Brand Positioning by ISRO

Indian Space Research Organisation’s recent successful accomplishment of Chandraayan – I mission has yielded the results which are considered as the “Brand New Vital Discoveries” in the frontiers of Science. The mission was a major boost to India's space program, as India researched and developed its own technology in order to explore the Moon. Its results has overcome the researchers of many other International Space agencies including NASA, to me, personally, ISRO is living my dream of “Obsession towards excellence in the World Arena”.

The metaphor “World Class” is like a relay baton which quite often shifts from one to another and only those who qualify to the finals fight for the title. And certainly, what ISRO has done among the other Space research agencies in the world is just amazing. I’m not being complacent, this organization is fulfilling the visions of many intellectuals/scientists/Visionaries of India and progressing them to the next level of advancement in the Indian history of Space research.

Since its incarnation, this organization has invested in so much as no other organization has done in the Indian sub-continent and many have argued that 1.3 billion USD of money has been allocated for its development as inappropriate. Those who argue/argued,

Development of a nation/enterprise never comes from its dominance from within but from its strategies towards explorations and expeditions. Success of those enterprises is determined by how far we have reached to the new space frontiers that the other countries haven’t reached. And how much we have discovered for which the other countries are striving to achieve. That is called the real “Growth and Development” according my argument. Yes, the more we explore, the more we learn; the more we learn, and the more we make our life meaningful. May our boundary lines between the neighboring countries may restrict us in expanding our Culture onto the world, but the boundaries within us inside our minds are beyond it s dreams.

Well, one can raise their hand and can ask “What sort of development does the citizen of India can enjoy from the Spin-off of these explorations and expeditions”. This is a good one. Fine. My answer is, these projects costing many 1000 Crores of rupees yields the people of India the results which the world hasn’t discovered before. Apart from that, these successes improvise every individual with their passions towards achievement and excelling in their field to make their presence in this world and how they can make a difference.

I am sick and tired of seeing the names of other countries in the list of “World’s largest, World’s biggest, World’s fastest” in terms of engineering marvels. It is all about how much amount of collective energy and thoughts put on developing en enterprise or a Product. At any point of time, I/we cannot be lenient about our role in the International arena for the benefit of us and our civilization.

My Worry Factor: Inability of oneself in expressing themselves

I envy towards the geniuses who express themselves 100% to the issues in the Society which is either national or local. Its not that such personalities have made me to dream “How good if I were in his shoes”, but it is about “How good they express their emotions on to the society with their Product/Performance as their medium”.

I am neither talking about the achievers or neither the achievements nor I am talking about Winning the hearts of the people. I am talking about the people who simply had expressed themselves and made a difference. The creators are the ones whom I envy about.

Lets cut it to the chase_

The  film directors, authors, Speakers, Politicians and all those who completely spend their time “The Time”, “The very 24 hours of their day” towards their Product/Performance which acts as a medium in bringing the message from the Sender to the receiver. For example, Mani Ratnam, an excellent director whose ideas totally expounds his views over the issues that are blemishing the society is a triumphant.  He used the tools like “Bombay, Yuva, Raavan” as his tools in delivering the receivers a message from his innerself.

That is the same with AR Rahman, who desperately wanted the Indian music to hit the International arena in a broader way. Such cognizance has been made and had a paradigm shift for the listeners worldwide. He is a triumphant. He used “Pray for me Brother, Banyan, Jana gana man, etc.” as his tools to express his innerself.

The case isn’t different in Steve Jobs as well. His argument and expression of his thoughts is over the brilliance over how the design and technology can augment the users’ experience which excels from the other products from his peers. He used “Mac, iphone, iPad” as his tools in expressing his innerself.

I don’t want to get started about Prof. Dr. Neil Degrasse Tyson. He is an astrophysicist and has a strategic role in NASA is enjoying his purpose of his professional life by communicating “How Science can transform the wealth and welfare of the Society and the nation”. He uses his Seminars, Public Broadcastings, Speeches as his tools in expressing his innerself.

From this, I wonder how productive one can transform a wonderful society full of potentials by just igniting them to foresee what needs to be done and how it can be accomplished. I wonder what would be our media in expressing ourselves. 

Harsha Bhogle – Achievers of Excellence @ IIM Ahmedabad

Please click the link below.

Harsha Bhogle – Achievers of Excellence @ IIM Ahmedabad

It would be my pleasure to share this video from Brijux.com about Harsha Bhogle's speech in IIM-A. All I observed is the process involved in his perspectives towards an approach over an issue. These are vital lessons to learn in management and achieving excellence.

Watch the link and have a great day.

One of the most inspirational authors I have ever known: Dr Viktor Frankl

I think many wouldn't have know him about his life and his experience. So here we go. 

When I Introduce him to you: 

Dr. Viktor Frankl was a Neurologist and Psychiatrist who survived his days in one of the Concentration Camps in Germany during the World War II. As a short story, he has lived in that camp for more than 3 years and about that camp, it is the place where the term stands for its meaning "Survival of the Fittest". Yes, if the camp inmate is  unfit to work or ill, he will be sent to the gas chambers and turned into ashes. He and his fellow mates has to stay fit to survive by just consuming a bowl of soup and a loaf of bread(the only food which was served) and as a hard labor. 

When I read his book "Man's search for Meaning" recently, I have found that book as the most inspirational for those who has lost everything in life. For the rest, it is such a book which explains how to control your emotional feelings and thoughts by not surrendering yourself to the situation, but having a meaning for your sufferings. You got to be empathetic while reading this book and make sure that you clearly be in the shoes of a camp inmate. If you try to read that in that sense, I swear, you will feel the real essence of his book, the best book. 

Personally to me, he is a gift to the mankind. After losing his family, friends and even his body strength, he has the courage and found his meaning to give something to the world and wrote this splendid meaningful book. It s a privilege to read those lines of his. 

Chile!!!

Sometimes, we are mere lunatics under the circumstances of love and affection during the time of disasters. Losing the dear ones during such hard times even makes us to feel that Love is just a sorrowful word.

My prayers to the victims of Chile's earthquake. Dear Mother Earth, we are too little to stand up against your disorders.

A potential new enemy: Genetically Modified Foods in India

In India, where we say, AGRICULTURE is its backbone is facing the great insanity threat from the multi nationals whereby introducing the Genetically Modified (GM) Foods in the Food supply chain of India. Recently the BT Brinjal issue has taken its shape within the State government and the Central government of India. When the Monsanto corp, USA has made their entry into the Indian Food supply chain, they have began the widespread strategy of extending their market share and market volume in the Indian sub-continent. India’s annual production capacity of 8.4 million tones is such a massive market space to market the BT Brinjal whose devastating effects in the human life style and health are way too bad than predicted.

There are similar stories with the other ‘Genetically Modified Crops’ such as Cotton, Rice, Maize and Soyabean. India, being one of the leading producers of Cotton, Rice and Corn in the world is a heaven for the multi-nationals to sell their genetically modified foods in the Indian market where there are lot of potential involved. BT Cotton has already registered complaints over itching and other side effects while cultivating and during its applications. It could be even more destructive for the farmers and the consumers after using the GM foods which is taken into the body.

A recent report from Mr. Praful Bidwai, Reporter from Business.rediff.com has stated in his report that

The transgenic brinjal was developed by Mahyco (Maharashtra Hybrid Seeds Company) in collaboration with the US-based transnational, Monsanto. It involves the insertion of a gene from the soil bacterium Bacillus thuringiensis into the DNA or genetic code of the vegetable to produce pesticidal toxins in every cell.”

Adverse effects have been reported from the Philippines, the US and Germany from GM maize, cotton and soyabeans, including allergies in humans and permanent damage in pigs, cows and chickens. In the US, a GM food supplement called L-Tryptophan killed about 100 people and produced swelling, coughs, rashes, pneumonia, mouth ulcers, nausea, muscle spasms, difficulty in concentration and paralysis among 1,000 people.

Apart from the damage being caused in the body, the other direct effects would be the loss of soil fertility which makes the other crops to loose its capacity to be farmed on the land where the GM seeds have already harvested. Not just the consumers, the farmers will face a great threat and it becomes a monopolic productivity of crops in the cultivable lands. This would turn to a disaster when practiced.

This trade cannot be carried only with the help of the multi nationals alone. The local GM seed manufacturers play the vital role and its simply grinding a hole on the ship that we sail. The farmers associations, nationwide, have held meetings and protested the entry of BT Brinjal into the market. Also the Ministry of Agriculture has promised the farmers that they would not harm the local varieties of natural Brinjal by placing the GM seeds in the supply chain. But then their promise is still Surreal.

Personally, I know how hard it is to export a T-Shirt from India or China or Bangladesh to the West. It is really hard to overcome the certifications stating that the product does not contains any harmful chemical substances which damages the human health and environment. There are organizations created by the European Union called “REACH” whose primary objective is to certify the products’ ingredients are harmless to the consumers. Such organizations are considered to be the gateway of the market. Is diplomatic supremacy is the only reason in India for allowing the multinationals like Monsanto into the market. Post your comments on it.

Therefore,

Source of Inspiration: Dr. Vandhana Shiva, is a Philosopher, environmental activist, eco feminist.

Her notable books: India Divided, Soil Not Oil, Earth Democracy, Water Wars: Privatization, Pollution, and Profit

Words from an Environmentalist

Watch this video and have a breath of fresh air from the world of Globalisation. She is Dr. Vandhana Shiva and you will google her if you don't know much about her.




Watch for my further posts during the commencing week.

Wild Wild West

Once again, my post elaborates the reality of the wild side of Globalisation and the unethical business happening in the Asian countries due to the Price competition among its products with their competitive nations. The small scale industries in particular are the victims under such Global business solution models where the buying giants in the west are getting more precise and Sharp in attaining their Economies of Scale.

Rather saying this as the competitive world, I would say this as the intelligent world where the entire business is cornered only in terms of competitive prices among the producers and the rest of the business story is nullified. For example, QUALITY was the main success factor in the export business since 2005 where the Price factor comes next to the negotiation of Quality and Cycle time of Production. But the things had changed all in a moment and now arises the Price war between an Exporter in Asia and an Importer in the West. Due to the economic and Political policies among the leading nations in their GDPs, the asian manufacturers are in the game of death by fighting for the survival.

The businesses whose main focus was on quality once, now had shifted towards Price. But then if we analyse, this situation prevails only in Asia but nowhere in the world’s production houses. In the Europe and in the US markets, the business focus is still towards its Business Values and Quality and Differentiation of Products. The game has been changed in the other part of the world.

To tell you the story “ The business management books on [Competition management and gaining Competitive Advantage ] is proving useless to apply it to the asian markets due to the different ball game in the Export market and it s purpose is satisfied to the rest of the markets in the world.

The United Nations having a power to eradicate/levy the preferential agreements creates different market structures and new potential competitors in the world. It is not by letting them to win but making the others to lose. When the buying nations has the unity towards creating the GSPs(Generalized System of Preferences) codes towards the Producing nations, the competition being created among those producing nations obviously dislodges the unity among its peers politically and economically. It has turned out to the like the game of ‘Survival of the Fittest’. And it is practically impossible for these Exporting Asian Nations to unite as a single body in terms of preferential treatments and regimes.

As a result, the smartest supplier who once ruled the market with genuine products has to struggle to survive in the market due to such deliberate policies and agreements leading to the struggles in the International markets. Even though the enhancement of Product and R & D are becoming the tool to fight this issue over export business, the results weren’t convincing enough to sustain the future developments in the competition. Therefore a nation whose 55% of its GDP relying over the Exports goods has plummeted since last year in the International Market and now it is fighting to keep its product cheaper and not emphasizing Quality and Research.
This is not the end of the story. If such kind of International Practices prolongs, there will be the generation of new potential threats from the new entities who goal would be destroying the market’s game and rules for their own survival. Its been like in the world of forests by defending oneself against its cannibalistic neighbors. Once the united neighboring nations have now become the dislodged piece of a threat. This squeal is not just from the author but from everyone who is in the business experiencing the hard times which they are not responsible for the cause. Well, it would take sometime to gather unity prior to another major change in the market, an ethical design of systems are needed to carry the world forward with evenly distributed rights and claims towards the uncertainties.



Picture at the top - Extracted from the website of St. George's Student Union

Beginning of a New Game in the International Trade and Supply:

Serving the Market: A New Epitome of Sustaining the Effects of Globalisation for the mid size companies

Life is getting easier as far as the consumers’ buying comforts are concerned. The competition among the brands and their Product Placements within the price competition may shake the consumers with a million of choices but then, he/she has the best choice at the end of the day due to the visibility of the so called Market Updates. Making the consumers to win in the commercial market is the contemporary saga for the brands and thus gaining the Brand Identity and Brand Equity. Well, what kind of the risks that a brand has to take and what are all their back end effects of making their customers to win at the shop floor?

Shouldn’t that be a toughest stance for the Brand Managers and the Product Managers who help the business to reach the maximum height coping with their annual targets? Indeed yes, it is absolutely one of the balancing acts that he has to perform. A perfect metaphor which I can use to name those executives would be “Skywalkers”. They not only have to balance the act, they have to foresee the wind flow (i.e) the markets’ future for the next business year. Apart from the “Skywalkers” efforts to bridge the gap between the customer needs and the company’s marketing tools, there is something really missing as far as the sustainable future is concerned.

The Market research reports and the Consumer Behavior Analysis studies have become a tiny tool demoting its significance against the race with the Market fluctuation problems. Therefore an unlimited offering in the market and along with that, a strategic platform between the buyer and the supplier creating some uncontested market place for the future would be an ideal relief for the results over Market Development. Apart from the Brand Identity, the innovation management tool will relieve the customers’ product mix and will have a new (brand new) brand experience over their value added product.

I remember the saying “ One’s legacy is justified not during the good times but during the time of difficulty and demotion”. So the demand of new products will be increasing against the ‘Run and Chase’ game during the time of economic downturn. Well, the investment for the new Products are the hardest decision making process. But then the effect would reduce the lapse between “Product Development” and “Innovation Management” and thereby creating a uncontested market place for the present runners in the market.

Being a strategic Supplier is not sufficient in this present day markets. No matter where we belong to, either a service industry or a Telecom industry and even a fashion industry, there are aplenty of space which are yet to be served between the Customers and Suppliers. I am not talking about the brokers but only about the suppliers. Supplying Just in Time is just a mere tradition. Valuable supply and the Value innovation are the much needed combo in order to serve one’s customer to their deep values. This is the aga, where on has to concentrate about Vertical Sourcing as a tool for success but not just Vertical Production. Vertical Integration in the Value chain has its own charm in the business values and It’s the right time to discuss further deep into it. Meet you in a while.

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The World Parliament of Religions - 1893

I am feeling light after scanning through Swami Vivekananda's speech in Chicago, 1993 during the World Parliament of Religions. It was a century ago where he rendered this speech to the masses of the US and it is still afresh and spills wisdom to shower love and compassion to all the living creatures in this universe. According to the state of affairs in the world right now, this piece of wisdom which he shared is very much needed to raise the harmony between the religions worldwide. Neither one is deprived nor the other is enhanced with their philosophies in their respective religions. Let the world be enlightened. Let the world stops shedding blood.

I am very much proud to be born in a nation where he had born some 140 years ago. I am very much thankful to have a pre-knowledge to perceive his thoughts in my mind and will spill it to the people who needs it. I am sharing a part of his speech here in this blog.

Thats how it had begun.

Sisters and Brothers of America,

It fills my heart with joy unspeakable to rise in response to the warm and cordial welcome which you have given us. I thank you in the name of the most ancient order of monks in the world; I thank you in the name of the mother of religions, and I thank you in the name of millions and millions of Hindu people of all classes and sects.

My thanks, also, to some of the speakers on this platform who, referring to the delegates from the Orient, have told you that these men from far-off nations may well claim the honor of bearing to different lands the idea of toleration. I am proud to belong to a religion which has taught the world both tolerance and universal acceptance. We believe not only in universal toleration, but we accept all religions as true. I am proud to belong to a nation which has sheltered the persecuted and the refugees of all religions and all nations of the earth. I am proud to tell you that we have gathered in our bosom the purest remnant of the Israelites, who came to Southern India and took refuge with us in the very year in which their holy temple was shattered to pieces by Roman tyranny. I am proud to belong to the religion which has sheltered and is still fostering the remnant of the grand Zoroastrian nation. I will quote to you, brethren, a few lines from a hymn which I remember to have repeated from my earliest boyhood, which is every day repeated by millions of human beings: "As the different streams having their sources in different paths which men take through different tendencies, various though they appear, crooked or straight, all lead to Thee."

The present convention, which is one of the most august assemblies ever held, is in itself a vindication, a declaration to the world of the wonderful doctrine preached in the Gita: "Whosoever comes to Me, through whatsoever form, I reach him; all men are struggling through paths which in the end lead to me." Sectarianism, bigotry, and its horrible descendant, fanaticism, have long possessed this beautiful earth. They have filled the earth with violence, drenched it often and often with human blood, destroyed civilization and sent whole nations to despair. Had it not been for these horrible demons, human society would be far more advanced than it is now. But their time is come; and I fervently hope that the bell that tolled this morning in honor of this convention may be the death-knell of all fanaticism, of all persecutions with the sword or with the pen, and of all uncharitable feelings between persons wending their way to the same goal.

- Swami Vivekananda