Recent addition to Time magazine has an interesting article on what factors account for the rise and rise of India-trained business minds, be it Vikram Pandit of CitiGroup, Ajay Banga or MasterCard, Indira Nooyi of PepsiCo, Nikesh Arora of Google or Ajit Jain of Berkshire Hathway.
Competitive and complex, India has evolved from a poorly run, centrally controlled economy into the perfect playground in which to grow a 21st century CEO. Indians think in English and we are used to multinational in our country. Indians are very adaptive and are supremely confident. The subcontinent has been global from centuries, having endured and absorbed waves of foreign colonizers, from the Mughals to Britishers. So, an Indian executive is raised in a multiethnic, multifaith and multilingual society, one nearly as diverse as the modern global market place. This kind of upbringing plays a huge role in shaping a global mindset.
India’s economic liberalization which began in 1991 was another blessing for this generation of executives. It gave them exposure to a young and fast-growing consumer market. The global competition due to globalization unleashed greater level of competition not only with international players but also with very competitive home grown players. This prepared the young executives to face the global competition and come out with the winning combination.
One of Indian manager’s great advantage is their native disadvantage: they have learned their skills in a country with huge aspirations but often faulty infrastructure. This Indian managers suit tough times, accustomed as they are to making complex systems work, even with finite resources. For Indians navigating uncertainties is an art, not a source of complaint. We have the training to deal with complexities. Growing up in a country where resources are often tight forces you to blow through the constraints and find the answer.
Indian executives tend to pay more attention to the bottom of the pyramid, or the lower-middle class as most part of the country lives around that income bracket. For any emerging market this market segment adds lot of value to the business. And understanding of that business area prepares the Indian executive for a global job really well.
Overall, the current competitive business environment in India is preparing young executives to take up more challenging top management jobs across the globe. This is a very good trend.
Sunday, July 31, 2011
Sunday, July 24, 2011
Workplace Social Networking
As social networking is catching up being essential part of our day-to-day lives, it’s apparent as how corporate sector is trying to make use of social networking to keep in touch with customers, employees and prospects.
Jive software, though hardly a household name, it is catching up on its social-flavored web collaboration as what Facebook has done to our social networking.
Jive has about 3000 customers, including Nike, HP, Cisco and SAP. Its software is in use by 15 million employees to sync on projects with co-workers, vendors and customers. It offers blogs, user profiles, Twitter like status updates, Wiki-like document sharing and a ‘what matters’ news feed of all the people and projects you are following. People can also share and tag pictures, video and other contents.
So, how Jive is different than Facebook?
Its ability to work like an Enterprise Social Network software is what makes Jive more standout when comes to cluttered social networking area. It does much more than Linkedin (Linkedin’s revenue model is different and it aims at targeting recruitment process and provides leads for hiring process) and provides enterprise look to Facebook/Twitter.
Jive is not without competition, Microsoft and IBM have software collaboration tools which have more or less with same features.
But for now Jive has first mover advantage and is doing well.
Jive software, though hardly a household name, it is catching up on its social-flavored web collaboration as what Facebook has done to our social networking.
Jive has about 3000 customers, including Nike, HP, Cisco and SAP. Its software is in use by 15 million employees to sync on projects with co-workers, vendors and customers. It offers blogs, user profiles, Twitter like status updates, Wiki-like document sharing and a ‘what matters’ news feed of all the people and projects you are following. People can also share and tag pictures, video and other contents.
So, how Jive is different than Facebook?
Its ability to work like an Enterprise Social Network software is what makes Jive more standout when comes to cluttered social networking area. It does much more than Linkedin (Linkedin’s revenue model is different and it aims at targeting recruitment process and provides leads for hiring process) and provides enterprise look to Facebook/Twitter.
Jive is not without competition, Microsoft and IBM have software collaboration tools which have more or less with same features.
But for now Jive has first mover advantage and is doing well.
A day spent in thoughts!!
I took couple of training sessions last week; it took me out of present tense and one day of weekend spent in the thought process and old memories.
By and large, ours is a teacher’s family, most of my relatives/cousins are teachers, lecturers or in education department.
I myself was taking tuition classes during my graduation to support myself and my engineering expenses. I like this profession a lot and have a normal tendency to be associated with students.
I kept on thinking, what I would have been if I were not in to this software industry. I bet you, I would have been a teacher or lecturer. I can’t think of any other profession!
But, life is a trajectory which always surprises you and takes turn when you think I took control of it. Sum of all the consequences is what we finally end up being.
Everything is a predestined in life, whatever supposed to happen will happen, and only that happens which is supposed to happen!
By and large, ours is a teacher’s family, most of my relatives/cousins are teachers, lecturers or in education department.
I myself was taking tuition classes during my graduation to support myself and my engineering expenses. I like this profession a lot and have a normal tendency to be associated with students.
I kept on thinking, what I would have been if I were not in to this software industry. I bet you, I would have been a teacher or lecturer. I can’t think of any other profession!
But, life is a trajectory which always surprises you and takes turn when you think I took control of it. Sum of all the consequences is what we finally end up being.
Everything is a predestined in life, whatever supposed to happen will happen, and only that happens which is supposed to happen!
Sunday, July 17, 2011
What is life?
What is life after all?
It’s about 100 grams of toddler, 300 grams of childhood, another 300 grams of youth, 200 grams of maturity, 150 grams of old age?
It is about very few liters of happiness, few liters of sadness, few liters of disappointment, half liter achievement, few milliliters of success, and few liters of fight to achieve few milliliters of success?
Krishna says in Bhagavad-Gita: it is not possible to understand life as whole; we can only understand a part of it.
So, why try understanding it? Let it be complex!!
It’s about 100 grams of toddler, 300 grams of childhood, another 300 grams of youth, 200 grams of maturity, 150 grams of old age?
It is about very few liters of happiness, few liters of sadness, few liters of disappointment, half liter achievement, few milliliters of success, and few liters of fight to achieve few milliliters of success?
Krishna says in Bhagavad-Gita: it is not possible to understand life as whole; we can only understand a part of it.
So, why try understanding it? Let it be complex!!
Agriculture Growth of India: Do it like Gujarat
In the 60 years since independence Indian agriculture has recorded an average growth rate of 2.7 percent. In last 30 years the rate has been slightly more than 3 percent, well below the target of 4 percent.
It is striking that the agriculture in seven sizable states (Gujarat, Chhattisgarh, Rajasthan, Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh and Orissa) grew faster than four percent between 2000-01 and 2007-08. The star performer is Gujarat clocking eight percent, nearly triple the national average.
IIM Ahmadabad professor Ravindra Dholakia studied the trajectory of this growth. Broadly speaking Prof Dholakia lists six factors which helped Gujarat to grow faster:
• A sustained program of water conservation and management.
• A massive and well-coordinated extension effort
• A successful overhaul of rural electricity distribution
• A strong emphasis non-food crops like horticulture
• Sustained and comprehensive support to livestock development
• Major revamping of agriculture supporting infrastructure, including roads, electricity and ports.
This case study talks in detail about each and every initiative Gujarat government took in order to improve the agriculture output.
What is really striking is, a semi-irrigated state, where major part land is desert and land is not real fertile compared to few other states; it is really exceptional that the state government has done a complete overhaul of the situation.
It’s also important to note, Gujarat is also ahead in industry development, export business and it has developed itself as a transportation hub. It should be a good case study to other states; a sheer determination of the leadership can really change a state.
I see a big lesson of leadership and vision in this case.
It is striking that the agriculture in seven sizable states (Gujarat, Chhattisgarh, Rajasthan, Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh and Orissa) grew faster than four percent between 2000-01 and 2007-08. The star performer is Gujarat clocking eight percent, nearly triple the national average.
IIM Ahmadabad professor Ravindra Dholakia studied the trajectory of this growth. Broadly speaking Prof Dholakia lists six factors which helped Gujarat to grow faster:
• A sustained program of water conservation and management.
• A massive and well-coordinated extension effort
• A successful overhaul of rural electricity distribution
• A strong emphasis non-food crops like horticulture
• Sustained and comprehensive support to livestock development
• Major revamping of agriculture supporting infrastructure, including roads, electricity and ports.
This case study talks in detail about each and every initiative Gujarat government took in order to improve the agriculture output.
What is really striking is, a semi-irrigated state, where major part land is desert and land is not real fertile compared to few other states; it is really exceptional that the state government has done a complete overhaul of the situation.
It’s also important to note, Gujarat is also ahead in industry development, export business and it has developed itself as a transportation hub. It should be a good case study to other states; a sheer determination of the leadership can really change a state.
I see a big lesson of leadership and vision in this case.
Sunday, July 10, 2011
Google+
The battle for the eyeballs of social media network users is intensifying, with Google launching a demo version of 'Google+' (called Google Plus), the search engine giant's renewed attempt to take on Facebook in the social networking arena.
While designing the new service, Google has kept in mind social circles, called plus circles, and a Twitter-inspired feature that resembles real-life social interactions. It allows users to selectively share information with specific groups within defined circles, rather than sharing it with all their social connections at once. One can create as many circles as one wishes to, for whatever categories one wants, adding friends and contacts simply by clicking and dragging names onto various circles.
Google is also featuring a web conferencing option, in which up to 10 people can join in simultaneously. A feature called Sparks would provide users with web content on various topics like sports or fashion, allowing the user to subscribe to categories of interest, create custom categories, and share content with friends. Google would also release Google Plus mobile apps for Android smartphones and iPhones. This would include special features like cloud-based photo storage and group messaging. With its instant upload feature, one's photos and videos automatically upload themselves to a private album on Google+. Its 'Huddle' feature turns different conversations into a group chat.
When Google launched Gmail seven years ago, people went crazy to get an invitation from peers. Though, at that time web based email service was common. In every blog and every forum, people were requesting an invitation. Now, the same is happening with Google+. It’s natural for people to get attracted to it, as it’s open only to a select few. It’s becoming like status: Hey, I have a G+ account. Some are even selling G+ invites on eBay for $0.99,
Google+ offers a huge benefit over Facebook, where everything you say is to everybody. On Google+, it’s easier to build groups or circles of different people, say family, colleagues, alumni and such, and only share content with the group you want to share it with. Google+ is a loosely stitched-together-version of existing Google services like Picasa, blogger and some influenced by Facebook. For instance, Google+’s Stream is Facebook’s News Feed, and the +1 button is an open imitation of the Facebook Like button. And + has a great usability and much more user friendly compared to any social networking site.
I am only few hours on to it, but already started liking Google+ !
While designing the new service, Google has kept in mind social circles, called plus circles, and a Twitter-inspired feature that resembles real-life social interactions. It allows users to selectively share information with specific groups within defined circles, rather than sharing it with all their social connections at once. One can create as many circles as one wishes to, for whatever categories one wants, adding friends and contacts simply by clicking and dragging names onto various circles.
Google is also featuring a web conferencing option, in which up to 10 people can join in simultaneously. A feature called Sparks would provide users with web content on various topics like sports or fashion, allowing the user to subscribe to categories of interest, create custom categories, and share content with friends. Google would also release Google Plus mobile apps for Android smartphones and iPhones. This would include special features like cloud-based photo storage and group messaging. With its instant upload feature, one's photos and videos automatically upload themselves to a private album on Google+. Its 'Huddle' feature turns different conversations into a group chat.
When Google launched Gmail seven years ago, people went crazy to get an invitation from peers. Though, at that time web based email service was common. In every blog and every forum, people were requesting an invitation. Now, the same is happening with Google+. It’s natural for people to get attracted to it, as it’s open only to a select few. It’s becoming like status: Hey, I have a G+ account. Some are even selling G+ invites on eBay for $0.99,
Google+ offers a huge benefit over Facebook, where everything you say is to everybody. On Google+, it’s easier to build groups or circles of different people, say family, colleagues, alumni and such, and only share content with the group you want to share it with. Google+ is a loosely stitched-together-version of existing Google services like Picasa, blogger and some influenced by Facebook. For instance, Google+’s Stream is Facebook’s News Feed, and the +1 button is an open imitation of the Facebook Like button. And + has a great usability and much more user friendly compared to any social networking site.
I am only few hours on to it, but already started liking Google+ !
Sunday, July 03, 2011
CEO Material
Just finished reading a book titled ’The Corner Office: How TOP CEOs made it and how you can too’. What this books emphasis is on fixed traits all successful CEOs possesses.
The author, Adam Bryant, reveals the keys to success in the business world, including the five essential personal traits that all high performers exhibit, qualities that the CEOs themselves value most and that separate the rising stars from their colleagues. He also demystifies the art of leadership and shows how executives at the top of their game get the most out of others.
What really surprises me is about all CEOs having some listed (Pre-defined?) qualities: is this what we call ‘CEO Material’? Some are natural qualities and some can be attained through mentoring, but the list is more or less similar for all CEOs, no matter which part of the globe they are from.
This book is an effort of author, where he sat down with more than 70 global CEOs and asking them how they do their jobs and the most important lessons they had learned as they rose through the ranks. Over the course of this book, they all shared memorable stories and eye-opening insights.
It’s a good book, which tells you so many details about leadership and how to build the most important personal qualities.
Ironically, the next book I put my hands on to is ‘The monk who sold his Ferrari (Second read now!). One book talks about attaining the name and fame, the other one talk about giving up everything and walk towards eternal bliss. Both are contradictory subjects!
But, life is all about having such contrasts…
The author, Adam Bryant, reveals the keys to success in the business world, including the five essential personal traits that all high performers exhibit, qualities that the CEOs themselves value most and that separate the rising stars from their colleagues. He also demystifies the art of leadership and shows how executives at the top of their game get the most out of others.
What really surprises me is about all CEOs having some listed (Pre-defined?) qualities: is this what we call ‘CEO Material’? Some are natural qualities and some can be attained through mentoring, but the list is more or less similar for all CEOs, no matter which part of the globe they are from.
This book is an effort of author, where he sat down with more than 70 global CEOs and asking them how they do their jobs and the most important lessons they had learned as they rose through the ranks. Over the course of this book, they all shared memorable stories and eye-opening insights.
It’s a good book, which tells you so many details about leadership and how to build the most important personal qualities.
Ironically, the next book I put my hands on to is ‘The monk who sold his Ferrari (Second read now!). One book talks about attaining the name and fame, the other one talk about giving up everything and walk towards eternal bliss. Both are contradictory subjects!
But, life is all about having such contrasts…
Saturday, July 02, 2011
My Autograph!
Nopes, I am not writing my autograph as yet; this is the name of a Kannada movie I watched on TV today.
It’s about a guy, looking back at his life and picking up few instances since his childhood. He takes his marriage as an instance to invite all his old friends.
The beauty of this movie is about how he picks up so obvious things like village primary school incidents, how he transforms in to a town high-school kid and then to collage and his job and colleagues. The pains, the obvious confusions one goes through, ability to sustain failures; it has been built up very nicely.
I will be dishonest if I say I was not nostalgic for few hours after watching this movie!
It’s about a guy, looking back at his life and picking up few instances since his childhood. He takes his marriage as an instance to invite all his old friends.
The beauty of this movie is about how he picks up so obvious things like village primary school incidents, how he transforms in to a town high-school kid and then to collage and his job and colleagues. The pains, the obvious confusions one goes through, ability to sustain failures; it has been built up very nicely.
I will be dishonest if I say I was not nostalgic for few hours after watching this movie!
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