibly to charity. But these days, there is a buzz in the corporate world, besides Copenhagen. And the new buzzword is Strategic Philanthropy. While Milton Friedman insisted decades ago that the only purpose of existence of the companies is to generate profits for its shareholders, the socially conscious global citizens of 21<sup>st</sup> century are ready to turn that statement up on its head. In the present times, the shareholders are considered nothing but gamblers in the market whose expectations, if turned into corporate strategy, will translate into Only Profit, Full Stop. But it is good to see that the social awareness is increasingly becoming popular in the corporate sector.</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify">Whereas the Networking Academy initiative by Cisco provides an example of how a corporation can contribute to the social upliftment along with increasing its top line, the shift made by BP from oil based revenues to renewable sources marks the beginning of Sustainable Corporate Practices. These practices challenge the assumptions made by the corporate to earn maximum profits to be able to earn more profits and so on. It gives a fresh perspective and meaning to the business and the way its owners conduct business. </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify">But there is a very disturbing trend that I’ve observed happening in the corporate world. There is an interesting corollary developing between the phase of the company’s operations and the quantum of philanthropy that it gets into. Companies like BP, Philips, Cisco, Microsoft and likes that existed for decades, realized the importance of philanthropy very recently after they reached the maturity stage of their lifecycle. As I mentioned in a previous article as well, philanthropy shouldn’t be focused on creating business for the company, it should be the by-product of a bigger goal. Very few companies like Hershey’s in US and Tata Group in India were established to serve the larger purpose of existence of the business. While capitalism aims to create a social equality by providing everyone an equal opportunity to earn, the difference between the highest and the lowest compensation in some US firms is as high as 400 times! In such a scenario, expecting these executives to spend on selfless philanthropy is a deadly assumption. </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify">At the same time, I do not want to appear like a cynic of the intentions of the corporate houses. I fully support the new corporate funda of giving back to the society but only after ensuring that is has enough to give back to the society. As Michael E. Porter summed it all up in one of his articles in HBR, the companies can position themselves to gain edge over other competitors by strategically implementing their competitive advantage in their CSR measures.</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify">Hence, there is no denying the fact that Strategic Philanthropy will definitely be the future of CSR, provided the corporates do not put the cart before the horse.</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal">Arun Sharma<o:p></o:p></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><b>(Originally published on <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal; "><a href="http://spjcmstudentblog.blogspot.com/">http://spjcmstudentblog.blogspot.com/</a>)</span></b></p>ArUn ShArMahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10486166351251328648noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6822283467229217118.post-30930175331523877902009-10-21T05:05:00.000-07:002009-10-21T05:06:46.671-07:00Why not to have quota based voting?<p class="MsoNormal">This issue popped up in my mind some time back when I heard our new HRD minister Dr. Kapil Sibal talk about having quotas for OBCs in private institutions. It’s not that I was amazed at this U-Turn by Mr. Sibal on the issue of quotas (He was one of the few from government to criticize Arjun Singh’s quota policy.). I have understood by now that you can never trust a politician. But this news item triggered a thought in my mind that when the government is keen to divide the society on the basis of castes, as opposed to what it SHOULD be doing, why doesn’t it allocate a quota to the voting as well? </p> <p class="MsoNormal">Here’s a proposition for quota-based voting in India. Let’s have 27% quota for OBCs, 33% for women, 15% for SCs, 10% for Muslims, 5% for Christians and 5% for others. Remaining 5% might be allocated to the General Category but only if Mr. Sibal and his government think that GC are intelligent enough to chose a government. If they decide to move ahead with their existing argument that GC people have EXCESSIVE advantage over other castes and categories of people, they might take away this Extra-ordinary right as well. </p> <p class="MsoNormal">But just imagine what will happen after this quota allocation. 27% of the whisky bottles for elections will be distributed among OBCs leading to nation-wide strikes by SCs to increase their quota. The Election Commission of India will issue a charge-sheet against <span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Mr. Lallu for exceeding the quota of SCs and OBCs in his rallies. Mayawati will be awarded the “Best Politician” award for showing most respect towards the quota system and the quickest implementation in her state. Mulayam will be put behind bars for having 25% muslims in his party against the quota of 10%. And BJP will be banned for defying the entire Quota regime. Congress will still remain the Most Secular Party in India with strict adherence to quotas.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">So, while the GC citizens will be downgraded to third-class citizens, India will develop as the Most Secular Nation on the planet with Quotas for everyone. </p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold; ">AS</span></o:p></p>ArUn ShArMahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10486166351251328648noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6822283467229217118.post-23738676837668755812009-10-07T05:28:00.000-07:002009-10-07T05:29:43.490-07:00The progress report!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigtNgIRByC-EyEPOmfEA2xsjucYdphN9UVtP2G9CVL3zUlf4Ujj54eRs-UUNjrR7hlgYzltng9RG2HxfMqFR5DzvjI5-uJM4UfohyphenhyphenrSszJ2iv9uLwvFBKT1VKmbdTojVJR0D8obllQtSVG/s1600-h/Untitled.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 194px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigtNgIRByC-EyEPOmfEA2xsjucYdphN9UVtP2G9CVL3zUlf4Ujj54eRs-UUNjrR7hlgYzltng9RG2HxfMqFR5DzvjI5-uJM4UfohyphenhyphenrSszJ2iv9uLwvFBKT1VKmbdTojVJR0D8obllQtSVG/s320/Untitled.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5389834241049533106" /></a>ArUn ShArMahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10486166351251328648noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6822283467229217118.post-2819561734887211902009-09-14T05:47:00.000-07:002009-09-14T05:50:45.707-07:00Part 3: Review of Chapter 3: BOP: A Global OpportunityWorking towards providing a solution in real terms for the MNCs to help them target their products at BOP market, Prahalad has taken the first step in this chapter. In this chapter, he has talked about the drawbacks of the existing strategies of the company and the hurdles that they have to cross to tap the largely potential BOP market. In this chapter, he argues about the four sources of opportunity for large firms to invest in BOP markets:<br />1. Large customer base.<br />2. Local innovations can be globalized<br />3. BOP solutions can be used in developed markets<br />4. BOP markets can change management practices<br />The first thing that is talked about is the traditional approach of the companies to develop products for the BOP markets. Very truly, Prahalad has argued that the companies have been making some modification here and there and doing some fine-tuning to the products and services for developed markets to serve the BOP markets. This approach is definitely a recipe for failure because the requirements of the BOP customers are different from those of the upper end customers. In such a case, the big firms should find innovative solutions for the BOP customers, which can then be transported to similar markets in the world.<br />Another advantage of developing solutions specifically for the BOP markets is the innovation required for these products. As mentioned in previous chapters, BOP customers are conscious about value-for-money. So, to cut down the costs exponentially but maintaining the level of service, breakthrough innovations are imperative. As Prahalad says, <span style="font-style:italic;">“The BOP can be a source of innovations for not only products and processes, but business models as well.”</span><br />But a major hurdle to the shift in paradigm is the steep learning curve that the firms will have to undergo. As is quoted in the book, <span style="font-style:italic;">“MS Banga, CEO of HLL suggests that the real challenge in BOP markets is that managers have to cope with the “I curve”.”</span> Traditionally, the firms have been following a S-shaped learning curve, but to bring in innovation for serving the BOP markets, they need to pace up the innovation process and the curve has to be a much steeper I-curve. <br />If the companies are able to cross this hurdle of fast innovation cycle, the resulting innovations could be used not only in the local BOP market, but for similar markets across the globe. Solutions to the BOP problems like Iodine Deficiency Disorder have been served through this approach only where the solution was taken from India to Ivory Coast, Kenya and Tanzania. Similarly, the innovations of Jaipur Foot and Aravind Eye Care have been studied across the world and replicated wherever possible. Apart from the global application of the BOP solutions, these solutions can even be implemented to the upper end of the market because these innovative products provide more value-for-money and ensure lesser wastage of resources.<br />The major lessons that the MNCs can learn from the BOP markets are<br />1. Capital Intensity: High R&D and selling expenses can be a big challenge to the current assets of the firms while trying to capture the BOP markets.<br />2. Sustainable Development: Minimal wastage of resources and continuous strive for higher efficiency are imperative to keep the costs to the minimum.<br />3. Innovations: <span style="font-style:italic;">“Innovations must become ‘value-oriented’ from the consumer’s perspective. The BOP focuses attention on both the objective and subjective performances of the product or service.”</span><br />4. Self Help Groups: Business management skills, technology and contacts can be pushed down to the grassroots level.<br />In the end, Prahalad emphasizes that through this process of transformation, the large corporate and MNCs will eventually learn to transform their ideals of good corporate citizenship and social responsibility into their core business.ArUn ShArMahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10486166351251328648noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6822283467229217118.post-70107492885967983582009-09-07T10:33:00.000-07:002009-09-07T10:37:18.912-07:00Part 2: Review of Chapter 2: Products and Services for the BOPThe second chapter of the book (CK Prahalad’s “The Fortune at the Bottom of the Pyramid”) talks primarily about the product innovation strategies that the companies should develop to serve the BOP customers. Prahalad emphasizes the fact that <span style="font-style:italic;">“the basic economics of the BOP market are based on small unit packages, low margin per unit, high volumes and high return on capital employed”</span> as opposed to the top of the pyramid. To make the retailing for BOP consumers feasible, Prahalad suggests that the products and processes need to be developed through the process of innovation. For product innovation, he suggests twelve principles which are briefed below.<br /><br />1. High price performance or value-for-money<br />2. Hybrid solutions with cutting edge technologies<br />3. Scalable and transportable solutions across countries<br />4. Effective resource utilization<br />5. Rethinking of functionality<br />6. Process innovations<br />7. Deskilling<br />8. Education to customers by creative media<br />9. Products for hostile environment<br />10. Research on interface<br />11. Accessibility of innovation<br />12. Rapid feature and functional evolution<br /><br />Prahalad claims that these twelve principles cover all the industries but every industry might not find every step very useful. So, the companies or organizations that are targeting the BOP markets, should pick and chose the principles that are applicable to their particular industry.<br />Quite ironically, none of these principles seems to focus on collaboration among the private sector players to provide innovative solution packages to the BOP customers. Collaboration and Co-optation are the two important tools for marketing the products in the BOP markets. A television set cannot be marketed to someone in the Himachal mountains unless there is no electricity and Tv tower. Neither can mobile phone be sold to a person from the rural areas of Orissa where there’s no mobile network available. Mr. Vipul Nair, Consultant, Diamond Consultants said in an interview to UTVi, <span style="font-style:italic;">“…you need electricity to charge your mobile phone, if you want to use it. (But) when electricity has not reached a place, how will the mobile telephony?” </span>So, rather than developing their own supply chains from scratch, companies should collaborate and sell their products through common supply chains. This innovation will definitely help the customers when they will get access to more products, but it’ll increase the efficiencies of the companies as well.<br />In his elaboration of the first principle, Prahalad mentioned that <span style="font-style:italic;">“Building the savings habit and giving them access to the basic building blocks of financial services must precede providing them with access to low-cost loans or rain and crop insurance.”</span> I completely agree with this point and I pointed this out in the review of the first chapter as well. Rather than sucking the blood out of the poor, BOP customers, the companies should focus on developing the living standards and providing them with jobs, before turning them into potential loyal customers. But sadly, the cart is often put before the horse in the capitalist world.<br />One issue that I raised in the previous post and that has been further re-emphasized is that issue of defining the BOP market. Prahalad has been referring the entire Indian and entire Chinese market as the BOP market, throughout his literature. On the contrary, when he defined the BOP in the beginning, he defined it on the basis of PPP. How can this irony be resolved? What is the exact size of the BOP market? It’s necessary to know for the companies before venturing into the market.<br />While talking about the sustainable development, Prahalad says that the MNCs and other big companies are in real dilemma in concern with the packaging problem. The dilemma rises out of the fact that packaging is necessary to preserve the food but recycling is not possible because of poor recollection mechanism. I have a solution for this: The companies should start offering a little discount on the next unit of a product if customer returns the packaging of the previous pack. This will have two benefits. First, the collection will become much easier from the points of sale, rather than collecting them individually from the houses. Second, the customer loyalty to the product will also be maintained and increased. I really believe that this idea can work wonders if implemented properly.<br />A major anomaly in the explanation of principles is observed where CK Prahalad says that since most of the BOP markets are media black, companies need to find creative ways to educate them about the products. In the previous chapter however, while trying to emphasize that the BOP customers have money to spend, he mentioned that 85% of households living in the slums of Dharavi (Mumbai, India) have Tv at home. I don’t know which fact to trust and how to make an opinion about it.<br />The major disappointment has occurred from the fact that all the examples in Prahalad’s text revolve around the 7-8 case studies prepared by his students and most of them come from India. Aravind Eye Care, Jaipur Foot, ITC e-<span style="font-style:italic;">choupal</span>, HLL's <span style="font-style:italic;">Shakti</span> and ICICI’s retail banking are the only examples that Prahalad seems to have relied upon for his research. The motive of reading the book from a Harvard professor to get an over-view of the efforts being made by the governments, companies, NGOs and individuals across the globe, has not been fulfilled. But at the same time, it’s a good read for the Indians who did not know that these institutions actually occurred in India and have achieved the levels of innovation that only few in the world have ever achieved.ArUn ShArMahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10486166351251328648noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6822283467229217118.post-39470611526912206902009-08-30T09:21:00.000-07:002009-08-30T09:25:16.669-07:00Part 1. Review of Chapter 1: The Market at the Bottom of the PyramidCK Prahalad, in his book <span style="font-weight:bold;">“The Fortune At The Bottom Of The Pyramid”</span> has brought up the concept of a socio-economic pyramid according to which the entire society can be divided into five parts or five tiers: Tier 1 where Purchasing Power Parity is more than USD 20,000, Tier 2 and 3 where PPP is in the range USD 15,000 – 20,000, Tier 4 with PPP of USD 1,500 and the lowest segment Tier 5 with PPP less than USD 1,500. Since the population in the Tier 4 and 5 is more double the population in the upper parts of the pyramid, this signifies a huge potential. This segment needs to be tapped, but not in the traditional ways. Prahalad emphasized on the role of the individuals and private sector in this movement that he initiated about 14 years back. Talking of the <span style="font-style:italic;">“inclusive capitalism”</span>, he says, <span style="font-style:italic;">“…private sector competition for this market will foster attention to the poor as consumers.”</span> He also challenges the traditional myth that rural population is primarily poor and the urban population is primarily richer, which, he claims, is not the truth.<br />Though I completely agree with his philosophy and respect the amount of research that he has put into this book, I still feel that the first chapter has created more questions in my mind than it has answered. In a way, that was disappointing, but at the same time, I think he might have intentionally done so, or maybe my questions will be answered in the subsequent chapters as I read on.<br />The first conflict that this chapter has created is: Will it do any real sustainable good to the society if we encourage our BOP consumers to spend all that they earn that day? In this chapter, Prahalad has argued that there is enough money at the BOP. He claims that the total GDP of 9 developing countries put together is $13 trillion (PPP adjusted) and that represents a huge potential for big companies and MNCs to invest in. It is true that currently, the BOP population is spending more if adjusted for the poverty penalty, but do we really want to uplift this market segment or try to compete for sucking this market off all the blood it has? If the current income is completely converted into current expenditure, won’t this sector be helpless in times of need? Microfinance and micro-credit have come up as very useful options for the poor, but they do not come in handy for the people who do not use them for creating a personal business. Also, Prahalad says that the poor might not want to spend on sanitation and clean water but they do spend on luxurious items and that’s where the companies should try to tap in. The conflict here is that whether he proposes a social entrepreneurship model or a business entrepreneurship one because the former will try to reverse the situation while the later will try to tap the situation as it is without paying a heal to the overall goodwill of the BOP segment.<br />The second major issue that I see with Prahalad’s argument on supply chain is: Is it economically viable to sell the products beyond Dharavi slum of Mumbai, India? Though this question has been answered in the book, the argument seems to be rotating only around the big cities which are expected to have the density of urban poor to the tune of 15,000 per hectare by 2015. He has also mentioned about the Shakti project of HLL in India which empowers the women to be entrepreneurs in their own power. But how feasible is it to tap into the markets that are far away from even the nearest towns and are sparsely populated, like the people in the North Eastern states of India or the ones residing in the hills of Himachal Pradesh in India or the ones living in the Siberian desert of Russia. Though they have been counted in the 3 billion strong potential customer base, there is no way the companies can reach there without a support from the government in terms of subsidies and tax exemption. All in all, it doesn’t make an economic sense because those dispersed markets do not have a critical mass to support an economic project. For such markets, we need to come up with some other models that are economically viable in the long run.<br />The third issue with this chapter is about the confusion that it creates about ITC’s <span style="font-weight:bold;"><span style="font-style:italic;">e-choupal</span></span> program in India. After reading this chapter, it becomes very confusing to decide whether <span style="font-style:italic;">e-choupal</span> is a philanthropic initiative taken by ITC as a part of its CSR or is it a business model as well which is benefitting the farmers to as great an extent as it is doing to ITC. If it’s a philanthropic initiative, I think Prahalad has been a bit confused because he contradicts what his own statement that “charity might feel good, but it rarely solves the problem in a scalable and suitable fashion.” If it’s just a charity, it prevents other companies to compete for technological advances in this sector. But, if it’s a business model as well, no clarification has been given on it in the chapter. I look forward to read about it in the second part of the book that has the case-study on ITC <span style="font-style:italic;">e-choupal</span>.<br />Though these arguments might seem to be a criticism of the well known professor, arguments like these will certainly end up with a better model for the overall development of the BOP and the entire pyramid.<br /><br />Arun SharmaArUn ShArMahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10486166351251328648noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6822283467229217118.post-4405299925351930192009-08-21T05:24:00.000-07:002009-08-21T05:28:23.340-07:00Delhi: A long way to go.<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjf_YRqZ3ZhKHj4DkLVjreDh-d955IrsTy5jzUiVJMvKaht3gLfiJ9PLvWxQtREchL1__XJrV75Mc5Qs0O14HbMyI9rGzzEz96CWgngLPx4F7TdVN3qjIs4aGAxEeTRZfYKUBeDPlXcnRA9/s1600-h/pb241142-2.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjf_YRqZ3ZhKHj4DkLVjreDh-d955IrsTy5jzUiVJMvKaht3gLfiJ9PLvWxQtREchL1__XJrV75Mc5Qs0O14HbMyI9rGzzEz96CWgngLPx4F7TdVN3qjIs4aGAxEeTRZfYKUBeDPlXcnRA9/s320/pb241142-2.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5372392735957240866" /></a><br />It’s really difficult to understand the relevance of the claims made by Mr. Kalmadi and Ms. Sheila Dixit about ‘successfully’ holding the Commonwealth games in Delhi next year. We do not have the stadia ready to play, we do not have the audience to watch sports apart from Cricket, we do not have the roads to carry the tourists across the city and we do not have the buses to do so. In such a case, how do we make the claims to hold Commonwealth Games in India and are bold enough to bid for Olympics.<br />A short stint of 4.5 months in Dubai was enough to change my perception on India Shining. A GDP growth rate of 6% and the ability to fight the inflation did not have any impact on the actual condition of India. Through this post, I do not intend to criticize and re-criticize the government for its failure in bringing up the talent to the forefront, but I’ll pick up three most grieving problems faced by Delhi to attract foreign tourists and businesses. I end this blog with three recommendations for the government and the citizens to start the change process and give a speed to it.<br />The first and the foremost factor is the portrayal of the image of India. I landed at New Delhi IGI Airport and the first sight was old, stressed out baboos sitting at the immigration counter, handling the foreign tourists and creating the proverbial first impression on them. The moment I came out of the airport, the scene outside was even worse. There was a long queue at the pre-paid taxi counter that was shattered itself. After standing in queue for 15 minutes, I got the receipt for the taxi but no taxi number and nobody to tell me where to get the taxi from. As if that wasn’t enough, the taxi itself was in a broken condition with foam coming out of the seats, rear view mirror missing and seat belt just tied at one end. And if you get a chance to travel by train in the morning, you’ll see people doing their chores besides the railway tracks making India the butt of the joke.<br />The second serious problem faced by Delhi today is the road traffic control system. Delhi-NOIDA express way was created to showcase India’s prowess in the road transportation but despite the wide, high-speed roads, the toll-gate has done the damage by making the cars wait for long times. Though I am proud of the DMRC project in the city, but the traffic hassles that it has been creating for the last 6-7 years have been a major headache. The temporary roads that have been built as bypass to the metro-line have been built in a very bad condition as if the responsibility for travelling on temporary roads lies with the drivers and not with the authorities. At traffic lights, it becomes evident that there’s no lane system existing in Delhi, whatever are the claims of the Delhi traffic control authorities.<br />Third major problem faced by Delhi is the safety of its citizens, especially at night. Every other day, we read a couple of news of murder in some corner of Delhi or a rape in the other. Night life is pathetic, to say the least, in Delhi and the only reason is the security issue. People don’t feel safe to come out of their houses at night, even for a walk. And foreigners are the least protected of the entire lot because of their naiveté about India.<br />Given these basic problems, apart from the administrative, bureaucratic and sports issues, how does Delhi claim to be in control of the situation and sure enough to be able to hold the Commonwealth games in 2010?<br />Coming to the solution part, there are three basic things that Delhi needs to focus on, rather than beating around the bush with same old policies leading to absolutely nowhere. <br />The first thing that Delhi needs is the role clarity between the Center government’s responsibilities and the State government’s. Not long ago, the state and central governments were from different parties and one could see a constant blame game going on between the two for the responsibilities of the safety of citizens, public transportation, power supply, water supply and other basic infrastructural facilities. Even now, it’s not clear whether the Indian Olympics Association (IOA) needs to tighten the state government for certain facility requirements or the Center govt. Before we move on to ensure a Developed Delhi, we need to sit for a while and draw clear lines of responsibilities.<br />The second important step to be taken by the Indian government is to ensure a better road network and a planned expansion of the same. Just like the Andhra Pradesh government, Delhi govt needs to take some bold steps to expand the road network within the city at a much faster pace than it has been doing. Roads in Old Delhi need to be broadened and new roads to be added, even if it means purchasing the land from the residents of the area. The Delhi-Gurgaon flyover system was planned to take on the traffic for next 20 years, but it has already been clogged up with traffic jams and long queues. Proper traffic planning needs to be put into place before mindlessly creating new roads. The BRTS system has faced so much resistance from the local public because this system created another barrier in the already bad traffic condition of the capital. A centralized support system for the public transportation should be set in place to help the non-residents of Delhi. In the nutshell, the master plan for the city or Delhi Vision 2020 should be created for Delhi and every department should be aligned to work towards the same.<br />My last recommendation to the Delhi government will be to shift as fast as possible from the man-oriented governance system to e-governance. I really appreciate the <span style="font-style:italic;"><span style="font-weight:bold;">Bhagidari</span></span> initiative of Delhi govt. under the supervision of Ms. Sheila Dixit, but this initiative needs to be more inclusive in approach. E-governance should not only be focused at the citizens or residents of Delhi, but it should also be targeted at making the stay of the tourists as comfortable as possible. E-governance should help the citizens to fill in the bills online, file complaints against public offices, get to know the bus routes, know about the decisions of the government, know about the plans for Delhi’s development, rules and regulations prevalent in Delhi and other needed support for the residents of and visitors to Delhi.<br />I think these three solutions will form the base for the Delhi government to start its further development towards proving itself as the capital of the next super-power of the world. Once developed in Delhi, the same model can also be implemented in other cities in India that suffer the problems similar to New Delhi’s.<br />But before putting it all on the government, I must say that nothing can be fruitful if the citizens of the country will not support the system. Any initiative of the government needs an encouragement and acceptance in right spirit by the residents. Only then will we be able to create a Shining Delhi and Shining India.ArUn ShArMahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10486166351251328648noreply@blogger.com15tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6822283467229217118.post-16578738871638417062009-07-09T16:17:00.000-07:002009-07-10T13:36:03.804-07:00Opportunity at the Bottom of the Pyramid ???<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKtrfs7HDbqo1KFRPXH00qDC44OwyFim-F1EyaGjU-xTL89Au9WyBBGuCn-KpjH4Ar7RIF4sz388tPqtreH_zrdqsokLabBaFZME0oEqYXQ3MJmdw0wBKIbbEB4L-ru1uF9jSKrJuNwgzE/s1600-h/10_rural-image.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKtrfs7HDbqo1KFRPXH00qDC44OwyFim-F1EyaGjU-xTL89Au9WyBBGuCn-KpjH4Ar7RIF4sz388tPqtreH_zrdqsokLabBaFZME0oEqYXQ3MJmdw0wBKIbbEB4L-ru1uF9jSKrJuNwgzE/s320/10_rural-image.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5356604575489803970" /></a><br />Opportunity at the Bottom of the Pyramid – CK Prahalad proposed the idea and many of us cashed upon it. The “Business Pandits” of the world like Mr. Prahalad, say that the opportunity exists in emerging markets like India and there too, in the rural markets of India. My point of dissatisfaction with this approach is with treating the rural population as target market and not as a means to ensure a fair distribution of wealth.<br />The major indicator of India’s financial intents is the Annual Budget of India. The Finance Minister of India, Mr. Pranav Mukherjee presented the budget on 6th July 10, 2009 and spelled out a budget that clearly revolved around the single point agenda of the upliftment of the Bottom of The Pyramid. Increased allocations for JNNURM (Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission) and NREGS (National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme) are just a few indicators of this approach. Another important step taken by government is to subsidize the communication infrastructure set-up in rural India to ensure a faster reach.<br />Any considerate citizen of India would’ve appreciated this approach of India, Inc. to pave a path for the rural population of India to reap the same benefits as the urban population. Infosys Chief Mentor, Mr. Narayan Murthy appreciated the Finance Minister by saying, “heart of the UPA is in Inclusive Growth.”1 Through budget focus on agricultural growth by fertilizer policy and credit availability to the farmers at low interest rate, it has been tried to create an equated society of India. <br />But then why at the end of the day, Sensex (Bombay Stock Exchange Index) fell by 6% in a single day? And why has every other person from the industry criticized the approach adopted by Indian government? Why has the approach of India to make a rich brother help his poor brother been criticized by the “Industry Experts”? Why did The Wall Street Journal regard this budget as “A Budget for Second-Tier Developing Nation”2 ? Why would The Financial Times pass judgments about the Finance Minister by saying, “one would expect him to at least balance the politics”3 ?<br />I see only one reason for this – Expectation of immediate gains. In May alone, the FII to the Bombay Stock Exchange went up by $ 4.14 bn4 on the hopes of immediate gains when their economies back home were not stable and needed the cash badly for revival. But excess “money attracts more money” is the rule. So, the business logic makes sense only when it adds to itself – doesn’t matter what the country needs. And they expected Indian government to pave a path for them to realize their short term objectives, which obviously did not happen and the stock markets plummeted.<br />There is a major problem with the idea that all these organizations agree with – the fact that the “Opportunity lies at the Bottom of the Pyramid” where everybody looks at them just as potential customers. Several NGOs work at the grassroot level to take the benefits of government policies to the real beneficiaries. Not to miss out that the corporate also contribute to this, but only from a single perspective of “Tapping the untapped markets” or being “Prime-movers in markets of no-competition”. Never has any business organization thought about the welfare of the society in general and not as customers.<br />Why I am so against the “mutual benefit” theory of the Corporate Social Responsibility? The reason is that there is always an Information Asymmetry in Urban-Rural interaction and hence, there cannot be an equal “mutual benefit” for the corporates and rural population. And in such a case, it is the prerogative of the government to provide essential infrastructure to the rural population (and urban poor) to bring them at par.<br />So, the opportunity indeed lies at the bottom of the pyramid but let’s not consider them just a Market but a part of the family that we left behind in the run for money.<br /><br />References:<br /> <br />1 “FM did a good job: Narayana Murthy”, The Economic Times, http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/FM-did-a-good-job-Narayana-Murthy/videoshow/4744647.cms<br />2. “A Budget for a Second-Tier Developing Nation”, By PAUL BECKETT, JULY 6, 2009, The Wall Street Journal, http://online.wsj.com/article/SB124687522344399695.html<br />3. “India’s Budget lacks a reform agenda”, By John Elliott, July 6 2009, The Financial Times, http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0be648c2-6a2c-11de-ad04-00144feabdc0<br />4. “India is now flooded with $1billion per week”, by Swaminathan S Anklesaria Aiyar, June 7, 2009, The Times of India<br /><br />Copyright © 2009, Arun Sharma. All Rights Reserved.ArUn ShArMahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10486166351251328648noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6822283467229217118.post-26529672837838706582009-07-02T14:41:00.000-07:002009-07-10T13:35:12.027-07:00Corporate Social Responsibility: The Change MechanismDuring a training session, the trainer asked us to close our eyes and think about a machine. He asked us to think about its surroundings, its vicinity, the people around it and everything else around it. Then he asked us to open our eyes and tell him what each one of us saw. All of us had different answers for the machines but the answer for its vicinity was the same – a factory churning out smoke and filthy water. When asked about the people in the vicinity, most of us saw workers working on those machines in heat and sweat, but the owners sitting in air-conditioned rooms supervising the work from there. <br />I am not of the view that the companies have not changed from this scenario to a much better one, but what has not changed is the perception of a factory in the minds of the people. A common man still believes that a business house can never do any good to the mankind and the owners of the companies care only about the profits. To some extent this is true as well. To change this perception of the people about the companies, the leading business houses of the world have pioneered to become Corporate Citizens and perform Corporate Social Responsibility.<br />Bringing about a sudden change in the minds of people is very difficult. And what’s even tougher is to measure the magnitude of change that the efforts have brought about. For instance, it is difficult to measure how many voters in India voted due to the awareness created by Jaago Re campaign by Tata Tea. Similarly, it is not possible to measure the amount of Critical Thinking induced in the students of New York City by the iSchool initiative of Cisco. <br />So, how should the companies change the perception of people about the companies? I propose a three step process:<br />• Work with and work for the people<br />The mission statement of Shell reads as ‘To safely market and distribute energy and petrochemical products while offering innovative value added services.’ Similarly, the vision statement of Citi Institutional Consulting says, ”We believe that excellence in consulting requires client advocacy and stewardship, a passion for leading-edge investment solutions and the delivery of experienced consulting services in a way that helps us exceed our clients’ expectations every day.”1 Though there’s nothing wrong with this mission and vision, but none of them talks about the environment that they are operating in or the people whose lives are being affected by their operations but who are not their ‘clients’. To transform into a responsible Corporate Citizen, the first step is to orient the company towards a people-oriented organization that works to solve the problems of the society. For instance, the vision of Philips Electronics is, “In a world where complexity increasingly touches every aspect of our daily lives, we will lead in bringing sense and simplicity to people.”2 <br /><br />• Empower the down-trodden, don’t pity them<br />It has always been a notion among the people to HELP the down-trodden sector of the society as a part of the CSR initiative. Many organizations do this through donations to charities, direct donation to the people and sponsorship programs. But sadly, this category of initiatives doesn’t do any good to the society in the long run. Infact, they lay a foundation for a dependent community and hence a dependent country. As Ms. Sharmila Katre puts it, Corporate Social Responsibility is about empowerment, and does not mean ‘giving’ but ‘encouraging, developing, nurturing and sustaining’.3 Initiatives like ‘Cloth for Work’ and ‘School to School’ run by Goonj.. (www.goonj.info) in New Delhi are perfect examples of the type of CSR programs that should be executed by the corporate houses. These will not only empower the people at the bottom of the pyramid but also create a potential customer base or atleast a valid referral for the companies and thereby act as powerful change agents for the perception change discussed earlier in the article.<br /><br />• Build a brand, not a trademark<br />Companies need to be very careful in assessing the impact of the projects taken up by them or the business deals undertaken by them. It takes years to build a brand that represents trust and confidence but one wrong move brings the process of change to a halt. Tata, for example, is undoubtedly the most trusted brand in India and represents the most philanthropic business house- Tata Sons. But Greenpeace International has claimed that the port being built by Tata Steel at Dhamra is a serious threat to the turtles’ nesting grounds and the issue has been done a serious damage to the image of Tatas in India.4 So, while trying to bring about a change in the perceptions of people, the organizations should carefully select the projects keeping all the stakeholders in confidence and working for the mutual benefit for all of them.<br />Corporate Social Responsibility as a business model is still in its nascent stages and is a developing form of business. Still, the seriousness of the regulatory bodies all over the world, the legislations and the corporate governance policies of the governments indicate that CSR will emerge as the major agent of change for the corporate image.<br />ARUN SHARMA<br /><br /> 1. ‘Mission, Vision and Values’, Citi Institutional Consulting, http://www.citi.com/investconsulting/homepage/mission.htm<br /> 2. ‘Vision and Strategy’, Koninklijke Philips Electronics, http://www.philips.com/about/company/missionandvisionvaluesandstrategy/index.page<br /> 3. ‘CSR - Philanthropy or Empowerment’, by Sharmila Katre, Published on 'Third Eyesight' at http://thirdeyesight.in/blog/tag/corporate-social-responsibility/page/2/<br /> 4. ‘Don't let TATA terminate the turtles’, Greenpeace India, http://www.greenpeace.org/india/news/don-t-let-tata-terminate-the-turtles<br /><br />Copyright © 2009, Arun Sharma. All Rights Reserved.ArUn ShArMahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10486166351251328648noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6822283467229217118.post-60787530973940511342009-04-28T14:52:00.000-07:002009-07-10T13:34:09.845-07:00The Art of LovingAh! So finally here’s a topic that’s close to my heart and hopefully yours as well- The Art of Loving. Love is a word that has different connotation for everyone. It might be the smile of a dear friend for one while it can be the blessings of the parents for the other. Love might be a lot of money for me but for you, it might be a smiling baby calling you Maa. And pretty obviously, love for a teenaged guy can be the girlfriend (or girlfriends, whichever is applicable!) or the boyfriend (if you are in US!). Don’t the Emotions seem to have one thing in common- the power of defying the logic? Why is love not logical? Why is it an Art?<br /> Before we discuss why is Love an Art, let’s try to understand Art first. R.G. Collingwood was of the view that “art expresses emotions, and that the work of art therefore essentially exists in the mind of the creator.” Emotions are the outputs of complex algorithms running in billions of the neurons in our minds interacting with each other through trillions of dendrites sending electric pulses that represent the impact of the previous experiences and the state of mind. Huh! But what is Art? Collingwood has already said that “Art expresses emotions.” So, in effect, Art is the output on canvas, of complex algorithms running in billions of the neurons in our minds interacting with each other through trillions of dendrites sending electric pulses that represent the impact of the previous experiences and the state of mind. Wow! Now when we know what an art is, let’s try to find out why is love an art?<br />Not that quick buddy, there are some more questions lined up for you. Don’t worry, you’ll find your answers from these questions only. Why do you cross countries for just a kiss? (Trust me, people do that!) Have you ever noticed a mother talking to her infant baby in babbles that have no meaning at all in Logical terms, but still Loving it to the best? Isn’t it easy to say those three words (“I Love You”) to girlfriend than your wife? (Married readers will agree with me.) Now the million dollar question: Why is Love an Art? And why did I choose my topic as The Art Of Loving? Try answering the questions above and discuss it with your friend and you’ll find some different answer, for sure. And that’s the reason we do not have 2+2=4 in love. In love, 2+2 can be 8 (naughty minds!) or 2. Love amplifies itself when its receiver- the heart- receives the positive signals. Love develops an unknown connection with someone whom you never knew and didn’t have any prior information about. Love isn’t a technology that you can buy and use. Neither is it a science where you can calculate the right amount of smile and the body language that you would use to develop a particular kind of relation with someone (not necessarily the opposite sex). Love is abstract and love is shapeless. It has no boundaries, no definitions and no characteristics. It happens at the click of a moment and then lives there deep in your heart forever.<br />And that it happens to everyone in different ways, is the reason why it’s an art.<br /><br />Copyright © 2009, Arun Sharma. All Rights ReservedArUn ShArMahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10486166351251328648noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6822283467229217118.post-91472506215297036092009-03-23T00:25:00.000-07:002009-03-23T00:27:28.438-07:00Go and Votehttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uNPzXw648hAArUn ShArMahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10486166351251328648noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6822283467229217118.post-6689608961283703112009-03-13T09:16:00.000-07:002009-03-13T09:30:36.939-07:00No Criminals Please!!!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwmRrvnrvvOkkKRjOSWeCG9g02nmZ-Zo9GAtr9jHnXJxg3dR8fMvCKEsqFAIf48EtNCeh8dhn2777dJPO6D_SATuD6o5LtsXglad-1iT24-I5PMEa6JixjOKOLf6Vo4LjfE9-fSDNxbg52/s1600-h/nc_logo.gif"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 99px; height: 101px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwmRrvnrvvOkkKRjOSWeCG9g02nmZ-Zo9GAtr9jHnXJxg3dR8fMvCKEsqFAIf48EtNCeh8dhn2777dJPO6D_SATuD6o5LtsXglad-1iT24-I5PMEa6JixjOKOLf6Vo4LjfE9-fSDNxbg52/s320/nc_logo.gif" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5312710554127179426" border="0" /></a><br />A brilliant campaign by Times of India- LeadIndia, has forced me to tell you people about it. For long period now, we've been crying about the fate of India whose administration is governed by a group of criminals, black-marketeers, uneducated but cunning politicians. But when was the last time when we realised that the reason for this entire thing was none other than we ourselves? Had we opted to vote for the right person, or atleast to vote, the situation would've been entirely different. I am really amazed to find that all political parties have been tying to vow the youth power this time and this was predicted atleast 5-10 years back that India will be a nation of youth by 2010. This clearly signifies that the youth of this country have to take up the responsibility now to take this nation ahead of all the other super-powers of the world. And that's possible only if our policies are in place which in turns depends upon the people who formulate them.<br />As the campaign has put it very rightly that we don't expect the political parties to put up statesmen to govern us but the least they can do is to prevent criminals from entering the politics. I don't know about other parts of the country, but my state Punjab has a tainted chief minister and deputy chief minister and I'm very ashamed of this. These crorepatis have accumulated so much of wealth using corrupt means and methods. But still we vote for them and never care about how they create the policies for our benefit and development. It's high time that we wake up and let them know that they don't deserve to be our representatives any more.<br />I urge everyone of you to be a part of this campaign and spread the word to everyone around you.<br />Every Vote Counts!<br /><br />www.nocriminals.orgArUn ShArMahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10486166351251328648noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6822283467229217118.post-22490451967618124912009-02-27T22:56:00.000-08:002009-02-27T23:04:35.823-08:00TATA Jagriti Yatra 2008I came to know about the Yatra from an official communication mail from the Corporate and I was impressed by the idea as soon as I saw the details on their website. The idea was to take 350 guys (and girls, ofcourse) in the age-bracket of 18-25 years from all over India to 18 role models spread over 12 cities across the length and breadth of the country on a train in 18 days. It seemed nothing short of a Herculean task to me because the things that can go wrong outnumbered the optimistic opinions by huge margins. But then again, it was a challenge that I was ready to accept. I knew that this is the best chance that God has given me to go around the country and to have more fun on the way, he gave me the option of choosing my company from among 349 other people- girls, boys, Marathi, Bangla, Tamils, Telugu, Punjabis, Delhites, Gujjus, scientists, journalists, entrepreneurs, Radio Jockeys, Teachers, engineers- all kinds of people. And my intuition was right, this Yatra proved to be life-changing in more than one ways. We started off from Mumbai, went to Trivandrum, then Kanyakumari, Pudduchery, Chennai, Hyderabad, Bangalore, Bhubneshwar, Jamshedpur, Lucknow, Delhi, Tilonia, Anand and back to Mumbai. Meetings with several role models, interacting with the organizing team, talking to the other yatris and discussing the issues of national importance changed the perspective of looking at life. For the first time, I realized how important is the Bottom of the Pyramid talked about by CK Prahlad (in Fortune at the Bottom of the Pyramid). People are fighting through their lives to provide cloth to the poor, to create business models for the needed, to create self-reliant economies, to preserve water, to preserve wild-life and greenery, to kill the dependence of rural India on urban India. There was a lot to see and a lot to learn.<br />A journey that began as an experiment and that finished with an imprint in the pages of history, was the journey of a lifetime for the yatris. From Kanyakumari in the south to New Delhi in the north and from Jamshedpur in the east to Tilonia in the west, the TATA Jagriti Yatra sent the message across India that Youth is the power of today and tomorrow. Not only did it bring like-minded people from as diverse backgrounds as scientists to radio jockeys, from politicians to automotive engineers, from cardiologists to social entrepreneurship students and from businessmen to social workers, together, it also enthused our morales to an unprecedented high. During the course of the Yatra, we knew that we were being changed as human beings, changed as citizens and changed as entrepreneurs. On one side where we saw R Elango from Kuttumbhakam village in Chennai working day in and day out to develop a localized self-reliant economy of villages, Anshu Gupta on the other side, was witnessed struggling hard to reach out through his organization Goonj.. to the poorest of the poor to cover their naked shivering bodies with clothes deemed to be useless. Even Dr. V from Arvind Eye Hospital at Puducherry never retires to inspire the spirit of watching India from the eyes of all Indians and Bunker Roy never pauses to provide the poor with the skill to earn food in the deserts of Rajasthan by means of his Barefoot College at Tilonia. Yatris found the story of Tata Steel and JUSCO to be as intriguing as the enthusiasm of Joe Madiath working in the tribes of Orissa. Apart from learning the key themes of self-reliance, perseverance, focused approach and economic viability, Yatra also gave me an opportunity to know the people of India from so close. We lived in the train, ate at the platforms, bathed in the washrooms, danced in the chair-cars and enjoyed every bit of it. TATA Jagriti Yatra has given me the opportunity to shed my inhibitions towards the social entrepreneurship and has given a direction and focus to my life. At 09:40 am on 11th Jan 2009 at Mumbai Central, when the train receded to its yard for the one last time, not to be seen again with the Yatra, tears trickled down the eyes of the Yatris. Wet eyes bid a final see-off to the Yatra with a promise to be the Yatris forever, to be the learners forever and to be the agents of change. For ever.<br /><br />(For you guys, I’d strongly suggest you to be a part of the Yatra next time. And guess what! I have been nominated to the Communications team and given the charge for Punjab and J&K for the NGO’s activities. The NGO is Jagriti. Go to <a title="http://www.jagritiyatra.com/" href="http://www.jagritiyatra.com/">www.jagritiyatra.com</a> for more information.)ArUn ShArMahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10486166351251328648noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6822283467229217118.post-5271030817499617612009-02-02T04:25:00.000-08:002009-02-02T04:28:00.334-08:00Naandi Foundation<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWUKpBGCvNteYfeKkykOJ7oioIp7s7FQNkP-VFA4m2uxHohhEnZ5rBruNOr2sBUrNHxVR4MlR2CV4E4RlJEZBfHI2SsGfBwkgwGwrlT4pZGULUWBB9dJiwThrQyMVueM41D4Sh0N-thmwV/s1600-h/Nandi+Foundation,+Hyderabad.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5298175657576400754" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWUKpBGCvNteYfeKkykOJ7oioIp7s7FQNkP-VFA4m2uxHohhEnZ5rBruNOr2sBUrNHxVR4MlR2CV4E4RlJEZBfHI2SsGfBwkgwGwrlT4pZGULUWBB9dJiwThrQyMVueM41D4Sh0N-thmwV/s320/Nandi+Foundation,+Hyderabad.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><div><span style="color:#000000;"></span></div><span style="color:#000000;">A unique foundation in itself, Naandi Foundation in Bangalore seems to work with a motto of “Serve and survive.” Led by Manoj Kumar since 2000, Naandi focuses on three major issues of Child Rights, Safe Drinking Water and Sustainable Livelihoods. During the visit at one of their largest kitchens in Asia, serving more than 1.5 lakh students every day on an average, we witnessed the optimized use of technology in meeting the purpose. The success story of the Naandi foundation can be adjudged from the fact that in just about 10 years of its foundation, it has spread its wings across India. The best thing about the interaction with Manoj Kumar was his clear direction and motive to have a session with us. “I agreed to have this session with 350 young entrepreneurs, not because of charity but because I hope atleast 200 of you will join the foundation…,” said Manoj. His determination of not doing anything small is shared by his team in full faith. The beauty of the Naandi foundation is that is works as a corporate and hates to call itself an NGO. Just like any other corporate, it has a focus on sustainability of business, scalability- horizontal and vertical, and earning profits. It pays its volunteers at par with the corporate world and yet, is open to any kind of scrutiny by the government. Meeting the people at Naandi emboldened my view of the difference between a Social and a Business entrepreneur – it is just the motive and the aim that differentiates the two. Whereas a Social Entrepreneur earns money and finds means to distribute it in the society, a Business Entrepreneur earns money and finds ways to multiply it.<br /><br />(Visit </span><a href="http://www.naandi.org/"><span style="color:#000000;">www.naandi.org</span></a><span style="color:#000000;"> for more information on the organization.)</span>ArUn ShArMahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10486166351251328648noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6822283467229217118.post-88129245035185729052009-02-02T02:11:00.000-08:002009-02-02T02:16:15.170-08:00<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjBLZaOixnm_G9KXXrSVYetKcEgG-saLEVhYIskh8z1Qh91WRvCcFt4GX0kLdquiWfwC2IBgrQBlF_4HWGC-OjqOUlaTKCH87dxmpSAyi_TnAQxCqO2qnDcPiw0IIeJt0Dejyzq6GhyvAb/s1600-h/New+Year+Party,+Bangalore+Platform.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5298141585511348002" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjBLZaOixnm_G9KXXrSVYetKcEgG-saLEVhYIskh8z1Qh91WRvCcFt4GX0kLdquiWfwC2IBgrQBlF_4HWGC-OjqOUlaTKCH87dxmpSAyi_TnAQxCqO2qnDcPiw0IIeJt0Dejyzq6GhyvAb/s320/New+Year+Party,+Bangalore+Platform.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBM1x7mE2RxpYgZUSYEdSrv9HVbZDhgfhhpxSLjC69MNXJAIeWVRxOT0Fb6QrhNDnxiePohyphenhyphenkKQC3rsoRu8vrBWUfPcbzedVgbuPFHNhHpSjxh3NACg45inLM5PnDJSmdC0Yyx8M9ycnwO/s1600-h/New+found+friends+at+TJY.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5298141585847438466" style="FLOAT: right; 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MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7vULmar8dq0yZg88cjyYSJgTMhkbLkC-66sd03BuXR0m-gM1J56L6W_6Ig032NqtymTC4v0e1ZRrW9Ed5VuAQ5zoZhyphenhyphenQisspUX_eG9NvbmWbWxY3zjpUukBh-vGGU5VlKCxhgM4tVRoDF/s320/A+bond+of+friendship.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div>ArUn ShArMahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10486166351251328648noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6822283467229217118.post-90336944897048275482009-01-26T07:47:00.000-08:002009-01-26T07:48:15.308-08:00Arindham Choudhary on Slumdog Millionaire<span style="color:#000000;"></span><br /><span style="color:#000000;">A phony poseur that has been made only to mock India for the viewing pleasure of the First World!!<br />The emperor's new clothes! That's "Slumdog Millionaire" for you… Five minutes into this celebrated patchwork of illogical clichés and you are struck by the jarring dialogues. The cumbersome delivery in a language which doesn't come naturally to most of the actors sounds like someone scratching on walls with one's finger nails; it ruins the possibility of a connection… Had this film been made by an Indian director, it would've been trashed as a rotting old hat, which literally stands out only because of its stench, but since the man making it happens to be from the West, we're all left celebrating the emperor's new clothes. The film borrows an undoubtedly interesting narrative style – from films like "City of God" – but then uses it to weave in a collection of clichés from the Third World's underbelly for the viewing pleasure of a First World audience. The real slumdog in the movie is not the main protagonist but India as a whole… The makers and those celebrating this movie's hard-to-spot brilliance are actually serving up India as the accidental millionaire, which in fact happens to be a slumdog… and like shameless fools we are gloating over its success without realising that it makes a caricature out of India.<br />The film does not have the sincerity and honesty of a "Salaam Bombay" or a "City of Joy" and nor does this slime covered fairy tale have the integrity or the rootedness of the above mentioned scripts, or even a "Shantaram" for that matter; the soundtrack and the performance of the child actors are the only bits in the film which live up to the hype. The real slumdogs who've hit the jackpot after wallowing in acres of human waste are the makers of this film who are now raking in millions while those court jesters who've critiqued the film and showered tributes and awards need to ask themselves why, scores of years after our independence, they still feel the need to suck up to the gora sahibs. It's not a question of xenophobia… it's definitely a well cinematographed film… but the film has no soul, especially after little Jamal has jumped off the train and become a teenager… The rest of the film is just a modern version of the West's view of India where slums, slumdogs and Bollywoodian clichés have replaced the elephants and snake charmers. It's a well made caricature of a country and a caricature can never be a Mona Lisa, for a masterpiece can't be one dimensional juxtaposition of sadistic extremes… and that's my grouse with the celebrations…<br />And I say all this not because I don't know what is India. I know its poverty and the real statistics around it a little better than most others – especially the Indian film critics who have given "Slumdog…" an average of 4 to 4.5 stars! But the fact is that the film's entire narration seems like the germination of a terribly sadistic and complex mind with the sole aim of satisfying the western idea of India – and its new found growth instincts at their cost - and it is done through a combination of illogical happenings in order to show everything in a disgustingly negative vein. Not that it doesn't exist, but it surely doesn't exist in this fictitious manner. While "Salaam Bombay" had realism, "Slumdog…" is just every scrap of dirt picked up from every corner and piled up together to try and hit back at the growing might of India. And the awards almost seem like a sadistic effort to show the world – look we knew that this was India, and these are the slumdogs we are outsourcing our jobs to. It stinks of racial arrogance and it's such a shame now on second thought to see the Indian faces – including that of the undoubted master, AR Rahman - celebrating its success. There is nothing positive about the film and it seems that a deranged sadist has painted his insecure negative self in each and every character of the movie. It illogically shows every negative thing about India happening in the protagonist's life... slums, open-air lavatories, riots, underworld, prostitution, brothels, child labour, begging, blinding and maiming of kids to make them into 'better beggars', petty peddlers, traffic jams, irresponsible call centre executives… everything apart from western pedophiles roaming around in Indian streets!! And its winning of so many awards and nominations only goes on to prove strongly that the paradigm of cinema and recognition of films are in the hands of a few retarded imperialistic minds. It's a crying shame that our media hasn't seen through this ruse and is touting "Slumdog's" nominations to claim that India is shining at the Oscars, while in fact it is lauding a film that mocks and ridicules the idea of 'India', pigeonholing its identity into the straitjacket of depraved poverty for a global audience.<br />When the West wanted Indians to embrace them and their companies to come to India and capture the lucrative markets, suddenly we had all the Indian women, some very beautiful and some not necessarily so, winning all the Miss Universe and Miss Worlds. Today, they are in a crisis and India is looking unstoppable despite its slums and poverty, and they are losing their businesses to us. Isn't it the best time to paint India as the Slumdog Millionaire?? All in all, the film is nothing but an endorsement of an erstwhile imperial mindset of the West and its blinkered vision of India. An English master has made an Indian slumdog. Don't even waste your time watching this film in the theatres. It sucks and there is nothing great in it as a film too. Amitabh Bachchan was spot on when he said that Bollywood has made far better mainstream films. Take out a DVD of one of his old films instead… </span>ArUn ShArMahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10486166351251328648noreply@blogger.com6