BAT 1 - Final

BIG THREE MANAGEMENT CONSULTING FIRMS
McKinsey & Company
One of the most prestigious consulting firms in the world

Clients include two-thirds of Fortune 1000 companies
Notable clients include
AT&T, BBC, General Electric,
Johnson & Johnson, Siemens and Governments of UK,
Mexico & Taiwan among others
Known as Best CEO Pad. Over 70 ex-McKinsey
employees have served or are serving as CEOs at Fortune
500 companies
McKinsey consultants are either industry experts,
functional experts, or a generalist that covers a
geographic region. The firm has 23 Industry Practices
focused on individual industries, 9 Functional Practices
that work in areas like finance, marketing or risk, and 5 Capabilities and Solutions areas related to technology
consulting.
Known as the "creme de la creme" and the "Rolls Royce" of management consulting, McKinsey as the leader in
management consultancy earns revenues by addressing several challenges faced by senior executives in managing
their business and provides solutions for the same.It has a wide range of consulting services and caters to almost all
industries. McKinsey is also famous for its proprietary knowledge and analytical tools. The core behind the advisory
services is to maximize profits with reduced costs. In the fashion industry, management consultancy McKinsey &
Company is infamous for having recommended heavy cost-cutting measures at media organization Cond Nast way
back in 2009. But there is much more to consulting than cutting costs. Fundamentally, consulting is about breaking
down complex problems quickly and efficiently to get to the heart of an issue and devise effective solutions.
The company also has McKinsey Solutions which offers solutions to customers with unique industry knowledge, tools &
frameworks, and specialized expertise. Their business magazine McKinsey Quarterly publishes various articles based
on organizational & management theory. For companies looking to target high potential markets of tomorrow, global
consulting major McKinsey & Company has identified 49 'metropolitan clusters' that could be growth hotspots in India.
These 49 metropolitan clusters will drive about 77 per cent of India's incremental GDP from 2012-2025, McKinsey said
in a report titled 'India's economic geography in 2025: States, Clusters and Cities' released in October 30,2015. First
McKinsey productivity research centre was also launched in Singapore
Notable Controversies:
McKinseys HR program implemented in Enron was much criticized after the Enron scandal and was said to be
one of the reasons of the energy giants fall as the program resulted in unethical work culture in the firm.
McKinseys Hunter Strategy was also blamed for Swissairs bankruptcy.
In 1980s McKinsey made a recommendation to AT&T that cellular phones would be a niche market.
Boston Consulting Group
One of the largest private companies in the US

BCG was founded as one-man, one-telephone consulting unit
Ranked 3rd in 2014 list of the top 100 best companies to work for
by Fortune Magazine
Known for notoriously demanding recruiting process it is 3rd most
difficult company to interview with
It has received perfect score on the Corporate Equality Index since
2001
Notable clients include Tata Group, Google, IBM, Ford Motor
Company, Government of Canada, and Russian Ministry of Energy
etc.
The famous ex-BCG consultants include Jeff Immelt, Indra Nooyi,
Bob Kagle, Jean-Christophe Babin and Bill Bain among others
Formed by a Harvard alumnus, BCG was born out of The Boston Company where he worked and after he arranged an
employee stock ownership plan, and took the company independent from The Boston Company. Catering to
companies in various industries formulating strategies for seamless functionality of businesses BCG today is
recognized as one of the prestigious management consultancy companies in the world, with services ranging from
customer insight to post-merger integration of businesses.
With extensive research it has helped many companies optimize their business by understanding the latest trends &
developments in fields like organization development, HR, Marketing etc and helping them implement solutions that
exploit these developments. A new survey from The Boston Consulting Group has revealed more manufacturers are
relocating back to the United States from China as wage costs in the populous Asian nation rise.
Developed Concepts:
Growth Share Matrix serves as a tool to form strategy and helps in taking critical decisions about the
product, as it provides a layout of the different products of the company with their market share.
Experience Curve effect introduced in late 1960s helped businesses by providing an important insight into
repetitive tasks helping reduce cost of production over a period of time
Advantage Matrix is similar to the growth share matrix, but it approaches the economies of scale decision
directly by categorizing businesses into four different groups
Bain & Company
Formed by ten ex-BCG employees

Bain partners started an independent private equity firm Bain Capital in 1984
The first clients were Texas Instruments and Black & Decker
Bain & Company founded Net Promote Score, to create a simple, free solution to collect accurate NPS
measurements and valuable customer feedback.
The prominent names that worked for Bain include Mitt Romney, Vivek Paul, Eric Kriss, Kenneth Chenault,
Kevin Rollins and Mark Pincus among others.
Bain & Company co-signed an amicus brief to the Supreme Court of the United States supporting overturning
of the Defense of Marriage Act
Established nearly four decades ago, Bain & Company has helped
many companies gain long term results, find value across
boundaries and develop strategic insights. With a vast product &
services portfolio, it has worked along with various businesses
operating in industries like Oil & Gas, Retail, Technology, Media and
others.
Bain & Co has always been known for its strong ethics and
commitment as in the 70s, it catered to only one company per
industry maintaining confidentiality & not catering to rival
companies. It was one of the early birds to adopt the unique
practice of measuring success by an improvement in the client
company's stock price. The last two decades also brought changes
to Bain's traditional generalist approach to solving client issues. Due to increasing specialization in the consulting
industry, the firm developed niche "Practice Areas" to serve the varying needs of its increasingly diverse multinational
and local client base. Through targeted industry hires, Bain added industry experts to each of these "Practice Areas",
significantly raising its profile in fields such as financial services, healthcare, information technology and
media/entertainment
The well-known private equity investment firm - Bain Capital is a separate entity and not part of the overall consulting
business. Like McKinsey, Bain & Co has also churned up a large numbers of chief executives that further took over at
the helm of top companies like American Express, Dell, Zynga, eBay, HP etc. Bain & Company in the 13th edition of
the Luxury Goods Worldwide Market Monitor released in Milan in October 2014 revealed that the global luxury
market is on target to reach 223 billion in 2014. With the exception of Japan, China and South America, all markets
are now strongly driven by touristic spending who is buying matters more than where they are buying.
Notable Controversies:
Bain & Companys employees were involved in the Guinness share-trading fraud but the company was not
accused of any wrongdoings
Bain was accused of stealing confidential proprietary information from the Value Partners a small consulting
firm. It was found liable by the Brazilian law of the misconduct and was asked to pay damages to Value
Partners
SOURCES:
McKinsey & Company: Corporate Website
McKinsey & Company: Wikipedia
McKinsey identifies 49 metropolitan clusters that could be growth hotspots
McKinsey Insights
McKinsey & Company: Forbes
Boston Consulting Group: Corporate Website
Boston Consulting Group: Wikipedia
Manufacturers move back to US from China
BCG Factsheet
BCG Capabilities & Expertise
Growth Share Matrix
Bain & Company: Corporate Website
Bain & Company: Wikipedia
Bain Industry Expertise
Bain Consulting Services
Bain & Companys 2014 Annual Global Luxury Study
Bain and Company: Forbes
Indian Insurance Companies

Life Insurance Corporation of India
LIC is the single largest life insurance company in India with a market share of
roughly 82%. As of March 2014 LIC has total life fund of Rs. 16,07,024 crore. The
LIC has added 3.45 crore policies during 2013-2014 financial year and netted a
premium income of Rs.90,123.75 crore. Besides the core insurance business which
includes products like health plans, Unit plans which consists of ULIPS (Unit
linked insurance plans marketed as a channel to invest in stock markets), micro
insurance plans etc., LIC also has diversified businesses like housing finance,
mutual fund, pension fund & cards services. LIC has tie-ups with 9 PSU Banks, 4
Private Banks, 1 Foreign Bank and 43 UCBs / RRBs / Co-op. Banks under
Corporate Agency agreement. These Banks procure New Business for LIC through
their branch outlets. Data released by regulator Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority (IRDA) showed that
first-year premium collection stood at Rs 49,178 crore in September 2014.
During March 2012, LIC came as a savior to ONGC and bought about 37.7 Crore shares (worth Rs. 11,450 crore) of
ONGC at the end of the auction day after the latters high priced shares failed to attract investors. LIC has always
maintained its position as one of the best companies in the Indian service industry. It was voted India's Most Trusted
brand in the BFSI category according to the Brand Trust Report for 4 continuous years - 2011-2014. During the year
2013-14, LIC has won 31 awards, notable ones being Readers Digest Trusted Brand, Skoch Renaissance Award,
Outlook Money Award, Annual Greentech CSR Awards, MACCIA-IBN-Lokmat Award, Asian Sustainability Leadership
Award.LIC is in discussion with IRDA for launch of new products. LIC has a net investible surplus of Rs 2 lakh crore.
LIC today is a financial conglomerate of international repute servicing its customers matching international standards.
LIC is now present in 13 other countries as branch offices, wholly owned, subsidiaries or joint venture companies.
ICICI Prudential Life Insurance Company

ICICI Prudential Life commenced operations after the Indian government
liberalized the insurance sector in the late 90s. The company has maintained its
market leadership (on new business retail weighted basis) among other private life
insurance companies since past 12 years. ICICI Prudential Life's capital stands at
Rs 4,796 crores (as of March 31, 2014) with ICICI Bank and Prudential plc. holding
74% and 26% stake respectively. For the financial year 2014, the company has
garnered total premium of Rs 12,429 crores. The company has assets under
management of over Rs 80,000 crores as on March 31, 2014. For the past decade,
ICICI Prudential Life Insurance has maintained its dominant position (on new
business retail weighted basis) amongst private life insurers in the country, with a
wide range of flexible products that meet the needs of the Indian customer at
every step in life.
The products offered by ICICI are term plans, wealth plans, child plans, health plans, retirement plans, group plans &
rural plans. ICICI Prudential has underwritten over 12 million policies, since it started operations & has conferred
various awards. A rising equity market has accelerated the rate of surrenders in unit linked insurance plans (Ulips).
Handful of life insurance companies have managed to grow their individual new business premium on the back of Ulips
and witnessed larger surrenders from Ulips. Being the largest private life insurance companyICICI Prudential Life
Insurance saw a surrender payout of Rs 5,878.5 crore during the half year ended September 30, 2014. The
companys continuous focus on building flexible products, wider distribution network & higher client servicing
standards has helped it evolve rapidly while catering to various customer segments across the nation.
SBI Life Insurance

Continuing its track record of sustainable growth, SBI Life Insurance has
posted a record profit of Rs. 740 crore, during the financial year ending
March 31, 2014, an increase of 19% over the last financial year.
Operational efficiency has been the key driver of SBI Lifes profitability.
The Company is the market leader amongst the private life insurers, in
New Business Premium (NBP), for the financial year 2013-14. The
Company has garnered a new business market share of 17.2% amongst
private players for the financial year 2013 - 14. Leveraging wider reach achieved through its 762 branches network,
SBI Life has systematically brought large rural areas under insurance umbrella. The Company has sold 23.4% of total
policies in this segment during the financial year 2013-14. Additionally, 79,463 lives out of total of 966,866 group
lives covered by the Company are from the underprivileged social sector. SBI Life Insurance has an authorized capital
of Rs.2,000 crore (US$310 million) and a paid up capital of Rs.1,000 crore (US$150 million). It serves consumers with
products like protection plans, savings plans, child plans, group plans etc. SBI life has managed to acquire such a feat
in a relatively short time due to its multi-distribution model.
In June 2008, IRDA during an onsite inspection at SBI Life found that the company had paid Rs.204.71 crore to 14
Master Policyholders in contravention of its regulations. IRDA chairman T.S. Vijayan recently asked the company to
distribute wrongful payments of Rs.84.31 crore to the members/beneficiaries of respective group insurance policies.
SBI Life Insurance recently launched a guaranteed return savings plan for tenure of 15 years. The scheme is targeted
for an age group of 18-50 years carries a minimum premium of Rs 15,000. On maturity, customers will get the basic
sum assured along with the accrued guaranteed additions.
SOURCES:
Life Insurance Corporation of India
Life Insurance Corporation of India: Wiki
LIC hopes to retain market share of 82 per cent this fiscal
LIC Profile Report 2014
ICICI: Annual Reports
ICICI Prudential
ICICI: Wiki
Buying Ulips for the short term is a vexing trend
SBI Life Insurance
SBI Life: Wiki
SBI LIFE POSTS NET PROFIT OF Rs. 740 CRORE, UP BY 19%
SBI Life asked to pay Rs.84.31 crore to group insurance members
SBI Life Insurance Annual Report
SWACHH BHARAT ABHIYAN

Mahatma Gandhi had said that "Sanitation is more important
than independence". His dream was total sanitation for all.
Considering this fact in mind, the present Government of
India wants to fulfil his dream and usher a clean India by
2019, which will mark the 150th birth anniversary of Mahatma
Gandhi. The concept of Swachh Bharat includes cleaning of
roads, pavements, and clearing of encroachments in
unauthorised areas. Above all, the project aims at creating
awareness among people about the need for proper sanitation
and hygienic facilities. Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched this country's biggest ever cleanliness drive
on Mahatma's Gandhi's birth anniversary on 2nd October 2014.
Why this project started?

India has a massive problem of open defecation. A UN report in May had said that currently, nearly 60
percent of India's population practices open defecation. This 60 percent is roughly 58% of the people who
practise open defecation all over the world. This has led to various other problems like untimely deaths of
children, spread of infections and diseases and most importantly rape of young girls who go to deserted
places to relieve themselves. India loses at least 1000 children a day to diarrhoeal deaths. World Bank
report in 2006 said that India losses 6.4 percent of GDP annually because of the aforementioned reason.
Considering this problem, the then UPA Government had launched Nirmal Bharat Abhiyan in 1999 targeting
household sanitation coverage by 2012. However, the Nirmal Bharat Abhiyan could not achieve its
objectives. Nirmal Bharat Abhiyan has now been restructured by the present Government as "Swachh
Bharat Abhiyan". UNICEF hailed Prime Minister Narendra Modis ambitious Swachh Bharat mission and
offered its support to the government to successfully implement the programme, particularly in rural India.
Efforts by Government:
For proper execution of the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan, a
19-member expert team has been formed under the
chairmanship of scientist Raghunath Anant Mashelkar,
former director general of the Council of Scientific and
Industrial Research (CSIR). The entire team will be
involved to suggest the best and the most advanced
technology to provide sanitation and water facilities.
Prime Minister has been actively supported by his
cabinet ministers. The Prime Minister invited nine
public figures: Mridula Sinha, Sachin Tendulkar, Baba
Ramdev, Shashi Tharoor, Anil Ambani, Kamal Hasan,
Salman Khan, Priyanka Chopra and Team Tarak Mehta ka Oolta Chashma to make a contribution towards
Swachh Bharat, share the same on social media, and invite nine other people to do the same, hence
forming a chain. He urged people to share their contributions on social media using the hash-tag
#MyCleanIndia. Some states have also participated in this cleaning campaign and more plans and
programs are in the process to make this a success.
Implementation of Project:
The overall project cost has been estimated at Rs 1,96,009 crore. This amount will help in construction of
12 crore toilets across the country. The "Swachh Bharat Abhiyan" has two sub missions:
1. Swachh Bharat Abhiyan (rural)

2. Swachh Bharat Abhiyan (urban)
For execution of these two sub-missions, the ministries of drinking water and sanitation and rural
development will look after the affairs in rural areas and the ministry of urban development in urban areas.
For rural areas, the ministry of rural development will provide Rs 20 lakh to all villages every year for the
next five years. An estimated Rs 1,34,000 crore will be spent by the Ministry of Drinking Water and
Sanitation for the programme. For the urban sector, the aim is to provide individual household toilets,
community and public toilets, including solid waste management, covering 1.04 crore households in all
4,041 statutory towns. In areas, where there are problems of constructing individual household toilets,
community toilets will be constructed. The urban development ministry has allocated Rs 62,000 crore for
this project.
Challenges:
According to Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), Urban India generates about 47 million tonnes of solid
waste every year. Recycling solid waste is a big problem. These issues need to be addressed now, so that
a major crisis can be prevented in the future.
While Prime Minister's Swachh Bharat Abhiyan has been highly acclaimed by many in India and abroad,
there are still controversies involved in the mission. Similar programmes were launched earlier with little or
no success, the most evident example being Nirmal Bharat Abhiyan. Controversies have come up because
this programme too has more or less same ideas that were under UPA's Nirmal Bharat schemes.
Online Monitoring:
The Ministry of Urban Development is in process of putting
a Management Information Systems (MIS) enabling the
Prime Ministers Office (PMO) to monitor various activities
under the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan. All states and other
urban habitations covered under this mission will have to
regularly upload information on the progress of work
regarding construction of household, public and community
toilets and other awareness activities.
Conclusion:
The Swachh Bharat Abhiyan, aimed at realising the thought
that cleanliness is next to godliness, is a wonderful idea. The Centre will soon launch an intensive
information, education and communication (IEC) campaign at an estimated cost of Rs 1,800 crore to
generate awareness about the need for cleanliness and to bring about much-needed behavioural changes
for achieving the goal of 'Swachh Bharat Abhiyan'. Corporate firms are lining up to join the Swachh Bharat
Abhiyan, particularly those whose businesses are related to health and hygiene.
Swachh Bharat Abhiyan is an exciting initiative at an opportune time. As India poises itself for "big change"
in the next 15 years, it is the perfect message for all its citizens: That they can look like a progressive
society. Cleaner villages and cities will immediately instil confidence and pride in its dweller. Mere launching
a program may not be enough; ultimate success of this campaign lies in people's participation in tandem
with the government.
Sources:
Dera Sachcha Sauda, FCI join Swachh Bharat Abhiyan
Union HRD Minister addresses the Conference on the use of CSR Funds for construction of school toilets
Swachh Bharat Abhiyan: Making India Clean, & More
Swachh Bharat Abhiyan
PM launches Swachh Bharat Abhiyaan
UNICEF offers support to PM Modi's Clean India Mission
Soon, Rs 1,800 crore awareness campaign under 'Swachh Bharat Abhiyan'
PMO to monitor Swachh Bharat Abhiyan online
Online Tracking System for Swachh Abhiyan in Process
About Swachh Bharat Mission
Clean India: 9 reasons why Modi's Swachh Bharat Abhiyan is need of the hour
Swachh Bharat Abhiyan: The spatial politics of subtraction in India
Corporate firm cleans railway premises in Mangalore under Swachh Bharat Abhiyan
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GLOBAL CLIMATE CHANGE

Importance of Climate:
Weather and climate play a significant role in people's health. Scenes of flooding and storms show us just
how much weather and climate can affect our lives. Understanding and predicting what the coming winter
might bring or predicting how climate will change over the next century is of vital importance - both for our
economy and for society. Climate can be thought of as the average or typical weather conditions we
experience.
Climate change:
Climate change may refer to a change in average weather conditions, or in the time variation of weather
around longer-term average conditions. It is caused by factors such as biotic processes, variations in solar
radiation received by Earth, plate tectonics, and volcanic eruptions. Scientists know that climate varies
naturally on many timescales and they know that people are affecting climate - particularly through
emissions of greenhouse gases.
Climate change is an important issue that must be
addressed by all nations multi-laterally. Climate change
has brought about severe and possibly permanent
alterations to our planets geological, biological and
ecological systems. It is certainly one of this century's
greatest destabilizing forces which undermines our
global economy, threatens our health and increasingly
leads to military conflict.
Impact of climate change:

The impacts of climate change on health will depend on
many factors. These factors include the effectiveness of a community's public health and safety systems to
address or prepare for the risk and the behaviour, age, gender, and economic status of individuals
affected. A bad climate change can affect a number of things including health, food supply, economic
growth, migration, security, societal change, and public goods, such as drinking water. The majority of the
adverse effects of climate change are experienced by poor and low-income communities around the world,
who have much higher levels of vulnerability to environmental determinants of health, wealth and other
factors, and much lower levels of capacity available for coping with environmental change.
Another report on the global human impact of climate change published by the Global Humanitarian Forum
in 2009 indicated that most climate change induced mortality is due to worsening floods and droughts in
developing countries. This also raises questions of climate justice, since the 50 least developed countries of
the world account for not more than 1% of worldwide emissions of greenhouse gases.
Greenhouse gases:
The Earth has a natural greenhouse effect where certain gases (known as greenhouse gases) in the
atmosphere allow the sunlight to enter but absorb the heat radiation. Because these gases absorb the
heat, they keep the average surface temperature on Earth around 14C. Without the natural greenhouse
effect, the Earths average surface temperature would be around -19C.
Since the industrial revolution, human activity

has increased the amount of greenhouse
gases in the atmosphere. The increased
amount of gases which absorb heat, has
directly lead to more heat being retained in
the atmosphere and thus an increase in
global average surface temperatures. This
change in temperature is known as global
warming. The increase in temperature is also
leading to other effects on the climate
system. A few major sources of greenhouse
gas emissions from human activities are from
burning fossil fuels for electricity, heat, and
transportation.
Gases that contribute to the greenhouse
effect include: Water vapours, CO2, Methane,
Nitrous Oxide, CFCs. To a lesser extent, the clearing of land for agriculture, industry, and other human
activities have increased concentrations of greenhouse gases.
Hazards of global climate change:

Climate change poses a wide range of risks to population health, if global climate change continues on its
current trajectory. The three main categories of health risks include:
(i)
(ii)
(iii)
Direct-acting effects (e.g. due to heat waves, amplified air pollution, and physical weather
disasters)
Impacts on ecological systems and relationships (e.g. crop yields, mosquito ecology, marine
productivity),
Indirect consequences include impoverishment, displacement, resource conflicts (e.g. water),
and post-disaster mental health problems.
Climate change thus threatens to slow, halt or

reverse international progress towards reducing
child under-nutrition, deaths from diarrheal diseases
and the spread of other infectious diseases. Climate
change may dramatically impact habitat loss, for
example, arid conditions may cause the collapse of
rainforests, as has occurred in the past. Therefore,
in summary, global warming, together with
resultant changes in food and water supplies, can
indirectly cause increases in a range of adverse
health outcomes, including malnutrition, diarrhoea,
injuries, cardiovascular and respiratory diseases,
and water-borne and insect-transmitted diseases.
Area affected:
Asia and the Pacific is the global area most prone to
natural disasters, both in terms of the absolute number of disasters and of populations affected. It is highly
exposed to climate impacts, and is home to highly vulnerable population groups, who are
disproportionately poor and marginalized.
According to the Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre, more than 42 million people were displaced in
Asia and the Pacific during 2010 and 2011, more than twice the population of Sri Lanka. This figure
includes those displaced by storms, floods, and heat and cold waves.
The role of human activity

In its recently released Fourth
Assessment
Report,
the
Intergovernmental Panel on Climate
Change (IPCC), a group of 1,300
independent scientific experts from
countries all over the world under the
auspices of the United Nations,
concluded there's a more than 90
percent
probability
that
human
activities over the past 250 years have
warmed our planet.
Formed in 2003, IPCC contended that
climate changes have led to the
emergence
of
large-scale
environmental hazards to human
health. The World Health Organization
(WHO) estimates that 160,000 deaths, since 1950, are directly attributable to climate change.
The industrial activities that our modern civilization depends upon have raised atmospheric carbon dioxide
levels from 280 parts per million to 379 parts per million in the last 150 years.
Sources:
Climate change
Deforestation: The Shrinking Forests of Our Planet
Effects of climate change on humans
Human Health
Why is climate important?
Sources of Greenhouse Gas Emissions
A blanket around the Earth
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DIGITAL INDIA INITIATIVE

What is it?
It has long been Modis dream to serve India via egovernance. The Digital India initiative aims to connect rural
regions and remote villages ensuring that they too have
high-speed Internet services. With this ambitious project,
villagers will not have to travel long distances to the
concerned departments.
The Digital India programme is a transformed version of the
already running National e-Governance Plan. The project
aims to provide thrust to nine pillars identified as growth
areas. These pillars include - broadband highways, everywhere mobile connectivity, Public Internet Access
Programme, e-Governance, e-Kranti (which aims to give electronic delivery of services), information for all,
electronics manufacturing, IT for Jobs and early harvest programmes. The project is expected to be completed
by 2019.
Budget
The Union Cabinet has approved the Digital India project, which has a total overlay of Rs 1 lakh crore.
Among the multiple projects that come under the Digital India initiative, the national broadband plan will cost
the most with Rs 500 crore allocated for it.
The national information infrastructure will provide all necessary e-governance services at a cost of Rs.15, 686
crore and be ready by March 2017. The plan will also ensure universal access to mobile phones to 42,311
villages in the country that are still unconnected by June 2015 at a cost of Rs.16, 000 crore.
The plan also talks of creating five new electronic manufacturing clusters in the next five years. The plan will
also create skill development centres to produce a workforce of 400,000 for the electronics sector in the next
five years at a cost of Rs.575 core.
Monitoring:
The plan will be monitored ensure smooth implementation
including the ministers of finance, communications, rural
development, human resources development and health as
members under Narendra Modis chairmanship.
The new posts of 'Chief Information Officers' (CIO) would be
created. Besides, a Digital India Advisory Group (DIAG) would
also be created. It will supervise the implementation of the
programme and advise the government on policy issues for
accelerating the implementation of Digital India Programme.
Digital India Advisory Group

Digital India Advisory Group will be formed and will be chaired by the Minister of Communications and IT.
There will be an Apex Committee which will be chaired by the Cabinet Secretary and the Expenditure Finance
Committee (EFC) or Committee on Non Plan Expenditure (CNE).
Advantages:
Digital India aims to bringing existing initiatives such as the Ebiz project, E-kranti, virtual classroom, e-visas
and the National Optical Fibre Network project under a single umbrella. Government is also planning to
enhance mobile connectivity in areas affected by left-wing extremism. When implemented Digital India will
connect 2.5 lakh villages by broadband and phones, decrease import of telecom imports to zero and create 1.7
crore direct and 8.5 crore indirect jobs.
Citizens will be able to easily access government services in real time on mobile phones and online, in Indian
languages. Department of Telecom is planning to make Wi-Fi hot spots in cities with population of over 10 lakh
and in tourist centers under the Digital India program.
Silicon Valley Players:

US technology giants are eager to get involved in Digital India and Smart Cities projects. U.S.-based global
technology giant IBM expressed keen interest to participate in the initiative.
After Jeff Bezos of Amazon and Satya Nadella of Microsoft, Mark Zuckerberg is the third CEO of an
internationally known corporation who has visited India. The queue of American technology giants seeking to
collaborate in the Digital India drive reflects the growing confidence in investor sentiment in India. Amazon,
Japan Bank for International Cooperation (JBIC) and eBay have also shown interest to expand their operations
in the e-commerce space and participate in the governments Digital India programme.
Why digital India?

As a rapidly modernising India embarks on a drive to
move governance online, bridging the so-called digital
divide is essential.
In two years, 150,000 post offices will be transformed
into multi-utility centres (providing a range of
government services, banking for instance, and not just
postal services). Some 250,000 government schools will
get broadband and free Wi-Fi and all schoolbooks will
have e-versions.
For the government, the digital push could bring
immediate benefits in terms of cost savings in delivery
of public services. The digital drive is also integral to the
governments plan to create 100 smart cities. Under the
plan, all cities with a population of more than a million
will get public Wi-Fi hotspots. All government communication will move to a universal secure email client.
Conclusion:
Prime Minister Modi is certainly right in prioritising Internet access and digital infrastructure but running a race
without knowing the finishing line is a losing game. The idea of Internet penetration is one to be hailed. This
initiative is widely welcomed since the government is working towards it but is this really the need at the
moment? Is internet penetration the answer to the million problems that grips this country? These are some
questions that need to be answered.
Sources:
Modi Cabinet approves Rs 1 lakh crore Digital India project
Digital India: Narendra Modis dream to be launched today
Digital India: Govt to spend up to Rs1.13 trillion in three-five years
Govt to appoint 'Chief Information Officers' to drive Digital India initiatives
PM Modi's Digital India campaign all set to roll out next month
Mark Zuckerberg meets Narendra Modi; Facebook CEO applauds Digital India initiative
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PUBLIC SECTOR UNDERTAKINGS IN INDIA

What is PSU?
Public Sector Undertaking (PSU) is a governmentowned corporation. An alternative title for a PSU is a
Public Sector Enterprise, where federally owned PSUs
are termed Central Public Sector Enterprises (CPSEs)
and are administered by the Ministry of Heavy
Industries and Public Enterprises. Government own a
majority (51 percent or more) of the company
equity. There are at present 251 PSU companies in
India as of 2012.
The level of financial autonomy is currently divided
into three categories:
Maharatna
Navratna
Miniratna CPSEs (itself divided into Category I & Category II)
In 1997, the Government identified eleven PSUs as Navratnas. These enterprises were BHEL, VSNL, MTNL,
BPCL, HPCL, GAIL, IOC, IPCL, NTPC, ONGC and SAIL. Two of these, IPCL and VSNL were privatised and
now India has 9 navratnas. The Government has also created a category called Miniratna, which is for
companies that have made profits continuously for the last three years or earned a net profit of Rs 30
crores or more in three years. As on 21 July, 2014 there are 7 Maharatna, 17 Navratna and 72 Miniratna
CPSE's.
The problem:
Governance at public sector undertakings (PSUs) has been abysmal. Social obligations have taken a toll on
their profits. Further, most PSUs do not have clearly defined succession planning in place. They function as
per the whims and fancies of government. As a result, most of them are bleeding. Further, regulations and
inefficient management is another issue to deal with PSUs.
Divestment plan for such companies is not finding any takers due to ridiculous pricing expectations and
waning investor interest amidst depressed market conditions.
Why are PSUs in loss?

Lets take two perennial bleeding giants. They are Bharat
Sanchar Nigam Ltd (BSNL), and Mahanagar Telephone Nigam
Ltd (MTNL). The latters losses are larger than its revenues,
and the formers losses are a third as much as revenues.
The biggest problem for these companies is high employee
cost. BSNL has 25 times more employees than Bharti Airtel,
the top telecom operator, with half the revenue. MTNL has
three-and-a-half times more employees, with barely a tenth of
Bhartis revenue.
Present Situation:
The fate of some PSUs hangs in balance as government officials discuss proposals to shut down some lossmaking state-owned companies.
Some of these PSUs include Air India, BSNL, ONGC, SAIL, Hindustan Photofilms, Hindustan Fertilisers
Corporation and HMT have been consistently bleeding cash and have survived only on budgetary
allocations.
Loss incurred:
A quarter of the country's 277 state-run firms, which produce everything from condoms to scooters, have
lost about $16 billion over the last decade, according to government records.
HMT: Government ordered to shut down HMT Watches and HMT Chinar Watches due to their continued
losses since 2000.
BSNL: State-run Telecom Company incurred a loss of 14,979 crore in landline services during 2013-14,
where as its overall loss was recorded at 7,085 crore.
Air India: This airline has been incurring losses and is trying to refuel its pockets via heavy discounts on
fare prices. The state-run carrier halved its operating loss in the financial year. It suffered a loss of 2,120
crore in 2013-14, down from 3,800 crore in 2012.
Hindustan Photofilms: Incorporated in 1960, the company was well-known for making film rolls. Its
overall losses are around 82.33 billion rupees which is about 40 times its paid-up capital.
At least 20 loss-making companies owned by the central government have stopped production or have
almost no activity yet still pay staff full salaries, according to an official at the Board for Financial and
Industrial Reconstruction, the agency charged with expediting restructuring or liquidation.
Ministers are reluctant to close these zombie companies because it will lead to job losses, which in turn
could cost them votes.
Government stance:
After two decades of halting privatisations, the central
government still owns about 260 firms and thousands
more at the state level. Government is looking for ways
to revive some of the sick companies through capital
infusion, joint ventures and by bringing in new
management. The government also expects stronger
PSUs to come to the aid of weaker ones.
Finance Minister Arun Jaitley has indicated a willingness
to consider privatisation of some PSUs. However, for the
time being, it will stick to selling minority stakes in profitmaking public sector companies.
A senior government official confirmed that a Cabinet note proposing the closure of six firms has been
circulated. The list includes Hindustan Photo Films, HMT Bearings, HMT Chinar Watches, Tungbhadra Steel,
Hindustan Cable and the iconic HMT Watches. In the second round, 15 more loss-making firms will be
under consideration, including British India Corporation, IDPL and their subsidiaries.
Conclusion:
Government policy is adversely affected by PSU commercial interests. For India, which has the world's
highest number of starving children and people who can't read, paying the factories' running costs and
salaries diverts money that could be spent on healthcare and education.
India's labour laws, which the World Bank says are the most restrictive anywhere, also make it hard to sack
staff for any reason other than criminal misconduct.
However selling the big losers will at least signal the governments intent to prevent more taxpayer money
going down the drain. If the NDA can dump three of its biggest no-hopers, it would be a positive. The NDA
government may not be keen on the P word (privatisation) for banks or profitable public sector
companies, but surely it can at least get rid of its white elephants that serve no public purpose any longer?
Sources:
Govt says no to PPP model for reviving sick PSUs
Govt May Shut Down Loss-Making PSUs Like ONGC, Air India and BSNL
Which is the largest PSU in India today?
Govt mulls closing PSUs hit by losses
Narendra Modi seeks to revive India's 'zombie factories', not abandon them
Can PSU divestment change the face of India Inc?
Sick PSU sell-off, reforms top of Arun Jaitley's mind
Jaitley wants to sell bleeding PSU ulcers: He should start with Air India, BSNL and MTNL
Government to finally shut terminally ill PSUs like HMT Watches, Tungbhadra Steel and others
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Economic Indicators Commodities

Gold Price: $ 1,231.14 an ounce as on Friday 24 Oct FXEMPIRE
Gold closed the week in the red falling almost $20 for the week. A surprise upward print of eurozone PMI data is
helping to ease market stress and the appeal of precious metals. In economic news from eurozone, German
consumer confidence index rose slightly to 8.5 in November. Elsewhere in Europe, the UK economy grew at a
slower pace in the third quarter in face of rising uncertainty stemming from global economic conditions. After two
days of gains, gold prices fell on the eve of Diwali in the Indian capital on October 22 owing to slackened demand
from jewellers and retailers at existing higher levels amid a weak trend in the global markets. Gold fell $5.80 to
trade at 1239.70 as the US dollar gained momentum after US inflation data printed on a positive note on
Wednesday. On Thursday, gold futures ended down at $1,229.10 an ounce, losing for a second straight session.
As the emerging fast growing economies look towards gold as safer investment avenue, the US dollar and euro
rates are likely to go higher in the coming days. Asian economies having huge dollar reserves are moving quickly
to shield themselves by buying gold.
Brent Crude oil: $86.23 per barrel as on Friday 24 Oct FXEMPIRE
Crude Oil ended the week on a low note at 81.30 down by 79 cents on Friday, while Brent Oil gave up 60 cents on
Friday to end at 86.23. On Thursday crude oil plunged by over 2.5 percent following the US inventories report
revealing a jump in total crude stockpiles by 7.11 million barrels for the week. Market participants are waiting to
see whether the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries, and specifically Saudi Arabia, will cut
production to raise prices. Saudi Arabia sold less crude domestically and for export in September, but its
production increased. According to reports Saudi Arabia shipped 9.36 million barrels a day last month, down
328,000 barrels a day from August. However, Saudi Arabias oil production was up slightly last month, at 9.70
million barrels a day. OPEC had earlier indicated the cartel will maintain its output without any cut in production,
with some member countries preferring to slash prices in order to gain share of the market. Investors also were
closely watching also the impact of the spreading Ebola virus outbreak on global economies.
Sources:
Gold
http://www.fxempire.com/fundamental/fundamental-analysis-reports/gold-weekly-fundamental-analysis-october27-31-2014-forecast/
http://www.fxempire.com/fundamental/fundamental-analysis-reports/gold-fundamental-analysis-october-242014-forecast/
Crude Oil
http://www.fxempire.com/fundamental/fundamental-analysis-reports/crude-brent-oil-fundamental-analysisoctober-24-2014-forecast/
http://www.fxempire.com/fundamental/fundamental-analysis-reports/crude-brent-oil-weekly-fundamentalanalysis-october-27-31-2014-forecast/
Economic Indicators Stock Markets

BSE Sensex: Closed at 26,315.44 as on Friday 31 Oct Money Life
The S&P BSE Sensex closed the week that ended on 31st October at 27,866 (up 1,015 points or
3.78%), while the NSE's CNX Nifty ended at 8,322 (up 308 points or 3.84%). The indices on Monday
however, opened higher and immediately fell. Data from China's statistics bureau showed profits as
China's industrial companies grew 0.4% last month, compared with a 0.6% drop in August. This had a
positive impact on the market. On Wednesday market moved higher, in line with its Asian
counterparts. Nifty closed at 8,090 (up 63 points or 0.78%). NSE witnessed huge volume with the
October futures and options expiry on Thursday. US Federal Reserve's statement at the conclusion of
its meeting on Wednesday showed more confidence in American economic growth prospects and the
Indian government announced relaxation of rules for foreign investment in property development and
construction. These factors boosted the market sentiments. Strong stimulus by Japan fuelled a global
rise in indices on Friday. Positive US economic data posted on Thursday also supported the current
positive move.
S&P 500: Closed at 2,018.05 as on Friday 31 Oct T. Rowe Price Insights / Reuters
The Dow and S&P 500 ended at record highs on Friday and other indexes posted strong gains for a
second week. Investors enjoyed a second week of robust gains thanks to generally positive earnings
reports, some hopeful economic signals, and strong new stimulus measures in Japan. The move by the
Bank of Japan, whose board voted to accelerate purchases of Japanese government bonds while
tripling its purchases of exchange-traded funds and real-estate investment trusts, comes just days
after the Federal Reserve wound down its years-long package of incentives. The broad Standard &
Poor's 500 Index ended the week more than 8% higher than it was just two weeks earlier. The week's
economic data did not uniformly surprise to the upside but did suggest continued healthy growth in the
U.S. economy. In particular, stocks reacted positively to the Commerce Department's advance
estimate for third-quarter economic growth. Friday morning, the Labor Department released its thirdquarter employment-cost index, which measures wage and benefit expenses. According to The Wall
Street Journal, the index again rose slightly more than expected by economists it surveyed. As the
number raised the possibility that the Fed might act sooner rather than later to raise rates and head off
inflation, investors found it as a favorable indication of income growth and consumer spending.
Sources:
BSE Sensex
http://www.moneylife.in/article/nifty-sensex-in-uncharted-territory-ndash-weekly-closingreport/39296.html
S&P 500
http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/10/31/us-markets-stocks-idUSKBN0IK11E20141031
http://individual.troweprice.com/public/Retail/Planning-&-Research/T.-Rowe-Price-Insights/MarketAnalysis/Weekly-Wrap-Ups
Economic Indicators Commodities

Gold Price: $ 1,144.30 an ounce as on Friday 07 Nov FXEMPIRE
Gold reversed its trend gaining over $34 on Friday afternoon after the Non-Farm Payrolls (NFP) data
released. The release of the US October Non-Farm Payrolls was the main event this week with the data
showing a gain of 214K jobs as unemployment ticked down to 5.8%. This positive data reversely
affected gold prices and it ended a tough week on a rising note. On the other hand, serious fighting in
Ukraine again boosted safe haven demand. But overall over the last week the metal was heading for a
decline of more than $40 having hit a four and half year low. One reason has been the strength of the
dollar. Traditionally gold and the US currency move in opposite directions as gold and this has hit the
metal hard in the past two weeks. The dollar has soared but especially against both the yen and euro
on more monetary stimulus measures being either enacted or proposed in Japan and Europe. This had
translated into renewed outflows from gold-backed exchange traded funds.
Brent Crude oil: $83.12 per barrel as on Friday 07 Nov FXEMPIRE
Crude Oil soared on Friday afternoon ending a rocky road that saw oil at its lowest and recovering after
a lower inventory print on Wednesday and then a reversal late in the day on Friday to close at 78.57.
Brent Oil ended the week at 83.12 as a price war between Saudi Arabia and US shale producers
accelerated. Oil prices climbed on Friday (Nov 7) as the market took a breather after a turbulent week
that saw sharp sell-offs and a mixed US jobs report. The Labor Department reported job growth that
was slightly less than expected and that the unemployment rate fell to 5.8 per cent. The dollar
weakened slightly after the jobs data, providing some support for oil prices. Oil prices have tumbled by
a third since the summer as global demand eases in the face of a slowdown in the economic recovery.
They fell again this week, with Brent crude dipping to a four-year low of 82 US dollars a barrel after
leading producer Saudi Arabia cut the price of oil sold to the United States. In June, the price had
reached nearly 116 US dollars as the advance of Islamic State sparked fears over supplies from Iraq.
But gathering gloom over growth with the eurozone stagnant and Chinese expansion easing has
raised fears of a glut of oil swilling around the world economy.
Sources:
Gold
http://www.fxempire.com/fundamental/fundamental-analysis-reports/gold-weekly-fundamental-analysisnovember-10-15-2014-forecast/
http://www.fxempire.com/fundamental/fundamental-analysis-reports/gold-fundamental-analysisnovember-7-2014-forecast/
Crude Oil
http://www.fxempire.com/fundamental/fundamental-analysis-reports/crude-brent-oil-weeklyfundamental-analysis-november-10-15-2014-forecast/
http://www.fxempire.com/fundamental/fundamental-analysis-reports/crude-brent-oil-fundamentalanalysis-november-7-2014-forecast/
Economic Indicators Stock Markets

BSE Sensex: Closed at 28,046.66 as on Friday 14 Nov Moneycontrol/ Indiainfoline
Market movement may have been restricted in a trading range but Indian economy had plenty to cheer this week.
The week ended November 14 saw Nifty and Sensex eke out 0.7-0.8 percent gains amidst consolidation at higher
levels. Both indices continued to smash previous records all through the week and ended the week at all-time high
levels; BSE Sensex breached the 28,000 figure for first time ever. Consumer Price Index-based inflation hit a new
low of 5.52% in October; the lowest since January 2012. Wholesale Price Index for October came in at 1.77%, the
lowest since September 2009. At the same time, factory output saw a pleasant surprise as it zoomed by 2.5% in
September. Though inflation has moderated more than expectations, RBI is unlikely to cut policy rates. Seven of
the top 10 Sensex companies added Rs. 36,840.41 crore to their market valuation. ITC was the biggest gainer
among the top 10 companies with an addition of Rs. 10,015.78 crore to its market capitalisation that stood at Rs.
2,93,849.29 crore at close on Friday last, says a report.
S&P 500: Closed at 2,039.74 as on Friday 14 Nov T. Rowe Price Insights / NASDAQ
Stock prices were remarkably steady through most of the week, especially in comparison to recent volatility, but
the market managed to end the week with modest gains. The S&P 500 Index's largest daily change was on
Monday, when it rose 0.31%, but its largest fluctuation from close to close over the remainder of the week was
0.07%a remarkable shift from recent weeks. Despite being ripe for profit-taking, equities barely moved off their
opening highs, before drifting slightly lower into the close. Tech stocks outperformed thanks to another record
high in Apple. Coupled with European GDP data in which Germany and France averted another recession, equities
were marginally higher at the open, clinging to Thursday's record highs in the Dow and S&P. Weekly jobless claims
rose slightly more than expected, but investors were encouraged by separate data showing healthy hiring in
September. The number of people leaving jobs voluntarily hit its highest level since before the financial crisis, a
sign of Americans' greater confidence in their ability to find another job. Indeed, energy stocks were laggards for
much of the week, as the price of oil continued to decline. But even though the rally fizzled out on Friday, all three
major indices closed higher for the fourth consecutive week with the Dow up 0.3%, the S&P up by 0.4% and the
Nasdaq 1.2% higher.
Sources:
BSE Sensex
http://www.moneycontrol.com/news/local-markets/weekly-wrap-sensex-nifty-consolidate-diis-ditch-dst_1228924.html
http://www.indiainfoline.com/article/news-top-story/weekly-sensex-nifty-up-0-5-each-114111400159_1.html
http://www.business-standard.com/article/news-cm/market-likely-to-open-lower-114111700093_1.html
S&P 500
http://www.nasdaq.com/article/close-update-rally-stalls-near-record-highs-cm414268
http://individual.troweprice.com/public/Retail/Planning-&-Research/T.-Rowe-Price-Insights/MarketAnalysis/Weekly-Wrap-Ups
1) A small step forward The Hindu Business Line

http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/opinion/editorial/a-small-step-forward/article6528130.ece
Dated: October 23, 2014

2) ISIL needs to be seen as common enemy Economic Times
http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/opinion/editorial/isil-needs-to-be-seen-as-commonenemy/articleshow/44921343.cms

3) The tasks of governance The Hindu
http://www.thehindu.com/opinion/editorial/the-tasks-of-governance/article6528266.ece

4) Price control problems Business Standard
http://www.business-standard.com/article/opinion/price-control-problems-114102701332_1.html

5) What Europe stress tests will and wont do Livemint
http://www.livemint.com/Opinion/7YeqaQNqbkazkUFXEjH12M/What-Europe-stress-tests-will-and-wontdo.html
1) A new bank for Asia The Hindu

http://www.thehindu.com/opinion/editorial/editorial-a-new-bank-for-asia/article6545463.ece

2) Beginning of the end The Hindu Business Line
http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/opinion/editorial/beginning-of-the-end/article6549158.ece

3) Ukraine's Revolutionary No. 1 Goes to Parliament Bloomberg
http://www.bloombergview.com/articles/2014-11-02/ukraine-s-revolutionary-no-1-goes-to-parliament
Dated: November 2, 2014

4) Congress must be responsible in Opposition Business Standard
http://www.business-standard.com/article/opinion/be-responsible-114110301339_1.html

5) What's Bad for Germany Could Be Good for Europe Bloomberg
http://www.bloombergview.com/articles/2014-11-04/what-s-bad-for-germany-could-be-good-for-europe
1) What is the best way for the U.S. to counter Russias natural gas threats? Reuters
http://blogs.reuters.com/great-debate/2014/11/06/what-is-the-best-way-for-the-u-s-to-counter-russiasnatural-gas-threats/

2) Asia's Biggest Economic Challenges Bloomberg
http://www.bloombergview.com/articles/2014-11-09/asias-biggest-economic-challenges

3) Privatise, dont disinvest The Hindu Business Line
http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/opinion/editorial/privatise-dont-disinvest/article6583876.ece

4) Some performers appointed but questions remain about portfolio allocation Times of
India
http://blogs.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/toi-editorials/some-performers-appointed-but-questionsremain-about-portfolio-allocation/

5) Boost oil revenue without feeding prices Economic Times
http://blogs.economictimes.indiatimes.com/et-editorials/boost-oil-revenue-without-feedingprices/?utm_source=Popup&utm_medium=Old&utm_campaign=TOIHP
1) Tarnished victory in Maharashtra The Hindu

http://www.thehindu.com/opinion/editorial/editorial-on-trust-vote-in-maharashtraassembly/article6591700.ece

2) Time for a melt-up: the coming global boom Reuters
http://blogs.reuters.com/anatole-kaletsky/2014/11/14/time-for-a-melt-up-the-coming-global-boom/

3) In a fix The Hindu Business Line
http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/opinion/editorial/in-a-fix/article6608642.ece

4) Metaphor meets reality: U.S. and China are clearing the air Reuters
http://blogs.reuters.com/great-debate/2014/11/17/is-the-u-s-china-accord-a-first-step-toward-goodrelations/

5) Banking blues remain - State Bank of India makes the best of a negative macro scene
Business Standard
http://www.business-standard.com/article/opinion/banking-blues-remain-114111801463_1.html
FINANCE NEWS
1) RBI warns firms on lack of FX hedging BS 23 Oct
2) Banks cut lending rates to corporate sector BS 23 Oct
3) Banking industry's loan restructuring under CDR method rises 50 per cent in Q2 ET 24 Oct
4) Exploring all options to recover loans from Kingfisher Airlines: Private Banks BS 27 Oct
5) M&A deals value involving Indian companies touch $4.7 billion in July-September ET 27 Oct
6) Govt scraps selection of CMDs for 6 banks, initiates probe BS 27 Oct
7) PE investments touch $3.1 bn in July-September quarter: Grant Thornton ET 27 Oct
8) DHFL, Prudential Financial to form asset management JV in India ET 28 Oct
9) Postal Banks Forum to discuss postal departments' role in retail banking ET 28 Oct
10) Govt plans to cut PSB stake to 51% TOI 29 Oct
FINANCE FEATURE
Time for RBI to turn on the taps
http://www.livemint.com/Opinion/rkqLKAl484DSSPFfnjyJRJ/Time-for-RBI-to-turn-on-thetaps.html
FINANCE NEWS
1) Fed ends bond buying, exhibits confidence in US recovery BS 30 Oct
2) Banks suggest re-phasing of small business loans in Vizag BS 30 Oct
3) Companies performing well are exiting debt restructuring ET 30 Oct
4) Bond Yields Hit 13-month Low as Rate Cut Hopes Rise ET 31 Oct
5) Assets of India's financial institutions touch $2.8 trillion ET 02 Nov
6) Banks book treasury profits in Oct as bond yields slide BS 03 Nov
7) Six big banks including SBI, PNB to appraise loans above Rs 500 cr ET 04 Nov
8) FinMin asks RBI to ease infra funding norms BS 04 Nov
9) Private sector banks turn spotlight on small businesses BS 05 Nov
10) Non banking finance companies find raising money directly from the market cheaper ET 05 Nov
FINANCE FEATURE
Private Banks trump government peers on efficiency
http://www.business-standard.com/article/economy-policy/private-banks-trump-governmentpeers-on-efficiency-114103100383_1.html
FINANCE NEWS
1) Government to revive 23 district co-op banks, to infuse Rs 2,375 crore ET 06 Nov
2) Intel Capital puts $62 million in 16 companies; to invest $355 million in 2014 ET 06 Nov
3) Banks resume financing of commercial vehicles BS 07 Nov
4) European Central Bank members all stand ready to take more policy action if needed to revive a
struggling euro economy BS 07 Nov
5) Chinese payments company China UnionPay to set up shop in India ET 08 Nov
6) Associate banks dont need capital, says SBI Livemint 09 Nov
7) RBI tightens rules for "shadow banks" raising minimum capital requirements and restricting
deposits Reuters 11 Nov
8) India may pip China in venture capital investment this quarter TOI 11 Nov
9) Commercial paper market grows three-fold as companies dump costlier bank loans ET 11 Nov
10) State governments reject Centre governments proposal to hike GST limit DNA 12 Nov
FINANCE FEATURE
New NBFC regulations: It's advantage banks
http://www.business-standard.com/article/finance/new-nbfc-regulations-it-s-advantage-banks114111101018_1.html
FINANCE NEWS
1) FII stake at 10-year high, but valuations lag 2008 peak BS 13 Nov
2) Consumer Inflation Falls to Record Low of 5.52% in October, Rate Cut Hopes Rise NDTV Profit
14 Nov
3) Petrol, diesel excise raised to aid fisc BS 14 Nov
4) Payment bank rules by month-end, telcos, India Post remain frontrunners: RBI ET 14 Nov
5) India Incs quarterly numbers below expectations: Analysts ET 17 Nov
6) BSE, NSE eye setting up small banks TOI 17 Nov
7) Cash transfers can save Rs 30,000 crore per year in food subsidies: Shanta Kumar ET 17 Nov
8) Lower costs to turn rural accounts profitable for banks TOI 18 Nov
9) Canara Bank to establish micro enterprises business centres ET 18 Nov
10) FII investments via participatory notes surges to 43 billion dollars in October ET 18 Nov
FINANCE FEATURE
Making banks safer without killing growth
http://www.livemint.com/Opinion/9tcU8fvpoMgJOUNM8K66FO/Saving-banks-without-killinggrowth.html
HR NEWS
1) The Top Employers Hiring
In 25 Major Metro Areas Forbes 23 Oct
2) Startups engineer salary hike

3) How Salaries,
4) Female PSU
for freshers, bring cheer to upcoming joinees ET 24 Oct
Standard of Living Vary by State Workforce 24 Oct
insurance staff may get transfers of their choice ET 26 Oct
5) Why women
getting less salary in the industry is an unfair practice ET 27 Oct
6) Low-paid risk 'being
left behind', says TUC HR Magazine 27 Oct
7) Lloyds confirms 9,000 job losses to aid 'digitalisation'

8) UK falls eight places
ET 28 Oct
in gender equality rankings ET 28 Oct
9) Corporates
like Sun Pharma, Palmolive spending big bucks on offsite activities to boost
employee morale ET 29 Oct
Dissatisfaction with career training and development hits talent retention, survey
suggests ET 29 Oct
10)
HR FEATURE
Where next for HR technology?
http://www.hrmagazine.co.uk/hr/features/1147697/hr-technology
HR NEWS
1) Number
of expats working in India declines; hiring falls 11% ET 30 Oct
2) Migrant labour and youth
employment not 'either/or choice' HR Magazine 30 Oct
3) Industry goes innovative with
staff referral plans; offers attractive rewards ET 31 Oct
Jobs in e-commerce sector in demand among B-school, engineering graduates ET 02

Nov
4)
5) Employers
6) Infosys
hesistant on new hires: ACCI Australian Business Review 03 Nov
steps up efforts to lower attrition rate by next year ET 03 Nov
7) Women executives
8) Companies
9) Top
of technology firms to head 5 NIT boards ET 03 Nov
bond with new talent using multi-year packages ET 03 Nov
corporates hire over 200 students at NIIT University ET 03 Nov
KPMG tweaks employee engagement programmes to retain, recruit the best ET 04

Nov
10)
HR FEATURE
Re-imagining modern leadership
http://www.hrmagazine.co.uk/hr/features/1147805/-oct-mag-imagining-modern-leadership
HR NEWS
1) World Bank To
Cut 500 Jobs Globally; Create New Posts In India Silicon India 06 Nov
2) The largest companies are

3) Indefinite strike
4) Working weird
the least transparent Human Resources 06 Nov
by BSNL employees from Feb 3 BS 06 Nov
hours is bad for brain power Human Resources 07 Nov
5) Nearly 60% of companies at
an entry level on gender maturity scale in India ET 07 Nov
Despite crisis, IT industry continues to be a big attraction for young people from small
towns ET 08 Nov
6)
7) Incremental IT services
jobs will halve in four years ET 10 Nov
Infrastructure companies in hunt for women directors to meet Sebi stipulation ET 11

Nov
8)
For students, part-time jobs at young companies offer lessons for starting up ET 11
Nov
9)
10) Wadhwani Foundation to give Rs
613 crore to create 25 million jobs ET 11 Nov
HR FEATURE
Take the risk of creating risk-taking culture
http://jobs.siliconindia.com/hr-speaks/Take-the-risk-of-creating-risktaking-culture-nid-106.html
HR NEWS
1) Ericsson eyes
2) BJP's win in
$1.2 billion savings, may cut more jobs ET 13 Nov
Maharashtra to boost employment in key sectors ET 13 Nov
3) Only 7% of employers
4) B-School
use social media for recruitment ET 14 Nov
campus placements set to rock; e-commerce and startup industry top charts
ET 14 Nov
5) Five ways to handle being overworked
6) 'Talent' single largest priority in a CEO's
7) Seasonal decline in hiring activity in
8) IoT
ET 14 Nov
agenda: Survey ET 17 Nov
October: Naukri.com ET 17 Nov
seeks diverse skills, engages 40% software engineer ET 17 Nov
IIM Calcutta wraps up summer placements in a record 2.5 days; Amazon top recruiter
with 22 offers ET 18 Nov
9)
10) Tech giants
scouting for cloud computing specialists ET 19 Nov
HR FEATURE
How Industrial Decision Making Will Change Our Jobs
http://www.forbes.com/sites/teradata/2014/11/19/how-industrial-decision-making-will-change-our-jobs/
Management Consulting Industry

Overview: Its the business
of giving expert advice,
management
consulting,
refers to the industry and
practice
of
helping
organizations improve their
performance through the
analysis
of
existing
organizational problems and
development of plans for improvement. Companies avail the services of management consultants for gaining external
and presumably objective advice as well as access to the consultants' specialized expertise.
Twenty four years ago, CK Birla roped in global consulting firm McKinsey for a turnaround project for Hindustan
Motors. That birthed the management consulting story in India. Since then, the consulting space has exploded. In
India, consulting firms are broadly divided into tiers .True-blue strat firms (McKinsey, BCG, Bain, AT Kearney, Booz,)
straddle the top end; consulting arms of technology firms like Accenture, IBM, occupy the mid-tier, the Big Four's
consulting arms target the mid and bottom layer of the pyramid, a handful of boutiques (Universal Consulting, Avalon
Consulting etc.) fill in the niches, and some credible newcomers like Oliver Wyman and Rolland Berger are fighting for
their share. Consultancy firm such as McKinsey & Company, Bain & Company and Boston Consulting Group mostly do
strategy consulting. Mid-rung firms such as Deloitte, KPMG, EY, Grant Thornton and PwC are involved in low-ticket
projects. The use of management consultancy is becoming more prevalent in non-business fields including the public
sector; as the need for professional and specialist support grows, other industries such as government, quasigovernment and not-for-profit agencies are turning to the same managerial principles. In India, NABARD Consultancy
Services (NABCONS) provides consultancy services in the field of agriculture, rural development and management. It
is the wholly owned subsidiary of National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD).
Global Scenario: Global consulting industry revenues (including HR, IT, strategy, operations, management and
business advisory services) will be about $431 billion by 2014 end, according to Plunkett Research estimates. This
represents reasonable growth from $415 billion during the previous year. In U.S. consulting of all types, including
management, scientific and technical, generated $180.0 billion during 2013. In emerging and mid-tier nations, the
consulting industry was enjoying booming growth until 2013. By mid-2014, the market continued to be soft in some
regions. Brazils economy has been disappointing; Chinas economic growth has slowed to a more modest, but still
robust, pace. Europes economic growth remains slow outside of Germany, and U.S. growth was disappointing in 2003
and early 2014.As multinational companies headquartered in the U.S. and elsewhere continued to open offices,
factories and research facilities in nations such as India, Malaysia, Indonesia and China, consultants had to follow. At
the same time, China and India are investing heavily in their own upper-level education systems, and they are now
graduating large numbers of MBAs, scientists, researchers and engineers from their own universities. It signifies that
a growing global cadre of young people with graduate degrees and high ambitions are seeking entry-level work in
consulting of all types.
Industry Outlook: The management consulting
industry is somewhat cyclic in nature. Between 2013
and 2016, there will be a greater demand for
specialized management consultants, thus the industry
will grow at an average CAGR of 4.2% and will reach
$203.6 billion. In United States, the consultancy
industry is highly fragmented with over 1,30,000 firms.
Growth drivers for
Industry in the US:
Management
Consulting
Business restructuring and operational

excellence:
Financial Management
Expansions, Mergers and Acquisitions:
Positive factors for the consulting industry over the midterm:

1) Continued growth in health care expenditures and
significant changes in health care coverage are creating demand
for consulting projects. This includes a focus on digital health
records and a dramatic need for greater efficiency and cost
control.
2) Consultancies that focus on projects that clearly reduce
business costs and enhance operating profits in a reasonably
short period of time will find a ripe corporate market (such as
consultants who focus on cash flow enhancement, supply chain
efficiency and manufacturing efficiency).
3) Vast new labyrinths of government regulation in the U.S. and in the UK/EU are creating numerous
opportunities for consultants who can show companies how to navigate rapidly changing relationships between
government and industries, or deal with government oversight, particularly in financial services, environmental
matters and health care.
4) Consultants who assist firms in lowering employee benefits costs are in high demand.
5) Consultants and advisors for corporate expansion into emerging markets, information technology and mergers
and acquisitions will be in high demand.
6) Nations in the Middle East remain keen to modernize, expand key industries such as air transportation and
develop new services and economic opportunities for citizens. These desires will continue to generate excellent
opportunities for a wide variety of consulting companies.
SOURCES:
Management Consulting: Wikipedia
Management Consulting Industry Market Research Report
2012 Report on the $140 Billion US Consulting Services
Consulting Industry Overview: Plunkett Research
Introduction to the Consulting Industry
Where the Growth Is in Management Consulting
Consulting in 2013: The MCA Outlook
Survey of the European Management Consultancy 2011/2012
Consultancy firms hiring aggressively on growing demand
How are McKinsey, BCG, Bain, AT Kearney and the likes playing the game in India
Consulting Industry Market Research
Cover Image 1 source: www.freedigitalphotos.net Contributor: Stuart Miles
Cover Image 2 source: www.freedigitalphotos.net Contributor: renjith krishnan
Cover Image 3 source: www.freedigitalphotos.net Contributor: sheelamohan
INDIAN INSURANCE INDUSTRY

Overview: The insurance industry in India is the fifth largest life
insurance market in the emerging insurance economies globally. The
total market size of the insurance industry in India stood at US$ 66.4
billion in FY 13. It is projected to touch US$ 350-400 billion by 2020.
Apex body IRDA (Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority)
regulates it. Insurance in India is divided into two major sectors: Life
Insurance & Non-Life Insurance.
The industry has undergone transformational changes since 2000 when
the industry was liberalized. With a one player market to 24 players in
13 years, the industry has witnessed phases of rapid growth along with
extent of growth moderation and intensifying competition. Changes in
the regulatory environment also had path-breaking impact on the development of the industry. The insurance industry
still struggles to move out of the shadows cast by the challenges posed by economic uncertainties of the last few
years. However, the strong fundamentals of the industry augur well
for a roadmap to be drawn for sustainable long-term growth. In fact,
the population of about 200 countries in the world is less than the
total number of lives insured in India. With foreign direct investment
(FDI) limit in insurance set to go up to 49% from the current 26%,
several global insurance giants are likely to revive their plans to
enter the under-penetrated Indian market. Global insurance firms
including Metlife, Aegon, and Prudential are already present in India.
While the government has failed to get the insurance bill introduced
in Parliament in the recently concluded budget session, it has sent it
to the select committee. While the FDI limit was raised to 49%, the
management control of these firms will remain with Indian promoters
for now.
Structure & Major Players: With 36 crore policies, India's life
insurance sector is the biggest in the world. The Life insurance
sector is currently dominated by the only government company in
this sector - Life Insurance Corporation of India (LIC) which boasts
approximately 73% (FY13) market share. Private players like ICICI
Prudential, SBI Life & Bajaj Allianz collectively make up remaining
of the private life insurance market. The non-life insurance sector
with 28 players has four major PSUs & several other private
insurance companies. Motor insurance forms the largest non-life
segment at 47.1 per cent share in FY13. The four PSU entities
National Insurance, New India Assurance, Oriental Insurance and
United India Insurancesaw their gross premium collection rise by
2.6% year-on-year to Rs3,394.83 crore in February. The gross premium of 28 players in the general insurance market
during April-February period of 2013-14 rose by 12.84% to Rs69,833.07 crore. The public sector General Insurance
Corporation of India (GIC Re) is the sole re-insurance company in India. GIC purchases insurance from another
insurance company which helps in risk management.
Current Scenario: The new reforms in the sector aim to overhaul
traditional -hospitalization expenses such as out-patient department and
wellness services, apart from the standard hospitalisation expenses.
Additionally, many companies are offering several other features such as
Worldwide Emergency Cover, disease-specific covers, health maintenance
benefits, value-added services in the form of discounts, etc.
Key Investments:
IGATE Corporation has bagged its largest multi-year deal ever, worth US
$200 million, with Americas CNA Financial. Export Credit Guarantee
Corporation of India Ltd (ECGC) has signed a memorandum of
understanding (MoU) on co-operation with the Export Credit Insurance
Agencies (ECA) of BRICS countries. Indian insurance companies are
expected to spend Rs 117 billion (US$ 1.93 billion) on IT products and
services in 2014. Also, insurance companies in India are likely to spend Rs
4.1 billion (US$ 67.84 million) on mobile devices in 2014. Kotak Mahindra Old Mutual Life Insurance Ltd has launched
Kotak Assured Income Accelerator, a plan that takes into account the ever-increasing cost of living by paying an
increasing annual guaranteed income in the payout phase. Future Generali Care Plus has launched Care plus Plan, a
pure term insurance plan.
Future Outlook: India continues to be a country of savers though we have witnessed a decline in the household
savings rate in the past couple of years. In India, the problem lies in household savings lying idle or getting invested
in saving instruments. There is a worrying trend of larger portion of household savings getting into non-productive
physical assets such as real estate and gold. But even then, the future looks interesting for the life insurance industry
with several changes in regulatory framework which will lead to further change in the way industry conducts its
business and engages with its customers. World over it has been observed that the life insurance industry does
behave in a counter cyclical manner in many cases. In a situation where the economic growth is slowing down, due to
other factors such as high current account and fiscal deficits, currency depreciation, high interest rates, savings rate
will continue to be high, leading to higher demand for life insurance. Demographic factors such as growing middle
class, young insurable population and growing awareness of the need for protection and retirement planning will also
support the growth of Indian life insurance. For life insurance, it is time to re-commit itself to customer centric
behaviour, product solutions based on consumer needs, ethical market conduct, transparency and governance, the
growth will be the natural outcome for now and years to come. The 12th Five Year Plan outlines an expenditure of
$1.2 trillion on infrastructure and is deficient by $300 billion. The insurance industry will play an important role in
earning this budget deficit. Thus, the advancement of the insurance industry will also provide a strong impetus to
meet the country's long-term infrastructure and financial goals.
Sources:
Insurance in India: Wiki
Shrinking Cover
Indian Insurance Industry to grow 15 pct in FY14: ICRA report
Insurance Sector in India
Indias insurance industry: issues and challenges
Insurance: CII
Indian life insurance industry: Scope for sustainable growth
Insurance sector is hot again, global cos revive India plans
Improved Cover
India is 15th in world in premium volume: Swiss Re sigma study
Cover Image 1 source: www.freedigitalphotos.net Contributor: smarnad
Cover Image 2 source: www.freedigitalphotos.net Contributor: Stuart Miles
Cover Image 3 source: www.freedigitalphotos.net Contributor: hyena reality
MARKETING NEWS
1) Make content like a girl: how brands are turning to feminism for content inspiration campaign India 23 Oct
2) Zomato Gets A New Heart afaqs 23 Oct
3) Maruti to Merc in mad festive rush mydigitalfc 26 Oct
4) The 'Aspirational' Indian afaqs 27 Oct
5) Microsoft erases Nokia from Lumia, calls it Microsoft Lumia firstbiz 27 Oct
6) "We will offer all our channels only on RIO": Uday Shankar, CEO, Star India afaqs 28 Oct
7) Social media fast becoming common channel for customer service queries: survey Business Line 28 Oct
8) Why Americans Will Believe Anything You Tell Them, in One Chart Bloomberg Businessweek 28 Oct
9) Magnum Ice Cream Promotes Pleasure afaqs 29 Oct
10) YouTube's Susan Wojcicki hints at ad-free subscription service Brand Republic 29 Oct
MARKETING FEATURE
The 3 Types of Marketing Emails That Nobody Has Opened in Years
http://www.entrepreneur.com/article/237462
MARKETING NEWS
1) Domino's and Microsoft deal to let Xbox gamers order pizza through consoles Brand Republic 30 Oct
2) Wheres discipline? Aviation minister orders probe into fare discounts, predatory pricing firstbiz 30 Oct
3) Now, Luxury Brands Look to Check Online Sales TOI 31 Oct
4) Viral Now: Cat-callers Of New York afaqs 31 Oct
5) Last-minute Flights Costlier Amid a Flurry of Discounts TOI 03 Nov
6) Where does Microsoft make money? afaqs 03 Nov
7) SRK, Ranbir Top $100 m in Brand Valuation Study TOI 04 Nov
8) Lava may Pip Karbonn as No 3 Smartphone Vendor TOI 04 Nov
9) Akosha.com: Creating a Better Customer Experience for Brands afaqs 05 Nov
10) Swachh Bharat Mission: Shame the Offenders afaqs 05 Nov
MARKETING FEATURE
The 10 Most Important Steps to Becoming a Master Networker
http://www.entrepreneur.com/article/239340
MARKETING NEWS
1) Brands Born on the Web Learn How to Live By It TOI 06 Nov
2) Is Coca-Cola Zero as Good as Coke? afaqs 06 Nov
3) Starbucks Outshines Coffee Chain Rivals in First Full Year in India TOI 07 Nov
4) "In a push category like insurance, only BTL can lead to differentiation": Anika Agarwal, Max Bupa afaqs 07
Nov
5) After making Delhi debut, Burger King to expand in phases Business Line 09 Nov
6) Food Brands Serve it Hot Online and are Loving it TOI 10 Nov
7) Unilever Takes Corporate Branding to TV for First Time Advertising Age 10 Nov
8) The return of the three-pointed star Mint 11 Nov
9) Hellmann's Parent Company Says Organic Brand 'Just Mayo' Isn't Actually Mayo Adweek 11 Nov
10) Times Internet acquires Cricbuzz.com afaqs 12 Nov
MARKETING FEATURE
Marketing can and should value women as the smart shoppers they are
http://www.candyindustry.com/blogs/14-candy-industry-blog/post/86495-marketing-can-and-should-value-womenas-the-smart-shoppers-they-are
MARKETING NEWS
1) New Playground afaqs 13 Nov
2) Amazon Kindles Readers' Joy afaqs 14 Nov
3) Recreating the magic BS 17 Nov
4) NDTV, Coca-Cola partner to clean Govt Schools in India afaqs 17 Nov
5) Doordarshan to rebrand DD National afaqs 17 Nov
6) FoodPanda Buys Rival TastyKhana TOI 18 Nov
7) Jiyo Parsi: Celebrating Parsi Progeny afaqs 18 Nov
8) How Could Uber Punish People Who Complain About Uber? Bloomberg Business 18 Nov
9) Luxe Brands Woo Indians with Freebies TOI 19 Nov
10) VAT 69: Game On afaqs 19 Nov
MARKETING FEATURE
How to 'Sell' Healthy Food to Kids
http://thetyee.ca/News/2014/10/27/Nutrition-Marketing-For-Parents/
1) Government removes LNG import price from new gas formula Economic Times
The government removed the price of LNG imports from the gas pricing formula to avoid a conflict of interest
situation where a company may be an LNG importer as well as a natural gas producer, petroleum secretary
Saurabh Chandra said."There is a conflict of interest inherent if producer is also importer and that has also been
factored in the decision. The price dropped by about $2 (per unit) by removing LNG component from the formula,"
he told reporters in the first news conference called by the oil ministry after the decision on natural gas prices and
deregulation of diesel.
"Is there any gas producing country, where LNG cost is equal to domestically produced gas?" he said adding that
'you can't compare well head price you are giving with LNG price". Chandra said the operational flexibility along
with clarity on future gas pricing would attract investments in the sector. The Cabinet on Saturday approved a new
gas price and decided to allow a premium for all discoveries in ultra-deep water areas, deep water areas and high
pressure-high temperature areas. Chandra said. He said gas price formula is derived on the principle of gas-ongas competition.
"As we are some distance away from gas-on-gas price, we have looked at regions and countries where there are
gas-on-gas competitions," he said. Chandra said gas-based power generation is about 9% of total capacity and
the gas price increase by $1.41 per unit would have insignificant impact on country's power tariff. According to
officials, power cost will rise by about 5 paise per unit because of the gas price hike while fertilizer subsidy will
increase by about Rs 1,900 per MT. He also said the government had relaxed several contractual provisions that
will speed up exploration and help monetise more than two dozen discoveries made by companies such as ONGC
and Cairn India. Chandra said the 10 minor policy relaxations were pending for over two years. The previous UPA
government had proposed these changes but could not implement them.
2) Kerry lights diya to celebrate first-ever Diwali at State Dept Hindu Business Line
Amid chanting of Vedic mantras and lighting of the traditional diya by none other than US Secretary of State John
Kerry, Diwali the festival of lights was celebrated for the first time at the State Department.As the days
grow shorter, the Diwali reminds us that spring always returns that knowledge triumphs over ignorance.Some
300 guests, including a large number of eminent Indian-Americans and envoys from other South Asian countries,
were present to celebrate Diwali for the first time at the State Departments historic Benjamin Franklin room,
which was lit with many small diyas and candles. The top Indian-American US officials, including Assistant
Secretary of State for South and Central Asia Nisha Desai Biswal and USAID Administrator Raj Shah, were also
present.
We worked hard to prove that we were, in fact, natural partners, which I believe we are. We are two optimistic
nations who believe that history doesnt shape us, but that we have the power to shape history. And that spirit of
hope and optimism is really at the center of the Diwali celebration, Kerry said and greeted people with Saal
Mubarak. Diwali was the only major world festival, which was missing from the State Departments celebration of
festivals.
I want to thank all of you for joining us at the State Departments first-ever Diwali celebration. I guarantee you it
will not be our last, Kerry said amid applause. President Barack Obama had yesterday greeted Happy Diwali to all
those who were celebrating the festival of lights. In 2009, Obama became the first US president to celebrate
Diwali.
3) TCS sees digital services as over $5-bn opportunity My Digital fc
Country's largest IT services firm Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) expects digital platforms like cloud, Big Data
and mobility solutions to bring in cumulative revenues of over $5 billion in next few years. Earlier, the Mumbaibased firm had said that it expects to do $5 billion cumulative business over the next three to four years from the
"digital opportunity"."The way to look at it is that, when I originally said it, I said that over the next three to four
years we will do $5 billion cumulative. But now, I think we will do much more than that on a cumulative basis,"
TCS CEO and Managing Director N Chandrasekaran told analysts.
The run rate will not touch the $5 billion mark but it will definitely touch a few billion dollars, he added. He said
the opportunity is huge as most of the ADM work that is getting replaced or rationalised is moving into digital.
"Most of the infrastructure contracts come up with outsourcing of infrastructure to maintain the service levels in a
managed services model, but with a transformation component to move to cloud infrastructure," he said. And
commoditised applications, when they are transitioned, customers are willing to look at application platforms
which are cloud-based, he added."So, all these three facts will definitely move things to Digital," he said.
Chandrasekaran, who recently got a five-year extension, said at the announcement of the firm's second quarter
results that TCS is contemplating whether to disclose numbers from the digital technologies stream. For the JulySeptember quarter, the Mumbai-based company posted 13.2% jump in its net profit at Rs 5,244 crore as against
Rs 4,653.9 crore in the year-ago period. Revenue jumped 13.5% to Rs 23,816 crore in the second quarter ended
September 30 as compared to Rs 20,977 crore in the corresponding period of last year. However, on a quarter-onquarter basis, net profit was down by 5.8%, but revenue grew 7.7%.
4) Under CSR ambit: Corporates Swachh Bharat, Clean Ganga funds now tax free First Post
Widening the activities coming under CSR ambit, contributions made by corporates towards Narendra Modi-led
governments two key initiatives Swachh Bharat and Clean Ganga will now be considered as social welfare
spending work. Making amendments to the Companies Act, the Corporate Affairs Ministry has said that
contributions to Swachh Bharat Kosh and Clean Ganga FUND would come under CSR framework. Swach Bharat
Kosh has been set up to attract FUNDS, from various entities including corporates, for activities related to Swachh
Bharat initiative. The Clean Ganga FUND is aimed at pooling money for taking up works to clean the Ganga river.
These two initiatives are the latest ones to be brought under the Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) ambit
where contributions made to the Prime Ministers National Relief Fund have been included already. Through a
notification, the Ministry has inserted the words including contribution to the Swach Bharat Kosh set up by the
central government for the promotion of sanitation in Schedule VII of the Act, which pertains to CSR activities.
Besides, the words including contribution to the Clean Ganga Fund set up by the central government for
rejuvenation of river Ganga have been inserted in the Schedule.
5) Production of Hyundai Santro and Chevrolet Spark to hit end of the road100 Economic Times
Hyundai Motor will soon stop producing the Santro, the South Korean automaker's launch model in India that has
become a synonym for the company and earned the country the label of a small-car manufacturing hub. Another
hatchback that was once popular in the local market, the Chevrolet Spark, is also nearing the end of its life cycle.
The final batch of Santros will roll out of the assembly line in the last week of November, while GM is expected to
end production of the Spark in December, said people with knowledge of their plans. The Santro and, to a lesser
extent, the Spark in its previous avatar as the Daewoo Matiz were the first to challenge the hegemony of Maruti
Suzuki (then Maruti Udyog) cars in the Indian market. Maruti stopped producing the M800, its first model, and the
Zen that competed directly with the Santro and Matiz some time ago. Since its launch in October 1998, Hyundai
has sold more than 1.36 million Santros in India and exported another 5,35,000.
GM has sold over 1,65,000 units of the Spark in seven years since taking over the car portfolio of Daewoo.
Sources said the companies now believe that the models have reached the end of their life cycle. Hyundai is
looking to also free up capacity to manufacture more units of its newer models, said people with knowledge of the
company's plans. Despite its portfolio getting expanded, the Santro is one of the strong brands in Hyundai Motor
India's portfolio still, selling an average 2,900 units a month."The versatility of the Indian market is unmatched,
where newly launched vehicles trail off volumes rapidly and a decade-old vehicle churns out strong numbers," said
Gaurav Vangaal, senior analyst, forecasting, at consultancy firm IHS Automotive. "The life cycles of all these
vehicles are longer than expected due to strong demand forces. If the vehicle proves its worth in the eyes of the
consumer, the consumer demand forces the manufacturer to continue with the vehicle."
Hyundai posed real threat to Maruti. The demand for the Santro was so high that Hyundai started making cash
profits within seven months of launch, said BVR Subbu, one of the key architects in establishing the brand in
India. Hyundai sold over a million vehicles in seven years."If the Maruti 800 started the automobile revolution in
India in the 1980s, industry experts say the Hyundai Santro had taken it to another level. Hyundai adopted the
strategy of sourcing one part from one vendor, instead of relying on multiple suppliers for a single component.
That allowed the company to extract firm commitments from vendors on volumes there was a clause of
compensation in case they failed to meet the commitment. At the time of the Santro launch, each of Hyundai
dealerships was equipped with a quality paintshop, which was a rarity among competition at the time, to ensure
better services to customers. Santro was the first car to make its global launch in India. Hyundai exported it to the
markets of South Korea, Europe and the US from India.
6) 30% of adults surveyed in USA get news from Facebook news feeds Business Standard
Greg Marra, 26, a Facebook engineers team designs the code that drives Facebook's News Feed - the stream of
updates, photographs, videos and stories that users see. He is also fast becoming one of the most influential
people. Facebook now has a fifth of the world - about 1.3 billion people - logging on at least monthly. About 30
per cent of adults in the United States get their news on Facebook, according to a study from the Pew Research
Center. Though other services, like Twitter and Google News, can also exert a large influence, Facebook is at the
forefront of a fundamental change in how people consume journalism. Most readers now come to it not through
the print editions of newspapers and magazines or their home pages online, but through social media and search
engines driven by an algorithm, a mathematical formula that predicts what users might want to read. Publishers
are increasingly reaching readers through individual pieces rather than complete editions of newspapers or
magazines. "People won't type in WashingtonPost.com anymore," Haik said. "It's search and social."
The shift raises questions about the ability of computers to curate news, a role traditionally played by editors. It
also has broader implications for the way people consume information, and thus how they see the world.In an
interview at Facebook's sprawling headquarters here, which has a giant, self-driving golf cart that takes workers
between buildings, Marra said he did not think too much about his impact on journalism. In India, he said, people
tend to share what the company calls the ABCDs: Astrology, Bollywood, cricket and divinity.
If Facebook's algorithm smiles on a publisher, the rewards, in terms of traffic, can be enormous. If Marra and his
team decide that users do not enjoy certain things, such as teaser headlines that lure readers to click through to
get all the information, it can mean ruin. Facebook executives frame the company's relationship with publishers as
mutually beneficial: When publishers promote their content on Facebook, its users have more engaging material to
read, and the publishers get increased traffic driven to their sites. Social media companies like Facebook, Twitter
and LinkedIn want their users to spend more time, or do more, on their services - a concept known as
engagement, said Sean Munson, an assistant professor at the University of Washington who studies the
intersection of technology and behaviour. Facebook officials say that the more time users spend at its site, the
more likely there will be a robust exchange of diverse viewpoints and ideas shared online. Others fear that users
will create their own echo chambers, and filter out coverage they do not agree with. "And that," Munson said, "is
when you get conspiracy theories".
7) Japan's SoftBank kicks off $10 billion India online spree, buys stake in Snapdeal Reuters
Japanese telecom and media group SoftBank Corp (9984.T) has set its sights on Indian e-commerce in its
aggressive expansion drive, saying it will invest about $10 billion in the booming sector as it took a strategic stake
in one of its rising stars. Masayoshi Son, chief executive of SoftBank, laid out a 10-year investment plan for India
on Tuesday, starting with the purchase of a $627 million stake in fast-growing online marketplace Snapdeal. Son's
global ambitions flared into public view last year when SoftBank bought No. 3 U.S. mobile carrier Sprint Corp
(S.N) for $21.6 billion.
The Snapdeal purchase comes as international investors hunt deals in online retail in India, which has the world's
third-largest Internet user base but where e-commerce is still relatively underdeveloped. For cash-rich SoftBank,
owner of a third of newly listed Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba (BABA.N), the move is the latest in a series of
deals designed to counter sluggish growth at home."I have a strong willingness to invest more like $10 billion in
the next 10 years," Son said in an interview on Indian CNBC after his company announced plans to buy in
Snapdeal, which connects small businesses with customers in an online marketplace. "I strongly believe that
Snapdeal has the potential to be like the Alibaba of India."
SoftBank didn't disclose how big a stake it will have in Snapdeal, which will use funds to expand operations to
compete with bigger, free-spending rivals Flipkart.com and Amazon.com (AMZN.O).The company did say it will
become the biggest investor in Snapdeal, where sales of everything from clothes to computers have brought in
around 25 million registered users and 50,000-plus merchants, attracting international shareholders like ecommerce operator eBay Inc (EBAY.O) and investment firm Blackrock Inc (BLK.N). "SoftBank is a major investor
in the internet space and them putting in a large sum of money validates the growth of Indian e-commerce. Kunal
Bahl, co-founder and chief executive of Snapdeal, said the two sides were quick to negotiate a deal, taking just
three weeks. "Most of the capital investment we're going to make is in technology," he said in an interview,
signalling about $250 million will be spent next year. Snapdeal had been seeking, and is the biggest investment by
a single investor in the e-commerce sector in India.
8) L&T to build Statue of Unity, Modis pet project, for Rs 2,979 cr First Post
The work order for Prime Minister Narendra Modi's pet project 'Statue of Unity' - the world's tallest statue of
India's first home minister Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, was issued by the Gujarat government today, to leading
engineering company Larsen and Toubro (L&T).Work on the 182-metre tall statue of Sardar Patel is to be
completed at a cost of Rs 2,979 crore, said Gujarat Chief Minister Anandi Patel who presided over the function of
handing over the work order."This huge construction work will be completed in four years at a cost of Rs 2,979
crore. The contract has been given to the country's leading construction company Larsen and Toubro," Patel said
in her address, while giving the contract order to L&T.
"Rs 1,347 crore will be spent on the main statue, Rs 235 crore will be spent on the exhibition hall and convention
centre, while Rs 83 crore will be spent on the bridge connecting the memorial to the main land and Rs 657 crore
would be spent to maintain the structure until 15 years after it is completed," Patel said. The 182-metre-tall
'Statue of Unity', which would be double the size of New York's 'Statue of Liberty' (93 metres), would inspire
future generations, Patel said."The project will include an exhibition hall and audio-visual presentation on the life
of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, which will become the centre of attraction for tourists from the all over the world," she
said. Patel also said that 75,000 cubic metres of concrete, 5,700 metric tonnes of steel structure, 18,500 steel
rods and 22,500 metric tonnes of bronze will be used for the project. Patel claimed that the 'Statue of Unity'
project will generate employment in the tribal area of Narmada district as well as boost the tourism sector.
The 'Statue of Unity' will be built at Sadhu Island approximately 3.5 km south of Sardar Sarovar Dam at Kevadia
area in Narmada district of the state of Gujarat. Modi had also launched a country wide campaign to collect iron to
build the 'Statue of Unity' and the Gujarat government has claimed that iron was collected from around seven lakh
villages across the nation. Leading construction company Turner Construction, which built Dubai's famous
architectural structure 'Burj Khalifa', is a consultant to the project.
Sources:
1) Government removes LNG import price from new gas formula Economic Times
Government removes LNG import price from new gas formula

2) Kerry lights diya to celebrate first-ever Diwali at State Dept Hindu Business Line
Kerry lights diya to celebrate first-ever Diwali at State Dept

3) TCS sees digital services as over $5-bn opportunity My Digital fc
TCS sees digital services as over $5-bn opportunity

4) Under CSR ambit: Corporates Swachh Bharat, Clean Ganga funds now tax free First Post
Under CSR ambit: Corporates Swachh Bharat, Clean Ganga funds now tax free
5) Production of Hyundai Santro and Chevrolet Spark to hit end of the road100 Economic Times
Production of Hyundai Santro and Chevrolet Spark to hit end of the road
6) 30% of adults surveyed in USA get news from Facebook news feeds Business Standard
How Facebook is changing the way you consume news

7) Japan's SoftBank kicks off $10 billion India online spree, buys stake in Snapdeal Reuters
Japan's SoftBank kicks off $10 billion India online spree, buys stake in Snapdeal
8) L&T to build Statue of Unity, Modis pet project, for Rs 2,979 cr First Post
L&T to build Statue of Unity, Modis pet project, for Rs 2,979 cr
1) In boost to smart cities, govt relaxes FDI norms for realty, construction First Post
In a boost to cash-starved real estate industry, the Narendra Modi government today relaxed rules for FDI in the
construction sector by reducing minimum built-up area as well as capital requirement and easing the exit norms.
The proposal to amend the FDI policy in construction development sector was approved by the Union Cabinet. In
view of depleting FDI inflow in construction and real estate sector in last couple of years, the Cabinet decided to
reduce the minimum floor area to 20,000 sq mt from the earlier 50,000 sq mt. It also brought down the minimum
capital requirement to $5 million from $10 million. In case of development of serviced plots, the condition of
minimum land of 10 hectares has been completely removed, an official statement said.
Although 100 percent foreign direct investment was allowed in townships, housing and built-up infrastructure and
construction developments since 2005, the government had imposed certain conditions."These measures are
expected to result in enhanced inflows into the construction development sector... It is likely to attract
investments in new areas and encourage development of plots for serviced housing given the shortage of land in
and around urban agglomerations as well as the high cost of land.
"The measure is also expected to result in creation of much needed low cost affordable housing in the country and
development of smart cities," the statement said. Although the Cabinet has not reduced the 3-year lock-in period,
it has permitted foreign investors to exit on project completion or 3 years from the date of final investment subject
to the development of trunk infrastructure. The government said the relaxation was necessary as FDI inflows in
the sector, which witnessed a steady rise during 2006-07 and 2009-10, have started declining.
The move will help create demand for products of related industries like cement and steel."Besides its employment
and income generation potential, greater investment in the sector would help to augment the available housing
stock including affordable housing and built up infrastructure for different purposes."Enhancement of the
affordable housing stock is an urgent need in order to stem the proliferation of slums in and around the cities," the
statement said. It clarified that FDI is not permitted in an entity which is engaged or proposes to engage in real
estate business, construction of farm houses and trading in Transferable Development Rights (TDRs)
2) Bharti Airtels plans to increase data services revenues from 12 per cent to 50 per cent First Post
Indias mobile internet users are growing year-on-year. According to an Internet and Mobile Association of India
(IAMAI) report which came out in January, India would have 185 million mobile Internet users by June 2014. But
according to telecom operator Airtel, their revenue from data services is at a measely 12 per cent, said the
companys chief product officer Anand Chandrasekaran at the Code/Mobile conference in California.
For every operator in the U.S., 50 percent of their revenue is from data. According to Chandrasekaran, only 10
to 15 per cent of the over 900 million mobile phone users in India have ever tried using mobile internet.
Chandrasekaran said that Airtel had a three-pronged strategy to approach that issue rolling out 4G networks,
getting users hooked on to apps and helping customers visualise the data they are using. To explain visualisation,
he gave an example whereby someone who has 100 minutes of talktime and uses only 20 minutes, knows he has
80 minutes left. But with data services, you do not have a definite idea of how much service say a 100MB plan can
give you or when that will run out.
In terms of apps, he mentioned about bundled apps. Airtel has in the past offered free Facebook access to prepaid
customers, and more recently partnered with Facebook to bring free Internet to Zambia as part of the Internet.org
portfolio, which it plans to replicate in certain Indian villages as well. Chandrasekaran also spoke about Airtels
own music streaming app called Wynk which was downloaded by over lakh subscribers within a week of its launch.
As of now Airtel offers 4G in about 15 cities and it plans to expand nationwide in the next four to six months. This
according to Chandrasekaran will help enable people to use more data services.
3) India's universal healthcare rollout to cost $26 billion Reuters
India's universal health plan that aims to offer guaranteed benefits to a sixth of the world's population will cost an
estimated 1.6 trillion rupees ($26 billion) over the next four years, a senior health ministry official said. Under the
National Health Assurance Mission, Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government would provide all citizens with free
drugs and diagnostic treatment, as well as insurance cover to treat serious ailments. The proposed plan would be
rolled out in phases from April 2015 and will cover the entire population by March 2019. "If you want to deliver the
service, that is what it will take," Mishra said, disclosing for the first time an expert group's cost estimates that will
be considered by the finance ministry for inclusion in the government's spending plans. Healthcare experts caution
that it could take decades before India's 1.2 billion people are adequately covered and that the costs of provision
could face significant upward pressure.
If approved, India would need to drastically raise its healthcare spending. In the current financial year, the budget
allocated about $5 billion to healthcare."We are not in a position to implement it across the regions, states (right
now). It's impossible. So we are choosing number of districts each year," said Mishra. Despite rapid economic
growth in the last 20 years, the government spends only about 1 percent of gross domestic product on healthcare.
That compares to 3 percent in China and 8.3 percent in the United States.
More newborns die in India than in poorer neighbours such as Bangladesh and preventable illnesses such as
diarrhoea kill more than a million children every year. The new plan will focus on improving preventive healthcare
services by ensuring adequate availability of medical practitioners in rural areas, while new infrastructure will be
created under existing welfare programmes, Mishra said. While private players will be involved in the ambitious
programme, the government will need to ensure speedy payments for the partnership to work, said Harish Pillai,
chief operating officer at private healthcare group Indus Health. The World Bank and Britain's health costeffectiveness agency NICE are also assisting India, providing technical assistance and advice on treatments the
government should offer in the package, the bank said last week.
4) Following in the footsteps of Sikkim, Nagaland & Mizoram which decided to go 100% organic
farming Economic Times
Following in the footsteps of Sikkim, Nagaland and Mizoram which decided to go 100 % organic, the Meghalaya
government is set to initiate a process to get its horticultural and agricultural produce certified as "organically
produced"."Traditionally Meghalaya is a producer of organic crops with the slash and burn method of agriculture in
practice among farmers for a long time, so what is needed is to certify them as organically-produced", Principal
Secretary, Department of Agriculture, government of Meghalaya P. Kharkongor said. Kharkongor explained that
crops like cashew, orange, pineapple and spices like ginger, turmeric and vegetables were being organically grown
and the tag was required to market them among health-conscious consumers.
"Over the next two to three years we want to convert most of the already traditionally organic areas into certifiedorganic areas. For the process the Chief Minister will initiate the programme named Mission Organic in another
couple of months," the officer said. But unlike Mizoram, Sikkim and Nagaland, Meghalaya will not be an entirely
organic state, he said."We are not taking the entire state. At the moment we are trying out some experiments
with some of our yields and see how it goes from there," Kharkongor said, adding that Meghalaya will take about
20,000 hectares of land a year with a plan to convert 10,000 farms into organic-certified ones.
Certification agencies accredited to the Agricultural and Processed Food Product Export Development Authority
(APEDA) after inspecting an area to make sure it is absolutely chemical-free will provide a organic stamp."Once
the agencies are certain that an area have no history of chemicals then the certification will be fast. But in certain
areas where they find out chemical have been used certification will take minimum three years. So in next two to
three years we should be able to certify," the official said.
5) Balaji Telefilms to diversify into sports reality Hindu Business Line
Shobha and Ekta Kapoor-owned production house Balaji Telefilms Ltd, with interests in films, television and
events, is looking at TV-centric intellectual property rights as an additional revenue booster. One such property
the company is betting on is the sports reality show, Box Cricket League (BCL). Samir Nair, Group CEO, told
Business Line the company is exploring various genres of entertainment. We are diversifying and adding reality
shows into our portfolio. We, along with Marinating Films, also own the IP rights of the Box Cricket League.
Industry watchers Business Line spoke to indicated that margins in TV have decreased considerably over the past
two- three years. Several content creators were looking at intellectual property-based products. Nair said the BCL
has already signed up 150 leading TV stars for the eight city teams across Ahmedabad, Bangalore, Chandigarh,
Jaipur, Kolkata, Mumbai, Delhi and Pune. Each team will comprise 11 active on-ground players and at least 20
players in total. The teams are mostly owned/mentored by celebrities. Nair said the first season of league will be
aired from December onwards on Sony Entertainment TV. Elaborating on the show, he said the league has
introduced a filmy toss with options like Jai or Veeru , Basanti or Dhanno .
Viewers will also get to see behind-the-scenes action, locker room gossip and awards like Gentleman of the Match
and Most Stylish Player of the Match, among others. Asked about the advertisers response to the new format,
Nair said: Sports have always been puritan in India. But a box league is a new theme even for advertisers. They
are keen on the format. As far as we are considered, we are in the investment mode in this format and we hope to
make money in the first season. He added the companys movies plate was going from strength to strength. We
have six to eight movies lined up in the coming quarters. We have also done select joint ventures and have
retained the IP of the content produced by us. We are scaling our movie infrastructure and distribution business
as we see considerable growth there.
6) Datsun GO, Swift fail global crash tests Business Standard
Maruti Suzuki's Swift and Nissan's Datsun GO failed to pass the Global New Car Assessment Programme (NCAP)
by a UK-based independent charity, focused on consumer-oriented vehicle safety initiatives. According to the
Global NCAP, an umbrella body of consumer car safety testing bodies, crash tests of the Datsun GO and Swift
demonstrated a high risk of life-threatening injuries. Max Mosley, chairman, Global NCAP, said, "India has the
potential to be a world leader in the automobile industry but Indian consumers are not aware of how unsafe they
would be in case of a crash." He added India is launching an NCAP consumer testing programme, which would be
a step forward for safety but regulations based on the UN's minimum crash test standards are also needed.
Both cars received "zero star" safety rating for their adult occupant protection. However, the Swift scored "one
star" for child occupant protection. The tests were conducted at a speed of 64 km per hour. "The Swift's structure
showed signs of collapsing in the crash and was rated as unstable. The car's lack of standard-fit airbags meant
that the driver's head makes direct contact with the steering wheel - the dummy readings indicate a high
probability of life threatening injuries," said Global NCAP, in a statement.
NCAP had also assessed the same models against the UN's basic crash test and all the cars except the Volkswagen
Polo passed that minimum standard. This 40 per cent offset frontal impact test at 56 kmph is now widely applied
by major manufacturing countries and regions, including Australia, China, the European Union, Japan and
Malaysia.
The Global Plan for the UN's Decade of Action for Road Safety recommends that all member-states apply this
standard, although it is not yet applied in India. Despite India recording the highest road fatalities in the world, the
share of life-saving features such as airbags in cars and SUVs is among the lowest in the world. Customers in
India usually compromise on safety to benefit from lower price tags.
7) Google will destroy local newspapers with Indian language Internet Alliance Reuters
Indian language publishers have rushed in to join Googles Indian language Internet Alliance, little realizing that it
is not an alliance but a Googly. Indian language newspaper had a small but decisive advantage in the digital
worldbecause of the information that they had they could be destination sites. What this means is a digital
denizen would actually go to the site, search for news and remain there for some time. This was possible because
they were the only ones who had information of what was happening in tier-2 and tier 3 cities. Now, Google has
found a way of destroying their biggest edge.
Indian Language Internet Alliance is nothing but a way for Google to trawl, catalog and open up these sites. This
might look attractive in the short run as Google promises the world, more visitors, and more advertising money.
But in the long run it makes a commodity of these sites, as they become feeders for the global search engine, they
lose their captive power, their readers slowly move away. The Indian language Internet Alliance is a way for
Google to get into Indian language sites and wean away their customers. What will happen once this content is
available? Google will be able to translate it in any language and make it available through its search engine. It
will destroy the core business model of these newspaper companies which is based on a large army of journalists
in every city and district. Once the content is available on search and can be translated, it will be picked up by
smaller hyper local sites. Till now these hyper local sites did not have ready-made solutions for it. Now they have
it with Google translation.
Google has destroyed the digital model for newspapers worldwide; it has done the same for Indias English
language newspapers. Google may promise the sun, moon and the stars to the alliance members, but they must
look at Google as another competitor. Google is a media company that earns its revenues from advertising, the
same advertisers who currently are on these newspapers site or in the newspaper. Once Google has access to
their content and their websites, it may even promise placing advertising on these sites. Their customers like an
education institution in Kanpur, a jeweler in Madurai, a builder in Ujjain, a sweets shop in Chennai would have
earlier gone directly to these sites but now they will go to Google as it would give them a much better proposition.
The biggest challenge will come when Google starts integrating this content with Google maps and other mobile
offerings. Google maps are already available in Indian languages. What will happen when it is integrated with local
content? It will be a killer app!.A mobile user will not only be able to search for the local jeweler or its location but
also see local content. This may give traffic to some sites, but it will kill them from getting advertising. Indian
newspapers will realize that it is not traffic that is important, but advertising. Traffic through search engines will
already come monetized. Most Indian newspapers derive bulk of their advertising not from national advertisers but
local entities. These advertisers do not have any other option in the digital form but to rely on these sites. What
Google will do over a period of time is create a smarter, digital alternative for these advertisers. Several countries
and even newspapers have realized the way Google works.
8) PhD in Yoga, IIM-A gold medalist: All about Hasmukh Adhia, Indias new financial services secy
First Post
In yet another secretary-level change, government has appointed Hasmukh Adhia, a 1981 Gujarat cadre IAS
officer, as the new Financial Services Secretary replacing G S Sadhu. Adhia has been a member of Modi's core
team for almost ten years now and was principal secretary from 2004 to 2006 in the then chief minister Narendra
Modi's office. This is the third secretary level change in the Finance Ministry after Former Revenue Secretary Rajiv
Takru was shifted to Department of North Eastern Region and Former Finance Secretary Arvind Mayaram was first
shifted to Tourism Ministry and later to Minority Affairs Ministry.
Adhia at present is the Additional Chief Secretary of the Finance Department in the Gujarat government. Prior to
this, he was Principal Secretary Education Department from till January, 2013 and Principal Secretary to the then
Chief Minister, Gujarat from May 2004 to May 2006.He had also held the position of Industries Commissioner,
Managing Director, Gujarat Industrial Investment Corporation as well as Vice Chairman & Managing Director,
Gujarat Industrial Development Corporation. Adhia has a post graduate degree in accounting and a gold medalist
from IIM. He also has a doctoral degree in Yoga from Swami Vivekananda Yoga University, Bangalore and is
currently a member of the board of governors of Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad. He had earlier
undergone workshop training at Maxwell School of Public Affairs in US based Syracuse University.
Ahmedabad Mirror reports that the 'Karmayogi' (a teachers' training programme) and 'Kanya Kelavani' (for
women's education) programmes are said to be Adhia's brain child and he is said to enjoy direct access to Modi.
The report also said that Adhia is known for no-nonsense attitude and does not cede to any vested interests.
Hasmukh Adia has written two motivational books titled 'My notes to my Self.' The books deal with govt
administration and practical tips for all bureaucrats to help in day-to-day governance.
Sources:
1) In boost to smart cities, govt relaxes FDI norms for realty, construction First Post
Boom ahead: Boost for smart cities as govt relaxes FDI norms for realty, construction
2) Bharti Airtels plans to increase data services revenues from 12 per cent to 50 per cent First Post
Kerry lights diya to celebrate first-ever Diwali at State Dept

3) India's universal healthcare rollout to cost $26 billion Reuters
India's universal healthcare rollout to cost $26 billion

4) Following in the footsteps of Sikkim, Nagaland & Mizoram which decided to go 100% organic
farming Economic Times
Following the footsteps of Sikkim, Meghalaya to take organic route

5) Balaji Telefilms to diversify into sports reality Hindu Business Line
Balaji Telefilms to diversify into sports reality

6) Datsun GO, Swift fail global crash tests Business Standard
Datsun GO, Swift fail global crash tests

7) Google will destroy local newspapers with Indian language Internet Alliance Reuters
Google will destroy local newspapers with Indian language Internet Alliance
8) PhD in Yoga, IIM-A gold medallist: All about Hasmukh Adhia, Indias new financial services secy
First Post
PhD in Yoga, IIM-A gold medallist: All about Hasmukh Adhia, Indias new financial services secy
1) The break up: Bharti Airtel calls off Rs 700 cr buyout of Loop Mobile First Post
Telecom major Bharti Airtel has called off its plans to acquire business and assets of Mumbai based Loop Mobile,
for about Rs 700 crore, as the Department of Telecom is yet to clear the deal."Loop Mobile and Bharti applied to
DoT for approval of the business transfer in March 2014. The approval for the transaction is still awaited from the
relevant authorities as a result of which Bharti Airtel has withdrawn from the proposed transaction causing huge
loss to the company," Loop Mobile spokesperson told PTI.
DoT is yet to give clearance to the deal as it estimates that Loop Mobile and its sister concern Loop Telecom owe
about Rs 808 crore in spectrum and other charges to the government. Loop Mobile's permit in Mumbai is expiring
on 29 November and the company did not purchase spectrum in February auction which was mandatory for
continuing its operations. Airtel had signed a deal with Loop in February this year to buy business and assets of
Loop Mobile in Mumbai under a strategic agreement for about Rs 700 crore. Under the agreement, Loop Mobile's 3
million subscribers (at that time) in Mumbai were supposed to join Airtel's over four million subscribers, making it
largest network in the metropolitan city. Loop Mobile will not be able to migrate its subscribers to Airtel as
originally envisaged.
No immediate comments were received from Airtel. Private sector lender Axis Bank has told the DoT that Rs 215crore loan to Loop Mobile will be at risk if the deal of the Mumbai-based operator to sell its assets to Bharti Airtel is
not approved. A consortium led by Axis Bank had given advanced loans of Rs 350 crore to Loop Mobile and the
current outstanding stood at Rs 215 crore, according to a communication by the bank to DoT. Loop Mobile has
applied to Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (Trai) for release of additional porting codes for facilitating portout (transfer) of all its subscribers. The company had over 17 lakh customer in August as per data released by Trai
2) Robert Vadra shuts down businesses in Rajasthan, Haryana in fear of BJP wrath First Post
Just days after the new BJP government in Haryana announced that Robert Vadra's land deals will be probed, the
son-in-law of Congress president Sonia Gandhi has reportedly not only fast-tracked the process of winding down
his businesses in both Rajasthan and Haryana but is also on a land selling spree in the two states, fearing
stringent action and monitoring by the government. The six companies Vadra closed are apparently agro-based
and may be dealing with land transactions and agricultural technology, as the names suggest. None of these
companies have filed annual returns or balance sheets since inception. Vadra holds the position of managing
director in all six companies, reported DNA.According to a DNA report, which accessed documents provided by the
Ministry of Corporate Affairs, Vadra, who launched six companies in Rajasthan and Haryana in 2012, has closed
four of them Lifeline Agrotech Private Limited, Greenwave Agro Private Limited, Rightline Agriculture Private
Limited and Primetime Agro Private Limited.
The other two companies that are reportedly being shut down include agro-based firms Future Infra Agro Private
Limited and Best Seasons Agro Private Limited, the report said, adding that all six companies were active till May
this year before the Modi government came to power but none have e filed annual returns or balance sheets since
inception.It is alleged that the companies in which Vadra has stakes built a huge land bank of thousands of acres
in Bikaner, Jodhpur and Barmer between 2009 and 2012. The then Ashok Gehlot government had announced sites
for setting up solar power projects. It is also alleged as soon as the sites were announced, the land was sold at
heavy prices by Vadra's companies.
Meanwhile, the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) had recently faulted Vadra, stating that he reaped nearly
Rs 44 crore in windfall gains. It said that the first draft report on land deals in Haryana under the Bhupinder Singh
Hooda government showed that Vadras Skylight Hospitality Private Limited was allowed to develop commercial
colonies in Shikohpur, Gurgaon when it had just Rs 1 lakh in its account. The CAG report said that the department
of Town and Country Planning ignored the aspect of the financial capacity of the colonizer. The same land was sold
to DLF Universal for Rs 58 crore, with the Skylight Hospitality of Vadra making a profit of Rs 43.66 crore. Haryana
government did not insist on recovering Rs 41.51 crore of the profit Vadra made by selling the land in question to
DLF Universal.
As Firstpost reported earlier, "The draft CAG report pointed out that under the bilateral agreement between the
Haryana government and Skylight Hospitality require Vadras company to keep only Rs 2.15 crore and pass on the
rest of the money to the government account. Incidentally, Vadras company had spent Rs 14.3 crore, including Rs
7.5 crore for land purchase and Rs 6.84 crore on security and licence fees and conversion charges, so the rest of
the 41.5 crore should have been accrued to the Haryana governments account, which was not the case.BJP had
made Vadra's land deals a major campaign issue in the recently held assembly elections in the state.
3) Jaitley wants to sell bleeding PSU ulcers: He should start with Air India, BSNL and MTNL First Post
Finance Minister Arun Jaitley seemed to indicate a willingness to consider privatisation of some public sector units
(PSUs) at the World Economic Forum meeting in Delhi yesterday. According to Business Standard, this is what he
said: Certainly, I am open to looking at some PSUs that could do better in private hands. They are being
sustained merely on government support. That is not a long-term solution. Taxpayers cannot continue to pay for
loss-making businesses. Privatising loss-makers is hardly a sign of aggressive reform intent. However, even
here, selling the big losers will at least signal the governments intent to prevent more taxpayer money going
down the drain. If the NDA can dump three of its biggest no-hopers, it would be a positive. For example, Air India.
The UPA committed a Rs 30,000 crore bailout for Air India in 2012. This is not a burden that should be thrust on
taxpayers, for there is no need for government to run a loss-making airline when there are so many other, and
often better, options for flyers. Or take two other perennial bleeding giants. They are Bharat Sanchar Nigam Ltd
(BSNL), and Mahanagar Telephone Nigam Ltd (MTNL). The latters losses are larger than its revenues, and the
formers losses are a third as much as revenues.
This is what Business Standard reported about the state of their finances. In FY14 (2013-14), MTNL reported a
loss of Rs 3,575 crore (adjusted for exceptional gains) on net sales of Rs 3,391 crore. BSNL reported a loss of Rs
7,933 crore on net sales of Rs 25,655 crore during FY13 (2012-13), the latest year for which its numbers are
available. The biggest problem for these companies is high employee cost and the legacy of their local fixed line
businesses. BSNL has 25 times more employees than Bharti Airtel, the top telecom operator, with half the
revenue. MTNL has three-and-a-half times more employees, with barely a tenth of Bhartis revenue. Are
companies whose losses exceed revenues, or those with 25 times the employees they need national assets or
liabilities?
Mint reports that India has 79 loss-making public sector undertakings of which 49 are sick enterprises. Quoting a
reply in the Rajya Sabha, the newspaper said the investment made by the government in these PSUs is Rs
1,57,000 crore. The NDA government may not be keen on the P word (privatisation) for banks or profitable public
sector companies, but surely it can at least get rid of its white elephants that serve no public purpose any longer?
4) Victory for India: US, EU may bend to Indias demands to sign WTO deal First Post
A global trade deal between India, the United States and the European Union is close to being signed, with India
agreeing to sign the stalled international treaty on easier customs rules, The Times of India reported. India will
sign the treaty only after an agreement on the contentious food security issue is reached at the World Trade
Organization, and in return the United States and European Union will accept India's demand for providing
flexibility to developing countries in fixing minimum support price for farm products, the newspaper reported,
citing a source.
On Wednesday, India defied the world in a row over food stockpiling that had crippled attempts to reach a global
trade agreement, raising doubts that backroom talks could reach a compromise before a Group of 20 summit this
month. New Delhi's blockade has plunged the WTO into its worst crisis in two decades, leading Director General
Roberto Azevedo to float the idea of abandoning the consensus principle on which the 160-member group
operates. Representatives at India's Ministry of Commerce and Industry, the U.S. Department of Commerce and
the EU were immediately not available for comment.
5) Microsoft to use white space tech for free internet in India Hindustan Times
Microsoft India is ready with a plan to provide free last-mile internet connectivity across the country.It proposes to
use the white space the unused spectrum between two TV channels to provide free connectivity to large
sections of the Indian population. Wifi has a range of only about 100 metres, whereas the 200-300 MHz spectrum
band available in the white space can reach up to 10 km, said Bhaskar Pramanik, chairman, Microsoft India. This
spectrum belongs mainly to Doordarshan and the government and is not used at all. We have sought clearance for
a pilot project in two districts.
If the pilots are successful, the project can be quickly rolled out across the country and could give a huge boost to
Prime Minister Narendra Modis Digital India initiative, which proposes to use technology to deliver governance to
every citizen of India, even in remote areas. The challenge is the lack of digital infrastructure across India. This
initiative addresses this challenge in a cost-effective manner and creates an eco-system that will benefit everyone,
including manufacturers of routers and other technology devices, other technology companies, besides Microsoft,
Pramanik said.
Microsofts initiative also take forward the Prime Ministers slogan of IT + IT = IT, which is Indian talent plus
information technology equals India tomorrow and also give a push to the Make in India campaign by
encouraging the manufacture of equipment locally. Microsoft, which was part of an international consortium that
included BT, Nokia and BBC, conducted the most widespread field trials on white space-based Internet
connectivity in Cambridge, US, in 2011. The technology hasnt been widely adopted anywhere in the world, but
experts believe it can lead to a spurt in broadband connectivity in countries such as India. Engineers at Microsoft
development centres in India have adapted this unlicenced technology for this country.
The ambitious Digital India project envisages providing broadband connectivity across the country by connecting
250,000 gram panchayats via optic fibre cables, thereby providing digital infrastructure as a utility to every
citizen, digital governance and services on demand and digitally empowering all citizens. The plan was approved
by the Modi Cabinet on August 30.
6) Crisil sees sharp drop in infotech hiring Telegraph
Rating agency Crisil today forecast that hiring in IT services will halve over the next three years, though the
companies will continue to report good growth. This will be bad news for IT graduates, who were being hired in
large numbers from their campuses in the past few years. Recruitments by companies such as Tata Consultancy
Services, Infosys, Wipro and HCL Technologies accounted for nearly a quarter of the organised private sector
employment in the country in 2013-14.
However, hiring will be affected as IT services vendors struggle to crank up profitability at a time global weakness
is forcing clients to optimise costs to hold on to margins, Crisil said."Despite a healthy revenue growth of 13 per
cent for IT services foreseen in the medium term, aided by recovery in discretionary spending by clients,
recruitments will shrink by around halve by fiscal 2018 (from the current levels) with vendors focusing on cost
optimisation by maximising revenue-per-employee," the Crisil report said. The IT sector, with revenues of $118
billion, currently employs 3.1 million people. Between 2001-02 and 2013-14, while revenues grew at a
compounded annual growth rate of 18 per cent, the employee base grew 15 per cent.
According to Crisil, employment was generated in three phases during these years. The initial phase of high
revenue growth during 2002-03 and 2006-07 saw a substantial rise in recruitment. This was followed by the global
financial crisis between 2008 and 2010 and moderate recovery during 2010-11 and 2012-13. The hiring rates till
now had reflected the revenue growth. However, the sector is entering a phase where hiring and revenue will
gradually be delinked, the rating agency said.
7) 80% Mumbaikars can't afford a house in the Mumbai DNA
Four out of every five Mumbaikars cannot afford to buy a house in Mumbai, because of which slums are spreading
in the city, said a report issued on Tuesday by nonprofit organisation Praja Foundation."The cost of a house is
beyond the capacity of 80% of Mumbaikars. They cannot even afford to buy MHADA houses," said Nitai Mehta,
Praja's managing trustee. The average cost of a flat in Mumbai is over Rs 2 crore, while it is over Rs. 1 crore in the
extended suburbs. Noting that every second Mumbaikar earned Rs 2,40,000 per year on average, Praja's report
said the cost of an affordable house should be pegged at five times the annual income of the person.
Because housing is unaffordable, 41.9% of Mumbaikars stay in slums said the report. It added that nine of the
city's 24 municipal wards have every second person staying in a slum. At the household level, out of a total 28
lakh households in the city, 11.36 lakh households are in slums and 15,274 households are homeless. Besides,
57% households stay in a one-room house. 8% share the room with another family.
The shortage of affordable houses is not being met by the government, says the report. In the past 19 years, the
Slum Rehabilitation Authority (SRA) has constructed only 1.5 lakh houses. "And, to construct the remaining 11.5
lakh houses (needed), SRA will take another 140 years with the current speed of approval and construction of
houses. It shows that the government agencies are totally inept at handling the housing demand in the city," said
Mehta. Mehta said that the government should take help of NGOs to facilitate the construction of houses for the
needy. He said that the elected representatives are not keen to resolve the perennial housing issue in city. "In the
last five years, the 32 legislators from Mumbai had asked only 5,970 questions on housing related issues-- out of
40,520 questions," he said.
8) India 4th most vacation-deprived country Business Standard
India is the fourth most vacation-deprived country in the world, according to a recent survey by Expedia, an
international travel company. 67 per cent of Indians surveyed complained that they experienced various levels of
vacation-deprivation. Additionally, 96 per cent of Indians surveyed said they would be willing to make sacrifices
for more vacation days. The study, conducted among 7,855 individuals across 24 countries, observes Indians are
also increasingly opting for multiple short vacations instead of a long holiday, with almost 50 per cent of the
respondents banking on extended weekends.
"Vacations play an important role in maintaining the work-life balance of employees while re-energising them to
be more focused at work. According to the survey, Indians are globally highest at feeling more focused at work
(50 per cent) after a vacation," said Vikram Malhi, managing director, Asia, Expedia. While the feeling of vacation
deprivation, experienced by 64 per cent of Indians, stems from not getting enough vacation days, 36 per cent say
it arises from not taking all of their available vacation days. The reasons for not using the entire vacation time are
manifold. The major ones include inability to coordinate time, saving their leaves for a longer vacation next year or
monetising the unused vacation days. However, there are cases in contrast - a recent Virgin Atlantic directive from
Richard Branson offered his staff "unlimited holidays" if they themselves deemed it prudent.
After Thailand, Indians cancel vacations the most due to work commitments, with 74 per cent of the respondents
saying they have done that at some point or the other. Indians receive an average of 19.6 vacation days from
their employers each year. They take an average of 15.5 vacation days. 40% of Indians cannot plan vacation in
advance due to work, 4th highest after Thailand (43%), Singapore & South Korea (42%).Indians second highest in
cancelling vacation plans due to work (74%), after Thailand (77%). 50% of Indians typically use their vacation
days to take several short vacations/long weekend trips, while 26% say they typically take their days as one long
trip. Overall, individuals from India (96%), Italy (92%) and UAE (92%) are the most willing to make sacrifices for
more vacation days. Globally, 15% feel guilty about taking vacation days. Indians rank fourth at 20%, while
Japanese top the list at 26%
Sources:
1) The break up: Bharti Airtel calls off Rs 700 cr buyout of Loop Mobile First Post
The break up: Bharti Airtel calls off Rs 700 cr buyout of Loop Mobile
2) Robert Vadra shuts down businesses in Rajasthan, Haryana in fear of BJP wrath First Post
Robert Vadra shuts down businesses in Rajasthan, Haryana in fear of BJP wrath
3) Jaitley wants to sell bleeding PSU ulcers: He should start with Air India, BSNL and MTNL First Post
Jaitley wants to sell bleeding PSU ulcers: He should start with Air India, BSNL and MTNL
4) Victory for India: US, EU may bend to Indias demands to sign WTO deal First Post
Victory for India: US, EU may bend to Indias demands to sign WTO deal
5) Microsoft to use white space tech for free internet in India Hindustan Times
Microsoft to use white space tech for free internet in India

6) Crisil sees sharp drop in infotech hiring Telegraph
Crisil sees sharp drop in infotech hiring
7) 80% Mumbaikars can't afford a house in the Mumbai DNA
80% Mumbaikars can't afford a house in the Mumbai
8) India 4th most vacation-deprived country Business Standard
India 4th most vacation-deprived country
1) IMF says euro zone growth could be worse than expected Economic Times
The International Monetary Fund on Wednesday warned of downside risks to its growth projections for the euro
zone, and urged the European Central Bank to act if prices in the currency bloc continue to drift lower. The IMF's
warning echoes an increasing fear among global policymakers that Europe is not on track to spur economic
growth, something that should be a key topic for discussion when leaders of the Group of 20 economies meet in
Australia later this week.
The IMF, the Washington-based lending institution charged with policing global economic and financial stability, in
October predicted the euro zone would expand 0.8 percent this year and 1.3 percent next year. But a raft of
disappointing data in the last month has put even those modest economic projections in doubt, including
"surprisingly" weak data for domestic demand in Germany, the euro zone's biggest economy, the IMF said in a
report prepared for the G20 meeting. The 18-nation euro zone is skirting close to recession, and a report on Friday
is expected to show economic growth in the third quarter is in line with the 0.1 percent pick-up posted in the prior
three months. Prices have risen just 0.4 percent over the past year.
The ECB has a mandate to keep inflation below but close to 2 percent. The IMF said it welcomed recent moves by
the ECB to keep interest rates low and pump more money into the region's banking system. "But if the inflation
outlook does not improve and inflation expectations continue to drift down, the ECB should be willing to do more,
including purchases of sovereign assets," the IMF said in its report.
2) Paper makers protest tree-cutters tag Hindu business Line
Save trees, dont waste paper is an all-too-familiar eco-friendly message. But the image that paper requires
cutting trees appears to be pulp fiction, based on inputs from paper manufacturers and traders. The negative
perception is hurting the Rs. 35,000 crore paper industry that employs five lakh people directly, they say. The
industry is expecting that packaging demand from e-commerce will boost its demand prospects in the coming
decade. Paper manufacturers project that the industry could grow from 15 million tonnes in 2015 to 20 million
tonnes by 2020 an annual growth rate of six per cent. Even with that, there is room for more prospects, as the
Indian paper industry accounts for under three per cent of the worlds production of paper. The key segment that
will see phenomenal growth will be personal hygiene products such as tissue paper. This market is expected to
grow at a CAGR of 20 per cent in the next 3-5 years, says Gagan Sahni, Exhibitions Director, International Trade
and Exhibitions India. Packaging sector accounts for 60 per cent of the current market and is set to grow with
buoyant e-commerce sales projections. Education segment is the next biggest, accounting for over 30 per cent
market share.
If you wonder about newsprint, it is a large market, but due to more competitive prices in the global market, bulk
of the demand is met through imports, says Anil Kumar, Executive Director and CEO, Shreyans Industries, a
Punjab-based paper manufacturer. The paper industry currently has around 800 mills, most of them with small
capacities. Consolidation of these units to larger mills that can deploy better technology similar to what
happened in China will boost growth prospects, say paper manufacturers. Given the potential for growth, the
industry feels insulted that it is labelled as tree cutters based on global practices. Unlike other countries, India is
fibre deficient and augments pulp input from trees with other sources. Only 30 per cent of the input material is
from trees, the bulk is from other agro sources such as rice straw, wheat straw and bagasse along with recycled
paper, says Kumar.
And even the wood that is used is not from forests, but taken from plantations. Saplings are given to marginal
farmers and the timber is harvested in four-five years and fresh ones planted annually, says BR Rao of the
Federation of Paper Traders Association of India. He says that when using disposables, consumers must note that
paper is fully bio-degradable while plastic is not. Given that waste paper is an important raw material source for
the paper industry, better recycling can lower imports and save the environment by reducing municipal solid
waste. Sahni says that only 27 per cent of paper is recycled currently, while it is as high as 70 per cent in
European countries such as Germany and Sweden and 50 per cent in the US. Recycling one tonne of waste paper
results in a saving of 70 per cent raw material, 60 per cent coal costs, compared to making paper from wood. Upto
70 per cent of water usage is also saved by recycling. So your raddi wallah may be the true unsung hero in saving
trees.
3) Top trade groups applaud India-U.S. WTO deal The Hindu
Describing the agreement between India and the United States to resolve the contentious food security issue at
the WTO as breakthrough, top American trade and business groups have applauded both the countries saying
that, new development would boost global trade and economic growth. Businesses worldwide applaud the news
that the US and India have overcome obstacles blocking the Trade Facilitation Agreement (TFA), and the broader
Bali Package. This impasse had threatened the WTOs standing as a credible forum for trade negotiations, said US
Chamber of Commerce president and CEO Thomas J Donohue. The TFA, he said, holds great promise, particularly
given disappointing economic growth in many parts of the globe.
Streamlining the passage of goods across borders by cutting red tape and bureaucracy could boost the world
economy by as much as USD1 trillion with most benefits going to developing countries, he added. As per the
agreement, the US will support Indias proposal at WTO that peace clause, crucial for uninterrupted
implementation of Indias food security programme should continue indefinitely till a permanent solution is found.
The US-India breakthrough on implementation of the World Trade Organisation Trade Facilitation Agreement
(TFA) will boost global trade and economic growth, said Information Technology Industry Council (ITI) president
and CEO Dean Garfield as he and other groups applauded breakthroughs reached this week between India and the
US. This will generate significant benefits for the tech industry, a sector heavily reliant on the free flow of parts
and products across borders. The tech industry commends US Trade Representative Michael Froman and his team
for their tireless work to advance this important multilateral initiative, Garfield said.
In a statement, US-India Business Council (USIBC) applauded the cooperation between India and the United
States that establishes a continued dialogue for the World Trade Organisations implementation of TFA.
MasterCard CEO Ajay Banga and chairman of US India Business Council said: We commend the work of the Office
of the US Trade Representative, Ambassador Michael Froman and the Government of India, which will allow the
WTO discussions to move forward as these two globally important economies work to further develop a deepened
fiscal and commercial relationship. This agreement represents a way forward for both countries which will allow
for the enactment of the TFA. It also sets the stage for increased economic activity in India and has the potential
to add USD1 trillion to the global economy, said USIBC (Acting) president Diane Farrell.
While we are pleased that issues surrounding Indias stockpiling program will no longer keep the Bali Accord from
moving forward, USIBC continues to encourage all WTO members to work together to find a permanent solution
on food subsidies, Farrell said. The announced breakthrough in the WTO Trade Facilitation Agreement (TFA) is
very welcome news to manufacturers that are seeking to grow opportunities through trade with overseas markets
said National Association of Manufacturers Vice President of International Economic Affairs Linda Dempsey. The
TFA represents an unparalleled opportunity to boost global growth and commerce by the simple task of cutting red
tape, streamlining border processing and adding transparency to customs operations worldwide, Dempsey said.
4) Taxi-hailing app Uber plans to set up national level operations in India Economic Times
Taxi-hailing app Uber plans to set up national level operations in India, a shift from its typical model operated
across different countries where a skeletal workforce operates city-centric business, even as it expands its
footprint into new cities in its largest and fastest growing market outside the US.The popular app, which
introduced a mobile wallet for cashless payments on Wednesday, now plans to add a managerial layer on top of its
existing operations in 10 cities where it offer high quality taxi rides, while it plans to hire hundreds of people on
city-level operations across the country. "We're a start-up but increasingly as the number of cities grow, there is
so much that our teams in each market are working on," Allen Penn, head of Asia operations at Uber, told ET. "It
makes sense to add some extra levels, so that the core remains at the city-level where the action is," he said,
while adding that Uber will be looking to hire strategic finance managers and community operations managers who
would oversee city operations across India, which is growing at 40% month-on-month. "We want to make sure
that India retains that crown."
At present, San Francisco-headquartered Uber principally follows a set up on a city-basis, where a general
manager runs each city, a community manager looks after marketing and an operations manager looks after
supply side and operations. Though Uber will stick to its model of using minimum staff, the new staff layer will be
another first for the taxi-provider, which started off by launching a vehicle financing programme in India, which
has the most employees outside the US. It followed up with a first of its kind tie-up with mobile wallet provider
Paytm, using which Uber users in India can make payments via net banking, debit cards and credit cards. "We will
be hiring several hundred people over the next year in India, incredibly fast here to staff up our city teams," Penn
added. Product customizations, which have started out from India, will be done in other fast growing, high
potential markets in South East Asia, Africa, West Asia and Latin America.
ET reported on Wednesday that Uber plans to invest $400 million in India. Penn did not comment on the quantum
of investment but said that the company's India business will see heavy capital getting invested across sections.
"Increasingly, you're going to see our investment, which means everything from capital, people, technology and
product, to flow to international markets where we see very high growth and potential. India sits on the top of that
list," he said.
5) World Gold Council says 200,000kg of gold may be smuggled into India this year First Post
The government is said to be mulling curbs on imports of gold after witnessing two consecutive months of surge in
September and October. According to a report in The Economic Times, gold imports may have soared nearly sixfold in October to 148 tonnes (over last year's artificially low levels), coming on top of 39 percent growth in
September. Since high gold imports have an impact on the current account deficit (CAD) and the rupee's value
against the dollar, alarm bells are ringing both in North Block and Mint Street. The World Gold Council estimates
that 200 tonnes of gold may be smuggled into India this year, nearly a quarter of total annual demand.
The central bank and the finance ministry will also have to reckon with a new threat: the possibility that
incremental black money generated in India may be moving towards gold once more. With Swiss bank accounts
under siege, keeping a million dollars in gold is both safer and easier. A million dollar is 25 kg of gold. Not a large
physical size for storage in a bank locker for anyone. First, and most obvious, Indians have had a centuries-old
appetite for gold that has very low linkages with price. Indians buy gold both for use value (jewellery) and store
value - that is, as a long-term hedge against inflation. Over the very long term only gold has retained its value.
Second, it follows that gold is a form of saving in India, not speculation. This is why people buy some gold
whatever its price. Third, the import spike this year is a natural reaction to excessive curbs last year. In May,
curbs (but not duties) on gold imports were reduced, and in September-October this year people bought gold that
they could not buy in last year's festival season.
Fourth, black money may be chasing gold now. Ever since the issue of unmasking the holders of Swiss bank
accounts became a political obsession in India, the fresh black money being generated in Indian transactions that
would normally have gone abroad to Switzerland, the Cayman Islands or Mauritius is staying in India for reasons
of safety. This money has gone partly into gold and real estate. All holders of black wealth abroad know that taxhavens are under global attack and sooner or later they could face a crackdown, with people holding money there
facing criminal charges. This is one reason why even the names already given to India by the French government
have zero-balance accounts. The money has largely flown. Consider what you would do if you had a million illegal
dollars stashed abroad and you know the government is going to get after it, one way or the other. You will try to
either move it to a safer place (increasingly difficult), or bring it home where you can guard it personally.
A million dollars of black money would amount to around 24-25 kg of gold bars at current global prices of $1,5551,560 an ounce. Storing a million dollars is easier in gold and real estate than in a Swiss bank account that can be
traced back to you. Gold gives you value preservation and anonymity as the metal always has a market in India.
Gold would, however, work for medium-size black money holders generating upto $1 million annually; for much
larger amounts, real estate may be a better bet.
6) Australia and India to push for free trade pact BBC
Australia and India have pledged to push for a major free trade deal, as Indian PM Narendra Modi made a rare
speech to lawmakers in Canberra. Australian PM Tony Abbott admitted that bilateral ties - worth A$15bn (8bn;
$13bn) in 2013 - were "underdeveloped", hoping for the new deal in 2015. Mr Modi said India "will be the answer
to your search for new economic opportunities". This comes a day after Australia sealed a landmark trade deal
with China. Trade between Australia and China was estimated to be more than a $150bn last year. After greeting
the Indian prime minister on Tuesday, Mr. Abbott said: "We want to go further and that's why the next priority for
Australia is a comprehensive economic partnership agreement with India." Mr. Modi (left) is the first Indian leader
to visit Australia in 28 years. Supporters of India's PM Narendra Modi hold a banner reading "Modi Express" in
Melbourne. A special train has carried Mr. Modi's supporters to Sydney for the reception."This is a moment in time.
This is the time to get this done."In a brief reference he made in a press conference between the two leaders, Mr
Modi said the two countries were seeking "early closure" on a nuclear energy agreement "that will give Australia a
chance to participate in one of the most secure and safe nuclear energy programmes in the world". The Indian
prime minister also said "India's development, demographic and demand provide a unique long-term opportunity
for Australia and all in the framework of democracy.
"There is no other example of this nature in the world," he added, in what some Australian media outlets say was
a veiled reference to China, a historic rival of India. India - alongside China - is one of the world's fastest growing
economies. In a separate development, Indian mining company Adani won support from the Indian government
and the Australian state of Queensland on Monday to help build a $7bn coal mine, rail and port project. Adani
signed a memorandum of understanding for a $1bn loan from a state-run Indian bank for the mine in Queensland,
which it aims to build by the end of 2017. Australia has approved the coal project, despite concern over its
potential environmental impact. Mr Modi is the first Indian leader to visit Australia in 28 years, and he was met by
a standing ovation by Australian lawmakers. In a wide-ranging speech, he also stressed the importance of
Australian-Indian ties "for advancing regional peace and stability and combating terrorism". On Monday, Mr Modi
received a rapturous reception in Sydney, where he addressed a large Indian community at the city's Olympic
park. Mr Modi arrived in Australia last week to participate in the G20 summit in Brisbane.
7) By the end of Nov, India will have 2 more categories of banks: payment banks & small finance
banks First Post
By the end of this month, India will have two more categories of banks: payment banks, which will largely raise
deposits and invest in government securities, and small finance banks, which will extend small loans all over India,
even though they may begin operations in regions they are familiar with. The Reserve Bank has modified its
earlier proposal for small banks, which were supposed to be banks with a purely local geographical footprint.
Luckily, Governor Raghuram Rajan has been convinced that a restricted area of operations will kill the very idea of
small banks. The opportunity to create new categories of banks is welcome for many reasons.
First, the regulations will offer a path for non-bank financial companies and microfinance institutions to graduate
to regular banking but with lower cost structures. In the coming years, these banks should logically become the
right vehicles for financial inclusion in non-urban areas. Second, the new banking formats will enable non-financial
companies with the right technology and strong customer franchise to enter the field. This will make banking more
accessible, competitive, and ultimately cheaper. Even though India has many banks, they are resistant to lowering
their margins for one simple reason: customers seldom defect. Consider the hassle involved in moving everything
from salary accounts, to bill payments, to trading accounts, to automated EMI payments for your home or car
loans. But small banks and payment banks will suddenly bring new competition of a different kind. If mobile
companies like Airtel or retailers like Big Bazaar and Flipkart enter the banking business as payment (or small)
banks, the high-cost public sector banks will be forced to become more efficient. At the very least, people will add
another bank to serve them. The State Bank of India, other public sector banks, and even the big private sector
banks will face the heat on CASA - cheap and current and savings accounts.
Third, the Post Office can really challenge the public sector monopolies with its reach of over 1,50,000 branches,
most of them in rural areas. What an Airtel Bank can do in the cities, India Post can do in rural areas. However, to
do this, India Post needs to have its focus clear. It is hankering after a universal bank license, but the last thing
India needs is another public sector bank that the taxpayer has to fund or recapitalise frequently. It should
become a full-fledged payment bank instead because this is what it is good at and what it is already doing.
Consider what India Posts USP is: reach. It has no expertise in lending. So isnt it logical for it to expand its
deposit operations instead of trying to be a lender? In any case, the RBI is sure to allow small-ticket lending once
payment banks develop a track record. Once again the logic is simple: if a customer can deposit upto Rs 1 lakh
with a payment bank, there is no reason it cannot lend him upto that limit against the deposit. There is no risk
whatsoever. Fourth, some bad ideas in public sector banking should also quietly be wound up. One such idea is
the Bharatiya Mahila Bank (BMB), a women-only bank that was offered as a sop by the UPA after the horrific Delhi
gang rape of December 2012.
An all-India womens bank cannot deliver anything that an ordinary bank cant. The real issue is the lack of bigticket women-owned businesses to lend to. A Mint story on 17 November called the Bharatiya Mahila Bank UPAs
Rs 1,000 crore misadventure. Though it is not quite a misadventure yet, there is clearly no need for it beyond the
symbolism. Once payment banks and small finance banks come in, there will be no space for a universal womens
bank. But the broader conclusion is this: as new types of banks are set up, some of the older banks will start
feeling the heat. The new banks should prompt a rethink among existing universal banks on whether they are
doing a good enough job. Or whether they are merely making money in an scenario where competition is low.
8) Banks turn to Facebook and Twitter to keep track of education loan takers Economic Times
Be careful of friends and followers. Some banks have started using Facebook and Twitter to try and keep track of
students who have taken education loans from them, casting a wider net to keep defaults in check. When
payments are delayed, these banks use information available on social networking websites to track down
customers and get in touch with them with the help of local branch staffers. In some cases, banks may even be
able to send or post reminder messages to them through such websites. State-run banks have over 2.6 million
education loan accounts with outstanding credit of about Rs 60,000 crore, according to government data. The
industry estimates that 5-6 per cent of these loans have turned bad. The government is yet to set up a credit
guarantee fund for education loans. Central Bank of India the top provider of education loans to the Indian
Institutes of Management last year, has switched to keeping a tab on borrowers through social networking
websites, a senior official with the bank told ET.
"Earlier, we used to track them through their alumni forums. But now that most students have a presence on
social networking websites, it is easier to track their footprints online," said KK Taneja, field general manager with
the bank. He declined to provide more details. Facebook, the world's largest social network, is estimated to have
more than 100 million users in India. Those on social networks sometimes restrict access to personal information
to friends or people they know. Under the Indian Banks Association's model educational loan scheme, collateral is
waived for all loans up to Rs 4 lakh, while those above Rs 7.5 lakh need tangible security and have to be taken
jointly with the parents. However, in case of a default, banks have little recourse to recover the money, apart from
filing a case. Some banks track education loan defaulters through their online friends. "So, if from the same batch
there are four account holders and two of them are defaulters we can track them through their batch mates' friend
list," said a senior manager with a state-run lender based in north India.
Banks also find social networking websites useful to stay in touch with education loan customers who have moved
abroad. A senior manager with a private bank said most students from top institutes often go overseas within a
year or two of placement. "Some of these are marquee clients for us. We stay in touch with them through all
possible avenues. We also offer them other services from the bouquet of products that we have," said a senior
manager with a private bank.
Sources:
1) IMF says euro zone growth could be worse than expected Economic Times
IMF says euro zone growth could be worse than expected
2) Paper makers protest tree-cutters tag Hindu business Line
Paper makers protest tree-cutters tag
3) Top trade groups applaud India-U.S. WTO deal The Hindu
Top trade groups applaud India-U.S. WTO deal
4) Taxi-hailing app Uber plans to set up national level operations in India Economic Times
Taxi-hailing app Uber plans to set up national level operations in India
5) World Gold Council says 200,000kg of gold may be smuggled into India this year First Post
Gold may be the new Swiss bank: $1 mn of black money = 25 kg of gold
6) Australia and India to push for free trade pact BBC
Australia and India to push for free trade pact
7) By the end of Nov, India will have 2 more categories of banks: payment banks & small finance
banks First Post
By the end of Nov, India will have 2 more categories of banks: payment banks & small finance banks
8) Banks turn to Facebook and Twitter to keep track of education loan takers Economic Times
Banks turn to Facebook and Twitter to keep track of education loan takers
OPERATION NEWS
1) Asian Paints gains on plans to acquire Kadisco Paint Business Standard 23 October
2) RINL to resume production in a week: CMD ET 25 October
3) Nissan recalling 9,000 units of Micra, Sunny in India Business Standard 25 October
4) Marriott International to expand footprint in India Hindu Business Line 26 October
5) NLC expects to step up production soon as contract workers rejoin duty Hindu Business Line 26 October
6) ICVL to invest $ 500 million in its Mozambique coal mines ET 27 October
7) Fiat To Manufacture Luxury SUVs In India Business Insider 27 October
8) Future Supply Chains to buy food logistics startup Brattle Foods to expand food business ET 27 October
9) TI to commission Rs 250-cr tube factory near Chennai Hindu Business Line 28 October
10) SunEdison signs MoU with Rajasthan for 5,000 MW solar plants Hindu Business Line 28 October
OPERATION FEATURE
Where are Investors placing their Supply Chain Bets for the Next Five Years?
http://www.forbes.com/sites/stevebanker/2014/10/27/where-are-investors-placing-their-supply-chain-bets-forthe-next-five-years/
OPERATION NEWS
1) Sandvik AB to invest $45 million for manufacturing plant in Chakan ET 30 October
2) NTPC planning to add 4,500 MW in the South ET 30 October
3) BPCL aims to double refining margins with refinery expansion ET 30 October
4) Piramal Glass, others shut units after GAIL cut gas supplies Hindu Business Line 30 October
5) Yokohama starts commercial production at first plant in India ET 03 November
6) NHPC to build Indias largest hydel power plant in Arunachal Pradesh ET 03 November
7) Tata Power installs biogas units Hindu Business Line 03 November
8) Avantha Group company CG bags contract in Paraguay to supply transformers ET 03 November
9) Hero MotoCorp to enter Europe by next year end Hindu Business Line 04 November
10) US tech giants, Chinese cos disclose too little on operations abroad: study Business Standard 5 November
OPERATION FEATURE
Tapping into Supply-Chain Logistics Improves Customer Service and Operations
for CSPs
http://www.billingworld.com/blogs/insider/2014/11/tapping-into-supply-chain-logistics-improves-cust.aspx
OPERATION NEWS
1) Danfoss sets up Rs 500 crore greenfield plant near Chennai ET 06 November
2) A fraction of India's sugar mills start production amid pricing dispute ET 06 November
3) ITC likely to set up food processing park in Telangana ET 06 November
4) Coal production to double to 1 billion tonnes by 2019: Piyush Goyal ET 06 November
5) Apeda to set up agro-container freight station on FACTs land Hindu Business Line 09 November
6) TVS Motor plans to invest Rs 150 cr in Himachal ET 09 November
7) Toshiba to invest $ 30 million to expand power biz in India ET 10 November
8) RCF, BPCL to invest Rs 200 crore for sewage treatment plant ET 10 November
9) Supply chain and cold chain mgt needed at all levels from farm to fork F&B News 11 November
10) 60,000 units of Jeep SUV may be produced in India by Fiat Chrysler Car Trade 12 November
OPERATION FEATURE
Two Ways Supply Chains Can Remain Strategic to Business
http://logisticsviewpoints.com/2014/11/05/two-ways-supply-chains-can-remain-strategic-to-business/
OPERATION NEWS
1) Indian Oil Corporation board okays Ennore LNG terminal Hindu Business Line 13 November
2) Government to open more centres for cotton procurement ET 13 November
3) Honda Cars to expand dealership network Hindu Business Line 13 November
4) West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee to unveil CESC's Rs 4600 crore Haldia plant on November 26 ET 13
November
5) Petroleum minister Dharmendra Pradhan lays foundation of new Rs 3150 crore plant in Odisha ET 16
November
6) Fisher & Paykel embarks on an expansion drive in India ET 16 November
7) BHEL commissions second gas-based power plant in Tripura ET 17 November
8) Praj Industries bags Rs 235 crore order ET 17 November
9) Paper-less air cargo supply chain facility introduced at Bengaluru airport Business Standard 18 November
10) PepsiCo divests north India bottling operations to Ravi Jaipurias RJ Corp ET 19 November
OPERATION FEATURE
Food companies 'cannot expect' consumers to pay for sustainable supply chains
http://www.supplymanagement.com/news/2014/food-companies-cannot-expect-consumers-to-pay-forsustainable-supply-chains
Manohar Lal Khattar Haryana Chief Minister

Those policies in Haryana which will be in the interest of
people of the state will be continued, but where any
discrepancy is found these will be reviewed and stopped,
wherever such a need is felt. We (he and his government)
are not going to act out of vindictiveness, but in all the
complaints, law will take its own course."
Manohar Lal Khattar has been elected as the Chief Minister of
Haryana after Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) won in the 2014
state elections. He represents Karnal constituency in Haryana
Legislative Assembly. Khattar, 60, is the first BJP chief minister of Haryana. He is the fourth nonJat leader of Haryana in last 48 years.
Manohar Lal Khattar was born in Rohtak districts Nidana village, located in Maham tehsil on
January 1, 1954. His father Harbans Lal Khattar was a shopkeeper, who migrated to India during
the Partition. His family settled in the Banyani village of Rohtak district, and took up farming.
Khattar completed his Matriculation from Pandit Neki Ram Sharma Government College, Rohtak.
He then moved to Delhi. While pursuing and completing a Bachelor's degree from Delhi University,
he also ran a shop near Sadar Bazar. During this time, He joined Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh
(RSS) in 1977 at the age of 24, and became a full-time pracharak three years later. He worked as
a pracharak for 14 years, before being moved to the organization's political wing BJP in 1994. He
decided to remain a bachelor so that he can devote his full time for working as a pracharak.
In BJP too he started as a grassroots leader and mainly concentrated on organisation. In the year
2000, he became Haryana BJPs Organisational General Secretary, the post he held till 2014. He
is currently National Executive Committee member of BJP. Manohar Lal Khattar is one of the main
architects of a convincing win for BJP during the 15 October 2014 Haryana Assembly elections.
Though Amit Shah projected Abhimanyu Singh Sindhu as the probable choice for Chief Ministers
position before the election, Khattar was elected to the coveted post.
Khattars first interaction with Prime Minister Narendra Modi happened in 1996. Modi was then
Haryana in charge. Thereon, Modi gave him key responsibilities. Modi called Khattar to manage
Modis first election in 2002 in earthquake-hit Bhuj. Bhuj was a Congress stronghold, yet BJP
managed to win 3 out of 6 seats. After Modi, Manohar Khattar is the first BJP leader to have won
his first election and become the Chief Minister.
Sonica Malhotra Kandhari Executive Director, MBD

Group
"If I was a woman without a background in family
business, it would have been different. I'm taken
seriously because of the credentials of my father,
though I've had to prove myself. I've learnt to take harsh
decisions, because it's important to grow in the long
term. I also like to be disciplined."
Sonica Malhotra Kandhari is the heiress to Indias largest
publishing group, Malhotra Book Depot. What started as a
single book shop by her father (Late Ashok Kumar Malhotra)
is now a book-selling business which has been expanding rapidly at 20-25 percent year on year
from decades.
Sonica was born in Jalandhar, Punjab but raised in New Delhi from the age of 5. She excelled at
her academics and topped the exams at Jesus and Mary College, Delhi where she pursued her
Bachelors of Commerce. After that she decided to join the Harvard Business School for an MBA in
Finance along with a Programme in Leadership Development (PLD).
Sonica and her sister Monica are pure examples of proving their mettle and showing that gender
has nothing to do with sustenance. In 2002, under Sonicas leadership the MBD Group entered
into the hospitality business by launching the MBD Radisson Blu, Noidas very first Five-Star hotel.
Using her sharp business acumen, and a knack for the fine things in life Sonica oversaw the
construction of MBD Neopolis, Jalandhars first world class shopping and multiplex centre
(launched in 2008) and Ludhianas first Five-Star, Radisson Blu Hotel too.
The two sisters work in tandem to plan strategies and execute them under various portfolios.
Senior director of the MBD group, Monica Malhotra Kandhari handles the creative aspects of the
hospitality industry by focussing on the interiors and designs at hotel properties. Coming from a
family which holds essential middle class values, Kandhari says that she has learnt a lot on the
job. A believer in true woman power, she never felt that belonging to the fairer sex posed any
major hurdle as her upbringing enabled her and Monica to become strong, confident human
beings. Determination and staying focussed on your targets and capabilities is the sole key to
success and according to her, anyone who makes it through the first initial three years of any
business can never be defeated.
Sources:
About Manohar Lal Khattar
Manohar Lal Khattar
21 interesting facts about Haryana CM-designate Manohar Lal Khattar
These heels are meant for walking
Sonica Malhotra Kandhari: Meet MBDs heiress, who is expanding the groups hospitality business
Monica Malhotra Kandhari: MBD GROUP
Women Entrepreneurs-II This sister act is in full flow
Sisters Monica and Sonica Malhotra have taken the hospitality industry in Ludhiana by storm
Devendra Fadnavis Maharashtra Chief Minister

I feel the pressure to fulfil aspirations of 11 crore people. I am
soft-spoken but a ruthless administrator. I cannot play political
games, straightforwardness pays. Wherever necessary,
Maharashtra government will give "fair space to real historical
heroes. Will change face of Mumbai, central aid to help build
infrastructure. It will be end of Devendra Fadnavis if power
goes to my head."
Devendra Gangadharrao Fadnavis is the 18th and current Chief
Minister of Maharashtra. He is a member of the Bharatiya Janata
Party (BJP) and is also the president of the Maharashtra state unit
of the BJP and a MLA of Maharashtra from Nagpur South West.
Fadnavis was born in Maharashtra on 22 July 1970. His mother, Sarita Fadnavis is former director
of Vidarbha Housing Credit Society, and his late father Gangadhar-rao Fadnavis was a two-time
member of Maharashtra Legislative Council from Nagpur. His elder brother, Ashish, was an active
member of the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP). Fadnaviss aunt Shobhatai Fadnavis is
another veteran politician in the family, associated with BJP. She was a minister in the Shiv SenaBJP government in 1995; she is currently a member of the state legislative council.
Fadnavis as child refused to go to his school, Indira Convent, as the school was named after the
late Indian Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, whom he blamed for jailing his father who as part of Jan
Sangh was arrested during the Emergency. He was shifted to Saraswati Vidyalaya, from where he
continued his education. Fadnavis attended Dharampeth Junior College in the year 198687 after
which he completed a five year law degree from Law College Nagpur. He was an active member
of ABVP while in college. Fadnavis also has a post-graduate degree in Business Management and
a diploma in Methods and Techniques of Project Management from DSE (German Foundation for
International Development), Berlin.
His political career commenced in the early nineties, when he became ward President of the
Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha (youth wing of the BJP) in Maharashtra. At the age of 21, Fadnavis
became the youngest municipal corporator of the Nagpur Municipal Corporation and served as
corporator for two consecutive terms, in 1992 and 1997. He was the second youngest mayor
elected in India, when he served as the Mayor of Nagpur at the age of 27, in 1997. He is also the
only person to be re-elected as the Mayor in Council of the State of Maharashtra.
He is currently serving his fourth term as MLA as of 2014. Fadnavis was sworn in as the first chief
minister of Maharastra from the BJP on 31 October 2014. Within BJP, Devendra Fadvanis has
earned quite a name. Devendra married Amruta Ranade in 2006 who is a branch manager of Axis
Bank in Nagpur. Devendra Fadvanis also won the Best Parliamentarian" Award for Year 2002-03
by the Commonwealth Parliamentarian Association
Kumar Mangalam Birla - Chairman, Aditya Birla Group

"My father's contribution to business, the economy and society
at large can never be under-estimated and that is my key
motivator."
Staying grounded and out-of-the-spotlight when one belongs to a
generations old successful Indian business family is not an easy
thing to do. But Kumar Mangalam Birla, the scion of the Birla family,
does just that. Taking over the helm of the company at the young
age of 28 after the death of his father and amid scrutinizing and
censuring eyes, he has successfully silenced sceptics by increasing
the companys turnover from just over $2 billion to $40 billion in a span of 17 years by bringing in
much-needed changes and professionalism, radicalizing business strategies and reducing the
groups dependence on cyclic commodities by foraying into the consumer products segment.
Birla was born in 1967 in Kolkata and was mainly raised in Mumbai. After graduating with a degree
in commerce from H.R.College in Mumbai, he studied chartered accountancy and followed it up
with an MBA from the London Business School. In his own words, Birla was brought up in a
pressure cooker environment that always made me conscious about my family name, business
and responsibility attached with it. Tutored by his father since he was 15, Birlas chairman-ship
was fast tracked after his father was diagnosed with cancer and he took over the company affairs
in 1995. Known for his successful and right-on-target acquisitions (26 in 17 years), he has
spearheaded the company to a position of leadership in all the sectors it operates in. Contributing
to the nation building process, Birla has authored the countrys first report on corporate
governance (as Chairman of SEBIs Committee on Corporate Governance) whose
recommendations were path breaking and became the basis of corporate governance norms.
Birla was once a man who did not have high regard for peoples abilities and qualifications if they
did not speak English fluently but changed his stance as the company expanded and he realized
that there were many non-English speakers around the world who worked hard and worked well.
Birlas focus and single minded determination is admired by many of his colleagues and juniors
and he hopes that his way of functioning will enable his company to double its turnover by 2015.
Widely seen as an inspiration to budding entrepreneurs, Birla wants his children to come up in life
like their peers-overlooking the advantages that they were born with. Birla is a self-proclaimed
fitness freak, a voracious reader of management books and an active philanthropist.
Sources:
Devendra Fadnavis
Things you didn't know about Maharashtra CM Devendra Fadvanis
Kumar Mangalam Birla
Kumar Birla
Kumar Mangalam Birla: A Man For All Seasons
Kumar Mangalam Birla
Sunil Chhetri Football Player

The right word is content. With the number of tournaments
that I will be playing currently, including the Durand Cup,
then the Federation Cup and the I-League, I would say I have
my plate full. One has to live with what is on offer."
Sunil Chhetri is an Indian Football Player and considered to be
one of the brightest members in the Indian Football squad at the
moment. Primarily playing from the Forward Position, Sunil is
famous for his control upon the ball apart from his excellent work
rate.
Sunil was born to Kharga and Sushila Chettri in Secundarabad on August 3 1984, both of whom
were also footballers, his father played for the Indian Army's team while his mother and her twin
sister were members of the Nepal women's national team. Being the son of an army officer, as a
kid Sunil had to move to different cities often but he refers to New Delhi as his hometown. After his
schooling, Chhetri took admission at Ashutosh College in Kolkata, but gave up studies in high
school when he was in Class 12 after getting a chance to represent India at the Asian School
Championships in Malaysia in October 2001.
He has played for ten different clubs so far with the first being Delhi-based City Club, whom he
joined as a 17-year-old. Chhetri began his professional career at Mohun Bagan in 2002. But it was
with the national team that Chhetri gained fame and made a name for himself. He helped India win
the 2007 Nehru Cup, 2009 Nehru Cup, the 2012 Nehru Cup as well as the 2011 SAFF
Championship. He was also one of India's best players during the 2008 AFC Challenge Cup in
which India won the tournament and thus qualified for their first AFC Asian Cup in 27 years. He
then led India in scoring during their short-lived campaign at the 2011 AFC Asian Cup with two
goals.
He signed for the Kansas City Wizards of Major League Soccer in 2010, becoming the third player
from the subcontinent of note to go abroad after Mohammed Salem and Bhaichung Bhutia to play
professionally for a foreign club. In 2011 and became the 23rd footballer that year to win the
prestigious Arjuna Award. In 2012, Chhetri became the permanent captain of the Indian national
team.
As per AIFF records, Sunil is India's highest goal scorer in International matches with 44 goals in
75 appearances. Chhetri has also been named AIFF Player of the Year thrice in 2007, 2011 and
2013. Chhetri was on the commentating panel for the 2014 FIFA World Cup for Sony Six channel.
Sporting Lisbon is Sunil Chhetri's next destination. The India captain will be the first from the
country to play for the Portuguese club's reserve side. Chhetri's association with foreign clubs is
not new. Apart from playing for Kansas City Wizards in the United States' Major League Soccer,
he was also offered a deal by England's Queens Park Rangers, but could not play there since he
didn't get a work visa as India's FIFA ranking is not in the top 70.
Chhetri is a self-confessed PlayStation and FIFA addict. He is a FC Barcelona fan and likes
Bollywood films, with Konkona Sen being his favourite actress. He also owns an Audi.
Jai Prakash Menon Former Group CIO, Bharti

Enterprises & Dir.- Global Innovation & IT, Bharti Airtel
"I spent my 40s consuming IT in the telecoms sector, my 30s
creating and innovating IT through IBM in the US, and my 20s in
deep core mathematics research. In my 50s, I want to go back to
deep technology research and create IP (intellectual property)
and technologies rather than as a consumer of technology."
Jai Prakash Menon is an Indian business executive. Menon started
his career at IBMs Thomas J. Watson Research Center and became
an IBM executive Director in IBMs Software Group, heading
worldwide research-to-market business for rich media. From there he
joined AT&T (formerly BellSouth) as Chief Technology Officer for IT
across all lines of businesses. Menon returned to India and joined Bharti Airtel in 2002 as CIO and
Corporate Director IT. Additionally, he launched Airtels Enterprise Business as its Joint
President, and subsequently ran Customer Service for India as its Director. In 2007, he was also
made the Group CIO for Bharti Enterprises, which is the parent company of Bharti Airtel. He left
the company in both 2005 and 2010 to briefly work for other telecom companies before returning
to Airtel. On 6 Dec, 2013 Menon unexpectedly left his post as CIO at Bharti Airtel amidst
accusations of violations of the company's code of conduct by steering company contracts to
businesses in which he had stakes.
Jai Prakash Menon was born in Kochi, Kerala and has had a stellar academic as well as
professional career. He graduated from the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), New Delhi with a
First Rank in 1986 and by 1989 he received his MS Degree from Cornell University followed by a
PhD in 1992 from the same. Apart from holding numerous national distinction awards, he has also
completed various executive management programs from Harvard, Wharton and Sloan Schools of
Business.
Menon excelled at Bharti Airtel with his hard work as well as sharp sense of business acumen
topped with brilliant analytical skills.
After the termination of his post with Bharati Airtel, Dr. Jai Menon rubbished all the rumours and
claimed that he has put in his papers to go back to research and innovation of new technologies
after spending more than a decade at the group. Not facing any setback with the current scenario
in his career, Menon has long-term plans which are aimed at the technological improvement of
India. He is focussing on healthcare and medicine, smart grids and infrastructure, cloud computing
and so on. Menon was hired by HT Media businesses covering news, radio, entertainment,
education and digital.
Sources:
Indian skipper Chhetri a conspicuous absentee
Have plate full without ISL, says Sunil Chhetri
Sunil Chetri Profile
Portuguese club Sporting Lisbon sign Sunil Chhetri for reserve side
Happy Birthday Sunil Chhetri! 30 facts about Indias football captain
Jai Prakash Menon Wikipedia

Bharti Airtel sacks group CIO Jai Menon for alleged code of conduct violations
Bharti Enterprises CIO Jai Menon quits
Bharti sacks top executive Jai Menon for links to firms that got contracts: sources
Airtel asks CIO Jai Menon to resign due to code of conduct violations
Dhiraj C. Rajaram Founder and CEO, Mu Sigma

I never thought of myself as an entrepreneur. I never
wanted to start a company or anything like that. I was
happy, doing what I was doing. There were few thoughts
that led to how the company got started."
Mu Sigma is one of the fastest growing companies in the
world and has raised a gargantuan grand total of 163 million
dollars in funding over its 9 years of existence. Mu Sigma
also holds the unique distinction of securing the largest
funding round ever by a business analytics company. Mu
Sigma has accumulated over the years is a rapidly rising toll.
The core of the company is built around the beliefs and ideas
of Founder Dhiraj C Rajaram.
Before Mu Sigma, he advised senior executives across a variety of verticals as a strategy
consultant at Booz Allen Hamilton and PricewaterhouseCoopers. Dhiraj holds an MBA from the
University of Chicago. He also received an M.S. in Computer Engineering from Wayne State
University and a Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering from College of Engineering Guindy,
Anna University.
As a student in Chennai's prestigious Anna University, Dhiraj Rajaram was asked by his professor
what he would like to be if not an engineer. His prompt reply was "A chef." Though he has since
set up a very successful data crunching business Mu Sigma that boasts of Fortune 500
companies as clients, Rajaram still finds time to pursue his love for cooking.
Mu Sigma helps its customers examine large amounts of different data types to uncover hidden
patterns, unknown correlations and other useful information that can be used by them to bolster
revenue. He was raised by his grandparents and believes a foster upbringing is the key to high
achievement not surprising since his idol is Apple founder Steve Jobs.
Dhiraj started MuSigma in 2004. After surviving four years on his own, Mu Sigma raised its first
round of investment worth $30 million from FTVentures (now FTV Capital) in 2008. Subsequently,
in April 2011, the company raised an additional $25 million from Sequoia Capital, followed by the
third round of $108 million again from Sequoia and a private equity investor General Atlantic,
which is the highest investment ever made in an analytics company.
Rajaram is also an angel investor in two foodie startups Box 8 and Demand Farm, both set up by
former Mu Sigma employees. Unlike most others, he encourages his employees to venture into
entrepreneurship on their own.
Gautam Adani Chairman, Adani Group

I have never received any special treatment from Modi, nor do
I expect any. In any of his discussions, Modi always talks
about policy matters and never about individual companies. I
am not BJP's ATM machine."
Gautam Adani is the chairman of the Adani Group, a leading trading
and Export Company of India. In March, 2011 Forbes magazine
announced that Adani is the 6th richest person in India with a
personal wealth of US $10 billion. He is the first billionaire from the
city of Ahmadabad.
Gautam Adani was born in Ahmadabad, India, to Shantilal and
Shantaben Adani in a Gujarati Jain family. He set out for Mumbai to
make a living with only a few hundred rupees at the age of 18. He studied at the Seth C. N.
Vidyalya School in Ahmadabad and later on at Gujarat University. Adani is a University dropout;
he studied till his second year for a Bachelor's Degree in Commerce. He worked in Mumbai as a
diamond sorter at Mahindra Bros. After working there for two years, Adani, 20 at the time, set up
his own diamond brokerage outfit at Zaveri Bazaar and made his first lakh.
He draws comparison with the legendary Dhirubhai Ambani. The comparison stems from the fact
that he has uncanny ability to maneuver complex government machinery to his advantage. He
believes that government should correct the inequitable distribution of wealth. Adani, who started
dealing in diamonds in Mumbai in 1980, has come to be worth more than Rs 30,000 crore in three
decades.
He set up Adani Enterprises in 1988 as an export-import company. The company, founded with a
capital of Rs 5 lakh to trade, manages ports, develops real estate, produces electricity, trades in
agricultural commodities and explores oil. Vision is an important word for Adani. His vision is to
have an integrated operation for his group - from coal mining to power generation. Adani always
supports and trusts his core team once he is convinced about a project or an idea.
Gautam Adani believes in an all-inclusive growth. He believes in education and health and these
form the core of Adani Foundation. The group gives 3 per cent of its profits to the Adani
Foundation. He is particularly proud of Adani Vidya Mandir, a school in Ahmedabad which admits
only those children whose parents have an annual income less than Rs.1 lakh. The school is run
by his wife Priti.
Gautam Adani is known for his risk apetitite. He is referred to as 'Gautambhai' in the industry and
is also known to be a keen observer and a good judge of character. Gautam Adani has also been
named amongst top 5 billionaires in the world who made it on their own without a formal college
degree.
Sources:
The Billion Dollar Mu Sigma Story with Founder Dhiraj C. Rajaram
Mu Sigma's Dhiraj Rajaram still makes time for things worth pursuing
DHIRAJ C RAJARAM
Gautam Adani
How Gautam Adani anchors his Rs 30kcr empire
Power point
Need to know
Mondelez International, Inc. is an American multinational confectionery, food and beverage conglomerate, employing
around 107,000 people around the world. It comprises the global snack and food brands of the former Kraft Foods.
The Mondelez name, adopted in 2012, came from the input of Kraft Foods employees at the time, Monde being French
for world and delez an alternative to delicious.
Quick Facts
Mondelez is ranked as the second-largest company in terms of confectionery sales value in 2013 falling behind
Mars Inc.
Mondelez spends about $200 million annually on measured media in the U.S.
Having acquired British confectionary Cadbury in 2009, Mondelez now includes biscuits, chocolates, gum and
candies and hot and cold beverages.
Performance
Mondelez initiated an innovation strategy in French chocolate market resulting in growth through innovation in the
atypical French market that favors premium and dark chocolate.
The Indian unit of Mondelez crossed Rs 5,000 crore revenue mark last fiscal, more than doubling sales in three
years after investing heavily in sales and route-to-market expansion.
Mondelez dominates the Rs 6,832 crore Indian chocolate market with 70 per cent share.
Mondelez more than doubled its visicoolers count in Indian retail outlets to 1.5 lakh and took big strides by
expanding into rural India.
Mondelez has been betting on its global innovation platform to boost sales.
Road Ahead
Mondelez launched its global brand Cadbury Glow in India first and has a plan for the rest of the markets later this
year. Its other launches include liquid centre-filled chocolate tablet Silk Caramello and 5 Star Chomp.
Mondelez is making efforts to be more focused on its core businesses activities so that it can generate greater
efficiencies to reinvest in growth.
To focus on its key portfolio and reinvest its supply chain Mondelez closed a small specialty chocolate
manufacturing facility in Namibia.
Mondelez has already announced plans to invest $190 million to build the Indias largest chocolate manufacturing
plant near Hyderabad.
Mondelez International Inc. laid out a new restructuring plan that would soon combine its coffee business with one
from a smaller rival company.
Mondelez is keen to change its Indian arm from a core chocolates company into a complete foods player
With the restructuring, Mondelez aims to squeeze $1.5 billion out of its annual cost base by 2018.
News Bites
Mondelez India Foods posts 64 per cent rise in PAT in 2013
Mondelez International Annual Report December 2013
Mondelez Strikes Global Video Ad Deal With Google
Mondelez: Wikipedia
Need to know
Termed as the "bellwether of India's engineering & construction sector, Larsen & Toubro worth $14.3 billion is one of
India's largest engineering and construction company. L&T business interests lies in engineering, construction,
manufacturing goods, information technology and financial services. Apart from India, it has offices in the Middle East,
Africa, South-East Asia and Australia and other parts of Asia. The company's businesses are supported by a wide
marketing and distribution network, and have established a reputation for strong customer support.
Quick Facts
It was founded by Danish engineers taking refuge in India, as well as an Indian financing partner.
L&T among the top five fabrication companies in the world.
It is Indias largest Engineering, Procurement and Construction (EPC) solution provider of large scale solar power
plants
In 2014 Larsen & Toubro is ranked 500 on Forbes list of 2000 worlds largest and most powerful public companies
based on revenues, profits, assets and market value.
Performance
Order Inflows, which are the mainstay of any company engaged predominantly in Engineering & Construction
business, clocked in at Rs. 94,108 Cr for L&T.
The Company completed the transfer of its Hydrocarbon Independent Company undertaking along with related
assets, liabilities and specific identified reserves.
L&T InfoTech, subsidiary of L&T, has completed the acquisition of Information Systems Resource Centre.
It is strengthening multi-cultural leadership base, with the induction of professionals possessing rich domain
experience and local customer insight.
The Company has been involved in the execution of metro rail projects in cities across the country and in Indias
first monorail in Mumbai (Phase I commissioned in FY14).
L&T has recently started realty business by using its own land parcels and in joint ventures with other developers
Road Ahead
L&T is moving decisively towards consolidating its international operations through a replication in the Middle East
of its domestic structure and systems. While the prime focus are the Gulf Cooperation Council countries, the
international outreach and doubling sales in three years after investing heavily in sales and route-to-market
expansion.
L&T has won a $488m contract to design and build the world's tallest statue of Sardar Vallabhai Patel in Gujarat
known as Statue of Unity.
Larsen & Toubro bags Rs 1,630-cr contract in Uttar Pradesh or the construction of a six-lane access controlled
expressway in the state.
Larsen and Toubro Ltd is exploring a listing of its infrastructure assets including toll roads in the local market via a
newly created investment trust
News Bites
Larsen & Toubro Annual Report 2013-2014
Larsen & Toubro bags Rs 1,630-cr contract in Uttar Pradesh
Larsen & Toubro: Wikipedia
Larsen & Toubro official website
L&T Infotech completes acquisition of ISRC

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BIG THREE MANAGEMENT CONSULTING FIRMS

McKinsey & Company

One of the most prestigious consulting firms in the world

Boston Consulting Group

One of the largest private companies in the US

Bain & Company

Formed by ten ex-BCG employees

Indian Insurance Companies

ICICI Prudential Life Insurance Company

SBI Life Insurance

SWACHH BHARAT ABHIYAN

Why this project started?

1. Swachh Bharat Abhiyan (rural)

GLOBAL CLIMATE CHANGE

Impact of climate change:

Since the industrial revolution, human activity

Hazards of global climate change:

Climate change thus threatens to slow, halt or

The role of human activity

DIGITAL INDIA INITIATIVE

Digital India Advisory Group

Silicon Valley Players:

Why digital India?

PUBLIC SECTOR UNDERTAKINGS IN INDIA

Why are PSUs in loss?

Economic Indicators Commodities

Economic Indicators Stock Markets

Economic Indicators Commodities

Economic Indicators Stock Markets

1) A small step forward The Hindu Business Line

Dated: October 23, 2014

Dated: October 24, 2014

Dated: October 24, 2014

Dated: October 27, 2014

Dated: October 27, 2014

1) A new bank for Asia The Hindu

Dated: October 30, 2014

Dated: October 30, 2014

Dated: November 2, 2014

Dated: November 3, 2014

Dated: November 4, 2014

Dated: November 6, 2014

Dated: November 9, 2014

Dated: November 10, 2014

Dated: November 11, 2014

Dated: November 12, 2014

1) Tarnished victory in Maharashtra The Hindu

Dated: November 13, 2014

Dated: November 14, 2014

Dated: November 17, 2014

Dated: November 17, 2014

Dated: November 18, 2014

In 25 Major Metro Areas Forbes 23 Oct

2) Startups engineer salary hike

for freshers, bring cheer to upcoming joinees ET 24 Oct

Standard of Living Vary by State Workforce 24 Oct

insurance staff may get transfers of their choice ET 26 Oct

getting less salary in the industry is an unfair practice ET 27 Oct

6) Low-paid risk 'being

left behind', says TUC HR Magazine 27 Oct

7) Lloyds confirms 9,000 job losses to aid 'digitalisation'

in gender equality rankings ET 28 Oct

of expats working in India declines; hiring falls 11% ET 30 Oct