Hi Friends,

Even as I launch this today ( my 80th Birthday ), I realize that there is yet so much to say and do. There is just no time to look back, no time to wonder,"Will anyone read these pages?"

With regards,
Hemen Parekh
27 June 2013

Now as I approach my 90th birthday ( 27 June 2023 ) , I invite you to visit my Digital Avatar ( www.hemenparekh.ai ) – and continue chatting with me , even when I am no more here physically

Friday, 28 April 2017

If You cannot lick them, Join them !



Times of India ( 26  April  2017 ) carries following news :




Soon, control room and app for kaali-peelis



Taxi unions have taken the initiative for setting up the first-ever control room for monitoring movement of kaali-peeli cabs using apps for operations from June 1.


Said union leader A L Quadros ,


“ We are launching our very own app for drivers , who are being registered under the City Taxi Scheme. This will happen by June 1


 We have submitted a report on our project to the Andheri RTO and very soon , a control room will be set up to assist kaali-peelis


At least 12,000 kaali-peeli drivers could switch to mobile app in coming weeks , as they face stiff competition from aggregator firms


Most drivers are eager to remove the electronic meter and operate using apps . It will also generate more revenue for these drivers  “





Some 40 years ago , Ted Levitt wrote in his seminal essay , “ Marketing Myopia “ :


“ If you don’t make yourself obsolete , rest assured , someone else will “


No doubt , Shri Quados hurried up to implement what I said in following blog :




Monday, 3 October 2016

Kaali-Peeli , Wake Up !


Hindustan Times ( 04 Oct 2016 ) carries a news report titled :





" In Mumbai: Kaali-Peeli app to offer 25% discount to stay in business "


It goes on to read :

Facing tough competition from app-based aggregators such as Ola and Uber,

 Kaali-Peeli taxi drivers from Navi Mumbai will offer discounts on fare to 

commuters from Tuesday



Taxi union sources said that the daily earning of cabbies had gone down. They

 were now offering such discounts to stay in the business.




“ We are aware that Ola and Uber has taken benefit of our weakness, but to 

improve the situation, we need to change ourselves and adopt a new 

technology. Otherwise, the situation will worsen as we have already lost 40% of

 our earnings to Ola-Uber ”, says Vijay Chauhan , who is driving a taxi for last 

26 years.




Mumbai has over 38,000 Kaali-Peeli taxis, besides air-conditioned cool cabs and

 fleet cabs.




Upset with rampant refusals from Kaali-Peeli cabbies, the commuters started

 taking to Ola and Uber for long distance rides because of the cheaper fare

comfortable ride and ease of booking.



-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------



But , do Kaali-Peeli owners realize that " reducing fares to beat the competition

 " , is an obsolete technology - which belongs to a " Sun-set " Industry !




Do they realize that Uber-Ola are not even pretending to be competing with the

 Kaali-Peelies !




They are too busy creating a brand NEW industry , having a totally different set

 of rules !





They are in the business of  " ASSET  AS  A  SERVICE " industry , rather than "

ASSET AS OWNERSHIP "




In the process , they are adding in India alone , some 5,000  such " Asset-

service Taxies " , every month !




Who knows , someday " Car Ownership " as a concept , may disappear !




And making available these " Assets Service " to travelers ,




*  WHEN  they want


*  WHERE  they want


*  HOW  they want ( alone or sharing mode )


*  CHEAP


*  FAST ( made available in 5 minutes )



One piece of advice ( albeit , unsolicited ) to Kaali-Peeli owners :


Do not even dream to go on a strike  !


You will end up forcing more travelers to embrace Uber-Ola , thereby hastening your own demise !




It is still not too late for Kaali-Peeli owners to " re-invent "  their " new avatar " 

by reading the following :






    {  http://myblogepage.blogspot.com/2016/09/name-of-game-co-operation.html  }





    {  http://myblogepage.blogspot.com/2016/09/irrefutable-law-of-economics.html  }





    {  http://myblogepage.blogspot.com/2016/09/an-excellent-advice-shri-raoteji.html  }





    {   http://myblogepage.blogspot.com/2016/07/turning-back-clock.html   }





    {   http://myblogepage.blogspot.com/2016/05/tablets-in-taxies.html   }



29  April  2017




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