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Tax! For what? 

My parents pay tax! My friends pay tax! In my opinion, any responsible citizen of our country should pay tax. But in reality, only a handful, follow the norm. Are they wrong on their part? Aren't they proud of our nation? Are they being a bad advertisement for the welfare of the society? Before I answer these questions, we should first understand why do we pay taxes? The answer is pretty simple. It's for us only that we pay the taxes. Whatever money we pay in the form of various taxes, comes back to us in various forms - infrastructure (roads, flyovers, stadiums etc.), various schemes for the welfare of society, subsidies etc.

We pay taxes only to be benefited. But is it really happening? For a common man, it is not! Every now and then, we read, hear and speak about various scams. The word "Scam" has become a household name now. The CWG scam, the S-band scam, the Coal block scam, the housing scam, the PDS scam etc the list is too long. As tax payers, it hurts when we come to know that the money which should have been spent on us, the money that we earned after putting in our blood and sweat, actually went in the pockets of the corrupt. It makes us feel angry and acts as a deterrent to our willingness (if any left) to pay the exchequer. 

In my opinion, corruption is the biggest deterrent to the taxpayers' willingness to pay tax. According to some reports earlier this year, both the direct as well as indirect collection figures have seen a downfall. Government missed the targets for tax collections and this had some serious impact on the already dismal current account deficit numbers. Also, the taxes an Indian pays are quite high as compared to many other nations.

If we are really serious about the present situation then we need to hit the nail on its head. But at present the government doesn't seem to be bothered about the scenario. Had they been really serious, then we would have already seen some serious anti graft measures. The Lokpal bill would have received some serious thoughts and there would have been some serious discussions in the parliament. But can we expect this from our politicians who themselves are under fire? From Raja Bhaiya to P Chidambaram, no one seems to be clean. Today, there seems to be absolutely no confusion for what the government is asking for the taxes or where the hard earned money of the taxpayer goes. Isn't it the case?

One should not expect too much but too less is simply unacceptable. Change won't happen in a single night, it will take time but looking at the present scenario, it seems as if we might have to wait for another 60 years before we will be able to enjoy freedom from our not so respected and tainted politicians. 

I may be sounding a bit pessimistic but unfortunately that's the truth. One could only hope for a turnaround but not an immediate one. Always remember, "Slow and steady wins the race", the problem is that we have been too slow and have never been steady in our approach. As a result, we have reached a point that could have been avoidable had we shown a bit of urgency and seriousness. But thankfully it’s never too late! Jai Hind.

- 

Shantanu Chauhan

PGDM, 2011- 13

LBSIM

The Art of Negotiation and the Sustainable Business Model

Deal or No Deal

Negotiation is something that is part of everyone`s daily life. Be it buying a new car or convincing your girlfriend which movie to watch on the weekend, be it getting the best deal for your company or persuading your dad to increase your pocket money negotiation is something no one can ever escape. Having said that it is clearly understood that good negotiation skills are extremely desired much like intelligence and a skilled negotiators bosses` favorite especially in departments such as sales. Unfortunately there is no formal course on this subject though it`s widely discussed in scholarly circles.

As such there is no clear equation or rule that can help one negotiate successfully but there are some broad guidelines one can adopt to master it. Let`s see some. First thing to establish is the kind of relation one wants in future between the two parties. In case one is sure that he/she is not going to have to deal with the other party ever in future and that they share no common goals, one can decide to negotiate hard and give the other person a cold shoulder. This is what is usually known as ‘I win – You lose’ negotiation. On the other hand if one feels that a future relationship is essential for both, negotiating a mutually beneficial ‘win-win’ agreement is essential. One must determine what the parties can trade to reach a mutually acceptable agreement in case situation so arises. How much ground one can yield is also determined by power equations that exist between the parties. A stronger party will also want to put itself in an advantageous position at the end of the deal. A skilled negotiator can very well make out how much one party, stronger or weaker will be willing to sacrifice without feeling snubbed. Past precedent of similar situations can be a good guide to determine how much the other party will be willing to yield.

Trust thy Supplier

The current business scenario has undergone a sea of change in the last 100 years. From the period where buyer-seller relationships were essentially one of adversaries with both trying to squeeze as much as possible out of each other, smarter companies with a mission of staying ahead of competitors have brought in the concept of trust and partnership. Businesses engaged especially in B2B are moving to single source, single vendor models based on trust and mutual benefit. Having one vendor supplying you everything cuts not just the overheads and costs associated with managing multiple vendors and quality but also gives customers cost advantage, faster and superior product and service. Companies like Maruti Suzuki have pioneered this model with Maruti Suzuki providing capital and technical knowhow to its retired ex-employees set up component assembling units supplying components to be used solely for its cars. Components and sub-assemblies are directly shipped from these units and used in Maruti Suzuki cars without quality inspection thus helping it save overheads and reduce turnaround time and increase throughput. It is no surprise that Maruti Suzuki produces record number of cars per day. This is an example of a business model working on the principle of trust and mutual benefit. Fierce competition, pressure to cut costs and deliver cars at a rapid pace has brought about this innovation. Leaving space for your partner to grow as you grow results in a business model that not only benefits both but also one that is sustainable. This ‘win-win’ method of doing business surely is the way more and more businesses will start to operate in the future.

-

Aaveek Sagar 

PGDM, 2011- 13

LBSIM

Are we the one to blame?

Travelling through metro one day, I was attacked by this pulse again n again.

 Every day we get down at metro station and take a rickshaw. Ever noticed who’s the guy pulling you?

I believe no one is ever interested and so was I, until one day.

As usual, I came down at dwarka metro 11 and took a rickshaw. And thus begun the ride, but as I was travelling I noticed that the guy was limping and trying to pull the rickshaw by one leg. At first I thought he is just doing it to get the speed, but after 5 minutes I couldn’t resist and asked him:

Bhaiya aise kyun chala rahe ho?

The reply was something I never really dreamt of

“Bhaiya POLIO hai”....

and as shocked I was, I believe u all are. These were the words and at that very moment I decided to stop him. Paid him his fare and asked, “bhaiya kuch aur kyun nhe karte?”

Naukri nhe mlti ...Pet ke liye kuch to karna padega ...

Again a shocker.

Although I paid him once but this activity won’t have taken twice by me. I can’t feed him and it’s not called giving a person, livelihood.

And this is not a new scene; every day we see thousands of children pulling the rickshaw sometimes hardly a 10 year old. But we never say something.

Why should we?.....

We never Q? ...

We are mum to every situation and so is our government.

I ask why?

I ask to the people out there. Why?

I ask to the corrupt govt. Why?

I ask to each n every politician who have ignited in us, the hope of a better tomorrow. Why?

I want to Q every citizen of India. Why?

Why the person below us suffers from the lack of employment?

Why do they suffer from hunger?

Why do they suffer their very mere existence?

 Is our government that impotent, that it is not able to provide three time food to a poor labour. Where are the millions of Rajiv Gandhi and Inidra Gandhi mazdoori schemes applied if this is the condition of real Bharat.

To us it’s a normal sight in our daily life and we have been so accustomed of it that we seldom give a damn to it. Why should we? We are the lucky ones. The lucky ones, who have clothes on their body and have the thick head to go on and neglect the everyday plight. Giving a rupee to a beggar at the street and thinking you have done your fair share of social contribution is the biggest crime that you or I as a person can do. What we are doing is making them or giving them the habit to sustain on others and not cultivating the habit to earn livelihood.

Cleaning roads when CWG comes, in the form of swiping each n every beggar to make our India the shinning India won’t help India

What will help India is to educate these people to earn...earn their bread butter......educating the real Bharat, that are the person who are still below the poverty line is what we need...they not only form the majority but they are also the backbone of our country.

In India when the labour class will be respected and given the fair wage and working environment, that would be the day India can think to shine ...till then I believe it has to deal in “DARK”.....

-

Nishant Ajitsaria 

PGDM, 2011-13

LBSIM

The sense behind Vijay Mallya`s extravagance

I am a student of business and have often wondered why Vijay Mallya and his UB Group keep wasting money in sure shot loss making businesses like F1 and IPL. It was not until some days ago that the logic behind his extravagance became quite clear to me. UB Group is a diversified group engaged brewing, distilling, real estate, fertilizers, biotechnology, IT and aviation with breweries business being its biggest revenue earner. With sales of over $4 Billion, UB Group with its flagship brand Kingfisher is the world`s third largest in terms of sales behind only Diageo and Pernod Ricard and has the highest market share in India in terms of cases of liquor sold. So why does such a group invest in F1 and sponsor 4 IPL teams besides owing one itself despite knowing the fact that most teams in both sports run in losses? The answer to this question is Branding.

The Indian government`s rule prohibiting liquor brands from advertising has prompted companies to resort to surrogate ways to advertise and brand themselves. The liquor companies have huge marketing budgets but restricted by means to advertise they are left with no other option but to adopt such routes. Lets us first consider IPL. We all know that cricket is a religion in India. There are no better brand ambassadors than cricketers in India. And IPL is the most popular T20 cricketing event in the world generating more eyeballs than ICC world cup itself. With such a lucrative proposition which company wouldn’t want its flagship brand (Kingfisher in this case) to be endorsed by some of the leading names in the world cricket for a whole one and a half month. And we thought no one endorsed liquor in India. Moving on to F1. Same story here as well though the difference being that the branding achieved is international. The F1 calendar ensures that Kingfisher brand travels across the world and gets global recognition even in Islamic states like Bahrain and Emirates where advertising liquor so openly is impossible. Did someone say Vijay Mallya doesn’t understand business?Add to this the entire aura surrounding Vijay Mallya`s life style. The yacht, the parties and even the Kingfisher calendar, all exude a sense a living life king size and enjoying it. And when there are yachts, parties and sexed up glamorous calendars, would the liquor be far behind? The only business where his astute business sense hasn’t paid him rich dividends is Kingfisher Airlines, which as per my understanding is another smart branding move. He could have named it UB Airlines. But he instead chose Kingfisher which is logical as it helps promote UB Group`s flagship brand all across India and in the skies as well. The reasons for its recent losses are debatable though as even government owned Air India and Naresh Goyal`s Jet aren’t doing too well either.

All in all its pure business.  And it makes better sense than releasing music CDs. You can think of losses his teams make as coming from marketing budget of United Breweries. So the next time you question Vijay Mallya`s extravagance and his naivety shown by investing in loss making businesses, think deeper. Till next time… Cheers and remember Live Life King Size, Mallya Size!!

(BTW my favorite team in IPL is RCB even though I am a Delhiite partly coz of Gayle and Kohli)

- 

Aaveek Sagar 

PGDM, 2011- 13

LBSIM

Customizing Careers 

I was recently going through an abstract of a book on Mass Career Customization and i found this very relevant! We are living in an era where not only has the current work force evolved (with increased women, changed expectations, new family structures and new technology), but the old workforce is also evolving at a rapid pace too(for the very same reasons).

Priorities are shifting and work life balance is of out-most importance, along with career growth. Today's employee wants everything. Organizations, therefore, need to have a thorough revamp of the existing models of workplace norms and policies focusing on employees. And this is needed at every level!

My personal feeling, based on my observations, is that such MCC is also needed in Indian organizations (and is perhaps present in a few such as the Tata group). The model is based on 4 aspects- Workload, Role, Pace of growth and Location/schedule. The model has been found to be successful in retention of talent and in motivating employees in some parts of the world where it has been tested. Indian conditions, obviously require some modifications. Nevertheless, this is a must read for all those who are HR professionals, or are aspiring for a career in HRM.

*MCC is a model developed by Deloitte. 

- Zain Imfy, First year, PGDM 2011-13, LBSIM

For more from Zain visit zsview.blogspot.com

The Poor are not Aliens!!!!

I request everyone to go through this article. Simple ideas that don't germinate in minds that are in power, perhaps because our education clogs our brainy cells!

Book: Poor Economics: Rethinking Poverty and the Ways to End It- Abhijit Vinayak Banerjee & Esther Duflo 

Article: http://articles.economictimes.indiatimes.com/2011-11-25/news/30440949_1_comic-book-calcutta-nutrition

It talks about how the world's rich people think that the world's poor people are just hungry and want nutrients. The book talks about how the powerful people and the not so powerful people view the world through clichés...and how this viewpoint will lead to nothing substantive....

- Zain Imfy, First year, PGDM 2011-13, LBSIM

For more from Zain visit zsview.blogspot.com

The Day the Web went Black!

Almost all of us are aware of the stance taken by the Indian Govt. against websites such as Google, Facebook, and Orkut among others, and popular opinion is against any move at curbing the freedom of the web. However, not many in India were aware about SOPA & PIPA^ until the 'wikipedia blackout' started since midnight (EST), Jan 18, 2012.

The 'Blackout' is surely an interesting move by Wikipedia and is a sure shot way of communicating Wikipedia's view point! However, this post is not about discussing the pros and cons of SOPA and PIPA but the implications of a permanent blackout of Wikipedia (assuming no other free online encyclopedia would pop up)..

Negative

The first thing that popped up in the minds of the 'students' i spoke too was: "OMG! How are we going to do our assignments!" ..............And it's easy to understand their sentiments. Daily, millions of students browse the web for information and most of them get it from Wikipedia. It's the ultimate source of information and we have become so used to this 'free' source that we would be quite significantly impaired by its loss.

The second thing, and perhaps the more important one, that strikes people's mind is that they'll be deprived of their right to freedom of expression!! Wikipedia and similar sites may well be blocked by Internet service providers once the laws (SOPA & PIPA) on account of piracy and IP right violations! And that too for no fault of theirs’ since it is an open platform that anyone can edit, thus content could be 'bad' or 'illegal' and thus, the whole website would be blocked (That's what the these laws state!)

Positive

1. However, some bright minds pointed out that it would lead to more demand for books and an increased crowd at libraries!

2. It would also make the 'students' learn more and retain the learning for a longer period of time if they started searching the books instead of blatantly copying from the net.

3. It'll be good for the 'Music & Media' Industry....

**However, the scenario which worries me the most is that of a world without Wikipedia & other sources of free information.

- Zain Imfy, First year, PGDM, LBSIM

For more from Zain visit zsview.blogspot.com

A Day

We spend time peeping in at our documents – hiding our smartphones in laps, behind others’ backs or inside the registers – because ma’am asked us to close laptops and pay attention to our classmates’ painstakingly long and boring presentations. This, not forgetting the fact that our own presentation would add another star to the sleepy-heads’ dreams. Why are they sleeping, the sleepy-heads I mean? Well there is a universally accepted and logically valid reason behind this. The gems of words, to-the-point charts, exact explanations and the ‘we-know-it-all’ confidence in their voice – are all the hardwork of one single night. Doesn’t matter at all if the projects were assigned a week back, or even a month in advance, it’s the century scored with a last ball six that excites us. As for victory or loss, it’s the participation that counts.

As the clock finally shows it’s time the lecture got over, everyone wakes up, all attentive, for the attendance of course. A few chosen ones have meetings to attend, unavoidable activities to complete and market their clubs’ latest endeavors. Trust me, convincing our friends to participate in an activity is the toughest of jobs. All of our marketing and motivating skills come into play for a test of patience, perseverance and some politics – yes, all of that. And imagine our elation when we’re told in the meetings, “Effort nahi daalte ho yaar..activity was a dampner! You really want to be a part of this club?”

Alas!

Of the few minutes we manage to steal from the lunch ‘hour’, we try and get some food too. Poor hostlers can be seen fudging with their tiffins, sometimes trying to recognise the delicacy they have the opportunity to savor. Canteen vala is sick of students changing their orders every minute, plus, he doesn’t have any more change to pay the girl who insists on buying stuff in chillad amounts only. Fussy, I tell you!

By now, our legs are tired of the all the running-around-bushes kind of things we do – the morning marathon for the first lecture, tea break and the tea rush, catching a glimpse of all the latest crushes and knees going week, gathering all strength and standing tall for the presentations, and finally, slumping down in our chairs with best buddies around laughing at that tiniest error we made. Huh!

Spare a thought for the unfortunate register bought to make notes. The first day-first page? And then, the last page? Quite a contrast. Sadly, the rest of the sheets are used for giving explanations for bunking guest lectures. Oh, by the way, submitted that explanation your CR’s texted you for 10 times in a minute? Match that texting speed and the Vodafone zoozoo would be following you around.

No matter what, CR sure is a zaroori dost for all. I feel lucky to have realised this fact in the first week itself, plus, lucky at not being the CR myself. The latter only because I don’t check my mails before 1a.m. any night/morning. Period. We’re not pulling my leg here. All things apart, I sincerely respect all CR’s for all their attention and responsibilities. Had this been twitter, #respect.

Oh the post lunch lectures…no words to describe the feeling, the environment, the concentration, the looks, the excitement, the buzz, the smiles. The feeling- satisfied (stomachs re-filled), environment- sleepy, concentration- alien term, looks- check him out, he’s sleeping, excitement- oooo gira!, buzz- click a pic, smiles- FB tonight. That sums it up pretty much. Anyhow, there still is the ‘Percy’ of the class – wide awake, absorbing the essence of the lecture, putting up relevant questions periodically and being the apple of the eye as well as an eye sore at the same time. Nevertheless, we all hate that one sleepy-head who wakes up at just the right moment to ask a question, confuses us all and the teacher, merely nods at the answer and slips back into coma for the rest of the lecture.

I still have a lot to write, a lot to describe…it’ll take two wonderfully surprising years to cover it all up. No one can summarise a breathtakingly beautiful experience into a single day, a single post. If two trimesters have turned out the way they have, expectations are sure riding on a tsunami-high-tide for the days, weeks, months to come. We are looking forward to each day, the effort it asks of us, the lessons we learn and the changes it brings in, all of this with a strange fear of missing out on even a second of the experience we could gain.

Disclaimer: Please don’t try and find your name, class, project, lecture, assignment, presentation, teacher, worst friend, best enemy, group, club, cell, activity, party, a night-out or an all-nighter in this post. It might not be co-incidental.

- Sana Naqvi, First Year PGDM 2011-13, LBSIM

Check out more from Sana @ http://blogfresco.wordpress.com/

Religion - its evolution and the gurus of today

Since childhood, or ever since i started understanding this world the concept of God/Higher Authority/Religion has intrigued me. Now that I have grown up (I`m 25), my views about the whole concept of existence of a higher power, or a power greater than me have changed. There was a time when I used to worship God in the form of idol. That changed over the years to an opinion that God or a higher power existed within me and that it was everywhere around me, and had a ubiquitous existence. Over the years, as I became more critical of the whole concept I started questioning it even further. And this is what I think.

This concept of religion came into being because of our(human`s) inability to justify and make sense of the ambiguous world around us. Think of Adam and Eve. Did they know about this concept of God? Did they have this awareness or realization? Think of the first human being ever to have stepped on this earth. The answer is a clear NO. Then how did this concept of God come to being? The answer lies in our fears, insecurities and ambiguities, inherent fears - about existence and ambiguities about the world around. Though animals also had the same fears but since the humans had a mind that was much bigger and developed, it gave rise to a defense mechanism that we today know as higher power or God as some would like to call it. Though with development of science and logic, with renaissance, we have over the years resolved many of these ambiguities and fears. Our lives have become much more predictable. We have become a much more powerful race. But still a lot of those fears, insecurities and ambiguities remain. There is a limit upto which science can explain. There is a place where we have to start believing and stop questioning. Concepts like luck, destiny, predisposition - still exist. We nowadays live in a world that has its own new set of fears and insecurities - numerous diseases, unknown viruses, terrorist attacks, financial crisis - all keep the element of the factors that brought the concept of the supreme power into existence alive. 

My purpose of writing this blog is not to argue for any side - for or against believing in a higher power. Its a matter of personal choice. From an evolutionary psychology`s point of view, I think this entire concept of the higher power has been extremely helpful in bringing humans to where they stand today. This concept was put forth first in clear terms by biologist Charles Darwin in his theory - Survival of the fittest. Had it not been for the concept of higher power, humans may have never been able to find strength to fight, survive and win over the all the hurdles we had to cross to come here today. Believing that there is someone higher up there, taking care of things beyond your control can be very helpful in removing your fears and focusing you to think your way through the problem. You can attribute it placebo effect. But the fact is, that it happens. And till we resolve all our fears and ambiguities there is always going to be a point where we will continue to stop questioning and start believing. 

In today`s context, what is most disturbing to see is the mushrooming and blossoming clan of gurus and babas and their growing clout on the gullible and superstitious Indians. Though not all are same,(a lot of them are actually doing good for the humanity) but a some of them have turned our inherent fears and the ambiguity that exists in our very own existence into a business. The kind of wealth that some have can surprise even the likes of Warren Buffet! I am a student of business. And I know there has to be a need that one must satisfy for your business model to be successful. In other words there must be a market. Market must exist. And there it is. Indian`s with their low levels of education and high prevalence of superstition are a hot property for all the people trying to make us believe that they have special divine powers(Only God knows why He chose them) that can make our lives a hell lot better. That they hold the key to our happiness and prosperity. I for one want to know that why is it that India which by far has the highest number of these divine souls is among the poorest of the countries with a very low level of human development index. Why have these babas chosen only those with wealth to bestow upon their divine blessings? Aren`t these today`s version of the yester years` Brahmin trying accumulate power, clout and wealth by acting as the sole interface between us and the Gods? Aren`t they trying the same old model that the Brahmins used to gain the place in the society where no one could challenge them? Yes we must stop questioning and start believing after a certain point. But is this the point where we should stop questioning? Start thinking.

Till next time . Hasta la vista.

Aaveek Sagar

PGDM 2011-13

The Case of the Visible Calories: Why 'telling' is easier than 'informing'

You go to your favorite ice cream parlor and the first change you notice is the extra digits next to your favorite delight. A closer observation reveals its the 'calories' that you'll be consuming per scoop... 

If you are one among those who'll not give a second thought to it and hungrily gobble up the ice cream before it melts, and would do the same in case of anything else that you like, welcome to the gang! 

McDonald's India has, following its global initiative, started reporting the calorific intake of each of its products. Mr. Vikram Bakshi, MD, McDonald's India, believes in "dissemination of information" of being the first step towards a healthier eating habits. The second would obviously be 'bringing' healthy fast food or making it healthy, and when that happens is something we're not sure of. 

However, as a marketing technique, it is spot on. People, in spite of having little knowledge of the use of this information, will surely (assumption) be thinking of McDonald's as a healthy, responsible Fast Food chain. of course, there are those who 'know' and won't be satisfied unless this declaration is followed by a conscious move towards healthier food but this number is very less in our country. 

Whatever be the case, it sure is a step in the right direction (towards a healthier tomorrow), and an even better marketing step. I'm sure McDonald India is " lovin' It"!!!!!!

References:

Count your calories with McDonald's, Economic Times, 14th September, 2011

Also published on http://zsview.blogspot.com

Life's Free @ Richter 6.6 

6.6 on the Richter Scale wasn’t enough to shake me up…but it sure did make me realize that most of the valuable things in life are free, be it a smile from a friend, love, respect, care, talent or even courage and the list is endless….Some may argue that these are linked to money and I’ll now try to put forward my point of view.

Does love and affection from your parents or your best friend cost you anything? Can you ‘buy’ it? Perhaps, yes, but it won’t be real and you will know it’s fake and sadly, that’s the trend in this world which is moving towards materialism where hate and jealously overpower love. Yet, the satisfaction which comes from true love is something which ‘money can’t buy’.

Respect is also something you ‘can’ buy, but you’ll know you’re being duped!! Does it serve the purpose then? 

And courage knows no religion, caste or sex. It’s priceless and, well, priceless. Imagine you have to accept a mistake which could lead you getting the pink slip or imagine yourself in the battle field, cornered behind a wall, knowing very well that the chance of you dying if you leave the cover are almost nil. Can you buy the courage needed to do thing? You may the richest guy in the world but will you be able to buy courage? To modify a quote from Harry potter into one of my own “Courage will be given to those who deserve it”

I assume most people would be happy knowing how life is still cheap to live ‘happily’ ;) And happiness Is the last great thing in life that’s free and perhaps the most vital one it is the core around which we base our lives. It’s the basic purpose of life. We love, we eat, we pray, everything we do is for our happiness. The problem arises when we resort to corrupt means to achieve happiness. Such happiness is only a mirage which will leave you exasperated with the futility of your efforts.

PS: I was humbled by the messages and calls I received from my near and dear ones after the significant tremors. It made me realize how lucky I am to have people who love and care about me….. and how the best things in life are free :)

CLASS – A-PART

Section: B

Lecture: Business Communications

Topic for the day: Writing letters

Class Assignment: Write a condolence or sympathy letter to someone for a death in his/her family.

15 minutes later,

This is what Mr. Jana produces.

Dear Pravesh,

Subject: In fond memory of ‘poochie’.

I am deeply saddened by the unfortunate loss of your lovely canine friend Poochie but on the upside I am sure your level of importance in your house will rise now ahem……..i should’nt tread on dangerous waters…this is after all a ‘condolence’ letter isn’t it…..

Tell me honestly aren’t you a wee bit relieved now….imagine no more mad jaunts in muddy lanes trying to catch hold of poochie,no more embarrassing visits to the doggie parlour,at the behest of your better half for poochie’spedicures.Still I guess the best part is your wife will address only you as ‘darling’ now,otherwise the constant chants of ‘darling stop it’ used to make your neighbours think of all sorts of things errr….

My daughter misses it too;she has no one to try her noxious nail paint on(sadly they have banned testing of cosmetics on animals…but you always said poochie was not an animal). However, my wife prayed for its soul and has made a blueberry cake to console you; ironically it turned out just perfect which never happens when she cooks for me.

On a serious note, I didn’t see the dog ,oops correction ‘baby’ ,when I ran over it. There is a minor dent on my fender and it cost me $ 12 to fix it. We can work that out later. In a moment of brilliance, I recorded Poochie’s last whimper. Please find the tape attached with this letter.

Your eternal friend,

Siddhartha Jana

PS: I need your lawn mower. 

CARPE DIEM

Extended sessions, looming deadlines, dreaded emails, countless discussions and scarcity of sleep are the usual ‘constituents’ of a day in the life at LBSIM. However, before my friends strangulate me for skipping the ‘fun’ part, let me add the irrelevant queries and the ‘jalebi bai’ breaks which add an extra dash of excitement to our day, along with my love for capturing such moments which make sure that memories don’t fade away…

The usual day begins with the classrooms being transformed into conference rooms; your friends turn into mentors, teaching you not only about ‘economics’ but almost everything under the sky from relationships to the ‘art of sleeping without getting noticed’; You end up taking up more on your plate than you thought you would, and amid all the learning, you even manage to indulge in a bit of ‘relationship building’!!

At times you are at the edge of insanity devoid of sleep, frustrated and tired, yet, there are days of calm which allow you to indulge in the luxury called ‘sleep’…and nothing is constant apart from change itself, and with an enthusiastic peer group, you end up exceeding your own limits, growing and learning day in and day out. (If you’re someone like me who’s not much into music and dance, then you will wonder how these aficionados manage their time!) And then you have to work in ‘groups’ which can be demanding at times, but is essential for us.

Slowly, but surely, you begin to notice how you’ve changed and how a 3 hour sleep is ‘normal’, among a plethora of other changes which form the new normal for you. And each day is full of numerous moments worth cherishing…:)

And so the day ends…and I humbly accept that I may have been unable to put a day in the life at LBSIM aptly enough, for the simple reason that its real essence can be understood by actually experiencing it. So… Carpe Diem 

As Abraham Lincoln once said, and I quote: 

“And in the end, it is not the years in your life that count. It is the life in your years”

Best Wishes

Zain Inhonvi

PGDM, LBSIM 2011-13