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

Thursday 24 November 2011

THOSE WHO CANNOT COMPETE , WILL PARISH

 24 Nov 2011

THOSE  WHO  CANNOT  COMPETE , WILL  PARISH

India’s one time telecom giant Bharat Sanchar Nigam ( BSNL ) is facing some stiff competition

With a current staff strength of 277,000 , BSNL spends nearly Rs.13,791 Crores on annual salary bill

This is 46.5 % of its total income

So BSNL has come up with a Voluntary Retirement Scheme [ VRS ], thru which , it wants to reduce staff strength by 99,700

By paying , on an average , Rs 20 lakhs per person

That would cost it Rs. 18,181 Crores

No problem ! Central Government (ie: poor people of India), will foot the bill

After VRS is implemented , BSNL will outsource functions like

·      Transmission and Switching System Installation
·      Training
·      Civil Engineering
·      Architectural work

That is not going save BSNL from extinction

Only reason BSNL must suffer a painful slow death is that no one can revive it – so no one will buy it !

With regards

HEMEN  PAREKH

Wednesday 23 November 2011

PETROL PRICES : LET THESE RISE !

23 Nov 2011

PETROL  PRICES :  LET THESE RISE !

When petrol prices are raised, a few million car – owners bear that burden.

When petrol prices are artificially kept low, hundreds of millions of middle class people end-up subsidizing those rich car owners !

Because oil companies / refining companies are mostly owned by Government of India

If they make losses, Central Govt subsidizes them – by raising taxes on everybody !

If in doubt , look at the following figures for FY 2011 ( as reported in Economic Times / 22 Sept 2011 ) :

  • Total Under-recoveries ………………………………. Rs.  78,190  Crores

Burden sharing :

  • Oil Bonds / Cash from Govt ………………………….Rs.   41,000  Crores

  • Discount by Upstream Companies………………..Rs.   30,297  Crores

  • Burden on Oil Marketing Companies…………….Rs.      6,893 Crores

Do politicians realize that, ultimately , it is the middle class and poor people who bear the entire burden of “ Under-recoveries “ – whichever way you look at it !

Coming to think of it , “ Under-recoveries “ are nothing but “ Inefficiencies “ of the oil companies !

As long as we try to keep alive these oil companies , poor will continue to bear the burden of this “ Life Support System “ !

Just pull the plug – or stop protesting .

With regards

HEMEN  PAREKH

Thursday 17 November 2011

Mobile Internet Kiosk


At a press conference in Bangalore [ India ] yesterday, Ms Revathi Muthanna, Business Development Manager, HP Labs-India, announced the the launch of their widget,
                                     “  Jobs  for  All  “

Explaining “ Jobs for All “, she said :

Ø   This is a free app for Android based smart phones

Ø  It is developed in collaboration with www.CustomizeResume.com

Ø  It can be downloaded by entering in mobile browser ………………….

Ø  If a jobseeker is registered on CustomizeResume, he will get to view job alerts, by entering his mobile number in the widget

Ø  He can apply against any of these job alerts, simply by touching the APPLY button

Ø  “ Jobs for All “ eliminates the need for a PC / broadband connection. In fact, it “ obsoletes “ job searches on job portals !

Ø  Since hundreds of jobseekers can “ Apply “ against their respective job alerts from a single device, “ Jobs for All “ widget, converts a smart phone into a ,

                             Mobile  Internet  Kiosk

Ø   There are millions of jobseekers in remote corners of India, where there is no internet penetration. Such a mobile kiosk will provide to such rural jobseekers, a level-playing field in the job market and bridge the “ Digital Divide “ with their city cousins.

Ø  Before long, HP Labs – India, expects to release similar widget based on Apple O/S

Ø  It is also expected that many Indian smart phone manufacturers will pre-install “ Jobs for All “ widget before shipping to dealers, giving them competitive advantage to gain market share

with regard,

hemen parekh

Indians are overworked

Here are some depressing findings reported in DNA [ Nov. 14, 2011 ] :
 45 % of Indian workers work 9 – 11 hours / day ( Global average is 38 % )
 10 % of employees work for over 11 hours / day
How many Indian workers have the bad habit of taking work home ?
 53 % of field workers
 29 % of office workers
Are Indian workers trying to get ahead of their colleagues in the rat-race ? Or simply worried to lose their jobs if lagging behind ?
May be they fear what is happening to jobless in Eurozone !
Certainly, they are not motivated by Pundit Nehru’s slogan :
“ Aaram haraam hai ! “
With regards
hemen parekh

Tuesday 15 November 2011

WEAKER SEX IS STRONGER !

15 Nov 2011

WEAKER  SEX  IS  STRONGER  !

As per DNA ( Nov.14,2011 ), India’s suicide statistics ( 2010 ) are as follows :

·      Total number of suicides . ……………………1,34,599 ( 368 / day )

·      Men / Women Ratio ………………………………. 65 : 35

·      % age who were married ………………………  69.2 %

·      % age who were unmarried …………………… 22.8 %

·      Married Men / Married Women ………………. 1.9 / 1

·      Unmarried Men / Unmarried Women …….  1.8 / 1

Conclusion ?

In India ,if you are a man and married , learn to meditate !

With regards

HEMEN  PAREKH

Friday 4 November 2011

PARTICIPATORY ADVERTISING

4 Nov 2011

PARTICIPATORY ADVERTISING

Source : Times of India / Nov. 03, 2011 / Excerpts from :

“ Conventional advertising makes way for participatory campaigns “

  • Brands need to create communication that is personal and relevant for consumers

  • How conventional advertising is making way for communication that is participatory, one which is two-way conversation between brands and consumers

  • “ There is an increasing need for compelling content to engage consumers with a brand “….. Simon Bond. .CMO/BBDO

  • Brands are trying hard today to ensure greater consumer engagement

  • As a marketer you need to create experiences that are remarkable

  • If a brand makes full optimization of new age platforms and personalizes its response to its consumers, the brand will immediately become a part of conversation that can have the potential to involve thousands of people
  • Simon Bond :

      • “ We are living in a true social revolution “

  • Deepa Prahalad – Author and Business Strategist  

                  “  The frequency of interaction with the consumer is very  important for building up this trust “

With regards

HEMEN  PAREKH

Thursday 20 October 2011

Air India or Ground(ed) India ?


Economic Times [ 14 Sept 2011 ] provides some interesting in-sights into the affairs of Air India, as follows :

Ø   Aircrafts ordered in 2005 ………………………………….          68

Ø  Aircrafts delivered so far …………………………………..           41

Ø  Aircrafts yet to be delivered  ……………………………            27

Ø  Delivery delayed by  ………………………………………….       3 years

Ø  Compensation offered by Boing for late delivery….    $ 500 million

Ø  Current Debt of Air India…………………………………………   Rs.43000 Cr

Ø  Additional Debt for 27 aircrafts ………………………………   Rs.17000 Cr

Quotes :

Ø   Dinesh Keskar ( VP – Boing International )
“ This aircraft will be a game changer for Air India ………….. “

Ø  Vayalar Ravi  ( Civil Aviation Minister  )
“ Air India does not have the money to pay for the 27 Boing planes. Air India is not to increase its debt burden right now “

Come now, Mr Ravi !
Since when has non-availability of funds come in the way of Air India ?
Just “ sell “ the profitable routes on “ first – come – first – served “ basis “ ala 2G !


With regards

hemen  parekh