Notice: Sorry, I am Joining Tata Group

Mr. Ratan N TATA

Chairman & Managing Director

Tata Group

Kolkatta

Sub: Application for the Post of Chief Executive Officer

Hon’ble Sir,

This is in reference to your recent interviews in Media that you wish to retire and looking for a suitable candidate for the post of CEO for Tata Group. I wanted to share with you that there are only 02 candidates in the country who can fulfil the requirement of the post; Of course first one is ‘ME’ and there is one more ( I will speak about him too briefly which will give you an idea how I am the first).

Sir, you and I share the similar dreams about India. Though my dream for India is widely known but there may be some doubts on your dreams for India, nevertheless only a CEO like me (though ‘Deputy’one) can understand that you also have good dreams which is evident by the creation of ‘NANO’. (Yes Sir, I am currently Deputy CEO and my next step will only be to be a CEO and that’s why here I am with my application). I am writing this application from My Big Guest House in Mumbai which is very close to a busy road and I Can watch people standing at the Bus Stop who are either waiting for a Bus or an AUTO. Its raining heavily in Mumbai Sir, and I can see the DISCOMFORT of these people, however, you have tried to eliminate it by your magic creation. Actually here you went wrong Sir, Indians don’t like Comfort which you interpreted wrongly; Indians don’t buy Car for comfort but they have other desires & expectation from the car which I will certainly explain in my next para for your better understanding. You must be thinking why I wrote AUTO in capital letters. Sir, Actually Most of Indians compare NANO with the AUTO including some CEOs and it was evident when My CEO called NANO as a ‘filthy Auto’ ( Yes Sir, You did not like this, Neither I. They have hurt your sentiments and mine too by doing so. You can see that even the CEOs of big Groups like my CEO do not understand your dreams which proves that I am the next & only eligible candidate for your post). Sir, have you ever travelled in an Auto or a Bus, if not, I want to tell you that Auto creates lot of noise that you can not listen your own voice while talking to someone over phone or any other way. Also Sir, Auto does not have an AC and for this, these Indians got a very nice explanation that they believe in Natural AC (the air and rain with dust hitting them hard is their AC. I know Sir, It’s a Discomfort. But what to do, I told you that Indians like Discomfort with dignity). Sir, one more thing the Auto is not fully covered which sometime can be dangerous especially when you are travelling with your family and kids and if they try to take a nap in the Auto it can be fatal for them ( But Sir, this is another behaviour of Indians that they love Adventures which you did not consider while launching NANO). Though Sir, some Auto have got music System these days just like Your NANO but I am figuring out how it will be beneficial because when you cannot listen to your own voice then how you can enjoy the music in Auto. (So far, You must be thrilled with my knowledge & experience of ground level. And that is why Sir, I told you that I am the only Candidate for the Post of CEO in your group)

Sir, I also wanted to share with you that Indians have got a Thankless and Show Off attitude that’s why they will never appreciate your intention of creating NANO. Most of the Indians think that by creating NANO you have tried to insult them as they believe that they should only own a Big & Luxury Car ( Sir, please don’t take me wrong, I am not saying that Nano is not a big or luxury car). Sir, Indians have a very strange behaviour that they never help their NEIGHBOURS, colleagues, they buy a Big Car to make their Neighbours HAPPY (Though, I and You know that this is not to make neighbours happy, the intention is alltogether different). I will also share with you how Indians invite lot of problems because of this attitude & behaviour (I am sure you must be appreciating my knowledge of Consumer Behaviour, actually I am an expert in Marketing with MBA. This is another reason which made me eligible for the post I applied for).

Sir, there is one GUY in my neighbourhood who bought a new Car which is slightly bigger than Nano ( Sir, Guy means a Boy or male. These days Indian use this terminology for male. Sir Please don’t think that I am doubting your knowledge but I realized that you don't understand Indians & their advancement so I thought of explaining ’Guy’ for your convenience). This Guy has taken an hefty loan to bring this car at home and to show it to his neighbours (including me) & colleagues. Pressure of EMI from Bank is so much so that he was unable to pay the school fees of his children. Even I paid the school fees twice on his request because he did not want to let his EMIs bounce. Sir, You can see that what are the preferences of Indians, even they can compromise with the school fees of their children just to show off with a Big Car. But this did not continue for long Sir, finally EMI bounced (blame it to inflation which affected his household expenditure) and the recovery agent took away his car one day. (Yes Sir, you are disappointed with this behaviour of Bank people, So am I. These bank people will never understand the SENTIMENTS of Indians. But what we can do Sir. You already tried your best to help them which I only can understand). Sir, since the recovery agents of banks are causing these sort of problems for our highly Aspiring Indians, I am planning to open a TATA BANK after I take over from you as CEO. After all You and I will continue serving Indians irrespective of their reactions and behaviours ( It showcases my determination and Vision for India Sir. It again proves that I am the only CEO for Tata Group who got Vision and Determination for India).

With my ground level understanding, marketing Experience, Vision for India and desire to grow from ‘Deputy’ to CEO, you must have realized that I even score higher than you as CEO. Because you have gone grossly wrong in interpreting Indian consumers and launching NANO without a proper positioning. So I don’t think that I should write ‘Sir’ to you in my next explanations of my offering as a potential candidature for the post. I will rather call you by your name ‘Ratan’; I would also not mind if you call me by my name during interview. I know it will be difficult for you now to call me by my name as you must be having inferiority complex after knowing my expertise in the Indian Marketing. But as I told you, I will never mind calling me by my name. My Name is Hariom; Hariom Tyagi. Ratan, this is actually James Bond Style. My name is Bond; James Bond. After all I am also an Indian and would like to show off something which I can never afford.

You must be thinking of another CEO who may be eligible as I wrote in the beginning of the mail. Actually he is Mr. A. Velumani, CEO, ThyroCare. He also got similar dream like you and I have. He believes in making services affordable to Indians. Like You and I, he also does not care about monetary benefits till its helping more and more Indians. He also have a NANO car and have traveled by it ; I have attached the photo of the same (You must be delighted and thinking him of as CEO of TATA GROUP). But Ratan, there is some problem with this Guy. As per him, there are only two types of people; One who can see only Walls and Other one who can see the Door (Analogically Problem and Opportunity). But Ratan, this is the problem with this Guy. A CEO should be able to see Walls and BEYOND WALLS which is actually a Vision which only a good CEO can see. By the Way, I always see beyond walls. Also, he is already a CEO and in case he applied for the post of CEO, it will prove that he is not growth oriented.

Hey Ratan, I also wanted to share with you something OFF THE RECORD. You must be thinking why you are dragged in lot of controversies these days damaging your reputation. Ratan, this is how Indians react when you hurt their sentiments. By Launching NANO with improper understanding of INDIANS you have hurt their sentiments. They will keep dragging you in controversies until you make them realize that NANO is not a Car; Its more than that.

There is more of ME; which you would love to explore through personal interview. You let me know when you would like to meet me so that I accommodate you in my schedule accordingly.

God Bless You.

Keep Dreaming.

With Best Wishes

Hariom Tyagi

P.S.: I am capable of changing the positioning of NANO by comparing it with Mercedes. The punch line could be like; Only Few People in the City can Dare to Have a Nano like Mercedes. After all, the ‘SHOW OFF’ Factor should be captured. Isn’t It?

Also there is an opportunity cost of writing such long candidature for the post. I utilized the official time which was supposed to be used for creating a PPT for a Big Group as I was assigned by my CEO. But again, I prefere dreaming more about Indians than a PPT. As a good CEO, I am sure you will compensate for that time but My CEO would not.

Break Glass in Case of Emergency!

By Yashi Srivastava

Excerpts from 'Open Source Leader' By- Sangeeth Varghese

Chapter: Break Glass in Case of Emergency (breaking glass ceiling between management and employees is future)

Step two to voice: Force people to talk and express their opinions by creating channels for two-way communication.

But does this not create insecurity inside the organization because leader is cutting across the ranks? Murli Krishnan of Biocon says it will not, if the organization has nurtured open environment from the start. He says insecurities will spring up only if one tries to implement this abruptly, especially in places where people are used to a hierarchical environment. 'In most organizations managers play the postman's role, where they waste time acting as a medium of transferring information from one place to another ---from the boss to the employees and vice versa. Managers could play much more productive role, if they are willing to give up their roles as postmen. So, in reality, there is no reason why they should feel insecure. If the leader approaches the source directly, it leaves the manager to focus on bigger responsibilities. Plus, it mitigates a lot of communication gaps and could make the system more efficient.

'But this requires a certain amount of maturity from the part of managers,' continues Murli. 'If the manager is insecure about his position in the company, or if he is using the achievements of his employees just as a means to score brownie points for himself, this will not work. The prerequisite is an environment where everyone feels safe. When Kiran Majumdar goes directly to my junior to find out some information, say about our bank details, I know perfectly well that she is doing it not because she does not have confidence in me, or to use it against me, but because that makes our teamwork much more productive. I know it is good for me, good for the employee and good for the company. We are all clear on that.'

That in a way sets the platform of a nice two-way communication where employees are not only aware of the minimal distance between them and the leader, but also are aware that all information they require is available--it is just a matter of asking for it.

The Rise of PR

By Akash Srivastava

Kotler: The original marketing mix was not 4Ps but about 14. Neil Borden many years ago used a large list of marketing tools. We can always add to the list. So the question isn't "what tools constitute the marketing mix" but, rather, "what tools are becoming more important in the marketing mix."

For example, I feel that advertising is overdone and public relations is underdone. This is seconded in Al Ries's book, The Fall of Advertising and the Rise of PR. And direct-marketing tools are also rising in importance in the marketing mix.

Question: TV advertising seems to be losing its effectiveness. What are alternative ways to get attention?

Kotler: The average American is exposed to several hundred ad messages a day and is trying to tune out. TV advertising is losing its effectiveness because of growing advertising clutter, the increasing number of channels, the availability of zapping mechanisms, and reduced watching of television by certain groups. The result is that marketers must consider other methods of getting consumer attentions.

Here are a number of possibilities:

· Sponsorships. Companies have put their names on stadiums, on whole teams and on individual athletes in order to gain exposure.

· Mentions on talk shows. During his evening show, David Letterman sent a camera crew out to buy Snickers candy bars and ended up talking about it on three subsequent shows, including when Mars sent a whole van of Snickers to feed the audience.

· Product placement. In the movie Die Another Day, James Bond drove an Aston Martin, used a Sony cell phone and prominently featured an Omega wristwatch. Products are also mentioned in novels—in fact, Bulgari commissioned a whole mystery novel to be written called The Bulgari Connection.

· Street-level promotions. Companies have hired actors and actresses to walk in busy areas and ask passersby to take a snapshot of them using their new camera phone. Hopefully the picture takers are impressed and tell others about the new camera phone.

· Celebrity endorsements. Michael Jordon's endorsements gave a boost to Nike shows, McDonald's, Hanes underwear, and Rayovac batteries. Ex-Senator Bob Dole's surprising endorsement of Viagra put Viagra on the nation's mind.

· Body advertising. College kids agreed to paste Dunkin' Donuts logos on their foreheads during an NCAA basketball tournament.

Question: What is the main communication challenge?

Kotler: The major challenge today is getting people's attention. Consumers are pressed for time, and many work hard to avoid advertising messages. The main challenge is to find new ways to capture attention and position a brand in the consumer's mind. Public relations and word-of-mouth marketing are playing a growing role within the marketing mix to build and maintain brands.

Question: There is a great deal of hype about integrated marketing communications. What is the status of this subject today?

Kotler: In the past, we taught separate courses on advertising, sales promotion, public relations and other communication tools. Each student became a specialist in one of these areas, remaining ignorant of the other tools and having a tendency to defend the primacy of her tool. Within companies, the advertising person always received the biggest budget for marketing communication (leaving out the sales force), and the others would fight for the crumbs.

Clearly, this is not a good situation, especially considering that the effectiveness of different communication tools changes over time. The decision on how much to allocate to the different promotional tools cannot be left to turf battles. Someone must be put in charge. Let's call that person the chief communication office (CCO). That person should be responsible for everything that communicates anything about the company—not only the standard communication tools but also corporate dress, office decor and even the look of the company's trucks.

Today, an increasing number of business schools are teaching marketing communications using an IMC-oriented textbook. First, this prepares the student to understand the role of different communication vehicles. Second, it makes the point that the company's brand and customer message must be communicated consistently through all media. Thus, if a company wants to be known for its high quality, it has to produce high quality and communicate high quality in all of its messages.

Question: Do you see companies as setting their communication budgets optimally?

Kotler: Marketers develop a certain mindset concerning the most effective communication mix. They will continue the same mix even when evidence shows diminishing effectiveness. Allocations become frozen, and the chief marketing officer is loath to change the allocation.

This would change the power positions of different communication managers in the organization. Also, it will be done at some risk.

Question: Companies continue to spend more money on TV advertising, even as channels proliferate and more channel-switching takes place. Aren't companies being slow to realize TV advertising effectiveness has fallen?

Kotler: Companies are still fairly blind to the cataclysmic changes in the communication marketplace. The days of mass advertising, with its waste and intrusiveness, are passing quickly. I have advised clients to reduce their TV advertising budgets, especially mass advertising. Fewer people are watching TV, many are zapping commercials, and most commercials are too brief to be effective.

If a country had only a few TV stations, radio stations, and newspapers, mass marketing would be effective. When a country, such as the United States, has thousands of TV stations and radio stations, reaching a mass audience is very expensive.

Among the few mass audience vehicles are the Super Bowl and the Olympics. The growing fragmentation of media audiences requires marketers to shift to target marketing and even one-to-one marketing. The good news is that this will reduce wasted media exposures. What good is it to advertise cat food on national television if only 25% of families own a cat?

Question: What should advertising agencies do in response to the declining effectiveness of mass advertising?

Kotler: Advertising agencies can no longer prosper just by creating ads and choosing media. There are so many new ways to communicate today. Smart ad agencies will transform themselves into full-service communication agencies. They will work with their clients to choose the best messages and media vehicles, whether these are in the form of ads, press releases, events, sales promotions, sponsorships, direct mail, email or telesales.

Some advertising agencies have added these communication capabilities—they have created them or networked with public relations firms, sales promotion firms and direct-marketing firms in a move to becoming total communications firms.

Ogilvy called its system "Ogilvy Orchestration" and promised to deliver integrated marketing communications.

In practice, however, the dominant voice in this comprehensive agency is still that of the agency's advertising group. These agencies still make most of their money from their advertising billings. So how can they be fully objective when advising on the best mix of communication tools?

Yet advertisers are demanding more communication effectiveness. They want to shift more of their promotion dollars into direct marketing, public relations, and newer promotion tools. Advertising agencies would be wise to transform themselves from being narrowly defined advertising agencies into broad communication agencies.

Question: What is advertising's main limitation?

Kotler: Traditional advertising works primarily as a monologue. Today's companies would gain considerably by setting up systems that would enable dialogue to take place between the company and its customers and prospects.

Question: Will the Internet become an effective advertising medium?

Kotler: A few years ago, the CEO of Procter & Gamble said that he would happily switch a large portion of P&G's huge advertising budget to the Internet if he could find effective ways to do Internet advertising. So far, the Internet has not become a full-blown advertising medium like television, radio, newspapers, or magazines.

It is true that the Internet carries banner ads, but they are being opened less than 1% of the time. Advertisers are pressuring popular Web sites to carry skyscraper or pop-up ads, but the Web sites see this as risky. Also, consumers can choose to block pop-up ads.

Google has developed a system to align paid-for ads next to topics being searched by consumers. For example, if I type "BMW" on Google, the right side of Google's page will show a BMW ad. BMW will quickly learn whether its ad is leading to sales. All said, it is too early to tell how widespread or effective Internet advertising will become.

Question: How can companies effectively reach mass audiences?

Kotler: Advertisers won't see again the glorious days when they could reach millions of people in the evening with the same TV show or mass magazine.

There are three options today: One is to advertise on a number of media channels in the same time slot. Another is to advertise on Super Bowls, the Olympics, and other major worldwide events that attract large audiences. A third is to build a giant database containing the names of people who have the greatest interest in the company's offerings.

Question: Some media analysts call for more spending on public relations. Do you agree?

Kotler: I agree. Advertising has been overdone in the past, especially mass advertising with its "hit or miss" quality. PR has been underdone. PR consists of many tools, which I call the PENCILS of PR: publications, events, news, community involvement, identity tools, lobbying, and social investments.

When a customer sees an ad, she knows it is an ad, and an increasing number of customers are tuning ads out. PR has a better chance of getting a message through.

Furthermore the message can be fresher and more believable. PR is better equipped to create "buzz" about a new product or service. Interest in PR is increasing—witness the title of the recent book by Al and Laura Ries, The Fall of Advertising and the Rise of PR.

Philip Kotler is the S.C. Johnson & Son Distinguished Professor of International Marketing at the Kellogg School of Management, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois.

Read more: http://www.marketingprofs.com/articles/2005/1550/advertising-vs-pr-kotler-on-kotler#ixzz1Mry0huDU

Meaning & Symbolism of the Color Red

Dear Friends:

Today I was reading a piece in Sunday ET which talked about RED color and how it can be used in formal office dressing. As usual it triggered so many thoughts and what's better to pen them down and see how we can make best use from the relevant points. Relevant from the perspective that our house color at ViaMedia also stands to be RED and the article said--'RED matches best when worn with BLACK' and that's exactly what our ViaMedia LOGO is. When you go through the below lines, i believe you would come across and accept a lot of 'striking similarities' between essence of RED color and 'ViaMedia standing and philosophy', an organization which is dear to you and all.

Encyclopedia meaning of RED:
Red is any of a number of similar colors evoked by light consisting predominantly of the longest wavelengths of light discernible by the human eye, in the wavelength range of roughly 630–740 nm.^[2] Longer wavelengths than this are called infrared (below red), and cannot be seen by the naked eye.Here's is a staunching similarity- What is ViaMedia? What is its philosophy? What it actually means to its people as well as its clients? What is its objective? What is its GOAL?---all these things cannot be seen by 'naked eyes'! You actually need to go deep into its philosophical & ethical upbringing to understand these attributes of ViaMedia.

Etymology & Definitions:

The word red comes from the Old English rēad.^[4] Further back, the word can be traced to the Proto-Germanic rauthaz and the Proto-Indo Europeanroot reudh-. In Sanskrit, the word rudhira means red or blood. In the English language, the word red is associated with the color of blood, certain flowers (e.g. roses), and ripe fruits (e.g. apples, cherries). Fire is also strongly connected, as is the sun and the sky at sunset. Healthy light-skinned people are sometimes said to have a "ruddy" complexion (as opposed to appearing pale). After the rise of socialism in the mid-19th century, red was used to describe revolutionary movements.^[5]

Red color in ViaMedia is BLOOD (rudhira) of 'health communication', at least in India as of now.

The most emotionally intense color, red stimulates a faster heartbeat and breathing. It is also the color of love. Red clothing gets noticed and makes the wearer appear heavier. Since it is an extreme color, red clothing might not help people in negotiations or confrontations. Probably, that is why at ViaMedia we do not believe in-- 'intense negotiation' and with the effect of color RED, we also have reduced instances of 'confrontation' with defaulting clients or thankless fellows whom we come across seldom.
The 'True ViaMedians' would find striking similarities between RED color and ViaMedia philosophy, culture and epidemiology and the RED petals it showers on ViaMedian spirit.

Meaning & Symbolism of the Color Red

Red has more personal associations than any other color. Recognized as a stimulant red is inherently exciting and the amount of red is directly related to the level of energy perceived.

Red draws attention and a keen use of red as an accent can immediately focus attention on a particular element.

The Effects of the Color Red

How the color red affects us mentally and physically:

• Increases enthusiasm
• Stimulates energy
• Encourages action and confidence
• A sense of protection from fears and anxiety

Red: The Color of the Base or Root Chakra

Red is the color of the base or root chakra. This chakra is located at the base of the spine and allows us to be grounded and connect to the universal energies.

This is what we always aspire to be at ViaMedia-- "remain grounded and connected to the universal energies".

BLACK is the color of power and authority, here BLACK and RED make a perfect combination at ViaMedia:

RED stands for love, passion and striking abilities (as a striking color which stands out instantly), BLACK when comes along, completes ViaMedia philosophy circle with-- 'power of health communication' which ViaMedia brings across the table with 'authority'.

Today was definitely a day of RED colors for me, when I tried to make by cutie daughter Siddhi wear different sandals, she insisted and wore only the one which was pure RED (even though the frock was not matching at all). When my wife Divya removed reddish pink background from our bedroom texture recently, today I was able to convince her to get a bright RED sofa from Home Town for our bedroom. The texture of our Parents room in our home has always been RED and I wish it remains so as you can only WIN if you have Parents' blessings along with you. The most striking is my son Siddhant's favorite pure RED T-shirt which has a strong slogan engrossed on front--"NEVER, NEVER, NEVER, Give UP..." and thus this MESSAGE--also the philosophy of 'my life' and of 'ViaMedia' and of all 'ViaMedians' --is always on top of the mind.

I remember my House colour in school used to be YELLOW but Red House used to be the winner all the time in annual sports. I used to think that why I'm not in the Red House--the winning team.
My favorite formal dress color used to be BLUE but my wife came and changed my whole wardrobe, which has a lot of BLACK, CREAM and WHITE colors in it (of course, some BLUE is still left, but in minoritry)--which are considered to be perfect formal combinations. It does not have RED, may be just one casual shirt?

By God's grace and Parents' blessings and love from my family, colleagues, friends and well-wishers, I'm fortunate to be in the WINNING Team today--the Team of REDS--the ViaMedia Team. Our life, full of colors, has shown me a lot of textures, some good, some bad, some beautiful, some ugly. I've been able to come above and cut across a lot of colors- Yellow, Blue, White....but have only come closer to the color RED-- in professional career, at home as well as in LIFE (which is again @ ViaMedia). When you walk into our HO at Nioda, your eyes will sprinkle with the brightness of color RED spread strategically and complimented smartly with bold BLACK paintings!

Now probably with concurrence of all ViaMedians, I can have the privilege of always wearing RED at office along with all my ViaMedian colleagues---may be in the form of a small beautiful ViaMedia LOGO, a RED scarf, a RED handkerchief, a RED belt, a RED necklace, a RED ring, a RED shirt or a top (with decent cuts--this is what ET pointed out in today's article on 'Red color dressing'--it is NOT my comment -:)), etc. It is just an idea thrown open to all for discussion and analysis. It will definitely help us utilize the 'power of RED' and make us feel as "True ViaMedian" all the time.

I would request Vijay, who is responsible for designing our such a beautiful and meaningful ViaMedia logo to think and come up with some some innovative options of how we can always wear RED, without disturbing the decency and smartness of what our versatile and dynamic ViaMedians wear while at work.

What say ViaMedians? Yeh laal rang kab mujhe chodhega......

Now lack of toilets costs India a fortune !

By Kishore Barua

I got embarrassed and froze looking at the newspaper report in front of me as I read the headline: “Lack of toilets costs India 54 billion dollars a year: study.”

According to World Bank Report, India loses nearly $54 billion every year due to shoddy hygiene. Open defecation and poor drainage system results in sickness and premature deaths causing significant loss of finances. Tourism also takes a hit as many are concerned about this.

Another shocking fact was that India’s mobile subscribers surpass the number of people who have access to proper sanitation.

The report also said that early deaths and other health-related impacts of inadequate sanitation such as cost of treatment for illnesses such as diarrhoea, malaria and intestinal worms, cost India 38.5 billion dollars. What is more shocking is the health and financial tolls could well have been avoided with simple hygienic practices like handwashing.

Those travelling by the Mumbai Locals everyday can’t escape (can't do without) the sight of seeing people defecatiing in the open and near the tracks. Local trains may be the lifeline of Mumbai, but I am sorry to see tracks bear the brunt of lack of basic sanitation.

As per the reports, health impacts accounting for the bulk of the economic impacts, are followed by the economic losses due to the time spent in obtaining piped water and sanitation facilities, about $15 billion, and about $0.26 billion of potential tourism revenue lost due to India’s reputation for poor sanitation, the report says.

If the numbers are shocking enough; imagine the implications it will have on the Indian economy if we don’t do something about it now.

The Congress party, which came back to power with a handsome majority and gave hopes of better sanitation facilities, now has some serious thinking to do it seems. But will they ever be able to come up with concrete solutions ?

Does anyone care what their children eat in schools ?

By Kohinoor Bhowmik

It is high time our health authorities awakened to realties of nutritional challenges facing our children.

More than 70% of India's kids are undernourished, surveys show. A school-going child in India, as it is the case anywhere, spends a good lot of his/her time in schools. It's in the schools that every kid picks up his lessons.

Not only those from the textbooks but those which may shape his/her future life as well. Food habits and eating manners are of course amongst them. But unfortunately what we see today is very dismal.

If those kids from India's rural heartland relish under-nutritious `mid-day meals' served in their schools, their more urbane counterparts end up bingeing in the endless quagmire of noodles and carbonated drinks.

Schooling age is the one which demands the best nutrition for kids. Nutritional lacunae is considered behind a lot of physical as well mental distress in kids, not to mention frequent bout of illnesses, absenteeism and retarded growth.

While nutrition remains one part of the story, the hygiene -- the most crucial component of health --forms the other. In most cases, kids mess up with everything and one can imagine what sort of a surround they'll be having in schools. And it is there for everyone to see how the food-- the meal for that matter --is being cooked and served in public schools. It's nothing less than dismal in village schools. Simple practices like washing hands and eating freshly cooked food stuffs could themselves more than halve the infections that the children having today!

Though the issue has been raised time and again, no concrete action enacted till date to redress the vexing issue of the nutritional aspects of school kids. It's only a matter of laying out some simple guidelines that are required to be practiced across the schools. Some strictures on the food items served; what to eat and what not to eat at a schools; curbing the so-called ``junk food'' in class rooms etc could set the necessary momentum. If furthered with incorporating simple lessons like the need for washing hands before every meal and why should one avoid junk etc in the curriculum would have helped a long way tackling the problem.

To achieve this, no one needs such impossible legislations or amending the constitution, but simple political will. But who is having the time or will to this end?

Medium for the Masses: How India's Local Newspapers Are Winning Rural Readers

By Jiten Jain

A few years ago, Mohanlal Parwani used to mount his black stallion each morning and ride along the hilly terrain of the Vindhya and Aravalli mountain ranges to Sawai Madhopur, a town in the northwestern region of Rajasthan. His mission: To deliver the Rajasthan Patrika, a top-selling Hindi newspaper, to the doorsteps of more than 150 households. In the course of his nine-hour workdays, he always found time to juggle an assortment of tasks -- gossiping with the locals, running errands for many of them (for a fee) and scribbling notes about village affairs on a dusty pad to relay back to the paper's editors. All the while, he was sure to put in a plug for his newspaper whenever he came across someone new in town.

That's still the case today, except for one difference: Parwani's horse, which was becoming too expensive to maintain, has been swapped for a moped -- the utility vehicle of choice in rural India -- provided by Rajasthan Patrika as a reward for his diligence. A delivery person like Parwani "doubles up as a journalist and garners new subscriptions for us," says Arvind Kalia, marketing and brand communications head at the Jaipur-based Rajasthan Patrika publishing house, whose paper has a pan-Indian circulation of two million copies a day. "Parwani is one of our most resourceful employees."

Rajasthan Patrika isn't the only publishing house tapping the resourcefulness of rural India. In fact, at a time when newspapers are folding in other countries, India's media scene is admirably buoyant, thanks to the country's burgeoning rural, local-language newspapers. According to the New Delhi-based Indian Newspaper Society, India has 62,000 newspapers, with a staggering 90% of them in local languages. Indian news publishers are doing relatively well, precisely "because they've spread their wings to smaller towns," says Divya Radhakrishnan, president of TME, the media division of Mumbai-based advertising agency Rediffusion-Y&R.

But with nearly 80% of local-language papers having a circulation of less than 10,000 copies -- at a cover price of between 2 U.S. cents and 6 U.S. cents a copy -- they are not without their strategic challenges. The economic hurdles they face are familiar to newspapers the world over, especially at a time when so many other types of media compete for their readers' attention. But India's papers also must address home-grown challenges, like the country's relatively low literacy rate and poor infrastructure hampering delivery.

What Really Matters

Local papers are a hit with readers in India for various reasons."Language publications in India are doing well because of their connection to local issues," says Sridhar Samu, professor of marketing at the Indian School of Business (ISB) in Hyderabad. "First, they cover local news, which is more relevant for [these] consumers than national or international news; and second, they cover national and international news [insofar as it would concern] local people." The upshot for publishers is "an impression that the language publications actually care for their readers by emphasizing what really matters for them."

A typical, 24-page local edition will have the regular fare of national and regional news, in addition to eight to 12 district-specific pages with coverage of local events, spanning business and politics as well as social news and profiles of, say, village heroes and villains. There's also a large dose of reader-generated content that goes beyond the industry's ubiquitous personal ads. For example, in Eenadu -- a paper published in the Telugu language -- alongside tips on animal husbandry provided by a farmer in a weekly column, readers were invited during the state elections in April to write about their political opinions and grievances. The idea is "to make people feel like it's their own paper ... [that their] involvement matters," says I. Venkat, director of the paper, which is the flagship publication of Ramoji Rao, a media magnate.

There are also grassroots papers written and published by and for locals. A prominent example is Khabar Lahariya, or News Waves, a weekly newspaper based in Chitrakoot, one of the poorest districts in central India. Written in Bundeli, the local language, the paper's all-female staff has forged a reputation for investigative journalism and support of grassroots causes since the paper was founded in 2002 by Nirantar, a New Delhi-based literacy education non-profit.

With a readership of 35,000 in 400 villages and costing 4 U.S. cents, the paper has no glitzy promotion strategy like its urban counterparts. Khabar Lahariya's marketing strength is instead its bold reporting on issues concerning lower-caste communities, for which it won the 2009 King Sejong Literacy Prize from UNESCO, among other recent accolades. However, the main reason why Khabar Lahariya receives such kudos is that it is run by trained women from marginalized communities and it conducts (in conjunction with Nirantar) journalist training and writing programs for locals -- a vital step, many believe, in increasing rural literacy.

But Khabar Lahariya's roots make it an exception to the rule. Most other local newspapers are owned by large parent companies. Media experts note that major newspaper groups, whether urban or rural, are launched thanks to the deep pockets of politicians and their supporters, often businessmen with political ambitions. "Media barons have not only used papers as vehicles to support politicians, but to build their own power base," according to one media director of a leading ad agency. Two years ago in Andhra Pradesh, the state's now deceased chief minister YSR Reddy started Sakshi, a paper for the hinterland. It now claims a circulation of 1.2 million copies.

Whatever their origins, local papers often depend on the diversified revenue streams of their parent companies for survival. The media group that publishes Eenadu, for example, also makes films and has a sprawling studio in the south of the country, which it rents out to Hollywood and Bollywood producers. The media house that publishes Rajasthan Patrika sells outdoor advertising, mobile value-added services and a directory-listing service.

Weathering the Downturn

Like their urban counterparts, local papers also rely on advertising revenues rather than subscriptions and newsstand sales to stay afloat. Working in their favor are the rising disposable incomes of consumers in India's villages -- a phenomenon that certainly isn't lost on consumer goods companies hoping to increase the appeal of their products or services through ads adapted to local languages and cultures.

In fact, these locally focused ads have helped rural newspapers weather the global economic downturn. According to the Audit Bureau of Circulation, a voluntary organization of publishers, advertisers and ad agencies, while circulation for most publications has remained static, ad revenues have taken a beating. Over the past year, publications in India reported a 15% to 30% drop in advertising revenues, and while 60 new magazines -- largely Indian editions of foreign glossies -- were launched during that time, no new newspaper hit the stands. Even today, belts are being tightened. For example, hard-hit English-language dailies such as The Times of India and Hindustan Times discontinued their highly discounted subscription deals, reduced pages and downsized their staffs.

Amid the gloom, local papers have provided a ray of hope. "Our local editions played a key role in minimizing the effects of the downturn," Venkat of Eenadu notes. Like other newspaper executives, he claims that while Eenadu's circulation has remained steady throughout the downturn, ad revenue has been under pressure. Costing around 6 U.S. cents, the Hyderabad-based publication -- in business for more than three decades -- has more than 20 district editions in Andhra Pradesh as well asin neighboring Bangalore and Chennai. Eenadu also has three separate editions in the densely populated cities of Hyderabad, Vijaywada and Tirupati. The paper, which refers to itself as "the heart and soul" of the state, has a total circulation of 1.4 million copies, with 66% sold in rural areas.

But as marketing budgets continue to be squeezed, advertisers are scrutinizing their spending in local language papers more closely than ever while hunting for more ways to reach consumers. Unlike in other parts of the world, however, the battle for advertisers' budgets is not as intense between offline, print publishers and their online rivals. Internet adoption in India is still relatively low. In a country with a population of 1.2 billion and growing, there are only 55.5 million Internet users. Meanwhile, there are 376 million mobile subscribers -- yet only 15% to 20% of all handsets are Internet-enabled.

Instead, television is posing the biggest threat to local language papers. In India, 125 million households own a television, and 80 million of that total have cable or satellite service. According to TAM, Nielsen's television viewership rating arm, rural penetration of television is 65 million homes -- or over 50%. Until 1990, television in India included only the state-owned channel Doordarshan. However, subsequent liberalization and reforms opened up the staid media market, and nearly 400 channels now beam TV programs into homes, including India-specific, regional channels launched by foreign media heavyweights like Rupert Murdoch, Turner Broadcasting and Viacom. In the last two years, in fact, Rupert Murdoch's Star has acquired or launched over a dozen regional channels in Bengali, Tamil, Malayalam, Marathi and a range of other languages.

According to Arun Tyagi, vice-president of media at Mumbai-based Reliance ADA Group, television is giving newspapers a run for their money in rural areas. "It's not print that clicks in rural areas," he says. Reliance ADA, which has interests ranging from power and entertainment to telecom and capital markets, is one of the biggest buyers of rural media. "We just don't consider print when we want to promote products outside big cities and towns."

That makes it even more urgent for the local papers to reduce their dependency on advertisers by extending their brand portfolios in a much different way than their urban counterparts. One way, Samu and others point out, is to build a "brand community" around a publication. Brand communities have been an important part of the marketing strategy at Marathi daily Lokmat, which was founded by Bal Gangadhar Tilak, a freedom fighter who rebelled against colonial British rule nearly a century ago. "The urban-rural divide is not distinguished by markets but by lifestyle," says Jwalant Swaroop, director of advertising and business development at Lokmat, which is based in Nagur,in the western state of Maharashtra. For that reason, the paperhas spent the past 10 years growing its community platform -- a club aimed at three different segments: women, youth and children. For an annual fee of US$4, the paper's 500,000 "members" are entitled to free medical checkups, passes for cultural programs and invitations to product-sampling events run by consumer goods companies. Swaroop says these communities help Lokmat to retain current readers and capture new ones.

Not-so-hot off the Press

While advertising is one ongoing challenge, distribution is another -- especially given the poor state of infrastructure in rural regions. Typically, publications in India hire distributors in urban areas to deliver newspapers to homes by 7:00 a.m. or earlier. Agents and sub-agents like Patrika's Parwani are recruited for smaller towns and villages. Until a few years ago, rural areas received what publishing houses referred to as a dak or mofussil edition. Each day, these editions needed to be published earlier than the others to accommodate the long hours necessary to transport them to their readers.

But with the increasing presence of television and rising print competition, newspapers have more recently begun moving closer to their customers. One example is the Dainik Bhaskar group in Bhopal, in the central state of Madhya Pradesh. Its brand stable includes 42 editions of Dainik Bhaskar (one ofthe most-read Hindi news dailies), Business Bhaskar and Gujarati daily Divya Bhaskar. It also has Daily News & Analysis, an English paper published under a joint venture with local partner Zee. The group's language papers are now printed in 40 locations, compared with 13 a few years ago. The strategy has helped shrink average delivery times from seven hours to four hours, and papers are now supplied within a 200-kilometer radius of where they are printed, instead of the previous 350 kilometers.

"The dak edition is no longer an inferior paper," says Girish Agarwal, director of the Bhaskar group. The group's flagship paper now has offices in every district in Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan, with a fleet of reporters. The expansion has clearly had a positive impact on circulation: 35% of its total circulation of five million is sold outside of the major cities. The group wants to expand further and is finalizing plans for a public offering on the stock market.

But the biggest challenge confronting local papers -- illiteracy -- still looms large. According to government statistics, the national literacy rate is around 60%; the rural average is 50%. While some argue that local publications increase literacy in the local language, others disagree. "Editions in local languages don't mean the papers are touching rural households," says Ravi Kiran, the Mumbai-based CEO (South Asia) and emerging market leader for specialist solutions at Starcom MediaVest, a media conglomerate in Chicago. "It's not just about reaching the hinterland. What are newspapers doing to encourage reading habits? Growth [of these publications] will be challenged."

'Plan your work and plan your play'

By Jiten Jain

You have probably heard the saying, 'Plan your work and work your plan'. With work life balance in mind, I would like to add, 'Plan your work and plan your play'.

Without planning your work-life balance program effectively, you run the risk of poor family relationships, deteriorating health, illness and disease. Moreover, you probably will not be as effective and productive at work. The ideal is to create a healthy family life and a fulfilling career. Both are possible. Here are some tips to get it right.

As an entrepreneur, executive or senior manager, you know the importance of a plan. It helps you to measure and chart actions and progress. Once you have a clear enough reason to take action, now is the time to consider your key stakeholders and allies in this project.

Get your key stakeholders on board
Who are the other people you need to take into account to get your life back into balance? It probably includes family members, colleagues and your boss. Sit down with them individually and gather the information you need so you can start to chart a healthier course.

Start with the needs of your family, spouse, children. Ask them what they expect of you and what they really value. Be wary of being caught up on the treadmill of working to create the income to provide for your family and yet are not spending any time with them! Honesty is vital in your communication here. Ambition is fine and drives our entrepreneurial economies; just balance it with what you and your family really wants from life.

Where can you improve your productivity?
Be willing to explore your professional productivity and actively look for areas of improvement. For example, many of my clients have opened up extra time for themselves just by learning how to delegate effectively. Get honest feedback about your strengths and weaknesses and take appropriate steps.

Don't let your ego kill you
Do your skills, talents and capabilities match the requirements of your position? Sometimes a reality check can save a great deal of heartache and stress. One of my coaching clients was holding onto a job position that frankly did not suit him. However with support and candid self reflection, he realised he would be better served to move on and find something closer to his heart, than clinging onto a role that fed his ego but was destroying his life. It was better for the business also.

What about you?
There may be many demands of you, your time and energy. However, remember you are the centre of this project. Without you, your family is not the same. Without you, your business or workplace is not the same. Take time to assess and consider what is really important to you.

Put your health at the top of your action list
Have regular health assessments and plan exercise into your weekly plan. Look at the quality and quantity of your food intake and the actual demands of your job. Get professional help and then the support and cooperation of your family to make the needed changes.

Take the big picture view
List out, or mind map, all your family dreams, aspirations and the demands of your career together on one page. Add in your personal needs and requirements. Now stand back and assess your priorities, taking in all the information you now have. Seek and find that balance between what you and your family want to experience together and the needs and demands and satisfaction your career can offer you.

Manage your time
Block out 'islands of time' for exercise, family time, hobbies and 'just me time' into your working week. These are the things that can nurture you. You need to recover and regenerate your own personal energy and spirit. Author Stephen Covey calls this 'sharpening the saw'.

Back-to-back appointments are a no-no, so give yourself some time in between appointments. You will not operate effectively if you do not. Give your brain and body a chance to catch up.

In conclusion, you know your time is valuable and that if you do schedule something in your daily or weekly planner, then it stands a good chance of happening. There is no time like the present, so find yourself a large piece of paper, your coloured pens and get planning.

cheers

WHAT ARE THIS COMMITTEES ANYWAY ?
By Hariom Tyagi

Since I like to take a casual stroll after a tiring day in office or after meetings every other day, I do get an opportunity to interact with all the betel nut sellers, tea stall owners and other small hawkers around my office locality.
Contrary to what my colleagues at times think about my networking skills with these "neighbours" of mine, I fancy myself as a highly networked individual and all these people share with me lot of gossip which is a form of ‘Intelligence’, at least to them.
Yesterday, when I entered office, with a quirky smile at the betel nut (as a hint that am there in five minutes)seller and to the local quilt maker, everything was calm and these people were continuing with their work , but when i came out i noticed the makeshift stalls were no longer there.
No quilts, no chai, no paan…..only some people around. What Happened Boss ? “I asked a grown up boy running towards the gate of a house.”
He screamed: "Sir committee is coming." I retorted: What Committee Yaar…. ?? (I murmured, Is the most demanded Joint Parliamentary Committee here?). Finally I located the quiltmaker, Haroon Ahmad, in the corner of the dispensary on the roadside and thought at least I should keep my promise with him that we will chat for sure.
What Happened Boss??

Frowning Haroon told, “Arre Sir, Committee Waalo ne Le Rakhi Hai. Committee waale Aa gaye, Isliye Sub Bhaag gaye apna samaan utha kar. ” (The committee has made life miserable for us so we are all running away)

"Which committee?...." I asked.

Haroon surprisingly pointed his finger at me, “ Aap Committee Nahi Jaante!!! ??? ( I felt very inferior and tried to think if I really know any committee. I assured myself that he cannot talk about Joint Parliamentary Committee though its very much in news)

I told with full confidence that I know many of them; some of them formed, some of them to be formed.

This conversation ends there but this give me an idea to explore the noise around COMMITTEES in India

Joint Parliamentary Committee:

The opposition is after ruling government to form the Joint Parliamentary Committee to probe the 2G scam. It has wasted most of the parliament time which has to be utilised for important discussions. Most of the COMMITTEEs submit their reports with “No Charge of Guilty” after wasting lot of time, public money and energy and they do so after FORMATION of the same. This is the only Committee which has not been formed, yet it has earned the tag of bringing the “Productivity of the Parliament House Worst in Decade”.

Committee for Adarsh Scam:

The opposition in Mahrashtra is demanding to form a Joint Legislative Committee to investigate the most shameful land scam of Adarsh Society. Before they actually investigate, the committee has to do first the teacher’s job similar like which I had faced in my school time. Where are the papers of my copy, I don’t know Ma’m. Someone tears off the papers from my notebook…Believe me I had completed my homework at time. Go and find those missing papers!!! Stupid.

Organising Committee (CWG):

Unlike to other committees, this has been in news for other reasons. In my opinion they had been most intelligent one who took CWG meaning in literal sense. COMMON "WEALTH." That Wealth was "common" to all of them. And they since they never got an opportunity in their whole life to share such a big "Common Wealth" amongst themselves, they did make most of it. Except the people, every one benefited from that Common Wealth which they earned by being or by associating with organizing Committee.

Disciplinary Committee:

The people who formed it (may be when sleeping), they do not seem to be sure whether it exists and how it operates. The BCCCI Disciplinary Committee which was investigating Modi’s case has been questioned on whether the committee was appointed or Not. And if it was not appointed so there is no question of coming under the jurisdiction of this committee for Mr. Lalit Modi. As per BCCCI, It is formed in an Annual General Meeting in September every year. And this time they did not appoint any committee and the tenure of the previous committee is already over. So they are thinking how Mr. Modi can be handled.

The Ethics Committee of MCI

As per the people, this has done some commendable job by suspending current Secy Gen and President of IMA for endorsements and issuing notices to 61 doctors of executive committee of IMA. I am searching for the exact logic for suspension for CURRENT Secy Gen and President. Why Present Office Bearer. Did they investigate that who were the office bearer during that time of endorsements? What was the First Endorsement and Who did it? Does he stand for charge of guilty (if be)?. More than these questions, I have some more logical questions too. Are these brand endorsements or Message? Are these messages good or bad for public? Did someone explore what exactly is communicated through IMA partnership? What kind of partnership Medical Bodies do globally?? Did anyone study that? What kind of efforts you (the Ethics Committee or MCI) have put to bring healthy changes in the society?? What are the ways to bring healthy changes in the society? At one stage we talk about doing maximum PPP for better health of Indian Public. This is high time for doing this or that PPP for bringing that kind of change etc..etc. lot of talks in seminars… And if some corporate tried to communicate some relevant messages through a platform which people can accept as experts, we got an Ethics Committee.

Indian Pharmacovigilance Committee:

They banned Anti-Obesity drug for the associated risk of heart diseases. EMEA banned it in January in their region and we followed the suit in November. If we are following the suit, then why named as “Vigilance Committee”.. Why not Indian PharmaFollower Committee. It seems that they are more vigilant on other countries and as & when they got any news of ban or notices in any country, they consider it as Vigilance and start looking Risk Benefit analysis. Obviously, that Risk Benefit Analysis must be capturing….. (you know what)..and then decide whether to ban or not.

Unknown Committee:

Today only, I came to know that Health Ministry has notified a committee to look at therapies related to stem cells and genes. Its seems that even one of the most popular practitioner of stem cell, who claims of treating 800 patients suffering from chronic spinal cord injuries and other ailments, was not aware of such committee. As now, she intends to apply to this committee for approval of clinical trials.

So, I know most of the committees and COMMITTEE is a Big Buzz Word…. But today I understood that this is not confined to Parliament, this COMMITTEE word is spread out in the street too where these betel nuts and tea stall owners, fight for their livelihood