The ‘Baahubali’s of Social cool’ world

With a complex subject such as Humans and their behavior, which is compounded complex, it never tires or ceases my enthusiasm and just like an excited 9 years old on a Christmas morning, I bring to you few observations that will not only make you look super cool but ‘Baahubali Cool’ in your social circle and Social media. With Olympics fever in air and chatters among the cafeteria tables about the details on winnings from the previous nights, criticizing authors/writers twitterati on their anti Indian Tweets is now perceived as the new ‘Cool’.

 

If you want to be the new Social Cool and to gain instant brownie points in terms of social likes, pride among peers & lunch group, the simplest of the way is to mock the Mocked or the opinionated. Voila!! you instantly get followers around you, an imagery bouquet of flowers, praise and friends from your social peers and people who would eventually end your statements. But, be vary, it is not as simple as it sounds. It requires years of practice to execute the mockery at the right time and many times the oppressed from the other side who has faced the situation are the best in doing to others. There are stages that you may want to  know in this which I would take you through –

1. Know the Subject inside out or Whatever: You may debate on a topic for hours and hours if you have the knowledge base but in case of being the new Social Cool, you can skip the details and may just glance the topic for a few seconds ago or have heard about it on Radio but then you allow your mind to create the rest of the story and your are prepped for discussions or even verbal war in dark times. You see, the actual knowledge will only bow you down so ignore the details, trust me.
2. Find a group/cluster (Losers) ( preferable 7 people or more): Now that doesn’t seem to be a trouble in India with a population base of more than 1.3 Bil and ever growing. You will sight such clusters in every corner of the road and turns. Most of them now prefer Social Media presence like Twitter/ Facebook to be more important than the physical presence. Even though their bodies float around in the physical world, their minds are alert and present in the Virtual world to challenge their prey or post a selfie(with pout).
3. Identify the weak / Opinionated in that group ( Your target who would take your mockery) : Now this is going to be simple, see the one individual that speaks east when the world speaks west…… That’s it…That’s the one. See no further, you have found your prey. Now act social by smiling, greeting and completing others statement first, to be socially accepted and wait for the mark.
4. (Carefully) Listen to the Prey and Launch yourself: Time has come when you listen to your prey and without letting him/her complete the story you shout the exact opposite. You raise your voice, make concerned facial expression, flap your hands as if you need to fly. Do not stop there…..Go all ammo out! get the poor class in, society in, country in and do not leave the GOD out. Try to blame the government for the corruption, education and trains that are always late. Fake a tear and shout again for honor among men code till the time your prey is appears to be a fool by others in the group and then continue with the arrows of word till he/she is either crying or running away. Chant the mantra and make sure, others chant too. Totally annihilate his existence and question the upbringing.
5. Conclude with a Glory: Fake an expression of sense of pride, smirk and be silent now to appear as the ‘Alpha’ in the pack and let others finish the job on your behalf. Give them a chance…… this is a team work. Make sure, that the social and emotional life of your prey is wrecked forever. He/she should not to be seen in in their seat at office, toilet, cafeteria, water corners, having a walk in Sun post lunch and also banish their social media accounts till they apologize to you and society, and country and GOD. Make sure they do not walk out in sun again and if they do so……circle them and attack them repeatedly with point number 4, till they regret coming out.

There you Go! this is my Mantra for your social success. You know this has worked many times and will also work in coming future. Some examples are – The PMO Twitter attacks of flying around world and not staying in India. Arvind Kejriwal, the Homosexual around world, the people who write nasty tweets about Indian Olympic Players winning silver on Social Media ( How dare they…..) and especial in India sub-continent…. People who don’t worship cricket as their first religion ( To hell with other sports….but we need medals in Olympics).

 

https://twitter.com/assistant_ozil/status/766302132785991680?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw

So there you go my friends…(Actually the invisible ones who read my blog). It’s time you snatch the Glory of being super cool and be the ruler of the Social world. FYI….. posting Match updates score by score and forwards are so mainstream now. That will not fetch you enough likes or fan following. Try something new like this……..stop making Grammar errors to get extra clicks on your post. Be genuine killing machine and gain your glory. Compare your followers like ‘Before and After’ scenarios of a fat burning Pills & Tea commercials. Our sentiments have taken a clear turn from humanity to Popularity and responses have become radioactive and petty for gaining the status “Baahubali’s of Social Cool” The ‘humans’ have never cease to impress me with their behavior….. so what’s your next move around me?

 

 

 

This Summer let’s get Physical with Food Science, shall we?

I am friends with Rini A. Dasgupta, a beautiful soul and a fellow MBA, Rini at the very threshold of life has cracked the secret to Food science and Human biology which overlap to give you mind boggling results. Let me warn you folks, Rini is pretty keen on her fashion senses too and spends most of her time amidst models. So if you are keen on losing the belly fat or bat wings this summer then Rini is your girl to follow. Let’s see what Rini has in store for us with food and workout regime:

” FOOD FOR THOUGHT (AND STOMACH AS WELL)

To begin with – Rohan, brilliant article on food in your blog! It gives me immense joy and delight to see people like you who love food and eat it guilt free (and which is exactly why people must say to you, “Hey! You never put on any weight, you eat so much!”). What I have written below is a simple, holistic way to enjoy the delights food can offer you (thanks Rujuta Diwekar for being my biggest eye opener) and realize that a good body is an outcome of food + workout.

So readers, you must (obviously) have encountered instances when someone very rudely turned to you and said, “Why are you eating so much of rice? You want to put on more weight? Huh?” and you then (if you already have weight/fitness issues) immediately pause to think and very “diligently” delete it from your platter and load it with “fibre-rich” biscotti (oh the fancier the name, the better it must be for health!), vegetables (boiled only mind you), tasteless, tadka-less edibles (I call it non-edible). And when you DO indulge in eating good food, you do so with guilt. So now you have been successfully brainwashed into believing that YUCKY = HEALTH and YUMMY = FAT. Enter weight-loss industries with slimming belts, electric currents and other (devastating) methods. Enter GM diet and cabbage soups and other methods designed to torture thy holy self. Is that why you were born? To live a life of immense pain and say no to the wonders of food God gave us? Oh my GOD.

        In case you’re thinking what’s my point here (what! Is she crazy? She’s telling us to eat to lose weight!)  yes I am your crazy writer/new friend/very fit asking you to eat to lose weight. Let’s start with why our digestive systems, digestive fire etc. exist in the first place. To eat, swallow and digest, silly! Let’s get to the actual point(s) now.

1. DIT – Diet Induced Thermogenesis

This means the more you eat, the better your metabolism. No, this doesn’t mean one plate of rice and veggies every fifteen minutes. This simply means that you have to eat every two hours. The human body doesn’t understand logic (i.e. lunch is delayed due to office) it simply does what Mama Nature taught it – survival (remember Charles Darwin’s “only the fittest survive”?). Hence, when it misses a meal, it goes into survival mode, lowers metabolism and starts holding on to the fat stores because the body simply thinks there is lack of food and a threat to survival! Feeding it every two hours is a way of reassuring the body that there is no such thing so keep up the metabolism!

  2. A Balanced Diet –  A wholesome meal

Now just because I said eat every two hours, it won’t do you any good to run to KFC and Mc Donald’s every two hours! Any diet is not “one size fits all” but this is a general pattern. You have to include mostly what you have been eating since childhood and remain close to your genes, which means if your ancestors have been eating idli for 5000 years, yes you can eat them too. If you are a Punjabi, eat your paranthas. If you are a Bengali (like me) then eat rice! Indians, in general, should eat rice. Paranthas, gulab jamuns, dhoklis etc are NOT junk food!

• MEAL # 1 – Pre-Breakfast – Start you day with a high calorie fruit AS SOON AS you get up (and brush) because your blood sugars drop the moment you open your eyes. Fructose stabilizes your blood sugars + which leads to an escalating metabolism + hence your appetite is the way it is supposed to = now the body is equipped to burn more fat during the day! Now you are not empty stomached while taking a bath and getting ready for work etc. 

 

• MEAL # 2 – Breakfast – continue eating your parantha/ idli/ upma/ dosa/ cornflakes and no you will not put on weight because you have a good metabolism now!

 

• MEAL # 3 – Midday Meal – this is your meal two hours after breakfast and two hours prior to lunch. A pack of unsalted nuts like peanuts, walnuts etc. high in omega 3, they take care of your pre-lunch hunger cramps (aaaooo, I’m so hungry, stupid professor not releasing us for lunch!) well, just have them in class/office!

 

• MEAL # 4 – Lunch (usually the second meal of the day for most people who then wonder, “Arre I hardly eat man, still I am fat yaar”) – this is the time to eat your rice/dal. Remember to eat rice every day (another article for another time, for now just believe me). Vegetables keep rotating and just continue eating what your grandmother/mother used to eat. Your stomach will tell you when to stop on time now, simply because you have nourished it since morning!)

 

• MEAL # 5 –the 4pm meal – you stomach makes a slight demand again, so you can very well eat a small bhel (wet bhel, not dry, as pudina is a brilliant laxative for your stomach) and your body is back to being your content wife/child and does no drama.

 

• MEAL # 6 – and the 6pm meal (what a coincidence!) – this perhaps is the most important meal after your first meal (fruit in the morning) because this will determine your dinner appetite. Never skip this one COME WHAT MAY, because if you do then you will overeat for dinner, which results in bloating, no hunger in the morning, and then you skip your pre breakfast and breakfast. Bad thing na? Now this meal is as simple as a glass of milk/chaas/lassi with a small sandwich (yes you can have white bread or brown, your choice) or a couple of carrots.

 

• MEAL # 7 – the LAST supper – roti/veggies/lean proteins whatever. And you won’t overeat now because? 100 Rini points for your answer.

 

• Now, eat you meal # 7 (your last supper) two hours before going to sleep. Why? Because your body does its repair work after you sleep hence with undigested food in the tummy it is torn between the two duties. It finally chooses to leave the food unattended (not digested) and does the repair work. This also leads to bloating by the way!

                        

• MITAHAR – The “sweet” experience with food

Engaging your senses (ALL FIVE OF THEM) is crucial to keep your agni chakra (digestive fire commonly known as metabolism) burning bright. This ensures that your mind is accepting the food that you eat and the body then does a better job of digesting it. So look at your food and let your eyes enjoy the colours of your meal, smell the lovely aroma with your nose, touch the texture and feel it with your fingers, taste it with your tongue and then hear it crumble inside your mouth with your ears. That means – no television, phone calls, spoons and other distractions. Mitahar ensures you don’t overeat (because the body acknowledges all that goes in and how much should go in). Junk foods numb your senses, hence mitahar is difficult to practise then.

 EXERCISE – if you have an ass, move it.

Now that we are done blaming food for all the fat that we gain, let’s get more real that we already just did. We are not here to lose weight, but to stay fit. Fat weighs very little and muscle mass weighs a lot, so weighing scales tend to mislead you in terms of health. Even after you burn a lot of fat, your weight may remain the same or even increase as that is your bone and muscle mass. It is crucial to build muscle mass because the more muscle you have, the more your fat burns automatically. No, weight training does not make you a body builder (they have ENTIRELY different lifestyles and diets, including pills and steroids). The human body can only build so much of muscle and upon reaching the peak with a certain amount of weight, it maintains the same with regular exercise. Again, exercise is not “one size fits all”, so invest in a gym/trainer and be regular.

To conclude, I would simply like to say that you have to 1.eat and 2.exercise and 3.enjoy both. You don’t have to exercise because you eat, but because you have a BODY. It doesn’t get simpler than that. Cheers everyone and enjoy the wonders of food, exercise and the brilliant health it will shower upon you!”

(Courtesy Rini Ankita Dasgupta – Guest Blogger)

dasgupta.ankita@gmail.com (feel free to compliment/complain/add opinions/suggestions)

 

Does the word, ‘Food’ tickle your senses?

Hello everyone, I am back and this time I would love to share with everyone some nutty dishes. It is impossible to work on a blog topic post heavy lunch and that’s how I reached my new topic – Food. However even with droopy eyes I have gathered all the leftover energy and shared some my favorite dishes that I know is every Punjabi’s dream. Trust me when I say, the very homely food would find a place in the top ranked dishes on my lists of favorite foods but then I confess to have found solace in some very wisely done recipes that might just do the magic.

Being a typical food lover (I am a Punjabi and can’t blame my genes) since childhood, I have had a mouthful of punjabi dishes and also a good feasting on various other kind of foods available in the vicinity. The food options were truncated as I am a pure vegetarian and only a few options remain to pick from. The best that I can conspicuously recollect are the spicy Hyderabadi Biryani, the immaculate Sambhar and Idlee and the soulful Gujarati farsan is to die for. Hopefully the list of food I would share today would not fail to impress a few. So let me stop chit chatting and quickly get down to business:

5) Rajma Chaawal: The Number 5th on my list is the graciously done Rajma Chaawal. Every Punjabi’s Sunday or any other major occasion is incomplete without the preparation of Rajma Chaawal. A simple recipe of Kidney bean soup in Tomato curry and rice can give a headache to many who cook without a prior training. Recently, I have learnt about my moving away to an alien land for work and this is one of the dishes that would make me eager to wait for holidays.

4) Gajjar ka Halwa: The list would be sympathetically empty, if there is no focus on dessert. A Gajjar ka Halwa is one specialty that normally people binge on during winters. The sweet carrots when marry the cream/ Mawa to make the perfect blend of Halwa, it is simply magic. The servings include garnishes with silver paper and loads of dry fruits but I prefer mine with some cashews and honey. Well, If you haven’t still tried it…… what are you waiting for?

3) Sindhi Curry with Aloo Took:   I first happen to have Sindhi Curry and Aloo Took at my Sindhi uncle’s wedding and right after then I am head over heels for it. The Sindhi Curry is a Tomato preparation with fried vegetables. The Aloo took are the double fried Potato chips served as complimentary item. On and all it is like your dream girlfriend – Saucy, sweet and sour and crisp to add that little zing.

2) Chat Pakora: The road side junk food has eventually managed to climb my best food list with a very little efforts. The Onion, Potatoes and Dal bhajjiyas (Pakora in punjabi) are best with cutting chai (Half cup tea) during monsoons. I know a lot of us have a very hygiene conscious for the street side preparations but this calorie filled dish is served best with pickled green chilies and garlic powder and once you have it, your enslaved to the warm and aromatic flavors.

1) Panner makhanwala : Also known as stir fried cottage cheese with sweet and spicy seasonings in butter and best served with Naan or Butter Roti (Indian Bread). The classic Panner, wins hand down to all other items in the list. The Makhan Panner which is the best main course is prepared in butter (Hence makhan) and cashew cream is added to enhance the rich texture. A dish that can give you a tiring day in gym after it is consumed is the crown jewel for all food items.

Well guys, this is it. These dishes make me thank Lord, All Mighty every time I dine and lick every drop off my plate till the last morsel. It would be superb if you can share the best dishes you have had in past or savor in your bucket list. Thank you for your time and Salute to a Healthy life ahead.

(Image Courtesy : finelychoppedk.wordpress.com, whatscookingmom.in, kitchenadda.blogspot.com, chefandherkitchen.com)

The Colorful Religious India and the versatility of ‘Babas’

‘Religion’, an eight letter word, seemingly small, but mighty powerful, has the authority to change the ways of the world. It’s capable of creating strong attachments but can cause irreconcilable differences too. It can change an innocent into ‘hulk’ and bring down the greatest of great on their knees. And if you want to see the power of this word, India is the place to be.

With multiple religions and sects, all trying to accommodate themselves in the democratic boat of our nation, you will find everyday lives of people getting directed by this word. Within a hundred meters’ walk you are bound to come across multiple temples, mosques or churches and people who never let Gods in these places live in peace. From film industry to stock market ‘muhurat’ and stars play a huge role. And this fanaticism with religion gave birth to a new species – ‘BABA’.

The first record of this species is not known but I can safely say that they have existed forever. They claim to be the lawyers of God’s court; they claim to be doctors who can cure you of killer diseases just by a glance; they claim to be the mentors who will guide you on path of spirituality and ‘reveal’ you the truth of the world. But they will not tell you that they are incredible businessmen or they make their living probably by fabricating lies and deceiving innocents. At times, this saffron and white clad specimen is just a conman feeding on faith of common man.

The Rise of Cult- Babagiri

 

The ‘Rise of Babas’ has picked up speed in past few decades and they can be found almost on every nook and corner. And it’s not just Armani and Chanel that expect you to be heavy at pocket, the ‘Babaland’ demands or at least anticipates the same.

Well, it’s not like all of them are millionaires. Like every other business there is competition in this field too. As a result this territory also has hierarchy. The top level of pyramid deals with rich and influential. So they can afford extracurricular interests too. Along with preaching, it could be partying, politics or perverse behavior. And as a client/devotee, you are to participate too.

The next level has clients, oops ‘devotees’ in next class of social strata and so on. They may not enjoy the life of the top level but hey, that’s how world works. And they may claim to be unworldly but they are well aware of its ways.

On a serious note, as an open person, ideologically, I will not deny the existence of mystic, unless proved otherwise, so, I respect the opinion of people who believe that some individuals do achieve ‘enlightenment’. And if they have achieved it, they must understand that people can’t be ‘forced’ or ‘guided’ to achieve it and neither can it be thrust upon people. And somehow I think they do not try it either. It’s the ‘conmen-group’, who state ‘enlightenment’ to be the elusive fruit, out of common man’s reach, and can only be achieved by being on the receiving end of their ‘Babagiri’.

Let’s hope that with increase in education and advancement, people will recognize the truth and will be careful of this species.

Okay, Fine.

The pessimist in my brain is shouting loud and hard that these liars will learn new tricks and still be part of our society as they are today.

And, I, well, I believe that.

 

A Cow based Economics Lesson

This is just Superb. I always had troubles in understanding different types of economic systems. They always confused me or gave me forty winks but recently I was surfing the web when I found this article. The second I lay my eyes on it, I knew I had to share it with all and make the world a merry place for mankind to exchange knowledge. A simple way of understanding the different Economies by an apt description of  ‘TWO COW’ theory. Way to go!!!

 

SOCIALISM
You have 2 cows.
You give one to your neighbor.

COMMUNISM
You have 2 cows.
The State takes both and gives you some milk.

FASCISM
You have 2 cows.
The State takes both and sells you some milk.

NAZISM
You have 2 cows.
The State takes both and shoots you.

BUREAUCRATISM
You have 2 cows.
The State takes both, shoots one, milks the other, and then throws the milk away.

TRADITIONAL CAPITALISM
You have two cows.
You sell one and buy a bull.
Your herd multiplies, and the economy grows.
You sell them and retire on the income.

ROYAL BANK OF SCOTLAND (VENTURE) CAPITALISM
You have two cows.
You sell three of them to your publicly listed company, using letters of credit opened by your brother-in-law at the bank, then execute a debt/equity swap with an associated general offer so that you get all four cows back, with a tax exemption for five cows.
The milk rights of the six cows are transferred via an intermediary to a Cayman Island Company secretly owned by the majority shareholder who sells the rights to all seven cows back to your listed company.
The annual report says the company owns eight cows, with an option on one more.
You sell one cow to buy a new president of the United States , leaving you with nine cows.
No balance sheet provided with the release.
The public then buys your bull.

SURREALISM
You have two giraffes.
The government requires you to take harmonica lessons.

AN AMERICAN CORPORATION
You have two cows.
You sell one, and force the other to produce the milk of four cows.
Later, you hire a consultant to analyze why the cow has dropped dead.

A FRENCH CORPORATION
You have two cows.
You go on strike, organize a riot, and block the roads, because you
want three cows.

A JAPANESE CORPORATION
You have two cows.
You redesign them so they are one-tenth the size of an ordinary cow and produce twenty times the milk.
You then create a clever cow cartoon image called a Cowkimona and market it worldwide.

AN ITALIAN CORPORATION
You have two cows, but you don’t know where they are.
You decide to have lunch.

A SWISS CORPORATION
You have 5000 cows. None of them belong to you.
You charge the owners for storing them.

A CHINESE CORPORATION
You have two cows.
You have 300 people milking them.
You claim that you have full employment, and high bovine productivity.
You arrest the newsman who reported the real situation.

AN INDIAN CORPORATION
You have two cows.
You worship them.

A BRITISH CORPORATION
You have two cows.
Both are mad.

AN IRAQI CORPORATION
Everyone thinks you have lots of cows.
You tell them that you have none.
No-one believes you, so they bomb the ** out of you and invade your country.
You still have no cows, but at least you are now a Democracy.

AN AUSTRALIAN CORPORATION
You have two cows.
Business seems pretty good.
You close the office and go for a few beers to celebrate.

A NEW ZEALAND CORPORATION
You have two cows.
The one on the left looks very attractive.

 

Post courtesy (Sam Aminisam)

American Coffee, Indian Beans – Coverage of TATA Starbucks Coffee in India

Is it the Brand name of Starbucks coffee or the Rich experience that makes it Starbucks

   Drum rolls and finally, Starbucks coffee emerges with the TATA alliance at Fort, Mumbai with it’s very first outlet. The wish of thousands of Indian’s and the long awaited FDI discussions dying slowly, 19^th October 2012 would now be written in history as Howard Schultz’s Starbucks’ entered India successfully.

The ambiance decor is done in similar fashion with reference to its worldwide retail presence such as the name and the logo placement. Once you are at Starbucks, coffee is not only the hot thing creating a tingling sensation on your tongue. Don’t be alarmed looking at a long queue outside but certainly you may enjoy the smell of roasted coffee beans swelling in the air. Enthusiasm of the long queues is kept up by the staff, as they provide these small cups of vanilla cream with chocolate sauce.

Entering the cafe would take you around 45 to 50 minutes but it’s worth the wait. An aura of Indian decor grabs your attention instantly. However there has been a lot of fusion art ware which gives it a sophisticated appeal. The wall paintings and the wooden furniture give a splash of warmth which is missing from most of the regular cafes in Mumbai. The place is smartly designed to accommodate a roughly around 120 people and still be a private affair for all of them.

On entry, you still have to face a small queuing situation while the table allocation is on the go. However keeping the visitor’s busy, the order is taken during your small wait in the inter parlor queue. Your name is written with a marker on the cup with your order. By the time, it’s your turn to be served the freshly brewed coffee, your name is called and you can sip your way to a relaxing table along with your pack.

The menu offers a very limited range of food and coffee servings which seems to be a strategic move by Mr. Schutlz’s as to not overload Starbucks during it’s initial stage. The Starbucks’ merchandise is placed near the queuing station so as to interest the people waiting for their turn could have a look at the mugs, coffee and etc. 

Price sensitive Indian Market has been a concern for global CEO’s from day one. Pricing of the coffee is quite competitive against the other cafes in Mumbai. A small cappuccino at CCD is around INR 75/- and tall cappuccino at Starbucks is just INR 115/- which falls in the ‘Will Buy’ zone for many of us. The staff at the Starbucks is not only of Indian origin but a mix of many cultures and creed. Some were from states itself.

It is a pleasure to see the manager of Starbucks having a small rendezvous session with the people in the queue. He certainly was keen to spread the word to check some great listings on the menu and consulted most of them to have the best variants of coffee that was served as a first time order.

 Definitely must have at Starbucks are: Hot Cappuccino, Hot Chocolate and Ice cold Coffee Frappe

(courtesy: Rasesh Raja- https://www.facebook.com/MoreOverCoffee)

 

FDI in Retail Sector – Is India ready for it?

Chinese Philosopher Lao Tzu said, “If you do not change direction, you may end up where you are heading”.

So, UPA-II took a bold decision this month to introduce some reforms in the direction of India’s new growth policy by announcing FDI in retail; by deciding to allow 51% FDI in multi-brand retail and a 100% in single brand. The decision although welcomed by corporate sector, took a huge beating by other political parties.

As the common man stands confused by various opinions on whether and why the decision is right or wrong, I tried to explore whether we are ready for this much needed step for economic reform.

FDI, by definition is Foreign Direct Investment into production in a country by company located in another country, either by buying a company in target country or by expanding operation of existing business in that country. No doubt, it will boost growth prospects: A look at world’s largest recipient of FDI, USA and our neighbor China will clear out the doubt, as the numbers tell their own story. According to a UNCTAD survey, India is second most important destination, after China, for FDI in retail.

                                        

It will benefit farmers and SMEs as they will get better price for their produce, which currently is less than half of the final cost at which end user buys the product. It will reduce inflation too probably, by decreasing the wastage of vegetables and fruits (which is about 40% of total production as of now) by providing better cold storage facilities.

Story is good for end user too; he will have a broader range to choose from, as different players hustle for space to stand in front of him. With knowledge of various products through sources of advertisements, modern consumer emphasizes on quality and this need will positively be satisfied too.

 

Now you must be thinking, what these political parties are crying for? Let me get to it. A drawback of FDI would be the loss of job, as it will hamper business of small retailers and chain of middlemen. This problem could be compensated up to an extent by the jobs that will be created by implementation of this plan. The critics say that it will put farmers and SMEs on mercy of big retail players. The answer to this would be appropriate regulation by government to help the suppliers. Our Honorable PM. Manmohan Singh has clearly stated the benefits of the Kirana store by pointing out many benefits such as the free home delivery system, the credit system and the convenience factor.

As far as market is concerned, the jump on Dalal Street on Friday, after notification of FDI by government, clearly indicated of the future prospects. Retail sector stocks were getting hammered since April. Shares of Pantaloons, Koutons and Vishal retail went down by 30-37%, not to mention the significant debt that these companies have incurred. The FDI pill could help solve their problem too. Real Estate sector will see boost too as Walmart, Tescos and others will need huge structures to set themselves up.

All in all, the pros overweigh the cons and let us hope this necessary step by government helps bring some much needed change.

Pimp My Ride: Indian Style – Are Indian Car lovers ready for something of this sort?

“We heard you like books, so we put a library in your car, so you can read books while you drive”.

If you are MTV’s Pimp My Ride fan, you already know what I am talking about. It’s my take on the memes that gained popularity after Xzibit’s similar sentences on the closure of Pimp My Ride episodes. This tingling sensation of getting your car dressed by a celebrity, Xzibit was indeed a hit in 2009 and a fad for a regular teenage American Youth.

If you don’t know what I mean, I am talking one of MTV’s most popular shows, ‘Pimp My Ride’, which used to customize a car for someone absolutely free. The format goes like this: A car lover shows off his car and persuades the Pimp My Ride team to transform his/her car, the presenter or host (usually Xzibit) goes to the car owner’s house, has a look at the car, takes it to custom body shop, where the team generally rebuilds the interiors and exteriors from scratch; including engine in some cases.

 But how much do we Indians love our car? Do we care enough to customize our car to match our personality? And if we intend to, do we have any options around to make this dream come true?

 

 

My neighbor who is in his late twenties bought a car a few years ago and fell in love with it. He would say, “Some have cars, some have girlfriends and some have girlfriend because they have cars”. The way he took special efforts to polish dirt off of his car and as the seats were covered with plastic that they came with for months after the purchase, I concluded his car had taken the place of his girlfriend.

 Anyways, two days ago, standing in the window, I saw him driving. The car didn’t look like what it was years ago. As he drove, front left tire got in the pothole (they have taken over the city roads, as usual); the car struggled to get the part out, shook hard, and gave up. Finally, owner got down and asked for manual help. By this time, I was counting dents, making out shapes of scratches, looking at the brown under red paint peeking through. And, I declare, his car needed some serious pimping.

What I intend to imply by this narration is, the excitement that you feel for your new car, wears out with time and your car merely becomes just a mean to get you from one place to another, not something you would like to show off or spend time in.

If we had an Indian version of Pimp My Ride, I think it would definitely encourage people customize and maintain their ride. If you own a car, you know that buying a car is not difficult, with banks literally putting money in your hands. What you’ll find tricky is maintenance. It is expensive, with many unorganized, unrecognized service brands, and with increase in car sales, service sector is in demand. 

 On the show: Pimp My Ride, customizing a ride involved many changes made to car within 12 days, from new paint to accessories, such as race car seats, tires and internal electronics. In some cases, dryer (for a surfer dude), fish tanks and electronic fireplaces were installed as per owner’s need.

 Primarily speaking, Indian Audience would have concentrated more on Mileage and the Averages their Car has to offer and get a replacement of a new engine by an Indian Celebrity for Free on the show, which sounds like a bonus deal for Indian mentality but our survey showed that Indian’s, just like the American audience, have a liking for flames design pattern on their front bonnet along with Wings and nitro-oxide cylinder at the rear part of their cars. An Indian version not only will be popular, it may give a perspective to car-owners on how they can make their ride a cool place to hang out at.

 

(ref: wikepedia, mtv.com)

 

Inflation revisited: a confusing chapter from Economics and it’s remedies

Hello everyone, today we discuss modern India’s Economic crunch with the reference of inflation. The Financial shift in India’s Gross Domestic Product(GDP) as claimed by the white collar babus, burning several liters of fuel in age-old Ambassadors mostly confuses us rather than settling us with a straight answer. The fact remains, India is a growing economy even though the time required for India to make decisions are long enough for toddlers to step into college. The ultimate questions, “Slow but steady, How is India growing?” is to some extent answered in Rama Bijapurkar’s ‘We are like that only’.

Let us start with an example, You earn an Income which is then divided in two segments: Savings(s) or investments(I) and Expenditure(e) or consumption(c).Hence considering the Income(y) for Government, it would be a submission of the entire Savings and Consumption of the country. Therefore y = s + c, However there is some editing to this equation. The money that is saved in Banks, or invested in shares and stocks or any other mode is then invested by Banks, Government or some other body in other programs. This Investments are mostly loaned to industries for increasing the production of Finished goods and there is an increases in consumption. Hence with increase in Savings(s), consumption(c) increases as well.

The GDP which is defined as the total production of goods and service produced in the country for that year is affected tremendously every year. Moreover, Imports and exports play an important role in shaping the country’s GDP. The anti-social elements like Corruption and Bribery cause a leakage in the income and saving structure of the country. Based on the amount collected in the Government’s kitty, which is the RBI- Reserve Bank of India, the Government further plans the Fiscal and monetary policies for the country.

Inflation: The traditional definition states that when Income of the country grows eventually with the growth in the prices of the commodities, steadily over a period of time is known as Inflation. However when the prices increases and income is unchanged or commodities price remain the same with fall in income causes commotion in the masses. This economic rift created is major reasons for erosion in the purchasing power of money. The unemployment increases due to cost cutting and again the GDP decreases.

To tackle such a brouhaha, simple steps maintain your economic standards even when the market is unstable.

Investment in Gold: It is observed that the day you plan to make an investment in gold, it is the cheapest that day. Buy gold when the market is facing a lull as the price of gold has never seen a steep slope but always has been on an upward swing.

Secure investments in the Growing Sectors: Plan a to-do list for investment and consult an expert. The low risk companies in growing sector in recent times for example Pharmaceutical or telecommunications or etc. are secure to invest with options like mutual funds or stock options.

The Growth plans by Banks may also fall in this secure category however the returns are not high.