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

Monday, 25 February 2019

In China : It is “ Comply or Quit “




That is what the Chinese Government is telling the Foreign Companies setting up shop in China



How  ?

China has a law which says :


Based upon the Company Law, party organizations should be permitted to be established in a foreign-invested enterprise – JV or 100% foreign-owned – if it employs three or more party members.


Article 19 requires companies to provide the “necessary conditions” for the activities of party organizations, which shall be established within the company according to the CCP Constitution.







Does this apply even to American Companies ?

You bet !

In a TV interview on BBC , last evening, Chairman of Huawei Group , Guo Ping said , even IBM, Microsoft and Motorola ( owned by Google ) , had to permit the setting up of Communist Party organizations within their Chinese establishments




How many American companies are obliged to do so ?

Approx.  900 companies with a combined investment of $ 220 Billion




What is the relevance to India ? 
    
Indian political system is a “ Multi-party Democracy “ , hence there is no question of NDA government asking foreign companies to set up “ BJP Party Committees “ in their local establishments !  We are not a “ Dragon Dictatorship “




Then why bring this up ?

Because , Twitter CEO , Jack Dorsey refused to attend the meeting called tomorrow by Shri Anurag Thakur , Chairperson , Parliamentary Committee on IT , to discuss the issue of fake news / misinformation etc , by Twitter


Apparently he thinks “ Twitter is above the Indian Laws “ and not answerable to Anurag !




How does Dorsey get such an impression ?
 
I think he mistakes the politeness of Shri Ravi Shankar Prasadji , who , yesterday said at the Global Business Summit :


“ And if some companies……seek to unleash data imperialism, that will not be acceptable. India is too huge a country to surrender before that .


You need to have data – social , economic .


But that data must be anonymized. If you have this kind of pragmatic ideas, then you would think a good way will be found


But in this debate, every stakeholder has to become pragmatic “







If Indian politeness fails to get our message across, what should we do ?

Bluntly announce our intention to launch IndiaDataCustodian and tell all Social Media sites to sign up agreements with Data Protection Regulator , as outlined in ;



Does any Social Media entity support this view ?

Yes !
At the GBS , Alan Mamedi, co-founder and CEO of TrueCaller said :

  The fundamental belief of organizations should be that the data belongs to the individual and they are the custodian of such data ………..allowing consumers to trade or benefit off their personal data, is one that needs to deeper introspection “


And Osama Bedier, founder and CEO of Poynt said :

“ Allowing consumers’ greater control over their personal data was a situational issue. … There are things that people profit off, off you, and there is a really good argument there for you to benefit, when others profit “

And Gulshan Rai, National Cyber Security Advisor, said :

“ The country favors data localization to protect its data resources that are more valuable than oil as they are mobile and can be used in different ways.

Every country in the world is doing its own data colonization….

I am in favour of a data protection act because we have no option, because every country has done it and so should we . We have to protect our own businesses and technology development “




Rameesh Kailasam, CEO , Indiatech , says :

The government is making it clear that there is the rule and you are welcome if you play by the rules. “


=======================================================

In his speech yesterday at Global Business Summit , Shri Modiji said :



“ For decades, a narrative was made that certain things are impossible in India.

  The progress our nation has achieved since 2014 gives me confidence that nothing is
  impossible for 130 cr Indians


Dear Shri Ravi Shankar Prasadji,

Does that “ nothing is impossible “ include ,

130 cr Indians submitting their personal data ONLY on IndiaDataCustodian portal , and Social Media web sites compelled to enable log in through ,


SARAL  [  Single  Authentic  Registration , Anywhere  Login  ]   ?



==========================================
==============

26  Feb  2019


Rsvp :  hcp@RecruitGuru.com



Saturday, 23 February 2019

United We Stand : Divided We Fall





Just read this in today’s Economic Times :



Extract :

India is keen on the storage of key personal data within the country to prevent “ data imperialism ”, Law, Justice and IT Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad said at the Global Business Summit on Saturday 



Context :

Keywords are : Colonization  /  Imperialism


To us Indians , these words bring back the memories of the 150 year long British Rule


How did a few thousand British persons posted in India, manage to “ Colonize “ some 33 crore ( 330 million in ‘40s ) Indians and rule over them ?


It was simple


They ensured that our 200+ princely states do not UNITE , but remain DIVIDED


Even fight with one another !


And how !


In 1943 , I remember travelling by BBCI Railway ( Bombay Baroda and Central India ) train from Bombay to Rajkot  ( now renamed Western Railways )


One had to change trains at Viramgam junction, with the two trains on either side of the platform


In the middle of the platform, were a series of concrete benches , where passengers were required to open their bags ( as it still happens occasionally, at arrivals of International flights ), for examination by “ Jakaatdaars “ – and pay duty for some goods !

I am sure , similar “ Customs Duty “ payments were in force in all the princely states !


WHAT  IS  THE  RELEVANCE  ?

Today, an Indian citizen has to submit , more or less , SAME DATA , again and again on the following web sites :

·         Social Media sites
·         Mobile Apps Sites / Stores
·         E Commerce
·         Banks
·         Fintech
·         Search Engines
·         Buyer-Seller online platforms
·         Job Portals
·         Govt web sites for getting DBT / subsidies / filing returns / documents
·         Govt web sites for lodging all kinds of complaints
·         Web sites of Service Providers ( Mobile / TV Channels etc )



List goes on and on


Each of these entities want to create their own DATABASES of citizens


And hold these DATABASES , close to their chests - never want to share with anyone else


They are behaving exactly like those 200 + princely states , fighting with each other


And the likes of Google – Amazon – Facebook – Apple ( GAFA ) and Twitter etc , want to make sure that these Database-Holders , never unite !


GAFA is the New Emperor ( - a handful , like the British posted in India in 1943 )


Millions of Indian companies ( holding citizen data ) are the New Colony

======================================================



GAFA Emperor ( Twitter CEO ) , Jack Dorsey , has refused to attend the meeting called by Parliamentary Committee on IT , on 26th Feb

Are we getting his message , viz :

Who are you to say we cannot colonize India ?


=========================================================


Dear Shri Ravi Shankar Prasadji,



 Who ( or What ) can unite us and empower us to throw out GAFA , by telling them :

  You need to play this game by our rules or Quit India  ?


Here is the message that India should send to Dorsey :


===========================================
24  Feb  2016

Rsvp :  hcp@RecruitGuru.com












Friday, 22 February 2019

A Minor Matter of Details ?





Some 50 years ago, IIM-A ( Indian Institute of Management – Ahmedabad ) was the only premier management institute in the country


Prof Foltz was a visiting professor from USA, who taught “ Business Policy


He had a robust sense of humor and used to tell the following story :


Once , a mouse sought consultation from the professor


During the meeting, the mouse said :

  Sir , I am mortally afraid of the cat which keeps chasing me . What shall I do ? “


Professor : 

“ This is a problem of strategic importance and needs deep analysis. Come back tomorrow “



When mouse turned up next day, Professor said : 

“ I have perfect solution . Turn yourself into a dog “



A very elated mouse ran home, singing “ I need to be a dog . Who is afraid of the big bad cat ? “



Next day , mouse turned up once again at the office of the professor and said :


  Sir , without doubt , you have come up with the 

perfect solution but HOW do I morph into a dog ? “



To which , with utter disdain , professor replied :


“ Look , Micky Mouse  , as a professor of BUSINESS POLICY , I only pronounce the STRATEGY . I cannot be bothered with working out the minor details of how to implement the POLICY “


=========================================================


BUSINESS  POLICY  :

As far as the menace of BLACK MONEY is concerned , BJP’s 2014 Election Manifesto reads ( pg 4 ) :



Black Money

By minimizing the scope for corruption, we will ensure minimization of the generation of Black Money

 .
BJP is committed to initiate the process of tracking down and bringing back black money stashed in foreign banks and offshore accounts.


We will set up a task force for this purpose and to recommend amendments to existing laws or enact new laws


We will also proactively engage with foreign governments to facilitate information sharing on black money


=========================================================

CONTEXT :

 Just came across following news report :

Extract :
The amount of black money outside India was Rs 9.41 lakh crore or US $ 216.48 billion
between 1990 and 2008, a government-commissioned study has concluded, adding that this amount could be one-tenth of the total estimated illegal wealth.
“ Illicit outflows from the country are estimated on average to 10% of the estimated unaccounted income,” said the study by National Institute of Financial Management (NIFM)

“ Taking the capital outflow worth (stock) US $498 billion, its share in total unaccounted
  wealth can be estimated as 2.8%,” NCAER report was learnt to have concluded.

=========================================================

IMPLICATION :

If 2.8 % amounts to $ 498 billion , then the “ Total unaccounted wealth “ could be as high as $ 17786 Billion ( Rs 1245,00,000 Crore = Rs 1245 lakh*crore )



BLACK MONEY unearthed so far :


#   Black Money ( Undisclosed Foreign Income and Assets ) Act – 2015 … Rs  4,100   Crore


#   Income Declaration Scheme/PM-Garib Kalyan Yojana – 2017 …………… Rs  72,200   Crore


#   Benami Transaction Tax – 2016 ( value of attached property )……………Rs    3,500   Crore

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                                      Total……. Rs  79,800  Crore  [$ 11 Billion ]

=========================================================

WHAT  NEXT  ?

Without doubt, elimination of the scourge of Black Money will, once again figure prominently in the election manifestos of BJP and Congress


Manifesto drafters are quite like Prof Foltz . Their job is to lay down the POLICY on Black Money


Do not expect them to spell out the DETAILS of how precisely, they will ensure that Rs  1245 lakh*crore worth of Black Money will get unearthed and put to productive use !


But , in case Shri Arun Jaitlyji instructs his Finance Secretary to work out the DETAILS , he may want to look up my following earlier emails

=========================================================

DETAILS  :


Baba Ramdev and Black Money  ………………………………………………………………[  29  May  2011  ]

Magic Wand ?    …………………………………………………………………………………………[  09  June  2011  ]

Create Wealth to Create Jobs  ………………………………………………………………….[  26  Feb  2014   ]

Don't Ask " How " ?  ………………………………………………………………………………….[  07  April  2014  ]

Next 100 Days  …………………………………………………………………………………………..[  16  May  2014  ]

White Holes of Black Money ?  …………………………………………………………………..[  03  June  2014  ]

A CASE FOR ZERO PERSONAL INCOME TAX ………………………………………………[ 11  Nov  2014   ]

A VIRTUOUS CIRCLE ?  ……………………………………………………………………………….[  04  Jan  2015  ]

Making Molehill out of Mountain ? ……………………………………………………………… [ 19   Nov  2015  ]

STRUCTURAL REFORMS ?  …………………………………………………………………………..[  30  Jan  2016   ]

TIME IS NOW !  …………………………………………………………………………………………….[  02  Feb  2016  ]

Don't Expect This in Budget  ………………………………………………………………………..[  28  Feb  2016  ]

Quantum Jump ?  ………………………………………………………………………………………  .[  29  Feb  2016  ]

Making India a Tax Haven ?  ……………………………………………………………………    04  April  2016 ]

FDI : By any other name ?  ……………………………………………………………………..    [ 01  July  2016  ]

Prime Minister Who Listens  …………………………………………………………………………[  03  Dec  2016  ]

One Infrastructure SPV ? More will follow  ……………………………………………….  [20  March  2017 ]

 

What Goes Out , Comes Back ?  ………………………………………………………………….[ 05 May  2017  ]

Private Sector in Infrastructure ?  ……………………………………………………………….[28  July  2017  ]

Nibbling on Crumbs ?  …………………………………………………………………………………  [08  Aug  2017  ]

 

How to Raise $ 500 BILLION  ……………………………………………………………………  [17  Sept  2017  ]

From Garbage to Power ?  ……………………………………………………………………….   16  Jan  2018  ]


=========================================================

22  Feb  2019

Rsvp :  hcp@RecruitGuru.com