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My Test Audio Pod Cast- Episode# 1

2007-08-17T10:53:00.000-07:00

Listen to Chak De! Right Here

Boeing 747 Take Off

2007-08-15T05:44:00.000-07:00

Number System

2006-07-25T00:21:00.000-07:00

Number Systems

1. Real Numbers
a. Rational - That can be expressed in the form p/q where q <> 0 and p, q are integers
b. Irrational Numbers - That cannot be expressed in the form p/q where q <> 0 and p, q are integers
c. Natural - All consecutive numbers from 1 onwards...
d. Whole - The set if all natural numbers including 0
e. Even - Divisible by 2
f. Odd - Not Divisible by 2
g. Integers - Positive and and negative
h. Prime numbers - The numbers that have no factor other than itself and unity- Ex 2, 3, 5, 7
2. Composite Numbers - The numbers that have factors other than itself and unity- Ex 9, 6
Complex Numbers - Numbers that are expressed in the form a+bi, where i = (-1)^(1/2)

3. Properties:

1. 1 is neither a prime number nor a composite
2. 0 is an even number
3. 2 is the only even prime

4. Operations on even \ odd numbers

2. Even (+ -) Even = Even
3. Odd (+ -) Odd = Even
4. Even * Even = Even
5. Odd * Odd = Odd
6. Odd + - Even = Odd
7. Odd * Even = Even

5. For any two numbers N1 and N2, their product is equal to the product of their LCM and HCF ->N1xN2 = LCM(N1,N2) x HCF(N1,N2)

6. If N1 and N2 are co prime, then HCF(N1,N2) = 1, so N1xN2 = LCM(N1,N2)

7. Sum of the first n natural numbers - [n(n+1)]/2
8. Sum of the squares of first n natural numbers - [n(n+1)(2n+1)]/6
9. Sum of the cubes of first n natural numbers - [n(n+1)/2]^2
10.Sum of even numbers - n(n+1)
11.Sum of odd numbers = n^2

12.If a^p x b^q x c^r are factors of a number N, then the total of factors of N are (p+1)(q+1)(r+1), where a , b and c are prime factors

EX- The unit's digit in the expansion of 2 raised to power 51 is :

2 has a cyclicity of 4 and 51(mod 4) = 3 , so the unit's digit will be same as in 2^3 = 8

EX- How many 0s are there in the expansion 100!

To solve this you need to find the highest power of 10 that divides 100!

Now 10 = 5X2

100/2 = 50
100/2^2 = 25
100/2^3 = 12
100/2^4 = 6
100/2^5 = 3

So the max power of 2 in 100! Is 96

Similarly – We can find the highest power of 5 in 100!

100/5 = 20
100/5^2 = 4
100/5^3 = NA

i.e. = 20+4 = 24

So we have 100!/10 = 100!/(2^96X5^24) = 100!/(10^24 X 2^72)

So the number of 0s in 100! Is 24

EX - The difference between the biggest and the smallest number formed by using 0, 1, 2, 3, 4 exactly once is :

(1) 28000 (2) 32591 (3) 27143 (4) 41976

Soln - 43210 - 01234 = 41976

13.You can perform all the arithmetic operations with remainders that you can with the numbers. For example if the two numbers N1 and N2 on division by “a“, leave remainders R1 and R2, then the remainder when (N1+N2)%a = R1+R2 or (R1+R2)(% a) if r1+r2 > a. Similarly (N1 – N2)%a = (R1 – R2)%a and also (N1*N2)%a = (R1*R2)%a. (read % as remainder from divisor).

14.Fermat's Little Theorem:

a. If p is a prime number and a any integer, then (a^p-a)% p = 0 i.e. a^p- a is completely divisible by 'p'.

b. If a and p are co prime then a^(p-1)%p = 1

15.Euler's Generalization
If 'a' is any number co-prime to 'n' then - a^e(n) % n = 1, where e(n) = euler's quotient

16.For any positive number n, 2<=(n+1/n)^n <=3

17.(n!)^2 > n^n

18.If n is an odd number, then n(n^2-1) is divisible by 24.

19.If n is an odd number greater than 3, then (n^2-1) is divisible by 24.

20.If the sum of 2 number x and y is constant x+y = k, then their product is MAX when x = y = k/2 and this product is = k^2/4
21.On the same lines if the product of two numbers is constant i.e. xy = k, then their sum is MIN when x = y = root(k) and the value is = 2root(k)

Note: This concept can be extended to more than 2 numbers.

Modular Mathematics
--------------------------------
This one is for ignorant buddies who find remainder problems and theorems related to it hard to understand.

I believe that algebraic number theory is one of the most intriguing topics of mathematics. Numbers have enchanted mathematicians for centuries and still there is much to be explored. Here is a set of theorems that can be used to solve almost all the problems related with finding remainders. Before starting lets prove that number of primes are infinite. Suppose I have found first few primes as p(1) = 2; p(2) = 3 and so on up to p(n). Product p(1)*p(2)*…*p(n) is divisible by all the primes we have found so far.
That means p(1)*p(2)*…*p(n) + 1 is not divisible by any of the known primes. That means either this number is a prime or it is a composite number having prime factors different from that are known (Caveat: -We have no right to say that this number is prime unless we prove it. A number of coaching institutes say this number is a prime but this is not necessarily true). Hence if we have first n primes we can find at least one more prime and that proves infinitude of primes. Wasn’t it a simple way of proving something of quite an elusive nature? Well that’s the beauty of mathematics.

Why does ISO insist upon standardizing the methods and approaches of running a business? Because when you follow same process again and again, you become proficient at using the process that brings the efficiency and quality in products and services. So if we follow a prescribed set of rules, we will become proficient at solving even difficult remainder problems.

It is necessary to know how a remainder is formally defined. Suppose we have two positive numbers a, b where a>b. a = b*q + R is true for infinite sets of integers (q, R).
Lets say that R is the residue (because we have not defined remainder as yet). We define remainder as value of R that is numerically less than the divisor b and either negative or positive. Or ½r½ < b. A sample statement “ When a number is divided by 29 leaves a remainder 5.” should be interpreted as N = 29x + 5. I won’t explain the trivial cases that are given in almost all the materials, as when a number is divided by two different divisors, remainders are same then remainder when LCM divides the number gives the same remainder etc. Here are the theorems you must know.

First thing we should be clear about is that whatever operation (addition, subtraction or multiplication) happens on the numbers, same operation happens on the remainders of the numbers from a given divisor. Suppose 2 numbers x and y when divided by divisor ‘a’ leave remainders r and R i.e. x = am + r and y = an + R.
(x + y) = a(m + n) + (r + R) hence remainder when (x + y) is divided by a is either (r + R) or remainder when (r + R) is divided by a ( in case r + R is greater than a).
Similarly (x – y)%a = (r – R)%a and also (x*y)%a = (r*R)%a. (read % as remainder from divisor).

I presume everyone knows the application of binomial theorem in finding remainders so won’t explain here.

RULE 1. Chinese remainder theorem: - Do not panic by looking at the name. It is just another buddy that helps in solving remainder problems. I will explain it using a sample problem.
Q. A number when divided by 7 leaves remainder 5 and when divided by 11 leaves remainder 3, find a general solution. There may be easier methods available for solving these questions but motive here is to understand the approach that more or less remains the same even when we move towards questions of higher level. From given statement we can say that number N = 7x + 5 = 11y + 3.

Or x = (11y – 2)/7
Lets say that y when divided by 7 leaves a remainder r i.e. y = 7a + r. 11 leaves either 4 or –3 as remainder from 7 (at times negative remainder makes the calculations easier). Since x is an integer, it gives remainder 0 when divided by 7 therefore 4r – 2 is divisible by 7 since r is the remainder from 7, you’ll have to try values of r up to 6. At r = 4, 4r – 2 becomes divisible by 7. So we can say here that y = 7a + 4. Putting the value of y in N=11y + 3 = 11(7a + 4) + 3 = 77a + 47. Putting a = 0, 47 is the first number of this type and 77a + 47 is the general series of such numbers.

I hope you can understand the process. Now lets say that in the same question another condition is given that when divided by 13, number leaves a remainder 6.
That means N = 13b + 6 along with the previous conditions. We have already solve it for two conditions and found the combined form as 77a + 47. We just need to solve this with the new form 13b + 6.
77a + 47 = 13b + 6
Or b = (77a + 41)/13.
Again using the same process.
77%13 = -1 (Usefulness of negative remainders)
41%13 = 2 (Positives are equally useful)
That clearly means that a%13 = 2
(-1)*(2) + (2) = 0{I have done the same operation on remainders as done on numbs}
Therefore a = 13c + 2; and putting this value in 77a + 47 = 77(13c + 2) + 47
= 1001c + 154 + 47 = 1001c + 201.
Whatever other remainder conditions are given, we can solve in same fashion.

Now you know CHINESE REMAINDER THEOREM.
You need practice to master it. Do you require questions on this? I don’t think so. You can make as many as you wish to.

RULE 2: FERMAT’S LITTLE THEOREM

Using the properties of infinite arithmetic progressions, Fermat proved the theorem that for a prime number ‘p’ that is co prime with another number ‘a’; when a to the power
(p-1) is divided by p, remainder is 1. Or a^(p-1) % = 1. Don’t forget that this theorem is defined only for prime divisors. E.g. 2^4%5 =1; 3^10%11 = 1. Or in more general form
a^{n(p-1)}%p = 1. So if the question is 2^1000%11, remainder will be 1 because power of 2 is a multiple of (11-1).

What if divisor is not a prime? Then we have eular’s generalization of Fermat’s rule.
That generalization says that a^e(n)%n = 1. Where e(n) is eular’s number for divisor n. Also a is co prime with the divisor n. Eular’s number e(n) for divisor n is defined as number of natural numbers less than ‘n’ and co prime with it. How to find e(n)? Suppose I want to find eular’s number of 1001. Prime factors of 1001 are 7,11,13.
e(1001) = 1001(1-1/7)(1-1/11)(1-1/13). In general for a number n having prime factors p1, p2, p3…. e(n) = n (1-1/p1)(1-1/p2)(1-1/p3)…
This knowledge about eular’s theorem is sufficient. Now that we know fermat’s rule and eular’s rule, lets try a sample question.

What are last two digits of 3^96? Last two digits of this number can be obtained by finding remainder when this number is divided by 100. 100 = (2^2)*(5^2). Understand the things clearly here. For 2^2 i.e. 4, eular’s number is 4(1-1/2) = 2 and for 5^2 (25), eular’s number is 25(1-1/5) = 20. Using eular’s theorem, 3^2 %2^2 = 1 and
3^20 %5^2 = 1. if we take LCM of the powers of 3 in two cases(LCM is 20) we find that 3^20 %100 = 1 or last two digits of 3^20 are 01. It can be proved for any other number co prime with hundred. That explains why cyclicity of last two places is generally 20 for all numbers co prime with 100. Last 2 places of 3^96 will therefore be same as last two places of 3^16. (Because 3^96 = 3^80 * 3^16 and 3^80 ends in 01) . How to find last two digits of 3^16? 3^20 = 3^16 * 3^4 lets say last two digits of 3^16 are xy.
Therefore xy * 81 = 01 (considering only last two digits) that’s true for xy = 21.

Another question. What is the remainder when 3^1001 is divided by 1001?

1001 = 7*11*13. 3^6 %7 = 1; 3^10 %11 = 1 and 3^12 %13 = 1. That implies
3^{LCM (6,10,12)} %1001 = 1 or 3^60 %1001 = 1. Using this we can reduce the previous problem into a simpler one. 3^1000 = 3^960 * 3^41, from 3^960, remainder is 1 therefore reminder when 3^1001 is divided by 1001 is same as remainder when 3^41 is divided by 1001. 3^41 %7 = 3^5 %7 = 5 {I presume it should be clear by now}
3^41 %11 = 3
3^40 %13 = 3^5 %13 = 9. It is a number which when divided by 7,11 and 13 gives remainders 5,3 and 11 respectively. N = 7x + 5 = 11y + 3 = 13z + 9. Further we know how to solve it (HINDI CHEENI BHAI BHAI).

I am attaching a list of questions few of which are collected from various threads and a few are made by me. Lets solve all those using the standard methods we have learnt. Solving the problems will make concepts clearer. Remember; try to standardize your approach.

1.What is the remainder when 17^19 + 13^19 is divided by 25?
2.Find the remainder when 104^303 is divided by 101.
3.Find the last two digits in the expansion of 2^ 999.
4.Find the remainder when 2 ^ 1990 is divided by 1990.
5.Remainder when (128 )^500 is divided by 153.
6.Find last 3 digits of 3^1994.
7.What is the remainder when 2^2001 is divided by 2001?
8.What is the remainder when 2^2002 is divided by 2002?
9.What is the remainder when 13^2404 is divided by 2310?
10.What is the remainder when 2^10013 is divided by 3125?
11. Find last 4 digits of (2319)^{10^12 + 2}.
And a lengthy one here.
12. What is the remainder when 17^28820 is divided by 30030?

Solve these first and I’ll post more related with the topic.

Concepts - Cubes
--------------------------
We usually find questions invovling cubes in CAT. like, a big cube painted red is cut into 64 smaller cubes and find the no of smaller cubes with no sides painted etc. etc.

lets assume the cube is devided into n^3 small cubes.
then,

no. of small cubes with ONLY 3 sides painted : 8( all the corner cubes )

no. of small cubes with ONLY 2 sides painted :

A cube is painted on 2 sides means, it is on the edge of the bigger cube ,and we have 12 edges, each having n cubes. but since the corner cubes are painted on 3 sides, we need to neglect them. so in effect, for each side we will have (n-2) small cubes with only 2 sides painted.
thus, then number is, 12 * (n-2)

no of small cubes with ONLY 1 side painted :

for each face of the cube ( 6 faces ) we have (n-2)^2 small cubes with only one side painted. and we have 6 faces in total.
so th number is, 6*(n-2)^2

no of small cubes with NO sides painted :

if we remove the top layer of small cubes from the big cube we will end up a chunk of small cubes with no sides painted.
this number will be equal to, (n-2)^3.

IBM in Software services - Key Points

2006-05-21T20:23:00.000-07:00

Key points to remember about the entry and growth of IBM in Software services:

1. In 2002 IBM acquired PricewaterHouseCoopers. This gave it access to PWC's 30000 consultants and not it could bid as aggressively for consulting projects as an Accenture could. Before this IBM was absent from the high end consulting business.

2. As part of its overall strategy, IBM also shed its commodity PC business by selling it to Chinese PC maker Lenovo in early 2005.

3. IBM lacked a low cost base for executing services work.The big India push of the past three years — which includes the takeover of the BPO company Daksh eServices for $160 million and ramping up its delivery centres in Bangalore — is meant to remove the second weakness.

A small point here — the India strategy is part of IBM’s overall plan to create four delivery hubs in the BRIC (Brazil, Russia, India, China) countries to bring down cost of operations. However, as we will see, India is way, way ahead of the other three.

4. Brazil - To leverage the latin american markets and as well as a nearshore option for US customers.
Russia - Nearshoring destination for European clients. Its big advantage in Russia is a large per capita pool of engineers — 3,500 for every 1 million people.
Then there’s China. Compared to India, IBM has just 7,000 people in China doing offshore, but the country has a huge domestic market over which IBM has established a stronghold over a 15-year period.

5. In 2005, the BRIC countries collectively ploughed in $3.8 billion in revenues and employed close to 60,000 people.

6. IBM bet on three key trends taking off — Linux, on-demand computing and, finally, emerging markets not just as a low-cost base, but also as a market

Questions Marks that remain on whether IBM will achieve the target:

1. The PWC acquisition has not really brought the kind of consulting business that IBM was expecting.
2. IBM still has a lot of flab in its european and american establishents. It need to cut atleast half of the 260,000 american workforce, but the question is how fast can its India division take the load of a 130000 head count.

A couple of influential IBM watchers feel that for India to make a significant difference to IBM’s bottomline and topline, Big Blue needs to make at least one more spectacular acquisition, perhaps of one of the top five Indian services firms. That remains to be seen in the future!!

Star TV - The new star of broadcasting

2006-05-04T01:47:00.000-07:00

Star TVs presence in India and vital stats:

What star would do next:

1. Promote regional content. From being a primarily HIndi channel it needs to create more regional content.

2. The second is launching new channels. Star One was launched in 2004 with the intention of keeping the audience for high-end Hindi entertainment within the Star fold. The same year, Star Utsav went on air to get people to convert to cable TV in the interiors

3. The third is the international market where Star, strangely, has been left behind by Zee. In March 2005, Zee got a juicy chunk of its income from distributing its channels in Europe and the US.

4. And the fourth: Star is doing all sorts of things to squeeze more from advertising. There is the bet on new categories such as retail, real estate and branded jewellery. The other, says Kevin Vaz, executive vice-president (ad sales), is to expand time bands.Star Plus has already extended the definition of prime time from 9-10 p.m. to about 8-12 p.m. now. Also, Star One has plugged the leakage of revenues from small advertisers. “It was launched for the advertiser who can’t afford a high TRP product (Star Plus),” says Vaz.

5. Last but not the least Star has its cash reserves and, therefore, its ability to outspend competition

Source - BusinessWorld

Why should you not set up Chip Fabrication Unit in India

2006-05-04T01:44:00.000-07:00

1.Already there is huge global overcapacity in chip manufacturing. There is no way that we can compete with China. Besides, you can simply pick up what you want from Japan, South Korea and China. Setting up a fab means an investment of $2-3 billion. It is a highly capital intensive business.
2. The cost advantage that we have is in the cheap labor costs. But due to poor infra structure, the transportation and shipment costs are very high in India so that advantage is lost on us.
3. Each chip needs a customer. So, logically, you need to tie-up with the Nokias and IBMs of the world before building a fab. It’s like buying a Boeing 747-400. Unless you are full up on travellers, you will incur losses.
4. A quote from Vinod Dham - Better known as Father of the Pentium processor-

"When I was with Intel at Albuquerque in 1989 in a fab plant the size of a football field that was set up with an investment of $1 billion. We were working on the 486 chip, but it was not ready. Each day we lost $25 million. So, to ensure that the operators got practice, we used memory chips. All that was used to make key chains and earrings. We simply cannot afford something like that in India."

Well you see these are reasons enough not to set up a Chip fabrication plan in India.

Source - BusinessWorld

The Mukesh Ambani Group's SEZ Gambit

2006-05-04T01:42:00.000-07:00

Mukesh Ambani group has set its sights on creating world class business and residential cities in the form of 4 intergrated SEZ. One of the flagship SEZ is being set up in Navi Mumbai - Maha Mumbai region which when complete will be comparabe with China’s Shenzhen. The investment in this project could well be more than the Rs 73,000-crore annual revenues of his flagship petrochemicals company, if one goes by the Rs 25,000-crore investment, both in the form of debt and equity, planned over a decade in just Navi and Maha Mumbai.

Salient Features of the SEZ plan:

No of Hubs - 4
Size - > 25000 acres each
Investment By Reliance - USD 50 bn in Navi and Maha Miumbai
Outside Investment (from business enterprises, the hotel industry, retail, healthcare etc ) - USD 50 bn
Deadline - 10 yrs for Navi and Maha Mumbai
Targeted users will include manufacturing industries as well as services like warehousing, BPO and biotechnology.

The group's estimate that the investemt of $5 bn will attract 10 times investment in the form of FDI is considered conservative since similar Chinese SEZs attracted FDI to the tume of 40 times the investment.

The proposed Sewri trans-harbour sea link is vital to fuel the growth of the Mukesh Ambani group’s Navi Mumbai SEZ — it will cut down the commute time from South Mumbai to Sewri from a couple of hours to just around 40 minutes

Roadblocks and Pit falls:

1. Unlike in China, the land acquisition in India is slow and lengthy process and land ownership is fragmented. In China all land is owned by the state.
2. How quickly the SEZ projects take off also depends on the government’s ability to execute infrastructure upgrade and attract foreign investment. A key driver of growth of Suzhou, another Chinese SEZ, has been its road and rail infrastructure, apart from access to airports and seaports along the southern coast. But, in India, much remains to be done in this regard.
With Ambani's prior experience in developing the 7400 acres Jamnagar refinery and the 140 acre Dhirubhai Ambani knowledge city, it seems that this venture in going to be another feather in Ambani group's cap.

Source - Businessworld

The TCS billion dollar roadmap - Key Points

2006-04-24T22:54:00.000-07:00

Here I have summarized an article from Business World about TCS future growtn intiatives:

1. Develop Global delivery capability in Offshore, Onshore and Nearshore. TCS plans to achieve this by augmenting its own existing centres especially the near shore ones (post the $260 million ABN Amro deal). It already has 20 — 10 in North America, one in the UK, and three each in Europe, Latin America and the Asia-Pacific. The other 22 are in India.

2. Acquisitions and greenfield investments. Last years buyout of BPO company Comicrom in Chile brought 1,200 people on board, while the $847-million Pearl Group contract gave it a 950-man BPO delivery capability in the UK.

3. Equal the competition - Given that the competition is already formidable — IBM has 25 such centres and Accenture has 40 — TCS’ bid to scale up fast is not without reason.

4. De-centralization of dcision making. As TCS plans to go global decision making cannot be restricted to a central command led bt Ramadorai. So the global centres will function as independent units with more localization of authority.Decentralisation has become all the more critical because of the rapid expansion in TCS’ headcount – it closed fiscal 2005-2006 with almost 63,000 people on its rolls, of which 6.5 per cent are non-Indian

5. Taget 2007 - To cross USD 4 bn due to the growth initiatives taken so far.

The "Big Daddy of" all airliners

2006-04-24T02:28:00.000-07:00

Its the biggest.

It weighs 277,000 kg when empty and 560,000 kg @full load.
Wing span 79.8m (261ft 10in), length 72,75m (238ft 8in).
Height 24,08 m (79ft).
Capacity - Flightcrew of two. Standard seating for 555 passengers on two decks in a three class arrangement.

Who is this? The Airbus A380 - The "Big Daddy of" all airliners. The most ambitious civil aviation aircraft designed till date.

Formerly known as the A3XX, Airbus' double-decker passenger jet, the A380, will be the largest airliner ever built. Lengthwise, it would nearly stretch from goal line to goal line of a football field while its wing tips would hang well beyond the sidelines. Three full decks will run along the entire length of the plane. Upper and main decks will serve as passenger areas, and will be connected by a grand staircase near the front of the plane and by another smaller staircase at the back. Although the lower deck will be reserved primarily for cargo, it could be outfitted for special passenger uses such as sleeper cabins, business centers or even child care service. In a one-class configuration, the A380 could accommodate as many as 840 passengers. The more likely three-class configuration will still offer an unprecedented 555 passenger seats. Either way, the A380 would offer 30% - 50% more seating than its direct competition, the Boeing 747-400.
Although the A380 will be able to fly a distance of over 10,000 miles, the plane's usefulness will not be limited to long-haul flights. For instance, many flights within Japan are among the highest in passenger capacity and would be well suited for A380 service, despite their short distances. Whatever the flight distance, a new breed of engines will be required to lift the plane's 1.2 million pounds into the air. Rolls Royce and GE/Pratt & Whitney are both working on engines to provide thrust that will max out at 75,000 pounds. By comparison, the first American jet airliner in service, the Boeing 707, was powered by only 10,000 pounds of thrust.

As amazing as it will be for this behemoth to take off into the air, the A380 faces significant challenges on the ground as well. To integrate into existing airports, the A380 must fit the standard airport-docking plan. The plane's nearly 262-foot wingspan meets this requirement by about 18 inches. Its outer-most engines, however, would hang just beyond the standard 150-foot runway width, requiring upgrades at many airports. The plane's weight will be distributed to 20 landing gear wheels, actually producing less weight per wheel than the 747. The cockpit location, between the main and upper decks, is designed to give pilots a vantage point on the runway similar to that of current airliners.

Due to recent technological advances, Airbus claims the A380 will be a more efficient plane than its rival, the 747. Airbus states the A380 will use 20% less fuel and will fly quieter, cheaper and more environmentally friendly than the 747. Airlines seem to be impressed. So far, ten carriers have declared their interest in the plane, placing options to order a total of 66 planes.

The Big Daddy of all planes - Pictures

2006-04-24T01:55:00.000-07:00

I am back!!

2006-04-24T00:28:00.000-07:00

Yes! I am back, after a long winter hibernation that lasted longer than the Polar Bear's. In these 5 months a lot many things have happened. I lost some and won some. As the B-School results trickle out I can see what I have got. NM, FMS and XLRI ll have the same answer for me - No. I am not crestfallen as you would assume. In 3-4 odd months of preparation, along with a demanding job, managing 98.85 percentile in VA and an overall 86%ile in XAT 2005 is a not an un - welcome sign. If you have attempted XAT 2005 you would know what I am talking about.
So here I am setting the mark again, getting the aim right, getting back on the tracks with mud on my face. CAT 2006 here I come

Biz News -I

2005-11-10T01:09:00.000-08:00

Flying start- Go Air

The fourth low-cost carrier in India, Go Air, took to the air on 4 November. Go Air, promoted by the Wadia group, will offer services to Goa, Ahmedabad, and Coimbatore from Mumbai. Initially, the airline will commence service with one A320 aircraft with a single class, 180-seat configuration, and plans to expand its fleet to 36 aircraft in three years.

VodaFone-Airtel

A little more than two years after it pulled the plug on India, the world's largest mobile company, Vodafone plc, is back. While Air Touch Vodafone had a 21 per cent stake in RPG Cellular (Madhya Pradesh) earlier, this time round, it has picked up a 10 per cent stake in Bharti Tele-Ventures, India's largest mobile operator, for Rs 6,700 crore. It's by far the biggest deal ever in the Indian telecom industry. (See 'Recent Telecom Deals')The £34-billion, UK-based Vodafone, which has 165 million subscribers in 27 countries, has paid Rs 47,652 ($1,083) per Bharti subscriber. That's a lot higher than the Rs 16,296 per subscriber paid by Essar to pick up BPL and the Rs 17,325 per subscriber to pick up Max's 3.16 per cent holding in Hutchison Essar.

The Time has comeand is passing

2005-10-31T00:06:00.000-08:00

The final month before the MBA entrance exams will commence. The time when 1 more minute can get you in or leave you out. The time when the coin will land on its face and reveal either its ugly or beautiful side. The time when there's one other chance to go to the University among the boys and come out as men. At this time I remember only "If":

If you can keep your head when all about you

Are losing theirs and blaming it on you,

If you can trust yourself when all men doubt you,But make allowance for their doubting too

If you can wait and not be tired by waiting,Or being lied about, don't deal in lies,Or being hated, don't give way to hating,And yet don't look too good, nor talk too wise:

If you can dream--and not make dreams your master,If you can think--and not make thoughts your aim;

If you can meet with Triumph and DisasterAnd treat those two impostors just the same;

If you can bear to hear the truth you've spoken Twisted by knaves to make a trap for fools,Or watch the things you gave your life to, broken,And stoop and build 'em up with worn-out tools:

If you can make one heap of all your winnings And risk it all on one turn of pitch-and-toss, And lose, and start again at your beginnings And never breath a word about your loss;

If you can force your heart and nerve and sinew To serve your turn long after they are gone, And so hold on when there is nothing in you Except the Will which says to them: "Hold on!"

If you can talk with crowds and keep your virtue,Or walk with kings--nor lose the common touch, If neither foes nor loving friends can hurt you;I f all men count with you, but none too much,

If you can fill the unforgiving minuteWith sixty seconds' worth of distance run,Yours is the Earth and everything that's in it,And--which is more--you'll be a Man, my son!

--Rudyard Kipling

I hope I can turn these lines into reality!

Some memoirs - from USA

2005-10-24T23:11:00.000-07:00

My US visit had several interesing notes. First I set foot on American soil on 4 th July, their Independence Day. Then I spent a long weekend there, something that is a rarity in India. The occassion was Labor day. Americans celebrate labor day on the first Monday of the month of September. Labor day also marks the end of summer and in older times schools and colleges used to re open after the long weekend. Most of them still follow the tradition. Apart from that I had the opprotunity to visit am American University - The SUNY at Albany. One of my first cousin's works there and so I had to be there!! Work in the US was fun with lots of time at hand to complete my tasks, so no late nights and no work on weekends.

Current Affairs 1

2005-10-20T05:06:00.000-07:00

1. France's Carrefour, England's Tesco, Germany's Metro and America's Wal-Mart are all big retail stores in their respective countries and globally.
2. Why is india afraid of FDI in retail?
-Global retailers will kill the local ‘kirana’ industry-FDI in retail could lead to millions of job losses-Global retailers will put pressure on farmers and suppliers-Predatory pricing policies will lead to monopolies and harm the consumer-Global retailers will trigger growth in cities, causing skewed urban development
3. Erstwhile Wal-Mart International CEO John Menzer [Menzer is now vice-chairman of Wal-Mart.]
4. Foreign retailers present in China

Four of the top 10 global retailers, 35 out of top 50, 78 out of 250

Combined market share of top 17 foreign retailers in China: $13.8 billion out of China’s retail sales of $628 billion or a mere 2.2 per cent

How much foreign retailers export out of China:
Wal-Mart: $15 billion-$18 billion
Metro: $2.4 billion
Carrefour: Over $2 billion

Total sourcing of global retailers from China: approx. $60 billion
Percentage of workforce employed in retail: 6%
No.of workers employed by top 100 retailers: 810,000

5. India's retail industry - the fourth largest in the world - accounts for 11 per cent of the country's GDP and employs over 40 million people (about 7 per cent of total employment in the country). Now, a huge majority of the retail workforce is in kiranas. This sector, in fact, acts as an informal social security net - almost anyone without a job can set up a kirana.

Some facts about global retailers in China:
The top 100 retailers (both domestic and foreign) in China had combined sales of $60 billion in 2004, according to the China Chain Store & Franchise Association. These 100 companies have so far opened 30,416 stores with a total area of 25.8 million square metres. But - and here's the revelation - they have only 9.6 per cent share of China's $628-billion retail trade! That
figure has grown from 2.9 per cent in 2000.
More importantly, among the 78 foreign-funded firms in China, only 17 have made it to the top 100. Together, these 17 companies have a combined turnover of $13.8 billion in China, or a mere 2.2 per cent of China's total retail trade. Present in that list of 17 are Wal-Mart, Carrefour, Metro and Tesco, four of the world's six largest retailers. (Their combined global turnover is in excess of $449 billion.) It has taken these giants over 13 years to grab a minuscule 2.2 per cent share of the China market.
It must be mentioned that the global giants got unfettered access into China only in 2004. Therefore, their performance cannot be compared with the rest of the country's retail sector, but must be benchmarked only against the top 100 firms. When seen thus, the foreign firms account for only 23 per cent sales of the top 100 retailers. China's public-sector retailers
(yes, they have retailing PSUs!) had a 32 per cent share and private sector retailers had 45 per cent.
6. Fact about US retails
But the fact is that the single-store operations still control a little less than 50 per cent of US retail trade.
7. Reasons for supporting Retail FDI in India:

a) Again, back home, in Chennai, where large and organised supermarket chains like FoodWorld and Nilgiri's have grabbed a 20 per cent market share, the kiranas haven't been slaughtered. They are smarter, more efficient, and more customer-friendly than they were five years ago. They are matching the chains' prices and continue to do brisk business. Even stores in the close vicinity of these large supermarkets have survived. "Small businesses have their own competitive advantages. They are local; they are usually in the same block that the customers are in; and they are very convenient. They know their customers by name, so they offer great customer service. They have tailored their inventory for their customers, so they have great inventory management, and many times they give credit.
Small businesses have their own model, offer a different product mix, and keep their customers happy. I think small businesses can grow and prosper with Wal-Mart," Menzer had argued in an exclusive interview with BW during his May visit.
b) More Jobs but there will be transactional pains. Here, poor distribution and below-par processes is another bottleneck.
"If the economy grows at 6.5 per cent or so every year, we will have 50 per cent more goods to move in the next 5-7 years. If you do not have an efficient distribution chain, the economy cannot grow... Such inefficiency will lead to job losses. If you do not have organised distribution, you won't have employment growth," argues Harsh Bahadur, managing director, Metro Cash & Carry, India.
c) Finally, if the fear of kiranas being snuffed out is true, then the government ought to be equally concerned about Indian retailers as well. Several large and influential Indian business groups like the Tatas and Anil Dhirubhai Ambani Enterprises have ambitious plans that include setting up of hundreds of supermarkets and hypermarkets. Won't these kill kiranas and lead to job losses?
d) In reality, foreign retailers will be in a position to influence employment only several years after they enter India. But they will have an impact on the consumer almost immediately. Of course, in India, the consumer is invariably forgotten when protectionist lobbies voice their 'concerns'.
e) India's supply chain inefficiencies are legendary. The Rs 50,000-crore fruits and vegetables sector is estimated to suffer between 20 and 40 per cent wastage due to poor transportation, storage and handling. "The cost of the intermediary in India is the highest in the world. For every one rupee a consumer spends, the farmer gets 20-22 paisa. Whereas in developed
countries, it's more like 70-80 paisa," points out Mansingh.
f) But critics argue that if domestic companies can deliver such savings, why do we need FDI? They miss a crucial point. That while domestic players will bring efficiencies into the supply chain, they cannot link India's farmer to the global supply chain. That's where the bigger gains lie and that's exactly what happened in China.
Several Indian retailers like RPG Group's Spencer's are beginning to see this happen. "We are seeing savings of 15-50 per cent if we disintermediate and buy from the farmer directly. Any large retailer in India has to go the farmer directly. This will lead to a higher realisation to the farmer, lower price to the consumer and better margins to the retailer," says K.
Radhakrishnan, head (merchandising), RPG Retail.
But the question being asked is: how do they do it?
The answers. First, by making the supply chain more efficient. Second, by using their brute buying power to squeeze suppliers. And third, by using monopolistic and unfair trade practices

8. BPOs by IT companies
Infosys set up Progeon in Bangalore and Satyam started Nipuna in Hyderabad. HCL Technologies leveraged its British Telecom relationship to buy its Ireland call centre and supplemented that with a facility in Noida
9. Gecis Global is now called Genpact.
10 The billing rates for call handling tasks are today down at $7-12 an hour from $15-18 an hour in 2002.
11. Steel Investments in India

On 8 October, Lakshmi N. Mittal, chairman and CEO, Mittal Steel Company, signed an MoU with the Jharkhand government for setting up a steel plant as well as mining operations in the state. The envisaged 12 million tonnes per annum (mtpa) plant will be built at an investment of Rs 40,000 crore.
While comparisons with Posco's agreement with the Orissa government might seem obvious, it is, however, the deal that Tata Steel signed with the Jharkhand government in September that begs attention.
The two memorandums signed are almost identical in their broad details: plants with outputs of 12 million tonnes a year, investment amounts of around Rs 40,000 crore (Tata Steel is planning to invest Rs 2,000 crore more than Mittal), development of iron ore mines, and proposals to put up power projects and townships. Even the time frames are similar.
"It was a masterstroke from Tata Steel," says an industry observer. While the Mittals were still hedging their bets with the state government, hoping to get a swap or export deal for iron ore, Tata Steel steamed ahead with their MoU as soon as the Jharkhand government renewed the land lease for the Jamshedpur plant. Relations between the Tata group and the Jharkhand
government has been off key for the last six years when the land lease renewal issue was going through a series of court cases.

GDP Growth and India's Economy

2005-10-17T12:03:00.000-07:00

Consider these points about contributions of various sectors in India's GDP growth:

DATA ON the macro economy for the first quarter of this fiscal year are encouraging. At the same time it will be wrong to ignore the cautionary signals.

First, the CSO data for the first quarter. A healthy 8.1 per cent growth in the GDP in April-June on top of a 7.6 per cent growth during the same period last year seems to suggest that the economy is finally moving to a higher growth trajectory.

Sustainability factor

The key issue is really one of sustaining the high growth seen in the first quarter. That is going to be challenging if the past is any guide. During the first three years of the Tenth Plan the average GDP growth has been 6.5 per cent. The original plan document had postulated an average growth of 8 per cent over the five years. Clearly there is considerable catching up to do if the economy is to achieve a rate somewhere near that level.

If we look at the break up of the growth data during the first quarter Manufacturing has been the star performer this year with an 11.3 per cent growth and helped industry move up by 9.7 per cent on a year on year basis. If sustained, the manufacturing boom will help correct the "over reliance'' on the services sector.

Gems in services
A whole range of sub-sectors within services have fared very well. These include trade, hotels, transport and communications, insurance and real estate. Clearly they add to the GDP growth but one is less sure as to whether some or all these service sectors by themselves drive the economy forward or they derive their growth from a buoyant economy. The opening up of the insurance sector, for instance, has widened the market. India's recent success in telecommunications, especially in mobile telephony, is well recognised.

Laggard farm sector

Agriculture continues to drag down the GDP growth. During the first three months, it grew by just 2 per cent against 3.8 per cent last year. Mining has been another laggard with a growth rate of just 3.2 per cent, less than half of last year.

Source: The Hindu

Current Affairs

2005-10-16T23:50:00.000-07:00

Ques 1. Which institution has been established by the United Progressive Alliance Government for boosting the Manufacturing sector?

Ans. National Manufacturing Competitiveness Council (NMCC)
(It has brought out the National Manufacturing Strategy Paper)

Ques 2. When did Sri Lanka adopt the presidential form of government?
Ans 2. 1978

Ques 3. Who is the founder of the Self-Employed Women's Association (SEWA)?
Ans 3 Ela R. Bhatt

4. This bank was established in Lahore in 1943 by Rai Bahadur Lala Sohan Lal, who also became its first Chairman. After Partition, the bank's registered office shifted to Amritsar. Its current head office is in New Delhi. Can you name this bank? ANS-- Oriental Bank of Commerce

5.Can you name the company set up by Prince Charles in the early 1990s to make organic food products? ANS-- Duchy Originals

6. Which company is focussing on long-term goals collectively called the 'Garuda Vision'? (Clue: This has got nothing to do with Indonesia's airliner Garuda!) ANS-- Ranbaxy

7. "Know. Now." This is the base line of a brand, 150 years old, which is in the business of providing information to its customers. Which company?
ANS-- Reuters

8. What was created by Umesh Rao, an artist with JWT, and Bobby Kooka in 1946? ANS--The Air-India Maharajah; Kooka was Air-India's Commercial Director then.

9. What is the real name of Deep Throat, the secret source whose insider guidance was vital to The Washington Post's groundbreaking coverage of the Watergate scandal?
Ans-- W. Mark Felt, FBI's No. 2

(As the bureau's second- and third-ranking official during a period when the FBI was battling for its independence against the administration of President Richard M. Nixon, Felt had the means and the motive to help uncover the web of internal spies, secret surveillance, dirty tricks and coverups that led to Nixon's unprecedented resignation on Aug. 9, 1974, and to prison sentences for some of Nixon's highest-ranking aides.)

10. Names of reporters aided by "Deep Throat"?
Ans-- Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein

11. Which WorldCom chief was found guilty of fraud?
Ans-- Former Worldcom chief executive Bernie Ebbers has been convicted of conspiracy and fraud in connection with the 2002 collapse of the telecoms giant.
(Shareholders lost about $180bn (£94bn) in Worldcom's collapse - the largest bankruptcy in US history - and 20,000 workers lost their jobs. )

Lincoln's letter

2005-09-30T22:08:00.000-07:00

This is an awe inspiring letter written by former American Prez Abraham Lincoln to his son's teacher. The beauty and depth of his thoughts can inspire a generation of teachers and students alike...here it goes:

He will have to learn, I know, that all men are not just, all men are not true. But teach him also that for every scoundrel there is a hero; that for every selfish Politician, there is a dedicated leader... Teach him for every enemy there is a friend, Steer him away from envy, if you can, teach him the secret of quiet laughter.

Let him learn early that the bullies are the easiest to lick... Teach him, if you can, the wonder of books... But also give him quiet time to ponder the eternal mystery of birds in the sky, bees in the sun, and the flowers on a green hillside.
In the school teach him it is far honourable to fail than to cheat... Teach him to have faith in his own ideas, even if everyone tells him they are wrong... Teach him to be gentle with gentle people, and tough with the tough.

Try to give my son the strength not to follow the crowd when everyone is getting on the band wagon... Teach him to listen to all men... but teach him also to filter all he hears on a screen of truth, and take only the good that comes through.

Teach him if you can, how to laugh when he is sad... Teach him there is no shame in tears, Teach him to scoff at cynics and to beware of too much sweetness... Teach him to sell his brawn and brain to the highest bidders but never to put a price-tag on his heart and soul.
Teach him to close his ears to a howling mob and to stand and fight if he thinks he's right. Treat him gently, but do not cuddle him, because only the test of fire makes fine steel. Let him have the courage to be impatient... let him have the patience to be brave.

Teach him always to have sublime faith in himself, because then he will have sublime faith in mankind.

This is a big order, but see what you can do... He is such a fine fellow, my son!

Celebrate- Indian Women get their due ...Finally

2005-09-29T22:06:00.000-07:00

Today I came across this interesing piece in the Hindu newspaper:

http://www.hindu.com/mag/2005/09/25/stories/2005092500050100.htm

My Comments

We live in that part of the world where there are different laws for a different people. Some one once said "Show me the man and I will show you the rule" and I am sure he had the Indian legal system in mind. Burdoned by old antiquated laws and a corrupt and incompetent executive it just trudges on, delaying justice and at times even denying it.

In such a scenario it is refreshing to note that the laws of the land are being revamped, albeit slowly and anamolies of the past are being done away with. This article details the landmark legislation amending the Hindu Succession Act to provide women greater equality in matters of property and inheritence. Most notable is the right of married women to their parental property and an equal right on agricultural land. These are path breaking steps specially for the rural women who have at times nothing more than a piece of land to earn their livelihood, but even that is snatched away from them since the laws are heavily male dominated.

It also recognises the woman as the "karta" and it bestowes on her the role of the bread winner of the family. This legal recognition will dramatically improve the way the contribution of women is percieved specially in rural India. One more interesting observation was the finding in Kerela that women are less likely to face violence from their spouces if they own land or assets. Thus this landmark amendment also in a way paves the way for the protection of women from marital abuse.

On the whole this development is worth taking note of and emulating in other areas where women are being discriminated against simply because someone many years ago inked a few lines without recognising their rights and their place in the society.

PS: Regarding the Kerala finding...have men degenerated into mere gold diggers? Is it not disturbing a trend that it is a women's material worth that determines her marital security?

Your comments are welcome.

For Techies: XML Serialization Using C#...

2005-09-27T04:01:00.000-07:00

Read my article on XML serialization using C#. I wrote this artcle when I used XML serialization in my previous project.

This article be accessed at :

http://www.dotnetjohn.com/articles.aspx?articleid=173

F@t Stomach Guide - The best and the cheapest restraunts in NCR

2005-09-27T02:57:00.000-07:00

This post is to cater to your taste buds and help you develop a nice pounch!
You got it!It's the list of my favorite eating hang outs in and around Delhi.

Name: Moti Mahal
Location: Sector 18, Noida
My Take: It is an excellent place as far as food quality is concerned. The kurkuri bhindi and dal makhani are awesome. Equally good are the butter nan that are crisp and serverd hot
Uppers: Very reasonable prices. Excellent service. Quiet place.
Downers: Not very spacious and the ambience is average.

You can contribute by posting your comments about similar places that you know of...

Meaning of Nitin

2005-09-27T02:19:00.000-07:00

Someone asked me once..what does NITIN mean? and I did'nt knew...ppl have called my Nin, TinTin ..and what not...but a quick search on google revels the follownig meaning of the word Nitin:
The Sanskrit root for Nitin is 'Nitya'.
Nitya means order.
Nitya is one of the names listed in In the Vishnu Sahasranaama (1000 names of Lord Vishnu), as both order and disorder are creation of The Lord Himself.
The darshanaas (laws of vedas) speak about the cosmos as nitya as it follows a regulated mode of expression and evolution.
Quite something....huh?

First Post

2005-09-27T02:15:00.000-07:00

Hi ppl

What made me create a new blog? Well I forgot everything about my older one and could not post any more entries....hahaha ....Information Overload !!!
So here I am
You are welcome to read....